Connectable support members

• US 20050061755A1
• Filed: 09/24/2003
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Robertson, Kenneth Gerald, Manzi, Steven Frank, Davis, Richard Woodland
• Application Number:
  US10/669,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20050061755A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 211/26
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0021 Side-by-side or stacked arrangements

Abstract

An apparatus in one example comprises one or more support members that are alignable substantially along directions that are identifiable through reference to mutually perpendicular x, y, and z axes. The one or more support members comprise first, second, third, and fourth support members that are connectable upon alignment of the first support member substantially in parallel with the y axis, the second support member substantially in parallel with the y axis approximately at a z offset with respect to the z axis, the third support member substantially in parallel with the z axis approximately at an x offset with respect to the x axis, and the fourth support member substantially in parallel with the z axis approximately at both the x offset and the y offset.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more support members that are alignable substantially along directions that are identifiable through reference to mutually perpendicular x, y, and z axes;

wherein the one or more support members comprise first, second, third, and fourth support members that are connectable;

upon alignment of the first support member substantially in parallel with the y axis;

upon alignment of the second support member substantially in parallel with the y axis approximately at a z offset with respect to the z axis;

upon alignment of the third support member substantially in parallel with the z axis approximately at an x offset with respect to the x axis;

upon alignment of the fourth support member substantially in parallel with the z axis approximately at both the x offset and a y offset with respect to the y axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more support members comprise a freestanding frame.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth support members serve to support one or more items.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein one or more of the first, second, third, and fourth support members serve to abut a base to support the one or more items in any one orientation of a plurality of available orientations with respect to the base.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more support members comprise fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth support members;

wherein the fifth support member is connected with the first support member and the third support member;

wherein the sixth support member is connected with the first support member and the fourth support member;

wherein the seventh support member is connected with the second support member and the third support member;

wherein the eighth support member is connected with the second support member and the fourth support member.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first support member comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the second support member comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the third support member comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the fourth support member comprises a first end and a second end;

wherein the fifth support member is connected with the first end of the first support member and the first end of the third support member;

wherein the sixth support member is connected with the second end of the first support member and the first end of the fourth support member;

wherein the seventh support member is connected with the first end of the second support member and the second end of the third support member;

wherein the eighth support member is connected with the second end of the second support member and the second end of the fourth support member.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the fifth support member is aligned substantially in parallel with the x axis;

wherein the sixth support member is aligned substantially in parallel with the x axis approximately at the y offset;

wherein the seventh support member is aligned substantially in parallel with the x axis approximately at the z offset;

wherein the eighth support member is aligned substantially in parallel with the x axis approximately at both the y offset and the z offset.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more support members comprise ninth and tenth support members;

wherein the ninth support member is aligned substantially in parallel with the y axis approximately at the x offset;

wherein the tenth support member is aligned substantially in parallel with the y axis approximately at both the x offset and the z offset;

wherein the ninth support member is connected with one or more of the fifth support member, the sixth support member, the first end of the third support member, and the first end of the fourth support member;

wherein the tenth support member is connected with one or more of the seventh support member, the eighth support member, the second end of the third support member, and the second end of the fourth support member.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein one or more of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth support members serve to support one or more items;

wherein the ninth and tenth support members abut the one or more items.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein two or more of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth support members comprise one or more integrated components.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth support members comprise an integrated component.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first, fifth, and sixth support members comprise a first integrated component;

wherein the second, seventh, and eighth support members comprise a second integrated component;

wherein the first integrated component is connected with the second integrated component through employment of the third and fourth support members and one or more connector components.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a support member of the one or more support members comprises one or more sub-members and one or more connector components;

wherein the one or more connector components serve to connect the one or more sub-members.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more connector components comprise first one or more connector components;

wherein the one or more support members, the first one or more connector components, and second one or more connector components comprise an integrated component.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the third support member comprises a first sub-member, a second sub-member, and one or more connector components;

wherein the fourth support member comprises a first sub-member, a second sub-member, and one or more connector components;

wherein the first support member, the first sub-member of the third support member, the first sub-member of the fourth support member, the fifth support member, and the sixth support member comprise a first integrated component;

wherein the second support member, the second sub-member of the third support member, the second sub-member of the fourth support member, the seventh support member, and the eighth support member comprise a second integrated component;

wherein the one or more connector components of the third support member and the one or more connector components of the fourth support member serve to connect the first integrated component with the second integrated component.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more support members comprise first one or more support members, the apparatus further comprising:

second one or more support members that are connectable;

wherein the first one or more support members and the second one or more support members are stackable in a freestanding arrangement.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second one or more support members are alignable substantially along the directions that are identifiable through reference to the mutually perpendicular x, y, and z axes;

wherein the x offset with respect to the x axis comprises a first x offset;

wherein the second one or more support members comprise eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth support members that are connectable;

upon alignment of the eleventh support member substantially in parallel with the y axis approximately at a second x offset with respect to the x axis;

upon alignment of the twelfth support member substantially in parallel with the y axis approximately at both the z offset and the second x offset;

upon alignment of the thirteenth support member substantially in parallel with the z axis approximately at a third x offset that comprises a combination of the first x offset and the second x offset;

upon alignment of the fourteenth support member substantially in parallel with the z axis approximately at both the third x offset and the y offset;

upon alignment of the fifteenth support member substantially in parallel with the x axis approximately at the second x offset;

upon alignment of the sixteenth support member substantially in parallel with the x axis approximately at both the second x offset and the y offset;

upon alignment of the seventeenth support member substantially in parallel with the x axis approximately at both the second x offset and the z offset;

upon alignment of the eighteenth support member substantially in parallel with the x axis approximately at the second x offset, the y offset, and the z offset;

upon alignment of the nineteenth support member substantially in parallel with the y axis approximately at the second x offset;

upon alignment of the twentieth support member substantially in parallel with the y axis approximately at both the second x offset and the z offset;

wherein the ninth support member abuts the eleventh support member, wherein the tenth support member abuts the twelfth support member.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

one or more connector components;

wherein the one or more connector components serve to connect the first one or more support members and the second one or more support members to support the freestanding arrangement.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more support members contemporaneously abut one or more first portions of the item and promote and expose one or more second portions of the item to a free flow of air about a perimeter of the item.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more support members comprise a material and shape that promote an increase in ease of mobility of the item by a user.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the one or more support members comprise one or more tubular structures.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second support members comprise a substantially same length;

wherein the third and fourth support members comprise a substantially same length;

wherein a ratio of length of the first and second support members to the length of the third and fourth support members comprises a ratio to support an item that complies with an Electronic Industries Alliance (“

EIA”

) RS-310 standard.

23. An apparatus, an item that comprises a first major face and a second major face that are aligned substantially in parallel, the apparatus comprising:

means for supporting the first major face of the item along a first general direction;

means for supporting the second major face of the item along a second general direction, wherein the first general direction and the second general direction comprise substantially orthogonal directions.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for facilitating a change by a user from a first orientation of a plurality of available orientations to any second orientation of the plurality of available orientations.

25. A method, an item that comprises a first major face and a second major face that are aligned substantially in parallel, the method comprising the step of:

assembling one or more support members into a freestanding frame that supports the first major face of the item along a first general direction and the second major face of the item along a second general direction, wherein the first general direction and the second general direction comprise substantially orthogonal directions.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of assembling the one or more support members into the freestanding frame that supports the first major face of the item along the first general direction and the second major face of the item along the second general direction comprises the step of:

connecting the one or more support members through employment of one or more connector components;

connecting the item to one or more of the one or more support members.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the item comprises a first item, a second item that comprises a first major face and a second major face that are substantially parallel, the method further comprising the step of:

supporting a second freestanding frame for the second item in a stacked freestanding arrangement with a freestanding frame for the first item.

28. A method, an item that comprises a first major face and a second major face that are aligned substantially in parallel, the method comprising the steps of:

supporting the first major face of the item along a first general direction;

supporting the second major face of the item along a second general direction, wherein the first general direction and the second general direction comprise substantially orthogonal directions.