US20080142660A1

US20080142660A1 - Wall mounted workstation

Info

Publication number: US20080142660A1
Application number: US11/640,788
Authority: US
Inventors: Mark A. Goldberg; Richard B. Leeds
Original assignee: Global Equipment Co Inc
Current assignee: Global Equipment Co Inc
Priority date: 2006-12-18
Filing date: 2006-12-18
Publication date: 2008-06-19

Abstract

A wall mounted workstation having a wall mounted post. One or more accessories are secured to the post in order to configure the workstation for a particular application. The post has at least one mounting surface having a plurality of accessory mounting locations. One or more accessory, such as work surface, or footrest, or equipment holder and the like, are coupled to the post at one of the accessory mounting locations. The mounting surface generally faces outward away from the wall. Each of the plurality of accessory mounting locations are generally associated with at least one mounting hole. The mounting hole(s) can optionally be threaded. In general the equipment holder is configured to accept at least one piece of equipment, such as a computer, portable computer, keyboard, display or the like.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a wall mounted workstation for electronic equipment such as computers, multimedia components and the like.
Typical workstations include various storage and work surfaces to position computers, monitors, various electronic components and the like at desired locations. Various adjustments are provided to tailor the workstation to the type of equipment used as well as user preferences. Some workstations are better suited for portable computer equipment. Other workstations are better suited for desktop computer equipment. Some workstations provide security and storage functions. It is desirable to provide a wall mounted workstation that is simple to configure and flexible in its configuration options.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a wall mounted workstation having a wall mounted post. One or more accessories are secured to the post in order to configure the workstation for a particular application. The post has at least one mounting surface having a plurality of accessory mounting locations. One or more accessories (e.g., work surface, footrest or equipment holder) can be coupled to the post at an appropriate accessory mounting location. The equipment holder can be configured to accept various types of equipment such as a computer, portable computer, keyboard, display or the like. The mounting surface generally faces outward, away from the wall. In one example, each of the plurality of accessory mounting locations are generally associated with a mounting hole. In another example, the plurality of accessory mounting locations are associated with at least two mounting holes having a first spacing (vertical and horizontal), and the accessory (or accessories) have at least two mounting holes with a second spacing that generally corresponds to the first spacing. The mounting holes can optionally be threaded.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, while the scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary partially exploded view of a wall mounted workstation in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 a is a pictorial view of an exemplary upper mount in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 b is a side sectional view of an exemplary upper mount in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary partially exploded view of a wall mounted post, upper mount and lower mount in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 4 a is a pictorial view of a wall mounted post and upper mount in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 4 b is a pictorial view of a wall mounted post and lower mount in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 4 c is a partial side view of the upper end of a post, with a side sectional view of an upper mount in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 a is a pictorial view of a wall mounted workstation with a post and a horizontal work surface, shown with mounting details, in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 b is a pictorial view of a wall mounted with a post and a horizontal work surface in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 6 a is a pictorial view of a wall mounted workstation with a post and a portable computer platform, shown with mounting details, in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 6 b is a pictorial view of a wall mounted workstation with a post and a portable computer platform in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 7 is a pictorial view of a footrest in accordance with the invention.

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b are pictorial views of a computer holder(s) in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 9 is a pictorial view of a workstation with a post, a footrest, a work surface and a display support in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 10 is a pictorial view of an alternative embodiment of the wall mounted workstation.

