US-12623612-B2 - Windshield mount for personal electronic device

US12623612B2US 12623612 B2US12623612 B2US 12623612B2US-12623612-B2

Abstract

A windshield mount for a personal electronic device has a first support plate that pivots relative to a base and a second support plate that stays in the same plane but slides to fit the width of the device. Using one hand, the user pinches opposed finger tabs to snap the mount to an open configuration. To install the device in the mount after it has been affixed to a vehicle windshield, the user need use only one hand to press the back of the device against the pivoting support plate, snapping the mount back to a closed configuration.

Inventors

David S. Iverson

Assignees

MACNEIL IP LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220825

Claims (19)

1 . A mount for a personal electronic device, the mount configurable to assume an open configuration in which the device may be removed from the mount in a predetermined first direction, and further configurable to assume a closed configuration in which the device may not be removed from the mount in the first direction, the mount comprising: a base, a first finger tab affixed to and laterally outwardly extending from the base; and a holding element hinged to the base, a second finger tab outwardly extending from the holding element, the second finger tab spaced from the first finger tab by a first distance when the mount is in the closed configuration, the second finger tab positioned to be closer than the first distance to the first finger tab when the mount is in the open configuration, such that a user may pinch the second finger tab toward the first finger tab in order to reconfigure the mount from the closed configuration to the open configuration; wherein the holding element is comprised of a first jaw having a first support plate for supporting a back surface of the personal electronic device, a first channel side plate rearwardly extending from the first support plate and a lip rearwardly spaced from the first support plate and inwardly extending from the first channel side plate, the second finger tab extending laterally outwardly from the first channel side plate, wherein in the closed configuration the first support plate, the first channel side plate and the lip are disposed to cage a lateral side of the personal electronic device.
2 . The mount of claim 1 , wherein the base is substantially aligned with a base plane, the first finger tab disposed in a plane parallel to the base plane.
3 . The mount of claim 1 , wherein the base is substantially aligned with a base plane, the second finger tab occupying a plane substantially parallel to the base plane when the mount is in the closed configuration, the second finger tab occupying a plane at an angle to the base plane when the mount is in the open configuration.
4 . The mount of claim 1 , wherein the second finger tab is disposed to be rearward of the first finger tab.
5 . A mount for a personal electronic device, the mount configurable to assume an open configuration in which the device may be removed from the mount in a predetermined first direction, and further configurable to assume a closed configuration in which the device may not be removed from the mount in the first direction, the mount comprising: a base; a first support plate hinged to the base at an axis and operable to support the device, a tab of the first support plate extending at an angle to the axis, the first support plate substantially occupying a first plane when the mount is in the closed configuration, the first support plate substantially occupying a second plane disposed at an angle to the first plane when the mount is an open configuration, the tab operable to contact a back surface of the device, a predetermined force exerted by a user through the back surface of the device on the tab in a third direction opposite from the first direction causing the first support plate to pivot from the second plane to the first plane, thereby causing the mount to be reconfigured from the open configuration to the closed configuration.
6 . The mount of claim 5 , further comprising a second support plate having an inner margin, the second support plate substantially aligned with the first plane, the second support plate having a laterally extending slot, a fastener extending in the first direction from the base and into the slot of the second support plate such that the second support plate is slidably affixed to the base, the second support plate being laterally slidable from a narrowest position in which the second support plate is closest to the first support plate to a widest position in which the second support plate is farthest away from the first support plate, the tab of the first support plate abutting a inner margin of the second support plate when the mount is in a first configuration and when the second support plate is in the narrowest position.
7 . The mount of claim 6 , wherein the inner margin of the second support plate has a first portion which is operable to abut the tab of the first support plate, and a second portion surrounding the slot, the slot laterally inwardly extending beyond a lateral position of the first portion.
8 . The mount of claim 5 , wherein the first support plate is operable to be moved from the first plane to the second plane and vice versa, and wherein the first support plate is detented in each of the first and second planes.
9 . The mount of claim 8 , wherein the first support plate is part of a first jaw, one of the first jaw and the base having mounted thereon a spring-loaded detenting ball, and wherein an other of the first jaw and the base has a detenting surface with first and second depressions, the ball camming into the first depression to index the first support plate to the first plane, the ball camming into the second depression to index the first support plate to the second plane.
10 . The mount of claim 9 , wherein the spring-loaded detenting ball is mounted on the base.
11 . The mount of claim 10 , wherein the detenting surface is located on the first jaw, the detenting surface extending in the third direction from the first support plate.
12 . The mount of claim 5 , wherein the tab of the first support plate is a first tab, the first support plate further having a second tab spaced from the first tab, the predetermined force exerted by the user through the back of the device transmitted through both the first and second tabs to thereby pivot the first support plate from the second plane to the first plane.
13 . A method for mounting a personal electronic device to a surface, the method comprising the steps of: providing a mount for a personal electronic device that has a closed configuration in which the device may not be removed from the mount in a predetermined first direction away from the surface, and an open configuration in which the device may be removed from the mount in the first direction, the mount further having a base and an attachment arm with a first end fastened to the base and a second end remote from the first end for fastening to the surface; either receiving the mount as preconfigured into the closed configuration, or configuring the mount to the closed configuration; placing the device on a first support plate of the mount and on a second support plate of the mount; sliding the second support plate in a first plane relative to the base, so that a channel rearwardly extending from the second support plate cages a second lateral side of the device and so that a channel rearwardly extending from the first support plate cages a first lateral side of the device spaced from the second lateral side; removing the device from the mount; affixing the second end of the attachment arm to the surface; pivoting the first support plate relative to the base such that the first support plate substantially is aligned to a second plane that is tilted relative to the first plane; moving the device in a third direction opposite the first direction until a back surface of the device contacts the first support plate; further moving the device in the third direction after the back of the device contacts the first support plate, thereby pivoting the first support plate back from the second plane to the first plane; and responsive to said step of further moving, caging the first lateral side of the device within the first channel, to thereby hold the electronic device in the mount and prohibit the device's removal from the mount in the first direction.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of indexing the first plane with a detent; and indexing the second plane with a detent.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the steps of moving and further moving are performed by one hand of a user.
