CA2373619C - Armrest - Google Patents
Armrest Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2373619C CA2373619C CA002373619A CA2373619A CA2373619C CA 2373619 C CA2373619 C CA 2373619C CA 002373619 A CA002373619 A CA 002373619A CA 2373619 A CA2373619 A CA 2373619A CA 2373619 C CA2373619 C CA 2373619C
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- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- armrest
- keyboard
- mouse
- distance
- edge
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- 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.)
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Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
- G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
- G06F3/03—Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
- G06F3/033—Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user, e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor
- G06F3/039—Accessories therefor, e.g. mouse pads
- G06F3/0395—Mouse pads
-
- 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
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
- Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Input From Keyboards Or The Like (AREA)
- Position Input By Displaying (AREA)
Abstract
An armrest (1) for providing wrist and forearm support during keyboard and mouse operations is provided. The armrest (1) is placed at the front edge of the keyboard and supports most of the forearm from the elbow to the wrist so that the operator can operate the keyboard and handle the mouse, with the forearm supported close to the keyboard. The armrest (1) includes an enlarged support area (12, 22), and elbow protrusion area (13) at the longitudinal ends of the armrest (1), and two mouse pads (2: 21, 22) on the same surface running from the center area (11, 21) to one of the longitudinal ends. The armrest is positioned so that the center area (11, 21) of the mouse pad (2) faces the space bar (4), and the enlarged support area (12, 22) faces the number keypad (5) and projects out to the right of the number keypad. The armrest inclines downward longitudinally from the center area in front of the space bar (4) on the keyboard (3) towards the sides and transversely towards the front edge, which faces the operator.
Description
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CA 02373619 2001-11-19 :i""
,= . , ARMREST
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention The present invention relates to an armrest, which is placed at the front edge of the keyboard to help in using the keyboard and mouse by supporting the forearms (i.e., the arm area from approximately the elbow to approximately the wrist, not simply the wrist or palm). More specifically, the armrest supports most of the forearm, ranging from the elbow to the wrist, and allows the operator to handle the mouse with the forearm supported close to the keyboard.
CA 02373619 2001-11-19 :i""
,= . , ARMREST
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention The present invention relates to an armrest, which is placed at the front edge of the keyboard to help in using the keyboard and mouse by supporting the forearms (i.e., the arm area from approximately the elbow to approximately the wrist, not simply the wrist or palm). More specifically, the armrest supports most of the forearm, ranging from the elbow to the wrist, and allows the operator to handle the mouse with the forearm supported close to the keyboard.
2. Description of the Prior Art The operation of keyboards is involved in a large portion of manual visual display tenni.nal (VDT) operations such as data input, for example. These operations are responsible for =
a high incidence of health hazards such as neck, shoulder, and arm syndrome because of the motions involved in continually maintaining the forearms in a lifted position without any support and repetitively using the arms and fingers. The. inventors of the instant application have also proposed an armrest for VDT operations (Japanese Registered LTtility Model Gazette No.
2505528).
Recent dramatic innovations in operating systems have brought the graphical user interface (GUI) approach into the mainstream of man machine interface technology and enabled mouse operation to be integrated with traditional keyboard operation in ahnost every computing setting.
It is known that the health hazards associated with VDT operation result from muscular or nervous fatigue induced by a specific working posture in which the neck is inclined forward and the arms are held, without any support, away from the trunk. Another factor contributing ~ _.
to this fatigue is the workload on the fingers in nann;ng the keyboard. Now that mouse operations have been added to traditional VDT operations, it is necessary to examine possible solutions for improving operability and mitigating fatigue.
So far, several resting devices for wrists and for palms (hereafter collectively referred to as "palmrests") have been suggested for reducing fatigue. These proposed devices have not adequately taken into account possible impiovements in operability (and reduction of fatigue) focused on mouse operation.
AMENDED SHEET
-- v.-.,~.,--. -- -The majority of the existing palmrests are configured with the mouse pad separate which is physically separate from the keyboard pad (a "separate-type" palmrest) while a few of the existing palmrests have been designed to combine the mouse pad with the keyboard pad (an "integrated-type" palmrest). As one example, Japanese Registered Utility Model Gazette No.
3043575 discloses a integrated-type palmrest which is placed on the top of a desk together with a board for the keyboard. The palmrest is configured with a mouse pad that can be drawn out from the board, to the right of the keyboard and at a lower level than the top surface of the palmrest.
The second prior art integrated-type palmrest is placed on the top of a desk together with a board for the keyboard. This pahnrest is configured with the mouse pad attached to the board on the right of the keyboard and at a lower level than the top surface of the palmrest. The third integrated-type palmrest disclosed in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2687814 is integrated with a keyboard arrangement board and a mouse operating board which is placed midway between the keyboard and the computer monitor or cathode-ray tube (CRT) at almost as high a level as the top surface of the palmrest.
In the case of a mouse pad placed to the right of the keyboard, it can be reasonably suggested that a significant distance (approx. 41 cm) between the thumb (on the space bar) and the mouse pad would degrade the operability when both are used concurrently.
This is because the right hand is repeatedly moved over this distance, and there is a heavy load on the shoulder girdle muscle during internal rotation and exteraal rotation of the right humeral articulation, and on the trapezius (shoulder) during the abduction of right humeral articulation. Internal rotation affects the infraspinatus and teres minor muscle, while external rotation affects the infrascapular muscle, teres major muscle, pectoralis major muscle and the latissimus dorsi muscle:
In another prior art model the mouse pad is placed behind #he keyboard.---This arrangement makes it necessary to handle the mouse with the elbow sustained away from the trunk. As a result, the trapezius and brachial muscles (deltoid muscle) suffer a significant muscular load during the operation. The substantial distance (approx. 28 cm) between the space bar and mouse pad imposes a great muscular load to the brachial muscle which is lifted up and down across the keyboard. There are also other potential problems during mouse operations including inadvertent keystrokes when reaching for the mouse.
U.S. Patent No. 4,621,781 to Springer discloses a separate-type palrnrest which attaches AMENDED SHEET
~ ~_-',_=. ;n-'-JJV~!
