GB2178950A

GB2178950A - An adjustable support for a monitor

Info

Publication number: GB2178950A
Application number: GB08516274A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Bosson
Original assignee: BRITISH OLIVETTI Ltd
Current assignee: BRITISH OLIVETTI Ltd
Priority date: 1985-06-27
Filing date: 1985-06-27
Publication date: 1987-02-25
Also published as: GB8516274D0; GB2178950B

Abstract

An adjustable support for a monitor (VDU) has an arm for the VDU pivotally displaceable relative to the axis of a column on which it is mounted and an adjustment mechanism for use in raising or lowering the level at which the arm is situated. The column has a telescopic structure including a pneumatic spring. The column is switchable by an actuator of the pneumatic spring from a static mode in which the top of the column is locked at a fixed level to an adjustment mode in which the level of the top of the column is adjustable. The actuator is responsive to the adjustment mechanism which comprises an adjustment member displaceable relative to an adjustment casing mounted on the arm and over the column. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An ajustable support for a monitor Background to the invention This invention relates to an adjustable support for a monitor or visual display unit (VDU) such as may be used with a microcomputer.

For the office use of a microcomputer, a desk or workstation will be provided and considerable importance is rightly given to the positioning of the VDU.

The operator who will be viewing the VDU for long periods, requires the facility to adjust the situation and disposition of the screen.

It is known to provide a support comprising an arm arranged at a level above the work surface of the desk or workstation, and to arrange for the arm to be pivotally displaceable at a given level whereby the VDU may be displaced through an arcuate movement at a fixed level above the work surface. In addition there is known a mounting mechanism for mounting a VDU on a support which mounting mechanism permits swivel and tilt adjustment of the disposition of the VDU screen relative to the support.

However there is a further parameter for which is it particularly desirable to provide the operator with the facility to adjust the same, namely, the height of the arm, and thereby the VDU, relative to the work surface of the desk or workstation.

The present invention seeks to provide an adjustable support for a monitor which encompasses the full range of adjustments of the VDU and it screen, which is simple to operate, and which is designed to facilitate simple manufacture, installation and maintenance.

Summary of the invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an adjustable support for a monitor (VDU) comprising an arm for bearing the monitor, said arm being pivotally displaceable, and an adjustment mechanism for use in raising or lowering the level at which the arm is situated, said arm being mounted on a column, the top of the column being situated at a level which is adjustable upon actuation of said adjustment mechanism, wherein said column is switchable by means of an actuator from a static mode in which the top of the column is locked at a fixed level to an adjustment mode in which the level of the top of the column is adjustable, said actuator being responsive to said adjustment mechanism.In this embodiment, the column in its adjustment mode is displaceable by manual movement of the arm whilst at the same time it supports the arm and monitor, i.e, the column is not displaced by the adjustment mechanism. In this preferred embodiment, said column is formed by a telescopic structure comprising a first section on which said arm is mounted and a second section which, in use, is fixedly mounted on the desk or work station.

This telescopic structure incorporates a pneumatic spring of adjustable length which incorporates said actuator, the length of said pneumatic spring being adjustable on actuation of the adjustment mechanism and lockable on release of said actuator by the adjustment mechanism.

It is a preferred feature that the pneumatic spring comprises a rod member and a tubular member each co-operatively housed in respective ones of said first and second sections of said telescopic structure, and said actuator is carried by and displaceable with respect to said rod member. The pneumatic spring will be rated for the load placed thereon by the arm and the monitor so that the operator is only required to exert minimal pressure to change the arm level.

It is a preferred feature that the tubular member is a housing for a pneumatic medium and the actuator is operable to actuate a release mechanism to permit displacement of the rod member, thereby placing the column in said adjustment mode.

In the preferred embodiment, said adjustment mechanism comprises an adjustment member manually operable to depress and thereby actuate said actuator.

This adjustment mechanism may comprise an adjustment casing mounted on said arm and over the top of said column, the adjustment member being housed within and displaceable with respect to said adjustment casing.

It is a preferred feature that said adjustment member is urged away from said actuator by biasing means, whereby on release of the adjustment member the level of the arm is automatically locked.

In the preferred embodiment the arm has a cupshaped and downwardly extending projection adapted to be received in the top of the column, the actuator of the pneumatic spring extending through an aperture in said projection. The adjustment member may have an upper recess to seat one end of the biasing means and the projection on said arm may provide a lower recess to seat the other end of the biasing means.

