Rotating joint for crossbar leveling adjustment

Abstract

In the monitor mounting system discussed herein, a crossbar is connected to a support arm by a pivot assembly which allows for the swivel rotation of the crossbar and for the levelling adjustment of the crossbar. The crossbar includes at least one monitor mounting bracket, and the support arm is connected to a work surface or desk. The pivot assembly is primarily a pivot assembly housing, which is integrally formed with a swivel ring that attaches to the support arm and allows for the swivelling motion of the crossbar. The pivot housing threadingly engages with a pivot core. Between the pivot core and pivot housing is a compression pad, which provides a resistive force sufficient to limit the pivot of the crossbar to 15 degrees or less.

Description

ROTATING JOINT FOR CROSSBAR LEVELING ADJUSTMENTBACKGROUND

[0001] As workspaces become increasingly cluttered with new technology — commonly featuring multiple computer monitors, speakers, a keyboard, mouse, phone, docking station, etc., and not to mention all the wires connecting these devices — new solutions continuously evolve to provide ergonomic systems by which to manage and organize all these devices and to preserve precious workspace. One such solution is multiple-monitor mounting systems that float multiple monitors above the work surface using a single attachment point on the desk, rather than each individual monitor using its own stand / attachment point. The issue with these systems is that monitor arms that utilize a crossbar to mount the monitors oftentimes exhibit an undesired slope, resulting in the monitors not being exactly horizontal to the desk surface.

[0002] Typically, adjustment of the crossbar angle is conducted by mounting the crossbar to the monitor arm via oversized or slotted holes, then tightening the screws to hold the crossbar in place. In this configuration, the user is required to physically hold crossbar in the final position while locking it in place with the screws. This process is problematic for the user, as it is easy to inadvertently adjust the position of the crossbar with one hand while tightening the locking screws with the other hand. When this mistake is finally noticed after the crossbar is already locked into place, the user is forced to restart the entire adjustment process again. Additionally, the user cannot adjust the crossbar slope without keeping the appropriate tools on hand, and in some conventional crossbars, the monitors must be removed entirely before the crossbar’s slope can be adjusted. Finally, this process is not intuitive. As instruction manuals are misplaced or discarded over time, the user may not even know how toadjust the slope of the crossbar when the time comes. Thus, there remains a need in the industry for a joint that allows for simplified adjustment of the crossbar without the use of tools.SUMMARY

[0003] The invention disclosed herein is generally directed to a monitor mounting system that employs a rotating joint, or a “pivot assembly,” that allows a user to quickly and easily correct the slope of a monitor crossbar without the use of tools. A monitor mounting system exemplifying the principles of the present invention can comprise one or more of the following features: a crossbar having at least one monitor mounting bracket positioned thereon; a support arm configured to adjust the vertical height of the crossbar; and a pivot assembly positioned between the support arm and crossbar, the pivot assembly configured to allow limited pivot adjustment of the crossbar.

[0004] In another embodiment of the monitor mounting system, the pivot assembly comprises: a pivot assembly housing; a swivel ring attached to an exterior of the pivot assembly housing; and a compression pad positioned in the pivot assembly housing and limiting pivot adjustment to fifteen or fewer degrees in each pivot direction.

[0005] In another embodiment of the monitor mounting system, the pivot assembly housing includes a pivot core threading into the pivot assembly housing.

[0006] In another embodiment of the monitor mounting system, the pivot core includes opposing circumferential slots, wherein the circumferential slots have an arc of less than fifteen degrees.

[0007] In another embodiment of the monitor mounting system, the system further comprises two angle limit screws, which are threaded through apertures in the pivot housing, then through the compression pad, and finally extend into the circumferential slots of the pivot core.

[0008] In another embodiment of the monitor mounting system, an outer face of the pivot core includes at least two threaded apertures configured to receive mounting screws.

[0009] In another embodiment of the monitor mounting system, the swivel ring further includes two bearing inserts, each bearing insert including an alignment groove.

[0010] In another embodiment of the monitor mounting system, the crossbar has at least two monitor mounting brackets positioned thereon, and the monitor mounting brackets are attached to the crossbar with a tilt connector.

[0011] In another embodiment of the monitor mounting system, the crossbar includes a central segment and two outer segments which form hinge connections to the central segment.

[0012] In another embodiment of the monitor mounting system, the support arm is attached to a base with a swivel connection.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, which are not true to scale, and which, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to illustrate further various exemplary embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages in accordance with the present invention:

[0014] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a monitor mounting system employing features of the present invention.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a pivot assembly suitable for use with the monitor mounting system of the present invention.

[0016] Fig. 3A is a vertical cross-section of the pivot assembly depicted in Fig. 2.

[0017] Fig. 3B is a horizontal cross-section of the pivot assembly depicted in Fig. 2.

[0018] Fig. 4A is a front exploded view of the pivot assembly depicted in Fig. 2.

[0019] Fig. 4B is a rear exploded view of the pivot assembly depicted in Fig. 2.

[0020] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the inner face of the pivot core of the pivot assembly of the present invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting, but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention. While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.

[0022] As used herein, the terms “a” or “an” are defined as one or more. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises ... a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element. The terms “including,” “having,” or “featuring,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, isdefined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. As used herein, the term "about" or “approximately” applies to all numeric values, whether or not explicitly indicated. These terms generally refer to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited values (i.e., having the same function or result). In many instances these terms may include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure. Relational terms such as first and second, upper and lower, top and bottom, right and left, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions.

[0023] Figs. 1-4B depict a rotating joint for crossbar leveling adjustment (also referred to herein as a “pivot assembly”) that allows for the leveling of a computer monitor crossbar. The pivot assembly pivots about a central axis, enabling the user to position the monitor arm at a level angle relative to the horizon. Additionally, the inventive design of the pivot assembly disclosed herein allows for toolless damping and hold function of the crossbar’s angular position.

[0024] Referring now to Fig. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a monitor mounting system 1 that utilizes the pivot assembly 20 described herein is shown. Turning now to Fig. 1, the monitor mounting system 1 may include a support arm 5, a crossbar 10 held in suspension above a work surface by support arm 5, and monitor mounting brackets 15 affixed along crossbar 10. In certain embodiments, the support arm 5 can be a dynamic adjustable support that allows for change of the vertical position of support arm 5 (i.e., change of the vertical height of crossbar 10), such as U.S. Pat. No. 10,480,709 to Chumakov, the disclosure and all of the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. However, in other embodiments, the support arm can be a static bar, a pivot arm, or almost any other conventional or future developed support mechanism capable of supporting a monitor crossbar. The exemplarysupport arm 5 illustrated in the accompanying figures comprises a base swivel connection 6 that attaches to a support surface (e.g., a work desk) or other fixture, and an upper swivel fork 7 that attaches to crossbar 10 via pivot assembly 20. Although not shown in Fig. 1, another arm may be positioned between the support surface and the base swivel connection 6 of support arm 5 in other embodiments. The base swivel connection 6 allows the support arm 5 to swivel left and right, and upper swivel fork 7 operates in conjunction with the pivot assembly 20 to create a second swivel point.

[0025] The crossbar 10 utilized in the monitor mounting system 1 depicted in Fig. 1 comprises three segments 11, with each segment configured to support a computer monitor. However, other embodiments of the crossbar 10 may have additional or fewer segments 11 to allow for different numbers and configurations of monitors. Hinges 12 connect the interior ends of the crossbar segments 11 to each other, allowing the outer crossbar segments to swing inward toward the center crossbar segment. Typically, each segment 11 holds a monitor mounting bracket 15, which includes a mounting face 16 to which a computer monitor may attach. The monitor mounting brackets 15 attach to the crossbar segments 11 via hinged tilt connectors 17, which allow the user angle the monitor up or down (e.g., tilting the monitor so the top is slightly farther away from the user than the bottom in order to reduce glare and reflections).

[0026] Crossbar 10 is mounted to support arm 5 by pivot assembly 20, which is configured to allow the user to level the crossbar 10. Figs. 2-4B show one embodiment of pivot assembly 20 in more detail. Turning to Fig. 2, this embodiment of pivot assembly 20 will generally include pivot housing 210 which is integrally formed on one end with swivel ring 222 and is engaged on the opposite end by pivot core 230. Swivel ring 222 engages with upper swivel fork 7 of support arm 5 to allow the user to swivel the crossbar 10 (as best viewed in Fig. 1) left and right. Swivel ring fits in between the upper and lower projections of swivel fork7. A pin or bolt (not shown) with an alignment key extends through the lower projection of swivel fork 7 and the aligned apertures of swivel ring 222 to connect the swivel ring 222 to the swivel fork 7. In a preferred embodiment, a threaded bolt is utilized, whereby the threaded bolt engages threaded holes formed in the upper and lower projections of the swivel fork 7 to fixedly attach the swivel ring 222 to the swivel fork 7.

