Abstract:
Modular component mobile support stand and various accessories and a system of modular components to provide mobility and support for countless applications. The modular component mobile support stand has the capability of being disassembled and assembled without the use of tools and this capability allows for the interchangeability of the various modular accessory components.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional 60/578,601 filed Jun. 10, 2004. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART  
       [0002]     This invention deals with a modular component mobile support stand and various accessories. This invention also deals with a system of modular components to provide mobility and support for countless applications.  
         [0003]     There are many patents dedicated to modular storage units and/or mobility of the same and those known to the applicants herein are, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,961, that issued on Oct. 22, 1996 to Snell, et al in which there is described a modular storage that includes a plurality of shelf components having a bottom portion and which are enabled to be converted into cabinets. This device is simple a carrier table for such elements and is designed to be only a storage capability.  
         [0004]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,423 that issued on Dec. 24 2002 to Perelli, et al deals with a mobile maintenance cart having storage shelves and a container storage attached to the back end of said cart. This cart is designed to carry maintenance materials and collect rubbish and the like.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,220 that issued on Dec. 10, 2002 to Clark, et al deals with a mobile clinical workstation that includes an adjustable height horizontal tray and a pull-out keyboard tray that is mounted beneath the horizontal tray to support a keyboard. In addition, there is a power source mounted in the bottom of the cart.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,217 that issued Dec. 10, 2002 to Jenkins deals with a mobile workstation with power supply system in which there is shown a base mounted on castors, a vertical column that is attached to the base, and a shelf that is mounted to the top most end of the column. The shelf supports a computer or the like.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,721,178 that issued on Apr. 13, 2004 to Clark, et al, also deals with a mobile clinical workstation. This patent is a continuation of the &#39;220 patent and thus the description is identical therein. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a full view in perspective of the mobile modular support stand of this invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a view in perspective of the base of the invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2B  is a view in perspective of the base of the invention showing the approximate angle of the intersection of the forward extending support members.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3A  is a full side view of two of the cantilevered support members.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3B  is a full back view of a portion of a support bar of the lattice.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a full top view of a cantilevered support member.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is top view in perspective of a device of this invention wherein the lattice is enclosed with a storage space.  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged exploded view of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 7 a  view in perspective of a system of this invention wherein there is shown a shelf, a desk top and a drawing board along with an enclosed storage space around the lattice.  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is a view in perspective of a system of this invention showing four shelves in a stacked position.  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is a view in perspective of a system of this invention showing a cabinet and a shelf configuration.  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  is a view in perspective of a system of this invention showing a cabinet with two front doors and a third leg therebetween. 
     
    
     THE INVENTION  
       [0020]     This invention deals with a modular component mobile support stand and various accessories. This invention also deals with a system of modular components to provide mobility and support for countless applications.  
         [0021]     Thus, this invention deals with a modular component mobile support stand comprising a base, wherein the base is supported by at least four casters. There is a vertical lattice having a top end and a bottom end, the vertical lattice being affixed to the base by its bottom end, and there are at least two cantilever brackets detachably affixed to the vertical lattice for supporting accessories.  
         [0022]     This invention also deals in another embodiment with modular component mobile support stands having multiple accessories, such as simple platforms, elevatable desk tops, video screens, flat monitor brackets, open cabinets, closed cabinets, hanging file storage, audio/visual storage and transporting, health care applications, mobile laptop work desks, seating, podiums, electrical accessories, power sources, power strips, data strips, cord management, paper management trays, wireless data transmitters and receivers, to name a few.  
         [0023]     Yet another embodiment of this invention is a novel base for a modular component mobile support stand, the base comprising an essentially U-shaped main cross bar to which is attached two forward extending support legs, wherein the each of the forward extending support legs has a front end and a back end and the back ends are attached to the U-shaped main cross bar.  
         [0024]     Still another embodiment of this invention is a novel cantilevered support member, said cantilevered support member having a near end, the near end having an extension mounted thereon, said extension terminating in an L-shaped configuration, said L-shaped configuration having an inside surface, the L portion of the extension having a tooth centered on the inside surface. The cantilevered support member also features a pivoting cam located at the junction of the near end of the cantilevered support member and the attachment of the L-shaped configuration and on the top surface of the cantilevered support member for locking the cantilevered support member into the legs of the vertical lattice.  
