WO1991009553A1

WO1991009553A1 - Printer stand

Info

Publication number: WO1991009553A1
Application number: PCT/AU1990/000611
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Robert Tankard
Original assignee: Acoustics & Felts Pty. Limited
Priority date: 1989-12-29
Filing date: 1990-12-28
Publication date: 1991-07-11

Abstract

A stand for a computer printer or word processor printer, the stand being able to be quickly dismantled into its component parts. The stand has paper input and output trays (7, 8) disposed between a pair of side members (1, 2); these two trays each have two parts (15, 16) which slide with respect to each other so that the width of the stand can be varied as required. A simple threaded stud (17) on one part fits through a slot (18) on the other part and the two parts can be clamped together by a nut (19) screwed onto the stud.

Description

PRINTER STAND TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to printer stands and more particularly to an expandible, completely 'knock-down' , refolding printer stand. BACKGROUND ART

Printer stands have heretofore generally fallen into two categories: floor-standing printer stands and so-called 'desktop' printer stands. Some of these have been what are known as refolding printer stands (i.e. continuous stationery is fed as input to, and taken as output from, the front of the printer stand), but none of these refolding printer stands has been expandible in width to accommodate a range of printer sizes. Printers are normally supported on horizontal work-surfaces at about waist height, input paper and printer output being respectively stored and received below the said work-surface and to the rear thereof. This disposition of printer output behind a printer stand is not satisfactory as it necessitates an operator collecting printer output from behind the printer and its stand rather than from a more convenient location below or adjacent the front of the stand, furthermore, such an arrangment requires that printer and stand must be spaced from any wall or piece of furniture standing behind it in order to allow the operator access thereto.

Furthermore, no prior art printer stand combines the aspects of compact design, expandible and refolding paper flow with the provision of means for mounting the printer stand to a vertical surface. The combination of these features provides the printer of the present invention having the unique ability for variable surface mounting including wall or vertical partition mounting. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above and other disadvantages by the provision of an expandible, completely knock-down, refolding printer stand for use in conjunction with printers of the kind employed with computers, word processors and like equipment.

This object may be achieved, in accordance with the present invention, by the provision of an expandible, completely knock-down, refolding printer stand for use in conjunction with printers of the kind employed with computers, word processors and like equipment; characterised in that the said stand comprises a pair of side members adapted to together support, upon upper edges thereof, a said printer; a paper output tray extendable between lower portions of said side members; means to vary the width of said paper output tray; a paper input tray extendable between upper portions of said side members; means to vary the width of said paper input tray; and a pair of paper feed guides, each attachable to a respective adjacent side member and disposed so as to be able to guide paper from said printer to said output tray, there to be stacked; means being provided for removably affixing said paper input and output trays between the said pair of side members; whereby the said printer stand is able to be easily and rapidly knocked-down into its said components for convenient storage and/or transport.

Preferably, each side member has a number of substantially keyhole-shaped apertures into which are receivable an equal number of co-acting, waisted studs located at each side of the paper input and output trays. The paper feed guides have, on their outer edges, hooked lugs adapted to slot into co-acting slits in respective adjacent side members.

Ideally, the printer stand further includes a pair of adjustable brackets adapted to enable the stand- to be mounted on a wall or partition, each bracket having a carriage element carrying a depending lug adapted to be received in a respective slot formed in the appropriate edge portion of an associated side member.

Advantageously, each bracket is L-shaped and has a strengthening rib on its back, the carriage element being able to be movable along, and to be frictionally held in position by, a serrated surface of the shorter limb of the bracket when the printer stand is to be mounted on a partition, the carriage element also being able to be movable along, and to be frictionally held in position by, a serrated surface of the longer limb of the bracket when the printer stand is to be mounted on a thick partition.

Preferably, each tray is formed in two parts, one part partially overlying the other, the one part having at least one downwardly-projecting, threaded stud and the other part being provided with a cooperating elongated slot; whereby the two parts are able to slide with respect to each other so as to enable the width of the tray - and hence of the printer stand - to be varied, the two parts being clampable together by means of a nut receivable on the or each stud.

The side members, the paper input and output trays and the paper feed guides are highly preferably, but not necessarily, plastic moldings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In order that the reader may gain a better understanding of the present invention, hereinafter will be described a preferred embodiment thereof, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a partially exploded view of a printer stand in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of an arrangement whereby the effective width of the stand may be varied;

Figure 2A shows how waisted studs co-act with keyhole-shaped apertures to thereby connect trays to side members; Figure 3 shows an adjustable bracket; Figure 4 is a schematic side view showing the path of paper to and from a printer; and

Figure 5 is a generalised simplified representation of an inventive printer stand installed on a work surface and supporting a typical printer.

Throughout the drawings, like integers are referenced by the same numeral. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Throughout this specification, the apt expression

"completely knock-down" should be understood to refer to the inventive fact that the printer stand is able to be dismantled and its component parts generally "flat-packed" prior to re-assembly. As may well be appreciated from a perusal of Figure

1, the printer stand according to the present consists essentially of eight components in the form of plastic mouldings; these components are:- two side members 1, 2; two paper feed guides 3, 4; two adjustable brackets 5, 6; a paper input tray 7; and a paper output tray 8. The entire printer stand is easily and rapidly able to be 'knocked-down' into its eight major components for convenient storage and/dr transport.

Each side member is provided with four generally keyhole-shaped apertures 9 into which are receivable co-acting, waisted, or necked, studs 10, these being suitably located two on each side of the trays 7 and 8.

Each paper feed guide has, on its outer edge, a pair of hooked lugs, as 11, 12, which are adapted to slot into co-acting slits 13, 14 in a respective side member. Each of the two trays 7 and 8 is adjustable for width, that is to say, in the direction indicated by the double arrow 'A' ; Figure 2 illustrates one way in which this may be brought about. Each tray has two parts, as referenced 15 and 16 in the case of paper input tray 7; although not to be seen in Figure 1, paper output tray 8 is composed of two similar parts. Tray part 16 is furnished with at least one threaded stud, as 17, which projects downwardly, while tray part 15 has a cooperating elongated slot, as 18. Thus the two parts are able to slide with respect to each other so as to vary the width of the printer stand; when the stand has been adjusted to the required width, the two parts may be clamped together by means of a washer and wing-nut assembly, as 19 in Figure 2.

A computer printer or word processor printer is supported on the upper edges 20, 21 of side members 1 and 2 respectively, and the complete assembly of printer and inventive stand stood upon a table or desk top of convenient height.

The printer stand may be placed so as to abut a wall, partition or article of furniture without obstructing the accessability of the unit with regard to restocking, and removal of printer output.

The printer support according to the present invention is eminently suited to use with conventional acoustic hoods as employed to enclose printers, since it is not necessary to provide a hood with a rear opening, such rear openings tending to direct sound towards sound-reflecting surfaces such as walls, etc.

The inventive printer stand is also furnished with a pair of adjustable brackets 5 and 6 to enable the stand to be wall or partition mounted. Each bracket as is to be seen in Figure 3, comprises a carriage element 22 which has depending from it a lug 23 which, in turn, is adapted to be co-actingly received in a respective slot 24, 25 formed in the side members 1 and 2, (see Figure 1).

Each bracket 5, 6 is of right-angled configuration, having a strengthening rib 26. Carriage element 22 is adapted to be movable along, and to be frictionally held in position by, a serrated portion 27 of the shorter limb of the bracket when the printer stand is to be mounted on a partition 28. However, where the partition is a thick one, then carriage element 22 may be mated with a similarily serrated portion 29 of the longer limb of the bracket; in this way, the edge of the thicker partition is accommodated in the longer portion 30 of the longer limb. Needless to say, this latter arrangment requires the bracket to be turned through 90° . Alternatively, when it is desired to mount the inventive printer stand directly on a wall, then the L-shaped part may be discarded and the plate 31 which bears lug 23 affixed to the wall via screws, rivets, adhesives and the like.

Figure 4 schematically shows the path of paper to and from a printer 35, notionally supported on upper edges 20, 21 of the side members. Infeed paper 32 is stacked on upper tray 7 and passes upwardly through the printer and, after printing, down through gap 34 between tray 7 and paper feed guides 3, 4 to printer output stack 33.

From the abovegoing, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set out in the following claims.

Claims

1. An expandible, completely knock-down, refolding printer stand for use in conjunction with printers of the kind employed with computers, word processors and like equipment; characterised in that the said stand comprises a pair of side members adapted to together support, upon upper edges thereof, a said printer; a paper output tray extendable between lower portions of said side members; means to vary the width of said paper output tray; a paper input tray extendable between upper portions of said side members; means to vary the width of said paper input tray; and a pair of paper feed guides, each attachable to a respective adjacent side member and disposed so as to be able to guide paper from said printer to said output tray, there to be stacked; means being provided for removably affixing said paper input and output trays between the said pair of side members; whereby the said printer stand is able to be easily and rapidly knocked-down into its said components for convenient storage and/or transport.

2. The expandible, completely knock-down, refolding printer stand as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each side member is provided with a number of substantially keyhole-shaped apertures into which are receivable an equal number of co-acting, waisted studs located at each side of the said paper input and output trays.

3. The expandible, completely knock-down, refoling printer stand as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein each paper feed guide has, disposed upon an outer edge thereof, a pair of hooked lugs which are adapted to slot into co-acting slits provided in a said respective adjacent side member.

4. The expandible, completely knock-down, refolding printer stand as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, further including a pair of adjustable brackets adapted to enable the said stand to be mounted upon a wall or upon a partition, each said bracket having a carriage element carrying a depending lug adapted to be received in a respective slot formed in an appropriate edge portion of an associated side member.

5. The expandible, completely knock-down, refolding printer stand as claimed in Claim 4, wherein each bracket is of L-shaped configuration and has a strengthening rib on the back thereof, said carriage element being able to be movable along, and to be f ictionally held in position by, a serrated surface of a shorter limb of the said bracket when the said printer stand is to be mounted upon a partition, the said carriage element also being able to be movable along, and to be frictionally held in position by, a serrated surface of a longer limb of the said bracket when said printer stand is to be mounted upon a thick partition.

6. The expandible, completely knock-down, refolding printer stand as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein each said tray is formed in two parts, one part partially over-lying the other, said one part having at least one downwardly-projecting, threaded stud and said other part being provided with a cooperating elongated slot; whereby the two parts are able to slide with respect to each other so as to enable the width of said tray, and hence of said printer stand, to be varied, the said two parts being clampable together by means of a nut receivable on the or each threaded stud.

7. The expandible, completely knock-down, refolding printer stand as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said side members, said paper input and output trays and said paper feed guides are plastic moldings.

8. The expandible, completely knock-down, refolding printer stand as claimed in any one of the preceding claims adapted for desktop-, vertical wall- and/or partition-mounting^'.