Supports – Stand – Tilting support surface
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-13
2002-04-02
King, Anita (Department: 3632)
Supports
Stand
Tilting support surface
C016S381000, C016S387000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06364271
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a structure for installing an electronic apparatus such as a lightweight, compact radio apparatus or measuring apparatus, providing a function for adjusting the inclination angle thereof, and suitable for use in installation in a narrow space.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with dramatic advancements in the integration of electronic circuitry, efforts have been made to achieve compactness in radio equipment for amateur radio and commercial radio services, this combining with motorization to result in a great increase in the population of mobile stations.
Radio equipment for use aboard vehicles is generally mounted into a dashboard of a vehicle, and although compact radio equipment has been developed, the dashboard still provides only a limited amount of space, providing a cramped installation for such equipment.
In the past, in installing radio equipment in a vehicle, the configurations shown in FIG.
9
and
FIG. 10
have been used. In these drawings, the reference numeral
51
denotes a radio apparatus, and
52
is a bracket.
The bracket
52
is made of sheet metal, bent into a U-shape by pressing, and is formed by a bottom part
53
and side parts
54
and
55
on either side thereof, and usually has approximately four mounting holes formed at appropriate locations in the bottom part, the bracket
52
being screw-mounted to a shelf surface of a dashboard
56
using these mounting holes.
The side parts
54
and
55
of the bracket
52
have, at corresponding locations thereof, round holes
57
and elongated holes
58
formed along an arc having the round holes
57
as their centers. The side covers
59
and
60
on each side of the radio apparatus
51
have two threaded holes formed with a horizontal distance therebetween that corresponds to the radii of the arcs, screws
61
and
62
passing through the round holes
57
and the elongated holes
58
of the bracket
52
and being screwed into the threaded holes of the radio apparatus
51
, thereby side-suspending the radio apparatus
51
between the side parts
54
and
55
of the bracket
52
.
In the above-noted case, because the screws
62
screwed into the side covers
59
of the radio apparatus
51
are movable along the elongated holes
58
of the side parts
54
and
55
, the radio apparatus is side-suspended in a manner that permits it to rock about a straight line joining the axes of the screws
61
of the side covers
59
and
60
, making it possible to fix the radio apparatus
51
at a desired angle by adjusting the radio apparatus to the desired angle and then tightening the screws
62
.
With a radio apparatus for a vehicle mounted into the dashboard thereof, because there is a considerable difference between the eye height of an operator and the height of the operating panel, making it impossible for the operator to view the operating panel front-on, and because in the case in which a liquid-crystal display is provided on the operating panel there is a limitation to the viewing angle, it becomes difficult to verify the operating status or data of the radio apparatus, making the above-noted angle adjustment and fixing function necessary in order to establish ease of operation.
Electronic apparatuses such as radio equipment or measuring equipment often have operating panels that are rectangular, with the longer dimension being the horizontal dimension, and there are installation locations that do not provide sufficient width for installation.
For example, taking the case of the above-noted vehicular radio apparatus, a limitation will be imposed by the width of the dashboard, leading to cases in which the bracket
52
, as shown in
FIG. 10
, fits into the dashboard
56
, but in which there is only an extremely small space between the side walls
63
and
64
of the dashboard
56
and the side parts
54
and
55
of the bracket
52
.
In this case, it is not possible to screw the bracket
52
into the dashboard
56
with the radio apparatus
51
side-suspended by the bracket
52
, and even if an attempt is made to first mount the bracket
52
to the dashboard
56
and then mount the radio apparatus
51
to the bracket
52
, it is difficult to screw in the screws
61
and
62
, and nearly impossible to tighten the screws
62
while adjusting the inclination angle of radio apparatus
51
.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a structure having a function enabling adjustable setting of the inclination angle of an electronic apparatus, and, in the case in which the electronic apparatus is installed on a surface of a shelf or wall, enabling uninhibited mounting, even if there is insufficient extra width in the installation location.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the above-noted objects, the present invention adopts the following basic technical constitution.
Specifically, the present invention is an electronic apparatus installation structure having an adapter in which a bearing part that rotatably supports a rotating shaft that has one screw hole or a plurality of screw holes arranged in a line along the axis of a round rod and a base part that supports the bearing part are integrally formed, a surface of the bearing part that is on the opposite side from the base part being formed as a substantially arc-shaped surface about the axis as a center, an elongated hole being formed in a circumferential direction at a location on the arc-shaped surface opposing a screw hole of the rotating shaft, and in which a restraining mechanism provides restraint so that the screw hole between the rotating shaft and the bearing part does not exceed the limit over which the elongated hole is formed and move and rotate in the axial or circumferential directions, and an electronic apparatus having a through hole at a location corresponding to the screw hole on the adapter side, wherein the base part of the adapter is fixed to an installation location on the electronic apparatus, a mounting screw being passed through the through hole on the electronic apparatus and screwed into the screw hole on the adapter side, thereby fixing the electronic apparatus to the adapter.
In the present invention, the adaptor is fixed in place by mounting the base part thereof to a shelf surface or to a wall surface. In this case, although the generally used means for fixing is that of forming a hole in the base part and using a screw thereat, it will be understood that other mechanical fixing means or an adhesive can alternatively be used.
When an electronic apparatus is to be installed in a vehicle by placement from above, the bottom cover thereof is in contact with the substantially arc-shaped curved surface of the bearing part, and if the electronic apparatus is to be installed in a vehicle by suspension, the upper cover thereof is in contact with the substantially arc-shaped curved surface of the bearing part, and is held in place by a mounting screw. Because the screw hole of the rotating shaft is movable along the elongated hole formed in the substantially arc-shaped curved surface of the bearing part, in the condition in which the mounting screw is not tightened, it is possible for the electronic apparatus to be swung about the axis of the rotating shaft as a center.
Therefore, in the condition in which the mounting screw is not tightened, it is possible to adjust the electronic apparatus to a desired angle of inclination, and then tighten the mounting screw at the adjusted angle, so as to hold the electronic apparatus fixed with respect to the bearing part.
In the above-noted case, because the operation of tightening the mounting screw is performed from the top in the case in which the electronic apparatus is installed by placement from above and from the bottom in the case in which the electronic apparatus is installed by suspension from above, it is sufficient that the installation width be just a small amount greater than the width of the electronic apparatus.
The restraining mechanism between the rotating shaft
Fulwider Patton Lee & Utecht LLP
King Anita
Vertex Standard Co. Ltd.
Weinhold Ingrid
LandOfFree
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