GB2574595A - Apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a computer trolley 1 comprising a horizontal primary platform, having an upper surface 4 for supporting a computer, a recess located below the surface, an extension platform located in the recess in a contracted position and is movable into an extended position to support a second computer and means for supporting the extension platform in the extended position. The extension platform can be locked in the extended position. Optionally the trolley may be supported on castors 7. The extension platform may comprise guide members and nylon bushes located in the recess to allow the platform to slide out of the recess. The trolley further comprises locking bolts to lock the extension platform at one or more predetermined positions. Further disclosed is a cabinet 2 for housing a computer trolley, comprising a longitudinal side panel, a back panel and a door, wherein the back panel and door comprise integral means for extension, to increase the width. Further disclosed is a method for the operative arrangement of two computers within an enclosure with an expanding width.

Description

Trading Floor IT equipment changes on a regular basis. Our clients cannot always determine what IT equipment their users will need day one or indeed how those needs will change day two or ongoing.

Desk space is always at a premium and the marriage between IT equipment and any user performance requirements is always challenging when restricted to a typical desk footprint size. The need for superior ergonomic performance in this scenario is a constant.

Typically, a single desk is expected to accommodate up to four monitors, sometimes more, with multiple computer processor units, associated mice and keyboards in addition to a high performance telephone system, know as a turret. Desktop power/data outlets, 80 metres of cabling, a writing space and an under desk storage pedestal, sometimes two together with some form of heat management. All of this with a superior ergonomic performance to include a height adjustable desktop for sit/stand functionality with maximised knee space and toe space under the desk.

The challenge was to design a solution that only took as much desk space as needed at that time with the ability to easily and efficiently accommodate any changing technology ongoing.

With computer processor units typically located under the desk, we wanted to be able to store a single unit day one in a specially designed cabinet, with the ability to expand up to

- 1 multiple units day two, without the need for additional furniture parts of complicated desk adaptations, all of which attract additional ongoing costs to our clients.

Technology Desking have designed a PC cabinet with an integrated pull-out trolley, both of which can expand or contract in width to house differing sizes and/or quantities of computer processor units.

We wanted to minimise the intrusion under the desktop in the knee well area, when just a single processor was specified and to allow the flexibility to increase the cabinet width when needed and of course vice-versa, when not needed i.e. an expanded cabinet day one can also be decreased in size day two to improve the user knee-well space accordingly.

The processor cabinet has a unique ability to slide telescopically in width, expanding or contracting the internal space of the cabinet to accommodate differing sizes or quantities of processor units. The cabinet door has a similar unique telescopic feature with one door panel sliding inside the other thereby increasing the width of door to match the cabinet width.

The cabinet has additional fixing points which allows for increased stability as the cabinet expands or contracts accordingly.

The computer processor trolley has a unique ability to slide telescopically, expanding or contracting the width of the trolley base to accommodate differing sizes or quantities of processor units.

-2The trolley has a primary support tray with a secondary horizontal pull out tray, expanding the support area of the trolley to accommodate differing sizes or quantities of units. The telescopic design consists of corresponding slots in both the cabinet and the trolley, with locking bolts strategically placed in order to achieve the desired size.

Description of Preferred Embodiments

Figure 1 illustrates a computer trolley 1 and two computer cabinets 2A and 2B located below respective computer desks 3A and 3B at a typical office work station. In figure 1 the computer trolley 1 and the cabinet 2 are in a contracted position in which they are sized to house a single computer processor box (not shown). The computer processor box would be placed on and supported off the floor on the upward facing surface of platform 4 of the trolley 1. Electrical and data connections from the computer box to peripheral devices and networks are made via a connection and ventilation tower 5 located at the rear of the trolley 1, and wires are supported on a chain 6 which connects the trolley 1 to the desk 3A. Once a computer box is installed on the platform 4 of the trolley 1, and appropriate electrical and data connections are made, then the trolley would be rolled on castors 7 into the interior of the cabinet 2A which provides some protection for the computer from incidental knocks, for example as a result of chairs, shoes or other items often present under a working desk. It also serves to channel heat from the computer in use in appropriate directions to the comfort of the occupant of the desk.

