GB2446119A

GB2446119A - Pivotal stand for use with computer

Info

Publication number: GB2446119A
Application number: GB0701690A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-01-30
Filing date: 2007-01-30
Publication date: 2008-08-06
Also published as: GB0701690D0

Abstract

A support stand, which may be for a computer 1 or a monitor, has a base plate 11 to which a pair of substantially horizontally extending tubular bars 12 are affixed. Stabilizer arms 15 are relasably affixed to said bars. The stabilizer arms may be weighted and may be rubber covered 13. The arms may be positioned adjacent to an item of furniture and may project under said furniture to aid stability. A height adjustable vertical column 10 extends upward from said base. Pivotally attached to said column are a first and second horizontally extending arms 7, 4, said first and second arms may move with respect to each other via a pivot 6 and with respect to the vertical column via a second pivot (see figure 1B). A ball and socket joint 3 may be located between the second arm and a tray 2 to give multiple axis movement for said tray and a device 1 located thereon. The tray may be fitted with rubber strips 17 fig 3 to promote grip of the device located thereon. The support stand may be dismantled and stored within a bag for ease of transport.

Description

SWING ARM LAPTOP STAND

DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

(0001) An apparatus that easily positions items such as reading materials, keyboards, portable DVD players, laptop computers, and alike. This allows the end user ease of use and precise positioning of said items. It can be free standing but is mainly designed to fit to most easy chairs, sofas, recliners, or beds. It has 3 D positioning and can be moved in all six directions, with its base and folding arm design, this gives more choice of positions for said items aiding in the ergonomic use for the end user.

(0002) Because of its base and folding arm design when placed to armchairs, SOfaS, recliners or beds, the positional tray of said apparatus in (0001) can swing forward allowing unobstructed entry and exit from armchairs, sofas, recliners or beds. The hinged horizontal ann supporting the positional tray allows the positional tray to be situated to the side of the armchair, sofa, recliner or bed without physical movement of the base or manual adjustment of said arm. Therefore freeing up valuable living space also allowing unobstructed entry and exit from annchair, sofas, recliners or beds.

(0003) The apparatus as said 0001 has been designed to work well with most armchairs, sofas recliners or beds. When placed to ann chairs, sofas, recliners or beds it can achieve more operational positions without the movement of the base or manual adjustment of the hinged support arm. Pre-existing desks or stands usually need to have the base positioned at a greater distance from armchairs, sofas, recliners or beds to achieve the same said positions, therefore taking up valuable space or adjustments have to be made to support arm usually leaving hazardous support arms protruding into the living space area.

(0004) The apparatus as described in 0001 can quickly and easily be assembled or disassembled.

The apparatus can then be fitted into its own purpose made bag for storage or transport.

(0005) The apparatus as described 0001 has a base that is a welded assembly. Starting at the bottom of the base is a two millimetre thick shaped steel plate, posing little or no tripping hazard.

It can be if desired placed under most legs, castors, or stands of armchairs, sofas and recliners adding extra stability to the apparatus as described in (0001). To the upper side of the said plate are two round bent stiffener bars welded to the plate at a set angle to allow stabilizer arms to be fitted to the rear or the wider part of the said plate. At the front or the narrow part of the plate is a vertical steel tube that is welded to the said plate and is additionally welded to both said bent stiffener bars. A round steel support bar bent into the shape of a upside down V is welded to both said stiffener bars and to the said vertical steel tube to form a ridged assembly, making it very stable in use. The said base has two removable weighted stabilizer arms which when connected to the said base are set at a ninety degree angle allowing the said base to be placed at the left or right hand side front corners of most armchairs, sofas and recliners as shown in figure 98, thus allowing said stabilizer arias to run close to the front and side of most ann chairs, sofas and recliners causing little or no obstacle to the end user.

(0006) Because of laminate, wood and hard type flooring, the underside of the base plate as described in (0005) is fitted with rubberised anti slip pads. Both stabilizer arms as described in (0005) are fitted with rubberised anti slip sleeves.

(0007) The vertical steel tube attached to the base described in (0005) has a plastic bush insert That has an inside bore size to accept a vertical steel tube of smaller diameter creating a sliding fit The smaller diameter of the said vertical tube is bent or cut and welded at a measured point to degrees, thus forming a horizontal support swing arm. At a measured point the honzontal support swing arm is bent or cut and welded at 90 degrees vertical to form a male spindle to accept the female housing and bush of the hinge arm.

(0008) The hinge arm is a steel tube cut to a measured length. It has a female steel tubular bush housing welded to one end, which is fitted with a plastic bush of a inside bore size to achieve a sliding fit, this will then accept the male formed spindle of the support swing arm described in 0007 on the other end of the said steel tube is a welded threaded boss of a thread size to suit the male thread of the ball and cup joint.

(0009) The ball and cup joint has a steel threaded mounting pin allowing it to be connected to the welded boss of the said hinge ann described in (0008). The ball and cup is made of high impact plastic giving good frictional and locking control. When connected to the hinge arm and positional tray described in (0002) this allows the positional tray to be rotated 360 degrees and tilted in any desired direction (0010) The positional tray described in (0002) can be made of plastic, wood or any ridged material and of a size to suit safe placement of said items as described in (0001). It can have two or more rubberised anti slip pads fitted to the topside of the positional tray to aid the secure placement of said items in (0001).

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

(0011) A new device named the Swing Arm Laptop Stand allows the end user to easily place laptop computers, portable DVD players, keyboards, reading material and alike items into more operational positions without physically moving the base or manual adjustment of support arms.

(0012) With its base and swing hinged ann the design allows the positional tray for said items in (0011) and (0001) to be positioned to the side of the armchair taking up less space than other stands and desks before it (0013) The base shown in figure 5 top view is made up of components that are welded together to form a ridged assembly, starting at the bottom of the base is [11] a shaped two millimetre thick steel base plate that has five rubberised anti slip pads fitted to the underside of said plate. Welded to said plate are two bent round or can be square steel stiffener bars [12] set at angles to allow two round or can be square or shaped steel stabilizer arms [15] to be connected at a 90 degree angle to allow said base to be placed close to armchairs, recliners and sofas. To the front or the narrow part of the said plate is [10] a vertical steel tube that is welded to said plate and to both stiffener bars [12]. A upside down V shaped round steel bar [14] is welded to both stiffener bars [121 and is also welded to a vertical steel tube [10] forming a ridged base assembly. To the rear or the wider part of the said base assembly both stiffener bars [12] are drilled and tapped to a thread size [19] to accept the male thread [20] of stabilizer arms [15] (0014) Stabilizer arms [15] are cut to a length to safely support the said apparatus as described in (000l)they also act as counter balance weights for said items in (0001). Stabilizer arms [15] have rubberised anti slip sleeves [13] fitted aiding in the stable use on laminate wood or other types of hard flooring of said apparatus.

(0015) Vertical steel tube [10] is welded to the front or narrow part of said base as described in (0013) It is of a bore size to allow to the insertion of split plastic bush [18] shown in figure 6A and 6B call out section A -A. The split plastic bush [18] is of an inside bore size to accept the outside diameter of the vertical steel tube of swing support arm [7] as described in (0007). Near to the top of said vertical steel tube is a drilled hole tapped to a thread size to accept the male thread of hand adjuster knob [9] as shown in figure 6A and 6B call out section A--A. When said adjuster knob is turned in a clockwise direction it compresses split plastic bush [18] giving good frictional and locking control.

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(0016) Height adjuster collar [8] as shown in figure 8 has an inside bore size to accept the outside diameter of swing support arm [7) it has the same outside diameter of the vertical steel tube [10].

A drilled hole through the side of said collar allows screw [28) to be inserted. When said height adjuster collar is assembled to swing support arm [7) and vertical steel tube [10] of base assembly as shown in figure 8, the height of swing support ann [7) can be adjusted by inserting screw (28) through drilled hole in the side of said height adjuster collar (8), locating one of predrilled holes [34] in the vertical of said swing support ann [7].

(0017) When swing support arm [7] is assembled to the base as shown in figure IA, lB. 3,4 and + 8 it allows it to rotate 360 degrees.

(0018) Hinge arm (4) has a bush housing welded to one end as described in (0008). Fitted to the inside bore of said housing is a round plastic bush insert [31] of an inside bore size to fit the outside diameter of the male spindle of swing support arm [7J. When said hinge arm and swing support arm are assembled as shown in figure 2 call out section B-B this allows said hinge arm to rotate 360 degrees. The locking and friction control mechanism for said hinge arm is controlled by turning hand knob [6] clockwise increasing pressure on a friction washer [32] as show in figure 2 call out section B---B allowing good locking and frictional control.

(0019) Hinge arm [4] has a round steel female bush housing welded to one end of the horizontal steel tube, at the other end at a measured point is a welded boss [273 with a thread size to suit the thread size of the steel pin [24] of the ball and cup joint [3], allowing said hinge arm, ball and cup joint to be connected as shown in figure 7 call out section C---C.

