GB2259057A - Portable document holders and workstations provided with steering wheel attachment - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable document holder is in the form of a casing with a handle 13, the interior of the casing being divided into front and rear portions by a central dividing wall 25. Access to the front portion is obtained by means of a central sliding shutter 14 and two hinged side flaps 15, 16 formed on their inner surfaces with pockets for holding equipment. Access to the rear compartment 31 is obtained through an upper hinged flap 32 which is so shaped that, when folded down, it provides an elongate slot 35 which may be hooked over the steering wheel of a motor vehicle. A lamp may be fitted to the upper casing. A workstation comprising document support, drawing board, keyboard or portable computer may be similarly mounted. <IMAGE>

Description

"Improvements in or relating to portable document holders and workstations" The invention relates to portable document holders and workstations.

Increasingly, it is necessary or desirable for workpeople to perform functions, when away from their office, which would normally be performed at a desk.

For example, it is often necessary for a businessman or commercial representative to work on documents or portable equipment when sitting in a stationary motor vehicle.

Conventionally, documents and other equipment such as pens, rulers, calculators etc., are carried in a briefcase or attache case which either has a hinged lid or a top opening flap. In either case, the user has to remove the papers and equipment from the case before use and must then find some form of flat support to put on his lap on which to rest the papers and equipment while they are being worked on. Sometimes papers can be rested on the hard surface of an attache case, or a separate clip board may be provided. However, such haphazard arrangements are inconvenient and are not conducive to carrying out good work and there is also the risk of papers and equipment becoming damaged or misplaced. Similar problems can arise in using other portable workstations such as portable, or "lap top", computers.

The present invention provides, in its various aspects, a portable document holder or workstation which may be more convenient to use in situations away from the office desk. In a preferred embodiment there is provided a portable document holder particularly suitable for use in a stationary motor vehicle, but in other aspects the invention provides a portable document holder or other form of workstation which may also be more convenient to use in other non-office environments, such as in the home, in trains or in aircraft.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a portable document holder comprising a main body having a bottom wall structure and a peripheral wall, and a lid assembly which provides a cover for the main body to form an enclosure, at least part of the lid assembly being displaceable to provide access to the interior of the enclosure, the main body being provided with means for detachably mounting the holder on a vehicle steering wheel.

The mounting means may comprise a pair of laterally spaced hook-like locating elements which extend from the rear of the main body of the holder for engagement with spaced portions of the rim of the steering wheel. Preferably the two spaced locating elements constitute opposite ends of a single elongate support device providing an elongate aperture which is shorter than the diameter of an average vehicle steering wheel, and wider than the thickness of a wheel, so as to fit over an upper part of such a wheel. For example, the support device may be generally of elongate C-shape, said aperture being provided between said device and the rear surface of the document holder.

The elongate support device may be hingedly connected to the document holder so that it may be folded substantially flat against the rear surface thereof, and preferably flush with that surface, when not in use. The support device may comprise a portion of the peripheral wall and/or bottom wall structure of the main body of the holder, so that when folded away from the main body it leaves an aperture through which access to the interior of the main body may be obtained.

In this case the bottom wall structure of the main body may comprise two spaced, generally parallel walls, the aperture left by displacement of the support device providing access to the space between said walls, within the main body of the holder.

The lid assembly may comprise one or more cover portions hingedly connected along one edge thereof to the peripheral wall of the holder. Preferably there are provided two such cover portions hingedly connected to the peripheral wall at opposite sides of the main body. The parts of said cover portions which face inwardly when in the closed position may carry compartments for the storage of articles.

Alternatively or additionally the lid assembly may comprise one or more shutter panels slideable from a closed position, where it extends across at least part of the main body of the holder, to an open position where it is retracted to allow access to the interior of the main body. Preferably, the shutter is in the form of a flexible sheet-like element which is flexible and which becomes rolled, curved or folded as it is retracted.

For example, the shutter may comprise an element which is comparatively rigid across its width and comparatively flexible along its length, the shutter being retractable in the direction of its length and there being provided, in the bottom wall structure of the main body, means to receive the retracted portion of the shutter. Said means may comprise guideways within the bottom wall structure. Preferably only a single shutter is provided.

In the case where the lid assembly comprises both a shutter and one or more hinged cover portions, the shutter preferably extends across a major portion of the main body and the cover portion or portions extend across minor portions of the main body. For example, the shutter may extend across a large central portion of the main body, two hinged cover portions extending across smaller side portions of the main body.

In any of the arrangements the document holder is preferably provided with a carrying handle.

The invention also includes within its scope a portable document holder comprising a main body having a bottom wall structure and a peripheral wall, and a lid assembly which provides a cover for the main body to form an enclosure, the lid assembly comprising at least one shutter panel, and preferably a single shutter panel, which is slideable from a closed position, where it extends across at least part of the main body of the holder, to an open position where it is retracted to allow access to the interior of the main body.

The invention also includes within its scope a workstation comprising a casing having a rear wall structure and a peripheral wall, and a support device mounted on the casing and providing an elongate aperture which is shorter than the diameter of an average vehicle steering wheel, and wider than the thickness of a wheel, so as to fit over an upper part of such a wheel, the support device being hingedly connected to the casing so that it may be folded substantially flat against the rear wall structure, and preferably flush therewith, when not in use.

The term "workstation" is intended to include any device providing facilities for a user to carry out work, such as a document holder or support, drawing board, keyboard, portable computer etc.

The following is a more detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, strictly by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a portable document holder in accordance with the present invention, Figure 2 is a similar view of the document holder, open for use, Figure 3 is a vertical section through the holder, and Figure 4 is a rear perspective view of the holder.

Referring to the drawings, the portable document holder has the general external shape of a fairly conventional attache case with rounded edges and corners. However, the construction of the holder is otherwise quite different from that of a conventional attache case. The main body casing 10 of the holder has a peripheral wall 11 and a bottom wall structure 12, and a carrying handle 13 is securely mounted on the upper part of the peripheral wall.

The interior of the casing is covered by a three-part lid assembly comprising a central retractable shutter 14 and two hinged side flaps 15 and 16. The side flaps 15 and 16 are hingedly connected to the side portions of the peripheral wall 11 and, as best seen in Figure 2, are provided on their internal surfaces with fittings for working equipment. For example, there may be provided on one flap a pocket 17 for pens and pencils 18 and a compartment with a hinged cover 19 for receiving smaller items such as adhesive tape, erasers, etc. The other flap may be formed with means for attaching a calculator 20 and for attaching a small note pad 21. The shutter 14 is moulded or assembled so as to be comparatively rigid across its width but flexible along its length.

When the side flaps 15 and 16 are closed, as shown in Figure 1, the side edges of the shutter 14 run in guide channels 22 formed on the facing edges of the two side flaps 14. The channels 22 therefore provide guides for the shutter 14, and also act as retaining elements ensuring that the side flaps 15 and 16 cannot be opened until the shutter 14 has been retracted.

The shutter 14 is provided adjacent its upper edge with an operating handle 23. The upper peripheral wall of the main body is provided with a slot 24 to receive the handle 23 when the shutter is closed, and a retaining and/or locking device may be associated with the slot 24 to retain the shutter in the closed position.

As best seen in Figure 3 the bottom wall structure of the casing comprises a front panel 25, a rear panel 26 and an inner panel 27 spaced a short distance from the rear panel.

The lower edge of the front panel 25 is spaced above the bottom peripheral wall of the casing and is connected to a generally U-shaped trough 28. As the shutter 14 is retracted downwardly it is guided around the underside of the trough 28 and upwardly into the space between the rear panel 26 and the inner panel 27.

The front panel 25 provides the main working surface of the document holder when the shutter 14 is retracted and, optionally, the flaps 15 and 16 are opened. The trough 28 provides a convenient resting place for pens, pencils, rulers etc. A narrow ledge 29 is provided along the lower part of the front panel 25, above the trough 28, to locate papers resting on the surface of the front panel.

