Shielded modular portable computer work station having cable routing means

• US 5,590,022 A
• Filed: 05/19/1995
• Issued: 12/31/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Idea Corporation
• Original Assignee: Idea Corporation
• Inventors: Harvey, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FEILD, LYNN DIANA
• Application Number:
  US08/444,704
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 206/320, 206/576, 206/305, 361/683, 361/679, 361/680, 361/681, 361/682, 361/684, 361/685, 361/686, 361/724-730, 364/708.1
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

A compact modular portable work station including a computer, a printer and/or other peripherals, efficiently interconnected with one another with conductors enclosed in a single, shielded composite cable supported by a docking channel having electrical connectors extending therefrom to be connected directly to the computer and the peripheral, all operational from and efficiently packaged within an impact resistant carrying case. Loose, unshielded cables are eliminated and a cellular telephone is placed in a shielded enclosure, under a metal shroud, in order to shield the user and the work station computer and computer peripherals from RF signals emitted by the cellular telephone.

Claims

1. A modular portable work station including a carrying case and a computer and at least one computer peripheral transported within the carrying case, said carrying case having a body and a cover movable to opened and closed positions relative to the body, said work station comprising;

a source of electric power;

electric cable means to connect said source of electric power to each of said computer and said at least one computer peripheral;

channel means located within said carrying case body to receive and support said computer thereagainst;

at least one first and at least one second electrical connector mounted on said channel means; and

means by which to electrically couple said electrical cable means to said at least one first and second electrical connectors;

said computer having a power terminal that is adapted to be plugged into and received by said at least one first electrical connector, and said at least one computer peripheral adapted to be interconnected to said at least one second electrical connector.

2. The portable work station recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one computer peripheral is a printer.

3. The portable work station recited in claim 1, further comprising a computer tray located within said carrying case body so as to be able to support said computer, said channel means fixedly attached to said computer tray.

4. The portable work station recited in claim 3, further comprising means to move said computer tray relative to said carrying case body.

5. The portable work station recited in claim 1, wherein said channel means is an elongated, hollow enclosure to accommodate said electric cable means therewithin, said channel means including a plurality of openings to receive said at least one first electrical connector, said at least one second electrical connector and said means by which to couple said electric cable means to said at least one first and second electrical connectors.

6. The portable work station recited in claim 1, wherein said electric cable means is a shielded composite cable comprising a plurality of conductors to provide electrical power and communication signals to said computer and said at least one computer peripheral.

7. The portable work station recited in claim 6, further comprising a first set of terminals electrically connected to respective ones of said plurality of conductors of said shielded composite cable, said first set of terminals to be connected to said computer and said at least one computer peripheral to provide electrical power and communication signals thereto.

8. The portable work station recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one first electrical connector adapted to be attached to said computer is a parallel male connector.

9. The portable work station recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one first electrical connector adapted to be attached to said computer is a serial female connector and said at least one second electrical connector adapted to be attached to said at least one computer peripheral is a serial male connector, said channel means including means for connecting said at least one first electrical connector to said at least one second electrical connector.

10. The portable work station recited in claim 1, wherein said means by which to couple said electric cable means to the at least one first and the at least one second electrical connectors extends at a right angle from said channel means so that said channel means is able to support said electric cable means.

11. The portable work station recited in claim 1, further comprising a shroud extending across the body of said carrying case and a cellular telephone located within said shroud, wherein said shroud is fabricated from an electrically conducting material in order to shield said computer and said at least one computer peripheral from RF signals emitted by the cellular telephone.

12. The portable work station recited in claim 11, wherein said source of electric power is a battery located within said shroud.

13. The portable work station recited in claim 11, further comprising a second set of terminals electrically connected to said electric cable means and said source of electric power within said shroud to provide electrical power and communication signals to said computer and said at least one computer peripheral.

14. The portable work station recited in claim 11, further comprising a parallel female connector and a 12 V DC power input connector mounted on said shroud to respectively connect said computer and said at least one computer peripheral to said source of electric power by way of said electric cable means.

15. The portable work station recited in claim 11, further comprising a main control panel located on said shroud and having a plurality of manually operable switches, said switches being selectively operated to respectively connect said computer and said at least one computer peripheral to said source of electric power by way of said electric cable means.

16. A modular portable work station including a carrying case and a computer, a printer and at least one computer peripheral transported within the carrying case, said carrying case having a body and a cover movable to opened and closed positions relative to the body, said work station comprising;

a source of electric power;

electric cable means to connect said source of electric power to each of said computer and said at least one computer peripheral;

a computer tray located within said carrying case body to support the computer thereon;

a channel attached to said computer tray;

means by which to move said computer tray and said channel attached thereto relative to said carrying case body;

at least one first and at least one second electrical connector mounted on said channel means; and

means by which to electrically couple said electric cable means to said at least one first and second electrical connectors;

said at least one first electrical connector adapted to be attached to said computer and said at least one second electrical connector adapted to be attached to said at least one computer peripheral.

17. The portable work station recited in claim 16, further comprising a shroud extending across the body of said carrying case and a cellular telephone located within said shroud, wherein said shroud is fabricated from an electrically conducting material in order to shield said computer and said at least one computer peripheral from RF signals emitted by the cellular telephone.

18. The portable work station recited in claim 16, wherein said channel is an elongated, hollow enclosure to accommodate said electric cable means therewithin and to receive and support said computer thereagainst, said channel means including a plurality of openings to respectively receive therethrough said at least one first electrical connector, said at least one second electrical connector and said means by which to couple said electric cable means to said at at least one first and second electrical connectors.

19. The portable work station recited in claim 16, wherein said electric cable means is a shielded composite cable comprising a plurality of conductors to be connected to said computer and said at least one computer peripheral to provide electrical power and communication signals thereto.

20. The portable work station recited in claim 19, further comprising a set of terminals electrically connected to respective ones of said plurality of conductors of said shielded composite cable, said set of terminals to be connected to said computer and said at least one computer peripheral to provide electrical power and communication signals thereto.