CA2051973A1 - Palm support apparatus - Google Patents
Palm support apparatusInfo
- Publication number
- CA2051973A1 CA2051973A1 CA 2051973 CA2051973A CA2051973A1 CA 2051973 A1 CA2051973 A1 CA 2051973A1 CA 2051973 CA2051973 CA 2051973 CA 2051973 A CA2051973 A CA 2051973A CA 2051973 A1 CA2051973 A1 CA 2051973A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- palm supporting
- set forth
- supporting device
- palm
- work surface
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 239000006261 foam material Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000001681 protective effect Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 208000012514 Cumulative Trauma disease Diseases 0.000 abstract description 3
- 230000002349 favourable effect Effects 0.000 abstract 1
- 210000003205 muscle Anatomy 0.000 description 3
- 210000000707 wrist Anatomy 0.000 description 3
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000006260 foam Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000010985 leather Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000003252 repetitive effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 210000002435 tendon Anatomy 0.000 description 2
- 239000004744 fabric Substances 0.000 description 1
- 210000003811 finger Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 230000005057 finger movement Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000004247 hand Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002028 premature Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000002035 prolonged effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000003813 thumb Anatomy 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B21/00—Tables or desks for office equipment, e.g. typewriters, keyboards
- A47B21/03—Tables or desks for office equipment, e.g. typewriters, keyboards with substantially horizontally extensible or adjustable parts other than drawers, e.g. leaves
- A47B21/0371—Platforms for supporting wrists
Landscapes
- Input From Keyboards Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A palm supporting device is disclosed in which there is provided an adjustable palm supporting surface mountable in adjacency to a work surface. The surface, being contoured in a position favorable to the muscoskeletal system of the user, may be altered in attitude with respect to the work surface to prevent repetitive strain injuries experienced by those working for prolonged periods on a computer keyboard or other such devices.
A palm supporting device is disclosed in which there is provided an adjustable palm supporting surface mountable in adjacency to a work surface. The surface, being contoured in a position favorable to the muscoskeletal system of the user, may be altered in attitude with respect to the work surface to prevent repetitive strain injuries experienced by those working for prolonged periods on a computer keyboard or other such devices.
Description
r~
PALM ~;UPPORT APPARAq!UB
The present invention relates to a palm support and more specifically it relates to an adjustable palm support for use particularly with a work surface for keyboards of computer terminals, drawing and digitizing pads.
In general overview, the use of computers is now lo essential and use is widespread in all fields. As a result, nearly all tasks are performed using a computer system which inherently leads to prolonged exposurs sitting in front of a monitor and performing repetitive hand and finger movements when using the keyboard, mouse or other inputting devices.
It has been found that continuous and repetitive unsupported muscle movement in the hands and fingers has led to repetitive strain injuries which afflicts the tendons and muscle tissue.
Applicant, with the present invention, has discovered an apparatus to substantially reduce the occurrence of repetitive strain injuries and in one embodiment, provides a user friendly palm and wrist support.
In a broad context, the present invention provides an adjustable palm and wrist support, adjustable to a height found to be most comfortable and least stressful for the user.
Such an arrangement prevents premature arm, neck and back fatigue concomitant with keyboard use when the hand and wrist is unsupported.
According to one aspect of the presant invention there is provided an adjustable palm supporting device comprising:
a frame member for mounting the device to a work surface;
a moveable palm supporting surface having a first free end and a second end movably mounted to the frame member; and adjustment means operatively associated with the palm supporting surface for adjusting the surface from a generally 2 ~ 3 parallel attitude relative to the work sur~ace to a position inclined relative to the work surface.
The use of the adjustable palm support, according to the present invention, has been found to be particularly eff~ctive in substantially reducing unnatural strain to tendons and muscles commonly associated with extensive keyboard use.
The adjustment means may comprise any suitable apparatus whether mechanical or electronic. In a preferred form, the adjustment means provide a rotatable member having an eccentric orbit. In further forms, adjustment may be achieved using adjustable screw means.
Further, adjustmen~ may, for example, be achieved by making use of power cylinders; numerous other forms are contemplated.
The palm supporting surface has been designed to provide an elongate surfac~ on which a user's palms may slide during the use of, for example, a keyboard. In addition, the surface is specifically contoured to facilitate the optimum non-stranuous position for the user.
The surface optionally may provide a foam covering to further enhance comfort.
In order to enhance user friendliness, auxiliary components may be associated with the device including, for example, a computer mouse. In this manner, a user may simply slide his or her palms transversely on the supporting surface to actuate the mouse, thus avoiding unnecessary unsupported movements.
