The use of a computer system, including a keyboard and a computer/display unit, in a vehicle is becoming more prevalent. For example, such computer systems are employed in police vehicles or emergency vehicles. An example of such a vehicle mounted computer system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,413 of Twyford, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Vehicle mounted systems suffer from various drawbacks, among which are the following. The display is not high enough to prevent diverting the driver's eyes from the road when viewing the screen. The keyboard is not easily positioned for use by either the driver or the passenger. The mounting position of the system interferes with air bag deployment. The mounting arrangement does not permit comfortable seating for the passenger, and requires alteration to the dashboard. The system blocks access to the radio, heater controls, etc. The mounting arrangement is such that the display is not properly inclined facing the driver, and does not provide sufficient stabilizing pressure against the dashboard. The display holder is not rotatably adjustable or, if it is rotatably adjustable, there is no means for preventing it from being rotated in front of the passenger side air bag. The mounting arrangement is not flexible or adjustable, and does not work equally well, for both left side driver vehicles (as in the United States) and right side driver vehicles (as in the United Kingdom and other countries). The mounting arrangement is not versatile in that it does not allow up and down positioning, as well as an adjustable tilt to match the instrument panel angle. Finally, the mounting arrangement does not provide an indexing cylinder which may be mounted on either side of an upright member so as to provide selection of left-right positioning, and does not provide a rod running up the side of the arrangement, on which rod the pressure point on the dashboard can be adjusted.