|Publication number||US7195212 B2|
|Application number||US 10/359,415|
|Publication date||27 Mar 2007|
|Filing date||5 Feb 2003|
|Priority date||5 Feb 2003|
|Also published as||US20040149865|
|Publication number||10359415, 359415, US 7195212 B2, US 7195212B2, US-B2-7195212, US7195212 B2, US7195212B2|
|Inventors||Richard E. Bond|
|Original Assignee||Bond Richard E|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (29), Referenced by (4), Classifications (16), Legal Events (3)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a mounting apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and structure for a mounting apparatus for use in securing a parameter measuring device such as a clock, thermometer, compass or other meter or gauge to a motorcycle, scooter, bicycle, water craft or other vehicle.
2. Background Art
The prior art is directed to methods and structure for the mounting of clocks, meters and gauges on vehicles.
During the operation of vehicles, including those intended for use by a single rider such as motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, watercraft including jet skis, and the like, vehicle mounted clocks, meters and gauges are useful. Many different methods and structural combinations have been known in the prior art for mounting such clocks, meters and gauges onto a vehicle. Examples of some of the methods and structural combinations include the following.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,835,871 discloses an auto dashboard attachment for supporting auxiliary instruments from the instrument panel of a motor vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 2,061,855 discloses a support for bathroom articles utilizing a conventional wall bracket and threaded fasteners. U.S. Pat. No. 2,347,113 teaches an electric lighting fixture which employs a U-bracket arrangement. U.S. Pat. No. 2,673,056 discloses a dispensing device and mounting plate utilizing parallel supports for supporting a tissue dispenser. U.S. Pat. No. 2,884,215 teaches a mounting device for supporting electrical meters on top of machinery. U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,914 discloses a movable table attachment for a machine tool which is adjustable along a horizontal arm. U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,088 teaches a luminaire support designed to enable the optical assembly to be mounted in offset relation to an associated ballast housing using a horizontally adjustable bracket. U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,624 discloses a support device designed to be suspended from the edge of a hospital bed for containing bodily fluids in receptacles for subsequent collection by lab personnel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,836 teaches a universally adjustable cantilever bracket for general utility comprised of a plurality of serially connected friction joints which can assume a multitude of positions for use in industrial applications. U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,166 discloses a leather holder for eyeglasses having a hole for encircling a rearview mirror and two lower holes for insertion of the temple piece of an eyeglass frame. U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,873 teaches a leveling luminaire hanger which includes a link having an opening to hang on a hook and a connector coupled to the lower end of the link for supporting an offset load. U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,718 teaches a beverage container receptacle which utilizes a U-shaped bracket fastened to a circular ring for supporting a beverage container above its center of gravity. U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,019 discloses a flexible bottle holder for livestock having a main body support configured for supporting a livestock feeding bottle thereon and a gripping member for grasping a wall support edge. U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,132 teaches an indicator holder with slidable connecting member for use in connection with a dial test indicator and with machine tools such as a jigbore or milling machine. U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,222 discloses an article holder for mounting in a vehicle comprising a panel member carrying pockets and two hangers for supporting the panel on vehicle structure edges of two different thicknesses. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,899 teaches a Z-shaped universal tissue box hanger employed for suspending a parallelepiped, such as a box for storing and dispensing tissue papers, from furniture having a graspable element.
Notwithstanding the copious prior art relating to mounting brackets and devices, a mounting apparatus for use in securing a parameter measuring device to a vehicle was not discovered. Many of the mounting brackets and devices of the past are not suitable for use in removably attaching a measuring device such as a clock, thermometer or compass to a single person vehicle such as a motorcycle, scooter, bicycle, moped, jet ski water craft or other equivalent personal vehicle. Thus, persons who drive any of these types of vehicles must necessarily rely on another source to determine, for example, the time or ambient temperature. This reliance on another source for example, a wristwatch, to determine the time, raises safety issues since the rider must necessarily let go of the handle bars with at least one hand to view the wristwatch.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a mounting apparatus for use with a parameter measuring device such as, for example, a clock, thermometer or compass which includes an integral stem extending from the housing of the parameter measuring device, where the integral stem includes an internally threaded opening, a pan-shaped mounting plate having an integral barrel or sleeve that slides over and surrounds the integral stem, and an angular mounting bar having a first penetration for receiving a first fastener threadedly secured in the internally threaded opening of the integral stem, and a second penetration for accommodating a second fastener for securing the entire mounting apparatus including the parameter measuring device to a personal vehicle.
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides a new and improved mounting apparatus for use with a parameter measuring device such as, for example, a clock, thermometer, compass or the like. In particular, the mounting apparatus serves to secure the parameter measuring device to a suitable external surface typically associated with a vehicle, for example, a motorcycle, bicycle, moped, scooter, golf cart, watercraft, or the like. Once the mounting apparatus is installed, the measuring device is securely attached in position and provides reference information to an operator of the vehicle. However, the mounting apparatus is also removable by disconnecting a single threaded fastener.
In a preferred embodiment, the parameter measuring device associated with the mounting apparatus is a miniature clock having a clock mechanism enclosed within an outer stainless steel clock casing. The clock casing is circular in shape and includes a rear side. The clock also comprises a conventional clock face having suitable numerals printed thereon, a set of hour, minute and second hands driven by the clock mechanism, and a setting pin. The clock face is viewed through a glass cover that is securely mounted within the circular clock casing to provide waterproofing. The clock casing further includes a stainless steel circular stem formed integral with and projecting from the rear side of the clock casing wherein the stem includes an internally threaded opening.