         [0025]     There is also an embodiment that is a kit, said kit comprising in combination, a. a base member; b. four transport devices; c. four bumper disks; d. at least one vertical lattice; e. at least two cantilever support members, and, f at least one accessory module selected from the group consisting of (i) desk top, (ii) personal computer, (iii) film projector, (iv) slide projector, (iv) television, (v) DVD player, (vi) tape recorder, (vii) overhead projector, (viii) cupboard, (ix) typewriter, (x) keyboard, (xi) bookshelf, (xii) power pack (xiii) printer, (xiv) scanner, (xv) lighting, (xvi) simple platforms, (xvii) video screens, (xviii) flat monitor brackets, (xix) hanging file storage, (xx) audio/visual storage and transporting, (xxi) health care appliances, (xxii) mobile laptop work desks, (xxiii) seating, (xxiv) podiums, (xxv) electrical accessories, (xxvi) power sources, (xxvii) power strips, (xxviii) data strips, (xxix) cord management, (xxx) paper management trays, (xxxi) wireless data transmitters, (xxxii) wireless data receivers, and any combination of (i) to (xxxii).  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]     Turning now to a detailed description of the invention, there is shown in  FIG. 1 a  full view in perspective of the mobile modular support stand  1  of this invention wherein there is shown a chassis  2  comprised of two main components, a base  3 , and a lattice column  4 . The base  3  is comprised of an essentially U-shaped main cross bar  9 , to which is attached to forward extending support legs  10 . It should be noted that the two forward extending support legs  10  are angled away from each other such that the front ends  11  of the base  3  are farther apart than the back ends  12 . This arrangement of the support for the base  3  tends to provide support for the chassis  2  that is not possible with equally spaced-apart support members such as are found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,721,178, U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,217, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,220 discussed Supra.  
         [0027]     It should be noted that the base  3  is constructed such that the support provided by the U-shaped main cross bar  9  in cooperation with the forward extending support legs  10  is provided by a complex angle of such components, in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions. If the linear axis lines of the forward extending support legs  10  were extended beyond the back ends  12  as shown in phantom in  FIG. 2B , the angle φ would be on the order of about 35° to about 65°, with the preferred angle φ being on the order of about 45° to about 55°. This provides for the nesting of parts, maximizing the stability for large loads, provides visually dynamic mode enhancement of the unit and it minimizes the unit&#39;s visual mass. This construction allows for optimizing access to the contents of the unit, minimizing the utilities management capability and provides for desired visual characteristics. The base  3  transfers all load to the floor through the castors  14 , which are designed to be oversize from the normal.  
         [0028]     Attached to the ends  11  of each of the forward extending support legs  10 , and the end of the U-shaped main cross bar  9  are rotatable castors or wheels  14 . Each of these castors or wheels has the capability to rotate and to also roll such that the mobile modular support stand  1  has unique mobility and flexibility in steering when the mobile modular support stand is moved, and allows for ease of transport over uneven surfaces and thresholds, in and out of elevators, over rugs, and the like. In certain applications, the castors  14  can be replaced with glides. Also, this type of castor or wheel  14  is capable of being locked such that the mobile modular support stand  1  cannot be moved.  
         [0029]     In addition, surmounted above each of the rotatable castors  14  is a bumper disk  13  that is manufactured out of materials that will enable them to absorb contact with other surfaces and prevent the mobile modular support stand  1  from being damaged. This type of bumper disk  13  also protects the walls and other objects in a building as the absorbent capability absorbs shocks that would normally damage such wall structures. In addition, the disk  13  provides a design detail that is not available with other mobile units. The disk  13  is large enough to extend beyond the caster or wheel radius to aid in the damage control aspects of the disk  13 .  
         [0030]     As can be viewed from  FIG. 1 , each of the legs  5  of the lattice column  4  are attached at their bottom ends  6  to the base  3  to obtain the chassis  2 . It should be noted for purposes of this invention that this connection can be a permanent connection, or it can be a connection that is easily disconnected. For example, the legs  5  can be welded in place, or they can be inserted into cup-like retainers, or some other means of attaching/detaching the legs, such as pegs on the base and hollow legs that are insertable over them. In addition, it is contemplated within the scope of this invention that the bottoms of the legs can have insertable tabs, and that the base member, on the top surface can have a slot for receiving such insertable tabs. What is important is that such a connection can hold against the stress of heavy objects placed in storage or on shelves of the mobile modular support stand  1 . The height of the lattice  4  is designed to accommodate low configurations such as stools, to intermediate heights such as casual seating, and high configurations such as for standing and for video screen support. Thus, the lattice  4  ranges in height from about 24 inches to about 58 inches, the preferred range being 28 inches to 52 inches. It should be noted that the devices of this invention are intended to be those that are capable of interchanging the accessory modules by removing the lattice entirely from the base and substituting another lattice that already has an another accessory module capability. For example, a lattice on a base that contains, for example, a moveable desk top, can be interchanged with a lattice that contains computer and computer capabilities.  
         [0031]     Thus, there is shown in  FIG. 1  the chassis  2 , the base  3 , the lattice column  4 , the legs  5  of the lattice column  4 , and in addition, there is shown a cross-bar  7  that holds the top ends  8  of the legs  5  in a solid position. It is contemplated within the scope of this invention to use cross-bars  7  that are removable from the tops of the legs so that the lattice can be broken down and packaged or transported and then can be reassembled.  