(0020) Ball and cup joint [3] is connected to positional table [2] using two or can be four nuts and bolts [163. This has a friction and locking control nut [22] as shown in figure 7 call out section C- --C. Therefore giving good control of said positional table allowing the said positional tray to rotate 360 degrees and to be tilted in any desired direction.

(0021) Positional tray [2] can be made of plastic, wood, metal or any ridged material.

Two or can be four rubberised anti slip pads [17] are fitted to the top side of said positional tray as shown in figure 3 for safe placement of said items in (0001) leaving said positional tray flat giving clear access to sockets, draws and connections of said items.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(0022) Figure IA Showing a typical side view of said apparatus as described in (0001) and call out sections A---A B-B.

(0023) Figure lB Showing rotational movement and height adjustment for said apparatus in (0001).

(0024) Figure 2 Showing call out section B--B as called out from figure IA as a cross section view of the hinge arm friction control and locking mechanism.

(0025) Figure 3 a top view of said apparatus as described in (0001) showing the positioning tray with two rubberised anti slip pads fitted.

(0026) Figure 4 a front folded view of said apparatus as described in (0001) showing call out section C--C.

(0027) Figure 5 a top view of said base assembly as described in (0005) and (0013) showing two removable stabilizer arms as described in (0014).

(0028) Figures 6A 6B call out section A--A as called Out section from IA a cross section view of the support swing arm friction control and locking mechanism (0029) Figure 7 a called out section C-C a called out section from figure 4 a cross section view of the ball and cup joint connected to the hinge arm and positional tray.

(0030) Figure 8 showing adjuster collar connected to the swing arm and base.

(0031) Figure 9A a front view of the swing arm laptop stand placed to a typical armchair.

(0032) Figure 98 a side view of a folded swing arm laptop stand placed to a typical armchair

KEY TO COMPONENTS

[01] Laptop computer [02] Positional tray [03] Ball and cup joint [04] Hinge arm [05] Ball and cup housing [06] Hand knob [07] Swing support arm [08] Height adjuster collar [09] Hand knob [101 Vertical steel tube [11] Base plate [12] Stiffener bars [13] Rubberised anti slip sleeves [14] Round steel upside down V shaped support bar [15] Stabilizer arms [16] Nuts and bolts [17] Rubberised anti slip pads [18] Plastic split bush [19] Female thread [20] Male thread [22] Ball and cup joint friction plastic locking control nut [23] High impact plastic ball [24] Steel threaded pin [25] Steel Lock nut [26] Steel washer [27] Welded threaded boss [28] Adjuster collar screw [30] Steel washer [31] Plastic bush [32] Friction washer [33] Welded threaded boss [34] Drilled holes.

Claims

SWING ARM LAPTOP STAND

01 An apparatus that supports a positional tray for such items as laptop computers, potable DVI) players, keyboards, reading material and alike.

02 A positional tray that can be made of wood, plastic, metal, or any ridged material.

03 A positional tray that is supported by a ball and cup joint allowing said positional tray to rotate 360 degrees and be tilted In any desired direction.

04 A positional tray that has two or can be four rubberised anti slip pads fitted to the topside of the tray for safe placement of said items described in 01.

An apparatus as described in 01 when placed to armchairs, sofas, recliners and beds allows the positional tray to be placed into more operational positions without the physical movement of the base or manual adjustment of support arms.

06 An apparatus when placed to sofas, recliners or beds. The horizontal swing support arm connected hinge arm and connected base allows said positional tray to swing away or to be folded to one side without physical movement of the base or manual adjustment of support arms allowing unobstructed access and exit from armchairs, sofas, recliners or beds.

07 An apparatus that has 360 degrees rotational movement good friction and locking control on all three moving joints and has height adjustment for said positional tray as described in 01.

08 An apparatus that has a metal fabricated welded support base.

09 Fitted to the underside of said base as described in 08 of the apparatus described in 01 are five rubberised anti slip pads making it very stable in use on wood, laminate or hard type flooring.

An apparatus that can be free standing has a base plate design if desired that can be placed under legs castors stands of armchairs, sofas and recliners adding extra stability to said positional tray as described in 01.

12 The base assembly has two round or can be square or shaped steel bar removable stabilizers arms that are cut to a length to support said apparatus, they also act as counter balance weights for said items in 01 both stabilizer arms are fitted with rubberised anti slip sleeves.

13 An apparatus that can be easily assembled and disassembled and packed into its own purpose made bag for storage or transport.

14 An apparatus that can be produced in various colours to match modern decor.