WO1998022296A1

WO1998022296A1 - Keyboard support assembly incorporating cursor control device

Info

Publication number: WO1998022296A1
Application number: PCT/US1997/020665
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael G. Martin; John M. Perry
Original assignee: Proformix, Inc.
Priority date: 1996-11-18
Filing date: 1997-11-17
Publication date: 1998-05-28

Abstract

A keyboard support assembly (10, 100, 200) includes a platform (12, 212) for supporting a computer keyboard (34) and a cursor control device (40, 140, 240) mounted in a fixed position to the platform. The fixed position may be located adjacent the front edge (14, 214) of the platform, and may be located in the support surface (22, 122) of a palm rest (20, 120) extending along the front edge of the platform. Preferably, the longitudinal location of the fixed position on the platform is either between the front edge of the platform and the portion (36) of a keyboard which consists of the alphanumeric keys or between the front edge of the platform and the portion (38) of a keyboard which consists of a separate numeric keypad. The cursor control device may consist of a touchpad (40, 240), a trackball (140) or any other device which provides either relative or absolute X and Y positioning data to the computer.

Description

KEYBOARD SUPPORT ASSEMBLY INCORPORATING CURSOR CONTROL DEVICE

Technical Field The present invention relates generally to support devices for computer keyboards, and, more particularly, to a keyboard support platform incorporating a cursor control device therein. Background Art

The prevalence of personal computers in the office environment has led to dramatic changes in the work stations and work activities of office personnel. One aspect of these changes has focused on the widespread use of computer keyboards in the performance of word processing, data entry and other tasks. In addition to the large portion of a user's work space they occupy, the constant use of these keyboards over long periods of time often has resulted in repetitive stress injuries, particularly to the wrist of the user. To alleviate these difficulties, various mounting assemblies have been developed which enable the keyboards to be conveniently stored below a work surface when not in use, yet easily pulled out from beneath the work surface when needed. Several of these mounting assemblies have been ergonomically designed to place the keyboard at a position and orientation which minimizes the physical stress on the user, and thereby reduces the risk of injury.

While much effort has been made to resolve the difficulties associated with computer keyboards, little effort has been made to address many of the same concerns which result from the use of a computer mouse and its associated mouse pad. Not only do these devices occupy a relatively large work space area, but they have been found to present ergonomic problems as well. Typically, a computer mouse is positioned toward the left or the right side of the computer keyboard, depending upon the preferences of the user. When reaching to use the mouse, the user must extend his or her hand outwardly beyond the area of their shoulders, placing a stress on the shoulder. The frequent repetition of this motion over a long period of time, and thus the repeated stress placed on the shoulder, may potentially result in injury.

Yet another problem with computer mouses results from the fact that they must be moved across a mouse pad or other flat surface for operation. As a result of this movement, the mouses may be found in any number of random positions on the user's work surface, and the user must first locate the mouse before being able to use it.

A need therefore exists for a system which will address each of the aforementioned problems associated with the use of computer mouses as cursor control devices. Preferably, the system will eliminate the cursor control device from the work surface so as to minimize workspace clutter, and will locate it in a fixed position where it may be accessed easily and quickly. More preferably, the system will be ergonomically designed, enabling the cursor control device to be used with little or no physical strain. Summary of the Invention The present invention addresses these needs.

One aspect of the present invention provides a keyboard support including a platform having a front edge and a receiving surface for supporting a keyboard, and a cursor control device, such as a touchpad or trackball, mounted in a fixed position to the platform. The keyboard support may also include a mounting assembly for mounting the platform to a work surface for movement between a storage position and a use position.

The fixed position for mounting the cursor control device may be adjacent to the front edge of the platform, and preferably is offset from a midpoint of the front edge of the platform. In embodiments in which the platform includes a palm rest extending along its front edge, the palm rest having a support surface spaced above the receiving surface of the platform, the fixed position may be in the support surface of the palm rest.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a keyboard support assembly including a platform having a front edge and a receiving surface, a keyboard having a longitudinal axis, a first portion including an arrangement of alphanumeric characters and a second portion including a numeric keypad, the keyboard being positioned on the platform with its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the front edge, and a cursor control device mounted in a fixed position to the platform.

In keyboard support assemblies in accordance with this aspect of the present invention, the fixed position for mounting the cursor central device may lie between the front edge of the platform and the keyboard. In preferred embodiments, the fixed position may lie between the front edge of the platform and the first portion of the keyboard. Where the first portion of the keyboard has a length in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, the fixed position may be located on the platform at a point corresponding to a midpoint of the length of the first portion. In other preferred embodiments, the fixed position may lie between the front edge of the platform and the second portion of the keyboard.

