Permanently Adaptable Gaming Mount

Abstract

A Permanently Adaptable Gaming Mount particularly adapted for holding a gaming console, control pad input devices, gaming media, et. al. all of various shapes and sizes in an organized, personalized, aesthetically pleasing, secure, safe, child safe, adaptable and purloin deterrent manner. The Permanently Adaptable Gaming Mount has a permanently mounted back plate on a generally flat surface with various attachments of unique shapes and sizes which are interchangeable, optional, adaptable, and personalize-able. These attachments are designed to receive and accommodate various control consoles or systems such as Atari, Mattel, Sega, Playstation, Wii, Xbox, and etc. al.; as well as necessary and optional accessory parts and/or games. Attachments are formed with various means adapted to receive different sizes of cartridges, compact discs, or other media containing programming for a console or system.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field and Industrial Applicability of the Invention

The present invention relates to gaming console and accessories storage systems, child safety systems, parental control options, cooling systems, and more particularly pertains to a new permanently mounted organizational system for support of a gaming console and accessories in an independently upgradable, personalized, aesthetically pleasing, secure, safe, child safe, and purloin deterrent fashion. This invention is particularly adapted for but not limited to Playstation 3, Wii, and the Xbox.

2. Description of Prior Art

The utilization of gaming consoles crosses many industrial boundaries. People of all ages and cultures under numerous and various circumstances operate gaming consoles for a wide variety of uses. These gaming consoles and numerous accessories are available in various shapes, sizes, and weights. Due to the numerous and various gaming circumstances and situations aesthetic appeal, security, safety, children, and purloining are concerns of gaming console owners, with regard to their consoles, currently unresolved. A need exists for an apparatus with options available whose functionality is useful with respect to current utilizations and concerns of gaming console owners.

The use of gaming console storage systems, wall mounts, locking systems, and child safety features are all known in the prior art. The prior art heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.

Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,055 by Smith; U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,481 by Berkeman; U.S. Pat. Des. 266,208 by Cannon el al; U.S. Pat Des. No. 326,777 by Newby, Sr.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,785 by Smith; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,931 by Berkman, other known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,969 by Mayhew; U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,478 by Simpson; U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,036 by Morrow; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,010 by Rogers.

While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a permanently adaptable surface mount for gaming consoles and its accompanying accessories in a personalized, aesthetically pleasing, secure, safe, child safe, parental controlled, and purloin deterrent fashion independent from other entertainment storage systems or furniture. In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of video game unit storage systems now present in the prior art, the present invention gaming console mount described herein, substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus developed for the purpose of holding a gaming console and accessories in an personalized, aesthetically pleasing, secure, safe, child safe, and purloin deterrent fashion which is independent from all other entertainment storage systems, gaming console storage devices, and entertainment centers. The herein disclosed invention meets the needs indentified in the foregoing and fulfills the deficiencies in the prior art as elucidated, a preferred exemplary form of the invention being described in detail hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the presently disclosed preferred exemplary form of the invention, which will be subsequently disclosed in greater detail, is to provide a gaming mount apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of video game console storage systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new gaming console mounting which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art of video game console storage systems, either alone or in any combination thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new gaming mount providing in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, with simultaneously overcoming some the disadvantages normally associated within as well as may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed, which is of a durable and reliable construction, susceptible to a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and is then accordingly susceptible of low prices of sale and to the consuming public, thereby making such gaming mount economically available to the buying public in a personalized, aesthetically pleasing, secure, safe, child safe, and purloin deterrent fashion independent from other entertainment storage systems with parental controls.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new gaming mount affixed close to the corresponding television unit, therefore providing to the end user minimal amounts of wiring and cabling necessary for video game unit operation.

The present invention attains said objects in exemplary form by comprising of a back plate to be affixed on a generally flat surface with numerous attachments to mate with said back plate. These exemplary form attachments include but are not limited to: uniquely sized and shaped front plates, locking mechanisms, accessories holders, and media holders. All attachments have various novelties which serve the purpose of the overall object of the invention. As well all attachments are constructed of unique shapes, sizes, and material to accommodate for the unique shapes, sizes, and weights of the various and numerous gaming consoles and accessories. These attachments are interchangeable, optional, adaptable, independent, and personalize-able. The preferred exemplary form presented is particularly adapted and designed for, but not limited to receive and accommodate gaming consoles and accessories such as the Playstation, Wii, and Xbox. Attachments can be constructed with various materials; therefore a material is not disclosed. Attachment construction may utilize numerous differing couplings to mate said attachment to said back plate. The preferred exemplary form presented provides just two of the many choices of couplings that could be utilized in this invention. Therefore, exemplary form is presented herein to be explanatory of the use and intent of the invention and is not to be construed as restrictive of the invention herein disclosed in and of any such manner.

