US20030085639A1

US20030085639A1 - Computer monitor support

Info

Publication number: US20030085639A1
Application number: US10/008,165
Authority: US
Inventors: Shou Ming-Hwa
Original assignee: Dynamic Healthtech Inc
Current assignee: Dynamic Healthtech Inc
Priority date: 2001-11-02
Filing date: 2001-11-02
Publication date: 2003-05-08

Abstract

A computer monitor support includes a first support immovably connected to a lower side of a desktop, and a second support pivotally connected to the first support via an upper and a lower link to movably located in front of the first support for supporting a computer monitor thereon. The first and the second support, and the upper and the lower link together form a four-bar linkage. A lifting mechanism is connected to the four-bar linkage to lift or lower the second support and to incline the second support downward or upward, respectively, at the same time, so that any user may set the computer monitor on the second support to a vertical position and an angle of elevation most suitable for the user to look at a display on the monitor comfortably and clearly.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a computer monitor support that enables adjustment of vertical position and angle of elevation of a computer monitor at the same time, so that a user may look at the monitor at a most comfortable angle of view.

With the highly developed electronic and information technologies, computers have become a prerequisite tool for most people in working, doing leisure activities, playing games, reading, and handling many general affairs. Computers and related apparatuses could be found in almost every family, office, and business place.

To enable users having different heights to look at the display on the computer monitor at an angle of view most suitable for them, the computer monitor usually has a base enabling adjustment of the monitor to different angles of elevation. However, a vertical position of the monitor relative to a desktop on which the monitor is positioned is also very important for users to look at the display comfortably.

For a high user or a user who stands before the monitor to look at a display on the monitor in an attempt to soften the stiffened legs and back muscles due to sitting before the computer over a prolonged time, the monitor might not be at a suitable height and angle of elevation for the user to clearly read information shown on the display. In a worse condition, the user might even misread the information to result in serious problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a computer monitor support that enables adjustment of vertical position and angle of elevation of the monitor at the same time to meet the needs of different users.

The computer monitor support of the present invention mainly includes a first support immovably connected to a lower side of a desktop, and a second support pivotally connected to the first support via an upper and a lower link to movably located in front of the first support for supporting a computer monitor thereon. The first and the second support, and the upper and the lower link together form a four-bar linkage. A lifting mechanism is pivotally connected at a rear locating block to a pivot shaft connecting the first support to the lower link, and at an outer end of an extension tube thereof to a pivot shaft connecting the second support to the upper link, so that the extension tube lifts or lowers the second support when it is driven to extend forward or to retreat.

In the computer monitor support of the present invention, a distance between two connection holes at two ends of the lower link is slightly larger than a distance between two connection holes at two ends of the upper link, and a distance between two connection holes on the second support is slightly larger than a distance between two connection holes on the first support, allowing the extension tube to incline the second support downward or upward while lifting or lowering, respectively, the second support.

