Systems and methods for providing quick release of video monitors from an assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019248298-A1
Application number	US-201815894551-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 12, 2018
Priority date	Feb 12, 2018
Publication date	Aug 15, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A quick release assembly for use in mounting a display system to a fixture. The system includes an attachment assembly on a back side of the display system that receives pins from a mounting bracket into openings of lock modules that include a latch that holds at least one pin in place. The latch is held in the lock position by spring bias. An actuator wire made of a shape memory alloy contracts when an electrical current is applied. The contraction of the wire overcomes the spring bias to move the latch from the lock position to an unlocked position to allow the display system to be removed from the pin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A quick release attachment system for affixing a display device to a fixture, the system comprising:
an attachment assembly in a display device; and a lock module in the attachment assembly including:
a housing with a first opening defined through the housing,
a first latch movable between a locked position and an unlocked position wherein the locked position positions the first latch to at least partially be in the first opening to restrain a pin inserted into the first opening in place and the unlocked position moves the first latch to a position where the pin is unrestrained in the first opening,
a spring that is biased to hold the first latch in the locked position, and
an actuator that overcomes the bias of the spring allowing the first latch to move to the unlocked position in response to an electrical current being applied.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing of the lock module further includes:
a plurality of openings defined through the housing of the lock module wherein the plurality of openings include the first opening; a plurality of latches including the first latch in the lock module where each of the plurality of latches is associated with one of the plurality of openings and is movable between the locked and unlocked positions; wherein the spring is biased to hold the plurality of latches in the locked position with a portion of each of the plurality of latches within one of the plurality of openings; and wherein the actuator overcomes the bias of the spring to allow each of the plurality of latches to move to the unlocked position in response to an electrical current being applied to the actuator.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the lock module further includes:
a lock bar in the housing that provides the first latch, the lock bar having an opening defined through the bar at a position substantially aligned with the first opening through the housing and the opening through the lock bar has a larger area than the first opening through the housing such that an edge of the opening through the lock bar extends into the first opening through the housing in the locked position when the lock bar is in a first position and the opening through the housing is unobstructed by the edges of the opening through lock bar in the unlocked position when the lock bar is in a second position.

4 . The system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a spring seat on a first surface of the lock bar having a spring resting surface that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the lock bar; a midframe guide in the housing that has spring platform that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the midframe guide; and wherein the spring has a first end that rests on the spring resting surface of the spring seat and a second surface that rest on the spring platform of the midframe guide in an orientation where a longitudinal axis of the spring is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lock bar and the longitudinal axis of the midframe guide.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the actuator comprises:
a first terminal and a second terminal affixed to an inner surface of the housing of the lock module; a wire that contracts in response to an application of electrical current that has one end affixed to the first terminal, a second end affixed to the second terminal, and a portion between the first and second ends that is coupled to the spring seat; and wherein the wire is configured to contract in response to an application of an electrical current that causes the spring seat to compress the spring against the spring platform causing the lock bar to move from the first position to the second position moving the first latch from the locked to the unlocked position.

6 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a wire guide that is a trough defined around a sidewall of the spring seat in which the portion of the wire coupled to the spring seat rests.

7 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first bending post protruding from the first surface on a first side of the midframe guide at an end distal from the spring platform; a second bending post protruding from the midframe guide at the end distal from the spring platform on a second side that is opposite the first side; and wherein the wire has a first portion between the first terminal and the portion coupled to the spring that bends around the first bending post and a second portion between the second terminal and the portion coupled to the spring seat that bends around the second bending post.

8 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the lock module further comprises:
a manual release that is pivotally mounted in the housing under a bottom side of the lock bar that is distal from the spring seat wherein the manual release is biased in a first position and is rotatable to a second position; and wherein the first position cause the manual release to hold the lock bar in a first position where the spring seat holds the spring biased against the spring platform and the second position allows the lock bar to move to a position that causes the latch to move from the locked position to the unlocked position.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a mounting bracket affixed to a fixture of a transportation vehicle; a pin that protrudes out of a surface of the mounting bracket where the pin is aligned with the opening through the housing of the module in the attachment assembly.

10 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the pin has a tapered end that is substantially conical in shape with a defined trough proximate the end of the cone to cooperate with the first latch to push the first latch out of the opening during insertion and hold the latch in the defined trough after insertion.

11 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a tool connectable to the display for applying current to the actuator; and
an interface on the display for connecting to the tool.

12 . A lock module for a quick release attachment system for a display that affixes the display to a fixture inside a vehicle, the lock module comprising:
a housing having a first opening defined through the housing; a lock bar in the housing movable between a first and second position along a longitudinal axis that provides a first latch for the first opening that moves between a locked position and an unlocked position, where the first latch is a first opening defined through the lock bar at a position substantially aligned with the first opening through the housing and having a larger area than the first opening through the housing such that an edge of the first opening through the lock bar extends into the first opening through the housing in the locked position when the lock bar is in the first position and the first opening through the housing is unobstructed by the edge of the first opening through lock bar when the lock bar is in a second position; a spring seat on a first surface of the lock bar having a spring resting surface that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the lock bar; a midframe guide in the housing that has spring platform that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal surface of the midframe guide; a spring that is biased to hold the first latch in the locked position wherein the spring has a first end that rests on the spring resting surface of the spring seat and a second surface that rest on the spring platform of the midframe guide in an orientation where a longitudinal axis of the spring is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lock bar and the longitudinal axis of t

Assignees

• Panasonic Avionics Corp

Inventors

• Barnes Andrew
• Vazquez Steven
• Diaz David

Classifications

• B60R2011/0015

  Back-rests · CPC title

• B64D11/00152

  Seat back fixtures for removable monitors, e.g. tablet computers · CPC title

• B64D11/00151

  Permanently mounted seat back monitors · CPC title

• B60R11/0235 Primary

  of flat type, e.g. LCD · CPC title

• B60R2011/0043

  for integrated articles, i.e. not substantially protruding from the surrounding parts · CPC title