Television support and mounting kit

Abstract

A panel television support and mounting kit allows the consumer to employ any of the three modes of support, namely stand mount, elevated console mount and wall mount. The elevated console mount incorporates a vertical spine to elevate the panel television above the console and an offset arm to support the television over an upper shelf of the console. A mounting structure is provided that can be attached to the spine or to a wall. Pivoting and tilting is accommodated by the mounting structure.

Claims

1. A television console and support kit, comprising: a television console assembly having a front side, and a back side, said television console assembly including upper and lower horizontally extending shelf supports, and upper and lower shelves respectively supported on said upper and lower shelf supports, said console further including opposing unitary leg structures supporting said upper and lower shelf supports; a unitary short spine having a continuous height which extends at least from said lower shelf support to said upper shelf support, said short spine being removably secured to said upper and lower shelf supports on the back side of the console between said opposing leg structures; a unitary long spine removably secured to said upper and lower shelf supports on the back side of the console between said opposing leg structures, said long spine having an upper support end which is disposed above said upper shelf; and a flat panel television mounting structure removably secured to said upper support end of said long spine, said flat panel television mounting structure including a mounting frame having at least two horizontal support rails and a plurality of spaced fastener openings, said mounting structure further including at least two vertical panel mounting brackets including a plurality of spaced fastener openings, said panel brackets including rail engagement hooks, said kit being useful in a first configuration wherein said short spine is connected to said upper and lower shelf supports, and a flat panel television is supported on said upper surface of said upper shelf of said console assembly, said kit being useful in a second configuration wherein said flat panel television is secured to said mounting frame and said mounting frame is secured to a wall above said console assembly by fasteners extending through said openings in said at least two horizontal support rails, and further wherein said short spine is connected to said upper and lower shelf supports as a structural component of said console assembly, and said kit being useful in a third configuration wherein said flat panel television is removably secured to said mounting frame by said panel brackets, and said mounting frame is secured to said upper support end of said long spine, and said long spine is secured to said console assembly to support said flat panel television above said console assembly.

2. The television console kit of claim 1, wherein said flat panel television mounting structure further comprises a cantilevered offset arm extending from said upper support end of the long spine, said cantilevered offset arm being received between said wall mounting frame and said upper support end of said long spine.

3. The television console kit of claim 1, wherein the cantilevered offset arm comprises a pivot bearing configured to allow the flat panel television to be pivoted left and right.

4. The television console kit of claim 1, wherein said opposing leg structures are adjacent opposing sides of said television console assembly.

5. The television console kit of claim 1, wherein said unitary short spine extends to and engages the floor.

6. A television console and support kit, comprising: a television console assembly having a front side, and a back side, said television console assembly including upper and lower horizontally extending shelf supports, and upper and lower shelves respectively supported on said upper and lower shelf supports, said console further including opposing unitary leg structures supporting said upper and lower shelf supports; a unitary long spine removably secured to said upper and lower shelf supports on the back side of the console between said opposing leg structures, said long spine having an upper support end which is disposed above said upper shelf; and a flat panel television mounting structure removably secured to said upper support end of said long spine, said flat panel television mounting structure including a mounting frame having at least two horizontal support rails and a plurality of spaced fastener openings, said mounting structure further including at least two vertical panel mounting brackets including a plurality of spaced fastener openings, said panel brackets including rail engagement hooks, said kit being useful in a first configuration wherein a flat panel television is supported on said upper surface of said upper shelf of said console assembly, said kit being useful in a second configuration wherein said flat panel television is secured to said mounting frame and said mounting frame is secured to a wall above said console assembly by fasteners extending through said openings in said at least two horizontal support rails, and said kit being useful in a third configuration wherein flat panel television is removably secured to said mounting frame by said panel brackets, and said mounting frame is secured to said upper support end of said long spine, and said second long spine is secured to said console assembly to support said flat panel television above said console assembly.

7. The television console kit of claim 6, wherein said flat panel television mounting structure further comprises a cantilevered offset arm extending from said upper support end of the long spine, said cantilevered offset arm being received between said wall mounting frame and said upper support end of said long spine.

8. The television console kit of claim 6, wherein the cantilevered offset arm comprises a pivot bearing configured to allow the flat panel television to be pivoted left and right.

