Abstract:
A mounting for an all-in-one personal computer ( 10 ) that has a stand ( 12 ) for supporting the computer on a table or desk to enable the computer to be mounted on a wall or at the end of an articulated arm. A bracket ( 16 ) has a first wall ( 16 A) that is disposed to confront a face of the stand surrounding the through-hole in the stand and that contains a through-hole ( 24 ) that registers with a through-hole ( 26 ) in the stand and a second wall ( 16 B) that joins with the first wall and that contains a VESA compliant hole pattern that provides for attachment to a VESA compliant member. A hollow bolt ( 20 ) and a nut ( 22 ) coact with the registered through-holes to hold the first wall of the bracket fast on the stand.

Description:
REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION AND PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application claims the priority of Provisional Patent Application No. 60/963,823, filed 7 Aug. 2007, in the names of the inventors. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to personal computers in which the processing system, drives, and monitor are contained in a single unit that is supported by an upright stand having a base that sits on a table or desk. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Such personal computers are sometimes called all-in-one computers. One such computer is the IMAC™ computer. 
     The inventors believe that the advantages of an all-in-one personal computer can be extended by enabling the computer to be supported in a more versatile manner than merely by a stand that sits on a table or desk. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the inventors have developed a mounting system comprising an adapter bracket that they believe can improve the versatility of such a computer. The bracket enables a user to support an all-in-one computer by a wall- or arm-mounting. Use of the bracket for a wall- or arm-mounting enables the computer to be used more conveniently by some users and/or in situations where the existing stand would not be suitable. While the arm in some arm-mountings may be an articulated arm, the inventive mounting system can also be used with arms, non-articulated arms, and on carts. Hence, the bracket offers the possibility for expanding the market for such computers. 
     The bracket has a VESA compliant hole pattern that provides for attachment to a VESA compliant member, such as one at the end of an arm for enabling the computer to be arm-mounted. 
     One general aspect of the invention relates to a mounting for an all-in-one personal computer that comprises a stand for supporting the computer wherein the stand comprises a through-hole through which cables coming out of the computer can pass. 
     The mounting comprises a bracket comprising a first wall that is disposed to confront a face of the stand surrounding the through-hole in the stand and a second wall that joins with the first wall and that contains a feature, such as a defined hole pattern, providing for attachment of the second wall to a member of the mounting. 
     A fastening device coacts with the through-hole in the stand to hold the first wall of the bracket fast on the stand. 
     Another general aspect of the invention relates to a method of wall- or arm-mounting an all-in-one personal computer comprising a table- or desk-stand for supporting the computer and having a wall containing a through-hole through which cables coming out of the computer pass. 
     The method comprises unthreading the cables from the through-hole, disposing a first wall of a bracket against the wall of the stand so that a through-hole in the first wall of the bracket registers with the through-hole in the stand, and holding the first wall of the bracket fast on the stand by passing the threaded shank of a hollow bolt through the registered through-holes to cause a distal end of the shank to protrude beyond the registered through-holes, threading a nut onto the distal end of the shank, and tightening the nut and bolt together to force an outer margin of a head of the bolt toward the margin of one of the registered through-holes and a margin of the nut toward the margin of the other of the registered through-holes, and fastening another wall portion of the bracket that contains a defined hole pattern to a member of the wall- or arm-mounting. 
     The foregoing, along with further aspects, features, and advantages of the invention, will be seen in the following disclosure of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention depicting the best mode contemplated at this time for carrying out the invention. The disclosure includes drawings, briefly described as follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a wall mounting bracket fastened to a computer stand in accordance with the fastening system of present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross section view through the fastening system. 
         FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5  show a sequence of steps in the fastening process. 
         FIG. 6  shows the completed installation. 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded view showing a modified embodiment having a different bracket and other features. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross section view showing a further modified form applicable to both brackets. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The lower rear portion of an IMAC™ computer  10  is shown in a perspective view from the left rear in  FIG. 1 . A centrally located stand  12  has a generally upright wall portion  13  that extends from the back of the computer casing rearward and downward at an angle where it merges into a flat horizontal foot  14  that extends forward below the bottom of the computer. Stand  12  serves to stably support computer  10  on an underlying horizontal surface a short distance above the level of the surface. 
     At times, a user may desire to support computer  10  using a wall- or arm-mounting. The drawings show a wall mounting bracket  16  that is fastened to stand  12  by a fastening system  18  comprising a hollow bolt  20  and a nut  22 . The present invention relates to this fastening system. 
     Stand  12  has a circular through-hole  26  that is lined by a plastic bushing  28 . (see  FIG. 2  also). Cables that exit the computer, including their connectors, can pass through bushing  28 . Bracket  16  has a through-hole  24  that is essentially the same diameter as the inside diameter of bushing  28 . 
     To attach bracket  16  to stand  12 , the cables are unthreaded from the bushing, and the angled wall portion  16 A at one end of bracket  16  is placed flat against the outer back face of the generally upright wall portion of the stand, aligning through-hole  24  with bushing  28  in the process. The shank of bolt  20  is passed through from one side, specifically from the inner front face of the stand. The threaded end  30  of the bolt shank protrudes from through-hole  24  on the opposite side of the abutted portions of the stand and bracket, and nut  22  is threaded onto it and tightened. 
