The subject disclosure relates to furniture, and more particularly, to a student smart desk and impromptu shielding system.
An unfortunate part of the student learning process is the need to practice preparing for dangerous emergencies caused by other students. For example, there have been a number of incidents in recent years where students arrive to campus bearing firearms and open fire on fellow students, teachers, and other adults. The current approach to reacting to a school shooting is to quickly lock a door, turn off lights and hide in the dark hoping that the gunman does not enter the class. This unfortunately is stalling for time and hoping for random luck. Should the gunman enter the classroom, everyone inside is at their mercy.
In some instances, students will try and barricade themselves behind desks. Conventional desks are generally wooden (for example, pressed wood) and easily broken and pierceable by some higher caliber bullets. As may be obvious, student classroom desks today have changed very little for decades as they mainly try to offer affordable seating with a writing platform.
As can be seen, there is a need for improved desks for the student experience. In addition, there is a need to improve the security in the student environment.
In one aspect of the disclosure, a barricade apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first desk tabletop. A connection is positioned on an underside of the first desk tabletop. The connection is configured for detachable coupling to a desk frame. An interlocking element is positioned on one or more edges of the first desk tabletop. The interlocking element is configured to temporarily connect to an edge of a second desk tabletop. A temporary attachment of the first desk tabletop to the second desk tabletop forms a barricade.
In another aspect of the subject technology, a barricade system is disclosed. The barricade system includes a first desk including a first tabletop and a first desk frame. The first tabletop is detachable from the first desk frame. A second desk includes a second tabletop and a second desk frame. The second tabletop is detachable from the second desk frame. A first interlocking element is included on a first edge of the first tabletop. A second interlocking element is included on a first edge of the second tabletop. The first interlocking element is configured to connect to the second interlocking element, in the event the first tabletop and the second tabletop are detached from the first desk frame and from the second desk frame to form a barricade or part of a barricade wall using the first tabletop and the second tabletop as barricade sections.
It should be understood that the above described aspects may in some embodiments be distinct from one another or combine elements from one or the other aspect(s) in some embodiments. However, the claims should not be read to require any particular feature from one aspect to another aspect in the subject disclosure.
It is understood that other configurations of the subject technology will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various configurations of the subject technology are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the subject technology is capable of other and different configurations and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the scope of the subject technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the subject technology may be practiced. The appended drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject technology may be practiced without these specific details. Like or similar components are labeled with identical element numbers for ease of understanding.
In general, illustrative embodiments of the subject technology provide a desk for protection and/or augmented presentation of information. In one aspect, the desk may include a quick disconnect feature so that the desk tabletop is detachable from the frame so the tabletop may provide a personal shield. In another aspect, the desk may be interlocked with adjacent desks to form an impromptu barricade to protect a group of students behind the barricade from, for example, a prospective attacker. In one sense the shield/barricade aspect of the apparatus may be temporary for ad-hoc emergency situations including for example, a shooter on premises, falling debris from an earthquake, or the impact of objects from an explosion.
In another aspect, the desk may include smart features to improve presentation and information access/dissemination. In an illustrative application, the smart desk embodiments may improve the daily learning experience of students by incorporating a computing function integrated into the desk platform. The computing functions may be capable of being networked to create a smart presentation environment. A master computing device may communicate information to slave desk computing devices and receive communication from the desk computing devices. Some embodiments may include a smart board in communication with the master computing device and the smart desks.
Referring now to the Figures,
The below disclosure includes descriptions of desk tabletops according to various embodiments. When reviewing the description of the desk tabletops, for sake of reference points, the tabletops should be considered as oriented from the perspective of a person sitting behind the edge closest to the bottom of the figure. Accordingly, in top views of the tabletop, the bottom edge will be referenced as the “front” edge, the top edge as the “rear” edge, and the lateral edges will be “right” and “left” relative to the bottom edge.
In some embodiments, the desk tabletop 200 may comprise a bullet resistant or bullet-proof material such as plexiglass or polycarbonate. The desk tabletop 200 may be transparent or opaque. A transparent shield or barricade may be desirable so that user may move and react based on seeing the actions of the attacker on the other side of the system.
In
In operation, in the event of a potential shooter emergency or other dangerous event that may necessitate shielding, a student (or another person) would quickly detach the desk tabletop 200 from its supporting frame. The user may cooperate with other users to couple adjacent desk tabletops 200 together forming a shield wall (barricade 400).
Referring now to
Referring now to
The interlocking element 750 may comprise a groove that may include a baffle(s) 755 (or other separator) that defines two (or more) distinct compartment slots. The interlocking elements 740 may comprise a plurality of tongues that are positioned to slide into respectively aligned compartment slots of an adjoining desk tabletop's interlocking element 750, with the baffle 755 separating the adjacent tongues 740. As will be appreciated, embodiments of the connection of adjoining desk tabletops 700 allow for a one-to-one connection (similar to the arrangement in
The laterally positioned interlocking elements 720 and 730 are similar to interlocking elements 520 and 530. However, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the laterally (side edge) disposed interlocking elements 720 and 730 may be modified for staggered connection similar to the front and rear edge interlocking elements 740 and 750. In addition, some embodiments of the desk tabletop 700 may include the hinge 660 on any of the interlocking tongue type elements (720 or 740) even though
Referring now to
In an exemplary embodiment, smart desk tabletop 1000 includes a computing system 1050 integrated into the body of the desk tabletop 1000. A display area 1055 of the tabletop 1000 may be configured for tactile or capacitive input. Some embodiments of the smart desk tabletop 1000 include a data/drive port 1060 which may be configured to receive data from a data storage device or connect to another computing device. The data/drive port 1060 may be for example, a universal serial bus (USB) port or other data port using a different communication protocol. Students may upload and download files to and from the desk computing system 1050 through the data/drive port 1060. In some embodiments, the smart desk tabletop 1000 may include a camera 1070. It will be understood that in embodiments using magnetic elements, shielding may be incorporated to protect elements sensitive to magnetic effects.
In some embodiments, the smart desk tabletop 1000 may include layers that protect the computing system 1050 behind bullet-proof or bullet-resistant material. The computing layer may be sandwiched between layers of the bullet resistant material. In an exemplary embodiment, a thinner layer of bullet resistant material may be positioned above the computing display section 1055. The thickness of the top layer may be configured thin enough to register user input without removing the protective aspect altogether. In an exemplary embodiment, a layer(s) at the bottom of the tabletop 1000 may be thicker to provide the safety from projectiles described earlier. Some embodiments may include a recess in the desk tabletop structure for insertion of the computing device. The computing device may be sealed behind the bullet-proof or bullet-resistant material (which material may also be present behind the computing device). Other layers of the smart desk tabletop 1000 may include opacity control which may include controlling by the CPU 1210 the transmissivity of light through the desk tabletop body to control transparency and opaqueness levels.
Referring to
Referring to
Some embodiments may be configured to provide a smart learning (or presentation) environment.
The embodiments in
Those of skill in the art would appreciate that various components and blocks may be arranged differently (e.g., arranged in a different order, or partitioned in a different way) all without departing from the scope of the subject technology.
The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. The previous description provides various examples of the subject technology, and the subject technology is not limited to these examples. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Pronouns in the masculine (e.g., his) include the feminine and neuter gender (e.g., her and its) and vice versa. Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience only and do not limit the invention.
Terms such as “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “above,” “below” and the like as used in this disclosure should be understood as referring to an arbitrary frame of reference, rather than to the ordinary gravitational frame of reference. Thus, a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, and a rear surface may extend upwardly, downwardly, diagonally, or horizontally in a gravitational frame of reference. Similarly, an item disposed above another item may be located above or below the other item along a vertical, horizontal or diagonal direction; and an item disposed below another item may be located below or above the other item along a vertical, horizontal or diagonal direction.
A phrase such as an “aspect” does not imply that such aspect is essential to the subject technology or that such aspect applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to an aspect may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. An aspect may provide one or more examples. A phrase such as an aspect may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa. A phrase such as an “embodiment” does not imply that such embodiment is essential to the subject technology or that such embodiment applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to an embodiment may apply to all embodiments, or one or more embodiments. An embodiment may provide one or more examples. A phrase such an embodiment may refer to one or more embodiments and vice versa. A phrase such as a “configuration” does not imply that such configuration is essential to the subject technology or that such configuration applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to a configuration may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A configuration may provide one or more examples. A phrase such a configuration may refer to one or more configurations and vice versa.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example or illustration.” Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs.
All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.” Furthermore, to the extent that the term “include,” “have,” or the like is used in the description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application having Ser. No. 63/111,085 filed Nov. 9, 2020, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6170379 | Taylor | Jan 2001 | B1 |
6622607 | Miller | Sep 2003 | B1 |
9615658 | Nobles | Apr 2017 | B1 |
9926679 | Vila | Mar 2018 | B1 |
10591258 | Drummond | Mar 2020 | B1 |
10866068 | Trubacek | Dec 2020 | B1 |
11229284 | Trubacek | Jan 2022 | B1 |
11350746 | Nobles | Jun 2022 | B1 |
20150033990 | Yeager | Feb 2015 | A1 |
20150153143 | Hollenbach | Jun 2015 | A1 |
20190293390 | Ahrens | Sep 2019 | A1 |
20190301838 | Birdsell | Oct 2019 | A1 |
20200041232 | Feirrell | Feb 2020 | A1 |
20220142362 | Saenz | May 2022 | A1 |
20220167739 | Clark | Jun 2022 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
WO-2012018986 | Feb 2012 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20220142362 A1 | May 2022 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
63111085 | Nov 2020 | US |