Swiveling television mounting systems

Abstract

A mounting system capable of mounting objects to support structures. The mounting system includes a wall mount including a display bracket configured to hold the object, a fixed support bracket coupleable to a vertical support structure, and a linkage assembly. The linkage assembly has a low-profile stowed configuration in which the object is held in a raised position close to the support structure. The linkage assembly moves to another configuration to move the object. The object can be held in a lowered position. A biasing mechanism can facilitate convenient movement of the object.

1 . An above-fireplace television mounting system for holding a television above a fireplace and lowering the television to a position in front of the fireplace, comprising:
 a fixed support bracket configured to be coupled to a vertical wall;   a television bracket;   a linkage assembly movable between a raised upright configuration and a lowered configuration, the linkage assembly including
 an upper linkage rotatably coupled to the fixed support bracket, 
 a lower linkage rotatably coupled to the fixed support bracket, and 
 a front linkage rotatably coupled to the upper linkage and the lower linkage; and 
   a television counterbalance mechanism configured to provide a user-set balancing force to counterbalance the television coupled to the television bracket and to allow a user to pull the linkage assembly from the raised upright configuration to the lowered configuration; and   a swivel mechanism defining a swivel axis of rotation, wherein the television bracket is rotatable about the swivel axis of rotation when the linkage assembly is in the lowered configuration to swivel the television bracket while keeping the television bracket from contacting the fixed support bracket.   
     
     
         2 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the television bracket automatically rotates to a user-set viewing position when the linkage assembly is moved toward the raised upright configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the swivel axis of rotation is a vertical axis spaced apart from the upper linkage when the television bracket is movable along a vertical arcuate path. 
     
     
         4 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 1 , further comprising a manually-set tilt mechanism configured to tilt the television bracket. 
     
     
         5 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 1 , further comprising a tilt mechanism operable to set a tilt of the television bracket such that a viewer's line of sight is generally perpendicular to a screen of the television carried by the television bracket. 
     
     
         6 . The above fireplace television mounting system  claim 1 , further comprising a tilt setting mechanism having a locking element operable to unlock and unlock the tilt setting mechanism. 
     
     
         7 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the linkage assembly further includes:
 an inner lower pivot defining a lower inner axis of rotation about which the lower linkage rotates relative to the fixed support bracket, wherein the lower inner axis of rotation lies in an imaginary vertical plane; and   a plurality of pivots, wherein at least one of the plurality of pivots is configured to be positioned between the imaginary vertical plane and the vertical wall when the linkage assembly is in the lowered configuration.   
     
     
         8 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 7 , wherein the inner lower pivot rotatably couples the lower linkage to the fixed support bracket. 
     
     
         9 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the linkage assembly forms a three-bar linkage or a four-bar linkage. 
     
     
         10 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the television counterbalance mechanism includes
 a force balancing device, and   a force adjustment mechanism configured to increase or decrease a balancing force provided by the force balancing device.   
     
     
         11 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 1 , wherein the television counterbalance mechanism includes at least one of a gas piston or a pneumatic piston. 
     
     
         12 . An above-fireplace television mounting system, comprising:
 a fixed support bracket configured to couple to a vertical wall;   a television bracket;   a linkage assembly movable between a raised configuration and a lowered configuration, the linkage assembly including
 an upper linkage rotatably coupled to the support bracket, 
 at least one lower linkage rotatably coupled to the support bracket, and 
 a front linkage rotatably coupled to the upper linkage and the at least one lower linkage; 
   a television counterbalance mechanism rotatably coupled to the linkage assembly; and   a swivel mechanism coupled to the linkage assembly and the television bracket and defining a swivel axis of rotation, wherein the television bracket is rotatable about the swivel axis of rotation when the linkage assembly is in the lowered configuration to swivel the television bracket.   
     
     
         13 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 12 , wherein the television bracket automatically rotates to a user-set viewing position upon reconfiguration of the above fireplace television mounting system. 
     
     
         14 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 12 , wherein the swivel axis of rotation is a vertical axis that is spaced apart from the upper linkage when the above fireplace television mounting system is coupled to the vertical wall such that the television bracket is movable along a vertical arcuate path. 
     