Preferred keyboard supports and keyboard support assemblies in accordance with the present invention fix the position of the cursor control device so that it can always be located quickly and easily, and so that it is equally accessible by right-handed and left-handed users. Moreover, these preferred keyboard supports and keyboard support assemblies provide an overall system which has been ergonomically designed to reduce or eliminate physical injuries caused by the repetitive motions associated with personal computer use. These benefits are realized in an elegantly simple design which is relatively low in cost, which does not require replacement of more expensive keyboards, and which can be retrofitted to existing systems without regard to the type of keyboard being used.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A more complete appreciation of the subject matter of the present invention and the various advantages thereof may be realized by reference to the following detailed description, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a keyboard support assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1; FIGURE 3 is a front perspective view of a keyboard support assembly in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a front perspective view of a keyboard support assembly in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 4. Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention

The principles of the present invention may be used in conjunction with a wide variety of keyboard support assemblies, ranging from basic slide-out drawers to more complex devices having articulating arms or other structures which permit the position of the keyboard to be adjusted horizontally and vertically, and which may also provide for adjustment of the angular orientation of the keyboard. One keyboard support assembly to which the principles of the present invention are particularly suited is the ergonomic keyboard support assembly described in U.S. Patent No. 5,582,375, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. The keyboard support assembly of that patent allows for vertical and horizontal adjustment of the keyboard position as well as adjustment of the angle at which the keyboard is tilted, all while orienting the keyboard so that it is always at a negative slope, i.e., so that the front edge of the keyboard closer to the user is always higher than its rear edge. These adjustments enable the keyboard to be positioned so as to minimize flexing of the user's wrist during keystroking, and therefore minimize repetitive stress injuries to the user. Thus, the combination of the ergonomic features of the present invention with the negative slope orientation and adjustment capabilities of the keyboard support assembly as described in the aforementioned patent complement one another to provide a keyboard support assembly which organizes the user's workspace, maximizes the work surface available to the user, and enables the user to operate a personal computer from a comfortable, low stress position.

Referring to the figures, Figure 1 shows a keyboard support assembly 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Keyboard support assembly 10 includes a support platform 12 having a front edge 14, a rear edge 16 and a generally planar surface 18 having a shape which generally conforms to the shape and dimensions of a standard computer keyboard. A palm rest 20 may be formed on the front edge 14 of support platform 12, the palm rest having a surface 22 spaced by a selected distance above surface 18 for supporting the hands and wrists of a user during keystroking operations. Support platform 12 may be connected at its rear edge 16 to a mounting assembly 24 for mounting the support platform to a work surface. Mounting assembly 24 may include a bracket assembly 26 having a series of recesses 28 for defining vertical height adjustment positions, a sliding member 30 for cooperation with a complementary bracket member (not shown) attached to the work surface to effect horizontal forward and rearward adjustments, and a pivot member 32 for effecting angular adjustment between these elements, all as described in detail in the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 5,582,375.

A computer keyboard 34 may be positioned on support platform 12 in alignment with front edge 14. Keyboard 34 may be of the conventional type having a portion 36 toward the left side of the keyboard which includes a standard QWERTY array of alphanumeric characters and a series of control and function keys, and a separate portion 38 toward the right side of the keyboard which includes a standard numeric keypad.

