Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-07
2003-07-22
Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C312S223300, C206S576000, 36
Reexamination Certificate
active
06597568
ABSTRACT:
FIELD
This invention relates to a portable carrying case for a mobile office. The case may be closed down for transporting a number of interconnected electronic devices from place to place, and may be opened up for immediate use of those devices upon or within the frame of the carrying case.
BACKGROUND
Although laptop computers are highly convenient devices, having a number of functions within one easily transported box, at this time there are few if any convenient stand-alone, portable, standardised computers which also include a printer, a data communications link via such as the cellular telephone network, paper storage, and the like. In the absence of that, a person may carry a collection of items including separate electronic devices, interconnecting leads, and paper. The leads have to be repeatedly plugged in then unplugged for transport and in time will fail. Sometimes a vital component is lost or forgotten. Connection and disconnection takes a significant amount of time, patience, and skill. A working surface area may not be available. Yet the trend towards using mobile offices that can be brought to a client's address for an appointment, and operated (perhaps to generate orders, insurance proposals, or the like) is growing.
The problem to be solved may be described as “Provision of a mobile office within a convenient, transportable container, capable of being carried about, opened, and used with a minimum of inconvenience.
An unpublished antecedent of the instant invention included a frame, but (like U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,367 Martin) had the printer folding out on a hinged tray through 90 degrees, facing the user, and above the laptop. Rigid struts were used to hold the printer in that position. Further rigid struts held the computer tray perpendicular to the frame when in use, to resist a tendency for collapse. A complex power supply was provided to supply all equipment with the specified DC voltage and current; thus that device was locked to a certain set of electronic devices. A review of the patent literature also indicates that there have been a number of attempts to solve this problem over the last 20 years. Some prior art is summarised below:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,590 Sprague provides a carrying case with a hollow rectangular base and a hinged cover. A laptop is anchored on a first platform; a printer is on a second platform beside and at the same level as the laptop (with paper stored beneath). Battery storage is provided beneath the first platform. The case would be at least 500-550 mm wide.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,837 Chang provides a “three layered” laptop computer assembly which places a printer directly behind, and in line with the laptop when in use. If not in use the printer folds back, over the top of the closed laptop. The invention includes hinges but no protective case
U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,948 Holmberg provides a transportable work station within an attache case, in which an arrangement of guide rails on internal side walls provides that a printer held above a computer is moved backward when the case is opened, into a working position. The internal side walls obstruct access to each side of the laptop.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,988 Brown shows a durable outer shell with shock barrier walls around a main and a secondary storage compartment. It appears that in use the laptop is considerably higher above a work surface than the printer, which is ergonomically inadvisable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,001 Marceau teaches a soft briefcase-style case; the laptop is suspended within, in order to protect against shock. The case has an “opened-out mobile office mode” in that the laptop may be lifted out and operated upon an exterior flap, which when opened out exposes some office resources.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,628 Bradbury provides a compact workstation having its own battery and power distribution and with many optional devices,. On opening the attache case a computer tray is moved forward by levers, relative to a printer tray. However the keyboard of the laptop is lifted well above a work surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,574 Chang now adds a protective housing to the device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,837; an attache case having first (shallow) and second (deep) shells; a user can work the computer over the low front wall of the first shell while higher walls on the second shell enclose a tray holding a printer connected to the computer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,119 Hollingsworth describes another carrying case for a laptop or other delicate instrument. This case when closed has a similar profile to that of the present invention (when closed) but provides only an aperture, accessible from above, for carrying a laptop and no provision for transformation into a mobile office.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,893 Ruiz holds a laptop computer within an attache case, above a partition, and it is said that the laptop is more easily used because of the elevation There is no printer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,367 Martin provides a wheeled carrying case; two shell halves are hinged together. Two internal shelves each holding an electronic device may be rotated out through 90 degrees and down from the vertically opened case to be locked into position, when changing mode from a “carry” position to a “use” position. When in use the case derives some stability from the other shell half which lies alongside the working position (FIG.
2
). The height of the case must be at least 500-550 mm.
U.S. design 344074 to Collins is for a suitcase holding a laptop and other compartments (resembling a font tray but the laptop is well to the rear and at one side and would be inconvenient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,022 Harvey describes a compact modular portable workstation within an impact resistant carrying case. All cables to peripherals are shielded and a cellular telephone is shielded from a user. A laptop in a tray is caused to emerge by a lever when the case is opened, but it is at a considerable height above a working surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,567 Tao describes a folding rack system for a mobile office. A lower shelf is for a laptop and a second shelf is for a peripheral such as a printer. Devices may remain connected. The printer folds back over the laptop when in a carrying mode. Levers and pivots control the movement. This is like Chang (U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,837). U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,475 LeVander describes a carrying case for a mobile office, having a top-loading printer located beside a laptop computer and includes a slot in a front wall of the base of the case for paper egress. The case length must be at least 500-550 mm
It can be seen that despite the presence of a number of published inventions for carrying cases applicable to mobile offices few offer a small “footprint”, protection during transport, and convenient, ergonomically acceptable access.
DEFINITIONS
“Laptop-style personal computer” We shall use the term “laptop” in this specification to refer to a class of personal digital computer adapted for self-contained operation (including power storage and display device) and with a high degree of portability. Computers of this type are available from many manufacturers. The invention is not to be taken as being limited to that specific range or type of data processing devices. It may refer to a simple “dumb” terminal. Future developments may even replace the LCD screen of the laptop with a retinal projection device, while the only input used is speech, so removing the present “convenient; human-compatible size of keyboard and screen” constraint.
“Portable” refers to an ability to take something about from place to place.
“Mobile office” means an assembly including facilities for information handling, printing, scanning and telecommunications. Telecommunications includes faxes, emails, and remote access to networks (wide-area networking) as well as to the Internet. A mobile office preferably includes attributes of compactness, simple setting up and closing down and portability, so that the assembly can be carried to a place and operated at the place.
OBJECT
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved carryin
Duong Hung Van
Young & Thompson
LandOfFree
Carrying case for mobile office does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Carrying case for mobile office, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Carrying case for mobile office will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3081376