Patent Publication Number: US-6220180-B1

Title: Computer workstation

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to personal computers, and more particularly, to a computer workstation for supporting and positioning a personal computer and associated peripheral devices. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Electronic data processing equipment such as personal computers, communications monitors, workstation terminals, etc., have become standard equipment in modern offices and even in most homes. Many different types of specialize computer workstation furniture have already been developed to support such equipment. However, such furniture is typically very large in construction, with associated high costs and maintenance problems, or relatively lightweight, with limited adjustability, stability and durability. 
     One drawback in currently available workstations is that they are generally designed to accommodate desktop style central processing units (CPUs). However, recently the computer industry has departed from the original desktop style and has been producing tower style CPUs. Thus, the majority of existing workstations cannot accommodate the tower style CPU, thereby causing the user to place the tower CPU on the floor next to the workstation which does not allow for ready and uniform movement of the workstation. A primarypupose of such known workstation was to configure the CPU with its corresponding peripherals in a neat, organized and functional manner while maintaining elevation of the CPU and peripherals above the floor. However, the evolution of the now more popular tower style CPU is causing the current workstations to become obsolete. 
     Another drawback of existing workstation arrangements is that they are generally designed to accommodate either right handed or left handed users, and not both. As such, a user is forced to configure a computer and peripheral locations/positions according to the design of the workstation furniture as opposed to the desired comfort of the user. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a computer workstation which supports a tower-like computer in addition to all peripheral devices while at the same time being configurable to accommodate both right handed and left handed individuals. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the computer workstation includes a left side support having a front tubular member, a rear tubular member and at least one cross support extending from the front tubular member to the rear tubular member. A right side support having a front tubular member, a rear tubular member and at least one cross support extending from the front tubular member to the rear tubular member are also provided. A plurality of shelf support rods extend from the left side support to the right side support. The workstation further includes a plurality of shelves releasably connectable to the shelf support rods, with each of the plurality of shelves supporting at least one peripheral computer device. A mouse support is releasably connectable to one of the front tubular members, and a CPU support is connected to one of said left and right side supports and extends outward therefrom, for forming a support for supporting a tower-style CPU. 
     The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention. 
     The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote similar elements throughout the several views: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the computer workstation according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of the computer workstation according to the first embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear view of the computer workstation according to the first embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the computer workstation according to the first embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 a  is a side sectional view of a disassembled supporting shelf in the computer workstation according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 b  is a side sectional view of the assembled support shelf in the computer workstation according to the invention; and 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the computer workstation according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown a computer workstation  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention. Workstation  10  has a left side support  12 , a right side support  14 , a monitor support shelf  22 , a keyboard support shelf  24 , a lower support shelf  26  a mouse support shelf  32 , and a computer (CPU) support shelf  28 . Left side support  12  and right side support  14  are constructed of a tubular material, such as, for example, steel. Left side support  12  includes a rear tubular member  11 , a front tubular member  13  and cross supports  34  and  38 . Right side support  14  includes a rear tubular member  15 , a front tubular member  17 , and cross supports  36  and  39 . Workstation  10  can be stationary or can include wheels  20   a - 20   b  releasably affixed to the four corners defined by left and right side supports  12  and  14 , respectively. 
     Left side support  12  and right side support  14  are connected to each other via shelf support rods  42   a ,  42   b ,  44   a ,  44   b ,  46   a , and  46   b . As shown in FIG. 4, support rod  42   a  is connected to side  12  using a screw or other fastening device that passes through hole  43   a  in rear tubular member  11  and into rod  42   a . On the opposing side, a screw or other fastening device passes through a corresponding hole  43   a  in rear tubular member  15  and into rod  42   a . Support rod  42   b  is connected to front tubular members  13  and  17  via holes  43   b  in a similar fashion. A shelf  22  is then releasably secured onto support rods  42   a  and  42   b  to provide a monitor display support shelf for the user. The secure engagement of shelf  22  with rods  42   a  and  42   b  is described later with reference to FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b.    
     Shelf support rods  44   a  and  44   b  are connected to the cross members  34  and  36  so as to provide support for a keyboard shelf  24  receiving the operating keyboard of the computer being held by workstation  10 . Each cross member  34  and  36  has corresponding holes  45   a  and  45   b  for receiving screws or other fastening devices and securing rods  44   a  and  44   b , respectively, transverse to cross members  34  and  36  and side supports  12  and  14 . Shelf rod supports  46   a  and  46   b  are connected to the rear and front tubular members  11  and  15 , of side supports  12  and  14 , respectively. Tubular members  11  and  15  have corresponding holes  47   a  and  47   b  for receiving screws and securing support rods  46   a  and  46   b , respectively. 
