WO2009071761A2

WO2009071761A2 - Assembly composed of a computer mouse and a mouse pad.

Info

Publication number: WO2009071761A2
Application number: PCT/FR2008/001297
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Claude Caubet
Original assignee: Novagaming
Priority date: 2007-09-18
Filing date: 2008-09-16
Publication date: 2009-06-11
Also published as: FR2921167A1; WO2009071761A3; FR2921167B1

Abstract

The invention relates to the creation of the interface between a mouse (2) on the one hand, and a mouse pad (3) on the other hand. The upper surface (5) of the pad (3) is composed of microbeads (9) made of glass or made of a material having an equivalent hardness, which have an average diameter (d) between 5/100 and 50/100 of a millimetre. The sliding feet (7) of the mouse (2), destined to move over the microbeads (9), each have a surface (8) made up of a portion of a sphere or of a solid of general ellipsoidal shape, or another analogous continuous curved surface, for which the radius or radii of curvature (R) are between 3 and 50 millimetres. These feet (7) are themselves also made from glass or from a material having an equivalent hardness.

Description

Set consisting of a computer mouse and a mouse pad.

The present invention relates, in general, to an assembly consisting of a computer mouse and a mouse pad. More particularly, this invention is concerned with the realization of the interface, in other words of the contact zone, between the mouse on the one hand and the mouse pad on the other hand.

"A computer mouse is a well-known accessory of a computer, the mouse making it possible to manually move a cursor on a computer screen, and also to carry out various other manual commands, such mice provided with a ball device or of optical type, are generally used while being moved on a mouse pad, itself placed on a flat support such as the table top, the ball or optical device for capturing the movement of the mouse relative to the mat .

A computer mouse usually has, under its underside, several sliding pads provided to rest and move on the upper surface of the mouse pad. Usually, these pads are at least three in number.

The accuracy and ergonomics of use of a computer mouse imply good sliding qualities of the mouse, and therefore of its pads, on the upper surface of the carpet. For this purpose, there is usually provided, at the base of the mouse, flat-shaped pads made of a low-friction material, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The upper surface of the mouse pad is made traditionally in a synthetic material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU), and is obtained in this case by coating, extrusion, calendering, etc., or in particular in the form of polyester of textile coating, while the lower surface of the carpet is made of a material or a non-slip structure, avoiding slippage of the carpet on its support. This anti-slip structure can result from micro-beads (see EP 1560103) but in this case, of course, the micro-beads do not cooperate with the pads of the mouse.

The main disadvantage of the materials currently used, both for the pads of the computer mouse and for the upper surface of the mouse pads, is their low wear resistance. The slip quality being directly related to the hardness of the materials used, the materials that have the least friction are also those that wear out the fastest, in use. Thus, the lifespan of mice and mouse mats is reduced, and these require frequent replacement, especially in case of heavy use.

In addition, the generally flat design of the sliding pads of computer mice goes against the ease of movement, because it increases the contact surfaces with the carpet, and can create a phenomenon of "sucking" with a suction effect, which brakes or can even block the mouse.

To improve the durability of a mouse pad or a functionally similar element, it has already been proposed to make its upper surface in a harder material, contrary to the traditional design. In particular, Japanese Patent Document JP 10-290727 provides that the upper layer of the carpet is made of beads of acrylic resin or glass, with an average diameter of between 10 and 60 microns, beads which are embedded in a synthetic resin . However, since this document does not define the geometry or the constituent material of the mouse pads, the only definition it gives of the upper surface of the mat guarantees neither the quality of sliding at the mouse-mat interface, nor the durability of the skates of the mouse.

With regard to the pads, the document WO 2005/076118 shows (see FIG. 2) "low friction" pads fixed to the base of a computer mouse, these pads having a rounded profile or a convex shape. However, it is in this document pads made of a usual material, namely polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

Finally, the published patent application US 2007/0069088 provides a computer mouse controlled friction, provided with sliding pads with flat contact surface, which can be made of polished glass. Although it envisages inter alia a contact "glass on glass", this last document does not provide precise indications on the constitution or the texture of the mouse pad, but in the end it criticizes and discourages the contact "glass on glass" . Indeed, the result of the contact between two glass elements of flat geometry would be disastrous because, despite a satisfactory coefficient of relative friction, these two flat surfaces have either microaspérités which then cause a real "hooking", or on the contrary high flatness which induces a sucking or suction effect, the air no longer penetrating between the two surfaces, as already mentioned above.