16 . A method of removing a personal electronic device from a mount which has been affixed to a surface, the method comprising the steps of: providing a mount in which a back surface of the personal electronic device is supported by a first support plate and by a second support plate initially disposed to be coplanar with the first support plate in a first plane, the first and second support plates joined to a base of the mount, the first support plate forming part of a channel for caging a first lateral side of the personal electronic device, the channel further comprised of a side plate rearwardly extending from an end of the first support plate to an end of the side plate and a lip extending from the end of the side plate to an inner lip end; mounting the device to the surface using the mount; pinching a first finger tab which extends laterally outwardly relative to the first support plate towards a second finger tab which extends laterally outwardly from the base; responsive to the step of pinching, rotating the first support plate from the first plane to a second plane disposed at an angle to the first plane; responsive to the step of rotating, uncaging the first lateral side of the device from the channel, to thereby permit the device's removal in a first direction orthogonal to the first plane; and removing the device from the mount in the first direction.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the surface is a rearwardly and upwardly tilting surface of a vehicle windshield, and wherein, after the device is installed in the mount, the windshield obstructs removal of the device from the mount in a second direction coplanar with the first plane.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein said step of pinching is done by the fingers of one hand.
19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein, when the lateral side of the device is caged by the channel, the first support plate is detented to a closed configuration, the step of rotating the first support plate from the first plane to the second plane including the step of detenting the first support plate to the second plane to thereby assume an open configuration.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known to mount a personal electronic device, such as a cell phone, a tablet or a GPS device, in a vehicle interior. Mounts have been provided to mount the device to a variety of interior surfaces, such as a cupholder, a heater/air conditioning vent, a dashboard or the inside surface of the vehicle windshield. Recent models of these devices have displays that take up the entire front of the device. Ideally, the front surface should be presented to the driver in a plane orthogonal to the driver's line of sight. Further, the lens of the human eye changes shape when it changes focus from a an object closer to the eye to an object farther away from it. When driving, what is happening out on the road is close to infinity in terms of lens focus. To minimize the disparity in focus, the device could be positioned on the windshield to be as far from the driver as possible. It is also advantageous to position any such display such that the driver does not have to divert his or her line of sight from what is happening on the road. But, for many such devices, it is advantageous to position the device within arm's reach of the driver. This in turn means that the device should be mounted close to the interior surface of the windshield, not far from the driver's forward line of sight. In most current vehicles, the windshield slants upwardly and rearwardly by a considerable angle. Mounting the device close to the windshield interior surface effectively obstructs the removal of the device from the mount in a vertical direction, and likewise prohibits the reinstallation of the device into the mount from this direction. Ideally, a device should be able to be installed into the mount in a horizontal direction, and removed from the mount the same way. Further, it would be ideal to install the device into, and remove the device from, the mount with one hand. To date no such mount has been provided. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention, a mount for a personal electronic device is provided. The mount, which can be for a cell phone, a tablet, a GPS device or the like, is configurable to assume an open configuration in which the device may be removed from the mount in a predetermined first direction, such as rearward, and a closed configuration in which the device may not be so removed in that direction. The mount has first and second support plates operable to support the device. The first support plate is substantially oriented in a first plane when the mount is in the closed configuration, and is substantially oriented in a second plane at an angle to the first plane in when the mount is in the open configuration. In either configuration, the second support plate stays substantially oriented in the first plane. In one embodiment, the first support plate is part of a first jaw and the second support plate is part of a second jaw. The first jaw has a laterally inwardly facing first channel. The second jaw has a laterally inwardly facing second channel. The first channel is adapted to cage a first lateral side of the device when the mount is in the closed configuration. The second channel is adapted to cage a second lateral side of the device, with the second lateral side being laterally spaced from the first lateral side. The second jaw is laterally slidable relative to a base of the mount so as to size a width between the first channel and the second channel of the mount to a width of the device between its first and second lateral sides. In one embodiment, the first support plate is a portion of a first jaw. The first jaw has a first channel surface which rearwardly extends from the first support plate to a rearward end. A first lip of the first jaw laterally inwardly extends from the rearward end of the first channel surface. The first support plate and the first lip are operable to cage the first lateral side of the device when the mount is in the closed configuration. In the open configuration, the first lip is laterally outwardly displaced, such that the first lateral side of the device is no longer caged between the first support plate and the first lip. This permits the device to be removed from the mount in the first direction. In another aspect of the invention, a mount for a personal electronic device is provided, wherein the mount is configurable to an open configuration in which the device may be removed from the mount in a predetermined first direction, such as towards the rear, and is further configurable to assume a closed configuration in which the device may not be removed from the mount in the first direction. The mount has a base with a laterally outwardly extending first finger tab, and a holding element hinged to the base and having a laterally outwardly extending second finger tab. The second finger tab is spaced from the first finger tab by a first distance when the mount is in the open configuration. The second finger tab is positioned to be fart