It is a preferred feature that the adjustment casing has a peripheral ledge and oppositely placed pillars, and the adjustment member has two pairs of radial extensions, the radial extensions abut said peripheral ledge in the uppermost position of the adjustment member relative to the adjustment casing and are in sliding and guiding engagement with the pillars during movement of the adjustment member. This gives positive guidance to the adjustment member and prevents jamming thereof.

At its end remote from the column the arm may carry a mounting mechanism for bearing the monitor, said mounting mechanism permitting the operator to adjust the tilt and inclination of the monitor screen.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows, in side elevation and partly in section, an adjustable support for a monitor installed in a desk or workstation; Figure 2 shows, schematically, a plan view of the adjustable support of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows an enlarged sectional view of that part of Figure 1 which illustrates the adjustment mechanism; and Figure 4 show an exploded perspective view of the components illustrated in Figure 3.

In Figure 1 there is shown an adjustable support 10 for a monitor (VDU) (not shown). It has an arm 12 for bearing the monitor. This arm 12 is pivotally displace able normal to the plane of Figure 1. An adjustment mechanism 14 enables the raising or lowering of the level at which the arm 12 is situated above the work surface 16 of the desk or workstation 18. The arm 12 is mounted on a column 20. The top of the column 20 is situated at a level which is adjustable upon actuation of the adjustment mechanism 14, as will be further described.

The column 20 is switchable by means of an actuator 22 (Figures 3 and 4) from a static mode in which the top of the column is locked at a fixed level to an adjustment mode in which the level of the top of the column 20 is adjustable. The actuator 22 is responsive to the adjustment mechanism 14. The column 20 is formed by a telescopic structure (24, 26) having a first tubular section 24 on which the arm 12 is mounted and a second tubular section 26 which is fixedly mounted on the desk or work station 18. The telescopic structure (24, 26) incorporates a pneumatic spring (28,30) of adjustable length-which incorporates the actuator 22. The length of said pneumatic spring (28, 30) is adjustable on actuation of the adjustment mechanism 14 and lockable on release of the actuator 22 by the adjustment mechanism 14.The pneumatic spring (28, 30) has a rod member 30 and a tubular member 30 each co-operatively housed in respective ones of said first and second tubular sections (24, 26) of the telescopic structure (24, 26).

The actuator 22 is carried by and displaceable with respect to the rod member 30. The tubular member 28 is a housing for a pneumatic medium. The actuator 22 is operable to actuate a release mechanism (not shown) to permit displacement of the rod member 30.

As will be further described with reference to Figures 3 and.4, the adjustment mechanism 14 includes an adjustment member 32 manually operable to depress and thereby actuate said actuator 22. The adjustment mechanism 14 has an adjustment casing 34 mounted on the arm 12 and over the top of the column 20. The adjustment member 32 is housed within and displaceable with respect to the adjustment casing 34. The adjustment member 32 is urged away from the actuator 22 by biasing means 36 (Figures 3 and 4).

At its end remote from the column 20 the arm 12 carries a mounting mechanism 38 for bearing the monitor. This mounting mechanism 38 permits the operator to adjust the tilt and inclination of the monitor screen. The mounting mechanism is shown schematically in Figure 2.

In Figures 3 and 4 the adjustment mechanism 14 is shown in greater detail. The arm 12 has a cup-shaped and downwardly extending projection 40 arranged on its top wall 42 towards the end of the arm 44 which is supported by column 20. This cup-shaped projection 40 is configured to be a firm fit in the upper end of the tubular section 24 of column 20. A rigid connection 46 is made between the projection 40 and the rod member 30 which permits the arm 12 (and first tubular section 24) to rotate about the rod member 30; the portion 40 being recessed to receive the rod member 30 therethrough. This connection 46 is effected by means of lower locking nut 48, thrustwasher 52 (which extends through the aperture) locking washer 54 and upper locking nut 50: nuts 48, 50 are threadedly engageable with a respective portion 56 of rod member 30 (Figure 4).As seen in Figure 3 the adjustment member 32 is biased to its uppermost position relative to the adjustment casing 34 by the biasing means 36 which is in the form of a helical spring accommodated between a lower recess 58 formed by the cup-shaped projection 40 and an upper recess 60: the recesses 58, 60 being aligned with the axis of column 20. It will be seen from Figure 3 that the adjustment member 32 carries a downwardly extending projection 62 located for alignment with the actuator 22. In the fully raised position of Figure 3 of the adjustment member 32, the projection 62 is so located that the actuator 22 is fully upwardly extended.