The present invention aims to avoid all of the previously mentioned disadvantages, and therefore aims to solve globally, that is to say both on the side of the pads of the mouse than on the side of the mouse pad, the problem of the "mouse-mat" interface, in order to effectively and definitely reduce the friction of the pads on the carpet, while radically improving the durability of these products.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is an assembly consisting of a computer mouse and a mouse pad, the mouse being provided, under its lower face, with sliding pads provided for resting and moving on a top surface of the mat. of mouse, this set being essentially characterized by the fact that:

on the one hand, the upper surface of the mouse pad consists of microbeads made of glass or of material of equivalent hardness, with a mean diameter of between 5/100 of a millimeter and 50/100 of a millimeter, and

- On the other hand, the sliding pads of the mouse, called to move on the aforementioned micro-beads, each have a surface consisting of a sphere portion or a generally ellipsoidal solid, or other continuous curved surface analog, whose radii or radii of curvature are between 3 millimeters and 50 millimeters, these pads being also made of glass or material of equivalent hardness.

Thus, the solution according to the present invention is characterized by a specific combination of materials and "geometries" of the two surfaces coming into contact at the interface "carpet-mouse".

As regards the materials, both for the upper surface of the carpet and for the pads of the mouse, the invention thus recommends glass or any material equivalent in terms of hardness, such as ceramics and various other oxides or mineral salts, such as than silicates. The glass may be preferred here, because of its visually appealing character, and its transparency leaving visible printed or decorated areas located on an inner layer of the mouse pad. The upper surface of the mouse pad being constituted according to the invention by micro-balls having a mean diameter of between 5/100 and 50/100 of a millimeter, it will be noted that:

if the beads were less than 5/100 mm in diameter, the upper surface of the mouse pad would tend to behave like a flat surface, the possible points of contact with the mouse pads then being too numerous;

- Conversely, if the beads were greater than 50/100 mm in diameter, the relative movement of the mouse and the carpet would be penalized by the vibration effect caused by the interlocking contact surfaces, the skates of the mouse no longer really moving on an almost flat surface of the carpet, but vibrating with a "scraping" effect on the corrugations resulting from the alternation of balls and "hollows" between balls.

As for the sliding pads, placed under the mouse, they have the shape of a portion of sphere or solid ellipsoidal, with radii of curvature of between 3 and 50 millimeters, so in the case of a sphere a diameter between 6 and 100 millimeters; it can be considered that, overall, the order of magnitude of the diameter of the pads is ten to one hundred times the diameter of the micro-balls of the mouse pad. The best results are here obtained for ratios of diameters between 20 and 50, in other words a ratio of between 10 and 25 between, on the one hand, the radii of curvature of the skids of the mouse and, on the other hand , the average diameter of the microbeads of the carpet. As demonstrated by the tests carried out by the Applicant and also the geometrical analysis, this optimal ratio corresponds to a minimum number of possible points of contact between the two surfaces, knowing that by increasing this ratio one generates a harmful phenomenon of " suction "which slows down the movement of the mouse, or even blocks it by creating a suction effect.

The invention thus provides a "carpet-mouse" interface which not only ensures the durability of the carpet and pads by reducing friction and resulting wear, but which also provides a sound benefit, the movement of the mouse is quieter, vibration-free and more comfortable for the user.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of an exemplary embodiment of this set consisting of a mouse computer and by a mouse pad, with reference to the attached schematic drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an overview, in perspective, of a set consisting of a computer mouse and a mouse pad;

Figure 2 shows the computer mouse alone, seen in perspective from below with its sliding pads;

Figure 3 is a side view of the computer mouse of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a sliding pad of the mouse and the portion of carpet on which this pad.

