DESCRIPTION.

The subject of the present invention is a support device for an object.

The invention refers particularly, but not exclusively, to a support device for an electronic object, such as for example a mobile phone or a satellite navigator.

The support device concerned is particularly useful for attachment to the handlebars of a motorcycle.

There are currently available on the market various types of supports for mobile phones and/or satellite navigators, some of which offer the possibility of being attached to the handlebars of a motorcycle. The available devices are decidedly improvable from the point of view of efficacy and practicality in use, with particular reference to the possibility of being able to vary the orientation of the electronic apparatus. This possibility is not in fact currently offered by the available devices.

The object of the present invention is to offer a support device for an object, in particular for an electronic apparatus, which is of effective and practical use and which makes it possible to vary at will the orientation of the object supported.

Characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the indicative, and therefore non-limiting, description set forth below, of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the support device, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows a schematic axonometric view of the device according to the present invention, with a supported object; figure 2 shows a lateral view of the support device according to the present invention;

figure 3 shows a front view of the device according to the present invention;

figure 4 shows a view in section of the device shown in figure 2. With reference to the drawings listed above, the support device according to the present invention comprises a gripping element 2, predisposed to grip and retain an object 100. This gripping element is connected to a fastening element 3, predisposed to enable fastening of the device to a support structure, not illustrated. An indexing mechanism 4, predisposed to enable at least one rotation of the gripping element 2 about a main axis x, is interposed between the fastening element 3 and the gripping element 2. The indexing mechanism 4 is predisposed to define at least two stable angular positions of the gripping element 2 with respect to the fastening element 3. This indexing mechanism comprises a plurality of retaining elements 6a, 6b.

In a preferred embodiment of the device, a determinate number of retaining elements 6a is associated to a first body 41 of the indexing mechanism, while the remaining part 6b is associated to a second body 42 of the indexing mechanism. The first and the second bodies 41, 42 are coupled together rotatably around the main axis x and slidably along the main axis x.

Each retaining element 6a associated to the first body 41 projects at least partially from a coupling surface 41a of the first body 41. The retaining elements 6a associated to the first body 41 are preferably aligned along a circumference concentric with the main axis x. Similarly, each retaining element 6b associated to the second body 42 projects at least partially from a coupling surface 42a of the second body 42. Even the retaining elements 6a associated to the first body 41 are preferably aligned along a circumference concentric with the main axis x. The second body 42 is coupled to the first body 41 so that the coupling surfaces 41a,42a are brought close to each other. Elastic means 5 thrust the first body and the second body 41,42 towards one another.

The retaining elements 6a,6b are arranged in such positions such that in determined relative angular positions between the first body 41 and the second body 42 an interference condition is established between one or more of the retaining elements 6a solidly constrained to the first body 41 and one or more of the retaining elements 6b solidly constrained to the second body 42. A stable angular position of the gripping element 2 is defined when the interference condition described above is established between the retaining elements 6a,6b, an interference condition which, in other words, defines the stable angular positions between the first body and the second body 41, 42 of the indexing mechanism 4.

The first and the second body 41,42 are movable along the main axis x between an engaged position, in which the coupling surfaces 41a, 42a are at a minimum reciprocal distance and said interference condition can be determined between the retaining elements 6a, 6b, and a non-engaged position, in which the coupling surfaces 41a, 42a are at a maximum reciprocal distance and the retaining elements 6a, 6b do not interfere with one another. In the preferred embodiment of the device, the retaining elements 6a, 6b are in the form of spheres. In this way, to allow the stable angular condition to be overcome it is sufficient to apply a torque of sufficiently high intensity as to ensure that the retaining elements 6a associated to the first body 41, scraping on the retaining elements 6b solidly constrained to the second body 42, thrust into reciprocal distancing the first and the second body 41,42, in opposition to the thrust exerted by the elastic means 5 as far as the non-engaged position in which the retaining elements 6a, 6b no longer interfere with one another. The intensity of the torque required depends, among other parameters, on the intensity of the thrust exerted by the elastic means 5. Alternatively, to allow the stable angular condition to be overcome, a mechanism may be provided which allows the first and the second body 41,42 of the indexing mechanism 4 to be distanced from each other to a sufficient extent to determine the mutual disengagement of the retaining elements 6a, 6b, in the absence of the elastic means 5.

The gripping element 2 comprises a first rest element 21 ,22 equipped with a principal surface 21 on which the object 100 rests. From one edge of the main surface 21 two fingers 22 extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main surface 21. A second rest element 23, 24 is slidably coupled to the first rest element and is provided with a main surface 23 and two fingers 24 arranged parallel and in an opposed position to the fingers 22 of the first rest element 21 , 22. The slidable coupling is arranged so as to enable the fingers 22,24 to translate towards a position of locking the object 100 and a position of unlocking the object 100. Preferably, the fingers 22,24 are arranged at the corners of a rectangle, so as to be able to effectively lock an object 100 of substantially rectangular extension on plan. The fingers 22, 24 are furthermore provided with contact surfaces 22a,24a of concave extension and provided with an undercut 22b,24b shaped so as to lock displacements of the object 100 in a distancing direction from the main surface 21.

As may be seen in the attached drawings, the fastening element 3, in a first embodiment, comprises a clamp 31 arranged so as to allow fastening to a structure of tubular conformation, for example the handlebars of a motorcycle. The fastening element 3 could, however, be structured differently, for example it could consist of a plate equipped with holes for fixing to the tank filler cap or something else, depending on the intended support structure to which it is to be attached.

Preferably, between the orienting element 4 and the fastening element 3 there is arranged a releasable coupling which enables the gripping element 2 and the indexing mechanism 4 to be removed from the fastening element 3. The releasable coupling can be unlocked by means of a button 7 which cooperates with two retaining spheres (not visible in the drawings). This enables the indexing mechanism 4 and the gripping element 2 to be separated from the fastening element 3 with a simple manual operation, leaving just the fastening element 3 connected to the support structure.

The support device according to the present invention offers important advantages.

First of all, it can be firmly secured to a support structure, particularly to the handlebars of a motorcycle, without any risk of being able to be detached during travel. The device also offers a solid anchorage for the device, which can be removed only following the first rest element 21,22 and the second rest element 23,24 sliding apart. The indexing mechanism allows the supported object to be stably oriented and positioned very effectively, so that the rider can arrange it in the most comfortable position for observation during riding. In addition, the possibility of removing the gripping element 2 and the indexing mechanism 4 from the fastening element 3 limits the damage caused by a possible theft to the loss of just the fastening element 3.