Stow away flat screen mechanism

• US 4,735,467 A
• Filed: 05/23/1986
• Issued: 04/05/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wolters, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US06/866,513
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 312/21, 312/29, 312/208, 312/251, 248/1 A, 248/1 C, 248/1 B
• US Class Current: 312/29
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/0076 the screen being incorporated in the desk top
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/0321 Keyboard supports
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/0073 liftable above the desk top
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/0314 Platforms for supporting office equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0008 Pop-up keyboard tray incorporated into a desktop
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0073 Desk with integrated computer
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2220/0013 Table or cupboards with upwardly concealable compartments
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 51/00 Cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down for cabinets with parts rotating about a horizontal axis A47B46/005; for show or display A47F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/918 Ancillary device support associated with a video display screen

Abstract

A stow away video display terminal in combination with a computer work station or desk wherein the video display terminal is concealed within the desk beneath the work surface in a stored condition when not in use and raised to a viewable position above the work surface by means of a motor driven lift mechanism when it is needed.

Claims

1. A stow away visual display terminal in combination with a work surface, said combination comprising:

a work surface,

means for supporting said work surface at a predetermined working level,

a visual display terminal including a screen portion,

lift means supporting said visual display terminal, said lift means including track means secured to said means for supporting said work surface, carriage means interconnecting said track means and said visual display terminal for supporting said visual display terminal on said lift means, extensible glide means interconnecting said visual display terminal and said carriage means for relative movement therebetween and a motion doubling direct chain drive linking said track means and said visual display terminal directly whereby for every increment of movement of said carriage means said visual display terminal moves two increments of movement, said drive means associated with said carriage means for moving said visual display terminal from its stored position to its visible position.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said visual display terminal is a flat screen VDT.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said work surface has a particular surface finish and cover means overlie the top of said visual display terminal, said cover means having the same surface finish as said work surface.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein a magnetic limit switch is mounted on said carriage means and spaced magnetic means are mounted on said track means for limiting the range of travel of said carriage means on said track means.

5. In combination with a desk or the like a computer visual display terminal adapted to be concealed from view in its stored position and movable to a viewable position when in use, said combination comprising:

a planar work surface for use in an office environment,

work surface support means for supporting said work surface at a normal work surface height,

a computer visual display terminal,

lift means, including a frame and a movable carriage on said frame, extensible glide means interconnecting said visual display terminal and said carriage for relative movement therebetween and a motion doubling direct chain drive linking said frame and said visual display terminal directly whereby every increment of movement of said carriage imparts two increments of movement to said visual display terminal, said lift means operable to move said visual display terminal from a stored position beneath said work surface to a visual position above said work surface and return said visual display terminal to its stored position.

6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said visual display terminal is a flat screen VDT.

7. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said work surface has a particular surface finish and said visual display terminal has an upper surface having the same surface finish as said work surface.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said work surface has a cut-out portion therethrough and said upper surface of said visual display terminal fills said cut-out portion of said work surface when said visual display terminal is in its stored position.

9. The combination according to claim 5 wherein a magnetic limit switch is mounted on said carriage adjacent said frame and spaced magnetic means are mounted on said frame for limiting the range of travel of said carriage on said frame.