Reconfigurable work station for a video display unit and keyboard

• US 4,725,106 A
• Filed: 12/05/1985
• Issued: 02/16/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Henderson, David E., Roe, Fred D. Jr., Shields, Nicholas L., Fagg, Mary F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aschenbrenner, Peter A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/805,011
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 312/208, 312/239, 312/196, 312/231, 312/324, 312/300, 312/7.2, 248/1 A, 248/1 B, 248/1 C, 248/1 E, 248/1 F, 248/1 H, 248/1 I, 248/1 J, 108/1, 108/3, 108/4, 108/6, 108/7, 108/8
• US Class Current: 312/223.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/02 with vertical adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0068 Cabinet enclosure

Abstract

A reconfigurable workstation (10) is illustrated having video, keyboard, and hand operated motion controller capabilities. The workstation includes main side panels (12, 14) between which a primary work panel (A) is pivotally carried in a manner in which primary work panel (A) may be adjusted and set in a negatively declined or positively inclined position for proper forearm support while operating hand controllers (34, 36). A keyboard table (B) supports a keyboard (32) in such a manner that the keyboard (32) is set in a positively inclined position with respect to the negatively declined work panel (A). Declined forearm support surfaces (26, 28) are provided on either side of an alcove (24) accommodating a seated operator with forearms of the operator supported in a declined position for proper support and operation of the hand controllers (34, 36). A visual display unit (C) is inclined with respect to primary work panel (A) so that the operator seated at alcove (24) is properly positioned. With the proper declination of work panel (A) and inclination of keyboard (32) and a visual display unit (64), keys (33) of keyboard (32) and the screen of visual display units (62, 64) are well within the focal cone (106) of operator (96). Various adjustable devices (70, 90, 98, and 102) are provided for adjusting the relative declinations and inclinations of the work panels, tables, and visual display panels.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable workstation for manual keyboard and hand controller operation and for video display comprising:

a pair of vertical main side panels;

means spacing said side panels apart;

a primary work panel pivotally carried between said side panels in a manner that said primary work panel may be tilted downwardly away from an operator in a negative declination or positively inclined upwardly from said operator seated at said work panel;

a keyboard table pivotally carried by said primary work panel which may be positioned at a positive inclination relative and opposite in direction to the negative declination of said work panel for supporting a keyboard for operation by said operator;

first adjustment means connected to said work panel for adjusting the negative declination of said primary work panel;

second adjustment means connected to said keyboard table for adjusting the positive inclination of said keyboard table with respect to said work panel;

said first and second adjustment means adjusting said work panel and keyboard table so that said primary work panel may be declined downwardly, and said keyboard may be oppositely inclined upwardly, whereby the successive rows of keys of the keyboard are inclined toward the operator while the arms of the operator are positioned in a negatively declined position for the comfort of the operator and to meet the system task requirements;

an operator alcove in which said operator sits at said primary work panel defined by an inwardly cut recess formed in said work panel inwardly of a front edge of said work panel in the direction of the declination of said work panel;

a hand controller carried by said primary work panel adjacent said keyboard table, and a declined forearm support formed on opposing sides of said alcove for supporting the forearms of said operator while seated at said panel and operating said hand controllers;

said forearm support terminating at a wrist support including a recessed well formed in said work panel extending below the level of said primary work panel;

said hand controller being carried in said recessed well in a manner that the wrist of said attendant is bent downwardly from said forearm during operation of said hand controller; and

said hand controller carried in said recessed well including a translational motion controller having a hand operated member which moves in three degrees of rectilinear motion to produce control signals representing movements of three degrees of freedom.

2. The workstation of claim 1 wherein said primary work panel includes a back edge;

a pair of parallel sides extending from said back edge terminating in a pair of diverging sides which diverge from said parallel sides outwardly toward said front edge of said work panel;

said back edge of said work panel being pivotally attached to said workstation between said side panels.

3. The workstation of claim 2 including a pair of diverging secondary side panels hinged to said main side panels which diverge outwardly and follow the contour of said diverging sides of said work panel providing an environmental enclosure facilitating focusing of the operator'"'"'s attention to within a primary work envelope between said side panels.

4. The workstation of claim 3 including secondary control panels carried by said primary work panel abutting said diverging secondary side panels having a slanted display surface which extends from said work panel to said secondary side panels at an angle thereto focusing the operator'"'"'s attention to a primary work envelope between said side panels.

5. A reconfigurable workstation for keyboard and hand controller operation by an operator and for video display comprising:

a pair of vertical main side panels;

means spacing said side panels apart;

a primary work panel included in said workstation pivotally carried between said side panels in a manner that said primary work panel may be tilted downwardly in a negative declination away from an operator seated at said work panel;

a keyboard table pivotally carried by said primary work panel in a manner that said keyboard may be set in a positive inclination with respect to said declined work panel for supporting a keyboard for operation by said operator;

a visual display panel included in said workstation pivotally carried between said side panels at an inclination having at least one visual display window formed by a cutout in said visual display panel for receiving a visual display unit;

a visual display unit pivotally carried within said visual display window in a manner that the inclination of said visual display panel may be adjusted relative to said primary work panel and the inclination of said visual display unit may be individually adjusted within said visual display window so that the visual display unit may be tilted in toward a focal cone of said operator seated at said workstation to thereby reduce eye-scanning requirements;

means connected to said visual display unit for adjusting said visual display unit within said visual display window;

a primary work area defined by the primary visual display panel, work panel, and keyboard tables;

first adjustment means connected to said primary work table for adjusting and setting the negative declination of said primary work panel which focuses the operator'"'"'s attention and movements into the primary work area of the three panels;

second adjustment means connected to said keyboard table for adjusting and setting the inclination of said keyboard table in a manner that said primary work panel may tilt downwardly and said keyboard may tilt upwardly so that successive rows of keys are inclined toward the operator to the comfort of the operator and to meet the system task requirements; and

third adjustment means connected to said visual display panel for adjusting and setting the inclination of said visual display panel in said workstation.