         [0032]     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , that is a view in perspective of the base  3  of the invention showing the main crossbar  9 , the forward extending legs  10 , the front ends  11  of the forward extending legs  10 , and the back ends  12  of the forward extending legs  10 . In addition, there is shown two posts  16  that are configured such that each leg  5  of the lattice  4  can be placed down over the pegs  16 , respectively, and hold the lattice  4  in place. This is another method by which legs  5  can be attached to the base  3 . Yet another method of attaching the legs  5  of the lattice  4  to the base  3  is through the use of bolts and/or screws. It is contemplated within the scope of this invention to provide a modular component mobile support stand that can be easily and quickly assemble and disassembled so that tools are not required.  
         [0033]     It can be noted from  FIG. 1  that there is a pair of cantilever support members  15  that are detachedly affixed to the legs  5  of the lattice  4 . The cantilever support members  15  are arranged on the legs  5  at any height that is desirable to accommodate the accessories that are being placed thereon.  
         [0034]     Cantilevered support members  15  are illustrated in  FIG. 3A  wherein the top cantilevered support member  15  is tilted upwardly at its distal end  19  and the bottom cantilevered support member  15  is fully engaged and located perpendicular to the leg  5 .  FIG. 4  is a full top view of a cantilever support member  15  of this invention in which there is shown the distal end  19  and the near end  20  of the cantilever support member  15 . There is also shown near the near end  20 , a gap  21  or opening that is the size of the outer diameter of a leg  5 . At the near end  20  there is shown an extension  22  of the cantilever support member  15  that is used to attach the cantilever support member to the leg  5 . The extension  22  terminates in an L-shaped extension  23  that has a tooth  24  positioned vertical to the inside surface  25  of the L-shaped extension  23 . The cantilever support members  15  are useful in many sizes, for example, larger, heavier members  15  for large loads, and smaller, lighter members  15  for smaller, lighter loads.  
         [0035]     The back surface  17  of the legs  5  can be found in  FIG. 3B . Therein are shown slots  18  into which the tooth  24  is inserted. Thus, in use, the cantilevered support member  15  can be moved up and down on the leg  5  by tilting the distal end  19  up slightly to dislocate the tooth  24  from the slot  18 , the cantilevered support member  15  can then be moved up or down as desired, and then the distal end  19  is lowered to the horizontal and the tooth is inserted into the slot  18 .  
         [0036]     In order to prevent accidental dislodgements, a pivoting cam  26  is located near the gap  21  and on the top surface  27  of the cantilevered support member  15 . The pivoting cam  26 , when the lobe  28  is positioned toward the leg  5 , disables an upward tilt of the distal end  19  of the cantilevered support member  15 , and consequently the tooth  24  remains engaged in the slot  18  and the cantilevered support member  15  is locked to the leg  5 . Similarly, when the lobe  28  of the pivoting cam  26  is positioned away from the leg  5 , the distal end  19  of the cantilevered support member  15  can be tilted up and the cantilevered support member  15  is unlocked from the leg  5 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of a device of this invention showing the legs  5  enclosed with a casing  29 . The casing  29  is comprised of two front fascia panels  30  and a rear fascia panel  31 . It is contemplated that this casing  29  can be comprised of a single front fascia panel. Where two front fascia panels  30  are used, it is contemplated that they can be separated by yet another leg  38  ( FIG. 10 ) that can have power outlets contained therein.  
         [0038]      FIG. 6  is an exploded and enlarged view of  FIG. 5  and wherein like numerals designate like components, there is shown the casing  29  with its component parts, front fascia panels  30  and back fascia panel  31 . This casing  29  is designed in one embodiment to be clipped onto the lattice  4  and in another embodiment, it is designed to be firmly attached to the lattice  4 .  
         [0039]     The inside hollow cavity  32  provided by the casing  29  is provided by the assemblage of the various components, i.e. the lattice  4 , the back fascia panel  31 , and the front fascia panels  30 , and provides a hollow cavity  32  housing a variety of functional accessories. The hollow area  32  can accommodate a power and data strip, cord management, paper management trays, wireless data transmitters and receivers, battery packs to power items being used on the mobile modular support stand  1 . Access to the hollow cavity  32  can be achieved by accessing through the front fascia panels  30 , or by removing the back fascia panel  31 .  
         [0040]     With reference to  FIGS. 6, 7 , and  8 , there is shown therein various combinations of the accessories on individual mobile modular support stands  1 . For example, in  FIG. 7 , there is shown a bottom shelf  33 , a desk top  34 , and an elevatable drawing board  35 . It should be noted that this particular configuration, among others, allows for a stool or chair to be placed at the front of the mobile modular support stand  1 .  
         [0041]     Turning to  FIG. 8 , there is shown an arrangement of shelves  33  and the attachment of a handle  36  to the legs  5 . In  FIG. 9 , there is shown a cabinet  37  and a shelf  33 . The accessories can have many sizes and shapes and this is dependent on the intended end use of the device  1 . The accessories can be manufactured from wood, veneer, laminated panels, painted panels, power coated materials, metals, fabric covered panels, and the like. Flat surfaces can be outfitted with top surface side rails to prevent materials and items from slipping and falling to the floor.  
         [0042]     The device  1  can be compiled into a kit that can be pre-determined by the customer and the kit can be shipped to the customer for assembly.