1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an overhead system, and more particularly to an overhead console and entertainment system capable of being mounted to a rail assembly in a vehicle and a method for installing same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Entertainment consoles mounted in vehicles provide video and audio entertainment to passengers therein. Some known designs of consoles include a screen for displaying video and a media source, such as a video cassette player (VCP) or a digital video disc (DVD) player. In some instances, the known consoles are positioned overhead in a vehicle and are directly attached to a vehicle headliner.
An overhead system for use in a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, comprises a bracket mounted on at least two rails of a vehicle rail assembly, wherein the at least two rails are positioned on a headliner of the vehicle, and a console mounted to the bracket, wherein the console includes a front-side portion, a back-side portion, a left-side portion and a right-side portion, and a plurality of notches are positioned on the front-side and back-side portions for fitting around the at least two rails.
The at least two rails may be aligned parallel with each other and a majority of the bracket may be positioned between the at least two rails. The bracket may include a first portion for fitting in a space between a first rail of the at least two rails and the headliner and a second portion for fitting in a space between a second rail of the at least two rails and the headliner. The bracket may include a stepped configuration for varying the height of the bracket.
A height of one or more of the left-side, right-side, front-side and back-side portions may be varied according to a contour of the headliner. At least one notch of the plurality of notches may have a greater depth than the remaining notches of the plurality of notches.
The overhead system may further comprise a console bracket attached to the console, wherein the console is mounted to the bracket using the console bracket. The console bracket may be coupled to the bracket using a plurality of fasteners or an adhesive. The console bracket may include a plurality of holes aligning with a plurality holes in the bracket to receive the plurality of fasteners. The console bracket may be attached to the console using at least one fastener or an adhesive. The console bracket may also be molded to the console.
The console may include an open section in the center of the console and the console bracket may be positioned in the open section. The console bracket may be T-shaped and may be recessed from at least one of a top and bottom surface of the console.
An entertainment system may be mounted to the console via the console bracket. The entertainment system may be fixed to the console bracket using at least one fastener. The entertainment system may include at least one hole aligned with a hole in the console bracket for receiving the at least one fastener. A border may be positioned between the entertainment system and the front, back, left and right-side portions of the console. The entertainment system may include a screen for displaying a video program.
A bracket for mounting an article to a vehicle rail assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, comprises a first portion for fitting in a space between a first rail of the rail assembly and a vehicle headliner, and a second portion for fitting in a space between a second rail of the rail assembly and the vehicle headliner, wherein the first and second rails are positioned on the vehicle headliner and are aligned parallel with each other, and a majority of the bracket is positioned between the first and second rails.
The article may be a console including a plurality of notches for fitting around the first and second rails and may be coupled to the bracket using at least one fastener. The bracket may include at least one hole aligning with a hole in the article to receive the at least one fastener.
A method for installing an overhead system in a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, comprises mounting a bracket on at least two rails of a vehicle rail assembly, wherein the at least two rails are positioned on a headliner of the vehicle, mounting a console to the bracket, wherein the console includes a front-side portion, a back-side portion, a left-side portion and a right-side portion, and a plurality of notches are positioned on the front-side and back-side portions for fitting around the at least two rails.
Mounting the bracket may comprise fitting a first portion of the bracket in a space between a first rail of the at least two rails and the headliner, and fitting a second portion of the bracket in a space between a second rail of the at least two rails and the headliner.
The method may further comprise fixing a console bracket to the console for coupling the console to the bracket. Coupling the console to the bracket may comprise aligning a plurality of holes in the console bracket with a plurality holes in the bracket, and positioning a fastener through each set of aligned holes.
The method may further comprise mounting an entertainment system to the console, wherein mounting the entertainment system comprises aligning at least one hole in the entertainment system with a hole in the console bracket, and positioning at least one fastener through the aligned holes.
