GB2338450A

GB2338450A - Steering wheel hook-on clipboard or desk

Info

Publication number: GB2338450A
Application number: GB9910046A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Howarth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-05-09
Filing date: 1999-05-04
Publication date: 1999-12-22
Also published as: GB9910046D0

Abstract

A clipboard or desk 11, which can be hooked over a vehicle steering wheel, may include spaced apart rails 61 (Fig 6) on rear face 11R in order to clear the air bag or wheel hub formations. The desk may have a hinged shelf 51 to support a laptop computer which can be locked into position or which can fold away, possibly into a recess in the rear face. The hook can comprise an upper projection 15 (Fig 5) from the rear face or retractable hooks 62 (Fig 6) which retract into a recess to facilitate storage. The desk may utilise a compact stowing configuration which can be achieved by the use of a hinge (17,Fig 2) or by a telescoping arrangement (Figs 3 and 4). The desk can also incorporate an electronic calculator or computer using keyboard/keypad 63 and VDU screen 64.

Description

i c -- 2338450 DESK This invention relates to desks such as are useful for

writing, reading or other activities.

Sales representatives and others, such as bus drivers, haulage drivers and emergency service drivers, have occasion to study and produce documentation, and usually have recourse to a clipboard or a briefcase writing top or perhaps a makeshift arrangement such as a book or writing pad to support such documentation. Because of the presence of the steering wheel, when working from the driver's seat, such arrangements are inconvenient.

The present invention provides an improved arrangement.

The invention comprises a desk, adapted for use in automobiles with steering wheels, having a front desk to surface and a rear face provided with hook means to hook over a steering wheel.

The rear face may be contoured to clear air bag and like wheel hub formations while resting on the steering wheel rim. The rear face may be generally flat but with spaced apart rails to engage the steering wheel rim and hold the flat rear face parts clear of air bag and like wheel hub formations.

The desk may have a shelf hingedly mounted on a lower edge of the desk to have a stowed position in which it folds against the desk and a deployed position in which it projects forwardly from the said lower edge and in which deployed position it is locked. The shelf may fold into a recess in the rear face, and may fold into the space between the rails aforementioned.

f - The hook means may comprise an upper projection from the rear face, or may comprise retractable hooks, which may be pivotally mounted on the rails aforementioned to be contained, in stowed position, with their depth.

The desk may comprise a paper clip (after the fashion of a clipboard) and may also comprise a holder for accessories such as pens, pencils, paperclips and so forth.

The desk may have a deployed configuration and a stowing configuration more compact than the deployed configuration. The desk may be folded and unfolded between its deployed and stowing configurations, or it may comprise a telescoping arrangement with one part fitting, for stowage, beneath another by a sliding action.

The desk may incorporate an electronic calculator or a computer, with the VDU thereof built into the desk top and having a keypad or keyboard also acconunodated in the desk top. Electronic devices may be powered by selfcontained battery or may plug into the vehicle's battery via e.g. a cigarette lighter socket.

Embodiments of desks according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a face-on view of a first embodiment; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the desk of Figure 1, deployed on an automobile steering wheel; Figure 3 is a rear view of a second embodiment; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the desk of Figure 3; p Figure 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment illustrating a shelf adapted to support a laptop computer; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the rear face of another embodiment; and Figure 7 is a detail view of a hook thereof.

The drawings illustrate desks 11 adapted for use in automobiles with steering wheels (12, Figure 2) having a front desk top surface 13 and a rear face 14 formed (at 15) to hook over the steering wheel 12.

In each embodiment, the desk top surface 13 is flat, but with a lower ledge 16 deep enough to support a book or paper on the surface 13.

The rear face 14 is flat save for an upper projection 15 having an arcuate shape 15a conforming or substantially confirming to a steering wheel rim in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the shape 15a is curved, but in the embodiment of Figures 2 and 3, the straight-sided shape 15b approximates the arc of the wheel. This upper projection 15 is deep enough to hook over the wheel rim even though the wheel rim is toroidal, usually, in shape, and thus should normally have a depth at least half that of the rim torus.

A paper clip 16 is incorporated, as may, of course, be pockets and recesses, not shown, and other means for holding accessories such as pens, calculators and so forth.

The desk 11 may be made of moulded plastics material such as foamed polystyrene for rigidity with lightness.

The desk 11 in both embodiments has a deployed configuration (solid line) and a stowing configuration (broken line) more compact than the deployed configuration. In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 there is a hinge 17 about which the desk 11 folds, while in the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, the lower part 1 l b of the desk 11 telescopes into the upper part 11 a along runners at the long edges 11 c.

Figure 5 illustrates the incorporation of a,shelf 51 adapted to support a laptop computer (not shown). In solid line, the shelf 51 is shown in stowed position, hinged to the lower edge 11 a of the desk 11, when the desk is on the steering wheel. The shelf 51 swings into deployed position below the desk 11 and forwardly to project more or less horizontally in front of the desk 11 where it is retained by a key arrangement 52 either side - this shown in broken line.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate an embodiment in which the rear face 1 IR is generally flat but has spaced apart rails 61 to engage the steering wheel rim and hold the flat rear face parts 1 IR clear of air bag or like wheel hub projections Retractable hooks 62 are pivotally mounted on the rails 61 to stow flush against the rear face 1 1R (broken line, Figure 7) and to be deployed to be available (solid line, Figure 7) to hook on to the wheel rim.

An electronic calculator or even a personal computer can be built in to the desk 11, comprising a keyboard or keypad 63 (Figure 5) and a VDU screen 64. Such may be powered by on-board batteries stowed in a recess 65 or by a lead 66 from the vehicle's battery via e.g. a cigarette lighter socket.

-. Other variants will be apparent within the broad scope of the invention, and various accessories, such for example as a lamp that plugs into the cigar lighter socket, can be added.

The desk can, if sufficiently stoutly constructed, double, provided with an arrangement locking it on to the steering wheel, as an anti-theft device, it being impossible properly to steer the vehicle with the desk employed to the wheel.

Claims

1. A desk, adapted for use in automobiles with steering wheels, having a front desk top surface and a rear face provided with hook means to hook over a steering wheel.

2. A desk according to claim 1, in which the rear face is contoured to clear air bag and like wheel hub formations while resting on the steering wheel rim.

A desk according to claim 2, in which the rear face is generally flat but with spaced apart rails to engage the steering wheel rim and hold the flat rear face parts clear of air bag and like wheel hub formations.

3.

4. A desk according to any one of claims 1 to 3, having a shelf hingedly mounted on a lower edge of the desk to have a stowed position in which it folds against the desk and a deployed position in which it projects forwardly from the said lower edge and in which deployed position it is locked.

5.

1 A desk according to claim 4, in which the shelf folds into a recess in the rear face.

6. A desk according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the hook means comprise an upper projection from the rear face.

7. A desk according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the hook means comprise retractable hooks.

8.

A desk according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a paper clip.

1.

9. 1- 1 A desk according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising a holder for accessories.

10. A desk according to any one of claims 1 to 9, having a deployed configuration and a stowing configuration more compact than the deployed configuration.

11. A desk according to claim 10, comprising a hinge about which the desk is folded and unfolded between its deployed and stowing configurations.

12. A desk according to claim 10, comprising a telescoping arrangement.

13. A desk according to any one of claims 1 to 12, incorporating an electronic calculator.

14. A desk according to any one of claims 1 to 13, incorporating an electronic computer.

15. wheel fitting A desk according to any one of claims 1 to 14, configured as a steering anti-theft device.