Personal computer housed desk, a personal computer housed desk forming member and a desk forming member therefor

• US 6,115,240 A
• Filed: 06/15/1998
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippon Blower Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Blower Company Limited
• Inventors: Kaneko, Kazuteru
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, TUNG M
• Application Number:
  US09/094,819
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 312/223.3, 312/223.2, 312/223.1, 312/194, 312/195, 361/683, 361/724
• US Class Current: 361/679.6
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/00 Tables or desks for office equipment, e.g. typewriters, keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0073 Desk with integrated computer

Abstract

A personal computer housed desk comprising a desk body including a plurality of desk forming members such as a top panel, a back plate panel, a leg or a side plate panel and a personal computer body comprising personal computer function units including at least a central processing unit and a random access memory to perform an arithmetic and logic operation and a cabinet containing the personal computer function units and at least one the desk forming members having a cavity or hollow space serving as the cabinet for the personal computer body whereby at least one of the personal computer function units is housed within the cavity in the desk forming member.

Claims

1. In a desk constructed of desk forming members including a panel providing an upper desk work surface and a panel supporting frame, said frame being structurally connected to said panel and supporting said panel at a selected desk working height above a floor, and at least one of said desk forming members including a cavity, the improvement comprising a computer function unit mounted within said at least one cavity without the use of a separate structural computer enclosure for the function unit, said computer function unit being supported in said cavity without significantly affecting conventional desk functions or appearance as compared with an identical desk that does not contain such a computer function unit, said computer function unit including at least a central processing unit and a random access memory to perform an arithmetic and logic operation.

2. A desk for housing a personal computer comprising a desk body including a plurality of desk forming members and a personal computer body comprising personal computer function units including at least a central processing unit and a random access memory to perform an arithmetic and logic operation, said desk forming members including a top plate panel providing an upper desk work surface and a supporting frame, said frame being structurally connected to said panel and supporting said panel at a selected desk working height above a floor, and at least one of said desk forming members providing a cabinet including a cavity containing said personal computer function units whereby said at least one of said desk forming members serves as a cabinet for containing said personal computer body without the use of a separate structural computer enclosure for the personal computer body, said personal computer body being supported in said cavity without significantly affecting conventional desk functions or appearance as compared with an identical desk that does not contain such a personal computer body.

3. A desk as forth in claim 2 and wherein said desk forming member containing at least one of said personal computer function units is at least one of said top plate panel, a leg panel, a side plate panel for a side box and a back plate panel whereby said desk forming member containing said personal computer function units serves as said personal computer body.

4. A desk as forth in claim 3 and wherein said desk forming member containing said personal computer function units is said top plate panel and a shallow drawer is provided under said top plate panel.

5. A desk as set forth in either of claims 2 through 4 and wherein at least one of external memory drives including a read only memory using a compact disk and a flexible disk and a power switch is provided in at least one of said desk forming members so that they are able to be operated on a front face of said desk body.

6. A desk as set forth in either of claims 2 through 4 and wherein said desk body has a connection to be connected to at least one of an external hard disk and external memory drives.

7. A desk as set forth in either of claims 2 through 4 and wherein at least one of external memory drives including a read only memory using a compact disk and a flexible disk and a power switch is provided in at least one of said desk forming members so that they are able to be operated on a front face of said desk body and also wherein said desk body has a connection to be connected to at least one of an external hard disk and external memory drives.

8. A desk as set forth in either of claims 2 through 4 and wherein at least one of said desk forming members containing at least one of said personal computer function units is assembled with the rest of said desk forming members so that it can be disassembled.

9. A desk as set forth in either of claims 2 through 4 and wherein at least one of said desk forming members containing at least one of said personal computer function units has means to have access to at least one of said personal computer function units contained within said desk forming member.

10. A desk as set forth in either of claims 2 through 4 and further comprising means to protect said at least one of said personal computer function units from external atmosphere.

11. A desk as set forth in claim 9 and wherein said means to have access to at least one of said personal computer function units contained within said desk forming member is in the form of being able to open said desk forming member whereby said at least one of said computer function units is exposed.