- -' ' CA 02373619 2001-11-19 - "VI'Jv~~' r.;-.
to a desk adjacent the front edge of a keyboard. It features a raised central area and extends toward the user to provide forearm support during keyboard operations.
Publication No. WO
93/25116 to Dawson discloses another separate-type palmrest which is designed primarily for wrist support. European Patent Application No. 0 654 727 A2 is concerned with a palmrest that is physically integrated with a keyboard, extending from the bottom row of keys toward the user.
It features an-inserted area between split rows of keys and contains a pointing and tilting device within the area which replaces a traditional mouse.
It should be noted that the effectiveness of armrests in mouse and keyboard operations is undisputed as it has been reported that arsnrests reduce the electromyograms of the brachioradial muscle, the bicep brachii, the deltoid muscle, the infrascarpular muscle and the trapezius, as compared with those when it was not used. When a working environment involving keyboard and mouse operations and the resultant working posture is closely analyzed from the viewpoint of health hazard prevention, an armrest should feature the following configurations.
First, the armrest should be adequately wide to extensively support the overall forearms, .
ranging from the wrist through the elbow. The forearm support of the armrest should also protrude (widen) towards the operator around its ends in order to provide support for the forearms positioned at the sides of the operator. The height of the armrest should also be adjustable and should incline- downward away from its center, interfacing the space bar toward the lateral ends and the operator. This design is necessary in order to minimize lifting of the shoulders and to obtain better contact between the forearm'and the surface of the armrest.
Furthermore, the armrest should provide an area for using the mouse which extends from about 5 cm to. the left of the center to about 10 cm to the right of the number keypad. An enlarged support area should be supplied on the right side of the armrest to support the right forearm during mouse operations. Finally, the armrest should be securable to thekont edge of thaesk and capable of pivoting towards the keyboard using hinges attached at its longitudinal ends or distal bottoni in order to be usable for some shallow desks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention addresses these requirements and overcomes the problems with the prior '30 art devices. When placed at the front edge of the keyboard, the armrest of the invention assists the operator in using the keyboard and the mouse by supporting the operator's forearms. The AMENDED SHEET
. - ' inventive armrest is a self-contained unit which can be successfully integrated with various keyboards for specific purposes. The armrest supports most of the forearms (ranging from approximately the elbow to the approximately the wrist) and allows the operator to handle the mouse with the forearm supported close to the keyboard. Furthermore, the armrest helps prevent neck, shoulder, and arm syndrome by reducing the muscular load on the neck, shoulders and arms. The armrest provides an enlarged support and/or elbow protrusion area at the longitudinal ends, and a mouse pad on the same surface from its center to the end having the relevant enlarged support.
The mode for carrying out the invention is described below. The armrest has a width adequate to transversely support the forearms and a thickness equal to the distance between the top surface of the desk and the top of the space bar when it is pushed down (or an alternative means to adjust the armrest to the top of the relevant key when it is pushed down). The armrest also inclines downwardly from the center at the space bar toward the longitudinal ends and towards the operator. The armrest is preferably designed to be embedded into an independently manufactured frame, which can be pivoted towards the keyboard via hinges attached at both longitudinal ends or at the bottom on the keyboard side.
The present application provides an apparatus comprising a keyboard having a forward edge, a plurality of keys, and an operating area length defined by the distance between leftmost and rightmost keys of said plurality of keys, and an armrest comprising an elongated body having a length, a width, and a rectilinear edge positioned adjacent said keyboard forward edge; said armrest being operable for supporting a forearm of a person operating said keyboard and having a length at least about the length of said keyboard operating area; and a mouse operating area, said keyboard forward edge defining a plane creating a proximate side and a remote side, said plurality of keys located on said remote side and said armrest and said mouse operating area located on said proximate side.
In another aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus comprising a keyboard (3) comprising a forward edge; a plurality of keys including a space bar (4) which is depressed during use and which presents an upper surface at a given height when in a depressed position; and an operating area length defined by the distance between the leftmost and rightmost keys; and an armrest (1) comprising an elongated body having a length, a width, and a rectilinear edge positioned adjacent said keyboard forward edge, said armrest (1) being operable for supporting a forearm of a person operating said keyboard (3) and having a length at least about the length of said keyboard operating area; and a mouse operating area (2) in contact with said armrest upper surface, said armrest (1) presenting a substantially planar upper surface and having a vertical height such that the armrest upper surface at an area adjacent said rectilinear edge is at a height approximately equal to said depressed space bar upper surface height.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus comprising a keyboard (3) having forward and rearward edges presenting a distance therebetween, a plurality of keys, and an 4a operating area length defined by the distance between the leftmost and rightmost keys, said keyboard (3) including a spacebar which is depressed during use, said depressed spacebar presenting an upper surface at a given height; and an armrest (1) comprising an elongated body having a length, a protruded portion, and a rectilinear edge positioned adjacent said keyboard forward edge, said armrest (1) being operable for supporting a forearm of a person operating said keyboard (3), presenting a substantially planar upper surface, and having a length at least about the length of said keyboard operating area; and a mouse operating area (2) in contact with said upper surface, said protruded portion being at least partly defined by said rectilinear edge and an outer arcuate edge (16) and presenting a maximum width between said rectilinear edge and said arcuate edge (16), said maximum width being greater than the distance presented by said forward and rearward keyboard edges, said armrest (1) having a vertical height which is such that the armrest upper surface at an area adjacent said rectilinear edge is at a height approximately equal to said depressed upper surface height.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TEE DRAWINGS
Figure 1(a) is a plan view of an armrest in accordance with the invention;
Fig. 1(b) is a front view of the armrest of Fig. 1(a);
Fig.2(a) is a plan view of an inventive annrest illustrating the various positions of the user's band and the mouse during operations utilizing a mouse;
Fig. 2(b) is a front view of the armrest of Fig. 2(a); -Fig.3(a) is a cross-sectional end view of an armrest according to the invention.duaing keyboard operations;
Fig. 3(b) is a cross-sectional end view of the armrest of Fig. 3(a) during mouse operations;
Fig.4(a) is a perspective view of an inventive armrest during mouse operations wherein the mouse is positioned near the center portion of the armrest;
Fig. 4(b) is a perspective view sirnilar to Fig. 4(a) wherein the mouse is positioned at the left portion of the enlarged support;
Fig. 4(c) is a perspective view similar to Figs. 4(a)-4(b) wherein the mouse is positioned at the right area of the enlarged support;
Fig.5(a) is a plan view of an inventive arnuest; and Fig. 5(b) is a plan view of an inventive armrest illustrating the mouse locations on the 5 armrest.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the inventive armrest. In Fig.1(a), numeral I indicates the armrest which includes a center 11, an enlarged support 12, an elbow protrusion 13 defined by a first arcuate edge 14, a mouse operating area (mouse pad; 2), a center 21 in part defined by second arcuate edge 15, an enlarged support 22 defined by a third arcuate edge 16, a keyboard 3, a'space bar 4, a number keypad 5 and an operational desk 6 (the numbering is consistent in Figs. 2-4).