The mounting apparatus further includes a mounting plate having a circular shape wherein the outer circumference of the mounting plate extends upward forming a continuous lip. The mounting plate includes a cylindrical integral barrel formed thereon, each cooperating with the measuring device such that the mounting plate abuts the rear side of the outer casing and the integral barrel surrounds the stem extending from the outer casing of the miniature clock. An angular mounting bar is secured to a distal end of the integral barrel formed on the mounting plate by a threaded fastener.
The mounting bar serves to secure the measuring device, i.e., the miniature clock, to a suitable external surface of a vehicle such as a windscreen of a motorcycle, or to a bracket provided for mounting gauges and meters, or to any convenient bolt or screw existing on the motorcycle, or to a switch housing. In the case of attachment of the measuring device to a windscreen, the mounting can be accomplished with a removable securing fastener. The mounting bar includes an obtuse angle for advantageously positioning the miniature clock. Further, the mounting bar includes a pair of penetrations formed there through, one of the penetrations being aligned with the terminal end of the integral barrel. The threaded fastener is a socket head screw that is directed through the aligned penetration of the mounting bar and into the distal end of the cylindrical integral barrel, and is subsequently threadedly received within the internally threaded opening of the stem. This construction secures the mounting bar and the mounting plate to the miniature clock. When assembled, each of the components of the mounting apparatus is held together by the socket head screw.
The present invention is generally directed to a mounting apparatus for use in removably securing a parameter measuring device such as a miniature clock, thermometer or compass to a suitable external surface typically associated with a vehicle such as a motorcycle. The mounting apparatus enables one of a plurality of different measuring devices to be conveniently mounted on the vehicle for providing useful reference information to the operator of the vehicle. In its most fundamental embodiment, the mounting apparatus for use with the parameter measuring device includes a stem extending from an outer casing of the parameter measuring device, where the stem includes an internally threaded opening. A mounting plate having an integral barrel formed thereon cooperates with the measuring device wherein the mounting plate abuts the outer casing and the integral barrel surrounds the stem. A mounting bar is secured to a distal end of the integral barrel wherein the mounting bar serves to attach the measuring device to an external surface. Finally, a threaded fastener is threadedly received within the internally threaded opening of the stem for securing the mounting bar and the mounting plate to the measuring device.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, by way of example.
The present invention is a mounting apparatus 100 for use with a parameter measuring device 102 such as, for example, a clock, thermometer, compass or other meter or gauge device as shown in the accompanying
A preferred embodiment of the mounting apparatus 100 is shown in
The clock casing 108 further includes a circular stem 120 formed integral with and projecting from the rear side 110 of the clock casing 108 wherein the stem 120 includes an internally threaded opening 122 as shown in
The mounting apparatus 100 further includes a mounting plate 124 which is an optional component but is being included in the description of the preferred embodiment herein. The mounting plate 124 is generally circular in shape wherein an outer circumference 126 of the mounting plate 124 extends upward forming a continuous lip 128 as is shown in
The mounting apparatus 100 further includes a mounting bar 140 for attaching the parameter measuring device, i.e., miniature clock 102, to the external surface 104 as is best shown in
The mounting bar 140 is shaped to include an obtuse angle 156 which is approximately 30 degrees from the vertical as is clearly shown in
In the preferred embodiment, the mounting bar 140 serves to secure the measuring device, i.e., the miniature clock 102, to a suitable external surface 104 of a vehicle such as a windscreen of a motorcycle as illustrated in
In a situation in which the mounting plate 124 is not utilized, the first (smaller) penetration 146 is aligned directly with a distal end 160 of the circular stem 120 extending from the rear side 110 of the clock casing 108 as shown in
In summary, the most fundamental embodiment of the mounting apparatus 100 for use with a parameter measuring device 102 comprises a stem 120 extending from an outer casing 108 of the parameter measuring device 102, where the stem 120 includes an internally threaded opening 122. A mounting plate 124 having an integral barrel 132 formed thereon cooperates with the measuring device 102 wherein the mounting plate 124 abuts the outer casing 108 and the integral barrel 132 surrounds the stem 120. A mounting bar 140 is secured to a distal end 148 of the integral barrel 132 wherein the mounting bar 140 serves to attach the measuring device 102 to an external surface 104. Finally, a threaded fastener 158 is threadedly received within the internally threaded opening 122 of the stem 120 for securing the mounting bar 140 and the mounting plate 124 to the measuring device 102.
The present invention provides novel advantages over other mounting devices known in the prior art. A main advantage of the mounting apparatus 100 is that it can accommodate a plurality of different parameter measuring devices 102 including a clock, thermometer or compass, each of which includes an integral stem 120 extending from an outer casing 108 for interfacing with a mounting plate 124 and a mounting bar 140. Further, the mounting bar 140 can be easily adjusted to accommodate the positioning of the parameter measuring device 102. Finally, the parameter measuring device 102 can be mounted to any desired surface including the windscreen of a motorcycle, boat, golf cart, or the like.
While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility.
It is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such modifications, applications and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.
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|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
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|U.S. Classification||248/115, 248/442, 224/412|
|International Classification||G04B37/14, B62J11/00, F16M13/02, B60R11/00, B60R11/02|
|Cooperative Classification||B60R11/02, B60R2011/0052, F16M13/02, G04B37/1406, B60R2011/0066|
|European Classification||B60R11/02, F16M13/02, G04B37/14B|
|1 Nov 2010||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|27 Mar 2011||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|17 May 2011||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20110327