Clamping mount for vehicle dashboard
AssigneeCypress Overland LLC
InventorsDmitri Stepanov, Aliaksandra Birukova, Matthew Campbell Greaves
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A removable mounting device configured for mounting accessories to an air vent in a vehicle and methods for installing such a mounting device. The mounting device includes a coupler disposed on a front plate that has a profile sized such that the front plate will overlay a frame surrounding an air vent in the vehicle; and a back plate configured to clamp the frame to the front plate. An elastomeric compression strip is disposed in a groove in a back side of the front plate, and the elastomeric compression strip has a non-uniform thickness including a thicker portion in a region of the groove adjacent to an end of the groove and thinner portions in regions of the groove not adjacent to the end of the groove.
Claims20
A removable mounting device configured for mounting accessories to an air vent in a vehicle, comprising:
- a front plate configured to overlay a portion of a frame surrounding the air vent in the vehicle;
- a back plate removably fastened to the front plate, wherein at least one portion of the back plate and the front plate are configured to clamp the frame of the air vent from opposing sides of the frame while allowing louvers of the air vent to be moveable within the air vent;
- a spacing flange between the front plate and the at least one portion of the back plate;
- a coupler affixed to the front plate;
- a groove formed in a back side of the front plate, configured to substantially match a profile of the frame;
- an elastomeric compression strip installed in the groove, wherein the elastomeric compression strip has a non-uniform stiffness including a first stiffness in a region of the groove not adjacent to an end of the groove and a second stiffness greater than the first stiffness in a region of the groove adjacent to the end of the groove.
A method of mounting a removable mounting device on a frame of an air vent in a vehicle, wherein the mounting device comprises a front plate configured to overlay the frame, and a back plate configured to clamp the frame to the front plate;
- the method comprising steps of:
- loosening a plurality of threaded fasteners used to fasten the front plate to the back plate such that a gap between the front plate and the back plate is sufficient to receive the frame;
- placing the mounting device on the frame such that the frame is disposed between the front plate and the back plate;
- tightening the plurality of threaded fasteners such that the frame is clamped between the front plate and the back plate and a clamping force is developed by compressing an elastomeric compression strip installed in a groove formed in a back side of the front plate, wherein the groove is configured to substantially match a profile of the frame, and wherein an uncompressed length of the elastomeric compression strip is greater than a length of the groove,
- wherein the elastomeric compression strip has a non-uniform stiffness including a first stiffness in a region of the groove not adjacent to an end of the groove and a second stiffness greater than the first stiffness in a region of the groove adjacent to the end of the groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.