FIG. 1 recalls the general configuration of a set composed of a computer mouse 2 and a mouse pad 3, for example of approximately square shape, on which the mouse 2 rests and is moved, this in association with a non-computer represent. Here, more particularly, the interface made between the lower face 4 of the mouse 2 (see also Figure 2), on the one hand, and the upper surface 5 of the belt 3, on the other hand.

Referring to Figure 2, the lower face 4 of the mouse 2 has, generally known:

towards its center, a device with ball or optical type 6, designed to detect the movements of the mouse 2 relative to the carpet 3;

- At its periphery, sliding pads 7, four in the example shown, which are arranged substantially at the vertices of a rectangle.

Referring to Figure 3 and especially Figure 4, each sliding pad 7 has a surface 8 consisting of a portion (called cap) sphere or a similar portion of a solid ellipsoidal shape. A pad 7 can thus have a length L of between 15 and 20 mm, a width of the order of 10 mm, and a rope height H of about 2 mm. The pad 7 and in particular its surface 8 is made of glass or of material of equivalent hardness, such as ceramic or silicate. The radius of curvature R of the surface 8 of the pad 7 is between 3 mm and 50 mm.

The upper surface 5 of the mouse pad 3 results from a layer of micro-beads 9 of glass or of material of equivalent hardness, such as ceramic or silicate, the average diameter d of these micro-balls 9 being included between 5/100 of millimeter and 50/100 of millimeter, for example equal to 25/100 of millimeter.

Each pad 7 of the mouse 2 rests and thus moves, by its surface 8, to the upper surface 5 formed of microballs 9 of the belt 3, an optimum interface being created between these two elements, this interface comprising contact points. limited in number so as not to cause a phenomenon of friction / suction, nor a phenomenon of surface vibration.

From the point of view of manufacture, the micro-beads 9 are deposited by coating on the surface of a support film, and they are fixed in a resin which allows the upper portion of these microballs 9 to freely pass, only the part lower micro-beads 9 being embedded in the resin to ensure the cohesion of the carpet 3. The choice of micro-beads 9 of glass, and a transparent resin, allows to create a transparent upper surface 5, leaving visible printed areas or decorated located on an inner layer of the mouse pad 3.

One would not depart from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims:

by modifying the dimensions of the mouse pads and the micro-balls of the carpet, while remaining in the same orders of magnitude or in the same ratios of radii or diameters;

- Realizing the mouse pads with a surface that is not strictly spherical or ellipsoidal, but remains a similar continuous curved surface, whose curvatures along the two coordinate axes remain within the limits mentioned above;

- realizing the pads and micro-balls in all other suitable materials, hardness and appearance suitable;

by applying the invention to computer mice provided with slip pads in any number and arrangement, for example three pads (and not four) placed at the vertices of an isosceles triangle;

by applying this invention to computer mice of all types, as regards their principle, and to mouse mats possessing all forms and constitutions of their inner or lower layers.

Claims

1. A set consisting of a computer mouse and a mouse pad, the mouse (2) being provided, under its lower face (4), sliding pads (7) provided for resting and moving on an upper surface (5). ) of the mouse pad (3), characterized in that:

on the one hand, the upper surface (5) of the mouse pad (3) consists of microbeads (9) made of glass or material of equivalent hardness, with a mean diameter (d) of between / 100 millimeter and 50/100 millimeter, and

- On the other hand, the sliding pads (7) of the mouse (2), called to move on the micro-balls (9) above, each have a surface (8) consisting of a portion of sphere or a solid of generally ellipsoidal shape, or other similar continuous curved surface, whose radius or radii of curvature (R) are between 3 millimeters and 50 millimeters, these pads (7) being also made of glass or plastic material; equivalent hardness.

2. A set consisting of a computer mouse and a mouse pad according to claim 1, characterized in that there is a ratio between 10 and 25 between, on the one hand, or the radii of curvature (R) of pads (7) of the mouse (2) and, secondly, the average diameter (d) of the micro-beads (9) of the carpet (3).