The present invention is in the technical field of mounting systems. More specifically, the present invention is in the technical field of mounting systems for digital media players.
Users often place digital media players near a television. Television owners desire a convenient means to mount digital media players.
We have discovered an apparatus and a method that allow users to mount digital media players.
The accompanying drawings form part of the detailed description below. The drawings show specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced, by way of example or illustration and not by way of limitation. These embodiments are described in enough detail through text and drawing figures to enable those skilled in the art to practice the claimed invention. The embodiments may be combined, other embodiments may be utilized, or structural, logical and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The description below illustrates implementations of the invention and does not limit the invention.
In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals describe substantially similar components throughout the several views. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in this disclosure.
Digital media players include Digital Video Disc (DVD) players, Blu-ray players, and digital media extenders such as Apple TVs. Digital media players often transmit digital signals wirelessly or through a wire such as a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable to a screen that displays an image based on the digital signal. Screens include computer monitors, televisions, and image-producing portions of movie projectors. Televisions include flat-panel displays, flat-screen televisions, and tube televisions.
Owners of digital media players often prefer to mount their digital media player near their screens. For example, a person who owns a flat screen television that is mounted on the wall might want to mount her Apple TV onto her flat screen television or onto the wall behind her flat screen television.
In one embodiment, the tray 2 is configured such that a user can connect electrical cables 3 to the digital media player 1 and then slide the digital media player 1 into the tray 2 without having to disconnect the electrical cables 3. For example, the tray 3 in
The digital media player has two large sides 11 and four small sides 12. In one embodiment, the tray has two retaining lips 9 that engage the large side 11 that faces away from the tray base 13. In this embodiment, the two retaining lips 9 are separated by the open portion 4. In another embodiment, the tray 2 includes an open top 14 to allows the digital media player 1 to slide into the tray 2. The open top 14 is located on the opposite side of the tray relative to the open portion 4.
The tray 2 can attach to vents 10 in a screen 15. This mounting method is advantageous because it can be achieved without tools.
In one embodiment, a mounting system includes three types of hooks. The first type of hook is configured for round vents 10a. The second type of hook is configured for vertical vents 10b. The third type of hook is configured for horizontal vents 10c. This embodiment enables the mounting system to be compatible with screens that have round vents 10a, vertical vents 10b, and horizontal vents 10c because the user can select the hook type that is compatible with the user's screen. In other embodiments, the mounting system only contains two hook types or even just contains one hook type.
Hooks 20 attach the tray 2 to the vents 10. In some embodiments, the hooks are part of the tray. For example, the hooks may be formed as part of the molding process that forms the tray. In other embodiments, the hooks are permanently attached to the tray. In other embodiments, the hooks are detachably coupled to the tray such that the hooks may be removed from the tray after the hooks are attached to the tray.
a and 5b show a circular hook 20a, which is configured to attach to round vents 10a. In one embodiment, the circular hook 20a has more than one protrusion 6 that enters vents 10. The circular hook 20a has a front portion 30a with a substantially round cross section. The front portion 30 enters into the round vent 10a.
The front portion 30 of a hook 20 is configured to enter a vent 10. In some embodiments, the entire hook is the front portion because the entire hook is sized and shaped to enter the screen's vent. In other embodiments, only part of the hook is the front portion because part of the hook is designed to enter the vent while other parts of the hook serve other purposes such as coupling the front portion to the tray 2.
a and 6b show a vertical hook 20b with a front portion 30b, which is configured to attach to vertical vents 10b.
The front portion 30 has a length 100, a thickness 101, and a width 102. The length 100 is defined as the distance from middle of where the front portion attaches to the rest of the hook to the front portion's most distant point from the middle of where the front portion attaches to the rest of the hook.
In one embodiment, a hook 20 has a thickness 101 that is at least 50% larger than the hook's width 102. For example,
In one embodiment, a hook 20 has a width 102 that is at least 50% larger than the hook's thickness 101. For example,
In one embodiment, two circular hooks 20a are coupled to the tray 2. In another embodiment, at least three circular hooks 20a are coupled to the tray 2. In yet another embodiment, at least four circular hooks 20a are coupled to the tray 2. In yet another embodiment, at least four hooks 20 are coupled to the tray 2. In yet another embodiment, at least ten hooks 20 are coupled to the tray 2.
In various embodiments, the hook 20 includes an approach angle 110 that helps the hook 20 hold itself to the vent 10. The approach angle 110 is defined as the angle between the hook's length 100 and the back of the tray 112 as illustrated in
In various embodiments, the distal end of the hook 20 includes a forwardly curved portion 120. The distal end is the end of the hook 20 that is configured to enter the vent 10 before other portions of the hook 20 enter the vent 10. The forwardly curved portion 120 helps the hook 20 enter the vent's opening.
A hook's extension distance 130 is the distance from the attachment plane defined by where the front portion 30 attaches to the rest of the hook 20 to the front portion's most distant point as shown in
In various embodiments, the front portion 30 is flexible. A front portion 30 is herein defined as flexible if the distal end can move at least 3 mm to either side for every 10 mm of length without moving any portion of the hook besides the front portion or causing more than 1 mm of permanent deformation when tested at 74 degrees Fahrenheit and held in the side position for one to two seconds. Moving to the side is defined as moving into or out of the page in
In one embodiment, the hooks 20 are metal. In another embodiment, the hooks 20 are a non-electrically conductive material such as plastic or rubber. In one embodiment, the front portion 30 is metal covered with a nonconductive layer such as rubber, plastic, or any other nonconductive substance. The front portion 30 may have a circular cross section. In various embodiments, metal wires or rods protrude from the back of the tray 112 with an approach angle of less than 60 degrees, less than 50 degrees, less than 40 degrees, less than 30 degrees, or less than 20 degrees.