FIG. 11 is a pictorial view of an alternative embodiment of the post.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an exemplary exploded view of a wall mounted workstation in accordance with the invention. The workstation has a wall mountable post 20 and one or more accessories such as a work surface 50. The post 20 has a length L and is generally oriented vertically with respect to the plane of the floor 12. In this example the post 20 is manufactured from metal. However, the post 20 can be manufactured from a variety of other materials such as wood, plastics, laminated structures, composites and the like. The post 20 has a planar mounting surface 21, and two side surfaces 22, 23. In this example the post 20 is generally rectangular in cross section and mounting surface 21 faces away from the wall 10. It is understood that posts with other geometric cross sections are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. It is also understood that side surfaces 22 and 23 can function as mounting surfaces for use in connection with one or more accessory.
The mounting surface 21 has a plurality of accessory mounting locations 25. The mounting locations 25 are generally configured to receive one or more accessories, as discussed in detail below. Each mounting location 25 is generally associated with one or more mounting holes 26. Mounting holes 26 can be arranged in one or more groups (e.g., two or more mounting holes) with pre-determined vertical and horizontal spacing between the various mounting holes 26. In this example, four upper groups 28 are provided with four mounting holes and two lower groups 29 are provided with eight mounting holes (see FIG. 3). It is understood that additional spacing configurations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. As discussed above, one or more mounting locations can be provided on side surfaces 22 and 23.
In this example, mounting holes 26 are threaded to receive threaded fasteners for securing one or more accessories to the post 20. It is understood that a variety of fastener types can be utilized (e.g., fasteners that do not required threaded mounting holes) without departing from the scope of the invention. Also in this example, the post 20 is generally hollow. On or more openings 27 are provided in the mounting surface 21. Openings 27 provide access to the interior of the post 20 and can be used for cable management. It is understood that additional openings can be provided on any surface, and can be arranged in a variety of configurations.
Referring to FIGS. 2 a and 3, post 20 is coupled to the wall 10 via upper mount 30 and lower mount 40. In this example, the upper mount 30 is generally a wall mountable bar that supports the post. FIG. 2 b shows the upper mount 30 in cross section. In this example, the upper mount 30 has a generally three sided rectangular cross section. The upper mount 30 has a top surface 31, bottom surface 32 and a front surface 33. The front surface 33 is formed with a plurality of slots 34, generally arranged to accept one or more fasteners 35. The upper mount 30 is secured to the wall 10 at a height H above the floor 12, where H is generally greater then the post length L. The upper mount 30 is secured to the wall 10 with one or more fasteners 35, as generally shown in FIG. 2 a. For example, attaching the upper mount 30 to dry wall surfaces can be accomplished by aligning the threaded fasteners with one or more wall studs. In the alternative, wall anchors or the like can be utilized. Similarly, attaching the upper mount 30 to masonry walls can be accomplished with masonry screws, wall anchors or the like. It is well within the grasp of those skilled in the art to select appropriate fasteners to secure the upper mount 30 to a given wall surface. It is also understood that adhesives can be used in place of mechanical fasteners. In this example the upper mount 30 is manufactured from metal. However, the upper mount 30 can be manufactured from a variety of other materials such as wood, plastics, laminated structures, composites and the like. It is also appreciated that the upper mount 30 can be formed with other geometric profiles without departing from the scope of the invention.
In order to simplify installation, the upper mount 30 can be somewhat loosely secured to the wall 10, thereby leaving a small gap between the upper mount 30 and the wall 10. The post 20 can then be temporarily hung from the upper mount 30 until the lower mount 40 is secured. Post 20, generally has an upper end 15 and a lower end 18. The upper end 15 is generally formed with a slot 16 that is appropriately sized to receive the upper mount 30. The upper end 15 is also formed with a lip 17 that generally hooks behind the upper mount 30 (i.e., between the upper mount 30 and the wall 10), thereby retaining the post 20 until the lower mount 40 is secured (see FIG. 4 c ). It is understood that the lower end 18 of the post 20 can be secured to the wall 10 directly, thereby functioning as a lower mount without requiring additional structure. However, a bar shaped lower mount allowing the use of two or more fasteners displaced from the center line of the post 20 can provide additional stability.
