WO1995029608A1

WO1995029608A1 - Keyboard operator wrist support

Info

Publication number: WO1995029608A1
Application number: PCT/EP1995/001612
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michel Wolman
Original assignee: I.R.D. International Research And Development Ltd.
Priority date: 1994-05-02
Filing date: 1995-04-28
Publication date: 1995-11-09
Also published as: AU2522695A; IL109513A0

Abstract

A keyboard operator's wrist device comprises supports (30, 31) for operator's wrists and/or hands, which supports are displaceable in two directions at an angle to one other, to permit access of the operator's fingers to any point of the keyboard without removing the operator's wrists from said supports.

Description

KEYBOARD OPERATORWRISTSUPPORT

Field of the Invention

The invention refers to a wrist support for use in operating keyboards, particularly typewriter and/or computer keyboard to afford greater ease of operation of the keyboard. In a form of the invention, the device also carries out the functions of mouse devices known in the art for operating computer means, particularly when used as word processors.

Background of the Invention

Particular reference is made hereinafter to computers used as word processors and to their keyboards, but the invention is generally applicable to any keyboard, particularly to keyboards of any type of printing and/or typing instrument, and when this consists of or includes computer means, to any type of computer means.

Computers are provided with a keyboard, and in principle they could be operated entirely by means of a keyboard. However, in recent years the use of a device known as "mouse" has become increasingly popular. A mouse is essentially a device which is able to displace a pointer, in the form of an arrow or other, on the computer screen, to transmit to the computer, when desired, information as to the position of the pointer, to select an area of the screen by means of the pointer, and to transmit commands as to the operations to be performed by the computer at the position of the pointer or over the area selected by the pointer, such operations being chosen from those that can be activated by means of the keyboard keys, or, more commonly, being selected by means of the pointer from a menu caused by a command of the mouse to appear on the screen and activated by means of another command of the mouse. In order to accomplish its functions, the mouse must be able to displace the pointer in two, generally perpendicular directions, and must comprise means for monitoring displacements of the mouse itself, or of an element carried by it, in two such directions, and for transmitting information as to those displacements to the computer to cause corresponding displacements of the pointer on the screen. All commands transmitted from the mouse to the computer are generally by means of electronic connections.

In order to monitor displacements, as said hereinbefore, the mouse may comprise any convenient device. If the displacements are those of the mouse itself, as is the most common case, a track ball is often used, which, in a widely used type of mouse, protrudes from an opening in the bottom of the mouse itself and comes into contact with a frictional surface over which the mouse is displaced. Displacement of the mouse causes rotation of the track ball about the center of the ball itself. Any such rotation can be decomposed into two or more rotations about mutually inclined, e.g. perpendicular, axes, of roller elements provided inside the mouse and in contact with the track ball. Rotations about two perpendicular axes define displacements about two perpendicular directions. Alternatively, in some types of mouse devices, the mouse itself is not displaced and carries a sphere, similar in structure to a track ball, which protrudes from the mouse at the top or side thereof and is actuated by the operator hand and not by frictional contact with a surface, so that rotating said sphere causes displacement of a pointer on the computer screen in two perpendicular directions without the mouse itself undergoing corresponding displacements. Other, means for defining two displacements at an angle to one another, particularly perpendicular to one another, could, e.g., comprise two or more wheels, or lever means, or the like. Any such means for causing a pointer to move in two perpendicular directions on a computer screen and any means for transmitting commands to the computer itself to carry out operations in coordination with the pointer's movements, as are used in various mouse devices known in the art or as may be easily devised will be devised by persons skilled in the art, are intended to be included in the possible embodiments of the device of the invention.

In all known mouse devices, however, the operator must remove one hand from the keyboard, seize the mouse and carry out the required motions. When the mouse is not in operation, the motions of the operator's hand are similar to those of a typist, and involve the same relative lack of comfort and resulting fatigue.

In operating all apparatus for typing and/or printing by means of a keyboard, the same lack of comfort and the same fatigue are felt, and the problem of overcoming them exists and has not been satisfactory solved in the art.

It is a purpose of this invention to provide a device which permits to operate any keyboard, in particularly a printing and/or typing machine keyboard, and more particularly a word processor keyboard, comfortably and without fatigue.

It is another purpose of this invention to provide a combined wrist support and mouse device, viz. a device which combines the features of a mouse with that of offering such a support to the operator's wrists and hands as to facilitate the operation of the keyboard and decrease discomfort and fatigue.

It is further purpose of this invention to provide such a device which permits operating a mouse without removing the hands of the operator from the keyboard.

It is a still further purpose of this invention to provide such a device which affords support to the operator's hands and wrists without interfering with operation of the keyboard and without discontinuing such support when the mouse is operated.

It is a still further purpose of this invention to provide such a device which permits a variety of improvements in the operation of the mouse.

It is a still further purpose of the invention to provide such a device in which both hands can be used for performing the functions of a mouse, whether these be conventional functions or additional ones which are not carried out by conventional mouse devices. -0-

It is a still further purpose of this invention to provide such a device which can selectively be operated as a combined support and mouse or as a support only.

It is a still further purpose of this invention to provide such a device which can incorporate a conventional mouse for carrying out mouse functions.

Other purposes and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

Summary of the Invention

The device according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises support means for operator's wrists and/or hands, which support means are displaceable in two directions at an angle to one other, preferably parallel to a plane, to permit access of the operator's fingers to any point of the keyboard without removing the operator's wrists from said support means.

In a form of the invention, means are provided in at least one of said supports for transmitting information to computer means to produce corresponding displacements of a pointer on the screen thereof, and means provided in at least one of said supports for controlling said computer means, preferably by carrying out the control functions of a computer mouse. In said preferred form, the device is particularly intended for use with computer means which operate as word processor.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26 -6-

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device comprises an elongated base, two slides displaceable on said base in the longitudinal direction thereof, and two supports displaceable each on one of said slides in the transverse direction of said base. In a form of said embodiment, means are provided in at least one of said supports for carrying out the control functions of a computer mouse whereby to control computer means.

Preferably, means are provided in said device or in combination therewith fixedly to connect said base with a computer keyboard, more preferably parallel to the longer side of said keyboard and in such position with respect therewith that an operator whose wrists rest on said supports may operate the keyboard, and, preferably, may also operate means provided in at least one of said supports for monitoring said supports' displacements.

Preferably, the means for controlling computer means provided in at least one of said supports comprise actuating means and means for connecting said actuating means to said computer means. In a preferred form of the invention, said actuating means comprise a track ball and the means required for monitoring the motion of said track ball, housed in said support, such as are or may be provided in conventional mouse devices, and they further comprise a friction surface provided on or attached to said base, said support and the corresponding slide being provided with openings to permit said track ball frictionally and rollingly to engage said friction surface, and one or more switch means for transmitting commands to the computer means. As is customary in existing computer means, particularly when used as word processors, the track ball causes a pointer to move on the computer screen to select a position or a command, chosen from a menu or a tool bar or the like, or to cover an area, and the switch or switches fix the position of the pointer or cause the execution of the chosen command or determine the activity to be carried out in the covered area, or the like. In this respect, when said actuating means comprise a track ball, the device of the invention will act like a conventional mouse. However the actuating means may comprise means other than a track ball for moving the pointer on the computer screen and may comprise additional switches not used in conventional mouse devices, as will be explained as the description proceeds.

Preferably, said base of the device according to the invention comprises guide means for guiding the slides in their longitudinal displacement and said slides comprise guides for guiding said supports in their transversal displacements. Further, preferably, said supports have such a shape and dimensions and are made of such materials that they afford a comfortable support to the wrists of the computer operator.

