Abstract:
A rotating pedestal with an integrated locking mechanism configured to lock the pedestal in a desired angular position. The pedestal incorporates a soft heat-resistant top rotatably connected to a fixed base. The integrated locking mechanism is a sliding latch mounted in the base.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of an earlier-filed non-provisional patent application. The earlier application was assigned Ser. No. 11/655,429. It was filed on Jan. 19, 2007, and remains pending as of the time of this filing. The prior application listed the same inventors. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable. 
       MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    The present invention relates to the field of rotating pedestals. More specifically, the invention comprises a rotating pedestal specifically configured to support a laptop computer and selectively allow the pedestal to be rotated or locked in one position. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0007]    Rotating pedestals can be used to support many common items, including laptop computers. Laptops were originally invented to allow portability and the freedom to work and play in a variety of environments. However, consumers still face difficulty when the laptop is shared between two or more users. Each user is faced with the inconvenience of adjusting the laptop for his or her convenience as well as the others sharing it. This dilemma can be witnessed first hand in classrooms, boardrooms, home offices, and such. 
         [0008]    Rotating pedestals do allow a laptop to be easily repositioned. However, the very ease of rotation often renders the laptop difficult to use. It is therefore desirable to provide a rotating pedestal which can be rotated to a desired position and then locked in place. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention is a rotating pedestal with an integrated locking mechanism configured to lock the pedestal in a desired angular position. The pedestal preferably incorporates a soft heat-resistant top rotatably connected to a fixed base. The integrated locking mechanism is preferably a sliding latch mounted in the base. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view, showing the invention in an assembled state. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view, showing internal features. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a detailed perspective view, showing the lock receiver. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a detailed perspective view, showing the lock placed in the lock receiver. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a detailed perspective view with a cutaway, showing the operation of the lock. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a detailed perspective view with a cutaway, showing the operation of the lock. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a detailed perspective view with a cutaway, showing the operation of the lock. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view, showing the underside of the outer casing. 
       
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS 
       [0018]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 10 
                 top 
                 12 
                 outer casing 
               
               
                 14 
                 lock 
                 20 
                 ball bearing case 
               
               
                 22 
                 tooth 
                 24 
                 washer 
               
               
                 28 
                 bearing race 
                 30 
                 lock receiver 
               
               
                 31 
                 boss 
                 32 
                 fastener 
               
               
                 34 
                 hole 
                 36 
                 receiver 
               
               
                 38 
                 support surface 
                 40 
                 stop surface 
               
               
                 42 
                 engagement chamfer 
                 44 
                 grip 
               