FIGS. 3, and 4 b show an exemplary lower mount 40 in accordance with the invention. In this example, lower mount 40 is generally a wall mountable bar that supports the post 20. The side surfaces 22 and 23 have one or more holes 27 that can be used to secure the lower mount 40 to the post 20. Holes 27 can optionally be threaded to receive threaded fasteners. In this example, the lower mount 40 is composed of two arms 41. Each arm 41 has a wall mounting portion 42 and a post mounting portion 43. The wall mounting portion 42 is formed with at least one slot 44 that can accept one or more fasteners 45. The post mounting portion 43 is formed with one or more holes 46, that can accept threaded fasteners 47. In this example, threaded fasteners 47 are passed through the holes 46 in the post mounting portion 43 and are threaded into the holes 27 formed side surfaces 22, 23. It is appreciated that once the lower mount 40 is secured, the lip 17 will effectively be locked behind the upper mount 30. It is also appreciated that the lower mount 40 can be formed with other geometric profiles without departing from the scope of the invention.
As shown in FIG. 3, the lower mount 40 is generally secured to the wall 10 via appropriate fasteners. For example, attaching the lower mount 40 to dry wall surfaces can be accomplished by aligning the threaded fasteners with one or more wall studs. In the alternative, wall anchors or the like can be utilized. Similarly, attaching the lower mount 40 to masonry walls can be accomplished with masonry screws, wall anchors or the like. It is well within the grasp of those skilled in the art to select appropriate fasteners to secure the lower mount 40 to a given wall surface. It is also understood that adhesives can be used in place of mechanical fasteners. In this example the lower mount 40 is manufactured from metal. However, the lower mount 40 can be manufactured from a variety of other materials such as wood, plastics, laminated structures, composites and the like.
As stated above, the workstation has a wall mounted post 20 and one or more accessories. The post 20 is generally oriented vertically with respect to the plane of the floor 12. One or more accessories are secured to the post 20 in order to configure the workstation for a particular application. Accessories can include variously shaped work surfaces, footrests, equipment holders (such as portable computers, desktop computers, keyboards, displays and the like). The post 20 has at least one mounting surface 21 with a plurality of accessory mounting locations 25. Accordingly, one or more accessories may be mounted to the mounting surface 21 at the desired accessory mounting location, thereby yielding numerous configuration options.
FIGS. 5 a and 5 b show a post 20 and a generally horizontal work surface 50 coupled to the mounting surface 21, in accordance with the invention. In this example, the work surface 50 is generally rectangular in shape. It is appreciated that other work surface shapes are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. The work surface 50 is attached to the post 20 via support 52. The support has a frame 53 and a mounting surface 54 formed with a plurality of post mounting holes 55 that have substantially the same vertical and horizontal spacing between holes as the mounting holes 26 formed in the post 20. In this example, the mounting surface 54 has four mounting holes 55. Appropriate fasteners are used to couple the frame 53 to the post 20. In this example, threaded fasteners (not shown) can be passed through the holes 55 in the mounting surface 54 and threaded into the holes 26 formed in the post 20 to secure the frame 53 to the post 20. Appropriate fasteners can be used to secure the mounting surface 50 to the frame 53, as is well known in the art. The work surface 50 and frame 53 can be formed using a variety of materials such as wood, metal, plastics, laminated structures, composites and the like as is well known in the art. In this example, the work surface 50 is formed of wood with a plastic laminate surface and the frame 53 is formed of metal.
FIGS. 6 a and 6 b show a post 20 and a portable computer mount 60 coupled to the front mounting surface 21, in accordance with the invention. In this example, the portable computer mount 60 is generally rectangular in shape. It is appreciated that other computer or equipment mount shapes are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. The portable computer mount 60 has a tray 61 that is attached to the post 20 via support 62. The support 62 has a tray support surface 63 formed with a plurality of tray mounting holes 64 that have substantially the same vertical and horizontal spacing between holes as the mounting holes 64 formed in the tray 61. Appropriate fasteners 66 (e.g., nuts and bolts) are used to couple the tray 61 to the support 62. It is appreciated that the provision of multiple sets of holes in the tray support surface 61 allows for tray depth adjustment (i.e., the spacing between the tray 61 and the post 20).
The support 62 also has a post mounting surface 67 formed with mounting holes 68. Appropriate fasteners are used to couple the support 61 to the post 20. In this example, one or more threaded fasteners 69 can be passed through the mounting holes 68 in the post mounting surface 67 and threaded into the holes 26 formed in the post 20 to secure the support 62 to the post 20. Portable computer mount 60 can also be equipped with security features so that a portable computer can be securely retained. For example, a security bar 65 or other security features can be provided, as is well known in the art.
FIG. 7 shows a foot support 70 in accordance with the invention. In this example, the foot support 70 has a footrest portion 72 and a mount 74. The footrest portion 72 is generally shown as a trapezoidal shape formed of tubular material. It is appreciated that other footrests shapes are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. The foot support mount 74 is formed with a plurality of mounting holes 76. Appropriate fasteners are used to couple the support foot support mount 74 to the post 20. In this example, one or more threaded fasteners 78 can be passed through the holes in the foot support mount 74 and threaded into the holes 26 formed in the post to secure the frame foot support 70 to the post 20.
FIGS. 8 a and 8 b show a computer holder 80 coupled to post 20 in accordance with the invention. The computer holder 80 is generally configured to hold a desktop computer or other equipment. The computer holder 80 is generally formed of two portions, namely a main body 81 and a plate 82. The main body 81 includes a computer support surface 83 and a post mounting surface 84. In this example the computer support surface 83 and mounting surface 84 are generally disposed at 90 degrees with respect to each other. The post mounting surface 84 is formed with a plurality of mounting holes 85. Appropriate fasteners are used to couple the main body 81 to the post 20. In this example, one or more threaded fasteners 86 can be passed through the mounting holes 85 in the main body 81 and threaded into the holes 26 formed in the post 20 to secure the main body 81 to the post 20.
In this example, the plate 82 is generally disposed at a 90 degree angle with respect to the computer support surface 83. The plate 82 is also adjustable with respect to its location relative to the post mounting surface 84 thereby providing a width adjustment for a range of equipment dimensions (i.e., the distance between the plate 82 and the post mounting surface 84). The plate 82 has a plurality of mounting holes 87. The computer support surface 83 has a pair of grooves 88 that have substantially the same spacing as the mounting holes 87 formed in the plate 82. Appropriate fasteners are used to couple the plate 82 to the main body 81. In this example, one or more threaded fasteners 89 can be passed through the mounting holes 87 in the plate 82 and the slots 88 in the main body 81. The main body 81 can then be adjusted to the desired location and secured with washers and nuts.
FIG. 9 shows a pictorial view of a workstation with a post 20, a footrest 70 and a work surface 58. FIG. 9 also shows a display support 90 in accordance with the invention. Display support 90 includes a display support surface 91, pivoting arm 92, and keyboard support 93. The pivoting arm 92 includes a post mounting surface 94 that is coupled to a mounting location on the post 20 via appropriate fasteners as discussed above. It is understood that other display support structures may be utilized with the invention including supports for flat panel displays such as LCD monitors, plasma displays and the like.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the post 20 may be composed of a plurality of accessory mounting locations such that a single mounting hole is used for mounting an accessory to the wall mounted workstation. FIG. 10 is a pictorial view of the wall mounted workstation that shows a single mounting hole 125 that is used for mounting an accessory to the wall mounted workstation in accordance with this alternative embodiment.
Another embodiment of the wall mounted workstation utilizes a channel 100 that runs vertically along the post with respect to the plane of a floor. FIG. 11 shows the alternative embodiment of the workstation with the vertical channel and locking intervals. Accessories may be slidably mounted to the channel 100 of the post via a mounting plate 120. The mounting plate 120 may be integrally configured with the accessory or separate therefrom and is configured to lock in place 130 along the channel 100 at various intervals in order to secure the accessory to the post.
It is readily apparent that numerous configurations are possible based on the foregoing disclosure. It is also readily apparent that other accessories can be combined with the invention to provide additional configuration options without departing from the scope of the invention. While the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wall mounted workstation, comprising:

a post having at least one mounting surface having a plurality of accessory mounting locations,

a wall mount that couples the post to the wall, and

at least one accessory coupled to the post at one of the accessory mounting locations, wherein the accessory is selected from the group consisting of a work surface, footrest, and equipment holder.

2. The workstation of claim 1, wherein the mounting surface is substantially planar.

3. The workstation of claim 1, wherein the wall mount comprises an upper mount and a lower mount.

4. The workstation of claim 3, wherein the post has an upper end formed with a slot that is sized to receive the upper mount.

5. The workstation of claim 4, wherein the upper end of the post is formed with a lip that engages between the upper mount and the wall.

6. The workstation of claim 3, wherein the upper mount is formed with at least one slot that can accept at least one fastener.

7. The workstation of claim 3, wherein the lower mount comprises two arms.

8. The workstation of claim 6, wherein the each arm has a wall mounting portion and a post mounting portion.

9. The workstation of claim 6, wherein the each arm is formed with at least one slot that can accept at least one fastener.

10. The workstation of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of accessory mounting locations are associated with at least one mounting hole.

11. The workstation of claim 10, wherein each of the mounting holes are threaded.

12. The workstation of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of accessory mounting locations are associated with at least two mounting holes having a first spacing, the at least one accessory has at least two mounting holes having a second spacing, wherein the first spacing generally corresponds to the second spacing.

13. The workstation of claim 12, wherein each of the mounting holes are threaded.

14. The workstation of claim 1, wherein the post is hollow, and the at least one mounting surface is formed with an opening.

15. The workstation of claim 1, wherein the equipment holder is configured to accept at least one piece of equipment selected from the group consisting of a computer, portable computer, keyboard and display.

16. A wall mounted workstation, comprising:

a wall mount that couples the post to the wall, and

a work surface coupled to the post at one of the accessory mounting locations.

17. The workstation of claim 16, wherein the mounting surface is substantially planar.

18. The workstation of claim 16, wherein the wall mount comprises an upper mount and a lower mount.

19. The workstation of claim 18, wherein the post has an upper end formed with a slot that is sized to receive the upper mount.

20. The workstation of claim 19 wherein the upper end of the post is formed with a lip that engages between the upper mount and the wall.

21. The workstation of claim 16, wherein the upper mount is formed with at least one slot that can accept at least one fastener.

22. The workstation of claim 16, wherein the lower mount comprises two arms.

23. The workstation of claim 22, wherein the each arm has a wall mounting portion and a post mounting portion.

23. The workstation of claim 22, wherein the each arm is formed with at least one slot that can accept at least one fastener.

24. The workstation of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of accessory mounting locations are associated with at least one mounting hole.

25. The workstation of claim 24, wherein each of the mounting holes are threaded.

26. The workstation of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of accessory mounting locations are associated with at least two mounting holes having a first spacing, the at least one accessory has at least two mounting holes having a second spacing, wherein the first spacing generally corresponds to the second spacing.

27. The workstation of claim 26, wherein each of the mounting holes are threaded.

28. The workstation of claim 16, wherein the post is hollow.

29. The workstation of claim 16, further comprising at least one of an equipment holder and a foot rest.

30. The workstation of claim 29, wherein the equipment holder is configured to accept at least one piece of equipment selected from the group consisting of a computer, portable computer, keyboard and display.

31. A wall mounted workstation, comprising:

a wall mount that couples the post to the wall, and

an equipment holder, wherein the equipment holder is coupled to the post at one of the accessory mounting locations.

32. The workstation of claim 31, further comprising at least one accessory selected from the group consisting of a work surface and footrest.

33. A post for a wall mounted workstation wherein the post is configured for coupling to at least one wall mount and has at least one substantially planar mounting surface having a plurality of accessory locations for coupling an accessory to the post.

34. The wall mounted workstation of claim 1, wherein the post contains a plurality of accessory mounting locations wherein each mounting location uses a single mounting hole configured for mounting an accessory.

35. The wall mounted workstation of claim 1, wherein the post contains a channel configured to slideably mount an accessory to the post.

36. The wall mounted workstation of claim 35, wherein the channel is configured to lock the accessory at selected intervals along the channel.