Patent Application
20070069614
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wall-mountable workstations and to wall-mountable workstations that contain electronic equipment, such as computer equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wall-mountable workstations that include a security door that may be selectively opened for use and subsequently closed when not in use are known in the art. Such workstations often house a computer keyboard and/or monitor. When not in use, the security door is closed to secure the keyboard and/or monitor within the workstation housing. These workstations are particularly useful in medical facilities, such as a hospital room, where doctors and technicians demand convenient and secure access to a computer.
While wall-mountable computing workstations have been well received, conventional designs suffer from a number of limitations. For example, conventional workstations often fix the computer monitor and keyboard in a predetermine position, such as facing the user within the workstation housing. A fixed configuration limits a user's ability to orient the keyboard and/or monitor in a convenient position, such as position facing a patient during a conversation. For at least this reason, improved wall mountable workstations are desired that overcome limitations of the prior art.
A wall-mountable workstation for electronic equipment is provided. In an embodiment, the wall-mountable workstation includes a housing having an electronic equipment storage compartment. A door is connected to the housing and is adapted to move between a closed position in which the electronic equipment storage compartment is closed and an open position in which the electronic equipment storage compartment is open. The workstation also includes an articulating arm having a first end non-movably secured within the housing and a second end adapted to support the electronic equipment for adjustable movement between a user-selected extended position away from the electronic equipment storage compartment and a retracted storage position within the electronic equipment storage compartment.
Other aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after review of the drawings and detailed description provided below.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to
Referring to
In an embodiment, articulating arm 28 includes first and second articulating arm components 36, 38 separated by a hinge 39. In the illustrated configuration, first and second articulating arm components 36, 38 are stacked, one on top of the other, which permits second articulating arm component 38 to be pivoted over first articulating arm component 36. When so configured, the space occupied by first and second articulating arm components 36, 38 in the retracted storage position is minimized (see, e.g.,
In an embodiment, second end 32 of articulating arm 28 includes a keyboard support tray 40 adapted to adjustably support keyboard 12. As shown in
In an embodiment, second end of articulating arm 28 also includes a data-display panel adjustment mount 42 adapted to adjustably support data-display panel 14. As shown in embodiment, data-display panel 14 is attached to mount 42 at a pivot point 44, which permits data display panel 14 to pivot relative to mount 42. Mount 42 may also include at least one adjustment handle 46 that enables a user to grip and move data-display panel 14 and mount 42 along with articulating arm 28. Mount 42 and support tray 40 may be connected to articulating arm 28 at a common pivot point 48, which enables mount 42 and support tray 40 to pivot relative about second end 32 of articulating arm 28.
To securely enclose the electronic equipment within housing 16 when not in use, a door 50 is secured to housing 16 and is adapted to move between a closed position (see, e.g.,
The present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the foregoing embodiments, which are merely illustrative of the best modes for carrying out the invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that the method and apparatus within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby. This description of the invention should be understood to include all novel and non-obvious combinations of elements described herein, and claims may be presented in this or a later application to any novel and non-obvious combination of these elements. Moreover, the foregoing embodiments are illustrative, and no single feature or element is essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this or a later application.