     According to a first embodiment, workstation  10  includes a tower-style computer (CPU) shelf  28  connected to left side member  12 . CPU shelf  28  and the area provided above the same accommodates tower-style computers including full towers and/or mini-towers. The area above shelf  28  is formed from two C-shaped members  16  and  18  each having a lower leg  48   a  and  48   b  and an upper leg  50   a  and  50   b , respectively. The upper legs  50   a  and  50   b  are connected to the rear tubular member  11  and front tubular member  13 , respectively, of side support  12 . Rear tubular member  11  includes a hole  51   a  for receiving a screw or other fastening device and securing upper leg  50   a  to side support  12 . Front tubular member  13  includes a correspondingly positioned hole  51   b  for receiving a screw or other fastening device and securing upper leg  50   b  to side support  12 . The lower leg  48   a  is connected to rear tubular member  11  via a screw through hole  49   a , and lower leg  48   b  is connected to cross support  38  having a correspondingly positioned hole  49   b  for receiving a screw or other fastening device. 
     Computer shelf  28  is releasably and securely fitted onto lower legs  48   a  and  48   b , and includes an additional support wheel  40  having an upper area  41  for contact with the underside of shelf  28 . Support wheel  40  supports the additional weight of the tower-style computer and prevents workstation  10  from tipping or having a tendency to tip resulting from the added off-center weight of the tower-style computer sitting on shelf  28 . 
     An additional shelf  30  can be provided above shelf  28  and is supported by upper legs  50   a  and  50   b . Shelf  30  can provide additional space for resting papers or other items that the user desires, and can be configured with slots  54  for retaining CD-ROM computer discs in a neat and organized manner. 
     According to the first embodiment, workstation  10  includes a mouse support shelf  32  pivotably attached to front tubular member  17  via compression-like fittings  55   a  and  55   b . Mouse support shelf  32  includes a support arm  54  passing through each compression fitting  55   a  and  55   b  such that it may positioned according to the user&#39;s preference. When not in use, mouse support shelf  32  can be pivoted inward such that it is disposed under keyboard shelf  24  so as to not extend outward beyond right side support  14 . 
     FIG. 2 shows an exemplary arrangement of a computer system within workstation  10  where a tower-style computer  100  is supported by CPU shelf  28  and a display monitor is supported by the upper shelf  22 . The keyboard  108  is supported by shelf  24  and a printer  104  is supported by shelf  26 . A mouse  106  with corresponding mouse pad  107  can be situated on mouse shelf  30 . Depending on the user&#39;s desire and the size of monitor  102 , speakers  110   a  and  110   b  can also be disposed on shelf  22 . 
     A rear cross support  52  (See FIG. 3) is connected to rear tubular members  11  and  15  and provides additional support and stability to workstation  10 . Support  52  can have curved ends so as to engage rear tubular members  11  and  15  in a substantially parallel configuration, and thereby provide additional surface area support between tubular members  11  and  15  and cross support  52 . Other configurations of cross support  52  can also be implemented without departing from the scope of this disclosure. 
     FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b  show, by way of example, how the shelves  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  and  30  engage their respective support rods. For example, shelf  22  includes inwardly curved ends  62   a  and  62   b  having ends  64   a  and  64   b , respectively. Thus, when support rods  42   a  and  42   b  are connected to side supports  12  and  14 , they are positioned such that shelf  22  may be pressed downward (as indicated by the arrow) against rods  42   a  and  42   b  such that ends  64   a  and  64   b  are slightly stressed outward. By continuing to apply downward pressure, rods  42   a  and  42   b  are securely fitted within curved ends  62   a  and  62   b , and are resiliently retained in this position (as depicted in FIG. 5 b ). In the event that the user desires to remove shelf  22  from its support position on rods  42   a  and  42   b , an upwardly applied pressure from the underside of the shelf will cause ends  64   a  and  64   b  to flex outward. Once ends  64   a  and  64   b  travel a distance along the circumference of the rods  42   a  and  42   b  substantially equivalent to the radius of the rods, shelf  22  will be released from its fixed positioned on rods  42   a  and  42   b.    
     FIGS. 1-4 show a first embodiment of workstation  10  set up for use with a right handed user (i.e., the mouse shelf  32  on the right side). According to another embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the computer shelf  28  and corresponding C-shaped supports  16  and  18  can be disposed on right side support  14 , and mouse shelf  32  with compression fittings  55   a  and  55   b  can be disposed on the front tubular member  13  of the left side support  12 . As shown in FIG. 6, workstation  10  can be easily configured to accommodate both right handed (FIGS. 1-4) and left handed (FIG. 6) users. 
     While there have been shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the methods described and devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto. 
     The invention is not limited by the embodiments described above which are presented as examples only but can be modified in various ways within the scope of protection defined by the appended patent claims.