The device may be mountsd to a work surface, e.g. a desk, table etc., via fastening the frame thereto. Alternatively, the frame may include mounting means providing transverse 2~ J .?
adjustment thereby allowing a user to telescopically extend or retract the device according to his or her preference.
Having thus generally described the inve~tion, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments and, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the palm supporting apparatus according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded view of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the lock means of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a side view of the alternate embodiment of the supporting apparatus; and Figure 5 is a side view of a further embodiment of the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings, Figure l illustrates the palm supporting apparatus generally denoted by numeral 10. A
frame 12, shown in the example as a plate, supports the device and permits the same to be mounted to a work surface (not shown) via suitable fastening means e.g. screws.
A forward end 14 of frame 12, connects via hinge means 16, a palm supporting surface 18 for pivotal movement relative thereto; this is more clearly illustrated in Figure 2. The palm supporting surface 16 includes a formed body 18 of metal plastic or other suitable material having a generally curved form, a free forward end 20 and a connected end 22 cooperating with the hinge means 16 of frame 12.
In one form the formed body 18 can include a foam material overlying the same and a further protective material ri ~ ~
24 covering the foam e.g. leather, fabric, etc. In a preferred form, leather covers the supporting sur~ace 18 since such a covering permits the user to slide the palms across the length thereof without any impedance.
In order to adjust the support 18 to the optimum attitude for the individual user, attachment means, broadly denoted by numeral ~6 in Figures 1 and shown in exploded form in Figure 2, is provided to effect such motion.
The adjustment means 26 includes, as shown in the example, a cylindrical member ~8 extending transversely oE the frame 12 and rotatably mounted thereto by axles 38 associated therewith and received by mountings 40 extending upwardly from 15 a top surface of frame 12. It is particularly pxeferred that the axles 30 are mounted in an identical off-centre manner such that the cylindrical member 28 operates as an eccentric cam. It will be readily appreciated that the axle mountings 40 elevate the cylindrical member 28 to a sufficient extent 20 such that the orbit of rotation is not impeded by the frame 12.
Knobs 42 are provided for each axle 30 to retain and permit rotation of the cylindrical member 28.
The cylindrical member 28 is preferably positioned adjacent forward end 14 of frame 12 to enable the palm supporting surface 18 and more particularly proximate the connected end 22 thereof, to react to the camming motion of 30 the cylindrical member 28 thus facilitating a change in attitude relative to the frame 12.
Once the supporting surface 18 has been adjusted, locking of the same in position may be achieved via lock means 35 generally indicated by numeral 44 and illustrated in Figure 3.
In one form, the lock means 44 may be associated with a knob 42 to include a threaded member 46 extending between the knob r~ 3 42 through the axle mounting 40 and into the cylindrical member 28. A loose fitting sleeve 48 surrounding member 46 and extending to mountin~ 40 is provided. Once a desired attitude for the supporting surface 18 is obtained, the knob 42 is rotated until sleeve 48 ur~es the axle mounting 40 into frictional contact with the end of cylindrical member 28.
Turning now to Figure 4, shown is a side view of an alternate arrangement for the present invention in which similar numerals from the previous embodiment depict similar components.
In this embodiment, the device 10 is connected to an elongated member 50 having at either end thereof a tangentially projecting bolt 52.
The palm supporting surface 18 in this embodiment, extends to include a lower arm 54. An aperture tnot shown) extending within the lower arm 54 receives a thumb screw 56 extending between the lower arm 54 and bolt 52. The screw 56, being threadably received within bolt 52, permits a user to rotate screw 56 to effect rotation of the surface 18 to a different attitude relative to the work surface (not shown).
It will be appreciated that the device may be mounted in operative association with a work surface by suitable maans e.g. screws, clamps, etc.
A further embodiment of the present invention is isometrically illustrated in Figure 5. Similar numerals denote like components from the embodiments of Figures 1 and 4.
In this embodiment, the device 10 is slidably mounted to the undersurface of a work surface, W.
The frame :L2, in this embodiment, includes laterally spaced apart members 58 slidably mounted within open ended -` 2 ~ 3 sockets 60 for telescopic movement of the device 10 towards and away from the work surface W.
As those skilled in the art will realize, these preferred illustrated details can be subjected to substantial variation, without affecting the function of the illustrated embodiments.
Although embodiments of the invention have been described above, it is not limited thereto and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications form part of the present invention insofar as they do not depart from the spirit, nature and scope of the claimed and described invention.
PALM ~;UPPORT APPARAq!UB
The present invention relates to a palm support and more specifically it relates to an adjustable palm support for use particularly with a work surface for keyboards of computer terminals, drawing and digitizing pads.
