The invention relates to a holding means for holding an electronic device to a vehicle component, in particular a windscreen of a motor vehicle, the holding means comprising a suction cup for attaching the holding means to the vehicle component as well as a locking or pressing element movable relative to the suction cup between an unlocking position and a locking position in which the locking element at least partially is brought into contact with a reverse side of the suction cup facing away from the vehicle component such that a vacuum is created between the suction cup on the one hand and the vehicle component on the other hand.

Holding means for attaching a mobile phone to the windscreen of a vehicle are already known from the prior art in a plurality of designs. Such holding means as a rule contain a basic carrier or basic body, to which the mobile phone can be fixed, namely for instance by means of a snap-on connection, a plug-in connection, or the like. On the other hand the known holding means also include fasteners serving for fastening the basic body to the windscreen. For this purpose as a rule a suction cup - i.e. a suction element made of rubber - is employed, by means of which the holding means can be temporarily and releasably mounted to the surface of the windscreen. If such suction cup is pressed against the surface of the windscreen, the air is sucked out of a clearance between the windscreen and the suction cup, and the air volume between the windscreen and the suction cup decreases. This has the effect that a pressure on the part of the ambient air acts on the suction cup so that the suction cup remains in contact with the windscreen. Known suction cups commonly have a tongue or a lip, by means of which the connection can be released. For this purpose the user can pull the suction cup at the tongue and open the vacuum chamber formed between the windscreen and the suction cup. Then the connection between the windscreen and the suction cup is released. In order to be able to re-fix the holding means to the windscreen again, the user needs to press the suction cup against the surface again.

The document US 2010/0286904 A1 describes a device assembly for performing a driver assistance function. The device assembly includes a mobile terminal as well as a holder removably installed in the vehicle for temporarily receiving the mobile terminal. An image recording device is connected to the holder, which is connectable to the mobile terminal via an image signal line and an electrical interface provided on the holder. The holder can be designed as a section attachment device and can be attached to a vehicle windshield. The holder can receive the mobile terminal via a receptacle arm, in which the appropriate interface for transmitting the image signals and for the power supply are positioned.

The document WO 2005/090124 A1 discloses that an image processing module for processing camera image data of the environment of a motor vehicle on the one hand and a display for displaying the images on the other hand can be formed by a microcomputer, in particular a palmtop, a personal digital assistant or a mobile telephone. The integration of the image processing module in the vehicle interior guarantees that the image processing module is not exposed to large temperature variations or extremely high temperatures.

Thus, in the prior art, suction cups are employed in order to be able to fix the holding means to the windscreen. A disadvantage of the known suction cups is that the connection with the windscreen is not always reliable. However, if a reliable connection is provided, the suction cups can hardly be detached from the windscreen again. In the prior art it - thus - is problematic that either the connection with the windscreen is relatively poor and thus may come off on its own, or else the holding means can only be demounted at great effort.

To solve this problem, a locking element can be provided which is movable relative to the suction cup. Such a locking element can be moved between an unlocking position in which it is spaced apart from the reverse side of the suction cup and a locking position in which the locking element is brought into contact with the reverse side of the suction cup. Thus, in the locking position the connection between the suction cup on the one hand and the windscreen on the other hand is secured by means of the locking element such that the vacuum created between the suction cup and the windscreen can hardly be broken. To simply demount the holding means from the windscreen, the locking element merely has to be moved into its unlocking position. However, the known holding means are uncomfortable and difficult to use due to the design and arrangement of the locking element.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution for how to fix a holding means of the initially named kind to the vehicle component in a particularly reliable way and to detach it from the vehicle component again at little effort. According to the invention, this object is solved by a holding means with the features of patent claim 1 . Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims, of the description and of the figures.

A holding means according to the invention is designed for holding an electronic device on a vehicle component, namely in particular to a windscreen of a vehicle. The holding means comprises a suction cup which is formed for attaching the holding means to the vehicle component. The holding means comprises a locking element which is movable relative to the suction cup between an unlocking position and a locking position in which the locking element is at least partially brought into contact with a reverse side of the suction cup facing away from the vehicle component such that a vacuum is created between the suction cup on the one hand and the vehicle component on the other hand. Moreover, an actuator is provided which is pivotally arranged on the locking element. The actuator is pivotally movable by a user between a first position and a second position, wherein the actuator upon moving into the second position causes a movement of the locking element into its locking position.

Thus, the holding means comprises a locking or pressing element which quasi serves for pressing the suction cup against the surface of the vehicle component. The locking element can be brought from its unlocking position into the locking position, in which it contacts the reverse side of the suction cup and thus keeps the vacuum created in a chamber between the suction cup and the surface of the vehicle component from being opened and the connection from being released. In the locking position, thus, the locking element presses the suction cup against the surface of the vehicle component. And vice versa, in the unlocking position, the locking element releases the suction cup, so that the connection between the suction cup and the surface of the vehicle component can be released. The holding means also includes the actuator which is pivotally arranged on the locking element and can be moved by the user between a first position and a second position. In the second position of the actuator, the locking element is in the locking position; in the first position of the actuator, the locking element is in the unlocking position. The suction connection thus can be locked or secured and then be released again very easily by way of simple pivoting of the actuator relative to the locking element. By means of the pivoting of the actuator into the second position it thus is avoided that the connection between the suction cup and the vehicle component is released. Thus, the holding means is fixed particularly reliably to the vehicle component and can be demounted again at little effort, namely by way of pivoting the actuator into its first position. Then the suction cup can be detached again from the vehicle component at little effort. Furthermore, by providing an actuator pivotally arranged on the locking element, the user can easily handle the holding means and the holding means is comfortable and easy to use as well as very compact.

The mounting of the holding means thus can be as follows: The user takes the holding means and presses the suction cup against the surface of the vehicle component, in particular the windscreen. Upon pressing the suction cup against the vehicle component, the air is sucked out of the clearance between the suction cup on the one hand and the vehicle component on the other hand and the air volume is reduced. Now, the suction cup is only insufficiently fixed to the vehicle component. The user can now move the actuator from the first position into the second position so that also the locking element is moved from the unlocking position into its locking position. The locking element now is at least partially in contact with the reverse side of the suction cup and thus keeps the vacuum chamber between the suction cup and the vehicle component from opening and the connection from being released. For demounting the holding means the user merely needs to bring the actuator back into its first position so that the locking element simultaneously is moved into the unlocking position.

This means that the moving of the actuator from the second position into the first position may also cause a movement of the locking element into its unlocking position. Thus, the locking element at little effort can be moved back into its unlocking position. The demounting of the holding means thus is particularly simple; the user merely needs to move the actuator into the first position and to detach the suction cup from the vehicle component.

The actuator - or a control element - preferably is a component which is separate and different from the locking element.

It turns out to be particularly advantageous if the locking element has a recess formed on a reverse side facing away from the suction cup. In this embodiment, the actuator in its first position can be accommodated in the recess formed in the locking element. Thus, the actuator can be stored and secured within the recess. In this way, a compact and robust holding means can be provided.

In one embodiment, the locking element can be moved relative to the suction cup in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the vehicle component. In other words, the locking element can be moved relative to the suction cup perpendicularly to a plane defined by an opening of the suction cup. On the one hand, the holding means thus has a particularly compact set-up; on the other hand, thus, a reliable locking of the connection is also facilitated, because the locking element can be brought into even contact at least with an edge of the reverse side of the suction cup or the forces can be evenly distributed across the edge of the reverse side of the suction cup.

In one embodiment, the actuator has a mechanism for attaching a cradle for holding the electronic device. Thus, the actuator can have two different functions: the function of bringing the locking element into its locking position on the one hand as well as a function of holding the cradle for the electronic device by means of said mechanism. In this way, the holding means is particularly compact.

The cradle can be formed for carrying a mobile phone as an electronic device. This means that the cradle is designed for bearing mobile phone, such as a smart phone. The electronic device thus can be for instance a mobile phone. But it may equally as well be a navigation device, a PDA (personal digital assistant) or the like.