On manual depression of the adjustment member 32, projection 62 acts on the actuator 22 thereby to actuate the release mechanism (not shown) of pneumatic spring (28, 30) and place that spring (28, 30) and thereby the column 20 in an adjustment mode whereby the arm 12 may be manually raised or lowered. On release of the adjustment member 32, the biasing means 36 return this member 32 to its uppermost position relative to the casing 34. This frees the actuator 22 which also returns upwardly with the result that the pneumatic spring (28, 30) automatically locks and once again the column 20 is placed in its static mode with the top of column 20 and thereby arm 12 locked at a fixed level.

Further details of the configuration of the adjustment member 32 and adjustment casing 34 are illustrated in Figure 4. The casing 34 is cylindrical and open at the top, but with an upper peripheral ledge 64 and a pair of oppositely disposed pillars 66 for guiding the adjustment member 32. The casing 34 is cut away at 68 for receiving that portion of arm 12 which extnds away from column 20 towards mounting mechanism 38, whereas the casing 34 diametrically opposite cut away 68 extends round the free end of arm 12 and enhances the appearance of the monitor support. The adjustment member 32 has pairs of extensions 70 which in the uppermost position thereof relative to casing 34 contact the ledge 64 and which are spaced and arranged for guiding contact with the pillars 66 as the member 32 moves relative to casing 34.In addition, the pillars 66 each include a bore (not shown) to receive a threaded fastener 72 for securing casing 34 to a flange 74 with respective apertures 76.

Additional details of the structure of the adjustable support will now be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The arm 12 and the first tubular section 24 of the column 20 form a unitary structure.

The arm itself comprises an upper U-shaped section 96 and a lower U-shaped section 98 which are joined along weld line 100 to form a box-shaped section.

This arm 12 is secured to the first tubular section 24 by being welded thereto at weld line 102 which is between the outer peripheral surface of the cupshaped section 40 and the interior wall of the first tubular section 24. A further weld line 104 joins the arm 12 to the first tubular section 24. Turning to Figure 4, further details of the join 104 between the arm 12 and the first tubular member 24 are apparent.

The first tubular member 24 has a flange 74 at the uppermost end thereof. The flange 74 has upstanding walls 108 which are spaced to receive the arm 12.

Thus the weld line 104 is formed between the arm 12 and the upstanding walls 108. The flange 74 is received in a recess 110 which is formed at the lower periphery of the inner wall of the adjustment casing 34 as best seen in Figure 3. The unitary structure provided by the arm and the first tubular section 24 is rotatable about the pneumatic spring (28, 30). The locking washer 54 is secured in relation to the tubular member 30 and is non-rotatable. A mechanism is provided whereby the degree of rotation of the arm 12 can be restricted. This is accomplished by providing a stop 94, which is pressed out of the cup-shaped projection 40, which acts as a limit on the rotation of the arm 12. For this purpose the locking washer 54 has a tab 106 which after given rotation of the arm 12 abuts the stop 94.By these means the arm 12 may be rotated from a reference position through an angle of plus or minus 170 degrees approximately.

Turning again to Figure 1, it will be seen that the tubular member 28 of the pneumatic spring (28, 30) extends within the first and second tubular members 24, 26 of column 20. A spacer member 78 locates the tubular member 28 radially relative to the second tubular section 26. The tubular member 28 carries a stud 80 having a passage 82 therethrough. The second tubular member 26 has a plug 86 at its lower end which receives the stud 80. Fastener means 84 (comprising a threaded bolt, nut and washer) pass through the plug 86 and passage 82 of stud 80 thereby anchoring tubular member 28 of the pneumatic spring (28, 30) to the secoend tubular member 26 of column 20. Brackets 88, 90 secure the second tubular member 26 to a side wall of the desk or workstation 18.The fastener 84 also passes through the bracket 90 thereby anchoring tubular member 26 of column 20 relative to the desk or workstation 18. A sleeve member 92 is located in an aperture in the work surface 16 through which the column 20 passes.

In a modification the separate tubular member 26 of the column 20 together with spacer member 78 are omitted. The first tubular section 24 of column 20 is made a sliding fit with respect to the tubular member 28 of the pneumatic spring (28, 30). Thus, the modified telescopic structure is then formed by members 24 and 28.

Operation Manual depression of the adjustment member 32 displaces the actuator 22 of the pneumatic spring and releases the pneumatic spring from a static condition corresponding to the static mode of the column 20 in which static mode the arm 12 is fixed at its present level. The column 20 is now in its adjustment mode which permits the tubular member 24 (with the rod member 30 of the pneumatic spring) to be raised or lowered thereby raising or lowering the level at which the arm 12 is situated. A monitor or VDU located on the mounting mechanism 38 can thus be brought to a level most suitable for viewing of its screen by the operator. In its adjustment mode the column 20 supports the arm 12 and monitor (when present). The operator is merely required to move manually the arm 12 up or down, and this requires minimum force the the operator is not bearing the weight of the arm and monitor.The pneumatic spring will be rated for the anticipated load. Pneumatic springs are commerically available from the firm STABLUS under the trade mark "Bloc-o-lift" and are described as Rigid Locking Gas Springs.

After adjustment of the level of the arm 12, the adjustment member 32 is released and, as expained above, returns to its uppermost position relative to housing 34 thereby releasing the actuator 22 and causing the column 20 to return to its static mode in which the position of arm 12 is locked.

The radial position of arm 1 2 relative to the axis of column 20 is readily adjustable. Likewise, the use of a mounting mechanism 38 permits the tilt and radial disposition of the screen of the monitor to be adjusted relative to the arm 12.

From the above it will be appreciated that the described embodiment will be simple to install and maintain. The installation merely requires the work surface to be provided with an aperture for the column 20 and for the brackets 88, 90 to be secured, e.g. by screws, to the side panel of desk 18 with the column in situ.

Claims

1. An adjustable support for a monitor (VDU) comprising an arm for bearing the monitor, said arm being pivotally displaceable, and an adjustment mechanism for use in raising or lowering the level at which the arm is situated, said arm being mounted on a column, the top of the column being situated at a level which is adjustable upon actuation of said adjustment mechanism, wherein said column is switchable by means of an actuator from a static mode in which the top of the column is locked at a fixed level to an adjustment mode in which the level of the top of the column is adjustable, said actuator being responsive to said adjustment mechanism.

2. An adjustable support as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said column is formed by a telescopic structure comprising a first section on which said arm is mounted and a second section which, in use, is fixedly mounted on the desk or work station.

3. An adjustable support as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the telescopic structure incorporates a pneumatic spring of adjustable length which incorporates said actuator, the length of said pneumatic spring being adjustable on actuation of the adjustment mechanism and lockable on release of said actuator by the adjustment mechanism.

4. An adjustable support as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the pneumatic spring comprises a rod member and a tubular member each co-operatively housed in respective ones of said first and second sections of said telescopic structure, and said actuator is carried by and displaceable with respect to said rod member.

5. An adjustable support as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the tubular member is a housing for a pneumatic medium and the actuator is operable to actuate a release mechanism to permit displacement of the rod member.

6. An adjustable support as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein said adjustment mechanism comprises an adjustment member manually operable to depress and thereby actuate said actuator.

7. An adjustable support as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said adjustment mechanism comprises an adjustment casing mounted on said arm and over the top of said column, the adjustment member being housed within and displaceable with respect to said adjustment casing.

8. An adjustable support as claimed in either Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein said adjustment member is urged away from said actuator by biasing means.

9. An adjustable support as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the arm has a cup-shaped and downwardly extending projection adapted to be received in the top of the column, the actuator extending through an aperture in said projection.

10. An adjustable support as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the adjustment member has an upper recess to seat one end of the biasing means and the projection on said arm provides a lower recess to seat the other end of said biasing means.

11. An adjustable support as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the adjustment casing has a peripheral ledge and oppositely placed pillars, and the adjustment member has two pairs of radial extensions, the radial extensions abut said peripheral ledge in the uppermost position of the adjustment member relative to the adjustment casing and are in sliding and guiding engagement with the pillars during movement of the adjustment member.

12. An adjustable support as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 11, wherein at its end remote from the column the arm may carry a mounting mechanism for bearing the monitor, said mounting mechanism permisting the operator to adjust the tilt and inclination of the monitor screen.

13. An adjustable support for a monitor (VDU) arranged, constructed and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.