In a particular form of the invention, one of said supports is constituted by or incorporates a conventional mouse, optionally in combination with an adapter. Description of the Drawings

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly broken off, of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the device taken on staggered planes II- II of Fig.1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is another vertical cross-section of the device taken on plane III-III of Fig.1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is another vertical cross-section of the device taken on plane IV- IV of Fig.1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view from the bottom of the support which functions as a mouse, with the central part of its bottom plate removed to show the track ball and related mechanism.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

In the following description, an embodiment of the invention is described and illustrated which combines the functions of wrist support and of computer controlling means of the mouse type. In a broader aspect of the invention, the mouse functions may be omitted and the device will only operate as a support for the wrists of a keyboard operator . In that case, both supports, hereinafter described, will be similar and the elements required for the operation as a mouse will be omitted. This variant requires no separate description or illustration, as it differs from the embodiment illustrated, as has been said, merely in the omission of the mouse elements.

A combined wrist support and mouse device, according to an embodiment of the invention, comprises an elongated base 10 provided with means for keeping it in fixed position with respect to the computer keyboard only the edge of which, closer to the operator, is generally indicated at 11. Such means, which may be of any convenient type, are schematically illustrated as two arms 13 having snap-on clip-like terminals for connection to the base 10 and the keyboard 11. The base, as is seen, is elongated in a direction parallel to the longer side of the keyboard. Desirably, in this embodiment, the base rests on a longitudinal front support 18, so that it assumes an inclined position, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, which renders its operation more comfortable and with its upper surface 17 provides additional support for the slides 20-21, hereinafter described. Other constructive arrangements and shapes could, however, be adopted. Along its length the base 10 is preferably provided with two longitudinal, upstanding vertical guide ribs 14-14', between which there is a recessed central bottom 15. Further, on the upper surface of bottom 15 is attached, in the embodiment described, a friction strip 16 of any convenient material, e.g. similar to the mouse pads used with conventional mouse devices. However said friction strip need be provided, as will be explained hereinafter, only where it is operative, and therefore, since it is operative only in the portion of bottom 15 over which one of said slides moves, it may be provided only below said portion of said bottom. Two slides 20-21 are displaceable longitudinally on the base 10. They are longitudinally guided by any convenient means, particularly, in the embodiment described, by the upper and lower guide ribs 14-14'. For this purpose, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4 , the strips are provided with downwardly hook-like edges 22 and the slides 20-21 are provided with upwardly hook-like edges 23 engaging the edges 22 to guide the slides. However, swallowtail rib connections or any other guiding arrangements could be easily devised by persons skilled in the art. Preferably, terminal strips 24 are mounted on the short edges of base 10 in order to prevent the slides from accidentally being disengaged from the base. In the embodiment described, and for reasons that will be explained, at least one of the slides - specifically, the slide that carries the support that functions as a mouse and can be called "support-mouse" - is provided with a transversely directed slit 25. It will be understood that the expressions "longitudinal", and "transverse", mean, respectively, parallel to the length of the base, viz. to the long side of the computer keyboard, and perpendicular thereto, viz. parallel to the short sides of the base and of the keyboard. In other embodiments of the invention, both slides will carry equal supports, neither of which will be a "support-mouse".

Two supports 30, 31 are mounted respectively on slides 20 and 21, and are slidable with respect to them in a transverse direction. For this purpose, downwardly hook-like edges 32 and 33 are provided on said two slides 20 and 21, to be engaged by the edges of the supports 30 and 31 and guide the supports in their transversal motion. However, in this case too swallowtail rib connections or any other guiding arrangements could be easily devised by persons skilled in the art. It should be understood that, since small displacements of the mouse are sufficient in modern computer apparatus to effect all the desired displacements of the pointer on the screen, said transversal motion need only be in the order of a few centimeters, and therefore the supports need be shorter than the slides only to a moderate extent. The shape of the supports, the material of which they are made, and their upper surfaces, are such as will afford the best support to the operator's wrists and hands, and may be otherwise of any desirable kind. Thus the shape shown in the drawings, where the supports have approximately cylindrical, convex upper surfaces, is merely schematic: said upper surfaces might be different altogether, and thus might be flat or concave or partly convex and partly concave or partly flat, and so on.

In the embodiment described, at least one of the two supports is the support-mouse. In this embodiment, it is right-hand side support 30, which is shown in Fig. 1 at or close to its foremost position, viz. as close to keyboard 11 as it can go, while the other support 31 is shown in its rearmost position, viz. as far from keyboard 11 as it can go. The support- mouse incorporates a mouse or its functional elements; in fact, a mouse of any type, even a conventional mouse, could be used as a support, possibly by providing it with an adapter cover that will make it suitable to function as a wrist and hand support. It is an advantage and a feature of this invention that the support which operates as mouse can be the right- hand or the left-hand one as desired, e.g. according to whether the operator is right-handed or left-handed. As will be explained hereinafter, both supports can contribute to the mouse function, but this is not necessary.

As has been said, conventional mouse devices have means for monitoring displacement of the mouse, or of an element carried thereby, in two directions. The same means can be employed here, since the support which acts as mouse can be moved both longitudinally and transversely on the base 10, and therefore in two perpendicular directions. If a track ball actuated by displacement of the mouse is used, as in most conventional mouse devices, a friction surface can be provided and means can also be provided to permit the track ball to come into frictional contact with the friction surface. As indicated hereinbefore, a strip surface 16 is provided, in the embodiment described, longitudinally over part of base 10, in this embodiment over at least part of its bottom 15. The support, acting as a mouse, which is assumed in the drawings to be the right-hand support 30, is provided with an opening 34 on the bottom, through which a track ball 35 can protrude. Said opening is preferably circular and its diameter is equal or close to the width of the slit 25 of the slide that carries the support-mouse. Preferably, said opening is provided, as in conventional mouse devices, in a removable lid, which can be removed to permit access to the track ball. In Fig. 5, said lid has been removed, leaving an aperture 45. In the inner of the support-mouse are provided the conventional elements for deriving from the spherical motion of the ball two component displacements in two perpendicular directions, which means need not be described, as they are conventional, and may comprise rotatable pins 41 and 42 and elastic element 43, shown in Fig. 5. The track ball protrudes through the opening 34 and the slit 25, and comes into contact with the strip 16, whereby, when the slide 20 is longitudinally over the base and the support 30 is shifted transversely over the slide, track ball 35 operates in the same way as a track ball of a conventional mouse. Since the longitudinal stroke of the slide and the transverse stroke of the support are limited, the area over the points of which the track ball can be superimposed is limited, and the strip 16 is operative only over said area and may be omitted elsewhere, although for constructive convenience it may be preferred to cover the entire bottom 15 with it.

Additionally, a conventional mouse requires, for its function, at least one and generally two or three switches, for giving the necessary commands to the computer. Such switches can be easily provided on the support 30 and are schematically indicated in the drawings as switches 36, 37 and 38. Their functions need not be described, because they are the same as those of a conventional mouse.

Additionally, however, other switches could be provided, e.g. on the front surface 39 of support 30, or on support 31. Thus, one or more switches could be provided on support 31, either to carry out the functions of conventional switches, which in this case could be omitted from support 30, or to carry out additional functions. For example, it may be desirable to avoid motion of the pointer on the computer screen when the mouse is inactive, and yet such a motion would be a consequence of the motion of the support 30, due to the operation of the computer keyboard. Therefore, a switch 40 could be provided on support 31 which would give a consent to the mouse, embodied in support 30, to operate the pointer on the computer screen and convey any other commands in the computer. In other words, unless that switch is activated, support 30 would act as a support only and not as a mouse; its mouse function would require the consent of switch 40.

Any other type of mouse device could be used in the invention. There would be no difficulty, for instance, in using a sphere which is accessible from the top and is actuated by the operator's hand, instead of a track ball actuated by contact with an underlying friction surface. Further, in place of a track ball, two discs or wheels could be activated one either by the operator himself or by contact with a frictional surface on the base, to monitor longitudinal displacement of support 30, and the other actuated by contact with a lateral surface of the slide to monitor transversal displacements of the support 30 on slide 20. Any number of different functions and corresponding switches or other controlling devices, such as balls, wheels, levers or the like, could be provided within the scope of the invention.