Therefore, any user may set the computer monitor on the second support to a vertical position and an angle of elevation most suitable for the user to look at the display on the monitor comfortably and clearly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein [0009]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a computer monitor support according to the present invention; [0010]
FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of the computer monitor support according to the present invention; [0011]
FIG. 3 is an enlarged, sectioned side view of a lifting mechanism forming a part of the computer monitor support of the present invention; [0012]
FIG. 4 is a vertical section of the computer monitor support of the present invention in a lifted state; and [0013]
FIG. 5 is another vertical section of the computer monitor support of the present invention in a lowered state.[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 that are exploded and assembled perspective views, respectively, of a computer monitor support of the present invention. As shown, the computer monitor support mainly includes a [0015] first support 10 having a first top plate 11 and a first upright bracket 12 fixedly connected to a lower surface of the first top plate 11; a second support 20 having a second top plate 21 and a second upright bracket 22 fixedly connected to a lower surface of the second top plate 21; a first link 30; a second link 40; and a lifting mechanism 50. All of the first and the second upright brackets 12, 22 and the first and the second links 30, 40 have a U-shaped cross section and include two sidewalls and a sideward opening.
The [0016] first support 10 is immovably connected at the first top plate 11 to a lower side of a desktop 60 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) with the sideward opening of the first upright bracket 12 facing forward as viewed from a user sitting before the desktop 60. The first upright bracket 12 is provided at the two sidewalls with a first pair of upper connection holes 15 and a first pair of lower connection holes 16.
The [0017] second support 20 is pivotally connected to the first support 10 via the links 30, 40 to locate in front of the first support 10, and has a resting plate 27 connected to a top of the second top plate 21 for a computer monitor 61 to seat thereon (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The second upright bracket 22 is provided at the two sidewalls with a second pair of upper connection holes 25 and a second pair of lower connection holes 26. And, the sideward opening of the second upright bracket 22 is oriented to face toward the sideward opening of the first upright bracket 12.
The [0018] first link 30 is vertically located above the second link 40, so that their sideward openings face toward each other. The first link 30 is provided on its two sidewalls near a rear and a front end with a first pair of rear connection holes 31 and a first pair of front connection holes 32, respectively, so that the first link 30 is pivotally connected at two ends to the first and the second upright bracket 11, 21 by extending a first upper pivot shaft 13 and a second upper pivot shaft 23 through the first pair of upper connection holes 15 on the first upright bracket 12 and the first pair of rear connection holes 31 on the first link 30, and the second pair of upper connection holes 25 on the second upright bracket 22 and the first pair of front connection holes 32 on the first link 30, respectively. Similarly, the second link 40 is provided on its two sidewalls near a rear and a front end with a second rear connection holes 41 and a second pair of front connection holes 42, respectively, so that the second link 40 is pivotally connected at two ends to the first and the second upright bracket 11, 21 by extending a first lower pivot shaft 14 and a second lower pivot shaft 24 through the first pair of lower connection holes 16 on the first upright bracket 12 and the second pair of rear connection holes 41 on the second link 40, and the second pair of lower connection holes 26 on the second upright bracket 22 and the second pair of front connection holes 42 on the second link 40, respectively. Therefore, the first and the second link 30, 40 and the first and the second upright bracket 12, 22 together form a four-bar linkage.
The [0019] lifting mechanism 50 is known in the art. FIG. 3 is an enlarged, sectioned side view of the lifting mechanism 50, showing the same includes a motor 53, a lead screw 54 driven by the motor 53 to rotate, an extension tube 52 screwed at an inner end to the lead screw 54, and a locating block 51 provided at a position corresponding to a rear end of the lead screw 54. When the motor 53 drives the lead screw 54 to rotate, the extension tube 52 is caused to extend forward or to retreat, depending on a direction in which the lead screw 54 rotates.
The [0020] lifting mechanism 50 is located between the first and the second link 30, 40 with the locating block 51 facing toward the first support 10 and the extension tube 52 pointing toward the second support 20. The first lower pivot shaft 14 that pivotally connects the first upright bracket 12 to the second link 40 also extends through the locating block 51, and the second upper pivot shaft 23 that pivotally connects the second upright bracket 22 to the first link 30 also extends through an outer end of the extension tube 52. Two first C-clamps 55 may be clamped on the first lower pivot shaft 14 to confine the locating block 51 of the lifting mechanism 50 to the shaft 14 between the two first C-clamps 55. Similarly, two second C-clamps 56 may be clamped on the second upper pivot shaft 23 to confine the outer end of the extension tube 52 of the lifting mechanism 50 to the shaft 23 between the two second C-clamps 56.
Please refer to FIG. 4. The [0021] first support 10 is immovably fixed to the lower side of the desktop 60, and the second support 20 is supported by the first and the second link 30, 40 and the lifting mechanism 50 to movably locate in front of the first support 10. When the lifting mechanism 50 is actuated and the extension tube 52 is driven to extend forward, the second support 20 connected at the second upright bracket 22 to the lifting mechanism 50 via the second upper pivot shaft 23 is lifted by the extended extension tube 52 to move the monitor 61 to a higher position relative to the desktop 60. On the contrary, when the lifting mechanism 50 is actuated and the extension tube 52 is driven to retreat, the second support 20 is lowered by the retreated extension tube 52 to descend the monitor 61, as shown in FIG. 5. In brief, the second support 20 and the monitor 61 seated thereon are lifted or lowered by extending or retreating, respectively, the extension tube 52 of the lifting mechanism 50.
The [0022] lifting mechanism 50 is controlled to operate via a lifting push button 57 and a lowering push button 58, depressing of lifting and lowering push buttons 57 and 58 enables the extension tube 52 to lift and lower, respectively, the second support 20. Thus, the computer monitor support of the present invention can be very easily operated. Moreover, the lifting and the lowering push button 57, 58 enable stepless fine adjustment in lifting and lowering the second support 20.
It is to be noted that the [0023] first link 30 has an inner width at the sideward opening slightly larger than an outer width at the sideward opening of the second link 40, so that the second link 40 may upward extend its two sidewalls into the sideward opening of the first link 30 without frictionally contacting with the two sidewalls of the first link 30.
It is also to be noted that a distance between the rear and the [0024] front connection holes 41, 42 on the second link 40 is slightly larger than that between the rear and the front connection holes 31, 32 on the first link 30, and a distance between the second pair of upper connection holes 25 and the second pair of lower connection holes 26 on the second upright bracket 22 is slightly larger than that between the first pair of upper connection holes 15 and the first pair of lower connection holes 16 on the first upright bracket 12, such that the first upper pivot shaft 13, the first lower pivot shaft 14, the second upper pivot shaft 23, and the second lower pivot shaft 24 form four vertexes of a quadrilateral having two groups of unequal opposite sides, as can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.
With the above arrangements, when the [0025] extension tube 52 of the lifting mechanism 50 is extended forward, it not only lifts the second support 20 but also causes the second support 20 to slightly incline downward toward the first support 10 at the same time, as shown in FIG. 4, so that a short user may comfortably look at a display on the monitor 61 at an upward angle of view. For a high user or a user standing before the monitor 61, the lifting mechanism 50 may be actuated to retreat the extension tube 52 and thereby lowers the second support 20 and causes the same to slightly incline away from the first support 10 at the same time, as shown in FIG. 5, so that the display of the monitor 61 is slightly turned upward to face the user's eyes looking downward.
The purpose of providing U-shaped [0026] upright brackets 12, 22 and first and second links 30, 40 is to facilitate forming of laterally symmetrical connection hole pairs 15, 16, 25, 26, 31, 32, 41 and 42 on the two sidewalls of these brackets and links for the pivot shafts 13, 14, 23 and 24 to extend therethrough.
The computer monitor support of the present invention enables stepless adjustment of the vertical position and the angle of elevation of the [0027] computer monitor 61 on the second support 20 relative to the first support 10 that is immovably fixed to the lower side of the desktop 60, so that any user could look at the display on the monitor 61 at an angle of view most suitable for the user. The present invention is therefore ideal and practical for use.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A computer monitor support, comprising:

