Patent Application
20230194153
Home appliance and furniture as a productivity and wellness aid interfacing with user's digital experience and work. cl CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
None
For an occupant of a housing unit, there is currently no solution for people who seek to work on their laptop or other computing device, while standing upright for significant phases of time in ergonomic comfort matching the standard standing desk—without adding, shopping for, or cluttering a home beyond its existing furnishings—while having the added benefit of fresh food access. Also, there is currently no solution, during standing use of virtual reality or “metaverse”-related technological systems, for achieving optimized efficiency and convenience in nourishing the body with fresh food and liquid during a use session.
Many people have the problem of working from home in the same single room, studio apartment, compact home, or other limited-floor space units that they live, eat, and even sleep in. Meanwhile, the existing refrigerator is well-recognized as a life-essential appliance for lasting food sufficiency, and takes up a certain well-understood, limited, set amount of floor space in a housing unit. A standing desk, too, is recognized as beneficial for productivity, health, wellness, and creativity, and takes up floor space and comes at added expenditure.
While housing floor space can be a rarity and precious commodity in the residential economy, those with the means and the floor space increasingly utilize standing desks for working, studying, and interacting with VR/metaverse effectively and preserving or enhancing their wellness.
The invention of the Refrigerator Standing Desk (RSD) meets the ergonomic, floor-space, economic, and housing unit-configuration problem of the lack of an effective furnishing/appliance that supports home-based work, residential remote-work, remote-learning challenges, and VR/metaverse connection in a healthy, nourishing way for working and/or living in a limited-floor space environment.
There is a pronounced and widespread need for providing the productivity and wellness benefits of a standing desk in housing interiors which require conversation of floor-space, and, as well, a need for distance workers and students to be able to work in an ergonomic standing posture encompassing periods of time in which the workers and students would want to access nutritious, fresh refrigerated food with minimal inconvenience, distraction, and dislocation from their stance. These needs are provided and served by the RSD.
(In the known art, others have developed desks, standing desks, and wall-mounted standing desks;
others have developed center-opening refrigerators that reduce the displacement of the user's standing position when standing in front of the refrigerator to place or retrieve food;
others have developed compartments for ease of placing beverage containers and plates;
others have also developed refrigerator windows and multiple doors and sub-doors for facilitating chilled food access; other refrigerators of course have a flat-topped surface on which items can be placed;
others have invented wiring and digital “smarts” inside refrigerators; others have developed data cabling, and cable connection hubs, between computer interface devices and components; and others have development accessories and conveniences for using computing devices, media, the internet, virtual reality (VR), or metaverse technologies while in an upright posture . . . .
However, none of these existing technologies or patents provide the means, designs, utilities, connective digital cabling, or other required technologies for standing for work in an optimized ergonomic position while especially conveniently accessing the refrigerator, while consuming low-to-no amounts of floor space, through having the desk at which the user stands to work, study, or access an internet experience located at and connected to the same apparatus as the home's refrigerated and chilled food and drink storage and access, as does the Refrigerator Standing Desk. Meanwhile, the size of the apparatus houses the speakers and the monitor at a distance from the eyes (unlike a wall-mounted standing desks)—as is specified as the invention in this patent application of the Refrigerator Standing Desk.
No technical solution has yet provided the advantage of giving ergonomic standing capabilities to those occupants who want to stand for periods and then sit for periods while they work, without taking up additional floor space. Many people in homes, apartments, condos, houses, etc., currently work remotely, work for themselves from home, or study at home while sitting at the dining room or kitchen table, kitchen island, kitchen counter, or kitchen bar. This is perhaps because of floor space constraints or due to people making the choice to be near the food in the kitchen.
Thus, the object of and solution provided by this invention is that in or near the kitchen where the refrigerator has been, people can use the Refrigerator Standing Desk (RSD) to have periods of working in an ergonomically standing posture, using their computing devices in this position without adding a cluttering additional feature like a separate standing desk, and have their typical home food storage in the same location for easy access of chilled foods. The user additionally then has the advantages of working from the kitchen area (which many workers and students already often choose to do, for a variety of reasons) with the home kitchen's likely amenities, including but limited to a table and chair on which the user may sit to alternate with the standing position of using the RSD.
The invention of the Refrigerator Standing Desk is an apparatus providing a workspace for people on the top of their essential food-chilling appliance in the kitchen, optimized for a computer user's ergonomical, comfortable, wellness-enhancing work optimized for productivity.
The secure, non-slip, computer-stabilizing features of the top platform of the Refrigerator Standing Desk apparatus, together with the simple, one-step plug-in method on the top of the apparatus, provide a safe and intentionally conducive location to place and operate one's valuable portable computing device in the service of performing one's work, study, and interactions on the internet in an ergonomically healthy standing position with most efficient access to intermittent fresh food and nourishment.
