Patent ID: 7261261

Claim:
A stand comprising: a floor mount; a location means for a unit to be supported; and at least one column extending between the floor mount to which the column is attached by a first attachment and the location means which is attached to, or integral with, an upper region of the at least one column; the column having a longitudinal axis which is curved relative to a straight line extending between the first attachment and the location means; the at least one column comprising in combination; a front panel extending between floor mount and the location means and reducing in horizontal cross-section in passing upwardly from the floor mount to the location means; the front panel having a longitudinal axis which is curved relative to a straight line extending between the first attachment and the second attachment; a hollow spine of U-section channel attached to the front panel such that the front panel serves to close the U-section so that the front panel and the hollow spine in combination provide for the column to be substantially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the front panel; the hollow spine having a cross-section in the region of the floor stand which is greater than the cross-section of the spine in the region of the location means; the at least one column serving to transmit loads applied to the stand by way of the location means to the floor mount; the at least one column comprising a hollow channel substantially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the front panel; and a hollow spine having a cross-section in the region of the floor stand which is greater than the cross-section of the spine in the region of the location means.