Emergency dispatch workstation
A workstation (100) has a motor-driven, height-adjustable back work surface (102), an independently adjustable front work surface (104), optionally dimmable work lights (114, 116), free-standing fans (118), and heated floor pad (120). The fans are pivotable and free-standing units that may be positioned to provide optimal comfort. The motor drives, work lights, fans, and heated floor pad connect to central control box (150), and a single point user interface (130) is operatively connected to allow the user to controlling all of these devices from a single device. One or more digital displays (137, 139) may be provided to indicate the work surface elevations. An optional activity sensor (122) may be provided to power down the lights, fans and heater when the workstation is not in use.
The present invention relates to workstations and, in particular, to an ergonomic workstation having more than one vertically adjustable work surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONAlthough desks and workstations in use today for office workers are predominantly conventionally designed furniture having a relatively large, flat, and fixed horizontal working surface, recent research into the health implications of a one-size-fits-all approach to such furniture has generated a certain amount of concern. Much of the progress in this area has been directed to the user's chair, basically allowing the user to adjust his or her position relative to the workstation to achieve a comfortable fit. More recently, ergonomically designed workstations have become available wherein the workstation itself is designed to provide a better fit to the user rather than requiring the user to accommodate to the workstation. Such ergonomic improvements have included, for example, angled work surfaces or forward portions of work surfaces that are designed to comfortably support the user's arms, height-adjustable work surfaces, foot supports, and the like. Such ergonomic improvements are all generally directed to increasing the user's comfort, particularly over longer periods of time, and to preventing injuries such as repetitive motion injuries.
In addition to the ergonomic comforts that may be achieved by appropriate design of the geometry of the workstation, it may also be desirable to have environmental accoutrements to improve a user's comfort. For example, users frequently place fans and/or heating units on or near the workstation to control the local temperature and air flow. Users may also place lighting, particularly adjustable lighting, onto a workstation in order to control lighting about the workstation area.
Dispatch operators, such as emergency dispatch operators who answer “911” call lines have special needs. Frequently, for example, dispatch operator stations include a number of different display monitors, connected to one or more computer systems, that display different information, such as caller identification (ID) information, emergency services information, local map information, referral information, and the like. The dispatch operator may have one or more input devices, for example, to contemporaneously log information relating to an emergency call or to retrieve specific information to appropriately respond to a call. It is important that the display monitors be positionable at a desired height and that the input device be independently positionable at a desired height.
The dispatch operator often works in a very high-stress, time-critical, multitasking situation where minor delays or mistakes can have significant negative consequences. The dispatch operator may have to deal with multiple, concurrent calls and accurately assess the criticality of each call to appropriately prioritize the calls. It is therefore particularly important that the dispatch operator be able to provide full attention to the dispatcher's duties, without unnecessary external distractions or influences. Also, dispatch operators are generally highly-trained professionals, and it is desirable to provide an environment that is comfortable and healthful to reduce absenteeism and turnover.
In addition, because the duties of the dispatch operator typically require a significant amount of expensive equipment, the dispatch workstation may be used by many different dispatchers—for example, during different shifts and to provide coverage during breaks. It is therefore desirable that the dispatch workstation be flexible and adjustable to accommodate different users. In particular, workstation adjustment must be convenient and quickly achieved, so that the adjustment itself is less likely to become a distraction when calls come in. For example, a first dispatch operator may be more effective and prefer to work standing, whereas a second dispatch operator is more effective sitting. If they both use the same dispatch workstation (at different times) then the workstation must be sufficiently adjustable to accommodate users either standing or sitting. Similarly, a given operator may alternate between sitting and standing.
It should also be appreciated that emergency dispatch rooms frequently include a number of different workstations and more than one dispatcher at a time. The emergency nature of the calls and the inherent stress frequently result in the dispatch room taking on the ambiance of a war room, with generally little extraneous noise and low or subdued lighting levels that facilitate the dispatchers' reading of the various display devices. It is therefore common to have one or more individual lights at the workstations that can be positioned to not cause glare in the display devices, while providing the dispatcher with adequate lighting.
What is needed, therefore, is a workstation that is easily and quickly adjustable to accommodate different dispatchers and that also provides convenient and less distracting environmental controls.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA workstation is disclosed having a number of comfort-enhancing aspects that are particularly suited for use in emergency dispatch applications. The workstation has a height-adjustable back work surface that may support, for example, a plurality of monitors, and a separately height-adjustable front work surface that may support, among other things, a user input device, such as a keyboard. A movable work light and movable fan are also provided. A single point user interface having controls for adjusting the work surface heights and controlling the light and the fan is also provided. The single point user interface provides a simple, readily accessible control system whereby a user can achieve a desired level of comfort with minimal distraction.
In an embodiment of the invention, the back work surface is attached to a plurality of linear actuators for selectively adjusting the height of the work surface and wherein each actuator includes a servo motor and a pair of telescoping tubes.
In an embodiment of the invention, the front work surface is connected to the back work surface with a height-adjustment mechanism including a separate linear actuator, whereby the front work surface height is selectively adjustable relative to the height of the first work surface.
In an embodiment of the invention, a radiant heating unit, such as a heated floor pad, is also provided.
In an embodiment of the invention, a control box receives input signals from the single point user interface and generates corresponding output signals to the linear actuators, lights, fans, and/or heater, to achieve the desired function. The control box may be conveniently mounted to an undersurface of the back work surface.
In an embodiment of the invention, an activity sensor is provided for detecting when a user is in proximity to the activity sensor, such that at least some of the powered devices of the workstation may be powered down when the workstation is not in use.
In an embodiment of the invention, a separate switch is conveniently mounted near the front of the workstation such that a user can move the work surfaces to a lower position—for example, to allow limited-mobility users to access the single point user interface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
A particular embodiment of the present invention will now be described, with reference to the figures, wherein like numbers indicate like parts.
As discussed in more detail below, the back work surface 102 is height-adjustable to accommodate the preferences of a particular user, and the front work surface 104 is also, and independently, height adjustable. The workstation 100 includes a first work light 114, and a second work light 116, although more or fewer work lights may alternatively be utilized. The work lights 114, 116 may be of different types to suit the desires of different users. For example, the first work light 114 may be a halogen-type work light, and the second work light 116 may be a fluorescent- or incandescent-type work light. A plurality of free-standing fans 118, preferably low voltage DC fans, are movably disposed on one or both of the work surfaces 102, 104. A heating unit, such as a heated floor pad 120, is disposed below the workstation 100. The workstation 100 also includes a single point user interface 130 that includes a plurality of controls that permit the user to adjust the work surface 102, 104 height, and the operation of the lights 114, 116, fans 118, and heated floor pad 120, as discussed in more detail below. In the disclosed embodiment, an activity sensor 122, such as a motion detector, is also disposed near the front portion of the workstation 100 for detecting the proximity of a user, and a separate ADA switch 124 for moving the work surfaces 102, 104 up or down is also provided.
Refer now to
If an activity sensor 122 is utilized, the control box 150 will also monitor an input signal from the activity sensor 122 and generate an output signal after a predetermined period of inactivity—for example, to turn off the work lights 114, 116, fans 118, and/or heated floor pad 120 when the workstation 100 has been vacant. In a preferred embodiment, the activity sensor 122 continues to monitor to detect if a user approaches and re-energizes the work lights 114, 116, fans 118, and/or heated floor pad 120 at their previously-set levels when a person is detected within a predetermined proximity to the activity monitor 122. Also, the ADA switch 124 provides a readily accessible control for lowering the work surfaces 102, 104. The ADA switch provides a convenient mechanism for a user with limited mobility to lower the work surfaces 102, 104 in order to gain access to the single point user interface 130. In a preferred embodiment, the ADA switch 124 may also be used to raise the work surfaces 102, 104 to their uppermost position. This has been found to be convenient, for example, when access to the underside of the workstation 100 is desired—for example, for maintaining the system or reconfiguring the control box 150.
The lift mechanism 210 for the front work surface 104 can also be seen in
Refer now to
The control box 150 also includes a plurality of low voltage DC fan sockets 170 (three shown), two or more work surface actuator sockets 172 (three shown), a first input socket 174 for connecting the single point user interface 130, and a second input socket 176 for connecting the activity sensor 122. An ADA switch socket 178 is also provided that receives input from the ADA switch 124, such that a user can conveniently lower the work surfaces 102, 104—for example, to gain access to the single point user interface 130. Modifications of the present embodiment will be readily apparent to persons of skill in the art if alternative connection systems, such as wireless connections, are utilized rather than cables.
The control box 150 receives input signals from the single point user interface 130 and from the activity sensor 122, and uses those input signals to generate control signals and/or to control the power supplied to the various devices connected to the control box 150. It will now be appreciated that this configuration allows the user to adjust the work surface height, the lighting, the heating, and the fans, from the single point user interface 130, with very little effort.
An embodiment of the single point user interface 130 is shown in
A first rocker switch 136 is provided for moving the back work surface 102 either up or down, depending on which direction the first rocker switch 136 is depressed. In this embodiment, a digital display 137 is provided that displays a number corresponding to the current height of the back work surface 102, such that a user can easily and repeatably achieve a preferred height. A second rocker switch 138 is similarly provided for moving the front work surface 104 up or down. A second digital display 139 is also provided to indicate the relative height of the front work surface 104. As seen in
As shown in
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be readily appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, it is contemplated that the back work surface 102 may comprise a plurality of separate portions, and that only a single portion, or less than all of the portions, may be height adjustable. It is also contemplated that the workstation may include more than two independently adjustable work surfaces.
