Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-08
2001-05-08
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, 36, C206S320000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229698
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a compact, light weight portable office having a computer workstation to be transported from place-to-place within and removed from an impact resistant carrying case. The carrying case is provided with a shock isolation system to absorb shock and dampen low frequency vibrations whereby to reduce the risk of damage to the workstation during shipment and enable the workstation to be used in a moving motor vehicle.
2. Background Art
Compact portable offices containing a personal computer, a printer and other peripherals packaged within a carrying case have been commercially available for many years. Because of space constraints, the user is often required to remove either the computer or the printer from the case before access can be gained to each. In certain situations, a printer and other conventional peripherals cannot be easily packaged within the same carrying case, making it necessary for the user to have access to an external printer and/or to other computer peripherals. In other situations, because the computer and peripherals are packaged tightly together within the carrying case, it is sometimes difficult and time consuming to attach cables between the computer and the peripherals so as to be able to use the components as an integrated workstation. In the event that the computer and/or peripherals are to be removed from the case, there is often no available set-up surface for the user to conveniently and efficiently arrange the components of the portable office for use.
One of the advantages of a portable office is its ability to be transported from place-to-place. The portable office is transported in its carrying case over long distances during which the computer and peripherals are often subjected to impact forces. Such impact forces could damage the computer and/or the peripherals. That is to say, where the modular components of the portable office are usually packed closely together within the carrying case, the impact forces are undesirably transmitted throughout the case. Where the modular components are free to move around the carrying case, they have been known to impact one another. However, there is no readily available means known to absorb the forces to which the carrying case is exposed during transit whereby to avoid damage to the components of the portable office. What is more, it has not been practical to use the workstation in a moving motor vehicle without subjecting the computer to engine and road induced vibrations that could adversely affect the operation of the computer drives.
Examples of portable offices comprising a modular computer workstation are available by referring to any of the following United States patents, all of which being assigned to the assignee of this application:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,628 issued May 18, 1993
U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,540 issued Jul. 13, 1993
U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,512 issued Aug. 15, 1995
U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,022 issued Dec. 31, 1996
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A compact, light weight portable office is disclosed having a shock resistant carrying case in which a computer workstation is housed and transported from place-to-place. The carrying case includes a cover that is detachable from a body. The computer workstation includes a personal computer and one or more peripherals such as, for example, a printer, a cellular telephone, a scanner, a battery charger, and the like. The computer and the computer peripherals of the workstation are seated upon a flat, generally rectangular base plate. In an as-packaged configuration of the computer workstation, with the cover of the carrying case located over the body, the base plate is detachably connected to a flat, generally rectangular table surface. The table surface extends above and across the body of the carrying case so that a hollow chamber is established between the table surface and the body. A battery for powering the workstation is carried within the hollow chamber of the carrying case.
A plurality of locking caps project upwardly from the table surface for receipt through respective holes formed in the base plate. A corresponding plurality of slidable locking clips are adapted to be moved in a first direction over the base plate so as to engage respective ones of the locking caps, whereby to hold the base plate with the computer workstation seated thereon against the table surface. However, with the cover of the carrying case detached form the body to permit access to the workstation, the slidable locking clips can be moved in an opposite direction over the base plate and out of engagement with the locking caps. In a detached configuration of the workstation, the base plate is removed from the body of the carrying case and lifted off the table surface to permit the workstation to be carried to a suitable worksite at which the computer and/or any of the peripherals of the workstation can be conveniently used outside the confines of and the space limitations imposed by the carrying case.
A shock isolation system is located in the hollow chamber of the carrying case below the table surface. According to one embodiment of this invention, a pair of helical springs extend laterally and in parallel alignment with one another through the hollow chamber. Each spring is held under a compressive load by a pair of upper and lower rails that run along the table surface and the body of the carrying case. According to an alternate embodiment of the invention, the body of the carrying case is modified so that a lip is formed along each of the opposite sides thereof. Each lip bends downwardly and inwardly so as to lie below the table surface that covers the hollow chamber. A set of helical springs are located between each of the opposing lips of the body and the table surface.
With the cover of the carrying case closed atop the body and the computer workstation in the as-packaged configuration, the shock isolation systems according to the first and alternate embodiments act to suspend the flat table surface so that the computer workstation floats within the carrying case. Accordingly, impact forces to which the portable office is subjected during transit are absorbed. Therefore, the computer workstation is less likely to sustain damage that might otherwise occur with a conventional carrying case. The shock isolation systems also suspend the computer workstation in order to dissipate low frequency vibrations when the top of the carrying case is removed from the body so that the workstation can be operated in a potentially hazardous environment and/or within a moving motor vehicle.
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Fischer Morland C.
Picard Leo P.
Vortman Anatoly
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