In general overview, the use of computers is now lo essential and use is widespread in all fields. As a result, nearly all tasks are performed using a computer system which inherently leads to prolonged exposurs sitting in front of a monitor and performing repetitive hand and finger movements when using the keyboard, mouse or other inputting devices.
It has been found that continuous and repetitive unsupported muscle movement in the hands and fingers has led to repetitive strain injuries which afflicts the tendons and muscle tissue.
Applicant, with the present invention, has discovered an apparatus to substantially reduce the occurrence of repetitive strain injuries and in one embodiment, provides a user friendly palm and wrist support.
In a broad context, the present invention provides an adjustable palm and wrist support, adjustable to a height found to be most comfortable and least stressful for the user.
Such an arrangement prevents premature arm, neck and back fatigue concomitant with keyboard use when the hand and wrist is unsupported.
According to one aspect of the presant invention there is provided an adjustable palm supporting device comprising:
a frame member for mounting the device to a work surface;
a moveable palm supporting surface having a first free end and a second end movably mounted to the frame member; and adjustment means operatively associated with the palm supporting surface for adjusting the surface from a generally 2 ~ 3 parallel attitude relative to the work sur~ace to a position inclined relative to the work surface.
The use of the adjustable palm support, according to the present invention, has been found to be particularly eff~ctive in substantially reducing unnatural strain to tendons and muscles commonly associated with extensive keyboard use.
The adjustment means may comprise any suitable apparatus whether mechanical or electronic. In a preferred form, the adjustment means provide a rotatable member having an eccentric orbit. In further forms, adjustment may be achieved using adjustable screw means.
Further, adjustmen~ may, for example, be achieved by making use of power cylinders; numerous other forms are contemplated.
The palm supporting surface has been designed to provide an elongate surfac~ on which a user's palms may slide during the use of, for example, a keyboard. In addition, the surface is specifically contoured to facilitate the optimum non-stranuous position for the user.
The surface optionally may provide a foam covering to further enhance comfort.
In order to enhance user friendliness, auxiliary components may be associated with the device including, for example, a computer mouse. In this manner, a user may simply slide his or her palms transversely on the supporting surface to actuate the mouse, thus avoiding unnecessary unsupported movements.
The device may be mountsd to a work surface, e.g. a desk, table etc., via fastening the frame thereto. Alternatively, the frame may include mounting means providing transverse 2~ J .?
adjustment thereby allowing a user to telescopically extend or retract the device according to his or her preference.
Having thus generally described the inve~tion, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments and, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the palm supporting apparatus according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded view of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the lock means of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a side view of the alternate embodiment of the supporting apparatus; and Figure 5 is a side view of a further embodiment of the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings, Figure l illustrates the palm supporting apparatus generally denoted by numeral 10. A
frame 12, shown in the example as a plate, supports the device and permits the same to be mounted to a work surface (not shown) via suitable fastening means e.g. screws.
A forward end 14 of frame 12, connects via hinge means 16, a palm supporting surface 18 for pivotal movement relative thereto; this is more clearly illustrated in Figure 2. The palm supporting surface 16 includes a formed body 18 of metal plastic or other suitable material having a generally curved form, a free forward end 20 and a connected end 22 cooperating with the hinge means 16 of frame 12.
In one form the formed body 18 can include a foam material overlying the same and a further protective material ri ~ ~
24 covering the foam e.g. leather, fabric, etc. In a preferred form, leather covers the supporting sur~ace 18 since such a covering permits the user to slide the palms across the length thereof without any impedance.
In order to adjust the support 18 to the optimum attitude for the individual user, attachment means, broadly denoted by numeral ~6 in Figures 1 and shown in exploded form in Figure 2, is provided to effect such motion.
The adjustment means 26 includes, as shown in the example, a cylindrical member ~8 extending transversely oE the frame 12 and rotatably mounted thereto by axles 38 associated therewith and received by mountings 40 extending upwardly from 15 a top surface of frame 12. It is particularly pxeferred that the axles 30 are mounted in an identical off-centre manner such that the cylindrical member 28 operates as an eccentric cam. It will be readily appreciated that the axle mountings 40 elevate the cylindrical member 28 to a sufficient extent 20 such that the orbit of rotation is not impeded by the frame 12.
Knobs 42 are provided for each axle 30 to retain and permit rotation of the cylindrical member 28.
The cylindrical member 28 is preferably positioned adjacent forward end 14 of frame 12 to enable the palm supporting surface 18 and more particularly proximate the connected end 22 thereof, to react to the camming motion of 30 the cylindrical member 28 thus facilitating a change in attitude relative to the frame 12.
Once the supporting surface 18 has been adjusted, locking of the same in position may be achieved via lock means 35 generally indicated by numeral 44 and illustrated in Figure 3.