9. The television console kit of claim 6, wherein said opposing leg structures are adjacent opposing sides of said television console assembly.

10. The television console kit of claim 6, further comprising a unitary short spine.

11. The television console kit of claim 10 wherein said unitary short spine extend to and engages the floor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:

(2) FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the television support and mounting kit supporting a panel television above a console and utilizing the mounting frame on the offset arm;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the television support and mounting kit supporting a television above a console utilizing the mounting plate and offset arm;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the console structure with spine and shelf supports in place;

(5) FIG. 4 is a collective figure showing the primary structural components of the console and mounts;

(6) FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the television support with an frame configured for mounting a panel television with a non-standard hole pattern above a console;

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the mounting frame in position to be secured a wall;

(8) FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the offset arm with tilting and pivoting features in position for use on a mounting frame;

(9) FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the pivot bearing and tilt mechanism;

(10) FIG. 8A is a top plan view of the pivot bearing and tilt mechanism;

(11) FIG. 9 is a detail view showing one of the panel brackets and the associated engagement hooks;

(12) FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of an alternative configuration for the mounting frame with panel brackets which accommodate a titling mechanism;

(13) FIG. 10A is a rear perspective of the configuration of FIG. 10, showing an on-tilting pivot bearing; and

(14) FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of the tilting mechanism for use with a mounting frame.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(15) Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a console base 10 carrying a plasma panel television 12 using a mounting frame 14 connection to the panel television through panel brackets 15 and 18. The panel brackets incorporated rail engagement hooks 110. When supporting the panel 12, the hooks 110 are received over rails 74 and 76. Limited left and right movement of the panel television on the frame is possible until the hooks engage the stops 113. The frame is carried by the offset arm 21 through the mounting structure which comprises a mounting plate 16. The mounting plate 16 is connected by pivot bearing 19 and the offset arm 21 to the long spine 22.

(16) Spine 22, in combination with leg structures 48 and 50, support the television 12 and the shelf supports 24, 26 and 28 (partially visible). The shelf supports in turn carry the shelves 30, 32 and 34. The spine 22 contains the wire and cable openings 36, 38, 40 and 42.

(17) FIG. 2 shows the same console base 10, supporting a LCD television 44 that has four standard hard points with threaded bores 46. These bores match up with a set of four holes on the plate 16 so that the panel television is supported directly from the plate 16 by inserting fasteners 47 into the bores.

(18) The VESA Standard currently calls for all LCD televisions to have at least four hard points and threaded holes positioned at the corners of a rectangular shape with distances between the holes being:

(19) 75 mm×75 mm

(20) 100 mm×100 mm

(21) 200 mm×100 mm

(22) 200 mm×200 mm

(23) 400 mm×200 mm

(24) The plate 16 has holes to accommodate LCD televisions with all of those hole patterns.

(25) FIG. 3 shows the details of the structure for the console 10, which incorporates leg structures 48 and 50. The upper members 52 of the leg structures support the upper shelf supports 24 and 26. The lower members 58 of the leg structures support the console from the floor and support the lowermost shelf support 28. The illustrated console is shown assembled with the short spine 62 which is bolted to the shelf supports 24, 26 and 28 and so cooperates with the leg structures 48 and 50 to support weight carried on the upper shelves to the lower shelf support 28 and the floor on which the console rests.

(26) FIG. 4 shows the primary structural components of an exemplary form of the kit including the short spine 62 and long spine 22. As will appear, the spines 22, 62 each have a series of spaced fastener openings 64 which permit the spines to be secured to the shelf supports and a series of spaced shelf slits 66 which accommodate that portion of the shelves that overlie the shelf supports. The leg structures 48 and 50 are part of the kit as are the shelves 30, 32 and 34. A single shelf support 28 is representative of the three shelf supports in the full kit. The offset mount 20 is included. The illustrated offset mount 20 is one without the tilt mechanism but includes the mounting plate 16, the pivot bearing 19 and the offset arm 21, with vertical flanges 70 and horizontal flanges 72 for connection to the long spine 22.

(27) A panel bracket 15 with engagement hooks 110 is representative of the two brackets that are part of the kit. The mounting frame 14 is included for mounting larger televisions, televisions with non-standard hole patterns and for wall mounting.

(28) The kit may alternatively or additionally include a tilting offset mount and a tilting mounting frame to be described later.