12. A desk as set forth in claim 9 and wherein said means to have access to at least one of said personal computer function units contained within said desk forming member is in the form of being able to disassemble said desk forming member whereby said at least one of said computer function units is exposed.

13. A desk as set forth in claim 9 and wherein said means to have access to at least one of said personal computer function units contained within said desk forming member is in the form of being able to remove said desk forming member out of said desk body whereby said at least one of said computer function units is exposed.

14. A desk as set forth in claim 10 and wherein means to protect said at least one of said personal computer function units from external atmosphere comprises a cover provided on said desk forming member so as to cover said at least one of said personal computer function units.

15. A desk as set forth in claim 14 and wherein said cover also serves as a holding member to hold said at least one of said personal computer function units.

16. A desk as set forth in claim 14 and wherein said at least one of said desk forming members containing said at least one of said personal computer function units is said top plate panel and said cover is provided between said top plate panel and a shallow drawer so as to close said cavity of said top plate panel.

17. A desk for housing a personal computer comprising a desk body including a plurality of desk forming members and a personal computer body comprising personal computer function units including at least a central processing unit and a random access memory to perform an arithmetic and logic operation, said desk forming members including a top panel providing an upper desk work surface and a plurality of side panels forming a frame supporting said top panel, said panels being structurally connected and supporting said top panel, and at least one of said desk forming members providing a cabinet including a cavity containing said personal computer function units whereby said at least one of said desk forming members serves as a cabinet for containing said personal computer body without the use of a separate structural computer enclosure for the personal computer body, said personal computer body being supported in said cavity without significantly affecting conventional desk functions or appearance as compared with an identical desk that does not contain such a personal computer body.

18. A desk forming member adapted to be structurally connected to form a desk together with other desk forming members and to integrally house a personal computer body comprising personal computer function units including at least a central processing unit and a random access memory to perform an arithmetic and logic operation, at least one of said desk forming members providing a cabinet containing at least one of said personal computer function units whereby said forming member serves as a cabinet for containing said personal computer body without the use of a separate structural computer enclosure for the personal computer body, said personal computer body being supported in said cavity without significantly affecting conventional desk functions or appearance as compared with an identical desk that does not contain such a personal computer body.

19. A personal computer housed desk forming member as forth in claim 18 and wherein said personal computer housed desk forming member is at least one of a top plate panel, a leg panel, a side plate panel for a side box and a back plate panel whereby said desk forming member containing said at least one of said personal computer function units is said personal computer body.

20. A personal computer housed desk forming member as set forth in either of claims 18 and 19 and wherein at least one of said desk forming members containing at least one of said personal computer function units has means to be removably assembled with other desk forming members so as to form said personal computer housed desk.

21. A personal computer housed desk forming member as set forth in either of claims 18 and 19 and wherein at least one of said desk forming members containing at least one of said personal computer function units has means to have access to at least one of said personal computer function units contained within said desk forming member.

22. A personal computer housed desk forming member as set forth in either of claims 18 and 19 and further comprising means to protect said at least one of said personal computer function units from external atmosphere.

23. A personal computer housed desk forming member as set forth in claim 21 and wherein said means to have access to at least one of said personal computer function units contained within said desk forming member is in the form of being able to open said desk forming member whereby said at least one of said computer function units is exposed.

24. A personal computer housed desk forming member as set forth in claim 21 and wherein said means to have access to at least one of said personal computer function units contained within said desk forming member is in the form of being able to disassemble said desk forming member whereby said at least one of said personal computer function units is exposed.

25. A personal computer housed desk forming member as set forth in claim 21 and wherein said means to have access to at least one of said personal computer function units contained within said desk forming member is in the form of being able to remove said desk forming member out of said desk body whereby said at least one of said computer function units is exposed.

26. A personal computer housed desk forming member as set forth in claim 25 and wherein means to protect said at least one of said personal computer function units from external atmosphere comprises a cover provided on said desk forming member so as to cover said at least one of said personal computer function units.

27. A personal computer housed desk forming member as set forth in claim 26 and wherein said cover also serves as a holding member to hold said at least one of said personal computer function units.