In one form, the lock means 44 may be associated with a knob 42 to include a threaded member 46 extending between the knob r~ 3 42 through the axle mounting 40 and into the cylindrical member 28. A loose fitting sleeve 48 surrounding member 46 and extending to mountin~ 40 is provided. Once a desired attitude for the supporting surface 18 is obtained, the knob 42 is rotated until sleeve 48 ur~es the axle mounting 40 into frictional contact with the end of cylindrical member 28.
Turning now to Figure 4, shown is a side view of an alternate arrangement for the present invention in which similar numerals from the previous embodiment depict similar components.
In this embodiment, the device 10 is connected to an elongated member 50 having at either end thereof a tangentially projecting bolt 52.
The palm supporting surface 18 in this embodiment, extends to include a lower arm 54. An aperture tnot shown) extending within the lower arm 54 receives a thumb screw 56 extending between the lower arm 54 and bolt 52. The screw 56, being threadably received within bolt 52, permits a user to rotate screw 56 to effect rotation of the surface 18 to a different attitude relative to the work surface (not shown).
It will be appreciated that the device may be mounted in operative association with a work surface by suitable maans e.g. screws, clamps, etc.
A further embodiment of the present invention is isometrically illustrated in Figure 5. Similar numerals denote like components from the embodiments of Figures 1 and 4.
In this embodiment, the device 10 is slidably mounted to the undersurface of a work surface, W.
The frame :L2, in this embodiment, includes laterally spaced apart members 58 slidably mounted within open ended -` 2 ~ 3 sockets 60 for telescopic movement of the device 10 towards and away from the work surface W.
As those skilled in the art will realize, these preferred illustrated details can be subjected to substantial variation, without affecting the function of the illustrated embodiments.
Although embodiments of the invention have been described above, it is not limited thereto and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications form part of the present invention insofar as they do not depart from the spirit, nature and scope of the claimed and described invention.
Claims (16)
1. An adjustable palm supporting device comprising:
a frame member for mounting said device to a work surface;
a moveable palm supporting surface having a first free end and a second end movably mounted to said frame member; and adjustment means operatively associated with said palm supporting surface for adjusting said surface from a generally parallel attitude relative to said work surface to a position inclined relative to said work surface.
a frame member for mounting said device to a work surface;
a moveable palm supporting surface having a first free end and a second end movably mounted to said frame member; and adjustment means operatively associated with said palm supporting surface for adjusting said surface from a generally parallel attitude relative to said work surface to a position inclined relative to said work surface.
2. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said device includes lock means for locking said adjustment means.
3. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said locking means is operatively associated with said adjustment means.
4. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said adjustment means includes a cam member.
5. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said cam is an eccentric cam.
6. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said eccentric cam includes a cylindrical member.
7. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said cylindrical member is rotatably mounted to said frame member.
8. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said palm support surface includes a free first end.
9. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 8, wherein said palm supporting surface is hingedly connected to said frame at a second end.
10. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 8, wherein said palm supporting surface adjacent said second end is movable.
11. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said palm supporting surface comprises an elongate member extending substantially the width of said frame.
12. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said palm supporting surface comprises a formed member adapted to open a users palm a non-strenuous position when placed thereon.
13. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said palm supporting surface includes a foam material covering.
14. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 13, wherein said foam material includes a protective covering.
15. The palm supporting device as set forth in claim 1, in combination with a work surface adapted to mount said frame member thereto.
16. An adjustable palm supporting device comprising:
a frame member for mounting said device to a work surface;
a moveable palm supporting surface having a first free end and a second end pivotally connected to said frame member; and a rotatable adjustment member operatively associated with said palm supporting surface for adjusting said surface from a generally parallel attitude relative to said work surface to a position inclined relative to said work surface.
a frame member for mounting said device to a work surface;
a moveable palm supporting surface having a first free end and a second end pivotally connected to said frame member; and a rotatable adjustment member operatively associated with said palm supporting surface for adjusting said surface from a generally parallel attitude relative to said work surface to a position inclined relative to said work surface.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2051973 CA2051973A1 (en) | 1991-09-20 | 1991-09-20 | Palm support apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2051973 CA2051973A1 (en) | 1991-09-20 | 1991-09-20 | Palm support apparatus |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2051973A1 true CA2051973A1 (en) | 1993-03-21 |
Family
ID=4148416
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2051973 Abandoned CA2051973A1 (en) | 1991-09-20 | 1991-09-20 | Palm support apparatus |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2051973A1 (en) |
-
1991
- 1991-09-20 CA CA 2051973 patent/CA2051973A1/en not_active Abandoned
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |