GB2249053A - Hand and wrist supports for keyboard operators - Google Patents
Hand and wrist supports for keyboard operators Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2249053A GB2249053A GB9023417A GB9023417A GB2249053A GB 2249053 A GB2249053 A GB 2249053A GB 9023417 A GB9023417 A GB 9023417A GB 9023417 A GB9023417 A GB 9023417A GB 2249053 A GB2249053 A GB 2249053A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- hand
- support
- wrist support
- bar
- wrist
- 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.)
- Withdrawn
Links
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
-
- 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
- A47B2021/0392—Platforms for supporting wrists height adjustable
Landscapes
- Input From Keyboards Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
A hand and wrist support for keyboard users and typists which serves to alleviate repetitive muscle strain by continuously following and supporting the arms. The support comprises of an elevated bar 10 which stands on the lateral legs 12. Two sleeves of flexible material run on the bar to provide a moving support surface for the hands. As described, the sleeves can both rotate around the bar, and slide along it. The height of the whole support can be controlled by adjustment mechanisms 14 which are found on the lateral legs. <IMAGE>
Description
HAND & WRIST SUPPORT
This invention relates to hand and wrist support for keyboard users.
Keyboard users such as typists and computer operators often suffer from neck and shoulder pain and discomfort. This is often a result of having to hold their hand suspended over the keyboard while typing, over a prolonged period of time. This form of activity often results in repetitive strain injuries to cervical muscles, shoulder muscles and upper extremities muscles.
To overcome this problem there exists in the market wrist supports for keyboard users which comprise of an elevated surface attached in front of the keyboard. Resting the wrist on these supports while typing allows some relaxation of neck, shoulder and arm muscles. However these wrist supports are stationary and do not follow the operators complex hand movements, thus they offer only an intermittent support, as the user has to repeatedly lift the hands off the support as the hands move across the keys.
During typing the operator's hands move across the keyboard in a variety of ways. An anterior posterior translation motion of the wrist, hand and forearm in the horizontal plane from one line of keys to a line of keys above or below it. Also in the horizontal plane there is a movement of the hands in a bilateral translation motion from one key to an adjacent key to its side. Added to these movements there is a small rotational movement of the wrists around the horizontal axis where the wrists flex and extend in response to the slight sloping surface of most keyboards.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wrist support with continuous moving support, for keyboard users to alleviate these difficulties.
According to the present invention there is provided a hand and wrist support for typists and keyboard users comprising of an elevated bar on which sliding means of support slide on and are capable of following the user's hand movements.
A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of examples with references to the accompanying drawing in which:
Fig 1 - Shows the support in use in it1s position in front
of the keyboard.
Fig 2 - Shows front elevation..
Fig 3 Shows a cross section of the support.
Referring to the drawing the hand and wrist support comprises of an elevated bar 10 on which two sleeves 11 turn around the long axis of the bar and slide along the long axis of the bar, in accordance with the movements of the hand and wrist.
The bar is elevated by means of two lateral legs 12 to allow the sleeves to slide freely without colliding with the tables top surfaces.
The bar can be of any shape but preferably the superior surface should be convex to allow for rocking motion of the wrist in response to flexion extension cycles of that joint during typing.
For that purpose an ellipsoid 13 or round bar can be used.
The surface of the bar should be of low friction material to allow smooth sliding motion of the sleeves.
The bar may be of a fixed height or have a height adjustment 14 on the two lateral legs, for height control of the support along the table according to the individual's preferences and type of keyboard used.
The bar can be of any length but preferably of a length which would correspond to the width of most commercial typewriters and keyboards.
The width or the radius of the bar should provide ample contact area to reduce contact point pressure at the hand and wrist.
The bar can rest on the table on it's two lateral legs 12 or attached to the table top by clamps 15. Alternatively, the support can form an integral part of the keyboard.
The sleeves 11, on which the hand and wrist rest, are made of flexible materials which are capable of accommodating to the elliptical shape of the bar as they turn around it's long axis.
The sleeves can be of any length, width or diameter, and should give sufficient contact area for the wrist to reduce contact point pressure.
The sleeve is made of one flexible material or a laminate of several flexible materials. The first layer 16 which forms the inner radius of the sleeve is made of a low friction material to facilitate sliding on the bar. A second 17 cushioning layer can be added to reduce contact point pressure. This layer can be of flexible foamed or porous material. This second layer can be lightly grooved 18 longitudinally to promote flexibility. A further laminate can be added as a final cover to the sleeve in the form of fabric material for aesthetic purposes and pleasing texture surface which is in contact with the skin.
Alternatively if a round bar is used, the sleeves can be made of rigid tubing made of low friction material covered by foamed cushioning surface. Furthermore, to improve the sliding motion, the sleeves may sit on low friction washers or ball bearings.
The bar can be of any shape in profile, channelled or grooved; with the sleeves functioning as runners. This would account for side to side movement of the sleeve on the bar. Tilting of the sleeve can be achieved by loose fitting runners sliding on top of a slightly convex surface of the bar, or loose fitting runners with a single longitudinal ridge on the sliding surface over a flat surface bar, or by the adding of a further surface or a rocker mechanism on top of the existing runners. The anterior posterior movement of the wrist and hand on the support could be achieved by adding a series of longitudinal rollers or ball bearings, on top of the two runners, or by adding another surface which has a transverse motion on top of the runners, by any other means of runners, rollers or ball bearings.
Claims (28)
1. A hand and wrist support for typists and other keyboard
users comprising of an elevated bar on which sliding wrist
and hand support surfaces move on, and are capable of
following the users hand movements.
2. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 1., wherein
the sliding support means slide from side to side along the
long axis of the bar in order to support and follow the hand
movement from one key to the key next to it.
3. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 1., wherein
the sliding support means rotate around the long axis of
the bar, in order to support and follow the hand movement
from one line of keys to a line above or below it.
4. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 1., wherein
the sliding support means rocks, tilts or turn around it's
own long axis in order to support and follow the flexion
and extension movement of the hand at the wrist.
5. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 1., wherein
the sliding means of support move in anyone or all
combinations of movement described in claim 2 to
claim 4.
6. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
sliding surfaces comprise a multiple sliding runner or rollers
capable of moving in any one or a combination of
movements described in claim 2 to claim 4.
7. A hand and wrist support as claimed in any one of the
preceding claims, wherein the sliding surfaces are sleeves
made of flexible material which conform to the profile
of the bar on which it slides.
8. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 7, wherein
the sliding surface comprises of one or more laminates of
flexible material which conforms to the profile of the bar
on which it slides.
9. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 8, wherein the
first layer in contact with the bar comprises of flexible low
friction material, to facilitate sliding.
10. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 8, wherein
the second layer comprises of flexible foam material as a
cushioning layer.
11. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 10, wherein
the foam material is grooved longitudinally or transversely.
12. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 8, wherein
the laminated surfaces are further covered by fabric
material.
13. A hand and wrist support as claimed in any of the
preceding claims wherein the profile of the bar is round.
14. A hand and wrist support as claimed in any of the
preceding claims wherein the profile of the bar is
ellipsoid.
15. A hand and wrist support as claimed in any of the
preceding claims, wherein the superior surface of the bar
is convex.
16. A hand and wrist support as claimed in any of the
preceding claims, wherein the profile of the bar is shaped
to correspond to the shape of the sliding parts.
17. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 13, wherein
the support sleeves are in a shaped of rigid tubing.
18. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 17, wherein
the rigid tubing has washers or ball bearings to reduce
friction.
19. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 17 and claim
18 wherein the tubing is further laminated by cushioning
material.
20. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 16, wherein
the bar is channelled or grooved with sleeves of
corresponding shape which act as runners.
21. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 20, wherein
the runners are loosely fitting over a convex superior
surface of the bar, with their own contact surface being flat.
22. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 21, wherein
the runners have a longitudinal ridge on their contact
surface and superior surface of the bar is flat.
23. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 20, wherein
there are added surfaces to the superior surfaces of the
runner which have rocking means.
24. A hand and wrist support as claimed in claim 20, wherein
the superior surface of the runner has longitudinal rollers
or ball bearings.
25. A hand and wrist support as claimed in any of the
preceding claims wherein the height of the elevated bar
can be adjusted.
26. A hand and wrist support as claimed in any of the
preceding claims wherein the support forms an integral
part of the keyboard.
27. A hand and wrist support as claimed in any of the
preceding claims, wherein the support comprises of means
of attachment to a table top or to the keyboard.
