AU598309B2

AU598309B2 - Work station

Info

Publication number: AU598309B2
Application number: AU80055/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Edwin Robin Russell
Original assignee: TRENTON Pty Ltd
Current assignee: TRENTON Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1986-10-23
Filing date: 1987-10-22
Publication date: 1990-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 2007-10-22
Also published as: AU8005587A

Description

h COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (OII 9 8 3 0 9 Class Application Number: PH086.q1 Lodged: 22-1Q-86 Int. Class Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Published: 44 44 4 4 tIt~ 4 4 i~ 4 4 4 a a, a

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TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: .DIN NRSr Addresa of Applicant:3 Actual Inventor: Edwin Robin Russell- Address for Service: Wray&Asoaes Primary Industry House, 239 Ad.,eaide Terrace, Perth, W.A. 6000 Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: IWOyRK~ STATQION" The following statement is a full dasc'ription of this invention, including the best method of performing It known to me S-2- THIS INVENTION relates to a work station and in particular a work station which is appropriate for use with a computer terminal.

A difficulty with work stations used in association with compute terminals relates to the ancillary equipment usually associated with such terminals. Such equipment generally comprises a key board,, disc drive, visual display unit (VDU) and printer. Each of these items Eust be located on a work station such that they are readily available for access by an operator in an ergonomically desirable manner and such that they do not inhibit or affect the operation of any one of the other components.

t I SIt is an object of this invention to provide a work t* station which is capable of supporting the various units associated with a computer terminal such that each of the rt items are readily accessible but do not inhibit the C utilisation of any of the other components.

In oi form the invention resides in a work station comprising a base comprised of a pair of generally parallel side members joined at a point spaced rearwaxaly of their forward ends to define a work area therebetween, a pair of transversely spaced upward extending supports extending from the forward ends of said side members obliquely in a rearward direction from said base, an upper platform supported by at least one of the said supports above said base and an intermediate platform supported by I at least one of said supports above said base and below said upper platform, at least one of said platforms being vertically adjustable along its respective support.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the platforms are supported by pairs of support brackets slidably mounted on the supports, clamping means for clampingly retaining ths support brackets in position on o- N the supports.

S- 3 According to a preferred feature of the previous feature the support brackets each comprise a mounting member adapted to be slidably engageable with the respective support and a support arm extending horizontally from the mounting member.

According to a preferred feature of the previous features at least one end of the support arm is tubular and is open for attachment of a further component in each open end.

According to a preferred feature of the previous features at least one support arm supports the further component through a spigot receivable in said one end.

According to a preferred feature of the invention at least one of said supports accommodates a copy support for supporting material to be copied located between the 444 intermediate platform and the upper platform said copy support being displaceable along the support and being pivotable thereon.

According to a preferred feature of the invention said copy support is pivotable about an axis parallel with the axis of the support.

According to a further feature of the invention said copy support is pivotally movable between a rearwardly inclined position and a forwardly extending substantially horizontal position.

4 According to a further preferred feature at least one of said platforms comprises a work surface which is slidably supported to be movable forwardly and rearwardly between a forwardly extending position and a rearwardly extending position.

4 According to a further preferred feature of the invention said copy support is slidable transversely on the support.

The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of one specific embodiment.

The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:- SFigure 1A is a side elevation of one embodiment of the embodiment; Figure 1B is an isometric view of a modified form of 10 the work station of figure 1A; Figure 2A is a side elevation of a second embodiment; Figure 2B is an isometric view of a modified form of the work station of figure 2A; Figure 3A is a side elevation of a third embodiment; S and Figure 3B is an isometric view of the third embodiment.

modular form and comprises a base 11 formed by a pair of I directions and which are interconnected by a pair of parallel struts 13. The base is supported from the ground by suitable wheels or castors 14. The front end of the arms 12 each have an upwardly and rearwardly inclined tubular socket 15 mounted thereto. The sockets 15 are substantially parallel and receive a pair of co-linear upstanding supports 16 of the same length. A variety of pairs of supports of differing length may be provided to accommodate for differing work station heights. A suitable adjustable clamping means (not shown) of any suitable means is provided on the sockets to ensure retention of the supports 16 therein. The supports 16 support between 5 themselves a number of platforms which are supported on the supports 16 by a pair of support brackets 17 each received on the respective support 16. The support brackets 17 comprise a tubular member 18 which is slidably receivable over the support and which have affixed thereto an outwardly extending arm 19 which extends substantially horizontally form the tubular member 18 when located on the support 16. An adjustable clamping means (not shown) of any suitable form is provided in the tubular members 18 to facilitate retention on the supports 16. Because of the geometry of the support brackets they may be fixed over 0es* •00 the supports 16 to extend horizontally forwardly from the e99 supports or horizontally rearwardly from the supports. To e transpose the support brackets from being forwardly to bring reasonably directed or vice versa it is merely necessary to rotate the support bracket 1800 abotit a vertical axis and 180° about the longitudinal axis of the arms 19. By utilisation of support brackets 17 of similar configuration a variety of platforms can be supported in a variety of ways on the supports 16. As shown at figure 1 an upper platform 20 may be supported at the upper end of .the supports 16 by mounting a panel to the support bracket to overlie one end of the tubular members 18 and the transversely extending arm 19 to prevent slidable movement of the tubular member 18 down the support 16 once the upper end of the support 16 is received within the tubular member 18 and it bears against the underneath of the panel. The intermediate platform 21 and if desired the upper platform is mounted to the transversely extending arms 19 and to one side of the tubular support 18 to facilitate free slidable movement of the Vubular member 18 over the supports and such that the intermediate shelf extends between the supports 16 and in a cantilever fashion forwardly and/or rearwardly of the supports 16. If desired the intermediate shelf 21 may be slidable -6horizontally on the transversely extending arm 19 to be movable forwardly or rearwardly with respect to the support bracket 17. As shown at figure lB the intermediate platform 21 may extend to both forwardly and rearwardly of the supports 16 or as shown in figure 1A the intermediate platform may extend to one side only.

If desired the arm 19 of the support brackets may be open at each end and of a polygonal or oval or eccentric crosssection to facilitate the engagement with spigots of 00 a 0 ~iocorresponding cross-section provided on further elements which may be mounted into the ends of the arms to extend forwardly or rearwardly laterally from the arm.

The form of the embodiment shown at figure IA is capable of supporting a key board on the intermediate platform 21 and a printer together with a VDU and/or disc drive on the upper platform 20. In the case of the modified form shown Go** at figure lB the extended intermediate platform 21 06 facilitates the location of a VDU or disc drive behind the key board on the intermediate platform 21. If the intermediate, platform 21 is mounted to the support *9 brackets by a slidable mounting the intermediate platform S 04. together with its contents may be located such that it extends outwardly froym the work station when it is required and may be moved rearwardly to within the confines of the space above the base of the work station for storage.

The supports 16 may individually or jointly support a copy support 31. The copy support 31 may take the form as shown at figures IA and lB where it is mounted to one support above the intermediate Platform 21 by a tubular member 32 which is sJidable on the support and is provided with. an adjustable clamping means (not shown) of any suitable form i-C 1 -a 7 for engagement with the support. The copy support is pivotable about an upright axis which may be parallel with the main axis of the support to be movable between a position directly lying directly above the intermediate platform as shown at figure 1A or to one side but above the plane of the intermediate platform as shown at figure

IB.

The embodiment shown at figure 2A illustrates a work station whereby the supports 16 of the form shown at figures 1A and IB are replaced by shorter supports and whereby the top platform 20 is enlarged in the fore and aft axis and may be used to accommodate the key board, and the VDU and/or the disc drive. In addition the top platform 20 is mounted to the brackets to one side of the tubular member 18 in order that the upper platform 20 is S slidable along the supports 16. The intermediate platform t 21 is located to the rear of the supports 16 and may be used to accommodate a printer in a location which is readily accessible from the rear of the work station but 20 which does not interfere with the operator under norm-i circumstances. As shown at figure 2A the upper surface of the side members 12 of the base may support between themselves a lower platform 24 for accommodation of stationery or other materials.

In ,addition the free ends of the arms 19 of the brackets 17 are open and the rearmost ends each receive one arm of Sa U-shaped support 25 such that the other arm lies underneath the intermediate platform and parallel thereto.

The lower arm of each U-shaped support 25 suppcrt between themselves a further platform 26 which can support the source of, or dump for, contiruous stationery associated with a printer on the intermediate platform.

8- The form of the second embodiment shown at figure 2B utilises a pair of intermediate platforms 21a and 21b each 3upported from a separate pair of support brackets 17. The uppermost intermediate platform 21a extends forwardly from the supports 16 and can be used to support a keyboard. The lo'wermost intermediate platform 21b extends rearwardly from the supports 16 and can be used to support a printer.

The uppermost platform 20 can be used to support a VDU or disc drive. The ends of the arms 19 of the support bracket 17 supporting the uppermost intermediate platform are open and the forwardmost ends receive the end of a U-shaped, Z-shaped or L-shaped support 27 which is positioned to extend laterally from the platform 28 beside the uppermost intermediate support platform 21a.

'10 t 0t t t 44 t 1 The third embodiment shown at figures 3A and 3B again utilises the supports 16 which are of a different length from the supports used in the embodiments of figures 1 and 2 and has a modified intermediate platform 21, which has a second support platform 29 pivotally supported at one side of the intermediate platform 21 to be movable between a position shown at figure -3A at which it overlies the intermediate platform 21 and a position as shown at figure 3B at which it is to one side of the intermediate platform 21. The pivotal support for the second platform is provided by a support sub frame (not shown) fixed to the undernhoath of the second platform and formed with a downwardly extending tubular socket 30 which is receivable A.n an upwardly directed spigot (not shown) supported form one end of the support arm 19 of the adjacent support bracket 17 by means of a fitting (not shown) having a portion receivable in one end of the support arm 19. The funqtion of the second platform 29 is to provide a desk st.'Port which can overlie the key b~oard on the intermediate platforla 21 such that the operator can use -9the second platform as a writing support or the like when not using the key board. As a result the desk need not be restricted to utilisation with a key board only. As shown at figures 3A and 3B the embodiment may be useOd in association with other furniture whereby the base 11 may be located below an item of furniture 31 such as a desk or small table which can provide a support for ancillary equipment, stationery, files, etc.

t In each of the embodiments described above the copy rest shown at figures 1A and 1B may be replaced by an alternative form of copy rest which is slidably supported on one of the supports 16 by means of a tubular member and is pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis to be movable between a rearwardly inclined position which is substantially parallel with the plane between the supports 16 and a forwardly extending substantially horizontal position. In addition the copy support is slidable on the support along a transverse axis to be displaceable between a position at which it overlies the intermediate platform 21 and a position to one side thereof.

"t Each of the embodiments provide a work station which is capable of a number of differing orientations depending upon the requirement of the user and the nature of the installation witi which the work station is to be used and which is capable of taking on a desirable ergonomic configuration which is suitable to both the operator and the equipment with which it is used.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention need not be limited to the particular scope of the embodiment described above. The configuration shown in the drawings are described as embodiments of the invention are only examples of the configurations available.

Claims

1. A work station comprising a base comprised of a pair of generally parallel side members joined at a point spaced rearwardly of their forward ends to define a work area therebetween, a pair of transversely spaced upward extending supports extending from the forward ends of said side members obliquely in a rearward direction from said base, an upper platform supported by at least one of the said supports abovo said base and an intermediate platform supported by at least one of said supports above said base and below said upper platform, at least one of said platforms being vertically adjustable along its respective support.

2, A work station as claimed at claim 1 wherein the platforms are supported by pairs of support brackets slidably mounted on the supports, clamping means for S clampingly retaining the support brackets in position on ittt the supports.

3. A work station as claimed at claim 2 wherein the support brackets each comprise a mounting member adapted to be slidably engageable with the respective support and a support arm extending horizontally from the mounting member.

S4. A work station as claimed at claim 3 wherein the mounting member is tubular and is slidably receivable over t i the respective support.

5. A work station as claimed at claim 3 wherein at least one end of the support arm is tubular and. is open for Sattachment of a further component in each open end. ~I 11

6. A work station as claimed at claim 5 wherein the at least one support arm supports the further component through a spigot receivable in said one end.

7. A work station as claimed at claim 6 wherein the further component comprises a further platform supported from the at least one support bracket.

8. A work station as claimed at claim 1 wherein at least one of said supports accommodates a copy support for supporting material to be copied located between the intermediate platform and the upper platform said copy support being displac~able along the support and being pivotable thereon. a 0

9. A work station as claimed at claim 8 wherein the copy 0 support is pivotable about an axis parallel with the axis 0 of the support. a a.

A work station as claimed at cl.aim 8 or 9 wherein the copy support is pivotably movable between a rearwardly inclined position and a forwardy extending substantially I horizontal position.

11. A work station as claimed at any one of claims 8, 9 and 10 wherein said copy support is slidable transversely on the support.

12. A work station as claimed at any one of the #499 0 preceeding claims wherein at least one of said platforms comprises a work surface which is slidably supported to be movable forwardly and rearwardly between a forwardly extending position and a rearwardly extending position,

13, A work station substantially as herein described with reference to the accompaying drawings, 12 DATED this TWENTY SECOND aay of MARCH 1990 TRENT'ON PTY LTD Applicant. Wray Associates Perth, Western Australia Patent Attor~neys for the Applicant e 4*