It proves particularly advantageous if said mechanism for attaching the cradle is arranged on a free end of the actuator. This mechanism can be arranged on a free end of the actuator spaced apart from the locking element and spaced apart from the other end on which the actuator is pivotally attached to the locking element. This embodiment has the advantage that on the free end of the actuator the cradle can be arranged such that it can be moved in at least two, in particular in three, different directions. This means that the cradle can have at least two different degrees of freedom relative to the actuator.

In one embodiment, the holding means comprises a slider which is slideable by means of the actuator perpendicularly to a relative direction of movement of the suction cup relative to the locking element. The slider can be slideable forth and back between a starting position and an end position. The slider, upon moving into the end position, can cause a movement of the locking element into its locking position. This means that the actuator causes the movement of the slider, while the slider causes the movement of the suction cup relative to the locking element. In such a way, the locking element can be moved reliably between the unlocking position and the locking position. On the other hand, this mechanism is comparably simple and easy to implement. The slider can be slidably arranged within the locking element. The arrangement of the slider inside the locking element allows to provide a holding means which is very compact and robust. Inside the locking element, a bearing or guidance can be provided for sliding the slider within the locking element.

To achieve a movement of the suction cup relative to the locking element (or vice versa, i.e. of the locking element relative to the suction cup, equally), the suction cup can be mounted slidably on the slider. Thus, if the slider is moved relative to the locking element, the suction cup is moved as well relative to the locking element.

In more detail, the slider can have a guidance on which a guide pin of the suction cup is slidably arranged. The guidance can have a slant, by means of which, upon moving the slider into the end position, the suction cup is moved relative to the locking element into a position which corresponds to the locking position of the locking element. By using a slanted section, it is facilitated that, upon sliding the slider relative to the locking element, the bearing pin of the suction cup is moved within the locking element and thus also the suction cup is moved relative to the locking element. The guide pin of the suction cup arises on the slant, while the slider is moved from the starting position to the end position. A linear sliding of the slider thus causes an equally linear, perpendicular sliding of the suction cup relative to the locking element. Such a mechanism is particularly robust and reliable as well as compact. Preferably, the guidance can be provided as a surface on which the pin of the suction cup can be slidably moved. Alternatively, the slider can have a guidance slot into which the guide pin of the suction cup is inserted. Thus, the slider is movable relative to the suction cup in a direction perpendicular to the relative direction of movement of the suction cup relative to the locking element. In this embodiment, the slant can be integrated into the guidance slot of the slider.

Further features of the invention appear from the claims, the figures and the description of figures. All of the features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of figures and/or shown in the figures alone are usable not only in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations or else alone.

Now, the invention is explained in more detail by way of individual preferred

embodiments as well as with reference to the attached drawings.

Therein show: Fig. 1 a schematic and perspective view of a holding means according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 a schematic and sectional view of a fastening unit of the holding means, which serves for fastening the holding means to a windscreen of a vehicle;

Fig. 3 a schematic exploded view of the fastening unit;

Fig. 4 a schematic and perspective view of the fastening unit, wherein a cover of a locking element is removed; and

Fig. 5 a schematic and perspective view of the fastening unit, wherein an actuator is moved into a first position, in which it is accommodated in a recess of the cover of the locking element.

Fig. 1 shows a holding means 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The holding means 1 comprises a fastening unit 2 as well as a cradle 3. The fastening unit 2 serves for fastening the holding means 1 to a windscreen of a motor vehicle, while the cradle 3 serves for holding a mobile phone. For this purpose, the cradle 3 has a main body 4 as well as a pair of holding arms 5, 6, arranged on opposite sides of the main body 4 and extending perpendicularly to the main body 4 and parallel to each other.

Presently, the interest is focussed on the fastening unit 2: The fastening unit 2 has a suction cup 7 mounted on a locking element 8. On a reverse side 9 of the locking element 8 an elongate or oblong recess 10 is formed. On the reverse side 9 also an actuator or arm 1 1 is pivotally arranged and can be moved between a first position and a second position shown in fig. 1 . In the first position, the actuator 1 1 is accommodated in the recess 10. For this purpose, the recess 10 has a shape which is adapted to the elongate shape of the actuator 1 1 . In the second position, however, the actuator 1 1 is arranged perpendicularly to the locking element 8.

On a free end 12 of the actuator 1 1 , a mechanism 13 is arranged for holding the cradle 3. The mechanism 13 comprises a socket 14 formed on the free end 12 of the actuator 1 1 , in which a pin 15 is arranged. On the other side, the pin 15 is joined to a sphere 16 of a ball joint 17. The sphere 16 is pivotally arranged in a corresponding socket formed on a reverse side of the cradle 3. In this way, the cradle 3 can be moved relative to the actuator 1 1 in three different directions and thus has three different degrees of motion.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic and sectional principle view of the fastening unit 2. The locking element 8 consists of a bottom part 8a as well as of a cover 8b, in which the recess 10 (not shown in fig. 2) is formed. Within the locking element 8 - between the bottom part 8a and the cover 8b - a slider 18 is arranged and can be slided in a direction 19 parallel to a plane defined by an opening 20 of the suction cup 7.

The actuator 1 1 is pivotally arranged on the locking element 8, namely on the cover 8b. For this purpose, a bearing 21 is provided on a free end of the locking element 8 and the actuator 1 1 . The bearing 21 is arranged on the other free end of the actuator 1 1 than the mechanism 13 for holding the cradle 3 is provided. The actuator 1 1 can be moved pivotally between the first position in which it is accommodated in the recess 10 of the cover 8b and a second position in which the free end 12 of the actuator 1 1 and the mechanism 13 are spaced apart from the locking element 8. The actuator 1 1 is pivotally movable in a direction indicated by 22.

The actuator 1 1 has two arms 23, 24 standing away from a basic body 25 of the actuator 1 1 and extending parallel to each other and perpendicularly to the basic body 25 on the free end of the actuator 1 1 spaced apart from the mechanism 13. Between the arms 23, 24 a slot 26 is formed, into which a pin 27 is inserted which extends through the slider 18 in the transverse direction. In this way, while pivoting the actuator 1 1 from the first position into its second position, the slider 18 is moved from a starting position into an end position, namely in the direction 19.

The suction cup 7 has a main body 29 as well as a plug or pin 30 joined to the main body 29 in one piece. The plug 30 is inserted inside the locking element 8 through the bottom part 8a such that a free end of the plug 30 is arranged inside the locking element 8 and a piece of the plug 30 sticks out from the locking element 8. Thus, the plug 30 is a pin which can be moved relative to the locking element 8 in a direction 31 perpendicular to the direction 19 and to the plane defined by the opening 20 of the suction cup 7. Equally, the main body 29 of the suction cup 7 is movable relative to the locking element 8 in the direction 31 . In other words, the locking element 8 can be moved relative to the suction cup 7 between an unlocking position shown in fig. 2, in which the bottom part 8a is spaced apart from a reverse side 32 of the main body 29 of the suction cup 7 and a locking position in which the bottom part 8a is brought into contact with the reverse side 32.

The slider 18 has a guidance 127, which, for instance, can be a guidance surface or alternatively a guidance slot. On the guidance 127 a guide pin 28 is arranged, which is joined to the plug 30 of the suction 7. The guide pin 28 protrudes from the plug 30 in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the plug 30 and parallel to the plane defined by the opening 20. If the guidance 127 is a guidance slot, the guide pin 28 can be inserted into this guidance slot. Thus, the suction cup 7 is slidably arranged on the slider 18 such that the slider 18 can slide relative to the suction cup 7 in the direction 19.