The back plate has the purpose of mounting flat surface near a television unit at a distance above the floor to prevent inadvertent small child operation which could cause harm to said gaming console and accessories. Said back plate as well has an object of letting the end user choose where to mount said gaming console that would best hide said gaming console's wires behind the corresponding television or other material easily utilized. Said back plate has many couplings strategically place creating a uniquely shaped space interjacent said back plate and said gaming console allowing natural convection air cooling of the said gaming console regardless of the size or shape of the gaming console and orientation of said back plate. Said back plate has couplings to serve the purpose of interchanging said mating attachments. Therefore the need to remount a new back plate upon purchasing of a new gaming console is unnecessary. Said back plate has the object of being permanently mounted near a television for the purpose of hiding wires and keeping them out of reach of children.

The various front plates are shown with 3 basic shapes in the exemplary form; concave, convex, and flat. The concave and convex shapes prevent side to side shifting and movement due to the basic shape. The flat front plate also have unique and optional oblique and oblong shapes that are to compensate for said flat front plate's inability to prevent side to side motion. Therefore, said front plates have a novelty of closely hugging said gaming console in an aesthetically pleasing fashion while preventing the gaming console from side to side motion in congruence with an amalgamation of said back plate, gaming console, and one of the optional said front plates which most obviously prevents motion in three other basic directions further portrayed in the detailed description and the drawings.

The various locking mechanisms utilized are shown with two pieces in preferred exemplary form. The first piece is a back plate insertion that inserts into the back plate and then fuses with the top plate to ‘lock-in’ the gaming console in the remaining direction of the basic six directions of movement. The back plate insertion may be of various heights to accommodate for the various sizes of gaming consoles. The second piece is a top plate, which fuses with the back plate insertion to carry out the object of ‘locking-in’ the gaming console for purloin deterrence through the use of safety screws. The top plate also having matching aesthetic appeal to its corresponding front plate such as a similar concave, convex, or flat shape which may or may not include the same oblong and oblique shapes.

The accessories holders are uniquely sized and shaped attachments with the object of optional convenient stowage of accessories. The accessories holder is not necessary to utilize in this invention to create a properly operational gaming console mount. The option of utilization exists if the end user desires an accessory holder for the purpose of convenient stowage of their accessories such as control input devices, instruction booklets, et. al. This particular accessories holder has a novelty ‘lock-in’ feature on the front of the container. Under both of the compartments of the accessories holder is a plate that slides out and locks into place for the purpose of purloin deterrence and parental controls.

The media holders are uniquely sized and shaped attachments with the object of optional convenient stowage of media associated with the utilized gaming console. This media holder is constructed with couplings to mate with the back plate as well as the other attachments. The novelty of said media holder is ‘double coupling’ further described within the detailed description of the drawings. The double coupling compensates for the various distances required by media stowed when stowing with another media holder rather than the back plate or any other attachment. When two media holders are attached to each other they create an extra slot for another similar type of media via the double coupling option.

There has thus, been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will readily recognize the need that is filled by the invention as identified in the foregoing, the primary object of the invention being to fill the need in an organized, personalized, aesthetically pleasing, secure, safe, child safe, and purloin deterrent fashion independent from other entertainment storage systems. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the signing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific object attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front isometric preferred amalgamation view of the gaming mount with a gaming console, front plate, matching locking mechanism, accessories holder (without the locking plates), and a media holder;

FIG. 2 an isometric front view without perspective of a preferred exemplary form of the back plate;

FIG. 3 an isometric rear view without perspective of a preferred exemplary form of the back plate;

FIG. 4 an isometric top view without perspective of a preferred exemplary form of the locking mechanisms;

FIG. 5 an isometric cross sectional view without perspective of the overlapping seats for the locking mechanisms;

FIG. 6 an isometric front and rear views without perspective of a convex style front plate;

FIG. 7 an isometric front and rear views without perspective of a concave shaped front plate;

FIG. 8 an isometric front and rear views without perspective of a flat front plate showing the oblong and oblique blocks;

FIG. 9 an isometric front and rear views without perspective of an accessories holder;

FIG. 10 an isometric front and rear views without perspective of an accessories holder with the locking plates in place as well as isometric front and rear views without perspective of said locking plates;

FIG. 11 an isometric front and rear view without perspective of a media holder with five media slots;

FIG. 12 an isometric front view without perspective of two mated media holders displaying though said mating creation of one additional media slot;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings and particular to FIGS. 1 though 12 thereof, a new gaming mount embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention, in preferred exemplary form, will be described and generally designated by the reference numeral 20. With reference to FIG. 1, a front isometric non-perspective view showing the gaming mount, 20, fully assembled utilizing a console, 70, locking mechanism, 31, front plate, 43, accessories holder, 50, and a media holder, 65, displaying a simple design with object of minimal assembly required for the gaming console owner. The console itself does not form a part of the invention, and since it is a commercial unit, it need not be described in further detail.