As illustrated in the figures, the armrest supports most of the forearms from the elbow to the wrist, and provides an enlarged support 12, 22 at one longitudinal end to allow the operator - to use the mouse cldse to the keyboard 3. In addition, the armrest 1 provides a mouse operating area (hereinafter used interchangeably with 'mouse pad') on the same surface ranging from the center 11, 21 to the end including the relevant enlarged supports 12, 22.
The armrest 1 should have a sufficient width to adequately, transversely support the forearms, a thickness equal to the top level of the space bar'4 when it is pushed down in the keyboard 3 or alternative means (not shown) to adjust the armrestlevel to that of the relevant key top when it is pushed down. The armrest 1 should also have a downward inclination from the center 11, 21 facing the space bar 4 on the keyboard 3 toward the longitudinal ends and operator (See Figs. 2(b) and 3). The armrest 1 may be designed to be embedded,~o an independently manufactured frame, which can be pivoted towards the keyboard with the hinges 7(See Fig.5) attached at both longitudinal ends or at the bottom, on the keyboard side (described in more detail below). "
Hereafter, the components are extensively described using a keyboard for a desktop personal computer as an example. The numerical values (dimensions) are supplied to assist in the understanding of the invention.
The armrest 1 shown in Fig.2 is 67 cm long longitudinally, 16 cm wide at the minimal AMENDED SHEET
j-area, and 27 cm wide at its widest point in the transverse direction. The left elbow protrusion 13 is 24 cm long. It will be appreciated that the armrest can be configured to be reversible so that the elbow protrusion 13 can be on the right for left-handed operators, with the enlarged support 12, 22 on the left. In addition, the enlarged support 12, 22 may be symmetrically formed to accommodate both right-handed and left-handed operators in one device. The following description is based on an armrest 1 for right-handed operators.
The mouse operating area 2 may be composed of a single mouse pad applied over the area or of three separate mouse pads positioned at the center 21 and the left and right areas of the enlarged support 22 (See Fig.5). It is important to organize the mouse operating areas 2 at the center 11, 21 and at the enlarged support 12, 22 on the armrest 1 in order to minimize the distance between the space bar 4 and mouse (pad). Such mouse operating area organization will eliminate the level gap between the armrest. and mouse pad and allow the operator to freely utilize the three mouse operating areas, depending on the intensity of the mouse operation and the number keypad operation. The mouse pad areas can be freely designed in terms of shape, figure, and color.
The mouse operating area 2 is aligned so that its center 21 faces the space bar and wraps around the transverse midpoint of the armrest 1. On the other hand, in the case of the enlarged support 22, the mouse operating area 2 is situated facing the number keypad 5, with the right edge projecting out about 10 cm from the right side of the number keypacL
The mouse requires an approximately 3 cm rnn in the lateral direction and a 2 cm run in the vertical direction to move the pointer across the full range of the display laterally and vertically, respectively. A mouse operating area with a diameter of 10cm will make the differences in the space bar positioning almostnegligible among different keyboards. Preferably, a single mouse pad 2 covers the enlarged support 22, thus forming an und3yided operating.area for uninterrupted pointer movement.
As for the existing armrest proposed in Japanese Patent Application No.
2505528, the operator has to sustain the portion of his or her forearms which is approximately 10 cm from the hand joint cross striation to the elbow when the operator's fingers are assigned to the home positions. The instantinvention provides an enlarged support 12 to further reduce the muscular load required to sustain the forearms.
The enlarged support 12 starts at a 31 cm distance from the left edge of the armrest 1, at AMENDED SHEET
the point facing the number keypad 5. The support's front edge gradually advances toward the operator to attain a maximum 11 cm gain from the baseline (the total width is 27 cm) at a 53 cm distance from the left edge of the armrest. The front edge gradually curves toward the keyboard and converges with the back edge on the right side.
The enlarged support 12 accommodates the forearm within the armrest 1 and supports the forearm over a length of 19-25 cm, from the hand joint cross striation towards the elbow when the mouse is displaced approximately 4.5 cm away from the center of the space bar 4 toward the le$. A cross sectional view of the armrest 1 related to keyboard and mouse operation is provided in Figs.3(a)-3(b), with another view related to mouse operation shown in Figs. 4(a)-4(c).
The above-mentioned armrest 1 has the following benefits. -(1) The armrest 1 successfully eliminates compression of the-wrist nerves (ulnar nerve) and subsequent pain and numbness, which are often observed when a palinrest with some 6 cm width is used to support the wrists alone. The aazmrest 1 provides a central area 11, 21 as wide as 16 cm, an elbow protrusion 13 with an extra 8 cm towards the operator at the left side, and an enlarged support 12, 22 with an extra 11 cm towards the operator at the right side: The armrest 1 eliminates nerve compression and subsequent pain and numbness by extensively supporting the wrists, forearms and elbows.
(2) The armrest 1 helps support the arm, whose weight is equivalent to 5%
ofthe total body weight, by means of the forearm, to reduce the load on the shoulder muscle (trapezius), brachial muscle (deltoid muscle) and antebrachial muscle (brachioradial muscle) and to mitigate - or prevent pain in the shoulder girdles and the arrns.
a high incidence of health hazards such as neck, shoulder, and arm syndrome because of the motions involved in continually maintaining the forearms in a lifted position without any support and repetitively using the arms and fingers. The. inventors of the instant application have also proposed an armrest for VDT operations (Japanese Registered LTtility Model Gazette No.
2505528).
Recent dramatic innovations in operating systems have brought the graphical user interface (GUI) approach into the mainstream of man machine interface technology and enabled mouse operation to be integrated with traditional keyboard operation in ahnost every computing setting.
It is known that the health hazards associated with VDT operation result from muscular or nervous fatigue induced by a specific working posture in which the neck is inclined forward and the arms are held, without any support, away from the trunk. Another factor contributing ~ _.
to this fatigue is the workload on the fingers in nann;ng the keyboard. Now that mouse operations have been added to traditional VDT operations, it is necessary to examine possible solutions for improving operability and mitigating fatigue.
So far, several resting devices for wrists and for palms (hereafter collectively referred to as "palmrests") have been suggested for reducing fatigue. These proposed devices have not adequately taken into account possible impiovements in operability (and reduction of fatigue) focused on mouse operation.
AMENDED SHEET
-- v.-.,~.,--. -- -The majority of the existing palmrests are configured with the mouse pad separate which is physically separate from the keyboard pad (a "separate-type" palmrest) while a few of the existing palmrests have been designed to combine the mouse pad with the keyboard pad (an "integrated-type" palmrest). As one example, Japanese Registered Utility Model Gazette No.
3043575 discloses a integrated-type palmrest which is placed on the top of a desk together with a board for the keyboard. The palmrest is configured with a mouse pad that can be drawn out from the board, to the right of the keyboard and at a lower level than the top surface of the palmrest.
The second prior art integrated-type palmrest is placed on the top of a desk together with a board for the keyboard. This pahnrest is configured with the mouse pad attached to the board on the right of the keyboard and at a lower level than the top surface of the palmrest. The third integrated-type palmrest disclosed in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2687814 is integrated with a keyboard arrangement board and a mouse operating board which is placed midway between the keyboard and the computer monitor or cathode-ray tube (CRT) at almost as high a level as the top surface of the palmrest.
In the case of a mouse pad placed to the right of the keyboard, it can be reasonably suggested that a significant distance (approx. 41 cm) between the thumb (on the space bar) and the mouse pad would degrade the operability when both are used concurrently.
This is because the right hand is repeatedly moved over this distance, and there is a heavy load on the shoulder girdle muscle during internal rotation and exteraal rotation of the right humeral articulation, and on the trapezius (shoulder) during the abduction of right humeral articulation. Internal rotation affects the infraspinatus and teres minor muscle, while external rotation affects the infrascapular muscle, teres major muscle, pectoralis major muscle and the latissimus dorsi muscle:
In another prior art model the mouse pad is placed behind #he keyboard.---This arrangement makes it necessary to handle the mouse with the elbow sustained away from the trunk. As a result, the trapezius and brachial muscles (deltoid muscle) suffer a significant muscular load during the operation. The substantial distance (approx. 28 cm) between the space bar and mouse pad imposes a great muscular load to the brachial muscle which is lifted up and down across the keyboard. There are also other potential problems during mouse operations including inadvertent keystrokes when reaching for the mouse.
U.S. Patent No. 4,621,781 to Springer discloses a separate-type palrnrest which attaches AMENDED SHEET
~ ~_-',_=. ;n-'-JJV~!
- -' ' CA 02373619 2001-11-19 - "VI'Jv~~' r.;-.
to a desk adjacent the front edge of a keyboard. It features a raised central area and extends toward the user to provide forearm support during keyboard operations.
Publication No. WO
93/25116 to Dawson discloses another separate-type palmrest which is designed primarily for wrist support. European Patent Application No. 0 654 727 A2 is concerned with a palmrest that is physically integrated with a keyboard, extending from the bottom row of keys toward the user.
It features an-inserted area between split rows of keys and contains a pointing and tilting device within the area which replaces a traditional mouse.
It should be noted that the effectiveness of armrests in mouse and keyboard operations is undisputed as it has been reported that arsnrests reduce the electromyograms of the brachioradial muscle, the bicep brachii, the deltoid muscle, the infrascarpular muscle and the trapezius, as compared with those when it was not used. When a working environment involving keyboard and mouse operations and the resultant working posture is closely analyzed from the viewpoint of health hazard prevention, an armrest should feature the following configurations.
First, the armrest should be adequately wide to extensively support the overall forearms, .
ranging from the wrist through the elbow. The forearm support of the armrest should also protrude (widen) towards the operator around its ends in order to provide support for the forearms positioned at the sides of the operator. The height of the armrest should also be adjustable and should incline- downward away from its center, interfacing the space bar toward the lateral ends and the operator. This design is necessary in order to minimize lifting of the shoulders and to obtain better contact between the forearm'and the surface of the armrest.
Furthermore, the armrest should provide an area for using the mouse which extends from about 5 cm to. the left of the center to about 10 cm to the right of the number keypad. An enlarged support area should be supplied on the right side of the armrest to support the right forearm during mouse operations. Finally, the armrest should be securable to thekont edge of thaesk and capable of pivoting towards the keyboard using hinges attached at its longitudinal ends or distal bottoni in order to be usable for some shallow desks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention addresses these requirements and overcomes the problems with the prior '30 art devices. When placed at the front edge of the keyboard, the armrest of the invention assists the operator in using the keyboard and the mouse by supporting the operator's forearms. The AMENDED SHEET
. - ' inventive armrest is a self-contained unit which can be successfully integrated with various keyboards for specific purposes. The armrest supports most of the forearms (ranging from approximately the elbow to the approximately the wrist) and allows the operator to handle the mouse with the forearm supported close to the keyboard. Furthermore, the armrest helps prevent neck, shoulder, and arm syndrome by reducing the muscular load on the neck, shoulders and arms. The armrest provides an enlarged support and/or elbow protrusion area at the longitudinal ends, and a mouse pad on the same surface from its center to the end having the relevant enlarged support.