The guidance 127 furthermore has a slant 33 (slant section), which is formed about in the middle of the guidance 127. The slant 33 extends at an angle of more than 0 ° and less than 90 ° relative to the plane defined by the opening 20. The slant 33 in this set-up causes the moving of the slider 18 from its starting position into the end position to cause a movement of the plug 30 into the interior of the locking element 8 and thus a movement of the suction cup 7 in the direction of the locking element 8. In this way, the movement of the slider 18 from the starting position into the end position causes a movement of the locking element 8 relative to the suction cup 7 from its unlocking position into its locking position in which the plug 30 is pulled by means of the slider so that the suction connection is secured.

Referring still to fig. 2, the fastening unit 2 can be mounted on the windscreen as follows: The user takes the fastening unit 2 and presses the suction cup 7 against the

windscreen in the interior of the vehicle. The air is sucked out from a clearance between the suction cup 7 and the windscreen and a vacuum chamber is formed between the suction cup 7 and the windscreen. Now air pressure acts on the suction cup 7 on the part of the ambience. A connection between the suction cup 7 and the windscreen is thus established. In order to avoid an undesired release of this connection, the user pivotally moves the actuator 1 1 from the first position into the second position shown in fig. 1 , so that the locking element 8 is brought into contact with the reverse side 32 of the suction cup 7. The locking element 8 in this position covers the major part of the surface of the reverse side 32, at least the radial edge portion of the reverse side 32. Thereby the vacuum chamber between the suction cup 7 and the windscreen is kept from opening and the connection from being released. For demounting the fastening unit 2 from the windscreen the user will move the actuator 1 1 from the second position into the first position, so that the bottom part 8a of the locking element 8 is removed from the reverse side 32 of the suction cup 7. Now the suction cup 7 can be removed from the windscreen at little effort.

In fig. 3 an exploded view of the fastening unit 2 is shown in more detail. As appears from fig. 3, the actuator 1 1 is an arm and the mechanism 13 provided on the free end 12 comprises the socket 14, which is formed on the free end 12 of the actuator 1 1 . Into this socket 14 the pin 15 joined to the sphere 16 can be inserted such that a freewheel is provided. On the other side, the actuator 1 1 in this embodiment has a socket or a slot 133, which corresponds to the slot 26 (see fig. 2) and into which a pin can be inserted. Also, this pin can be inserted through two openings 34, 35 formed in the slider 18. In this case, the pin extends through the opening 34, the socket 133 as well as the second opening 35.

Furthermore, the slider 18 has a guide groove 36 which extends in the direction 19 (see fig. 2) and by means of which the slider 18 is movably arranged within the locking element 8. As appears from fig. 3, the slider has a first guidance 127 with a first slant 33 as well as a second guidance 127' with a second slant 33'. Between the first guidance 127 and the second guidance 127' a recess 37 is formed in which the plug 30 of the suction cup 7 is accommodated in the mounted state of the fastening unit 2. The slants 33, 33' each end with a cavity or depression 38, 39 in which the corresponding guide pin 28, 28' of the plug 30 is accommodated in the end position of the slider 18. The guide pins 28, 28' snap into the respective cavity 38, 39 upon the slider 18 reaching its end position.

As furthermore appears from fig. 3, the bottom part 8a of the locking element 8 has an opening or a hole 34 through which the plug 30 of the suction cup 7 can be inserted into the interior of the locking element 8. Moreover, the suction cup 7 has a lip 40 to easily detach the suction cup 7 when the actuator 1 1 is in its first position.

In fig. 4 a perspective view of the fastening unit 2 is shown without the cover 8b of the locking element 8. The actuator 1 1 is in its second position, in which the bottom part 8a of the locking element 8 is brought into contact with the reverse side 32 of the suction cup 7. The plug 30 of the suction cup 7 has two guide pins 28, 28' arranged on the opposite sides of the plug 30. Both guide pins 28, 28' lie on the guidance 127, 127' of the slider 18. In fig. 4, the guide pins 28, 28' lie on the respective slant 33, 33'. Finally, fig. 5 shows the fastening unit 2 with an actuator 1 1 being in its first position in the recess 10 of the locking element 8. The pin 15 is inserted into the socket 14. The sphere 16 can be inserted into the socket provided on the cradle 3 (see fig. 1 ).