     Bushing  28  has a small lip  32  on the side that is toward computer  10 . The head  34  of bolt  20  contains a circular groove  36  surrounding the shank to provide clearance for lip  32  so that when nut  22  is fully tightened, the flat margin  38  of the inner face of head  34  surrounding groove  36  abuts the front face  40  of the stand while the flat inner face  42  of nut  22  abuts the flat face  44  of the bracket surrounding through-hole  24 . The result is a secure attachment of the bracket to the stand. 
     An anti-rotation feature may be incorporated in the bracket to keep the bracket from turning on the stand as the nut and bolt are being tightened. Two sets of threaded holes  46 ,  48  are provided in the bracket. The holes of one pair are slightly farther apart than those of the other. Depending on the width of stand  12 , screws  51  are threaded into the holes of one pair so that protruding ends of the screws closely straddle the side edges of the stand. 
     With the attachment complete, the cables may be re-threaded through the interior of the bolt that is open at both ends. The bracket may then be hung on a wall. Alternately, the bracket may be mounted on the wall first, and the stand attached to the bracket afterward. The bracket may be hung via the two spaced apart holes  50 , that include vertical slots, in a wall portion  16 B. 
     The bracket wall portion  16 B contains a VESA compliant hole pattern  49  that provides for attachment to a VESA compliant end of an arm when computer  10  is to be arm-mounted, as shown in  FIG. 6 . The wall portion  16 B containing the VESA compliant hole pattern is spaced from the wall portion  16 A containing through-hole  24  by a third wall portion  16 C so that the VESA compliant hole pattern is further from the computer. As viewed from the side, as in  FIG. 1 , the bracket has a generally inverted U-shape, with the leg that contains wall portion  16 A having a bend just above holes  48 . The particular VESA compliant hole pattern shown that provides both a 100 mm×100 mm and a 75 mm×75 mm VESA interface. Generic principles of the invention are not limited to any particular interface pattern. 
     By making the nut and bolt with fine threads and knurling the outer side edge, i.e. the outer circumference, of the nut and/or the bolt head, a person&#39;s hand can apply sufficient force to adequately tighten the nut and bolt together, making the use of a tool unnecessary, although general principles of the invention contemplate that the nut and bolt could have wrench surfaces to allow tightening by tools. 
     A modified embodiment appears in  FIG. 7 , but uses the same reference numerals to designate the same items as already described in connection with previous Figures. 
     The bracket is no longer an inverted U-shape. Rather the wall portion  16 B containing the VESA compliant hole pattern  49  and the wall  16 A containing through-hole  24  join together along a bend that inclines the former wall portion to the latter wall portion, as shown. 
     Bushing  28  is different in that it lacks lip  32  and has an axial length substantially equal to the thickness of wall portion  13  of stand  12  to thereby line through-hole  26 . An elastomeric O-ring  52  seats in groove  36  of bolt head  34 . The face of nut  22  that is toward wall  16 A also contains a circular groove, and an elastomeric O-ring  54  seats in it. 
     The two O-rings, nut  22 , and bolt  20  are dimensioned such that when the nut is tightened onto the bolt to clamp bracket  16  to stand  12 , both O-rings are compressed, with O-ring  52  being compressed between the bolt head and the inner face of stand  12 , and O-ring  54  being compressed between the nut and the outer face of stand bracket wall  16 A. The presence of the O-rings avoids metal-to-metal contact of the nut to the bracket and of the bolt head to the stand, and consequently avoids scuffing of the bracket and stand surfaces. It also provides frictional contact that enhances the attachment. If desired, felt pads, such as shown by the reference numerals  58 , may be placed between confronting surfaces of the bracket and stand as shown to avoid metal-to-metal contact. The anti-rotation screws  51  are screwed into the appropriate holes, either  46  or  48 . Bumper caps can be used to cap the ends of the screws that straddle the side edges of the stand. 
       FIG. 7  also shows four screws and lock washers  56  ready to be associated with the outer four holes of the VESA compliant pattern in wall portion  16 B. 
       FIG. 8  shows a further modified form where bolt  20  is like the one shown in  FIG. 2 , but has a second groove  36 A surrounding groove  36 . Groove  36  provides clearance for a bushing  28  having a rim  32 , as shown. An O-ring  52  like the one shown in  FIG. 7 , but of larger diameter, seats in groove  36 A. The nut  22  and O-ring  54  of  FIG. 7  are used with the bolt of  FIG. 8 . 
     Various materials may be used for the disclosed brackets and other parts depending on specific application. Stainless steel and aluminum are examples of materials suitable for making the brackets. 
     Various parts can be packaged as an after-market adapter kit for an existing computer. A typical kit based on the  FIG. 7  embodiment includes bracket  16 , bolt  20 , nut  22 , bushing  28 , O-rings  52 ,  54 , screws  51  with bumper caps, screws and lock washers  56 , pads  58 , and an Allen wrench for use with the screws. Bushing  28  is provided for use in certain stands that have a somewhat larger through-hole and lack the rimmed bushing shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it should be appreciated that principles of the invention are applicable to all embodiments that fall within the scope of the following claims.