Adjustable mouse

• US 10,401,979 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contour Innovations, LLC (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Contour Design Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Steven, Lu, Hanning, Huang, ZhiJian, Bleck, James H., Chura, William D., Eagan, Thomas, Saunders, James, Wakefield, Scott H., Towle, Jonathan N., Zhao, Changjun, Morgan, Andrew David
• Primary Examiner(s): Harris, Dorothy
• Application Number:
  US15/466,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20170192536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0333 Ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0334 Ergonomic shaped mouse for vertical grip, whereby the hand controlling the mouse is resting or gripping it with an attitude almost vertical with respect of the working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

An adjustable mouse includes a base and a thumb adjustment assembly coupled to the base. The thumb adjustment assembly is configured to move a thumb rest portion between a retracted position and an extended position. The adjustable mouse further may include a palm rest portion hingedly attached to the base by a hinge adjacent an outer edge of the base. The palm rest portion may have several fingers configured to expand in vertical and lateral directions. Embodiments of the adjustable mouse are further disclosed.

Claims

1. An adjustable mouse comprising:

a first base; and

a thumb adjustment assembly coupled to the first base, the thumb adjustment assembly being configured to move a thumb rest portion between a retracted position and an extended position,

wherein the thumb adjustment assembly includes a shaft that extends from a body of the thumb rest portion, the shaft being coupled to the first base to move the thumb rest portion toward and away from the first base,

wherein the shaft is coupled to the first base by a pivot post that extends from the first base, the shaft being configured to pivot with respect to the pivot post and the first base, and

wherein the shaft is secured to the thumb rest portion by a ball joint.

2. The adjustable mouse of claim 1, wherein the shaft is a telescoping shaft.

3. The adjustable mouse of claim 1, further comprising a palm rest portion hingedly attached to a second base by a hinge adjacent an outer edge of the second base and the palm rest portion,

wherein the hinge is configured to position the palm rest portion at a desired angle in a stable position with respect to the second base.

4. The adjustable mouse of claim 3, wherein the hinge is a piano-type hinge.

5. The adjustable mouse of claim 3, further comprising curved rails to guide the palm rest portion and to direct the angle adjustment of the palm rest portion with respect to the second base.

6. The adjustable mouse of claim 3, wherein the palm rest portion has several finger buttons configured to expand in vertical and lateral directions.

7. The adjustable mouse of claim 3, wherein the hinge has sufficient friction to position the palm rest portion at a desired angle in a stable position with respect to the second base.

8. The adjustable mouse of claim 7, wherein the hinge is a piano-type hinge.

9. The adjustable mouse of claim 3, wherein the palm rest portion is tilted with respect to the second base by one wedge of a plurality of wedges that can be selected to vary a tilt of the palm rest portion with respect to the second base of the adjustable mouse.

10. The adjustable mouse of claim 9, wherein the one wedge of the plurality of wedges may be selected to provide a 10-degree, a 20-degree or a 30-degree angle with respect to a vertical axis.

11. The adjustable mouse of claim 1, further comprising a finger adjustment assembly positioned adjacent the palm rest portion to adjust a position of finger buttons.

12. The adjustable mouse of claim 11, wherein the finger adjustment assembly is configured to extend the finger buttons away from and toward the palm rest portion.

13. The adjustable mouse of claim 12, wherein the finger buttons are designed to be manipulated by the user'"'"'s fore, index and ring fingers, respectively, and wherein a wheel is positioned between the finger buttons to be manipulated by the fore and index fingers.

14. The adjustable mouse of claim 1, further comprising a height adjustment assembly to raise a height and to tilt a position of the palm rest portion and finger buttons with respect to a second base.

15. The adjustable mouse of claim 14, wherein the height adjustment assembly includes a support member extending from the second base, the support member being configured to lock the palm rest portion and the finger buttons in a raised and tilted position with respect to the second base.

16. The adjustable mouse of claim 1, further comprising a height adjustment assembly coupled to a second base, the height adjustment assembly being configured to move a palm rest portion and finger buttons between a neutral position and a raised, tilted position.

17. The adjustable mouse of claim 1, further comprising a finger adjustment assembly coupled to the first base, the finger adjustment assembly being configured to move finger buttons between a neutral position for input control and an extended position for input control.

18. The adjustable mouse of claim 1, wherein the thumb rest portion includes two separate pieces, which are attached to one another by a hinge that allows a front piece to move with respect to a back piece.

19. The adjustable mouse of claim 18, wherein the hinge allows the front piece to change a curvature of the thumb rest portion itself by bending the front piece back and forth.

20. The adjustable mouse of claim 1, wherein the thumb rest portion is configured to tilt up and down by the ball joint that includes a ball and socket connector coupled to the shaft to achieve a variety of positions.

21. The adjustable mouse of claim 20, wherein the ball and socket connector includes a head portion that is received within a receptacle formed in the thumb rest portion, the receptacle being configured to receive the head portion attached to the shaft.

22. An adjustable mouse comprising:

a first base; and

a thumb adjustment assembly coupled to the first base, the thumb adjustment assembly being configured to move the thumb rest portion between a retracted position and an extended position,

wherein the thumb rest portion includes two separate pieces, which are attached to one another by a hinge that allows a front piece to move with respect to a back piece.

23. The adjustable mouse of claim 22, wherein the hinge allows the front piece to change a curvature of the thumb rest portion itself by bending the front piece back and forth.

24. The adjustable mouse of claim 22, wherein the back piece is configured to tilt up and down by a ball and socket connector coupled to the first base to achieve a variety of positions.

25. The adjustable mouse of claim 24, wherein the ball and socket connector includes a head portion that is received within a receptacle formed in the back piece, the receptacle being configured to receive the head portion attached to a stem, wherein the thumb adjustment assembly includes the stem that is coupled to the first base, the stem being configured to move the thumb rest portion from the retracted position to the extended position.