GB2287281A

GB2287281A - A low profile work surface securing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2287281A
Application number: GB9502181A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Guy Lowery
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-02-04
Filing date: 1995-02-03
Publication date: 1995-09-13
Also published as: GB9502180D0; GB9402171D0; GB2286225A; GB9502181D0

Description

Introduction

2287281 There are in existence lock down plates, hereinafter referred to as the apparatus, the purpose of which is to secure portable or semi-portable equipment such as computers to a usually but not necessarily horizontal and substantially flat surface hereinafter referred to as the work surface.

Lock down plates are a preferred method of securing such equipment since they are relatively immune to tampering compared with cable and wire restraints.

One of the problems of existing devices is that they increase the height of the equipment above the work surface. It is desirable that this height is kept to a minimum in order to reduce the opportunities for unauthorised persons to disable the apparatus and to afford additional protection against tampering with the interface between the equipment and the equipment mounting face and between the base plate and the work surface in particular when these parts are connected by means of an adhesive interface.

When the apparatus is assembled and locked together the position of the element(s) (1) which are substantially parallel to the equipment mounting surfaces of the fixed plate (2) are in close proximity to the work surface. This feature not only allows the apparatus to have a low profile but also renders the design 7- intrinsically strong so that abnormal forces applied in a direction. substantially normal to the surface of the fixed plates are resisted if attempts by unauthorised persons are made to part the said fixed plate (2) from other fixed plate (6) when assembled and locked together as aforesaid.

k 3 Description

For the sake of clarity only one embodiment of the invention will be described. The fixed plate (2) hereinforeto described is allocated to the equipment mounting plate whilst the other fixed plate (6) is allocated to the base plate of the apparatus. In order to accommodate the apparatus the space between the base of the equipment (10) and the work surface (13) may need increasing beyond that allowed by the existing feet in which case alternative or additional appropriately dimensioned feet (18) may be fitted. Conversely, the existing feet may raise the equipment too far above the work surface in which case a spacer (19) must be introduced either between the base of the equipment and the equipment mounting plate (2) or preferably between the base plate (6) and the work surface (13).

Referring to Figs 1, 11 & Ill there are one or a multiplicity of elements (1) formed In or attached to the base of the equipment or the equipment mounting plate (2) which is independently attached to the equipment by one or more than one of the following methods: The equipment mounting plate (2) may be attached to the equipment by means of for example screws or bolts (21) with or without an additional plate (9) in Fig IV on the inside of the base of the equipment (10). Alternatively or additionally the equipment may be attached to the mounting plate (2) by means of an adhesive. In order to locate the equipment correctly relative to the equipment mounting plate it is desirable that a reference point is established in the equipment mounting plate (2). One method of achieving this is shown in Fig 1 in which a flange(s) (17) is formed from and in the end of the equipment mounting plate (2) in close proximity to the lock housing (12).

A locking bar (4) in Figs 1 & 11 which is supported by a bridge piece (11) formed in or attached to one end of the apparatus and a lock housing (12) at the other end is constrained to move in a lateral direction and is controlled by a locking mechanism (8) in the lock housing (12). The locking function may be entirely mechanical and controlled by a key (7). Alternatively or additionally it may be initiated electronically and controlled by electromechanical means. It may also contain a device, for example a micro switch which monitors the position of the locking bar (4).

Primary protection for the lock mechanism (8) is provided by the lock housing (12) and secondary protection against unauthorised interference with the lock mechanism (8) may be provided by an insert (16) made from steel or a similar material which may be hardened and which is of similar but slightly smaller dimensions to the inside measurements of the lock housing (12) and which may be fixed with respect to the lock housing (12) or may be allowed to float freely therein within the constraints of the lock housing (12) and its contents.

11 -9 It Alternatively the locking bar (4) may be moved from the locked to the unlocked position and vice versa by other mechanical or electromechanical means and then retained by an independent locking mechanism which may be for example a padlock.

There is a base plate (6) which is attached to a work surface (13) for example by screws or bolts (14) which may pass through the worksurface (13) and are secured to a plate (15) on its underside. Alternatively or additionally base plate (6) may be attached to the work surface (13) by means of an adhesive. Base plate (6) may also form an integral part of the said work surface.

Where an equipment mounting plate (2) is employed, the head(s) of the bolts, screws or other means of fixing (14) for the back plate (6) project through an aperture(s) (20) in the said mounting plate (2) into the interface layer between the equipment mounting plate (2) and the base of the equipment (10) thus hindering severance by unauthorised persons of the interface adhesive between the aforesaid surfaces.

In a second embodiment of the invention the apparatus hereintofore described may be inverted that is the base plate is attached to or forms an integral part of the equipment casing (10) in fig N whilst the equipment mounting plate (2) is attached to or forms an integral part of the work surface (13). In this embodiment of the invention the lock housing may be contained within the equipment casing (4) itself. Operation of the equipment L and the security provided in the second embodiment of the invention is to all intents and purposes identical to that in the first embodiment.

1 11 1 Operation Operation of the first embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example. With the locking bar (4) in the unlocked position, the element(s) (1) hereintofore defined are inserted through aperture(s) (3) in the locking bar (4) and into the cooperating aperture(s) (5) formed in the base plate (6). Alternatively, the elements pass through the aperture(s) (3) in locking bar (4) and fall outside the profile of the said base plate (6). The locking bar (4) is moved laterally for example by means of a key (7) into the locked position thus locking the apparatus together. Since the elements (1) in the equipment mounting plate (2) cannot be extracted from the aperture(s) (3) the apparatus is locked together so that the equipment is securely attached to the work surface (13).

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Claims

Claims

1 An apparatus for securing an item of equipment to a usually but not necessarily horizontal and substantially flat surface the essential elemenis of which are a fixed equipment mounting plate; a fixed base plate and a moveable locking bar. The equipment mounting plate posses a shaped element or elements which pass through a co-operating aperture or apertures in the locking bar in the unlocked position and locate where applicable in a similar aperture(s) in the base plate. Moving the locking bar into the locked position by any suitable means locks the fixed elements of the apparatus together and hence the equipment is secured to the worksurface.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 in which the fixed elements of the system are inverted with respect to the equipment and the work surface.

3 An apparatus as in claim 2 in which the locking mechanism actuating the locking bar is situated within the equipment.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, 2 and 3 in which the equipment mounting plate is formed as an integral part of the base of the equipment.

An apparatus as in claim 1, 2, 3 and 4 in which the base plate is formed in and is an integral part of the work surface.

J i 6. An apparatus as in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in which the locking bar is controlled by a key or other mechanical or electromechanical means.

7. An apparatus as in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in which movement of the locking bar from the locked to the unlocked position is further restricted by a second locking element which may or may not be actuated remotely 8 An apparatus as in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in which displacement of the locking bar is monitored by suitable means to verify for example that the locking bar is in the locked position.

9 An apparatus as in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 which is intrinsically strong by design allowing extra low profile and simple positive location of the equipment into the receiver for example after servicing.

An apparatus as in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 which includes means to positively locate the equipment with respect to the equipment mounting plate during assembly of the parts together.

An apparatus as in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 which contains within the lock housing a fixed or floating element which may be hardened thus impeding unauthorised access to the interior of the lock housing by means of for example a drill.

Iri 12 An apparatus as in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 in which the mechanical fixing means of the apparatus to the work surface where applic-able project into the adhesive interface layer between the equipment mounting plate and the base of the equipment thus hindering severance of the interface adhesive between the aforesaid surfaces by unauthorised persons.

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