Portable workstation housing

• US 5,666,265 A
• Filed: 06/21/1996
• Issued: 09/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leonard D. Healy, Ron E. Lutz
• Original Assignee: Leonard D. Healy, Ron E. Lutz
• Inventors: Lutz, Ron E, Healy, Leonard D
• Primary Examiner(s): Ledynh, Bot L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FEILD, LYNN DIANA
• Application Number:
  US08/667,409
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 220/334, 220/335, 190/1, 190/10, 190/11, 190/106, 206/320, 361/683, 361/724, 361/726, 361/679, 364/708.1
• US Class Current: 361/679.55
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer

Abstract

In its closed configuration, a portable workstation housing resembles a closed attache case. A lid, having opposed sidewalls and a top, and a planar base, having little or no peripheral lip, are separated by a narrow spine. The lid pivots through a range of up to 180 degrees relative to the base and upper portion of the spine. A lid support element is pivotable between a first position flush to the housing and a second position perpendicular to the lid which supports the weight of the lid when fully open. The base supports a portable computer by means of releasable fasteners. A fastener having a first sex of VELCRO is attached by adhesive to the bottom of the computer and a fastener having a second sex of VELCRO is attached to the base, allowing the computer to be held in place for use and transit. Similarly, a printer, disk drives, modems, ac-converters and other peripherals are held in place. A printer is typically carried by the lid. Elongate VELCRO cord wraps, having a covering of a first sex of VELCRO on one side and a second sex of VELCRO on the opposite side are attached and one end to the housing, and are used to wrap and organize the many power and data cords. A power strip, having a power cord that is retractable into a spool, is carried within the portable workstation housing and provides power to the computer and all peripherals.

Claims

1. A portable workstation housing, for use in storing and operating a portable computer, during travel and during operation, comprising:

(a) a planar base;

(b) a spine, attached at right angles to the base;

(c) a lid, hingably carried by the spine, having two opposed sidewalls and a top surface perpendicular to the sidewalls;

(d) frictional means for maintaining the position of the lid with respect to the base at any angle from 0 to 180 degrees;

(e) positioning means for holding the computer rigidly against the base;

(f) cable organizing means, carried by the housing, for constraining a folded cable to remain in a folded position.

2. The portable workstation housing of claim 1, further comprising a vertically adjustable computer support surface, carried by the base, comprising:

(a) an adjustment track, carried by the base;

(b) scissor supports, slideably carried by the adjustment track;

(c) a computer support surface, attached to the scissor supports by pivoting means; and

(d) VELCRO pads, carried by the computer support surface for releasable attachment to the computer.

3. The portable workstation housing of claim 1, further comprising locking means to secure the housing.

4. The portable workstation housing of claim 3, further comprising means to electrically recharge the computer while the housing is locked.

5. The portable workstation housing of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) sensor means attached to the housing for detecting unauthorized tampering; and

(b) alarm means, attached to the sensor means, for sounding an audio alarm in response to tampering.

6. The portable workstation housing of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) security slot means attached to the housing for attaching to a security cable.

7. The portable workstation housing of claim 1, additionally comprising a power strip comprising:

(a) a plurality of outlets;

(b) a surge suppressor, electrically connected to the outlets;

(c) retractable power cable device means for extending a power plug and cord sufficiently so that it may be plugged into a wall outlet and for retracting the power plug and cord so that it may be stored within the device; and

(d) an on-off switch.

8. The portable workstation housing of claim 1, wherein the cable organizing means comprises a wrap attached to the computer housing, having a first side and a second side, the first side having a covering of a first sex of fastener and the second side having a covering of a second sex of fastener, whereby a folded cable may be wrapped inside a loop formed by attaching the first side of the wrap to the second side of the wrap.

9. The portable workstation housing of claim 1, wherein the frictional means for maintaining the position of the lid comprises left and right arc shaped locking elements, each locking element carried between the spine and one of the opposed sidewalls.

10. The portable workstation housing of claim 1, further comprising lid support means, carried by the lid, comprising a leg pivotable between a first position adjacent to the lid and a second position perpendicular to the lid, for supporting the lid when the lid is in the fully open position.

