GB2373775A

GB2373775A - Workstation attachable to a vehicle seat

Info

Publication number: GB2373775A
Application number: GB0107829A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Latham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-03-29
Filing date: 2001-03-29
Publication date: 2002-10-02
Also published as: GB0107829D0

Abstract

A workstation for enabling paperwork to be carried out or a laptop computer to be operated in a motor vehicle, comprises a work surface 10, and support frame (11, Fig 1) by which it may attach to a the backrest of a passenger seat. The support means consists of hooks 29, 30 which are pivotally attached to plate (28, Fig 1) and which hook onto the top of the backrest of the seat and adjustable L-shaped members 21, 22 which grip the sides of the seat. The work surface 10 may have recesses 14-16 for items such as papers, pens or a cup.

Description

Title: Workstation Device Description of Invention This invention relates to a device for assisting the carrying out of "paperwork"by a person in a motor vehicle.

For many people, a motor vehicle is not merely a means of transport but is their principal place of work. For example, there are representatives whose working life is spent"on the road", travelling high mileages between meetings with customers or the like. There are collection/delivery drivers who travel extensively between collection/delivery points for goods, documents and so on.

All such activities require large amounts of"paperwork"to be dealt with (although, increasingly, portable laptop computers are used in addition to or instead of paper). In most cases such work is done in the vehicle, even though cars and commercial vehicles are not ideal places in which to work. One finds that the occupant of a vehicle, sitting in the driver's seat, might be attempting to work with documents spread out on any available surface of the dashboard, on the adjacent passenger seat, on the steering wheel and so on, and quite possibly also with a laptop computer balanced on any surface or even on his/her knees. Obviously this is inconvenient, and it is the object of the present invention to provide a device for mitigating such inconvenience.

According to the present invention, therefore, I provide a device comprising means affording a work surface ; and support means providing for said work surface to be positioned in relation to a vehicle seat.

Preferably there is adjustable connecting means between said means affording the work surface and said support means, providing for adjustable positioning of said work surface relative to the support means, so that the work surface may be placed in a convenient position in a vehicle when the device is in use.

The support means preferably engages the backrest part of a vehicle seat. Therefore the base cushion of the seat remains available for things being placed on it.

Preferably the support means includes means which engages the top of the seat backrest, preferably extending over the top of the backrest to support the weight of the device and downwardly behind the upper part of the backrest of the seat. Conveniently there are two engagement elements for this purpose, arranged so that one can extend on each side of a head restraint which commonly is provided at the top of a vehicle seat backrest. Preferably they are adjustable relative to one another so that they can be used with seats of different dimensions, having head restraints of different sizes and designs, and so on.

Preferably the support means further comprises means for engaging opposite sides of a lower part of the seat backrest. This means may comprise a member extending transversely of the seat backrest, with formations which engage respective oppositely outwardly facing sides of a lower part of the backrest. Preferably such formations are adjustable in respect of their distance from one another, to enable the device to fit different sizes of seats in different vehicles.

Preferably the means which engages the top of the seat backrest is adjustable relative to the means which engages the lower part of the seat backrest, in respect of the distance therebetween. This enables the device to be used with seats having different sizes of backrest.

Conveniently the device comprises a member which, in use, extends upwardly from said transversely extending member, and to which said two engagement elements are connected. Preferably said two engagement elements are carried by a mounting member which is adjustable lengthwise of said upwardly extending member and is able to be fixed in position relative thereto.

Preferably said connecting means includes a carrier member which also may be adjustable lengthwise of said upwardly extending member, and is able to be fixed in a required position thereon.

The connecting means may further comprise an arm which at or adjacent one end is adjustably, e. g. pivotably, connected to said carrier member and at its other end is connected, also preferably adjustably e. g. pivotably, -to the means affording a work surface.

Preferably said arm is adjustable in respect of its length, e. g. by being of telescopic configuration.

There may be holding means, e. g. detent means, associated with the pivotable connection of one end of said arm to said carrier member, enabling said arm to be held in at least one position relative to the carrier member and released when required to be moved to another position.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of device in accordance with the invention, partly dismantled for illustration of certain features thereof ; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device of Figure 1, in use in a motor vehicle.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated device comprises a member 10 which affords a work surface, and a support means therefor indicated generally at 11. The member 10 is in form of a generally rectangular board or, as illustrated, a tray which as shown in the drawings may have a recessed lower surface (12, Figure 1) and/or upper surface (13, Figure 2). The latter may include differently shaped recesses as indicated at 14,15, 16 for receiving and constraining different items such as papers, pens, a cup, etc. The formations such as 14,15, 16 may be afforded by one or more removable components so the device may be adapted for different intended purposes.

The support means 11 comprises means for engaging the top of the backrest part of a vehicle seat and means for engaging opposite sides of a lower part of the seat backrest. The latter comprises a member 20 and respective formations 21,22 at the ends thereof. The formations 21,22 are generally Lshaped. The member 20 is tubular and the formations 21,22 are of bar material or themselves tubular of a smaller size than the member 27, so-as to telescopically engage within the ends of the latter and be secured thereto by respective clamping screws 23, 24. The screws 23,24 extend through the respective screw-threaded apertures in the member 20 near the ends thereof, and engage the parts of the formations 21,22 received therewithin.

At or adjacent the centre of the member 20, a further bar or tubular member 25 is secured thereto by welding and extends upwardly therefrom. The member 25 passes through an aperture in a collar 26 which carries a clamping screw 27 so that its position on the member 25 can be held once it has been adjusted as required. A mounting plate member 28 is secured to the collar 26, and the plate 28 carries two elongate engagement elements 29,30 which are U-shaped at their ends remote from the plate 28. The elements 29,30 are pivotable relative to the plate 28, and their adjusted angular positions are able to be retained by the tightening of respective clamping screws 30, 31.

The member 25 further extends through a slidable carrier member 32 whose position on the member 25 is able to be held by tightening of a clamping screw 33. The carrier member 32 includes a limb 34 to which is pivotably connected an arm 35. The pivoted position of the arm 35 relative to the limb 34 may be held by tightening a clamping screw 36, and/or a detent device 37 may be provided for holding the arm in the position in which it is illustrated in Figure 1 and/or in one or more other positions.

The arm 35 is tubular and a further arm 38 telescopically engages therewith. The arm 38 ends at a collar 39 which surrounds a boss 41 beneath the member 10, and a clamping screw 40 passes through the collar 39 to engage the boss 41 and hold a set position of the arm 38 relative to the member 10.

Apart from the aforesaid slidable and pivotable connections, the members 20,25 and the parts that co-operate therewith and the arms 35,38 are square or of other non-circular cross-sectional shapes so that the components remain in the same general relative orientation in which they are illustrated.

Preferably they are of a metal, e. g. steel or an appropriate aluminium alloy, material. As illustrated, the member 20, formations 21,22, and elements 29,30 have protective coverings e. g. of foamed plastics material, so that they do not tend to cause any damage or the like to a vehicle seat with which they are engaged.

Figure 2 shows, in a diagrammatic perspective view, the drivers seat 50 and adjacent passengers seat 51 of a right hand drive motor vehicle such as a passenger car or light commercial vehicle. The vehicles steering wheel is indicated at 52, in front of the seat 50. The device above described is shown fitted to the passengers seat 51, and it will be noted that the member 20 extends transversely of the backrest of the seat adjacent the lower end thereof, with the formations, 21,22 extending rearwardly to lie against the respective oppositely facing sides of the backrest. The member 25 extends upwardly in front of the backrest, and will touch the backrest where the contour of the latter permits.

The elements 29,30 extend upwardly and hook over the top of the backrest.

Although a head restraint is not shown in Figure 2, they will be arranged so that one extends to each side of the head restraint and the adjustability of the elements 29,30 enables them to be fitted in relation to head restraints of different sizes.

When thus fitted, the member 10 extends forwardly of the backrest of the seat, generally above the base cushion thereof, and is moveable by virtue of the pivotable connection of arm 35 to the limb 34 between a position in which it lies above the base cushion of the passenger seat 51 and a position in which it has swung towards the drivers seat 50. The member 10 may be oriented as required relative to the arm 35, and thus may readily be used as a work surface by a driver occupying the seat 50.

Other adjustment modes of the member 10 relative to the support means 11 may be provided for if desired, so that, for example, the upwardly presented surface of the member 10 extends exactly horizontally or at an inclination. It will be appreciated that further features may be provided as desired, but in any event the invention provides a device which greatly facilitates the work of someone who has to carry out"paperwork"in a motor vehicle.

It will further be appreciated that although a device in accordance with the invention is designed to be suitable for carrying out work in a motor vehicle and the above-described features make it particularly appropriate for this, it may be useful in other situations, e. g. in the home or workplace premises.

In the present specification"comprise"means"includes or consists of and"comprising"means"including or consisting of'.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A device comprising means affording a work surface; and support means providing for said work surface to be positioned in relation to a seat.
2. A device according to Claim 1 comprising adjustable connecting means between said means affording the work surface and said support means, providing for adjustable positioning of said work surface relative to the support means.
3. A device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said support means is adapted to engage a backrest part of a vehicle seat.
4. A device according to Claim 3 wherein said support means includes means which engages the top of the seat backrest.
5. A device according to Claim 4 wherein said means extends over the top of the backrest to support the weight of the device, and downwardly behind an upper part of the backrest.
6. A device according to Claim 4 or Claim 5 comprising two engagement elements, for extending one on each side of a head restraint at the top of the seat backrest.
7. A device according to Claim 6 wherein said engagement elements are adjustable relative to one another.
8. A device according to any one of Claims 4 to 7 wherein said support means further comprises means for engaging opposite sides of a lower part of the seat backrest.
9. A device according to Claim 8 wherein said means comprises a member extending transversely of the seat backrest, and formations engaging oppositely outwardly facing sides of a lower part of the backrest.
10. A device according to Claim 9 wherein said formations are adjustable in respect of their distance from one another.
11. A device according to any one of Claims 8 to 10, as appendant to any one of Claims 4 to 7, wherein said means which engages the top of the seat backrest is adjustable relative to the means which engages the lower part of the seat backrest, in respect of the distance therebetween.
12. A device according to Claim 6 and Claim 9 comprising a member extending upwardly from said transversely extending member, and to which said two engagement elements are connected.
13. A device according to Claim 12 wherein said two engagement elements are carried by a mounting member which is adjustable lengthwise of said upwardly extending member and is able to be fixed in position relative thereto.
14. A device according to Claim 13 wherein said engagement elements are pivotable relative to said mounting member.
15. A device according to Claim 2 or any claim appendant thereto wherein said connecting means includes an arm having one end connected to said means affording the work surface and at the other end to said support means.
16. A device according to Claim 15 wherein at least one of said connections of said arm is pivotably adjustable.
17. A device according to Claim 15 or Claim 16 wherein said-arm is adjustable in respect of its length.
18. A device according to Claim 12 and Claim 17 wherein said arm is connected to a carrier member connected to said upwardly extending member.
19. A device according to Claim 18 wherein said carrier member is adjustable lengthwise of said upwardly extending member, and is able to be fixed in a required position thereon.
20. A device according to Claim 19 wherein the connection of the arm to said carrier member is pivotable and there is holding means associated therewith for holding said arm in at least one position relative to the carrier member.
21. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said means affording a work surface is generally in the form of a tray.
22. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
23. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.