Method and system for deploying a display and keyboard in a rack

A data I/O unit comprising:

• a first slider mechanism for cooperation with a 1 U-sized bay in a first rack of industrial personal computers;
• said 1 U-sized bay having a front opening and a rear end, said front opening for accepting therethrough a 1 U-sized component;
• a display/keyboard unifying mechanism which is pivotally coupled with a display, via a second slider mechanism, for independent translational motion with a keyboard;
• and,
• said display/keyboard unifying mechanism is coupled with said first slider mechanism and is for translational motion of said display and said keyboard in and out of said 1 U-sized bay in said first rack of industrial personal computers.

A method of providing input and output of data to an industrial computer disposed in a rack of industrial computers, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a 1 U-sized slot in a rack containing computer equipment;
• the slot having a front opening and a rear end;
• providing, within said slot, a 1 U-sized data I/O device, which includes a display and a data entry device;
• said display disposed within said slot in a linear relationship with said data entry device and said display being disposed in a closer proximity to said front opening than said data entry device;
• moving said display and said data entry device in a first direction such that said display is projecting beyond said front opening;
• and
• pivoting said display upward with resect to said data entry device and around a pivoting axis which is orthogonal with respect to said first direction.

An apparatus comprising:

• a display for displaying information to a viewer;
• a data entry device for inputting data into an industrial computer;
• means for guiding, in a first direction, a combination of said display and said data entry device into and out of a 1 U-sized slot in a rack;
• means for pivoting said display;
• and,
• means for guiding, said data entry device which is located adjacent said display, after said display has been pivoted from said data entry device.

A system comprising:

• a 1 U-sized display/keyboard unit disposed in a 1 U-sized slot in a rack;
• said 1 U-sized display/keyboard unit comprising an LCD display for display information and a keyboard for entering data;
• said 1 U-sized display/keyboard unit is configured to stow said keyboard in a first portion of said 1 U-sized display/keyboard unit and said display in a second option of said 1 U-sized display/keyboard unit;
• said LCD display pivotally coupled so that it can be pivoted above from said keyboard;
• and,
• said keyboard coupled so as to permit deployment from said LCD display.