To effect the movement of the cursor on a computer screen, keyboard support assembly 10 includes a cursor control device fixedly mounted to support platform 12. The cursor control device may constitute any form of input device which performs substantially the same functions as a conventional computer mouse, i.e., which provides either relative or absolute X and Y positioning data to the computer. Examples of such devices include trackballs or other types of roller balls, joysticks, pressure pads and touchpads. For certain applications, such as word processing, touchpads are preferred. Any type of touchpad devices may be used, including capacitive or resistive membrane devices. Examples of such devices are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,305,017; 5,399,213; and 5,329,303, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. Commercially available touchpads which may be used include, for example, model TSM920 from Cirque Corporation and model TM1202SS from Synaptics Corporation. Models of touchpads which are larger or smaller in size or which provide a different interface capability may also be used. Keyboard assembly 10 as illustrated in Figure 1 incorporates one such touchpad 40. Generally, the movement of a user's finger across the surface of touchpad 40 will result in movement of the cursor in the same direction. Inputs corresponding to a left mouse "click" may be made by tapping a finger in the large region 41, and inputs corresponding to a right mouse "click" may be made by tapping a finger in the smaller region 43. Dragging, highlighting and other functions may be performed by selected combinations of tapping and sliding a finger across regions 41 and 43 of the touchpad. Touchpad 40 may be mounted to support surface 22 of palm rest 20. In this position, touchpad 40 is close to the user and readily accessible without the user having to reach beyond the width of his or her shoulders. Preferably, touchpad 40 is not mounted at the midpoint along the length of palm rest 20, but rather is offset therefrom so as to lie generally below the center of alphanumeric keyboard portion 36 when keyboard 34 is properly positioned on support platform 12. In other words, with keyboard 34 centered on support platform 12 with its front edge adjacent the front edge 14 of the platform, touchpad 40 is positioned so as to lie generally below the "B" and "N" keys of the keyboard. This position centers touchpad 40 relative to the alphanumeric portion 36 of the keyboard so that it may be accessed equally by wordprocessors who are right handed or left handed. Any other position along palm rest 20 may facilitate access to the touchpad by a user who is dominant with one hand, but would require a user who is dominant with the opposite hand to reach across his or her body to effect cursor movements.

One arrangement for mounting touchpad 40 to palm rest 20 is illustrated in Figure 2. In this arrangement, palm rest 20 may include a lip 42 delineated by an aperture 44 in support surface 22 which is similar in shape but smaller in size than the periphery of touchpad 40, and a recess 46 in the bottom surface 21 of the palm rest which is similar in shape but slightly larger in size than the periphery of the touchpad. The touchpad may then be inserted into recess 46 and against lip 42 so that the entire operating surface of the touchpad is accessible through aperture 44. The touchpad may be held in this assembled position, for example, by securing same against lip 42 using an adhesive. A preferred adhesive in this regard is model 313415 cyanoacrylate-134 from Hernon Mfg. Inc. To help support touchpad 40 in the assembled position, support platform 12 may include an integrally formed upstanding boss 50 with a bumper 52 formed from an elastomeric material such as rubber or the like connected to its free end. When palm rest 20 is assembled to the front edge 14 of the support platform, touchpad 40 rests upon and is supported by bumper 52. With touchpad 40 mounted in palm rest 20, the electrical leads 54 for the touchpad may be routed through the space between the palm rest and support platform 12 toward one side of the support platform, and then out from there toward the rear edge 16 of the support platform for connection to the computer.

For applications such as CAD/CAM drawing and other engineering applications, the use of trackballs is preferable to touchpads. Commercially available trackballs which may be used for these applications include, for example, the MANHATTAN model 160698 trackball mouse and the MANHATTAN model 151535 mini trackball from IC Intracom USA, Inc., although other models of trackballs and trackballs from other companies may be used as well. A keyboard support assembly 100 incorporating a trackball 140 in accordance with this aspect of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 3. Trackball 140 includes a spherical ball 141, the rotation of which in any particular direction will result in movement of the cursor in that direction. Input functions are controlled by movement of spherical ball 141 and selected actuation of a series of buttons 143 to correspond to right or left mouse "clicks" .

As shown, trackball 140 is mounted to support surface 122 of palm rest 120. However, rather than being positioned so as to lie below the center of the alphanumeric portion 36 of keyboard 34, the trackball 140 is positioned on palm rest 120 so as to lie generally below the center of the separate numeric keypad portion 38 of the keyboard. This position is particularly convenient where the keyboard is used predominantly for numeric entry. Trackball 140 may be mounted to palm rest 120 in the same manner as touchpad 40 described above.

The fact that Figure 1 illustrates a touchpad mounted so as to lie generally below the center of alphanumeric keyboard portion 36 and Figure 3 illustrates a trackball mounted so as to lie generally below the center of numeric keypad portion 38 should not be understood as limiting the positions of these devices. Thus, depending upon the particular application for which the keyboard is to be used, a trackball or other cursor control device may be fixedly mounted so as to lie below alphanumeric keyboard portion 36 or at any other position along the length of the palm rest. Similarly, a touchpad or other cursor control device may be fixedly mounted below numeric keypad portion 38 or at any other position along the length of the palm rest.

The present invention also contemplates mounting a cursor control device to a keyboard support assembly which does not include a palm rest. An embodiment of a keyboard support assembly 200 in accordance with this aspect of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 4. Keyboard support assembly 200 includes a support platform 212 having a front edge 214, a rear edge 216 and a generally planar surface 218 which may be sized and shaped to accommodate the computer keyboard 34 with which it will be used. A particularly preferred material for forming support platform 212 is a 6mm thick aluminum clad polymer sheet material sold under the trademark ALUCOBOND by Alucobond Technologies, Inc. Support platform 212 includes a touchpad 240 mounted adjacent the front edge 214 thereof. Although keyboard support assembly 200 is described herein as incorporating a touchpad 240, as with the keyboard support assemblies described above, keyboard support assembly 200 may include any form of device for controlling movement of a cursor, including trackballs, joysticks and the like. Similarly, the touchpad 240 or other cursor control device may be positioned at any point along front edge 214 of support platform 212, although positions corresponding to the center of alphanumeric keyboard portion 36 or numeric keyboard portion 38 are preferred.

Touchpad 240 may be mounted to support platform 212 by the arrangement shown in Figure 5. In this regard, support platform 212 may be routed out from its bottom surface 221 up to its top layer of aluminum 250 to form a recess 246 having a sufficient size to receive touchpad 240. An aperture 244 may be formed in aluminum layer 250, aperture 244 having a shape which is similar to that of touchpad 240, but smaller in size than the periphery of the touchpad so that aluminum layer 250 defines a lip 242 around the periphery of aperture 244. Touchpad 240 may then be inserted into recess 246 and secured against lip 242 by any suitable means, such as by a cyanoacrylate adhesive. To provide support for touchpad 240 in the assembled position, recess 246 may be enclosed by a retainer plate 260 slightly larger in size than the recess and fastened along its periphery to the bottom aluminum layer 262. Here again, the use of a cyanoacrylate adhesive for securing retainer plate 260 to bottom aluminum layer 262 is preferred. An elastomeric spacer 252 may be mounted to retainer plate 260 so that the spacer contacts touchpad 240 and supports same in the fully assembled position. With the touchpad 240 so mounted, the electrical leads 254 for the touchpad may be threaded through an aperture 264 in retainer plate 260, and then run straight back from recess 246 along the bottom of support platform 212 to its rear edge 216 and connection to the computer. Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. Industrial Applicability

The keyboard support assemblies of the present invention overcome the difficulties associated with stand alone cursor control devices previously known in the art, such as computer mouses, by eliminating the cursor control devices from work surfaces so as to minimize workspace clutter, fixing the position of the cursor control devices for quick and easy access, and minimizing or eliminating physical strains and injuries resulting from the repetitive use of conventional cursor control devices.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A keyboard support, characterized by a platform (12, 212) having a front edge (14, 214) and a receiving surface (18, 218) for supporting a keyboard (34); and a cursor control device (40, 140, 240) mounted in a fixed position to said platform.

2. The keyboard support as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixed position is adjacent said front edge of said platform.

3. The keyboard support as claimed in claim 1, wherein said platform includes a palm rest (20, 120) extending along said front edge, said palm rest having a support surface (22, 122) spaced above said receiving surface of said platform, and said cursor control device being mounted in said support surface of said palm rest.

4. The keyboard support as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixed position is offset from a midpoint of said front edge.

5. The keyboard support as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cursor control device comprises a touchpad (40, 240).

6. The keyboard support as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cursor control device comprises a trackball (140).

7. The keyboard support as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a mounting assembly (24) for mounting said platform to a work surface for movement between a storage position and a use position.

8. A keyboard support assembly, comprising a platform (12, 212) having a front edge (14, 214) and a receiving surface (18, 218); a keyboard (34) having a longitudinal axis, a first portion (36) including an arrangement of alphanumeric characters and a second portion (38) including a numeric keypad, said keyboard being positioned on said platform with said longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said front edge; and a cursor control device (40, 140, 240) mounted in a fixed position to said platform.

9. The keyboard assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein said platform includes a palm rest (20, 120) extending along said front edge, said palm rest having a support surface (22, 122) spaced above said receiving surface of said platform, and said cursor control device being mounted in said support surface of said palm rest.

10. The keyboard support assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein said fixed position lies between said front edge of said platform and said keyboard.

11. The keyboard assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein said fixed position lies between said front edge of said platform and said first portion of said keyboard.

12. The keyboard assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first portion of said keyboard has a length in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis, said fixed position being located on said platform at a point corresponding to a midpoint of said length of said first portion.

13. The keyboard assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein said fixed position lies between said front edge of said platform and said second portion of said keyboard.

14. The keyboard assembly as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a mounting assembly (24) for mounting said platform to a work surface for movement between a storage position and a use position.