The mode for carrying out the invention is described below. The armrest has a width adequate to transversely support the forearms and a thickness equal to the distance between the top surface of the desk and the top of the space bar when it is pushed down (or an alternative means to adjust the armrest to the top of the relevant key when it is pushed down). The armrest also inclines downwardly from the center at the space bar toward the longitudinal ends and towards the operator. The armrest is preferably designed to be embedded into an independently manufactured frame, which can be pivoted towards the keyboard via hinges attached at both longitudinal ends or at the bottom on the keyboard side.
The present application provides an apparatus comprising a keyboard having a forward edge, a plurality of keys, and an operating area length defined by the distance between leftmost and rightmost keys of said plurality of keys, and an armrest comprising an elongated body having a length, a width, and a rectilinear edge positioned adjacent said keyboard forward edge; said armrest being operable for supporting a forearm of a person operating said keyboard and having a length at least about the length of said keyboard operating area; and a mouse operating area, said keyboard forward edge defining a plane creating a proximate side and a remote side, said plurality of keys located on said remote side and said armrest and said mouse operating area located on said proximate side.
In another aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus comprising a keyboard (3) comprising a forward edge; a plurality of keys including a space bar (4) which is depressed during use and which presents an upper surface at a given height when in a depressed position; and an operating area length defined by the distance between the leftmost and rightmost keys; and an armrest (1) comprising an elongated body having a length, a width, and a rectilinear edge positioned adjacent said keyboard forward edge, said armrest (1) being operable for supporting a forearm of a person operating said keyboard (3) and having a length at least about the length of said keyboard operating area; and a mouse operating area (2) in contact with said armrest upper surface, said armrest (1) presenting a substantially planar upper surface and having a vertical height such that the armrest upper surface at an area adjacent said rectilinear edge is at a height approximately equal to said depressed space bar upper surface height.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus comprising a keyboard (3) having forward and rearward edges presenting a distance therebetween, a plurality of keys, and an 4a operating area length defined by the distance between the leftmost and rightmost keys, said keyboard (3) including a spacebar which is depressed during use, said depressed spacebar presenting an upper surface at a given height; and an armrest (1) comprising an elongated body having a length, a protruded portion, and a rectilinear edge positioned adjacent said keyboard forward edge, said armrest (1) being operable for supporting a forearm of a person operating said keyboard (3), presenting a substantially planar upper surface, and having a length at least about the length of said keyboard operating area; and a mouse operating area (2) in contact with said upper surface, said protruded portion being at least partly defined by said rectilinear edge and an outer arcuate edge (16) and presenting a maximum width between said rectilinear edge and said arcuate edge (16), said maximum width being greater than the distance presented by said forward and rearward keyboard edges, said armrest (1) having a vertical height which is such that the armrest upper surface at an area adjacent said rectilinear edge is at a height approximately equal to said depressed upper surface height.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TEE DRAWINGS
Figure 1(a) is a plan view of an armrest in accordance with the invention;
Fig. 1(b) is a front view of the armrest of Fig. 1(a);
Fig.2(a) is a plan view of an inventive annrest illustrating the various positions of the user's band and the mouse during operations utilizing a mouse;
Fig. 2(b) is a front view of the armrest of Fig. 2(a); -Fig.3(a) is a cross-sectional end view of an armrest according to the invention.duaing keyboard operations;
Fig. 3(b) is a cross-sectional end view of the armrest of Fig. 3(a) during mouse operations;
Fig.4(a) is a perspective view of an inventive armrest during mouse operations wherein the mouse is positioned near the center portion of the armrest;
Fig. 4(b) is a perspective view sirnilar to Fig. 4(a) wherein the mouse is positioned at the left portion of the enlarged support;
Fig. 4(c) is a perspective view similar to Figs. 4(a)-4(b) wherein the mouse is positioned at the right area of the enlarged support;
Fig.5(a) is a plan view of an inventive arnuest; and Fig. 5(b) is a plan view of an inventive armrest illustrating the mouse locations on the 5 armrest.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the inventive armrest. In Fig.1(a), numeral I indicates the armrest which includes a center 11, an enlarged support 12, an elbow protrusion 13 defined by a first arcuate edge 14, a mouse operating area (mouse pad; 2), a center 21 in part defined by second arcuate edge 15, an enlarged support 22 defined by a third arcuate edge 16, a keyboard 3, a'space bar 4, a number keypad 5 and an operational desk 6 (the numbering is consistent in Figs. 2-4).
As illustrated in the figures, the armrest supports most of the forearms from the elbow to the wrist, and provides an enlarged support 12, 22 at one longitudinal end to allow the operator - to use the mouse cldse to the keyboard 3. In addition, the armrest 1 provides a mouse operating area (hereinafter used interchangeably with 'mouse pad') on the same surface ranging from the center 11, 21 to the end including the relevant enlarged supports 12, 22.
The armrest 1 should have a sufficient width to adequately, transversely support the forearms, a thickness equal to the top level of the space bar'4 when it is pushed down in the keyboard 3 or alternative means (not shown) to adjust the armrestlevel to that of the relevant key top when it is pushed down. The armrest 1 should also have a downward inclination from the center 11, 21 facing the space bar 4 on the keyboard 3 toward the longitudinal ends and operator (See Figs. 2(b) and 3). The armrest 1 may be designed to be embedded,~o an independently manufactured frame, which can be pivoted towards the keyboard with the hinges 7(See Fig.5) attached at both longitudinal ends or at the bottom, on the keyboard side (described in more detail below). "
Hereafter, the components are extensively described using a keyboard for a desktop personal computer as an example. The numerical values (dimensions) are supplied to assist in the understanding of the invention.
The armrest 1 shown in Fig.2 is 67 cm long longitudinally, 16 cm wide at the minimal AMENDED SHEET
j-area, and 27 cm wide at its widest point in the transverse direction. The left elbow protrusion 13 is 24 cm long. It will be appreciated that the armrest can be configured to be reversible so that the elbow protrusion 13 can be on the right for left-handed operators, with the enlarged support 12, 22 on the left. In addition, the enlarged support 12, 22 may be symmetrically formed to accommodate both right-handed and left-handed operators in one device. The following description is based on an armrest 1 for right-handed operators.