               
                 46 
                 slide plate 
                 48 
                 stop 
               
               
                 50 
                 pawl 
                 52 
                 ring gear 
               
               
                 54 
                 notch 
                 56 
                 bottom surface 
               
               
                 58 
                 foot 
                 60 
                 disk 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]      FIG. 1  shows the invention in an assembled state. Outer casing  12  is placed on any reasonably flat surface—such as a table or disk. Top  10  is rotatably connected to outer casing  12 . It is normally free to rotate. Thus, an item placed on top  10  can be freely rotated to any desired orientation. 
         [0020]    Top  10  is preferably covered in a relatively soft, heat-resistant material. Exemplary materials include rubber, neoprene, and many types of elastic polymer. The covering can be attached by any suitable method, including bonding or overmolding. 
         [0021]    Lock  14  is shown in its disengaged position. The user engages the lock by pulling it outward, away from the center of the outer casing. When the lock is pulled outward, it locks the top in a fixed angular position with respect to the outer casing. Further rotation is thereby prevented until the lock is released. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  shows the same device in an exploded state. The desired functionality could be accomplished using any number of internal mechanisms. Thus, the components described hereafter should properly be viewed as one embodiment among many.  FIG. 2  shows the underside of top  10 . Its main features are a simple disk  60  with a descending ring gear  52  located about the perimeter of the disk. The ring gear includes a number of evenly spaced teeth  22 . Receiver  36  is positioned in the center of disk  60 . It is configured to receive fastener  32 —which is used to link the components together. As one example, receiver  36  could include a female thread designed to receive and engage male threads on fastener  32 . 
         [0023]    Ball bearing case  20  is positioned inside ring gear  52 . This feature contains a plurality of ball bearings positioned to roll within bearing race  28  in outer casing  12  (the bearing race being inset into the upward facing surface of outer casing  12 ). The ball bearing case includes capturing features which hold the ball bearing securely while still allowing them to rotate. The reader will observe that top  10  is sized to fit within the upstanding outer wall of outer casing  12 . Once the top is secured to the outer casing, the top is free to smoothly rotate via the action of the ball bearings rolling within bearing race  28 . 
         [0024]    Outer casing  12  opens into lock receiver  30 , which is sized to receive and capture lock  14  (explained in more detail subsequently). Boss  31 , having hole  34  passing completely therethrough, is located in the center of the outer casing. This hole allows the threaded portion of fastener  32  to pass through boss  31  and into receiver  36 . Washer  24  is preferably provided to more securely engage the fastener. The dimensions are preferably selected so that the fastener bottoms out in receiver  36  just before any binding between the top and the outer casing occurs. The top is thereby free to smoothly rotate on the ball bearings without having excess play. The outer perimeter of ring gear  52  is preferably sized to fit closely within the inner perimeter of the outer wall of outer casing  12 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  shows a more detailed view of lock receiver  30  in the outer casing. Each side wall includes a support surface  38  and an engagement chamfer  42 .  FIG. 4  shows the same area with lock  14  in place within the lock receiver. Slide plate  46  rests atop the two support surfaces. Stop  48  protrudes upward from slide plate  46 . Pawl  50  protrudes outward from stop  48 . Grip  44  is preferably contoured so that a user may easily grip it and pull the lock outward as indicated by the arrow. 
         [0026]    The lock may include features which slide beneath the two engagement chamfers  42  shown in  FIG. 3 . Such features are preferable, since they will restrict the motion of the lock to simply moving in and out of the lock receiver. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 5-7  illustrate the locking action of lock  14  as it is moved within the lock receiver.  FIG. 5  shows top  10 , outer casing  12 , and lock  14  in an assembled state. However, the entire disk  60  of top plate  10  has been cut away in the view so that the user may easily observe the position of ring gear  52 . The perspective is from the inside of the outer casing, looking outward toward its perimeter. The ring gear is in the position it occupies when the invention is in the assembled state. The reader will note that pawl  50  is well clear of the ring gear. The top is thereby free to rotate. 
         [0028]    Pawl  50  is provided with a taper on its exposed end facing ring gear  52 . The notches in the ring gear are preferably flared on the side facing the pawl. These features allow the pawl to smoothly engage the ring gear even when the pawl does not happen to be aligned with a notch. 
         [0029]    If the user wishes to lock the top in a desired angular position, the user grasps grip  44  and pulls the lock outward.  FIG. 6  shows the lock moved partially outward. Pawl  50  has engaged one of the many notches  54  between the teeth  22 . If the pawl is given an appropriate height, its engagement with the ring gear can actually create a wedging action which tends to force the top away from the outer casing. This effect ensures a tight and frictionally retained engagement when the lock is moved outward. Of course, if the engagement is made too tight, the lock may not function well. Thus, the pawl and ring gear are preferably sized to provide a tight fit that does not unduly stress the assembly. 
         [0030]    In  FIG. 7 , the user has continued pulling outward on grip  44  until stop  48  has actually mated against the inner circumference of ring gear  52 . This arrests further outward movement, thereby capturing the lock so that it cannot be accidentally pulled free of the device. 
         [0031]    Those skilled in the art will thereby realize that the lock is captured in the device by placing it within the lock receiver, then assembling the top to the outer casing. The lock&#39;s inward travel is limited by the inward facing surface of handle  44  bearing against the outward facing surface of outer casing  12 . The lock&#39;s outward movement is limited by stop  48  bearing against the ring gear. 
         [0032]      FIG. 8  shows the assembled invention from the bottom. Bottom surface  56  preferably includes a plurality of feet  58 . These are resilient pads of material intended to provide a good grip on table or desk surfaces. The user will also note the previously described fastener and washer in position in the center of the bottom surface. 
         [0033]    While the invention is not dependent upon the selection of any particular material, the reader may benefit from some discussion of practical ways to manufacture the invention. Returning to  FIG. 2 , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that top  10  and outer casing  12  may be conveniently made by injection molding. other features, such as ball bearing case  20 , can be assembled by conventional snap engagements. 
         [0034]    The top preferably has a resilient material on its upper surface. This could be a bonded layer or an overmolded layer. Likewise, the feet on the bottom of the outer casing could be separate components or could be an overmolded layer. The material for the top is preferably heat resistant, since laptop computers and similar devices may become hot. 
         [0035]    The foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative embodiments of the present invention. Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only, and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Although specific terms may be employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein, but is limited only by the following claims.