The hooks 20 have a back portion 40, which is configured to attach to the tray 2.
In one embodiment, the following method is used to attach the tray 2 to the screen 15. The user determines which style of hook 20 is compatible with the vents 10 on her screen 15. The user attaches the hooks 20 to the tray 2. The user attaches the hooks 20 to the vents 10. The user attaches the digital media player 1 to the tray 2. The above steps can be performed in orders different from the order listed above. For example, the user can attach the hooks 20 to the vents 10 before attaching the hooks 20 to the tray 2. In another method, the user attaches the tray 2 to the vents 10 by using hooks 20.
In one embodiment, the tray includes additional openings 55 as illustrated in
Fastening loops 65 include cable ties, zip ties, ropes, strings, and bands such as Velcro bands. Screen mounts 60 attach screens 15 to walls such as the vertical walls that form the outer perimeter of rooms in a building such as a home or office. Screen mounts 60 often include vertical bars 62 and horizontal bars. In one embodiment, the user ties the tray 2 to the vertical bar 62. In another embodiment, the user ties the tray 2 to the horizontal bar. The user ties the tray 2 to the bar 62 by placing a fastening loop 65 around the bar 62 and through the opening 50, 55.
In another embodiment, the tray 2 also includes screw holes 70 as shown in
In another embodiment, the tray 2 includes first openings 50, additional openings 55, and screw holes 70 such that the user can mount the tray 2 by attaching the tray 2 to the vents 10 by using hooks 20, can mount the tray 2 by attaching the tray 2 to the bars 62 by using fastening loops 65, or can mount the tray 2 by attaching the tray 2 to the wall by using screws or nails. In a related embodiment, a package in which the tray 2 is sold to customers includes hooks 20, fastening loops 65, and nails. In a related embodiment, the package in which the tray is sold to customers includes hooks 20, fastening loops 65, and screws. Thus, the package is a universal mounting system because it provides means for an extremely wide range of customers to mount their digital media players.
In one embodiment, the hooks 20 attach to the tray 2 via a snap fit. A snap fit is a self-locking joint in which one part flexes until it slips past a second part. Once the part that flexes slips past the second part, the part that flexes returns to substantially its initial shape, which prevents the two parts from inadvertently separating.
Many other tray geometries are possible. For example, the tray may completely or partially enclose the digital media player. In an embodiment, the tray encloses all sides of the digital media player. In an embodiment, the retaining lips 9 shown in
The tray 2 can be molded from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic with a hardness of 55 shore D, 65 shore D, 75 shore D, 85 shore D, or 95 shore D. The hooks 20 can be molded from the same ABS plastic materials that can be used for the tray. The hooks 20 can also be molded from polyurethane with a hardness of 70 shore A, 80 shore A, 90 shore A, or 95 shore A. The hooks 20 can also be molded from silicone rubber with a hardness of 85 shore A or 95 shore A. The screws can be a metal such as stainless steel and can be fabricated through standard screw machining processes.
The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above embodiments and aspects thereof may be used in combination with each other. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description. While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use the claimed invention, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, permutations, combinations, equivalent means, and equivalents of the specific embodiments, methods, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiments, methods, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.
This application claims the benefit as a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 14,478,665, filed on Sep. 5, 2014 and titled Mounting Systems for Digital Media Players, which claims the benefit as a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 14/209,452, filed on Mar. 13, 2014 and titled Mounting Methods for Digital Media Players, which claims the benefit as a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 14/169,148, filed on Jan. 30, 2014 and titled Mounting Methods for Digital Media Players, which claims the benefit as a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 13/332,373, filed on Dec. 21, 2011 and titled Mounting System for Digital Media Players, which claims the benefit as a continuation-in-part of U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 13/278,759, filed on Oct. 21, 2011 and titled Mounting System for Digital Media Players, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/416,736, filed on Nov. 23, 2010 and titled Mounting System for Digital Media Players. This application claims the benefit as a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 13/781,717, filed on Feb. 28, 2013 and titled Line of Sight Mounting Systems for Digital Media Players, which claims the benefit as a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 13/779,733, filed on Feb. 27, 2013 and titled Line of Sight Mounting Systems for Digital Media Players. The disclosures of application Ser. No. 14,478,665; application Ser. No. 14/209,452; application Ser. No. 14/169,148; application Ser. No. 13/332,373; application Ser. No. 13/278,759; application Ser. No. 61/416,736; application Ser. No. 13/781,717; and application Ser. No. 13/781,717 are incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61416736 | Nov 2010 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 14478665 | Sep 2014 | US |
Child | 14527687 | US | |
Parent | 14209452 | Mar 2014 | US |
Child | 14478665 | US | |
Parent | 14169148 | Jan 2014 | US |
Child | 14209452 | US | |
Parent | 13332373 | Dec 2011 | US |
Child | 14169148 | US | |
Parent | 13781717 | Feb 2013 | US |
Child | 13278759 | US | |
Parent | 13779733 | Feb 2013 | US |
Child | 13781717 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 13278759 | Oct 2011 | US |
Child | 13332373 | US |