GB2172498A - Improvements in furniture - Google Patents

Abstract

A computer desk providing a clear top workspace which is pivotal upwardly with a monitor compartment supported thereunder and brought to a viewing position by lifting the worktop with a computer terminal support being moved thereat to a user accessible position, the computer terminal and monitor being stored out of the way when the worktop is lowered. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in furniture Field of the invention This invention relates to improvements in furniture.

The invention is particularly directed to a desk which can accommodate personal or micro-computers and their associated equipment.

Background art Most students and other personal computer users simply place their computers and associated peripheral devices (e.g. monitors, data cassettes or disk drives, printers, modems, software and documentationì on a desk. This leaves little, if any, area to work on, and the equipment is not secure when not in use.

Security cabinetsfor personal computers are available (e.g. produced by Sylex Distributors Pty. Ltd.

Sydney) but these do not provide secure storage for the monitors and they have little, if any, usable working space when the computer is secured away, Objects of the invention It is an object ofthe present invention to provide a deskforcomputer equipmentwherethe desk has an unobstructed worktop when the computer is not in use.

It is a preferred object to provide a deskwherethe computer can be raised to a suitable working position when required.

It is a further preferred object to provide a desk where the computer and any peripheral equipment can besecurelystoredwhen not in use.

It is a still further preferred object two provide a desk where all wiring can be provided integrally to conceal and protectthe cables and connections between the various pieces of equipment.

It is a still further preferred objectto protect the computer equipment from dust when not in use.

Other preferred objects of the present invention will become apparentfromthefollowing description.

Brief outline of the invention In one aspect the present invention resides in a desk including: a frame assembly; a first worktop hinged at one side to the frame assembly; and storage means supported underthe worktop; so arranged that in its lowered position, the worktop provides a workspacethereon and equipment is stored in the storage means and in its raised position, access is provided to the equipment stored in the storage means.

Preferablytheworktopcan besecuredand/or locked in its raised and lowered positions.

Preferably the frame assembly includes side panels and a rear panel which enclose the storage means when the worktop is in its lowered position. The side and/or rear panels may extend to the floor or the desk may be supported on legs on a suitable stand.

Preferably the storage means includes one or more compartments e.g. for a computer monitor, data cassette or disk drive, computer disks or diskettes or other suitable equipment and/or software storage.

Preferablythe keyboard is supported on a shelf which ispreferably advanced towards the user as the worktop is raised. The shelf may have a central horizontal portion hingedly connected to a rear, substantially vertical portion which encloses the lower front portion ofthe storage means when the worktop is in its lowered position, and a front, substantially vertical portion which engagestheforward edge of the worktop to enclose the upperfront portion ofthe storage means.

The shelf may be connected to the storage means on the worktop by levers, linkages, arms with pins in tracks, or other suitable means to advance the shelf as the worktop is raised.

Brief description of the drawings To enablethe invention to be fully understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. is is a perspective view of the desk with the worktop in the closed position; FIG. 2 is a sectional side view taken on line 2-2 on FIG.1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the desk with the worktop raised; FIG. 4 is a sectional side view taken on line 4-4 on FIG.3; FIG. 5 is a side view ofthe mechanism for advancing and retracting the keyboard shelf astheworktop is raised or lowered; and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a printer cabinet which can be used with the desk, part being shown broken-away and the lid being shown in the raised position in dashed lines; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment providing extra storage for peripherals; FIG. 8 is sectional view ofthe desk of FIG. 7; FIGS. 9 and 10 are sectional views of a further embodiment of the invention.

Description ofpreferred embodiments Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the desk 10 has a frame with a pair of side panels 11, a rear panel 12 and aworktop 13 hinged to the rear panel 12 along its rear edge.

Storage means 14, comprising a plurality of compartments 15, 16, 17 (see FIG. 3) are provided on the undersideoftheworktop 13,thecompartments being defined by a rearwall 18, side panels 19, dividing wall 20 and floor 21.

As shown in FIG. 3, a monitor 22 is provided in the larger compartment 15, a disk drive 23 in upper side compartment 16 and diskette boxes (not shown) in lower side compartment 17.

Ashelf24issupported on a pair of horizontal arms 25 carried in runners (not shown) on the innerfacesof the side panels 11. Afront panel 26 is hingedly mounted ontheforward edge of the shelf 24.

When the worktop 13 is lowered, the panel 26 is substantially vertical and engaged behind a locking strip 27 provided along thefront edge ofthe worktop, while the panel 26 is lowered to be co-planarwith the shelf 24, to support a keyboard 28, when the worktop 13 is raised.

A rear panel 29 is hingedly connected to the rear edge of the shelf 24.

When the worktop is closed,the rear panel 29 is substantially vertical and closes the compartments 15-17, the panel being closely adjacent the forward edges ofthe walls 19,20. When the worktop 13 is raised, the shelf 24 is moved forward by pins 30 on the arms 25which engage curvedtracks 31 in the outer faces of the side walls 19 ofthe storage means. The upper edge ofthe panel 29 is pulled forward and the lower edge travels in an area defined by pins 32 on the panel 29 which are engaged in tracks 33 in the inner faces ofthe adjacentside panels 11 of the frame.

When the worktop 13 is in its lowered position (e.g.

in FIGS. 1 and 2),a key-operated latch (not shown) may engage the worktop to prevent it being raised and so prevent unauthorized access to the equipment in the storage means 14. (Alternatively, the latch may engage the shelf 24, which engages over lugs 19a on the side walis 19 (and dividing wall 20) to prevent the worktop being raised when the shelf is retracted, as shown in FIG. 2).

When the worktop 13 isin its raised position, the pins 30 on the arms 25 may engage in recesses 31a in the tracks 31 to securetheworktop in that position.

twill be readilyapparentto the skilled addressee thattheworktop provides a clear working surface when closed, with full securityforthe equipment in the storage means 14, while ready access to the equipment is available when the worktop is raised.

A security cabinet 34 may be provided e.g. for a printer (not shown),the cabinet being securely fixed, orreleasablefrom,thedesk 10.

The cabinet 34 has a frontwall 35 with a lockable door 36 providing access to a lower storage compart ment 37, side walls 38, a rearwall (not shown) and a lockable hinged lid 39 providing access to the printer compartment 40 (which has a floor 41). A window 42 in the lid 39 enables the operatorto read the material being printed on the printer,while the hinged lid enables access to the printer (e.g. to remove printed sheets orto supply fresh paper).

To reduce the noise from the printer, the cabinet may be lined witch sound absorbent material.

The desk 10 and the cabinet34 can be provided eitherfully assembled or completely-knocked-down (CKD) for do-it-yourself (DIY) assembly.

Preferably all electrical wiring and computer cables and connections are provided within the desk and cabinet so thatthese are not disturbedwhen the equipment is stored and not in use.

The desk may be mounted on suitable legs ora stand and alternative mechanisms can be provided to advance and retractthe keyboard shelf 24 as the worktop 13 is raised and lowered.

The desk has a pleasing aesthetic appearance and may be manufactured in a wide range of materials and finishes. Because of its configuration it uses very little floor space.

To assistthe userto raise and lowerthe worktop 13, it may be counterbalanced e.g. bya torsion bar, pneumatic orhydraulic struts, a spring-operated linkage or other suitable means.

In the FIGS. 7 and 8, the desktop 13 is shown raised to move the monitor compartment 14 into a viewing position. The shelf 24 isforthe supportofa computer terminal, keyboard, PC, etc. asset outabove and is slidably movable horizontally between a storage position and a user accessible position in a similar mannerto thatsetout above between edge runners of a suitable form. The desk of this embodiment is elongated to provide additional storage in a compartment 48 with a work surface 47 to accommodate peripheral equipment. This compartment may be suitably sized and sound-proofed to accommodate a printer. The desk might be boxed in atthis pointto provide a tier of drawersfor program storage, etc.As in the earlier embodiments, the desktop and monitor may be counter balanced by a torsion bar mechanism ora compensating spring balanced hinge mechanism as are commonly employed with motor vehicle bonnets, etc. In order to securethetop in position, any suitable locking mechanism might be employed. In FIG. 8, it will be seen thatthe desk components may be dimensioned so that shelf 24 may be moved in under compartment 14 so as to take the desktop weight thereon. As in the earlier embodiments, the monitor compartment may be boxed in so as to provide security from being knocked when in the storage position beneath the desk, with a kick panel being disposed in front of compartment 14.

In FIGS.9 and 10, the monitor 22 is mounted in compartment 13, beneath worktop 13, which is movable pivotally about its rear edge similarlytothe other embodiments. The keyboard 28 is mounted upon an angularly displaced support 43 about pivot 44 to be moved to a horizontal situation whereat the monitor may be viewed and the keyboard accessed.

When folded up, the top may be lowered so asto be used as a flat work surface. So as to support the keyboard horizontally,the supporttherefore, shelf43, may be provided with a suitable stop mechanism such as the abutments 45 and 46 disposed along the back of the hinge so as to limit its angular movement.

Alternately, the hinge plates and hinge pin pivot line may be designed so as to limitthe plate movement beyond a predetermined angular displacement in the known manner. When folded, the keyboard support becomes a front panel to the deskso asto provide securityforthe monitor by obscuring it behind the raised shelf43.

As stated above, the embodiment described is by way of an illustrative example only, and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the present invention.

Claims (11)

1. Adeskincluding: a frame assembly; afirstworktop hinged at one side to the frame assembly; and storagemeanssupported undertheworktop; so arranged that in its lowered position, the worktop provides a workspace thereon and equipment is stored in the storage means and in its raised position, access is providedto the equipmentstored in the storage means.

2. A desk as claimed in claim 1 wherein inthe raised position a secondworktop is accessible in front ofthe monitor storage means.

3. A deskas claimed in claim 2 wherein raising the firstworktop permitsthesecondworktopto be moved from a storage position to a working position.

4. Adeskascaimed in claim3whereinthesecond worktop in its working position effects the locking of theworktop in its raised position.

5. A desk as claimed in claim 4wherein locking is effected by means of a pin secured to the second work top moving in a groove secured to the firstworktop, said groove having an endstop bearing downwardly on the pin.

6. Adeskasclaimed in claim4whereinthe pin and groove interactto cause the second worktop to be moved to an accessible position as the first worktop is raised.

7. A desk as claimed in claim 3 wherein in the raised position of the fi rst worktop, the second worktop may be angularly displaced from a storage position to a horizontal working position.

8. A desk as claimed in claim 7 wherein the second worktop is pivotally mounted across an opening to the storage means and in its storage position lies across the opening.

9. A computer user's desk for containment of a computerterminalanda monitorwherein: the monitor is stored in an angulariy movable storage compartment pivotally mounted for movement between a storage position and a viewing position; the computer terminal is mounted to a support means which is movable between a storage position and a user accessible position; and the storage compartment is disposed beneath and attached to the desktop which is horizontally disposed in the storage position and angled upwardly in the viewing position.

10. A computer user's desk as claimed in claim 9 wherein the support means and storage compartment are interlinked so as to move togetherto their viewing and user accessible positions buy a pin secured to the support means engaged in a g roove secu red to the storage compartment, the groove providing an end stop at which the end stop bears down upon the pin to supportthe storage compartment in its viewing position.

11. A computer user's desk as claimed in claim 9 wherein at the angled upward position ofthe desktop, the support means is angularly movable about a pivot aligned along an edge ofthe storage compartment between a position acrossthefrontofthe monitor and a horizontal user accessible position.