28. A hand and wrist support substantially as described herein
with reference to Figures 1 - 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9023417A GB2249053A (en) | 1990-10-27 | 1990-10-27 | Hand and wrist supports for keyboard operators |
PCT/GB1991/001840 WO1992007489A1 (en) | 1990-10-27 | 1991-10-21 | Hand and wrist support |
EP19910918113 EP0564458A1 (en) | 1990-10-27 | 1991-10-21 | Hand and wrist support |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9023417A GB2249053A (en) | 1990-10-27 | 1990-10-27 | Hand and wrist supports for keyboard operators |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB9023417D0 GB9023417D0 (en) | 1990-12-12 |
GB2249053A true GB2249053A (en) | 1992-04-29 |
Family
ID=10684466
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB9023417A Withdrawn GB2249053A (en) | 1990-10-27 | 1990-10-27 | Hand and wrist supports for keyboard operators |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0564458A1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB2249053A (en) |
WO (1) | WO1992007489A1 (en) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5416498A (en) * | 1986-10-21 | 1995-05-16 | Ergonomics, Inc. | Prehensile positioning computer keyboard |
WO1995026661A1 (en) * | 1994-03-25 | 1995-10-12 | Roman Koller | Hand support or hand rest for users of keyboards, especially of electronic keyboards |
GB2302934A (en) * | 1995-06-30 | 1997-02-05 | Schneider Electric Sa | Bimanual control console with hand rest |
EP1038472A1 (en) | 1999-03-22 | 2000-09-27 | Jean-François Dignat | Rest and support device for use with a keyboard attachable to the edge of a work surface |
FR2791235A1 (en) * | 1999-03-22 | 2000-09-29 | Jean Francois Dignat | Support bar fixed to edge of desk or work-table in office is used to support forearms of user and is positioned in front of and slightly above line of top of desk with clamps gripping edge of table |
CN111329265A (en) * | 2020-03-10 | 2020-06-26 | 惠州自然道智能家居用品有限公司 | Multifunctional foldable storage computer desk |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE19507797A1 (en) * | 1994-03-05 | 1996-05-15 | Roman Koller | Handrest support for electronic keyboard user |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
AU5295786A (en) * | 1984-12-24 | 1986-11-06 | Harvey Jay Blackney | Anti-tenosynovitis wrist support |
Family Cites Families (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE8911588U1 (en) * | 1989-09-28 | 1989-11-09 | Holzrichter, Dieter, Dr.Med., 2000 Hamburg, De |
-
1990
- 1990-10-27 GB GB9023417A patent/GB2249053A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
1991
- 1991-10-21 WO PCT/GB1991/001840 patent/WO1992007489A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1991-10-21 EP EP19910918113 patent/EP0564458A1/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
AU5295786A (en) * | 1984-12-24 | 1986-11-06 | Harvey Jay Blackney | Anti-tenosynovitis wrist support |
Cited By (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5416498A (en) * | 1986-10-21 | 1995-05-16 | Ergonomics, Inc. | Prehensile positioning computer keyboard |
WO1995026661A1 (en) * | 1994-03-25 | 1995-10-12 | Roman Koller | Hand support or hand rest for users of keyboards, especially of electronic keyboards |
GB2302934A (en) * | 1995-06-30 | 1997-02-05 | Schneider Electric Sa | Bimanual control console with hand rest |
GB2302934B (en) * | 1995-06-30 | 1999-02-10 | Schneider Electric Sa | Bimanual control console |
ES2136498A1 (en) * | 1995-06-30 | 1999-11-16 | Schneider Electric Sa | Bimanual control console with hand rest |
EP1038472A1 (en) | 1999-03-22 | 2000-09-27 | Jean-François Dignat | Rest and support device for use with a keyboard attachable to the edge of a work surface |
FR2791236A1 (en) | 1999-03-22 | 2000-09-29 | Jean Francois Dignat | SUPPORT AND SUPPORT DEVICE FOR USE WITH A KEYBOARD ATTACHED TO THE EDGE OF THE WORKTOP |
FR2791235A1 (en) * | 1999-03-22 | 2000-09-29 | Jean Francois Dignat | Support bar fixed to edge of desk or work-table in office is used to support forearms of user and is positioned in front of and slightly above line of top of desk with clamps gripping edge of table |
US6325342B1 (en) | 1999-03-22 | 2001-12-04 | Jean-Francois Dignat | Ergonomic typist vertebral support |
CN111329265A (en) * | 2020-03-10 | 2020-06-26 | 惠州自然道智能家居用品有限公司 | Multifunctional foldable storage computer desk |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP0564458A1 (en) | 1993-10-13 |
GB9023417D0 (en) | 1990-12-12 |
WO1992007489A1 (en) | 1992-05-14 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |