Shielded Heat-Dissipating Lap Cushion

• US 20120160136A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Digital Innovations LLC
• Inventors: Lineal, Kara, Born, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 108/43
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 23/00 Bed-tables; Trays; Reading-racks; Book-rests, i.e. items used in combination with something else
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 23/04 supported from table, floor or wall
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20172 Fan mounting or fan specifications

Abstract

A lap cushion, for supporting an electronic device on a users lap, provides thermal insulation and cooling airflow between the electronic device and the user. The cushion further includes a shield positioned between the top surface and the electronic device where the shield is electrically-conductive and electrically-grounded so as to provide radiation absorption of RF electromagnetic radiation emanating from the electronic device.

Claims

1. A lap cushion for supporting an electronic device having wireless communication capabilities, the cushion comprising:

a resilient pad comprising a bottom surface and a top surface, and the pad having a pad thermal conductivity coefficient;

an electrically-grounded, electrically-conductive shield extending across the majority of the top surface.

2. The lap cushion of claim 1, wherein the resilient pad has porosity in the range of 60 to 95 percent.

3. The lap cushion of claim 1, wherein the majority of the resilient pad comprises 3-dimensional knit spacer fabric.

4. The lap cushion of claim 1, further comprising a medial layer separating the shield and the cushion, the layer having a layer thermal conductivity coefficient, and the layer thermal conductivity coefficient being lower than the pad thermal conductivity coefficient.

5. The lap cushion of claim 1, wherein the shield comprises a perforated region extending at least around a shield periphery, the perforated region having a plurality of through-holes distributed across the perforated region to produce an open area between 25 and 65 percent, each through-hole being less than 10 mm across the largest dimension.

6. The lap cushion of claim 5, wherein the perforated region comprises a 10 mm band around the periphery of the shield, the outermost holes of the region being at least 1 mm from an outermost boundary of the shield.

7. The lap cushion of claim 5, wherein the perforated region extends across the majority of the shield.

8. The lap cushion of claim 1, wherein the electrically-grounded shield is grounded to the electronic device via a USB connecter connected to the electronic device.

9. The lap cushion of claim 1, wherein the electrically-grounded shield is grounded to an electric outlet via a grounded connector to the electric outlet.

10. The lap cushion of claim 1, further comprising an integral cord storage cavity.

11. A lap cushion for supporting an electronic device having wireless communication capabilities, the cushion comprising:

a resilient pad comprising a bottom surface and a top surface;

a electrically-grounded, electrically conductive shield extending across the majority of the top surface;

at least one electric fan mounted to the pad and propelling air through the shield and away from the pad.

12. The lap cushion of claim 11, wherein the shield comprises at least one fan cut-out pattern positioned to pass fan-propelled air through the shield and away from the pad.

13. The lap cushion of claim 11, wherein the shield is spaced apart from the top surface to provide an outflow-air passage between the shield and the top surface to pass fan-propelled air between the shield and the top surface.

14. The lap cushion of claim 11, wherein the at least one fan draws intake air substantially through the resilient pad and exhausts fan-propelled air through the shield.

15. The lap cushion of claim 13, wherein the at least one fan draws intake air substantially through the resilient pad.

16. The lap cushion of claim 11, wherein the at least one fan is powered by the electronic device via a USB connector connected to the electronic device, and wherein the shield is electrically-grounded via the USB connector.

17. The lap cushion of claim 11, wherein the at least one fan is powered by a battery mounted to the cushion, and the at least one fan is grounded to a negative terminal of the battery.

18. A lap cushion having targeted RF shielding protecting a user from RF electromagnetic radiation emanating from an electronic device with wireless communication capabilities, the cushion comprising:

a resilient pad comprising a bottom surface and a top surface, the bottom surface being configured to rest on a lap, and the pad having a pad thermal conductivity coefficient;

an electrically-grounded, electrically-conductive shield extending across a majority of the top surface;

the shield comprising a perforated region extending at least around a shield periphery, the perforated region having a plurality of through-holes distributed across the perforated region to produce an open area between 25 and 65 percent, each through-hole being less than 10 mm across the largest dimension;

a medial layer separating the shield and the cushion, the layer having a layer thermal conductivity coefficient, and the layer thermal conductivity coefficient being lower than the pad thermal conductivity coefficient; and

at least one electric fan mounted within a pad cavity beneath the shield, the at least one fan propelling air through the shield away from the pad.

19. The lap cushion of claim 18, wherein the perforated region extends across the majority of the shield.

20. The lap cushion of claim 18, wherein the electrically-grounded shield is grounded to the electronic device via a USB connecter connected to the electronic device.