11. The portable workstation housing of claim 1, in which the positioning means comprises:

(a) a first fastening strip, having a first side and a second side, wherein there is a covering of a first sex of fastening material on the first side and wherein the strip is attached to the computer housing by means of an adhesive covering on the second side; and

(b) a second strip of fastening material, having a first side and a second side, wherein there is a covering of a second sex of fastening material on the first side of the second strip, the first side being releasably engageable with the first sex of fastening material on the first fastening strip and wherein the second strip is attached to the computer by means of an adhesive covering on the second side.

12. The portable workstation housing of claim 1, additionally comprising a file pocket, comprising:

(a) an outside sheet, having upper and lower VELCRO attachment tabs, carried by the lid; and

(b) an inner telescoping sheet, having upper and lower VELCRO attachment tabs, carried by the lid, adjustable between a first position wherein the file pocket is sized appropriately for letter sized files and a second position wherein the file pocket is sized appropriately for legal sized files.

13. The portable workstation housing of claim 1, further comprising means for supporting a cellular telephone to the lid.

14. A portable workstation housing, for use in storing and operating a portable computer and a computer peripheral device, during travel and during operation, comprising:

(a) a planar base having a peripheral groove;

(b) a mouse pad, attached to the base;

(c) a spine, attached at right angles to the base;

(d) a spine brace attached to each end of the spine and to the base;

(e) a lid, hingably carried by the spine, having two opposed sidewalls and a top surface perpendicular to the sidewalls, the top having a handle, the sidewalls and the top having a tongue to releasably mate with the groove of the base;

(f) lid support means, carried by the lid, and movable between a first position adjacent to the lid and a second position perpendicular to the lid, for supporting the lid when the lid is in the fully open position;

(g) a detachable shoulder strap carried by the opposed sidewalls;

(h) locking means for maintaining the position of the lid with respect to the base at any angle from 0 to 180 degrees, comprising left and right arc shaped locking elements, each locking element carried between the spine and one of the opposed sidewalls;

(i) positioning means for holding the computer rigidly against the base, comprising;

(a) a first fastening strip, having a first side and a second side, wherein there is a covering of a first sex of fastening material on the first side and wherein the strip is attached to the base by means of an adhesive covering on the second side; and

(b) a second strip of fastening material, having a first side and a second side, wherein there is a covering of a second sex of fastening material on the first side of the second strip, the first side being releasably engageable with the first sex of fastening material on the first fastening strip and wherein the second strip is attached to the computer by means of an adhesive covering on the second side;

(j) cable organizing means, carried by the housing, for constraining a folded cable to remain in a folded position, comprising a wrap, having a first side and a second side, the first side having a covering of a first sex of fastener and the second side having a covering of a second sex of fastener, whereby a folded cable may be wrapped inside a loop formed by attaching the first side of the wrap to the second side of the wrap;

(k) a file pocket, carried by the lid, for storage of paper file folders, comprising;

(a) an outside sheet, having upper and lower VELCRO attachment tabs, carried by the lid; and

(b) an inner telescoping sheet, having upper and lower VELCRO attachment tabs, carried by the lid, adjustable between a first position wherein the file pocket is sized appropriately for letter sized files and a second position wherein the file pocket is sized appropriately for legal sized files;

(l) cellular telephone support means for releasably attaching the cellular telephone to the lid;

(m) a power strip, carried by the housing, comprising;

(a) a plurality of outlets;

(b) a surge suppressor, electrically connected to the outlets;

(c) retractable power cable device means for extending a power plug and cord sufficiently so that it may be plugged into a wall outlet and for retracting the power plug and cord so that it may be stored within the device;

(d) a plurality of interconnected telephone jacks; and

(e) an on-off switch;

(n) a battery powered snake light, carried by the lid;

(o) security slot means in the housing for attachment to a standard security cable; and

(p) a vertically adjustable computer support surface, carried by the base, comprising;

(a) an adjustment track, attached to the base by means of VELCRO pads;

(b) scissor supports, slideably carried by the adjustment track;

(c) a computer support surface, attached to the scissor supports by pivoting means; and

(d) VELCRO pads, carried by the computer support surface for releasable attachment to the computer.