As best illustrated in FIG. 1, the gaming mount 20 generally comprises of a back plate permanently mounted on a generally flat surface, as well as various styles of front plates, matching locking mechanisms, and lower attachments which all mate with said back plate for various novelty purposes. Following mating of said front plate to said back plate this amalgamation allows for insertion of various gaming consoles corresponding with the constructed style of said front plate. Subsequent console insertion, a matching locking mechanism may be installed atop said console for the purpose of purloin deterrence. Following attachment to said back plate the attachments allow for convenient stowage of as well as optional purloin deterrence of gaming console accessories and media.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, a generally rectangular styled back plate, 21, is shown in a front and rear isometric non-perspective views, with two male couplings, 22 and 22′, protruding perpendicular the lower side of said back plate for the purpose of mating with various styled front plates as further described herein. In addition to said male couplings, said back plate has four female couplings, 23, 23′, 24, and 24′. Two of said female couplings are shown atop of said back plate, (FIG. 2), and the other two couplings are other shown at the bottom of said back plate, (FIG. 3). Said back plate also contains an oddly styled depression, 25, allowing space interjacent said back plate and a gaming console for convection air cooling of said console though spaces 31, 32, 33, and 34. There are various screw holes shown for utilization with screws to fasten, 26 and 26′ are to fasten the back plate insertion of the locking mechanism to said back plate; 27, 27′, 28 and 28′ are to fasten said back plate to said generally flat surface; 29 and 29′ are to fasten said lower female couplings to one of said attachments; 30 and 30′ are to fasten one of said front plate to said back plate.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, an optional locking mechanism, 31, is shown in a rear isometric non-perspective view, consisting of two main parts, a back plate insertion, 32, and a top plate, 33. Said back plate insertion has two male couplings, 34 and 34′, which mate with said female couplings of said back plate before insertion of said gaming console. Following fastening said back plate insertion through the screw holes, 35 and 35′, said top plate is then inserted onto the seating surfaces of said back plate insertion, 36A and 36B, utilizing the seating surfaces of said top plate, 36C and 36D, and fastened in place via three screw holes on the back plate insertion, 37A 37B and 37C, and the top plate, 38A 38B and 38C. The back plate insertion and the top plate both have a notch, 39 and 40, placed atop the middle rear of both pieces to further allow air convection cooling of said gaming console. Atop the middle of said top plate there is an additional opening, 41, to allow manual cooling operations of said gaming console's built in fans. The top plate has a front wall, 42, that is of a concave, convex, or flat shape similar to the corresponding front plate.

Referring now to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, front plates of a convex, 43, concave, 44, and flat, 45, styled constructions are all shown in front and rear isometric non-perspective views. Said front plates are necessary for an amalgamation that secures said gaming console to said generally flat surface via female couplings, 46 and 46′, and corresponding screw holes, 47 and 47′, for proper fastening to said back plate. The concave and convex styled constructions are created in this manner to hug firmly with low clearance to said gaming console for the purpose of an aesthetically pleasing appeal as well as creating a deterrent to either side of directional movement for said gaming console. However, the flat styled construction while having a similar aesthetic appeal due to the low clearance it does not prevent movement in either side of directional movement. Therefore oblong, oblique, or other oddly styled shapes, 48 and 49, are added, atop the female couplings, in construction of the flat styled front plate to continue the object of creating a deterrent to either side of directional movement for said gaming console.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, an optional user attachment, an accessories holder, 50, is shown in front and rear isometric non-perspective views. Said accessories holder consists of a slightly oblong box with four holes on the front wall to access interior said box. The top and bottom are very oblong holes, 51 and 52, are both of similar size as well as the middle two holes, 53 and 54, are both of similar size. Holes 53 and 54 are to accommodate convenient storage of gaming console accessories such as control input devices, instruction manuals, et. al. Holes 51 and 52 are to accommodate stowage of the locking plates, 55 and 56, when not in use. The accessories holder has two male couplings, 57 and 57′, as well we two female couplings, 58 and 58′, each with corresponding screw holes, 59, 59′, 60, and 60′, for allotment of additional fastening via screws. The male couplings are to mate with said back plate's lower female couplings directly or indirectly via another attachment's female couplings. Said female couplings, 58 and 58′, are to allow additional attachments to mate to the bottom side of said accessories holder for the leisure and preference of said gaming console user. A fixed loop, 61, is positioned in the center of the front wall of said accessories holder with the object to utilize a lock to secure in place the locking plates, after insertion of said locking plates shorter side, 62, into 51 and 52, being perpendicular to the longer front side, 63, and then placed atop said loop to insert said loop through hole, 64, to allow securing of said locking plate and thereby creating parental controls of the user input devices as well as purloin deterrence of said user input devices and other accessories.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, an optional user attachment, the media holder, 65, is shown in front and rear isometric non-perspective views. Said media holder consists of six horizontally angled flats, 70A, 70B, 70C, 70D, 70E, and 70F, attached to rear plates creating five media slots, 71A, 71B, 71C, 71D, and 71E, per media holder. Said media holder utilizes two of said rear bars, 66 and 66′, atop each are double male couplings, 67 and 67′, as well as double female couplings, 68 and 68′, at the bottom of each rear bar. The purpose of the first male and female couplings are to mate with another type of accessory or said back plate in a previously delineated fashion, via screw holes 70, 70′, 71 and 71′. The purpose of the second or double male and female couplings are to accommodate further insertion into or acceptance of another media holder, and fastening via 72, 72′, 73, and 73′, thereby creating an additional media slot, 69.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will readily understand the nature and construction of the invention and the manner in which it achieves and realizes the objectives as set forth in the foregoing. The present disclosure is representative of the preferred form(s) of the invention and is to be interpreted in a suggestive and illustrative manner rather than a limiting sense the invention to be accorded the full scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. As an article of manufacture, a mount, for the purposes of affixing a video game playing equipment including but not limited to various and numerous shapes sizes and weights of video game consoles, control input devices, and various media associated with said console to a stable vertical surface. Said mount comprising of a back plate with built in couplings for the purposes of mating to various same species attachments such as front plates, locking mechanisms, accessories holders, and/or media holders, all of which have built in couplings for the purposes of mating to said back plate.

2. An article as in claim 1, the back plate, coupling with the front plates to secure a gaming console to a vertical, has numerous couplings whose shape and position create an air pocket interjacent said back plate and said console permitting convection cooling of said console regardless of said back plate's mounting orientation.

3. An article as in claim 1, the front plates, coupling with said back plate for the purposes of securing said console to said vertical in which said back plate is attached, consists of many various shapes including but not limited to flat, concave, and convex and furthermore of various sizes accommodating for the various shapes, sizes, and weights of video game consoles. Said front plates may also have unique oblique or oblong shapes placed perpendicular to the edges of said flat shape inhibiting linear movement on the horizontal plane, analogous the concave and convex shapes.

4. An article as in claim 1, the locking mechanisms, coupling with said back plate avert motion, (otherwise unaverted by said back plate, front plate, and console amalgamation), of the console for the purposes of deterring purloining of said console in addition to an ability to mount said back plate to any reasonable sturdy flat surface regardless of the generally vertical or horizontal direction of said flat surface.

5. An article as in claim 3, the locking mechanisms, consisting of two parts, a back plate insertion and a top plate. The back plate insertion is connected to the back plate prior to console insertion within said amalgamation. Said top plate is then placed atop said amalgamated console and further fused with the back plate insertion via uniquely designed safety screws. Said top plate as well contains a uniquely designed gap that accommodates for said natural air convection interjacent said back plate and said console.

6. An article as in claim 1, the accessories holders, coupling with said back plate for the purposes of containing various gaming accessories such as control input devices, instruction booklets, and et. al. within close proximity to said console, consisting of 2 metal boxes, each having one partially open side wall, one box set atop another box thereby creating two spaces of storage for said accessories.

7. An article as in claim 5, the accessories holders, having a locking front sheet, or other mechanism with a locking ability, thereby creating purloin deterrence of the accessories held within.

8. An article as in claim 1, the media holders, optionally coupling with said back plate for the purposes of containing various media cartridges of various shapes sizes and densities within close proximity to said console.

9. An article as in claim 7, the attachments, and construction objective thereof contain lower couplings for mating with another attachment, also having construction objective for mating with another attachment. The delineated amalgamation of two media holders creates an extra slot for another media of similar shape, size, and density.

10. An article as in claim 1, said amalgamation has couplings on the back plate for optional addition of locking mechanisms, accessories holders, and media holders. This addition or lack of additional attachments does not constitute an insufficient amalgamation for the purposes of securing said console.