Claims
1. A workstation comprising:
- a first work surface having a first lift mechanism for selectively adjusting the height of the first work surface;
- a second work surface having a second lift mechanism for selectively adjusting the height of the second work platform;
- a work light and a fan, each movably disposed on the workstation; and
- a single point user interface having a first input control operatively connected to the first lift mechanism for adjusting the height of the first work surface, a second input control operatively connected to the work light for controlling the intensity of the work light, and a third input control operatively connected to the fan for controlling the speed of the fan.
2. The workstation of claim 1, further comprising a fourth input control operatively connected to the second lift mechanism for adjusting the height of the second work surface
3. The workstation of claim 2, wherein the single point user interface further comprises a first indicator that indicates the relative height of the first work surface and a second indicator that indicates the relative height of the second work surface.
4. The workstation of claim 3, further comprising a radiant heating unit, and wherein the single point user interface further comprises a fifth input control operatively connected to the radiant heating unit for controlling the heat output of the radiant heating unit.
5. The workstation of claim 4, wherein the radiant heating unit is a heated floor pad.
6. The workstation of claim 2, further comprising a control box that is operatively connected to the single point user interface, the first lift mechanism, the second lift mechanism, the work light, and the fan, and wherein the control box receives input signals from the single point user interface and sends corresponding output signals to one or more of the first lift mechanism, the second lift mechanism, the work light, and the fan.
7. The workstation of claim 6, further comprising an activity sensor that is operatively connected to the control box, the activity sensor adapted to detect when a person is near the activity sensor and to transmit an input signal to the control box indicating detection of the person.
8. The workstation of claim 7, wherein the activity sensor is a motion detector.
9. The workstation of claim 2, further comprising a switch disposed at a forward portion of the workstation, wherein the switch is operable to signal the first and second lift mechanisms to move to a lowered position.
10. The workstation of claim 2, wherein the first lift mechanism comprises a plurality of linear actuators, each linear actuator having a servomotor and a pair of telescoping tubes.
11. The workstation of claim 2, wherein the second lift mechanism comprises a linear actuator and a lever mechanism, and further, wherein the second lift mechanism attaches the second work surface to the first work surface.
12. An emergency dispatch workstation comprising:
- a back work platform having an upper work surface and a lower surface;
- a front work platform having an upper work surface and a lower surface;
- a plurality of first linear actuators connected to the lower surface of the back work platform and operable to selectively raise and lower the back work platform;
- a lift mechanism including a second linear actuator and a lever system, the lift mechanism operable to selectively raise and lower the front work platform relative to the back work platform, and wherein the lift mechanism connects the front work platform to the back work platform;
- a fan that is movably positionable on the upper work surface of the back work platform;
- a heating unit disposed below the front work platform;
- a work light disposed over the back work platform;
- a control box operably connected to the first and second linear actuators, the fan, the heating unit, and the work light; and
- a single point controller operably connected to the control box, the single point controller having a plurality of controls for generating signals for selectively adjusting the first and second linear actuators, the fan, the heating unit, and the work light;
- wherein the control box receives the signals from the single point controller and generates corresponding output signals to control the first and second linear actuators, the fan, the heating unit, and the work light.
13. The emergency dispatch workstation of claim 12, wherein the single point user interface further comprises a first indicator that indicates the relative height of the first work platform and a second indicator that indicates the relative height of the second work platform.
14. The workstation of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of work lights that are controllable from the single point controller, and a plurality of fans that are controllable from the single point user interface.
15. The workstation of claim 12, wherein the heating unit is a heated floor pad.
16. The workstation of claim 12, wherein the control box is attached to the lower surface of the back work platform.
17. The workstation of claim 12, further comprising an activity sensor that is operatively connected to the control box, the activity sensor adapted to detect when a person is near the activity sensor and to transmit an input signal to the control box indicating detection of the person.
18. The workstation of claim 17, wherein the activity sensor is a motion detector.
19. The workstation of claim 12, further comprising a switch disposed at a forward portion of the workstation, wherein the switch is operable to signal the first and second lift mechanisms to move to a lowered position.
20. The workstation of claim 12, wherein the plurality of first linear actuators comprises at least four linear actuators, each linear actuator having a servomotor and a pair of telescoping tubes.
21. A workstation comprising:
- a first work surface having a first lift mechanism for selectively adjusting the height of the first work surface;
- a second work surface having a second lift mechanism for selectively adjusting the height of the second work platform;
- a plurality of sound-dampening walls disposed in a generally C-shaped configuration surrounding a portion of the first work surface;
- a plurality of pivotable fans, each fan movably positionable on the first work surface; and
- a single point user interface having a first input control operatively connected to the first lift mechanism for adjusting the height of the first work surface, and a second input control operatively connected to the second lift mechanism for adjusting the height of the second work surface, and a third input control operatively connected to the plurality of fans for controlling the speed of the fans.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 31, 2004
Publication Date: Oct 6, 2005
Inventor: Daniel Novak (Suquamish, WA)
Application Number: 10/815,184