In recent years, small, lightweight, portable televisions, radios, stereos, and other electronic devices that can be easily carried have been developed and marketed in addition to conventional installed models. Such devices can be carried from a home to the outdoors and can be used in the so-called “outdoors.” For example, such devices can be brought inside an automobile, and sporting events can be watched on a television, information can be obtained, and other activities can be carried out.
However, when mounting such a device in a vehicle, there are various other devices already mounted in the vehicle, and the mounting space is limited because of the narrow space. On the other hand, when the device is to be mounted near the driver's seat, it must also be mounted so as to not become an obstruction to the driving of the driver and so that a passenger can also see the screen or the like. In recent years, various types of support implements have been developed that satisfy these situations and conditions, that simplify mounting, and that allow the angle of the device display screen to be freely modified in the horizontal and vertical directions (e.g., see Patent References 1 and 2 noted below).
For example, the support implement described in the Patent Reference 1 noted below comprises a cylindrical support column which is erectly disposed on an upper surface of a base plate and in which convexities and concavities are disposed about the external peripheral surface, and further comprises a pair of holding members that can be rotated in the circumferential direction and that have a concavo-convex section on the internal peripheral surface meshed with the concavo-convex section of the support column, and a support member that can be moved in the forward/rearward direction and that is held between the holding members, wherein a fixing member to which the device is to be attached is mounted on the support member.
The support member and the holding members are joined together using a fastening bolt, and the support implement can be positionally modified to a predetermined angle by loosening an adjustment knob mounted on the bolt.
A similar support implement is also described in Patent Reference 2 noted below. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a mounting device for an onboard display apparatus described in Patent Reference 2 below.
The mounting device for an onboard display apparatus (hereinbelow simply referred to as mounting device) 20 comprises a base 21 on which a short shaft is erectly disposed, a horizontal arm turnably mounted on the shaft so as to be capable of rotation about a single axis via a first movable section, a pair of connection plates 23, 23 pivotably connected to the two ends of the horizontal arm in the lengthwise direction via a pair of second movable sections 22, 22, and a display apparatus hanging member 25 pivotably suspended between the distal ends of the connection plates 23, 23 via third movable sections 24, 24. The horizontal arm is formed from a rectangular member having a shaft insertion hole in the center section and a pair of curved members in which the end sections are upwardly curved in the shape of an “L” at the two ends in the lengthwise direction. Each of the first to third movable sections has a free stop mechanism, and the free stop mechanism is composed of a wide washer, a narrow washer, a lock member, a coned disc spring, and the like.
With the mounting device 20, the display apparatus M can be adjusted in all directions by merely manually moving the display apparatus in the vertical and lateral directions in the case that the screen angle of the display apparatus M is to be adjusted, because the hanging member 25 is connected to the shaft of the base 21 via the first to third movable sections.    [Patent Reference 1]: Utility Model Registration No. 3091972 (FIG. 1, paragraphs [0020] and [0021])    [Patent Reference 2]: Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2005-199845 (FIG. 1, FIG. 2, paragraphs [0022] to [0040])