The mouse operating area 2 may be composed of a single mouse pad applied over the area or of three separate mouse pads positioned at the center 21 and the left and right areas of the enlarged support 22 (See Fig.5). It is important to organize the mouse operating areas 2 at the center 11, 21 and at the enlarged support 12, 22 on the armrest 1 in order to minimize the distance between the space bar 4 and mouse (pad). Such mouse operating area organization will eliminate the level gap between the armrest. and mouse pad and allow the operator to freely utilize the three mouse operating areas, depending on the intensity of the mouse operation and the number keypad operation. The mouse pad areas can be freely designed in terms of shape, figure, and color.
The mouse operating area 2 is aligned so that its center 21 faces the space bar and wraps around the transverse midpoint of the armrest 1. On the other hand, in the case of the enlarged support 22, the mouse operating area 2 is situated facing the number keypad 5, with the right edge projecting out about 10 cm from the right side of the number keypacL
The mouse requires an approximately 3 cm rnn in the lateral direction and a 2 cm run in the vertical direction to move the pointer across the full range of the display laterally and vertically, respectively. A mouse operating area with a diameter of 10cm will make the differences in the space bar positioning almostnegligible among different keyboards. Preferably, a single mouse pad 2 covers the enlarged support 22, thus forming an und3yided operating.area for uninterrupted pointer movement.
As for the existing armrest proposed in Japanese Patent Application No.
2505528, the operator has to sustain the portion of his or her forearms which is approximately 10 cm from the hand joint cross striation to the elbow when the operator's fingers are assigned to the home positions. The instantinvention provides an enlarged support 12 to further reduce the muscular load required to sustain the forearms.
The enlarged support 12 starts at a 31 cm distance from the left edge of the armrest 1, at AMENDED SHEET
the point facing the number keypad 5. The support's front edge gradually advances toward the operator to attain a maximum 11 cm gain from the baseline (the total width is 27 cm) at a 53 cm distance from the left edge of the armrest. The front edge gradually curves toward the keyboard and converges with the back edge on the right side.
The enlarged support 12 accommodates the forearm within the armrest 1 and supports the forearm over a length of 19-25 cm, from the hand joint cross striation towards the elbow when the mouse is displaced approximately 4.5 cm away from the center of the space bar 4 toward the le$. A cross sectional view of the armrest 1 related to keyboard and mouse operation is provided in Figs.3(a)-3(b), with another view related to mouse operation shown in Figs. 4(a)-4(c).
The above-mentioned armrest 1 has the following benefits. -(1) The armrest 1 successfully eliminates compression of the-wrist nerves (ulnar nerve) and subsequent pain and numbness, which are often observed when a palinrest with some 6 cm width is used to support the wrists alone. The aazmrest 1 provides a central area 11, 21 as wide as 16 cm, an elbow protrusion 13 with an extra 8 cm towards the operator at the left side, and an enlarged support 12, 22 with an extra 11 cm towards the operator at the right side: The armrest 1 eliminates nerve compression and subsequent pain and numbness by extensively supporting the wrists, forearms and elbows.
(2) The armrest 1 helps support the arm, whose weight is equivalent to 5%
ofthe total body weight, by means of the forearm, to reduce the load on the shoulder muscle (trapezius), brachial muscle (deltoid muscle) and antebrachial muscle (brachioradial muscle) and to mitigate - or prevent pain in the shoulder girdles and the arrns.
(3) The armrest 1 eliminates compression of the wrist nerves (median nerve) and prevents carpal tunnel syndrome (characterized by numbness -of the affeqed nerve), whirh is often observed when the wrists are supported by the desk without any armrest and dorsally flexed because of the gap between the keyboard and the desk. The armrest level can be adjusted to that of the keyboard to keep the fingers, wrists and forearms straight and to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
(4) The armrest 1 mitigates the muscle load on the shoulders, upper arms, forearms and wrists because it provides a mouse pad on an even plane and allows the operator to use the mouse by supporting his or her wrists and forearms.
AMENDED SHEET
_ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . l: ' ...-.= ~ V v'J \~
AMENDED SHEET
_ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . l: ' ...-.= ~ V v'J \~
(5) The mouse pad in the center area 11, 21 can be used when mouse operation is less intensive than keyboard operations, such as during data input processes. The central positioning of the mouse reduces the distance between the right thumb (on the space bar) and the mouse to roughly 13 cm, as compared to the 41 cm distance typical of conventional, external or independent mouse pads. It therefore reduces the movement range of the right humeral articulation during internal rotation and external rotation. As a result, the load is alleviated at the shoulder girdle muscle and the operability is improved because it takes less time to move the forearm between the keyboard and the mouse.
(6) . The enlarged support 12,22 projects out 11 cm toward the opera.torto support the right forearm so that the forearm does not overrun the armrest, as it does in the case of palmrests, when it is displaced toward the operator to operate the mouse in the center, area 11, 21. The enlarged support 12, 22 supports the right forearm over a 19 cm to 25 cm length.
(7) Referring to Fig. 5, the left area 222 of the mouse pad in an enlarged support 102 is used for operations in which the mouse is used more intensively than the keyboard, such as developing graphics. The left area 222 of the pad is situated somewhat to the left of the number keypad, thus reducing the distance (displacement distance) to the right thumb (on the space bar) to roughly 16 cm, as compared to the 41 cm distance typical of conventional, external or independent mouse pads. The reduced distance helps limit the range of internal rotation and exterrnal rotation of the right humeral articulation to alleviate the muscular load of the shoulder girdle muscle. Also it shortens the time required to move the rf ght hand between the keyboard and mouse to improve operability. In addition, the enlarged support allows the operator to continue operations while 12 cm of his or her right forearm is supported by the projected area, resulting in eliminated wrist compression and a reduced load on the shoulder girdle muscles.
