GB2265396A

GB2265396A - Mobile workstation

Info

Publication number: GB2265396A
Application number: GB9206614A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Victor Brian Pye
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-03-26
Filing date: 1992-03-26
Publication date: 1993-09-29
Also published as: GB9206614D0

Abstract

A mobile workstation has a room height shell which is mobile either under its own power or by an applied force and can be guided into any designated area of its surrounding environment or, in combination with other workstations can be guided into any configuration normally required for office or other floor space usage. Each workstation may be internally fitted out for a specific function. Each workstation may have a means of locomotion. Total user access to built in facilities may be achieved by means of the travelling orthopaedic seat as in 6. Guidance may be achieved through a probe 18 which may be linked to a computer based guidance system. Services may be reached via the retractable workstation roof. <IMAGE>

Description

MOBILE WORKSTATION This invention relates to a mobile workstation.

Workstations are a recognised description of an assembly of desks, chairs, partitions, filing cabinets and computer sites which, either singly or in multiples comprise the working space for an employee or other member of a business.

These traditional workstations, once assembled and connected to communication and information lines, serviced by lighting and power and having a means of environmental control, are static and require considerable effort, time and expense to change either their configuration or location.

In addition they are essentially designed to utilise only the plan area of owned or rented space.

If additional services (copying, fax etc) are required or additional assistance, supplies, information, or refreshments wanted this requires the occupier of the workstation to leave it and travel to other areas of the floor or building in order to obtain them.

The workstation system described above is considered to be --uneconomic in its use of space, causes low individual productivity, is inflexible, costly to service and maintain, lacks individually controlled comfort levels, is insecure (in that it is open to its immediate surrounding area), lacks privacy, has considerable service cabling and adjacency problems (noise, tobacco, smoke etc) and is designed for the business needs of the 18th and 19th centuries.

According to the present invention there is provided a workstation extending from the floor to the ceiling of the room or space available, and of sufficient dimension to comfortably house one person together with all the necessary equipments and facilities to enable the person to carry out their designated tasks and duties.

The workstation may be mounted upon wheels or rollers having locomotive capability, being either self powered or needing applied force to effect lateral movement. Such wheels or rollers may be capable of being locked into position when lateral movement is not required.

The workstation has services installed within its shell, such services may comprise power, lighting, communications, air conditioning, security, data transmission, environmental controls and movement controls.

All these services may be supplied to the workstation via retractable connections to the service networks located at the ceiling level of the room or area.

The floor upon which the workstation rests may not need to serve any other function than that of support and to provide a level, smooth and decorative platform over which the workstation travels.

The interior of the workstation may be fitted out with equipments and facilities compatible with the use, profession, tasks, skills, status or whatever function is required of the occupant or user eg. as a drawing office, secretarial office, data centre, communications centre, administrative centre, buying office etc. Such fit outs may utilise the full height of the workstation and may offer two levels of operation. Each level of the workstation may be equipped for a different function, such as word processing at the lower level and editing at the upper level.

Both levels are accessible to the occupant through the ability of a fitted orthopaedic fitted chair to travel both in the vertical and horizontal planes by means of occupant activated controls.

Each workstation may have an opening in the vertical side for egress or entry, this opening having a lockable door, screen, or cover.

Further perforations may be optional in the vertical sides of the workstation to function as windows, access panels or hatches.

Workstations may also be constructed partially or wholly open having only structural framing to support the workstation ceiling when they are required to be used as a platform for equipment, as mobile shelving, for decoration, or as food and beverage vending modules.

The common functions which may be incorporated into all workstations is their ability for locomotion and to receive all their services from a ceiling services network, including their guidance data, via their own retractable multi plug roof.

Workstations which are self powered in respect of locomotion may have an additional feature which allows them to be guided either individually or centrally into various configurations eg. to form a line of workstations to function as a room space divider or partition, or to form an open or closed group of workstations to become an open or closed conference facility.

Workstations which are used in a support role as libraries, copying stations. secretarial stations etc may be called by the occupants of other workstations via the computer controlled guidance system, to come to them under their own power.

The central or individual mobility control of workstations may be achieved by means of a computer programmed control system to which each workstation is linked via a probe into a ceiling mounted guidance channel, or such other guidance and control mechanisms which may be used with or without physical connection between the workstation and the general area ceiling.

The shells, locomotion systems, retractable heads, furnishings and fittings used in all workstations shall be manufactured using such materials or assemblies that will give adequate protection to the occupant or occupants in the event of fire or other hazards as embodied in the current safety legislation of country in which they are used. The individually controllable environments within each workstation will be within the comfort ranges currently embodied in the legislation of that country.

The constructional materials used in manufacturing the workstations may be metals, woods, plastics, mineral based materials or any combination of these providing that they comply with the above mentioned legislatory requirements of the county of use in respect of fire and toxicity.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG 1 shows the Workstation in elevation with its door open and the ceiling retracted.

Figure 2 shows in plan a series of possible lay-outs or configuration of workstations.

Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of a typical workstation with the ceiling connections and locomotive units illustrated.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of different types of workstations located across a typical office floor lay out.

Referring to the drawings the Workstation comprises a retractable roof 1.

which allows the workstation to be disconnected from its services supply in a general area ceiling 17.

The ceiling of the workstation itself 2 has a lighting and air conditioning zone.

Under this is the high level workstation 3. The workstation walls 4 carry all the necessary service cables, ducts, pipes and wires which serve both the upper and lower workstations 5 and also the locomotive units in a floor 22. Both high and low level workstations are served by the telescopic travelling orthopaedic office chair 6. Of the many uses to which the workstations or modules can be put some are illustrated in Fig 2 such as: Filing and Archiving 7, Open Conference Mode 8, a partition 9 closed conference mode 10, reprographic equipment 11, library 12.

Individual workstation 13, Beverage and Food Vending 14, planter or decorative feature 15, communications equipment unit 16.

An exploded perspective view Fig 3 shows the general area ceiling 17 with a typical "Bay" with probe guidance channel, the guidance probe 18, the outside surface of the module Roof 19. The multi function plug 20, the air conditioning orifices 21, and the drive units 22.

The perspective shown in Fig 4 shows: The ceiling guidance channel 23, the general area ceiling lay out 17 a reprographic workstation 11, the orthopaedic workstation chair in the raised position 6, the same chair in the lowered position 6, a library workstation 12, and a decorative workstation 15.

Claims

1. According to the present invention there is provided a workstation module shell extending from the floor to the ceiling of the room or space available, and of sufficient dimension to comfortably house one person together with all the necessary equipments and facilities to enable the person to carry out their designated tasks and duties.

2. A mobile self contained workstation as claimed in Claim 1 and including movement means having a capability to retract its roof or ceiling from the general roof or ceiling of its working area and bring into use its locomotive system.

3. A mobile self contained workstation as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the movement means includes a guidance system enabling the unit to be moved either at the direction of the occupant or from another source.

4. A mobile self contained workstation as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the movement means includes powered guided rollers, wheels or other support systems capable of receiving instructions from the occupant or a remote controller.

5. A mobile self contained workstation as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4 and including a system which may be a probe attached to the module entering into a channel in the general area ceiling in order to pick up guidance data, or any similar guidance system.

6. A mobile self contained workstation as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the shell may be fitted out internally with any mix of facilities which may be up to the full height of the workstation and may be accessed by means of a chair, having a powered controllable vertical and horizontal travel capability.

7. A mobile self contained workstation as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 or Claim 4 or Claim 5, where each workstation may be guided in conjunction with similar workstations to form various configurations such as partitions, open conference areas, closed conference areas or individually sited workstations.