As has been said, in other embodiments of the invention neither support will function as a mouse and they will both be structured like support 31 of this embodiment. Further, it will be understood that control of a computer or word processor, provided with a keyboard, can be effected without the provision of a mouse, e.g. through the keyboard itself, optionally with the aid of switches that can be incorporated, if desired, in the supports, and that these variants too are comprised in the invention.

While an embodiment of the invention has been described by way of illustration, it will be understood that the invention may be carried out by expert persons with many modifications, variations and adaptations, without departing from its spirit or exceeding the scope of the claims.

Claims

C L A I M S

1 - Keyboard operator's wrist support device, characterized in that it comprises supports for operator's wrists and/or hands, which supports are displaceable in two directions at an angle to one other, to permit access of the operator's fingers to any point of the keyboard without removing the operator's wrists from said supports.

2 - Device according to claim 1, wherein the supports are displaceable parallel to a plane.

3 - Device according to claim 1, further comprising means provided in at least one of said supports for transmitting information to computer means to produce corresponding displacements of a pointer on the screen thereof, and means provided in at least one of said supports for controlling said computer means.

4 - Device according to claim 3, wherein the means provided in at least one of the supports for controlling said computer means are adapted to carry out the control functions of a computer mouse.

5 - Device according to claim 1, which comprises an elongated base, two slides displaceable on said base in the longitudinal direction thereof, and two supports displaceable each on one of said slides in the transverse direction of said base. 6 - Device according to claim 5, further comprising means provided in at least one of said supports for carrying out the control functions of a computer mouse, whereby to control computer means.

7 - Device according to claim 1, in combination with means for connecting the same to the keyboard.

8 - Device according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard is the keyboard of a typing or printing machine.

9 - Device according to claim 8, wherein the typing or printing machine is a computer.

10 - Device according to claim 8, comprising means for connecting the base with the keyboard parallel to the longer side of said keyboard and in such position with respect therewith that an operator whose wrists rest on said supports may operate the keys and all other commands for controlling the typing or printing machine.

11 - Device according to claim 4, wherein the means for controlling computer means provided in at least one of the supports comprise actuating means and means for connecting said actuating means to said computer means. 12 - Device according to claim 4, wherein the actuating means comprise a track ball and the means required for monitoring the motion of said track ball, housed in said support, and they further comprise a friction surface connected to said base, said support and the corresponding slide being provided with openings to permit said track ball frictionally and rollingly to engage said friction surface, and one or more switch means for transmitting commands to the computer means.

13 - Device according to claim 4, wherein the actuating means comprise a sphere which may be rotated by the operator.

14 - Device according to claim 4, wherein the actuating means comprise additional switches not used in conventional mouse devices.

15 - Device according to claim 5, wherein the base of the device comprises guide means for guiding the slides in their longitudinal displacements.

16 - Device according to claim 5, wherein the slides comprise guides for guiding the supports in their transversal displacements.

17 - Device according to claim 5, wherein the supports have such a shape and dimensions and are made of such materials that they afford a comfortable support to the wrists of the computer operator.

18 - Device according to claim 4, wherein one of the supports comprises a conventional mouse. 19 - Device according to claim 18, wherein one of the supports consists of a conventional mouse in combination with an adapter.

20 - Device according to claim 5, wherein the base comprises two longitudinal, raised strips, between which there is a recessed central portion, on the above surface of which is attached a friction strip.

21 - Device according to claim 20, wherein the two slides are displaceable longitudinally on the base and are longitudinally guided by the two raised strips through mutually engaging ribs provided in said strips and in said slides.

22 - Device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the supports is provided with a circular opening in its underside and the corresponding slide is provided with a transversely directed slit to permit a track ball housed in said support frictionally to contact the friction surface.

23 - Keyboard operator's wrist support, substantially as described and illustrated.