a first support including a first top plate immovably connected to a lower side of a desktop, and a first upright bracket fixedly connected to a bottom of said first top plate; said first upright bracket having a U-shaped cross section to include two sidewalls and a sideward opening that is oriented forward, and being provided on said two sidewalls with a first pair of upper connection holes and a first pair of lower connection holes;

a second support being located in front of said first support, and including a second top plate on which a computer monitor is seated, and a second upright bracket fixedly connected to a bottom of said second top plate; said second upright bracket having a U-shaped cross section to include two sidewalls and a sideward opening that is oriented toward said first support, and being provided on said two sidewalls with a second pair of upper connection holes and a second pair of lower connection holes;

a first link having a U-shaped cross section to include two sidewalls and a sideward opening that is oriented downward; said first link being provided on said two sidewalls near two ends thereof with a first pair of rear connection holes and a first pair of front connection holes;

a second link being located below said first link, and having a U-shaped cross section to include two sidewalls and a sideward opening that is oriented upward; said second link being provided on said two sidewalls near two ends thereof with a second pair of rear connection holes and a second pair of front connection holes; and

a lifting mechanism including an extension tube being driven by a motor and a lead screw of said lifting mechanism to extend forward or retreat;

said first link being pivotally connected at a rear end to said first upright bracket by extending a first upper pivot shaft through said first pair of upper connection holes on said first upright bracket and said first pair of rear connection holes on said first link, and at a front end to said second upright bracket by extending a second upper pivot shaft through said second pair of upper connection holes on said second upright bracket and said first pair of front connection holes on said first link;

said second link being pivotally connected at a rear end to said first upright bracket by extending a first lower pivot shaft through said first pair of lower connection holes on said first upright bracket and said second pair of rear connection holes on said second link, and at a front end to said second upright bracket by extending a second lower pivot shaft through said second pair of lower connection holes on said second upright bracket and said second pair of front connection holes on said second link; and

said first lower pivot shaft connecting said first upright bracket to said rear end of said second link also extending through a rear locating block of said lifting mechanism, and said second upper pivot shaft connecting said second upright bracket to said front end of said first link also extending through an outer end of said extension tube.

2. The computer monitor support as claimed in claim 1, wherein a distance between said second pair of rear connection holes and said second pair of front connection holes on said second link is slightly larger than a distance between said first pair of rear connection holes and said first pair of front connection holes on said first link.

3. The computer monitor support as claimed in claim 1, wherein a distance between said second pair of upper connection holes and said second pair of lower connection holes on said second upright bracket is slightly larger than a distance between said first pair of upper connection holes and said first pair of lower connection holes on said first upright bracket.