The invention relates to a device and method for protecting a computer peripheral against unauthorized removal.
It is quite usual to protect computer equipment against unauthorized removal. For instance, for protecting notebook computers from theft, the use of cable locks—an end of wire with a loop and a lock for engaging a slot in the housing of the computer—with which the computer can be secured to a structure or item which is fixed to the building or difficult to carry (such as a piece of furniture or an eye connected to a wall) is quite usual.
However, this does not protect the computer peripheral or peripherals connected to or connectable to the computer against unauthorized removal. Although computer peripherals and specifically those for desktop use such as mouses and keyboards are generally of a relatively low value compared to the value of a computer, users are often encountered with disappearance of such items from their desks. Even if the items are only borrowed, such situations are still inconvenient for the user.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and user-friendly solution for protecting a computer peripheral against unauthorized removal.
According to the present invention, this object is achieved by providing a device according to claim 1. The invention further provides a method according to claim 10 to achieve this object.
By holding the computer peripheral by its signal cord it can be protected against unauthorized removal in a simple manner and since the housing of the peripheral is not directly engaged, the proposed solution does not require the presence of protecting structures attached to the peripheral which would interfere with the ease of use and the freedom of movement of the computer peripheral and would clutter up the desktop environment. Many desktop computer peripherals are directly connected to the signal cord, so that removal of the peripheral is made quite difficult if the signal cord cannot be removed without disconnecting it from the peripheral. Even if the peripheral is connected to the signal cord by an easily releasable connector, it is still not convenient to take away the peripheral if the signal cord cannot be removed, because, lacking the associated signal cord, it would not be readily useable at another desktop.
Particular embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.
Further features, effects and details of the invention are described with reference to examples of the devices and methods according to the invention including those appearing from the drawings.
First, the exemplary embodiment shown in
A support for a laptop or notebook computer (for instance as schematically shown in
The sidewalls 6 form a support structure that, in the operational condition shown, projects downwards from the slot 5, such that the keyboard 3 supported by the edges of the slots 5 is kept at a distance above a surface 8 on which the support 1 stands. Thus, in use, the display flap 4—and hence the display—is located at a distance above the desktop 8. Since the display is located at a distance above the worktop, the risk of neck complaints during working with the computer for a longer time, is limited. The computer 2 can be operated by means of control members in the form of a separate keyboard 9 and a mouse 10, connected to the computer 2 via signal cords 11, 12 (see
The support 1 further comprises a document support 15 with a support surface 16 that extends above and along the slot 5. If a keyboard of a computer is positioned in the slots 5, a portion of the keyboard 3 located adjacent the display flap 4 projects from below the document support 15 and the display flap 4 projects upwards behind the document support 15. The document support 15 enables supporting documents in a position above the keyboard portion 3 of the computer 2 and tilted and elevated above the desktop 8.
Along the lower edge of the document support 15, a support edge 17 projects upwards. In use, this support edge 17 bounds a lower end of the document support surface which projects forward relative to the slots 5 in the support to provide sufficient space between the edge 17 and a display 4 for documents of usual height such as A4 (297 mm), Letter (11 inch) or Legal (14 inch).
The sidewalls 6 of the support are each composed of two panels 13, 14 that are pivotable relative to each other about an axis 18. The upper ones 14 of the panels 13, 14 can be retained in various positions by positioning a rod 19, which is laterally shiftable in slots 20 in the upper panels 14, in one of various recesses 21 communicating with a vertically extending adjustment slot 22.
For protecting a computer peripheral, such as the mouse 10, the keyboard 9 shown in
In the plate 23, a signal cord holding passage 26 for receiving a signal cord 11, 12 for operatively connecting a computer peripheral to a computer is arranged. The signal cord holding portion is transformable between an open condition (as shown in
The slide 25 forms a connecting structure for connecting the support 1 to an object, in this example formed by the cable 30. To this end, the slide 25 has a connecting passage 29 through which the cable 30 or a chain can be guided. The signal cord 29 can be connected to a lock, for instance a cable lock. In turn, the cable 30 can be secured to an item that is fixed or difficult to remove, such as a large piece of furniture, by a lock or by a permanent connection.
The signal cord holding portion and the connecting structure are interconnected for securing the signal cord holding portion in the signal cord holding condition when the connecting structure is connected to the cable 30. In the present example, this is achieved by positioning the connecting passage 29 in such a position relative to a securing bay 31 that the connecting passage 29 and the securing bay 31 are at least partially in-line when the slide 25 blocks an access passage 32 via which signal cords 11, 12 can be passed laterally into and out of the signal cord holding passage 26. If it is attempted to slide the slide 25 to a position in which the passage 32 is open while the cable 30 extends through the connecting passage 29 and the securing bay 31, the cable 30 prevents the slide from moving to a position in which the connecting passage 29 and the securing bay 31 are not at least partially in-line with each other. Since such a position cannot be reached, the slide cannot be slid far enough to open the passage 32 for allowing lateral removal of the signal cords 11, 12 from the signal cord holding passage 32.
Since the connecting passage 29 can only accommodate the cable 30 while the slide 25 is in such a position that it closes off the access passage 32 communicating with the signal cord holding passage 26, the connecting cable 30 can only be guided through the connecting passage 29 when signal cord holding portion is in the signal cord holding condition and the connecting cable 30 extending through the connecting passage 29 keeps the signal cord holding portion secured in the signal cord holding condition. The wall 24 in effect forms a shutter blocking the connecting passage 29 when the signal cord holding portion is in its open condition.
Since the device for protecting a computer peripheral against unauthorized removal by connection to another item is integrated in a computer support 1, the computer support 1 is also protected against unauthorized removal. The support 1 is further provided with an opening 33 for receiving a locking member of a lock. This allows to also protect the support 1 and the computer peripherals of which signal cords extend through the signal cord holding passage 26 against unauthorized removal when the computer to which the lock can be connected is not available, for instance because the user is out of the office and has taken the computer along.
Since the access passage 32 to the signal cord holding passage 26 is a side access for allowing lateral entry and release of the signal cord when the signal cord holding portion is in open condition, the signal cords 11, 12 can be brought into and out of the signal cord holding passage 26 very quickly and easily, without disconnecting the computer peripheral from the computer.
In the example shown in
A slide 75 forming the connecting portion is mounted to one of the legs 84 of the signal cord-holding portion and slidable along that leg 84 in longitudinal direction of the leg 84. A bow 87 is mounted to the other one 85 of the legs in a position spaced from the hinge end 86 over a distance larger than the length of the slide 75 and slightly larger than the length of the leg 84 to which the slide 75 is mounted. The bow 87 bounds a slide receiver passage 89 into which the slide 75 can be inserted slidingly along the leg 84 to which it is mounted when that leg 84 is pivoted into an orientation extending closely along the other leg 85. The slide is provided with an abutment 88 projecting beyond the contour of the slide receiver passage 89. When the slide 75 extends through the slide receiver passage 89. this abutment 88 prevents the slide 75 from moving away from the hinge end 86 so far that the slide 75 is removed from the leg 84 and that leg is released.
The slide further includes a connecting passage 79 through which a cable 30 or the like can be guided for connecting the device 51 to an item such as a desk 8 by arranging the signal cord as a loop 90 around a leg of the desk 8. The bow 87 and the leg 84 form a shutter which closes off the connecting passage 79 when the slide 75 is in its position closely adjacent the hinge end 86 and allows the legs 84, 85 to pivot apart form each other for receiving or releasing signal cords 11, 12 in of from a signal cord holding passage 76 bounded by the legs 84, 85. With the legs 84, 85 in this V-shaped position, the signal cord holding passage 76 has an enlarged width that is large enough to allow most plugs (connectors) to pass through the passage 76 for inserting or removing signal cords. Furthermore, since the leg 84 along which the slide 85 is slidable is free from the bow 87, signal cords 11, 12 can also be inserted into and removed from the signal cord holding passage 76 in lateral direction when the signal cord holding portion of the device according to this example is in its open position.
After the signal cords 11, 12 have been positioned in the signal cord holding passage 76, the slide 75 is slid away from the hinge end 86 into a position extending through the slide receiver passage 89 in the bow 87 as shown in
As long as the cable 30 projects through the connecting passage 79, the slide 75 cannot be slid back through the bow 87 without damaging the device 51, because sliding the slide 75 back requires the connecting passage 79 to move to a position closely in front of the legs 84, 85 and to pass through the bow 87, which is prevented by the presence of the cable 30 projecting through the connecting passage 79. Furthermore, the projection 88 prevents the slide 75 from sliding further away from the hinge end 86. Thus, the slide 75 cannot be displaced to such an extent that the leg 84 is free to pivot away from the other leg 85. In the position shown in
Also in this example, the device is provided with a slot 83 for engagement by a lock 91, so that the device 51 can also be connected to an item 8 if the computer 2 is not available to receive the operative end of the lock 91.
In the example shown in
In the signal cord holding condition as shown, a signal cord holding passage 126 and a connecting passage 129 extend through the discs 142, 143. The signal cord holding passage 126 is for receiving signal transfer signal cords 111, 112 to be secured to the device 101 and the connecting passage 129 is for receiving a connecting cable 30 for securing the device 101 to an element that is fixed or difficult to displace. The area of mutual overlap between slots 146, 147 in the upper disk and the lower disk forms the signal cord holding passage 126. Apart from access portions 132, 132′, at least portions of the slots 146, 147 extend along a radius about the axis of rotation 145. Accordingly, the effective width of the signal cord holding passage 126 does not vary significantly if the disks 142, 143 are rotated relative to each other. In the signal cord holding condition as shown, the signal cord holding passage 126 has an essentially closed circumference and a width which is too small to allow the plugs 127, 128 to pass there through. This prevents the signal cords 111, 112 from being removed from the signal cord holding passage 126. The size of the connecting passage 129 is such that the lock 141 attached to a free end of the cable 30 can be passed through that passage. To this end, the smallest dimension of the connecting passage 129 is preferably at least 18 to 20 mm and more preferably at least 30 to 35 mm to allow the cable end carrying the lock through the connecting passage 129.
If the disks 142, 143 are rotated relative to each other, the portions of the connecting passage 129 are shifted out of line until edges of the passage in the disks 142, 143 abut against opposite sides of the cable 30. This prevents the disks 142, 143 from being rotated relative to each other to such an extent that the position of the upper disk 142 indicated with dot and dash lines is reached in which position access passages 132, 132′ communicating with the signal cord holding passage 126 are in line with each other and allow signal cords 111, 112 to be laterally inserted into or removed from the signal cord holding passage.
If the lock 141 is released, the cable 30 can be removed from the connecting passage 129. The disks 142, 143 can then be rotated freely relative to each other until the position of the disk 142 indicated in dash and dot lines is reached which allows signal cords to be laterally inserted into or removed from the slots 146, 147.
It is observed that within the framework of the invention many other variants than those described above are conceivable. For instance, the locking of the signal cord holding portion in the signal cord holding condition can also be accomplished by other means than a flexible pulling member extending through a passage. For instance, a lock can be provided which is incorporated in the device according to the invention. Such a lock may include securing means for securing to a fixed item or to an item that is difficult to displace and associated members for preventing signal cords to be released from the device when the securing means are locked or positioned in the condition for securing.
An example of such a variant is shown in
Since the signal cord holding portion 173 is fixedly connected to the cable 30, the number of loose parts, which are inherently prone to being lost, is reduced. A similar effect may also be achieved by fixedly connecting the signal cord holding portion to the lock that can be secured to an object.
This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/575676 filed on Nov. 22, 2004, which is a National Stage of PCT/NL2002/00319 filed on May 21, 2002, which applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10515676 | Jun 2005 | US |
Child | 11500231 | Aug 2006 | US |