Housing and vehicular support for portable computer
AssigneeProgressive Insurance Corp.
InventorsMichael J. Frank, James C. Jewel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mounting assembly for a small portable computer provides both a housing to receive the computer and releasably attach it to a vehicle steering wheel and connections for supplying electrical power to the computer, with that housing also providing a pivotally movable upper lid which may be closed to cover and protect significant portions of the computer and may be opened to provide for access to the computer.
Claims6
A vehicular computer mounting assembly for supporting on the steering wheel of a vehicle a portable computer having a front portion, a rear portion and side portions extending therebetween, said mounting assembly comprising
- a housing to receive a computer, said housing comprising
- a lower support for supportably receiving a computer thereupon, said lower support including a front portion, a rear portion and lower support sidewalls extending therebetween, said lower support sidewalls partially surrounding side portions of a computer and tapering from a first height proximal said rear portion of said lower support to a second, lower height proximal said front portion of said lower support, and
- an upper lid pivotally connected to said lower support and pivotally movable between a closed position and an open position, said upper lid including a front portion, a rear portion and upper lid sidewalls extending therebetween, said upper lid sidewalls tapering from a first height proximal said rear portion of said upper lid to a second, lower height proximal said front portion of said upper lid whereby, when the upper lid is moved to the closed position, the lower support and the upper lid together form a protective case which is open at the front portion, said protective case partially surrounding a computer received on the lower support, and, when the upper lid is moved to the open position, the upward facing portions of a computer received upon the lower support are exposed to permit operation of the computer, and
- means affixed to said housing for releasably attaching said housing to a steering wheel, whereby, when the housing is in the open position and is attached to a vehicle steering wheel, the housing may be used as a support for a computer for operation and use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.