The alcove, for the user's hands and forearms, and featuring an operable keyboard, and mouse, provides a conducive and ergonomically shaped interface to work on and operate the laptop computer or other plugged-in computing device in a comfortable and sustainable standing position.
The internal digital cabling de-clutters and simplifies all cabling needs to effectively operate the computer as a standing work and study terminal.
The access to the contents of the refrigerator design is made easy by doors specially made for allowing for the ergonomical space afforded by the arm and keyboard/mouse alcove for the user.
Being combined with the refrigerator, the Refrigerator Standing Desk affords a user's work location in the kitchen area of the housing unit. Thus, no separate unit has to clutter up the residence's limited floor space, and at the same time the user can work in the kitchen area which is beneficial when the user may want to eat, or may wish to alternate to working in a seated position. Switching between standing and sitting is achieved simply by unplugging a single cord and carrying the portable computing device a few feet to a different preferred surface.
Refrigeration compartments and access doors and windows of the Refrigerator Standing Desk are designed to make it optimally simple and easy to store, access, support, and consume food while standing to work, be on a videoconference, and study.
The sound and monitor multimedia hookup capabilities further provide the optimal work/study/video-call experience for standing human ergonomics and effectiveness.
The brief description of drawings includes a written description of the invention that explains how to make and use it. It should point the reference numerals used in the drawings and should be specific. The details should be sufficient enough for a person skilled in the art to understand and perform the invention.
The Refrigerator Standing Desk (RSD) is made with key differences from a conventional refrigerator frame, as shown in the frontal, lateral section, and birds-eye view drawings (
1. Devices Connection Hub (sends signals to keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, accessories)
2. System connection to user's portable/laptop computer with a single cable insert.
3. Adjustable computer platform, with non-slip resting surface, raises 0 to ˜6″, lowers, tilts, and shifts computer left to right for optimal use. Has slightly raised guard-edges and a non-slip surface.
4. Alcove—open arm space for computer operation by the user and spaces for a keyboard and mouse
5. Adjustable support platform on raisable/lowerable pins, for supporting of Keyboard,
Mouse Support, wrist pad, and forearm rest
6. Dish and Beverage Tray, which slides out and in
7. Upper Level door handles
8. Upper Level food storage and access for user in standing work position including slide-window and door
9. Lower Level door handles
10. Lower level chilled food storage for access in working stance with non-protruding see-in slide window and center-opening door.
11. Frozen foods access with center-opening door. Water/ice dispenser may be installed here.
12. Removable/attachable large system monitor for attaching to the at the upper-back edge of the RSD, which the user may employ for increasing the distance from eye to screen and for working with the laptop folded closed.
13. Rotating Vertical Papers Organizer/Display
14. Sound Speakers connected by feed cables
15. Removable VR Headset holder, with snap-on means of affixing
16. Attachment/storage slot for plausible accessorizing with accessories such as standing pads, foot pads, lifts, tactile, haptic, biofeedback, and experiential interactive technology, and/or lower-body pressure-point, massage, or exercise equipment, and a connection cable channel to this attachment slot from the system Connection Hub.
17. Location of optional side door handle.
1. Main power cable and adaptor
2. Unmodified standard refrigeration components: compressor, condenser, receiver, valves, coils, thermostat switch, fans, etc., in their typical working configuration
3. Power cable and adaptor to the Connection Hub for power and signals to the monitor, speakers, and laptop
4. Monitor groove for monitor insertion, attachment, and removal of attachable monitor, with data connection
5. RSD Monitor and Monitor Attaching System which, when the monitor is attached, would allow user to maintain a greater eye distance from the screen by working with the user' s portable computer folded closed
6. Sound Speakers
7. Rotatable Vertical Papers Organizer/Display
8. Single connection for portable (laptop) computer to RSD
9. Digital Devices Connections Hub
10. Height-Adjusting platform for portable (laptop) computer
11. Upper Level, center-opening, access doors for chilled dishes, meals, and drinks for accessing in the user's standing work stance, with see-in sliding window
12. Upper Level storage for dishes, beverages, and snack while user is in standing work posture.
13. Adjustable platform for keyboard, mouse, wrist pad, and forearm rest
14. Dish and beverage tray
15. Chilled storage, including capacity for extra-high stacked items, including preferred snacks, dishes, and drinks
16. Organizing compartments for additional meals, foods, beverages, snacks, and frozen foods
17. Lower Level access doors and see-in slide windows, for user access while standing
18. Optional side door/door handle for special space configurations
19. Alcove Area
20. Removable VR Headset Holder, with snap-on means of affixing
21. Attachment/storage slot for plausible accessorizing with standing pads, foot pads, lifts, tactile, haptic, biofeedback, and experiential interactive technology, and/or lower-body pressure-point, massage, or exercise equipment, and a connection cable channel to this accessory slot from the system Connection Hub.
22. Cabling between Device Connection Hub and devices.
1. Cable connecting computer to Device Hub (concealed), from which cables to connect to keyboard, mouse, monitor, and accessories.
2. Anti-slip, raised-edges, laptop and portable Computer Platform that supports, raises, lowers, and tilts a portable (typically laptop) computer
3. Audio system connection cable to user's computer
4. Protective grills over the tops of audio speakers
5. Removable, reattachable monitor
6. Rotatable vertical papers organizer/display
7. (Upper Level doors and handles)
8. Removable VR Headset Holder, with snap-on means of affixing
1. Cable connecting power adaptor to Device Connection Hub for devices' power.
2. Device Connection Hub
3. Down/up cable feeds routed to the Alcove, for connection to keyboard, mouse, and accessories' connection
4. Monitor connection feed
5. Monitor groove for monitor attachment lock-in and plug-in
6. Audio connection feed to speakers
7. Two speakers (each with woofer and tweeter), and continuing audio feed between first and second speaker
8. Optional side door handle for special space configurations
9. Tracks for sliding the Computer Platform foundation offset to the left or right as needed for the center of the Computer Platform to align with the center of the keyboard. (While mouse is preferentially used to one side or the other.)
10. Attachment and foundation for the computer platform which securely holds user's (laptop) computer and may adjust its height for the user's preferences.
1. The Alcove: Large indentation the full width across the RSD from side to side, deep and tall enough comfortably for the user's hands, wrists, lower forearms, wrist pad, adjustable keyboard platform, keyboard, mouse, and their connections and cables.
2. Adjustable Keyboard/Mouse/Wrist Pad Platform with adjusting height support settings on both sides for leveling.
3. Feed up and down between the Alcove and the Device Connection Hub
4. Keyboard connection to system
5. Intermediate elevation area in refrigeration compartments at Alcove Level, providing vertical room behind the Alcove for the items stored on the refrigeration shelf below to be stacked extra-high compared to standard known refrigerators.
6. Mouse connection to system
7. Mouse usage surface
8. Wrist Pad location
9. Slide-out forearm support
10. Retractable dish and beverage-holding tray at the bottom elevation of the Alcove
Compared to the known art, the Alcove for use with the wrists and hands replaces a section of refrigerated compartment and a section of door.
As the drawings indicate, accommodations for the added technology relative to the known art include:
Access to meals, snacks, smoothies and drinks is improved through cup-holders, space for stacking plated meals, and access windows and doors to food and drink in conducive ways for eating while working digitally, remotely, and video-calling.
The Refrigerator Standing Desk is an invention that locates the work-from-home, study-and-homework, and online meta-experience station without allocating additional unit floor space for furniture. In a refrigerator, floor space is already taken, and food and drink are chilled and stored. Thus with a properly equipped refrigerator, a person is enabled to work on a computing device, particularly including portable or laptop computers, in an ergonomical standing posture, right in the nourishment-center of the home or housing unit. This invented apparatus also minimizes the user's time-consuming, disrupting, interrupting, messy, or distracting physical actions that would otherwise be needed for accessing food while working, studying, or connected to the internet.
The Refrigerator Standing Desk is made by rethinking— with a mindset towards the remote worker's increasing needs for ergonomics and non-clutter at home when interfacing with technology—the form and function, the main body frame, the layers of the body; the doors; and more of the existing appliance used for refrigeration; and at the same time rethinking the standing-operated desk as a space-taking furnishing and instead adding its function into the existing, large, upright appliance footprint typically in (or sometimes near or far from) the kitchen.
However, the compressor, condenser, receiver, valves, coils, thermostat switch, fans, and other standard mechanical parts used in refrigeration are unchanged.
The rethinking of the form and function of the kitchen appliance and the standing desk comprises innovations and improvements to the front, top, body frame, electronic capabilities, doors, and food compartments:
A remote worker in an apartment works 8 hours per day, from 8 am to 5 pm with one hour lunch, and would like to stand while working for up to a few hours at a time during the day. To work on the worker's laptop, the worker places the laptop computer on the Refrigerator Standing Desk (RSD) and simply plugs the RSD apparatus system into the computer through one USB connection. The worker adjusts the adjustable computer device platform to cause the monitor to face the worker an appropriate eye-level. Then the worker uses the keyboard and the mouse at the ergonomic hand and forearm height adjusted for the worker's forearm and wrist support, to conduct work and join business videoconferences. For eye relief and wider monitor visual “real estate” during work while standing, the user switches to using the Refrigerator Standing Desk's back-of-unit, forward-facing, eye-level monitor. For more impressive sound than the laptop alone, the worker plugs into the RSD audio system for sound. When thirsty for a cooled beverage, the worker opens a center-opening, minimal-protrusive door to retrieve a beverage, and may the beverage it on the built-in, fold-out beverage-support. When hungry for fresh food from the refrigerator, the worker opens a minimal-protrusive door to retrieve a bowl or plate, and may set in on the built-in, fold-out plate and bowl support and eat or snack. When complete, the user may fold back in the plate and cup supports. When the opportunity presents itself and the work-from-home worker is ready to sit down, the single system connection cable is disconnected, and the worker carries the laptop to a counter or table to continue work.
A learn-from-home student attends online classes at 7:30 am to 9:00 am, 11:00 am to 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm to 4:15, and 6:00 to 7:30 pm. The 7:30 am class is a lecture. To begin the day with a healthy breakfast and some healthy upright posture time, the student watches the lecture on the RSD's monitor and listens through the RSD's speakers or the student's own earphones, as determined by consideration for any other household members' needs. During the lecture, the student takes any refrigerated components of the student's breakfast out through the front food access doors of the RSD apparatus. Breakfast is consumed from the RSD food tray, while the student takes digital notes and interacts with the lectures. Key paper materials that support the lecture material were already placed on the vertical paper organizer/display for reference. During the lecture when the student has finished eating, the breakfast foods that should be chilled are returned to the RSD food storage compartments. At the close of the lecture, the student cleans the tray. The student may now continue studying in a standing position, or unplug and take the computer and/or paper materials to a different location.
The mid-day practicum (11:00 am to 1:30 pm) can take place with the student sometimes in a standing and sometimes in a sitting position. If standing and hungry or thirsty, access is provided easily and conveniently.
There is a timed exam from 3:00 to 4:15. To keep the brain alert and nourished during the mid-afternoon test, the student chooses to stand and to have preferred smoothies and nutrition packs. The student begins the timed test while in the standing position at the RSD with speakers plugged in and monitor setting switched to the laptop's own monitor. The nutrition packs rest on the tray, and the fresh smoothie is retrieved partway through the exam by simply opening the access door with minimal effort or distraction. It is placed on the tray for further imbibing later in the test. At the completion of the exam, the user returns uneaten food, unplugs, and goes on with the late afternoon life of a student.
6:00 to 7:30 pm is questions and answers (Q&A) with an expert instructor. After a demanding day, the student may wish to participate in Q&A on a sofa and food on the coffee table. Then, finding attention fading while important teaching is occurring, a period of standing becomes attractive to the student. The student carries the laptop to the RSD and plugs in, and interaction switches to the keyboard and mouse in the alcove. The movement boosts the student's attention. The ease of access to the fresh food storage gives the student an inclination to obtain fresh vegetable sticks, dipping sauce, fruit and an evening juice from the RSD with minimal distraction from the valuable learning. After the useful Q&A, the student continues working on an assignment in an upright posture easily eating nutritious fresh food, until easily returning the food to the RSD' s inside food compartments and moving on to a more relaxing posture at the end of the evening.
A user of a metaverse-related technology in a home with limited space seeks a consistent place to log in with their avatar for extended experiences and virtual outings, perhaps with other avatars. The user has a virtual day trip and virtual dinner planned. While in a standing position, the user puts on the VR Headset (found in the Headset Holder), and commences “walking through the daytrip scenery,” virtually or in a “metaverse” type of reality. The user becomes hungry. Remaining in a virtual/meta-space, the user conveniently opens the RSD front door, using a developed spatial familiarity with how to open the food access doors and know exactly how to find and grab the preferred snack, meal, or beverage. The user can eat or drink the item all at once, or place it down on the food and beverage tray, which is also done through nonvisual familiarity with the convenient and user-friendly apparatus. To continue eating or drinking, the user again uses familiarity with the design to pick up the food or drink. When the user has eaten or drunk to satiety, physical familiarity also allows the VR-immersed user to return any partially completed containers to the refrigerated food storage area of the apparatus. If the user finishes the day-trip VR session and has a break before the virtual dinner date, the user may remove the headset and return the headset to the Headset Holder. The user may then further clean the RSD's tray at this time, and may reorganize, take out food for kitchen preparation, and/or restock the refrigerated food storage areas of the RSD apparatus as desired.
For the virtual dinner gathering, while the user may go to a sitting position and complete the dinner at a table or counter, the user may also, even for the virtual dinner gathering, wish to mix in physically standing, for comfort, stretching, health, or other reasons. Whether a given course of the dinner is warmed and prepared in the kitchen, or is obtained straight out of the refrigerator (such as a drink or desert), the user may come to standing at the RSD apparatus for ease of food tray usage and food and beverage access. At any time the user feels safe doing so, the user may transition between sitting and standing while experiencing the virtual reality/“metaverse”-related dinner event.
