Abstract:
A monitor stand, provided with a hub mount suitable for exteriorly mounting a universal serial bus (USB) hub used for connecting various peripheral equipment to a computer, is disclosed. The monitor stand has a USB hub including top and bottom covers with a USB printed circuit board being interposed between the top and bottom covers. The hub mount is formed at a predetermined position of the stand and has a hub cavity for receiving the USB hub. The stand also has a means for holding the USB hub inside the hub mount, with the USB hub being recessed into the hub mount.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from an application for Monitor Stand With Hub Mount earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Jan. 10, 1997 and there duly assigned Serial No. 256/1997. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates, in general, to a monitor for computer systems with multimedia functions and, more particularly, to a monitor stand with a hub mount suitable for exteriorly and selectively mounting a universal serial bus hub used for connecting various peripheral equipment such as a telephone, modem, printer, microphone, speaker, scanner, game pad, etc. to a computer. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     In accordance with active development of various applied programs, recently marketed computers are provided with multimedia functions. Such computers, particularly, personal computers are used with various peripheral equipment such as a telephone, telephone network, modem, printer, microphone, digital speaker, joy stick, mouse, scanner, game pad, digital camera, etc. 
     In order to use such various peripheral equipment with a computer, associated cards are installed in the computer and there requires an increase in the capacity and size of the computer. In addition, when it is necessary to add or change peripheral equipment, the computer has to be disassembled thus being inconvenient to users. 
     In an effort to overcome the above problem, a universal serial bus (hereinbelow, referred to simply as “USB”) is used for effectively connecting the peripheral equipment to a computer without disassembling the computer. Such a USB is actively developed and marketed recently by manufacturers associated with personal computer and telephone industries, thus allowing users to more effectively and conveniently use the peripheral equipment with computers irrespective of exceedingly enlarged capacity of the peripheral equipment due to active development of various applied programs. 
     The USB removes the necessity for disassembling a computer while connecting cards associated with peripheral equipment to the computer. In other words, an additional connection of peripheral equipment to a computer is completely accomplished by inserting the connector of an associated cable into a connection port of the USB prior to driving the peripheral equipment. 
     In the earlier art, the USB is typically installed inside a monitor or a computer so that it is necessary to form a cavity for the USB inside the monitor or computer. However, such a cavity forces the structure of the monitor or computer to be altered in design, thus increasing manufacturing costs. 
     Another problem of such an interior USB installed in a monitor or computer resides in that the USB forces excessive costs on the owner of the monitor or computer, who may not require the use of such a USB. A further problem experienced in such an interior USB is that the managing or repairing of the USB requires the disassembling of the monitor or computer. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,052 for a Computer For Use With a Port Replicator to Belt et al. discloses a port replicator for the efficient connecting and disconnecting of peripheral devices to a computer. However, the invention disclosed in Belt et al ′052 does not mention the use of a Universal Serial Bus (USB). Also, the invention in Belt et al ′052 pertains to a notebook computer and not to a computer monitor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the earlier art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a monitor stand, which is provided with a hub mount suitable for exteriorly mounting a USB hub used for connecting various peripheral equipment to a computer. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a monitor stand, which is provided with a hub mount suitable for selectively mounting a USB hub without disassembling a monitor or computer. 
     In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a monitor with a monitor stand on its bottom, wherein the monitor stand comprises: a universal serial bus (USB) hub including top and bottom covers with a USB printed circuit board being interposed between the top and bottom covers; a hub mount formed at a predetermined position of the stand and having a hub cavity for receiving the USB hub; and means for holding the USB hub inside the hub mount, with the USB hub being recessed into the hub mount. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A more complete appreciation of the invention, and many of the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar components, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a monitor stand; 
     FIG. 2 is a view showing a separate USB, which is not installed in a monitor or computer but is encased separately; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a monitor stand with a hub mount in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the monitor stand according to the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded bottom perspective view showing a USB hub mounted to the hub mount of the monitor stand according to the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the USB hub assembled with the hub mount of the monitor stand of FIG. 5; and 
     FIG.  7  and FIG. 7A together are a view showing a computer system with the USB hub mounted to the hub mount of the monitor stand according to the preferred embodiment of this invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in FIG. 2, a separate USB  50 , which is not installed in a monitor  10  or in a computer  64 , but is encased separately, is proposed and used. However, the separate USB  50  is installed outside a computer system thus being inconvenient to a user. 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a monitor stand for holding a monitor. As shown in the drawing, the monitor stand  12  is made up of a stand top  11 , which is convex downward and is mounted to the bottom of the monitor. The convex center of the stand top  11  is hinged onto the concave center of a stand bottom  13  laid on the support surface so that the monitor  10  with the stand top  11  is can be tilted relative to the stand bottom  13  at a predetermined tilting angle, thus allowing a user to adjust the angle of the monitor  10  as desired. However, the monitor stand only holds the monitor  10  while allowing the monitor  10  to be tilted. 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a monitor stand with a hub mount in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the box-shaped hub mount  20  is integrally formed at a side bottom of the monitor stand  12  and has a hub cavity  23 , which opens downward and is to receive a USB hub  50  as will be described later herein with reference to FIG. 5. A plurality of, for example, three down-stream ports  14 , a monitor connection port  17  and an up-stream port  19  are arranged on the front wall of the hub mount  20 . The down-stream ports  14  are for connecting various peripheral equipment such as a keyboard  60 , mouse  62  and camera to the USB hub  50 , while the monitor connection port  17  is for connecting the USB hub  50  to the monitor  10  thus allowing both electric power for the USB hub  50  and monitor control signals to be input or output. The up-stream port  19  is for connecting the USB hub  50  to the computer  64 . 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the monitor stand  12  of FIG.  3 . As shown in FIG. 4, a concave circular surface  12   a  is formed at the top of the stand  12  and movably holds the monitor  10  so that the monitor  10  can be tilted relative to the stand  12  at a predetermined tilting angle, thus allowing a user to adjust the angle of the monitor  10  in the same manner as described in the earlier art. The center of the concave surface  12   a  is provided with a cable hole  15 , through which a plurality of cables  30  pass without being twisted and tangled while the monitor  10  is tilted on the stand  12 . Monitor  10  has cable hole  31  mounted on its underside over cable hole  15 . The interior ports of the stand  12  are thus effectively connected to associated interior ports of the monitor  10  by means of the cables which pass through both the hole  15  of the stand  12  and a hole (not shown) formed at the bottom of the monitor  10 . The top wall of the hub mount  20  is perforated regularly thus forming a plurality of heat dissipating holes  21 . 