(29) FIG. 5 is a front view of a console and long spine 22. The installation is shown configured for use with a panel television to be carried on a mounting frame 14. The panel brackets 15 and 18 are shown in position over, and carried by, the rails 74 and 76. The panel television, which would be attached to the brackets 15 and 18 is not shown for clarity.

(30) FIG. 6 shows the details of the mounting frame 14. The rails 74 and 76 are of square tubular stock and are interconnected by frame elements 78, 80 and 82 also of tubular stock. The rails and frame elements are desirably joined by welding to eliminate the need for the consumer to assemble them. A mounting frame produced using tubular stock is as stiff as a continuous formed plate of the same size, but much less expensive to produce. Open face channels 84 and 86 bridge behind the rails and frame elements and have a series of openings of which holes 88 are representative. The open face of the channels is presented forwardly so that the consumer has access to insert and tighten lag bolts 77 that penetrate into the studs 87A or other solid structure of the wall 87. The holes 88 are elongated so that the lag bolts can be precisely aligned with the studs. These same channels are used to secure the mounting frame 14 to the mounting plate 16 of the gooseneck mount 20 (see FIG. 1). A locking bar 89 is shown partially inserted in holes 91. The bar is fully inserted after a panel television and brackets is received over the rails 74 and 76. The locking bar 89 prevents the panel television from being lifted or jarred off of the rails (see FIG. 7).

(31) FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the offset mount with the details of the tilt mount illustrated. The offset arm 21 is shown secured to the spine 22 by the flanges 70 and supports the pivot bearing 19. The pivot bearing 19 is made of a pivot pin 103 (not shown) fixedly attached to the holder 90. The pivot pin is 103 received in a bearing receptacle 92. Tilt brackets 94 and 96 have overlapping flanges 102 and 104 and are hinged together at their upper ends by a horizontal hinge pin 98 received through the flanges 102, 104. The amount of pivoting is selected by rotating the hinge shaft 100 to frictionally hold the brackets in a fixed relative position as will appear in greater detail by an examination of FIG. 8.

(32) FIG. 8 shows the bracket flanges 102 and 104 which cooperate with slot 106 and hinge shaft 100 to limit the total range of tilting to a safe amount so that if the panel television moves the mount under the force of gravity and with insufficient friction developed by the shaft 100, then the total titling movement will be limited to an amount such that the television won't contact the spine or the wall 87.

(33) FIG. 8A is a top view of the offset mount 20 and shows the pin 103 in the holder 90.

(34) FIG. 9 shows an exemplary panel bracket 15. The panel bracket 15 has a series of holes 111 which allow it to adapt to virtually any hole spacing on a panel television. The mounting is accomplished through a spacer 108 selected for proper length, such as spacer 108 to insure that the rear of the panel television (such as a television with a curved back) doesn't interfere with the rails and engagement hooks 110, when the panel television is placed over the rails on the mounting frame.

(35) FIGS. 10 and 10A, show an alternative embodiment for the mounting frame with a titling mechanism, which uses tilting panel brackets 128 for mounting to the rear of a panel television. A rail hook flange 134 has hooks 135 received over the rails 74 and 76. The hook flange 134 has right angular related sides 136 with an arcuate slot 138. A panel television is carried on brackets 132. A handle 140 is inserted through slot 138 in flange 136 and is threaded into the bracket 132. When the handle 140 is tightened, the handle 140 bears up against the flange 136 and frictionally engages it so that the brackets 132 are held in a desired angular relationship to the frame. As will appear the tilt brackets may be used on a long spine 22 and offset arm 21. The tilt brackets also function when the mounting frame is mounted on a wall 87.

(36) FIG. 11 shows the details of the tilting brackets of FIGS. 10 and 10A. The slot 138 accommodates bolts 150 with carry a guide 151. The bolts 150 and a third bolt 152 are received in the bracket 128. They act as stops for the tilting movement of a panel television carried on the brackets 132 so that the range of travel does not exceed a safe amount. The selected angle is locked in by operating of the handle 140 which frictionally engages the hook flange 136 and draws the bracket 132 into frictional engagement with the hook flange.

(37) The invention has been described in conjunction with an exemplary embodiment for clarity and enablement, however the scope of the invention should be limited only by the appended claims.