Couch Monitor Mount

[dblaikie]

I like to sit on my couch and use my laptop, but it's not very ergonomic. So I'd like, ideally, a fold-away monitor stand (for a fair sized monitor - 24-27"?) that can sit next to the couch. Think something like a big version of those armrest fold-out screens on planes.

Some previous posts here that seem to discuss similar goals:
https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/594489-monitor-on-couch/
https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/1225423-rotating-vesa-monitor-stand-that-can-rotate-180-degrees-above-the-head-on-a-stand-behind-a-couch/

And elsewhere:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1058022/computer-room-living-room-monitor-arms
http://lumberjocks.com/scrollgirl/blog/29686
(seems the people willing to accept the less-than-ideal aesthetics of using a traditional monitor arm on a living room end table are those in couples where both people are similarly interested in gaming from their couch - guessing people in asymmetric gaming couples would have a harder time selling the "hey, we'll just have a computer monitor mounted to the end table" to their non-or-less-gaming partner)

Anyone seen this done in a more polished fashion? Thought about this/have ideas?

(by complete dream-style idea (maybe I'll eventually commission someone to either do the whole thing, or at least help with practical design considerations) would be something cantilevered/counterweighted/spring loaded/using gas lifts (like car trunk lids) so it's easy to raise/unfold and lower back out of the way)

[AnonymousGuy]

If it were me I'd put a pole on a dolly base and then find some sort of pole clamp that I could attach a shelf to.  "pole clamp shelf" has a bunch of results.

 

Weight the base of the pole down with sandbag or something.

 

(Really if I were building this I'd probably weld something together so then it could be all-metal beefcake)

[IkeaGnome]

37 minutes ago, AnonymousGuy said:

(Really if I were building this I'd probably weld something together so then it could be all-metal beefcake)

Right? I start thinking struts, I could see some DOM in the mix, a "leg" that goes under a back foot of the couch to help hold the pole in place. Pucks instead of sandbags.... I don't have a use for one, but it sounds like a fun project.

[dblaikie]

On 9/28/2020 at 3:02 PM, AnonymousGuy said:

If it were me I'd put a pole on a dolly base and then find some sort of pole clamp that I could attach a shelf to.  "pole clamp shelf" has a bunch of results.

 

Weight the base of the pole down with sandbag or something.

 

(Really if I were building this I'd probably weld something together so then it could be all-metal beefcake)

Yeah, the fold-away part's rather important to me/what I'm trying to figure out - so like, that but telescoping? (there are some systems for gas lift monitor stands embedded in furniture, for instance - so something like that but a bit more compact and with the ability to swing out from the side of the couch in some way)

I've considered a welded steel solution - mucked around in some CAD software doing some fairly crappy designing... https://cad.onshape.com/documents/ec9f4be9fd79bfc13bec80d6/w/5528d6fb7011603682e03b16/e/41b9179d5f4f49f0fbd55e8c - doesn't have any mechanism to make it easy to open/close, and never got around to the necessary hinge-y bits to actually be able to swing it around in front of the couch

On 9/28/2020 at 3:42 PM, Voluspa said:

Right? I start thinking struts, I could see some DOM in the mix, a "leg" that goes under a back foot of the couch to help hold the pole in place. Pucks instead of sandbags.... I don't have a use for one, but it sounds like a fun project.

DOM?

& yeah, definitely considered using the couch as part of a counterweight/system to hold such a thing up/down given the off-center weight of having the screen swing out over the couch.

I wouldn't really object to https://www.jefftk.com/p/folding-couch-monitor if I happened to have a wall closer to my couch..