     FIG. 5 show the USB hub  50  to be mounted to the hub mount  20  of the monitor stand  12  according to the preferred embodiment of this invention. The USB hub  50  includes two flat box-shaped covers: a top cover  52  and a bottom cover  54  with a USB printed circuit board (USB PCB)  56  being interposed between the two covers  52  and  54 . The USB hub  50  is bolted to a plurality of bosses  59  of the hub mount  20  using a plurality of lock bolts  58 . The bosses  59  are formed on the side walls of the hub mount  20 , with a notch  59  being formed on the lower edge of the hub  20  at a position corresponding to each boss  59 . A plurality of screw-holed flanges  57  are formed on each of the top and bottom covers  52  and  54  at positions corresponding to the bosses  59  of the mount  20 . The flanges  57  of each cover  52 ,  54  are seated in the notches  59   a  of the hub mount  20  prior to screwing each cover  52 ,  54  to the mount  20 . 
     Due to such an engagement of the flanges  57  with the notches  59 , the USB hub  50  is recessed into the cavity  23  of the hub mount  20  as shown in FIG. 6 so that the monitor stand  12  can be stably laid on a flat support surface with the bottom cover  54  of the hub  50  being not brought into contact with the support surface. Meanwhile, a plurality of stop protrusions  53  are formed on the interior side wall of the top cover  52  and hold the USB PCB  56 . One side wall of the top cover  52  is provided with a plurality of notches  14   a,    17   a  and  19   a,  which are aligned with a plurality of holes  14   b,    17   b,  and  19   b , which are formed at positions corresponding to the down-stream ports  14 , monitor connection port  17  and up-stream port  19  of the hub mount  20  respectively. Therefore, the first notches  14   a  are aligned with the down-stream ports  14  and allow various peripheral equipment such as the keyboard  60 , mouse  62  and camera to be connected to the USB hub  50 . The second notch  17   a  is aligned with the monitor connection port  17  and allows the USB hub  50  to be connected to the monitor  10 . Meanwhile, the third notch  19   a  is aligned with the up-stream port  19  and allows the USB hub  50  to be connected to the computer  64 . In the monitor stand  12 , the position of the hub mount  20  may be changed in accordance with the type of monitor  10 . 
     FIG. 6 shows the USB hub  50 , which is assembled with the hub mount  20  of the monitor stand  12 . In order to mount the USB hub  50  to the hub mount  20 , the USB PCB  56  is primarily seated in the top cover  52  until the PCB  56  is stopped by the protrusions  53 . Thereafter, the PCB  56  is fixed by applying solder  70  to the lower portion of the cover  52 . The edges of USB PCB are sandwiched between the solder  70  and the protrusions  53 . The top wall of the top cover  52  is perforated to form a plurality of heat dissipating holes  52   a,  while the bottom wall of the bottom cover  54  is perforated to form a plurality of heat dissipating holes  54   a.    
     FIG. 7 is a view showing a computer system with the USB hub  50  mounted to the hub mount  20  of the monitor stand  12  according to this invention. As shown in FIG. 7, various peripheral equipment such as the keyboard  60 , the modem  61 , and the mouse  62  are connected to the USB hub  50  by inserting the connectors (not shown) of the peripheral equipment into the down-stream ports  14  of the mount  20 . As shown in FIG. 7A, various other peripheral equipment such as a microphone  66 , speaker  67 , and a game pad  68  are connected to the USB hub  50  by inserting the connectors (not shown) of the peripheral equipment into the down-stream  14  of the mount  20 . 
     As described above, the present invention provides a monitor stand, which is provided with a hub mount suitable for mounting a USB hub used for selectively connecting various peripheral equipment to a computer. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a monitor stand, which is provided with a hub mount suitable for selectively mounting a USB hub without disassembling a monitor or computer. In accordance with the monitor stand of this invention, the peripheral equipment may be easily added or changed by inserting or removing the connectors of the equipment into or from the down-stream ports of the USB hub without disassembling the computer. Therefore, the monitor stand with the hub mount of this invention effectively reduces the size of a monitor or computer. 
     In the present invention, the USB hub is selectively and detachably mounted to the hub mount of the monitor stand so that the monitor stand does not force the owner of a computer system, who may no require the use of a USB, to purchase the USB hub thus allowing the owner to save money. Another advantage of the invention resides in that it is possible to effectively use the lower space of a monitor. 
     Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.