[0027] Swivel ring 222 will include two bearing inserts 224, 226 (best seen in Figs. 4A-4B), which create a smooth surface for rotation, reduce friction, and eliminate audible noise when rotating. First bearing insert 224 has a larger diameter than second bearing insert 226 in order to maximize stress dispersion and enhance rotational capability. The first bearing insert 224 is compressed to the inner surface of the swivel ring 222, providing support in rotation and preventing angular pivot due to the cantilevered load. Bearing inserts 224, 226 may be formed of a low friction material such as polyoxymethylene (POM), also known as acetal, polyacetal, or polyformaldehyde. The bearing inserts 224, 226 comprise bearing flexures 228 that allow for a controlled precision fit between a rotation pin (not shown) and the contact surface of bearing inserts 224, 226. Referring now to Fig. 3B, on the opposite end of pivot assembly 20, crossbar 10 mounts to pivot core 230 via threaded engagement between mounting screws (not pictured) and a series of threaded crossbar mounting apertures 236 that extend from the pivot core’s 230 external face through to its internal face (see the ingress and egress of crossbar mounting apertures 236 in Figs. 4A-5). Thus, when pivot core 230 rotates relative to the pivot housing 210, so does crossbar 10.

[0028] Referring now to Fig. 3A, pivot housing 210 is mainly a hollow body with internal threads 212 formed on its inner surface that engage with external threads 232 formed on the outer surface of pivot core 230. The face of pivot housing 210 to which swivel ring 222 attaches includes limit screw apertures 214 extending into the interior of pivot housing 210. When pivot core 230 is threaded into pivot housing 210, the limit screw apertures 214 in thepivot housing 210 align with controlled rotary slots 234 in the internal face of pivot core 230.Although the angle limit screws 216 are firmly secured to the pivot housing 210 by the limit screw apertures 214, the elliptical shape of the controlled rotary slots 234 (see Fig. 5) allows the angle limit screws 216 to slide back and forth within the slots 234. This sliding engagement between angle limit screws 216 and controlled rotary slots 234 allows limited relative rotation between pivot housing 210 and pivot core 230. This rotational motion is facilitated by the mating of the internal threads of the pivot housing 210 with the external threads of the pivot core 230.

[0029] The resulting degree of pivot imparted to crossbar 10 is suggested by the angle 0 seen in Fig. 1. The angle 0 represents the degree of pivot (in one direction) of crossbar 10 relative to the pivot housing 210, which is prevented from pivoting itself by the connection of swivel ring 222 with upper swivel fork 7 of support arm 5. The maximum pivot of crossbar 10 (pivot in both directions) would be 20. In certain embodiments, the width of controlled rotary slots 234 is only wide enough to allow a maximum pivot of less than 15 degrees (0 = 7.5 degrees or less), and more preferably a maximum pivot of 8 degrees (0 = 4 degrees or less), between pivot housing 210 and pivot core 230.

[0030] As best seen when viewing Figs. 3A and 3B, a motion control pad 238 is compressed between the inner faces of pivot housing 210 and pivot core 230, providing resistance to prevent the pivot core 230 from sliding freely around angle limit screws 216 and thereby securing the crossbar 10 in the user’s desired position. In one preferred embodiment, motion control pad 238 is formed of Cellasto® microcellular polyurethane elastomer, but in other embodiments motion control pad could be formed of any shape-memory material (i.e., tends to return to its original size and shape) that is highly compressive and durable in rotation and compression. The internal face of pivot housing 210 comprises detents 218 (best viewed in Fig. 3B) into which motion control pad 238 is compressed when pivot assembly 20 isassembled, and angle limit screws 216 (shown in Fig. 3A) are threaded through motion control pad 238 before entering controlled rotary slots 234. The detents 218 and angle limit screws 216 firmly secure the motion control pad 238 to the pivot housing 210. As pivot core 230 is threadingly rotated into pivot housing 210, it compresses motion control pad 238, reducing the thickness of the pad 238 and causing it to deform into the pivot core 230, thereby creating a resistive force that prevents the pivot core 230 from rotating relative to the pivot housing 210. Within the monitor mounting system of Fig. 1, the compression pad 238 allows a user to finely adjust the pivot position of crossbar 10 by applying moderate force to the outer monitors and overcoming the resistive force generated by compression pad 238. However, when the user ceases applying force to the monitors, the resistive force is sufficient to resist the weight of the monitors correcting the user-induced pivot. The Cellasto® material of the motion control pad 238 enhances the performance of the leveling function by increasing the damping and friction force as compared to prior art designs. With this stronger resistive force, the compression pad 238 can maintain the crossbar’s position without additional screws or other fastening means. This simplification of the design creates a more seamless experience with the user as well as reducing cost and environmental waste.

[0031] The foregoing description and accompanying drawings illustrate the principles, exemplary embodiments, and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Many modifications of the embodiments described herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teaching presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A monitor mounting system comprising: a) a crossbar having at least one monitor mounting bracket positioned thereon; b) a support arm configured to adjust the vertical height of the crossbar; c) a pivot assembly positioned between the support arm and the crossbar, wherein the pivot assembly comprises:(i) a pivot assembly housing;(ii) a swivel ring attached to an exterior of the pivot assembly housing; and(iii) a compression pad positioned in the pivot assembly housing and limiting pivot adjustment to fifteen or fewer degrees in each pivot direction.

2. The monitor mounting system of claim 1, wherein the pivot assembly housing includes a pivot core threading into the pivot assembly housing.

3. The monitor mounting system of claim 2, wherein the pivot core includes opposing circumferential slots, wherein the circumferential slots have an arc of less than fifteen degrees.

4. The monitor mounting system of claim 3, further comprising two angle limit screws, which are threaded through apertures in the pivot housing, then through the compression pad, and finally extend into the circumferential slots of the pivot core.

5. The monitor mounting system of claim 2, wherein an outer face of the pivot core includes at least two threaded apertures configured to receive mounting screws.

6. The monitor mounting system of claim 1, wherein the swivel ring further includes two bearing inserts.

7. The monitor mounting system of claim 1, wherein the crossbar has at least two monitor mounting brackets positioned thereon, and the monitor mounting brackets are attached to the crossbar with a tilt connector.

8. The monitor mounting system of claim 7, wherein the crossbar includes a central segment and two outer segments which form hinge connections to the central segment.

9. The monitor mounting system of claim 2, wherein the pivot assembly housing includes detents in an inner face of the pivot assembly housing, wherein the compression pad is compressed into the detents when the pivot core is threaded into the pivot assembly housing.

10. A monitor mounting system comprising: a) a crossbar having at least one monitor mounting bracket positioned thereon; b) a support arm configured to adjust the vertical height of the crossbar; c) a pivot assembly positioned between the support arm and the crossbar, the pivot assembly configured to allow limited pivot adjustment of the crossbar.

11. The monitor mounting system of claim 10, wherein the pivot assembly comprises: a) a pivot assembly housing; b) a swivel ring attached to an exterior of the pivot assembly housing; c) a compression pad positioned in the pivot assembly housing and limiting pivot adjustment to fifteen or fewer degrees in each pivot direction.

12. The monitor mounting system of claim 11, wherein the pivot assembly housing includes a pivot core threading into the pivot assembly housing,13. The monitor mounting system of claim 12, wherein the pivot core includes opposing circumferential slots, wherein the circumferential slots have an arc of less than fifteen degrees.

14. The monitor mounting system of claim 13, further comprising two angle limit screws, which are threaded through apertures in the pivot housing, then through the compression pad, and finally extend into the circumferential slots of the pivot core.

15. The monitor mounting system of claim 12, wherein an outer face of the pivot core includes at least two threaded apertures configured to receive mounting screws.

16. The monitor mounting system of claim 11, wherein the swivel ring further includes two bearing inserts, each bearing insert including an alignment groove.

17. The monitor mounting system of claim 10, wherein the crossbar has at least two monitor mounting brackets positioned thereon, and the monitor mounting brackets are attached to the crossbar with a tilt connector.

18. The monitor mounting system of claim 10, wherein the crossbar includes a central segment and two outer segments which form hinge connections to the central segment.

19. The monitor mounting system of claim 10, wherein the support arm is attached to a base with a swivel connection.

20. The monitor mounting system of claim 11, wherein the pivot assembly housing includes detents in an inner face of the pivot assembly housing, wherein the compression pad is compressed into the detents when the pivot core is threaded into the pivot assembly housing.

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