Preferred embodiments of the invention can be understood in more detail from the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. This invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
Referring to
As shown in
Alternatively, the notches 16 are all cut to the same depth and the console 10 has the same height along each side to fit snugly to a headliner having a uniform thickness. The material of the console 10 may include plastic, rubber or the like.
Referring to
As shown in
The L-shaped portions 24 on each extension portion 26 fit into grooves (not shown) between the lip portion 14 and the body of the console 10 for providing a tight fit of the console bracket 20 to the console 10.
The console bracket 20 is made of the same material as the console 10, including plastic, rubber or the like. Alternatively, the console bracket 20 may be made of metal, such as aluminum, steel, metal alloys or the like. In another embodiment, the console bracket 20 can be molded to the console 10 so that the console and console bracket 10, 20 are formed as one piece.
Referring to
The rails 40 are mounted on the vehicle headliner 45 using means known to one of ordinary skill in the art, such as brackets, screws, glue or the like. The rails 40 may be installed in the vehicle as part of a factory overhead rail assembly.
Mounting of the rails 40 on the headliner 45 is such that a small space is formed between the top of each rail 40 and the headliner 45. The main bracket 30 is mounted to the rails 40 by inserting side flap portions 32 of the main bracket 30 into the space formed between each rail 40 and the headliner 45, such that the flap portions 32 rest on the top of each rail 40. The thickness of the flap portions 32 is such that the flap portions 32 fit snugly in the spaces to secure the main bracket 30.
Installation of the main bracket 30 is performed by inserting either the left or right flap portion 32 into the space between a first rail 40 and the headliner 45 and shifting the position of the main bracket 30 enough to allow the opposite flap portion 32 to be inserted into the space between the second rail 40 and the headliner 45. The width of the main bracket 30 is sufficient to create a snug fit of the main bracket 30 between the rails 40 so as to prevent dislodging or rattling of the console and entertainment system when the vehicle is in motion. For example, the main bracket 30 may be designed to have a width between the ends of each flap portion 32 of approximately 10.5 inches to fit between rails that are approximately 1.5 inches wide and spaced apart by approximately 7.5 inches. It is to be understood that the dimensions of the main bracket and the rail assembly are not limited to the foregoing and may be varied based on such factors as available space in the vehicle, vehicle manufacturer (for factory installed rail assemblies) and size of the entertainment system.
As shown in
Once the main bracket 30 has been mounted to the rails 40, the console 10 including the console bracket 20 is attached to the main bracket 30. The console 10 is attached to the main bracket 30 using a plurality of fasteners, such as screws, bolts, rivets, clips or the like. For example, a plurality of screws are driven through holes 27 of the console bracket 20 into holes 37 of the main bracket 30 and through hole 28 of the console bracket 20 into hole 38 of the main bracket 30. It is to be understood that the positioning and number of fasteners is not limited to the foregoing and may be varied by one of ordinary skill in the art. In an alternative embodiment, the console bracket 20 may be attached to the main bracket 30 using an adhesive, such as glue or cement.
Once the combination has been properly located, a hole is cut in the headliner 45 that is sized to allow passage of wiring and connectors, but also to be hidden by the console 10. The wiring and connectors run to and from the entertainment system 50 and may include video, audio and power cables connected via a wire harness to the vehicle radio and/or other entertainment systems in the vehicle. As can be seen from
Referring to
The entertainment system 50 may have the capability of displaying a video program. As shown in
An entertainment system may include any one or combination of a DVD player, a CD-ROM player, a video game player, a videocassette player (VCP), a television or radio tuner, a wireless receiver for playing media received via wireless techniques such as 802.11, Bluetooth®, cellular transmission, including Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or other technology using spread-spectrum techniques, and satellite transmission, an MP3 player, or a digital video recorder (DVR) or similar device capable of downloading, recording, storing (e.g., on a storage device, such as a hard disk) and/or playing video and/or audio files or programs.
Although the illustrative embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one of ordinary skill in the related art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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