Patent Publication Number: US-2009218467-A1

Title: Apparatus with adjustable base

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a continuation-application of co-pending application Ser. No. 11/316,937, filed on Dec. 27, 2005, now U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0139867. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention relates generally to a base-adjustable apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus with an adjustable base, which shortens the distance between the main device of the apparatus and an adjacent wall for space saving. 
     2. Related Prior Art 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , a conventional apparatus  7  is composed of a thin main device  71  and a relative wider base plate  72 . The base plate  72  is attached on the underside of the main device  71  to support and protect the main device  71  from falling. In this way, the thin main device  71  can be firmly straightened up. 
     Typically, the main device  71  is limited to stand in the middle area of the base plate  72  with two side extensions  720  of the base plate  72  exposed outside, as shown in  FIG. 7 . When the apparatus  7  approaches to a wall  5 , there must be a space wasted between the main device  7  and the wall  5  since the main device  71  is not allowed to move any closer to the wall  5  due to the limit of the side extensions  720  of the base plate  72 . It is clear that the conventional apparatus  7  using the two side extensions  720  for supporting the main device  71  takes up a lot of space. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus with an adjustable base in order to shorten the distance between its main device and a wall for space saving. 
     The adjustable base is a base plate configured to be attached on the underside of the main device. The base plate has a front section defining a through hole therein and a rear section formed with at least one bolt thereon. The bolt stands out from the top of the base plate to be received in the respective one of the holes defined in the underside of the main device. 
     In particular, the apparatus further includes a pivot shaft rotatably received in the through hole of the base plate in order to have the main device be rotatable with respect to the base plate. The pivot shaft extends outside the underside of the base plate and has one end fixed on the underside of the main device and the other end formed with a head having a width greater than the diameter of the through hole of the base plate to be blocked outside the through hole. In addition, the length of the pivot shaft extends to such an extent that the pivot shaft together with the main body is allowed to be lifted up to a predetermined height limit higher than the bolt. While in use, the main body can be lifted up and then be rotated about the pivot shaft with respect to the base plate to another position where the main body is closer to the wall to save space, and then laid down with the bolt of the base plate being inserted into another suitable one of the holes in the underside of the main device for positioning. 
     More particularly, the rear section of the base plate is fork-shaped to include two opposite protruding portions. Therefore, the main device can be adjusted to a desired position away from the middle line of the base plate with its rear end laid at either one of the two protruding portions. The fork-shaped rear section of the base plate provides excellent weight balance for the main device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which corresponding parts are identified by the same numerals and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an explosive perspective view of a base-adjustable apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is a front view of the base-adjustable apparatus, showing that the main device is placed in the middle line of the base plate; 
         FIG. 2B  is a top view of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 3A  is a front view of the base-adjustable apparatus, showing that the main device is adjusted rightward to a position away from the middle line to come near a right side wall; 
         FIG. 3B  is a top view of  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 4A  is a front view of the base-adjustable apparatus, showing that the main device is adjusted leftward to a position away from the middle line to come near a left side wall; 
         FIG. 4B  is a top view of  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial cross sectional view of the base-adjustable apparatus; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial cross sectional view of the base-adjustable apparatus, showing that the main device is lifted up with respect to the base plate to a predetermined height limit; and 
         FIG. 7  is a prior art. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a base-adjustable apparatus is disclosed according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus generally includes a main device  1 , a base plate  2  attached on the underside of the main device  1  and a pivot shaft  3  enabling the main device  1  to rotate with respect to the base plate  2 . The main device  1  may be a computer host, an electric device or any instrument in need to be straightened up. With the help of the base plate  2 , the main device  1  can be firmly straightened up without falling easily. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the base plate  2  has a front section  20  on one end and a fork-shaped rear section  23 , coplanar with the front section  20 , on the other end. The front section  20  of the base plate  2  defines a through hole  200  therein to receive the pivot shaft  3 . The pivot shaft  3  is composed of an upper elongated section  31  and a lower screw  32  screwed onto a bottom of the elongated section  31  in a line. On the other hand, the fork-shaped rear section  23  of the base plate  2  has two supporting portions  21 ,  22  on opposite sides respectively. 
     Additionally, the elongated portion  31  of the pivot shaft  3  has one end fixed on the underside of the main device  1  and the other end defining a threaded hole  310  therein for engagement with a threaded portion  322  of the screw  32 , as best shown in  FIG. 5 . The screw  32  is substantially mounted on the base plate  2  via the elongated section  31  and has a head  320 , a smooth portion  321  extending from the head  320  and the threaded portion  322  extending from the smooth portion  321 . As can be seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when the screw  32  is screwed onto the elongated section  31 , the head  320  of the screw  32  is blocked outside the through hole  200  since the width of the head  320  is greater than the diameter of the through hole  200  of the base plate  2 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the main device  1  defines at least two holes in the underside thereof. In this preferred embodiment, there are three holes  40  defined in the underside of the main device  1  and are arranged in an arc centered about the elongated section  31  of the pivot shaft  3 . On the other hand, there are three bolts  41  formed on top of the rear section  23  of the base plate  2  corresponding to the holes  40  of the main device  1 . Likewise, the three bolts  41  of the base plate  2  are arranged in an arc centered about the through hole  200  in the base plate  2  where the screw  32  of the pivot shaft  3  is received. It should be understood that one bolt, instead of three bolts, is still fine in another example. However, the three bolts  41  as disclosed in this preferred embodiment enable the main device  1  to be straightened up more firmly. 
     When the screw  32  passes through the through hole  200  of the base plate  2  and is screwed onto the elongated section  32 , as depicted in  FIG. 5 , the pivot shaft  3  has a total length greater than the depth of the through hole  200 . As such, the pivot shaft  3  is normally extends outside the underside of the base plate  2  and rotatably received in the through hole  200  of the base plate  2 . Furthermore, the total length of the pivot shaft  3  extends to such an extent that the pivot shaft  3  together with the main body  1  is allowed to be lifted up to a predetermined height limit H higher than the bolt  41 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . Note that the height limit H is confined due to the head  320  being blocked outside the through hole  200  in the base plate  2 , which ensures that the main device  1  will not easily depart from the base plate  2  before loosening the screw  32  of the elongated section  31 . Additionally, the base plate  2  is formed with a pair of limiting pillars  210 ,  220  on the two distal ends of the fork-shaped rear section  23  to protect the main device  1  from dropping off the base plate  2 . 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate that the main device  1  is located on a middle line of the base plate  2  with the two supporting portions  21 ,  22  equally exposed outside the main device  1 . 
     While in use, the main device  1  can be first lifted up to the predetermined height limit H and then be rotated a certain degree with respect to the base plate  2 , as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , in order to draw near to a right side wall  5 . After that, the main device  1  can be laid down with the two right side bolts  41  of the base plate  2  being wedged into two left side holes  40 . At this time, the right supporting portion  21  is relatively less exposed and the space between the right side of the main device  1  and the wall  5  is greatly reduced. Note that, in the meanwhile, the right limiting pillar  210  is positioned exactly abutting against the right side of the main device  1 , which greatly helps to prevent the main device  1  from coming off the base plate  2 . 
     Alternatively, as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the main device  1  is adjusted to pivot leftward a certain degree on the pivot shaft  3  such that two left side bolts  41  of the base plate  2  are wedged into two right side holes  40  and therefore the left supporting portion  22  is relative less exposed. Further, the left limiting pillar  220  abuts against the left side of the main device  1  to prevent the main device  1  from coming off the base plate  2 . The space between the left side of the main device  1  and the left side wall  6  is greatly reduced. 
       FIG. 5  shows a more detailed illustration of the through hole  200  defined by an annular inward flange  201  of the base plate  2 . The threaded portion  322  of the screw  32  passes through the through hole  200  and is screwed into the threaded hole  310  of the elongated section  31 . The smooth portion  321  of the screw  32  has smooth surfaces and is provided for rotating and sliding up and down within the through hole  200  of the base plate  2 . As mentioned earlier, the head  320  is blocked outside the underside of the flange  201  and therefore limits a sliding range when the main device  1  is lifted up. 
     As noted above, without the need to loosen the screw  32  of the elongated section  31 , the main device  1  can be lifted up to the predetermined height limit H which is higher than that of the bolts  41 , but lower than the limiting pillar  220 . Moreover, the right limiting pillar  210  is as high as the left limiting pillar  220  as shown in  FIG. 2 . In this way, the main device  1  can be easily lifted up and pivoted on the pivot shaft  3  without being blocked by the setting bolts  41  but be protected by the limiting pillars  210 ,  220  of the base plate  2 . 
     It will be appreciated that although a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications may be made. It is intended in the claims to cover such modifications which come within the spirit and scope of the invention.