The space between the rear surface 30 of the front panel 25 and the inner panel 27 is a storage space for papers and the like and is divided by a central dividing wall 31 which also serves to provide added rigidity to the front panel 25 and rear panel 26.

As best seen in Figures 3 and 4, access to the space 30 is provided by a hinged flap device 32 which, as will be described, also serves as a means for supporting the document holder on the steering wheel of a motor vehicle or on a flat surface.

The device 32, which is shaped to conform to the outer surface shape of the upper part of the casing, comprises two end portions 33 hingedly connected to the rear panel 26 of the casing and integrally connected by an elongate strip 34 so as to be of generally elongate C-shape.

The device 32 which, in the closed position, is completely flush with the exterior surface of the casing, may be folded down to the operative position shown in Figures 3 and 4. In this position the device defines an elongate rectangular aperture 35 between the strip 34 and the rear panel 26 of the casing. The aperture 35 is somewhat shorter than the diameter of an average vehicle steering wheel, and wider than the thickness of an average wheel, so that it may be fitted over the upper part of a steering wheel to support the casing. In this position the working surface provided by the front panel 25 faces a person sitting in the driver's seat and is arranged at a convenient height and angle for working on.The side flaps 15 and 16, being narrow, may be opened up to the position shown in Figure 2, normally without fouling parts of the vehicle to the sides of the steering wheel, such as the driver's door.

An over-centre device, stop member or catch may be provided to retain the device 32 in the extended position shown in Figures 3 and 4, and in this case it may then provide a stand to hold the casing, and hence the working surface, at a convenient small working angle when the casing is placed on a flat surface. The document holder therefore also provides a convenient workstation for working in comparatively cramped surroundings, such as on a train or aircraft, as well as in a motor vehicle.

A releasable catch may be provided to secure the support device 32 in the closed position. For example there may be provided a magnetic catch with or without a locking device.

The main body of the casing may conveniently be moulded from plastics, as may be the flaps 15 and 16 and the shutter 14. However, the invention does not exclude manufacture in other materials, such as metal, fibre board or leather-covered metal or fibre board.

It will be appreciated that, although as described the workstation is particularly suitable for mounting on a vehicle steering wheel, the invention includes within its scope arrangements where the supporting device 32 is omitted, since in that case the workstation is still a convenient portable unit for carrying out work in locations away from the office desk.

Similarly, the described arrangement for hooking the device on a vehicle steering wheel may also be applied to other forms of workstation, such as for example portable computers or drawing boards. In such cases, the support device may, as in the example illustrated, be foldable to a position where it is flat against the casing of the workstation, and preferably flush with that casing.

The particular device shown for attaching the document holder or workstation to a vehicle steering wheel is only one example of a number of different ways in which this might be achieved. For, example, the elongate generally C-shaped device might be replaced by two or more hooks shaped to engage over spaced parts of the rim of the steering wheel. If three or more hooks are provided, the extra hooks are preferably spring loaded so that the device will adjust automatically to different diameters of steering wheel.

In another arrangement the support device may be in the form of a flexible length or loop of material attached to the rear of the casing and dimensioned to slip over the upper part of a steering wheel in somewhat similar fashion to the device 32 described above.

To enable the document holder or workstation to be used in the dark, or in poor lighting conditions, a lamp may be incorporated in the product. This may be in a form similar to a motorists' map-reading lamp, incorporating a flexible adjustable support so that the light may be directed as required. The lamp may be permanently mounted in the casing, or may be in the form of a separate component which is clipped onto an appropriate part of the casing. Alternatively, the lamp may be permanently mounted within the upper part of the casing to throw light down on to the working surface provided by the panel 25. In this case a strip light is preferred.

In any of the above arrangements the lamp may be powered from batteries stored in an appropriate compartment in the casing, and/or there may be provided an electrical flex and connector whereby the lamp may be connected to an external power socket, such as the cigarette lighter socket of a motor vehicle.

Claims (21)

1. A portable document holder comprising a main body having a bottom wall structure and a peripheral wall, and a lid assembly which provides a cover for the main body to form an enclosure, at least part of the lid assembly being displaceable to provide access to the interior of the enclosure, the main body being provided with means for detachably mounting the holder on a vehicle steering wheel.

2. A portable document holder according to Claim 1, wherein said mounting means comprise a pair of laterally spaced hook-like locating elements which extend from the rear of the main body of the holder for engagement with spaced portions of the rim of the steering wheel.

3. A portable document holder according to Claim 2, wherein the two spaced locating elements constitute opposite ends of a single elongate support device providing an elongate aperture which is shorter than the diameter of an average vehicle steering wheel, and wider than the thickness of a wheel, so as to fit over an upper part of such a wheel.

4. A portable document holder according to Claim 3, wherein the support device is generally of elongate C-shape, said aperture being provided between said device and the rear surface of the document holder.

5. A portable document holder according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the elongate support device is hingedly connected to the document holder so that it may be folded substantially flat against the rear surface thereof when not in use.

6. A portable document holder according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the elongate support device is hingedly connected to the document holder so that it may be folded substantially flush with the rear surface thereof when not in use.

7. A portable document holder according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein the support device comprises a portion of the peripheral wall and/or bottom wall structure of the main body of the holder, so that when folded away from the main body it leaves an aperture through which access to the interior of the main body may be obtained.

8. A portable document holder according to Claim 7, wherein the bottom wall structure of the main body comprises two spaced, generally parallel walls, the aperture left by displacement of the support device providing access to the space between said walls, within the main body of the holder.

9. A portable document holder according to any of Claims 1 to 8, wherein said lid assembly includes one or more cover portions hingedly connected along one edge thereof to the peripheral wall of the holder.

10. A portable document holder according to Claim 9, wherein there are provided two cover portions hingedly connected to the peripheral wall at opposite sides of the main body.

11. A portable document holder according to Claim 9 or Claim 10, wherein the parts of said cover portion or portions which face inwardly when in the closed position carry compartments for the storage of articles.

12. A portable document holder according to any of Claims 1 to 11, wherein said lid assembly includes one or more shutter panels slideable from a closed position, where it extends across at least part of the main body of the holder, to an open position where it is retracted to allow access to the interior of the main body.

13. A portable document holder according to Claim 12, wherein the or each shutter panel is in the form of a flexible sheet-like element which becomes rolled, curved or folded as it is retracted.

14. A portable document holder according to Claim 13, wherein the or each shutter panel comprises an element which is comparatively rigid across its width and comparatively flexible along its length, the shutter panel being retractable in the direction of its length and there being provided, in the bottom wall structure of the main body, means to receive the retracted portion of the shutter panel.

15. A portable document holder according to Claim 14, wherein said means to receive the retracted portion of the shutter panel comprise guideways within the bottom wall structure.

16. A portable document holder according to any of Claims 9 to 15, wherein the lid assembly comprises both a shutter and one or more hinged cover portions, and wherein the shutter extends across a major portion of the main body and the cover portion or portions extend across minor portions of the main body.

17. A portable document holder according to Claim 16, wherein the shutter extends across a large central portion of the main body, and two hinged cover portions extend across smaller side portions respectively of the main body.

18. A portable document holder according to any of Claims 1 to 17, wherein the main body of the holder is provided with a carrying handle.

19. A portable document holder comprising a main body having a bottom wall structure and a peripheral wall, and a lid assembly which provides a cover for the main body to form an enclosure, the lid assembly comprising at least one shutter panel which is slideable from a closed position, where it extends across at least part of the main body of the holder, to an open position where it is retracted to allow access to the interior of the main body.

20. A workstation, as hereinbefore defined, comprising a casing having a rear wall structure and a peripheral wall, and a support device mounted on the casing and providing an elongate aperture which is shorter than the diameter of an average vehicle steering wheel, and wider than the thickness of a wheel, so as to fit over an upper part of such a wheel, the support device being hingedly connected to the casing so that it may be folded substantially flat against the rear wall structure when not in use.

21. A portable document holder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.