When the computer is to be serviced, repaired, moved or replaced, the trolley 1 can relatively easily be rolled out of the cabinet 2A again.

-3 Cabinet 2A has a side panel 10, a back panel 11 (shown in relation to the cabinet 2B for the adjacent desk 3B) and a door 12.

Sometimes it is desired to add a second computer processor box to a work station to increase the processing power of the station or to provide parallel processing facilities to a user. However a traditional computer cabinet cannot usually accommodate more than one and either a double size cabinet must be purchased or the cabinet dismantled and rebuilt to make it bigger. This is very inconvenient for engineers installing computers, particularly if users with different requirements move desks frequently.

However the computer trolley and the cabinet of the present invention can easily be expanded to accommodate two computer boxes. This configuration is shown in Figure 2. The trolley 1 and the cabinet 2A are now double width so as to accommodate two side by side computer boxes (not shown). Again, once the computers have been installed and connected to power and data lines, the trolley 1 can be rolled on the castors 7 back into the cabinet 2A, and the door 12 closed to protect the computer boxes.

More details are shown in Figures 3 to 11.

Claims (20)

1. A computer trolley comprising a generally horizontal primary platform having an upper surface for supporting a computer, a recess located below the surface, an extension platform which is located in the recess in a contracted position, and is movable out of the recess into an extended position to support a second computer adjacent to the first computer, and means for supporting the extension platform in the extended position.

2. The computer trolley according to claim 1, further comprising means for locking the extension platform in the extended position.

3. The computer trolley according to claim 1 or 2, comprising means for supporting the primary platform away from a floor, and means for moving the trolley.

4. The computer trolley according to claim 3, comprising a plurality of castors mounted to the trolley for supporting and moving the trolley.

5. The computer trolley according to claim 4, wherein a first plurality of castors are connected to the primary platform and arranged to move generally linearly, and a second plurality of castors are connected to the extension platform and arranged for multidirectional movement.

6. The computer trolley according to any one of claims 1 to

5, comprising a support bar extending the length of the extension platform.

7. The computer trolley according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the extension platform comprises guide members and nylon bushes located in the recess to allow the extension platform to slide out of the recess.

8. The computer trolley according to claim 7, wherein the guide members comprise laterally extending slots in the extension platform and lugs protruding from the primary platform to slide in respective slots.

9. The computer trolley according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising locking bolts adapted to lock the extension platform at one or more predetermined extended positions.

10. A cabinet for housing a computer trolley, comprising at least one longitudinal side panel, a back panel and a door, wherein the back panel and the door comprise integral means for extension, to increase the width of each panel.

11. A cabinet according to claim 10, wherein the back panel comprises a primary back panel and an extension back panel which is located in a recess adjacent the primary back panel, and is moveable out of the recess from a contracted position into an extended position, to have a second computer adjacent to the first computer case.

12. A cabinet according to claim 11, further comprising means for locking the extension back panel in the extended position.

13. A cabinet according to claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein the door comprises a primary door panel and an extension door panel which is located in a recess adjacent the primary door

-6panel, and is moveable out of the recess from a contracted position into an extended position.

14. A cabinet according to claim 13, further comprising means for locking the extension door panel in the extended position.

15. A cabinet according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the primary and the extension door panels comprise a plurality of ventilation holes which are substantially aligned when the extension door panel is in the contracted position.

16. A cabinet according to claim 15, wherein the holes comprise elongate slots.

17. A cabinet according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the locking means is operable manually without tools.

18. A computer trolley according to any one of claims 1 to 6 located inside a cabinet according to any one of claims 10 to

16.

19. A method for the operative arrangement of two computers within an enclosure comprising at least one side connected to a back and a door, the method comprising expanding the width of the enclosure by sliding an extension door panel and an extension back panel out of respective recesses in the back and the door.

20. A computer trolley, and/or a cabinet, and/or a method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings .