CA2299557A1

CA2299557A1 - Personal computer support

Info

Publication number: CA2299557A1
Application number: CA002299557A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Jair Velez
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-02-25
Filing date: 2000-02-25
Publication date: 2001-08-25

Abstract

The present invention provides a support mechanism consisting of an arm which may be mounted by a suction cup to a window or windshield at one end and at the other end mounted by a suction cup to the undersurface of a small personal computer so as to provide works station convenience in an automobile, train or boat, etc.

Description

This invention relates to improvement in the use of portable personal computers of the type commonly known as "lap top" computers. In particular, this invention provides a means whereby a personal computer can be mounted and used where there is no desk such as in an automobile or similar environment.
The widespread use of computers has recently resulted in the common practice of conducting work which was previously only manageable in an office ~vironment and alternative work sites such as a home office, from an automobile, or a boat, etc.
Furthermore, the rec~t development of very small light weight personal computers of the type known as "lap tops" has resulted in the tendency of people to use computes to access information and input data wherever they happen to be at the time, and this includes travelling in a car, boat, or train. The problem this presents is that there is not always a suitable surface or base on which the computer can be mounted and used conveniently. This is especially true, for example, in the case of an automobile where a lap top computer on the passenger seat is both manually inaccessible and visually dii~cult to read. The difficulty of using a lap top on one's lap is that the steering wheel gets in the way of the computer and the computer gets in the way of the steering wheel making the arrangement both inconvenient and unsafe.
While permanent mounting devices have been developed for mobile telephones in automobiles, they are not generally suitable for use with a personal computer and permanent mounting defeats the purpose of a lap top computer which is designed to be moved about wherever the owner needs to be.
It is therefore the purpose of this invention to provide a support for a personal compute where a desk top is not available and a lap surface is not convenient.
It is also the purpose of this invention to provide a support for a computer which may be mounted in an automobile, boat, train, or other such environment.

It is also the purpose of this invention to provide a support for a personal computer which can be mounted and dismounted in various locations wherever the user needs to carry it or use a computer.
These objectives and other advantages are provided by the present inv~tion which comprises a suction cup mountable to and demountable from a glass window such as the windshield of a car or the window of a boat or train, an arm extending from the suction cup and having at the opposite end a second suction cup which is designed to adhere to the bottom or other surface of a personal computer.
Preferably, the aforesaid arm has an upper limb connected at one end to the first suction cup and a lower limb connected at the other end so that the lower limb extends from the other end of the upper limb to the second suction cup.
Preferably, the means by which the upper and lower limbs are connected to each other and to the suction cups provide for rotational and angular adjustment so that the relative position of the suction cups can be adjusted in order to allow that the first suction cup to be affixed to a suitable surface such as a glass window and the second suction cup can be positioned where a lap top supported thereon is conveniently accessible to the user.
T h a invention can be better understood by a description of one embodiment thereof with reference to the following drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the subject invention;
Figure 2 is an illustration of the embodiments illustrated in Figure 1 mounted adjacent to the front seats of an automobile.
In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, a suction cup 2 made out of natural or synthetic rubber or other similar material is provided and designed to attach securely to smooth impervious surfaces such as a glass window or an automobile windshield. Ideally, this suction cup should be of a sufficiently large dimension that it provides a strong and relatively stable base on which to support the rest of the mechanism. Section cups of this nature are well known and frequently used by people who manipulate glass window panes, etc. They commonly have a lever such as 11 to apply or release differential pressure (otherwise known as "suction").
At the apex of the suction cup 4 an arm 6 is mounted by means of joint 8 which is preferably adjustable in an angular, as well as a rotational manner, and which is capable of being loosed or tightened by means of a threaded bolt, and wing nut or some such other fastening device 10.
In the illustrated embodim~t the arm 6 comprises an upper limb 12 and a lower limb 14 connected by a second locking, rotatable, angularly adjustable joint 16 which can be loosened or tightened by a similar fastener 10 mentioned above.
The two limbs of the arm allow for a substantial variety in the way that the arm is adjusted or positioned.

In addition, the lower limb 14 is composed of two sections 18 and 20, the latter being telescopically inserted in the former so that the lower limb 14 is adjustable as to length.
At the second end of the limb 14 is a third joint 22 which connects the apex 24 of a second suction cup 26 to the end of the lower limb 14 by means of another rotatable, angularly adjustable lockable and releasable connection.
The second suction cup 26 is designed similar to the first and made of a soft flexible material such as rubber designed to adhere by pressure differential to the under surface of a personal computer such as a lap top. However, since the suction cup 26 is designed to hold something light sitting horizontally on top it, it may be possible to use a smaller, more light weight suction cup at this end of the device.
The purpose and usefulness of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 2 where the suction cup 2 is mounted to the inside surface of an automobile windshield 30 so that the arm 6 extends downwardly and rearwardly to position the second suction cup 26 at a location somewhere between the two front seats of the automobile.
As illustrated in Figure 2, a lap top as illustrated at 32, can be fastened to the second suction cup and by virtue of the connectors at 8, 16 and 22 the lap top may be positioned and oriented so that it is usable by the occupant of either the driver's seat or the passenger's seat.
Although other means of mounting a lap top in an automobile might be employed, the prest inv~tion has the advantage that the support may be dismounted from the windshield and taken away wherever the owner wishes to use the lap top in another automobile or other vesicle. Furthermore, by loosing the joint 16 the upper and lower limbs of the arm can be folded into parallel relationship to make the device relatively compact and easy to carry about or store.
Additional adjustability may be created by providing that the upper limb 12 of the arm has a telescopically adjustable length similar to the lower limb 14.

It is also possible to provide an arm in which the angular position of the joint at 16 (or other joints if desired) can be constantly adjustable and held in position by spring loaded cantilever mechanisms such as those occasionally used for desk lamps, etc.
Thus, by means of the present invention, the portability of a personal computer or lap top can be made more convenient and useful and use of a computer in an automobile can be made safer.
It will, of course, be appreciated that various modifications and variations of the illustrated embodiment may be employed without departing from the inventive concept herein.
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Claims

1. A personal computer support comprising:
- an arm having a first end and a second end;
- first suction cup means mounted on one end of said arm and adapted to be releasably fastened to a smooth impervious surface;
- second suction cup means mounted on the second end of said arm and adapted to releasably fasten to a personal computer.

2. A support as claimed in claim 1 in which said arm comprises an upper limb and a lower limb connected to said upper limb by means which allow said limbs to be adjusted angularly relative to each other.

3. A support as claimed in claims 1 or 2, in which the ends of said arms are connected to said suction cups respectively, by means which allow at least one of rotational adjustment and angular adjustment between said arm and said respective suction cup.

4. A support as claimed in claims 1, 2, or 3 in which at least one limb of said arm is adjustable lengthwise.