(8) When using the mouse in front of the number keypad 5(the left area 222 of the mouse pad), the mouse may disturb operation of the number keypad 5. Therefore, the right area of the mouse pad projects out from the edge of the number keypad 5 in order to avoid this kind of disturbance. Using the right area 223 (See Fig. 5) of the pad to operate the number keypad 5 reduces the distance (displacement distance) to the right thumb home position (space bar) to roughly 36 cm, as compared to the 41 cm distance typical of conventional, external or independent mouse pads. In the same manner as with the left area 222 of the mouse pad, it eliminates wrist compression and reduces the load on the shoulder girdle muscles.
AMENDED SHEET
-= r CA 02373619 2001-11-19 When operating the number keypad 5, the right area 223 of the mouse pad can also be used as a storage area for the mouse, in order to avoid the disturbance of these operations.
(9) The armrest 1, which accommodates the mouse pads within its longitudinal range, allows the operator to handle the mouse within his or her shoulder width, even on a narrow desk.
The armrest 1 can be supplied with a mechanism to affix it to the desk at the top edge, facing the keyboard and to reverse it toward the keyboard (on hinges 7) at the top end, to secure operational space when using a shallower desk. Therefore the armrest 1 has a space saving advantage.
AMENDED SHEET
-= r CA 02373619 2001-11-19 When operating the number keypad 5, the right area 223 of the mouse pad can also be used as a storage area for the mouse, in order to avoid the disturbance of these operations.
(9) The armrest 1, which accommodates the mouse pads within its longitudinal range, allows the operator to handle the mouse within his or her shoulder width, even on a narrow desk.
The armrest 1 can be supplied with a mechanism to affix it to the desk at the top edge, facing the keyboard and to reverse it toward the keyboard (on hinges 7) at the top end, to secure operational space when using a shallower desk. Therefore the armrest 1 has a space saving advantage.
(10) Essentially, the armrest 1 successfully improves operability during keyboard and mouse operations, and subsequently has significant preventive effects against neck, shoulder, and arm disorders and carpal tunnel syndrome.
It should be noted that the working example is not exclusive in terms of the design of the invention. The armrest 1 can bemodified to adapt to any commercially available keyboard and be within the scope of protection. For example, it can be duly configured to be adjustable in height and length, or it can include a concave palmrest area on the keyboard side, similar to those typically found in laptop computers. Furthermore, the armrest can be built into the desk or tabletop.
The armrest may be configured together with an independently manufactured frame 10 so that the operator can install his or her own arnlrest of the same model by replacing others. An example of this configuration is illustrated in Fig. 5(a) wherein the frame 10 is fixed at the front edge of the desk with the hinges 7 which are used to pivot the trame itself toward the keyboard 3, while the armrest body 100 can be placed into and removed from the fixed frame 10.
The armrest 100 and mouse pads 221, 222, 223 can also be replaced with removable covering components to ensure that the operators can use their armrests in a similarway (not shown). .
~..
AMENDED SHEET
It should be noted that the working example is not exclusive in terms of the design of the invention. The armrest 1 can bemodified to adapt to any commercially available keyboard and be within the scope of protection. For example, it can be duly configured to be adjustable in height and length, or it can include a concave palmrest area on the keyboard side, similar to those typically found in laptop computers. Furthermore, the armrest can be built into the desk or tabletop.
The armrest may be configured together with an independently manufactured frame 10 so that the operator can install his or her own arnlrest of the same model by replacing others. An example of this configuration is illustrated in Fig. 5(a) wherein the frame 10 is fixed at the front edge of the desk with the hinges 7 which are used to pivot the trame itself toward the keyboard 3, while the armrest body 100 can be placed into and removed from the fixed frame 10.
The armrest 100 and mouse pads 221, 222, 223 can also be replaced with removable covering components to ensure that the operators can use their armrests in a similarway (not shown). .
~..
AMENDED SHEET
Claims (10)
1. An apparatus comprising:
a keyboard having a forward edge, a plurality of keys, and an operating area length defined by the distance between leftmost and rightmost keys of said plurality of keys, and an armrest comprising:
an elongated body having a length, a width, and a rectilinear edge positioned adjacent said keyboard forward edge; said armrest being operable for supporting a forearm of a person operating said keyboard and having a length at least about the length of said keyboard operating area; and a mouse operating area, said keyboard forward edge defining a plane creating a proximate side and a remote side, said plurality of keys located on said remote side and said armrest and said mouse operating area located on said proximate side.
a keyboard having a forward edge, a plurality of keys, and an operating area length defined by the distance between leftmost and rightmost keys of said plurality of keys, and an armrest comprising:
an elongated body having a length, a width, and a rectilinear edge positioned adjacent said keyboard forward edge; said armrest being operable for supporting a forearm of a person operating said keyboard and having a length at least about the length of said keyboard operating area; and a mouse operating area, said keyboard forward edge defining a plane creating a proximate side and a remote side, said plurality of keys located on said remote side and said armrest and said mouse operating area located on said proximate side.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, said mouse operating area (2) being integrally formed with said elongated body.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, said keyboard (3) including a space bar (4) which is depressed during use, said depressed space bar (4) presenting an upper surface at a given height, said armrest (1) having an upper surface and a thickness, the vertical height of said armrest (1) being such that the armrest upper surface at an area adjacent said rectilinear edge is at a height approximately equal to said depressed space bar upper surface height.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the thickness of said armrest (1) decreases as the distance from said armrest rectilinear edge increases.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, said keyboard (3) including an elongated space bar (4) having first and second ends and a center point located at a distance approximately halfway between said first and second ends, said armrest (1) having a thickness adjacent said rectilinear edge and adjacent said center point, wherein the thickness of said armrest (1) decreases as the distance from said center point increases.
6. An apparatus comprising:
a keyboard (3) comprising:
a forward edge;
a plurality of keys including a space bar (4) which is depressed during use and which presents an upper surface at a given height when in a depressed position; and an operating area length defined by the distance between the leftmost and rightmost keys; and an armrest (1) comprising:
an elongated body having a length, a width, and a rectilinear edge positioned adjacent said keyboard forward edge, said armrest (1) being operable for supporting a forearm of a person operating said keyboard (3) and having a length at least about the length of said keyboard operating area; and a mouse operating area (2) in contact with said armrest upper surface, said armrest (1) presenting a substantially planar upper surface and having a vertical height such that the armrest upper surface at an area adjacent said rectilinear edge is at a height approximately equal to said depressed space bar upper surface height.
a keyboard (3) comprising:
a forward edge;
a plurality of keys including a space bar (4) which is depressed during use and which presents an upper surface at a given height when in a depressed position; and an operating area length defined by the distance between the leftmost and rightmost keys; and an armrest (1) comprising:
an elongated body having a length, a width, and a rectilinear edge positioned adjacent said keyboard forward edge, said armrest (1) being operable for supporting a forearm of a person operating said keyboard (3) and having a length at least about the length of said keyboard operating area; and a mouse operating area (2) in contact with said armrest upper surface, said armrest (1) presenting a substantially planar upper surface and having a vertical height such that the armrest upper surface at an area adjacent said rectilinear edge is at a height approximately equal to said depressed space bar upper surface height.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the thickness of said armrest (1) decreases as the distance from said armrest rectilinear edge increases.
8. The apparatus of claim 6, said space bar (4) being elongated and having first and second ends and a center point located at a distance approximately halfway between said first and second ends, said armrest (1) having a thickness adjacent said rectilinear edge and adjacent said center point, wherein the thickness of said armrest (1) decreases as the distance from said center point increases.
9. An apparatus comprising:
a keyboard (3) having forward and rearward edges presenting a distance therebetween, a plurality of keys, and an operating area length defined by the distance between the leftmost and rightmost keys, said keyboard (3) including a spacebar which is depressed during use, said depressed spacebar presenting an upper surface at a given height; and an armrest (1) comprising:
an elongated body having a length, a protruded portion, and a rectilinear edge positioned adjacent said keyboard forward edge, said armrest (1) being operable for supporting a forearm of a person operating said keyboard (3), presenting a substantially planar upper surface, and having a length at least about the length of said keyboard operating area; and a mouse operating area (2) in contact with said upper surface, said protruded portion being at least partly defined by said rectilinear edge and an outer arcuate edge (16) and presenting a maximum width between said rectilinear edge and said arcuate edge (16), said maximum width being greater than the distance presented by said forward and rearward keyboard edges, said armrest (1) having a vertical height which is such that the armrest upper surface at an area adjacent said rectilinear edge is at a height approximately equal to said depressed upper surface height.
a keyboard (3) having forward and rearward edges presenting a distance therebetween, a plurality of keys, and an operating area length defined by the distance between the leftmost and rightmost keys, said keyboard (3) including a spacebar which is depressed during use, said depressed spacebar presenting an upper surface at a given height; and an armrest (1) comprising:
an elongated body having a length, a protruded portion, and a rectilinear edge positioned adjacent said keyboard forward edge, said armrest (1) being operable for supporting a forearm of a person operating said keyboard (3), presenting a substantially planar upper surface, and having a length at least about the length of said keyboard operating area; and a mouse operating area (2) in contact with said upper surface, said protruded portion being at least partly defined by said rectilinear edge and an outer arcuate edge (16) and presenting a maximum width between said rectilinear edge and said arcuate edge (16), said maximum width being greater than the distance presented by said forward and rearward keyboard edges, said armrest (1) having a vertical height which is such that the armrest upper surface at an area adjacent said rectilinear edge is at a height approximately equal to said depressed upper surface height.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the thickness of said armrest (1) decreases as the distance from said armrest rectilinear edge increases.
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP11136682A JP3028316B2 (en) | 1998-05-26 | 1999-05-18 | Armrest |
| JP11/136682 | 1999-05-18 | ||
| US09/317,481 US6190072B1 (en) | 1998-05-26 | 1999-05-24 | Armrest with arcuate edge for keyboard |
| US09/317,481 | 1999-05-24 | ||
| PCT/JP1999/006504 WO2000069311A1 (en) | 1999-05-18 | 1999-11-22 | Armrest |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2373619A1 CA2373619A1 (en) | 2000-11-23 |
| CA2373619C true CA2373619C (en) | 2007-07-31 |
Family
ID=26470190
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002373619A Expired - Fee Related CA2373619C (en) | 1999-05-18 | 1999-11-22 | Armrest |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU1185700A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2373619C (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2000069311A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE10060524C2 (en) * | 2000-12-06 | 2002-10-10 | Sabine Jahreis | Mouse Pad |
Family Cites Families (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4621781A (en) * | 1985-05-16 | 1986-11-11 | Marvel Metal Products Co. | Ergonomic forearm rest for use with keyboards |
| US5197699A (en) * | 1991-04-24 | 1993-03-30 | Silicon Sports | Wrist rest |
| US5203527A (en) * | 1992-03-04 | 1993-04-20 | Media Recovery, Inc. | Wrist support device for keyboards |
| GB2268396A (en) * | 1992-06-18 | 1994-01-12 | Cambrook Ltd | An arm or wrist support |
| EP0654727A3 (en) * | 1993-11-24 | 1998-07-01 | Microsoft Corporation | Keyboard incorporating pointing and tilting devices |
| AU6957796A (en) * | 1995-08-23 | 1997-03-19 | Edwin P. Lochridge | Tilted work surface for retro fit use |
| US5826839A (en) * | 1997-02-12 | 1998-10-27 | Chen; Frank | Keyboard with wrist support |
| DE29805251U1 (en) * | 1998-03-24 | 1998-06-04 | Schmitt Edwin | Comprehensive work console for PC keyboards |
-
1999
- 1999-11-22 CA CA002373619A patent/CA2373619C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1999-11-22 WO PCT/JP1999/006504 patent/WO2000069311A1/en active Application Filing
- 1999-11-22 AU AU11857/00A patent/AU1185700A/en not_active Abandoned
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO2000069311A1 (en) | 2000-11-23 |
| CA2373619A1 (en) | 2000-11-23 |
| AU1185700A (en) | 2000-12-05 |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKLA | Lapsed |