6. The workstation of claim 5 including an alcove in which said operator sits at said primary work panel defined by a recess cut in said work panel inwardly of the front edge of said work panel in the direction of the declination of said work panel and terminating adjacent said keyboard table.

7. The workstation of claim 6 wherein said first adjustment means includes an operator shaft having a hand wheel within reach of said operator seated at said alcove, a drive shaft carried by said work panel at 90 degrees to said operator shaft, and a speed reduction gear mechanism connected between said operator and drive shafts, said shafts and gear means carried by said drive shaft for raising and lowering said work panel in response to hand operation of said hand wheel.

8. The workstation of claim 6 including a manual hand controller carried by said primary work display panel on opposing sides of said keyboard table;

and

a pair of declined arm support surfaces formed on opposing sides of said alcove for supporting the forearms of the operator while seated at said primary work panel in a manner that the forearms are negatively declined while operating said hand controller.

9. The workstation of claim 8 wherein said manual controllers include a first hand controller for controlling translational motion, and a second hand controller for controlling rotational motion;

a recessed well formed in said work panel for receiving said operator'"'"'s wrists while operating said first hand controller, permitting said wrist to be bent downward from said forearm for reducing wrist fatigue.

10. The workstation of claim 9 wherein said recessed hand-controller well includes a first wall sloping downwardly from said work panel, a second wall inclined to said work panel and said first wall projecting above and below said work panel, and said translational hand controller being carried by said second wall.

11. The workstation of claim 5 including a second display window formed in said visual display panel, and a second visual display unit carried in said second display window, in a manner that the inclination of said visual display unit may be adjusted relative to said visual panel and primary work panel.

12. The workstation of claim 5 including a large overhead screen display carried above said visual display panel providing a display which can easily be seen over the primary display panel, and whereby other mission personnel can view the screen display in the distance and not interfere with the responsibilities of the workstation operator.

13. The workstation of claim 5 wherein said primary work panel includes opposing side edges which taper inwardly in the direction of the declination of said work panel within said workstation further focusing the operator'"'"'s attention within the primary work area.

14. The workstation of claim 5 wherein said second and third adjustment means include air springs with adjustable abutment means which fix the position of said air springs in a desired position corresponding to the desired inclination of said keyboard table and visual display panel, respectively.

15. The workstation of claim 5 wherein said primary work panel includes tapering sides which taper inwardly toward said visual display panel, and including a pair of diverging secondary side panels hinged to said main side panels of said workstation and diverging outwardly along the lines of said tapering sides of said work panel.

16. A reconfigurable workstation for keyboard and hand controller operation and for video display comprising:

a pair of vertical side panels;

means spacing said side panels apart;

a primary work panel included in said workstation pivotally carried between said side panels in a manner that said primary work panel may be tilted downwardly in a negative declination away from an operator seated at said work panel;

a keyboard table pivotally carried by said primary work panel in a manner that said keyboard table may be adjusted in a positive inclination with respect to said work panel tilted in said negative declination for properly supporting a keyboard for operation by said operator;

a visual display panel included within said workstation pivotally carried about a common pivot with said primary work panel in such a manner that said visual display panel is negatively declined;

first adjustment means connected to said primary work panel for adjusting the declination of said primary work panel;

second adjustment means connected to said keyboard table for adjusting the inclination of said keyboard table;

third adjustment means connected to said visual display panel for adjusting the inclination of said visual display panel;

a hand controller carried by said primary work panel on one side of said keyboard table;

an alcove in which said operator sits at said primary work panel defined by an inwardly cut recess formed in said work panel inwardly of a front edge of said work panel in the direction of the declination of said work panel;

a declined forearm support surface formed on the side of said alcove for supporting the forearm of said operator while seated at said panel and operating said hand controller; and

positive incremental declination control means included in said first adjustment means for adjusting the declination of said primary work panel in well defined increments in a manner that the work panel may be incrementally varied from a horizontal position to a number of negatively declined positions relative to the operator seated at said workstation facilitating adjustment in the declination of said declined forearm support.

17. The workstation of claim 16 wherein said positive incremental declination control means includes a manually operable gear drive arrangement carried by said workstation underneath said primary work panel which may be manually operated by said operator seated at said alcove.

18. The workstation of claim 16 wherein said positive incremental declination control includes:

an operator shaft carried by said primary work panel having a manually operated hand wheel within reach of said operator;

a rotary drive shaft carried transverse to said operator shaft;

a speed reducing gear box interconnecting said operator and drive shafts;

gear means carried on the ends of said drive shaft; and

rack gear means affixed to said work station in engagement with said gear means.

19. The workstation of claim 18 including a visual display unit carried by said visual display panel for displaying an object being controlled by said workstation;

and said visual display panel and said visual display unit being pivotally carried at said workstation in a manner that the inclination of each may be individually adjusted with respect to said primary work panel.