     
         15 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 12 , wherein the linkage assembly forms a three-bar linkage or a four-bar linkage. 
     
     
         16 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 12 , wherein the television counterbalance mechanism has a support end rotatably coupled to the fixed support bracket. 
     
     
         17 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 12 , wherein the television counterbalance mechanism includes
 a force balancing device, and   a force adjustment mechanism operable to adjust the balancing provided by the force balancing device to counterbalance different weights of different televisions.   
     
     
         18 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 12 , wherein the force balancing device includes at least one of a gas piston or a pneumatic piston. 
     
     
         19 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 12 , wherein the swivel mechanism includes
 a retainer connected to the linkage assembly,   a bracket mount coupled to the television bracket, and   a pin coupling the bracket mount to the retainer such that the television bracket swivels about the swivel axis of rotation an angle of at least ±5 degrees.   
     
     
         20 . An above-fireplace television mounting system, comprising:
 a fixed support bracket;   a television bracket;   a linkage assembly movable between a raised upright configuration and a lowered configuration for holding at least a portion of the television below a mantel below the fixed support bracket, wherein the linkage assembly is configured to operate as a three-bar linkage or four-bar linkage;   a television counterbalance mechanism rotatably coupled to the linkage assembly and including
 a force balancing device coupled to the linkage assembly, and 
 a manually-operated force adjustment mechanism coupled to the force balancing device and configured to set the counterbalancing provided by the force balancing device; and 
   a swivel mechanism defining a swivel axis of rotation about which the television bracket rotates when the linkage assembly is in the lowered configuration to swivel the television bracket.   
     
     
         21 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 20 , wherein the force balancing device includes one more gas pistons and/or pneumatic pistons. 
     
     
         22 . The above-fireplace television mounting system of  claim 20 , wherein the linkage assembly includes one or more linkages configured to rotate relative to the fixed support bracket an angle greater than 90 degrees. 
     
     
         23 . A mounting system comprising:
 a display bracket;   a fixed support bracket configured to be coupled to a vertical wall;   a linkage assembly rotatably coupled to the fixed support bracket and carrying the display bracket, the linkage assembly reconfigurable to move the display bracket from a raised position to a lowered position to move the display bracket lower than at least a portion of the fixed support bracket;   a counterbalance mechanism including
 a threaded rod; and 
 a member coupled to the threaded rod such that rotation of the threaded rod relative to the member causes movement of the member along the threaded rod to set a balancing force provided by the counterbalance mechanism, 
 wherein the member is configured to be translationally fixed relative to the threaded rod and an end of the counterbalance mechanism is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation that is translationally fixed relative to the fixed support bracket when the display bracket is moved between the raised position and the lowered position and the counterbalance mechanism provides the balancing force. 
   
     
     
         24 . The mounting system of  claim 23 , wherein a length of a biasing component of the counterbalance mechanism is adjusted when the member is moved along the threaded rod. 
     
     
         25 . The mounting system of  claim 23 , wherein the linkage assembly rotates from a vertical orientation past a horizontal orientation to move the display bracket from the raised position to the lowered position. 
     
     
         26 . The mounting system of  claim 23 , wherein the counterbalance mechanism is configured to counterbalance at least about 50 pounds. 
     
     
         27 . The mounting system of  claim 23 , wherein the counterbalance mechanism inhibits movement of the linkage assembly when a user does not apply a force to the mounting system and allows the user to apply a force to rotate the linkage assembly relative to the fixed support bracket to move the display bracket between the lowered position and the raised position. 
     
     
         28 . The mounting system of  claim 23 , wherein the counterbalance mechanism includes two biasing devices coupled to the member. 
     
     
         29 . The mounting system of  claim 28 , wherein rotation of the threaded rod causes the two biasing devices to change lengths to adjust the balancing force, wherein the member is threadably coupled to the threaded rod. 
     
     
         30 . The mounting system of  claim 23 , further comprising a swivel mechanism defining a swivel axis of rotation, wherein the display bracket is rotatable about the swivel axis of rotation when the linkage assembly is in the lowered position to swivel the display bracket while keeping the display bracket from contacting the fixed support bracket.