ERGONOMIC COMPUTER MOUSE WITH HANDHELD AND AMBIDEXTROUS BODY DESIGN

• US 20160239109A1
• Filed: 02/16/2015
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ming Xia
• Original Assignee: Ming Xia
• Inventors: Xia, Ming
• Granted Patent: US 9,785,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0332 Ergonomic shaped mouse adjustable to suit one of both hands
• 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 3/03541 Mouse/trackball convertible devices, in which the same ball is used to track the 2D relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts

Abstract

This invention is an ergonomic computer mouse. The computer mouse body has a unique design in shape that may change the way for people to use a computer mouse. It is designed to be handheld by ring finger, little finger, and the hand part between thumb and index finger with a grip handle. A rear extrusion is smoothly curved and is designed to create a curved support area for the hand part between thumb and index finger. A trackball is confined in the body with a spherical housing and partially exposed on right side and left side of the body. The trackball is arranged near the middle of the body and above the grip handle so that thumb can reach it and operate it in its natural posture. A trackball cover is designed to separate the trackball and hand palm. Two click buttons and scroll wheel are arranged vertically on the fore edge of the body so that index finger and middle finger can naturally reach and operate them. A finger guard ring is designed to help adjusting the body'"'"'s location in a hand palm with ring finger and little finger. A curved top edge and a front extrusion are designed to make the body shape look aesthetic. Two spherical extrusions on each side of the body are designed to provide 3-points support together with trackball on a flat surface. People can hold and use the mouse at any desired orientation without a flat surface and can use either right hand or left hand to operate it. It can also be used on a flat desk surface (even on a transparent flat surface) as people use a regular computer mouse. It allows people to take a comfortable desired posture to operate the computer mouse and allows people to change hand to operate it. As a result it can reduce discomfort, pain, and fatigue injury on a user'"'"'s hand, arm, and shoulder when the user works on a computer with this invention.

Claims

1. An ergonomic computer mouse with handheld and ambidextrous body design, comprising, in combination:

a. a computer mouse housing which is assembled with a computer mouse housing left half member and a computer mouse housing right half member, comprising;

a grip handle for holding,

a finger guard ring for ring finger and little finger operation,

a trackball housing,

a slide slot for trackball cover,

a curved support area for the hand part between thumb and index finger,

a rear extrusion, which may rest on the hand part between thumb and index finger,

a curved top edge for the purpose of aesthetic feeling,

a front extrusion for the purpose of aesthetic feeling,

a sunken space for index finger click button,

a sunken space for scroll wheel,

a sunken space for middle finger click button,

two small spherical extrusions on each side of the computer mouse housing,

b. a trackball arranged in naturally reachable position for thumb in the mouse housing,

c. a trackball cover for separating trackball and palm,

d. index finger click button,

e. middle finger click button,

f. scroll wheel.

2. An ergonomic computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein said the handheld and ambidextrous body has a unique design for the computer mouse body in shape that may change the way for people to use a computer mouse. It is designed to be handheld by ring finger, little finger, and the hand part of between thumb and index finger with a grip handle. The rear extrusion is smoothly curved and is designed to create a curved support area for the hand part between thumb and index finger. The trackball is confined in the body with a spherical housing and partially exposed on right side and left side of the body. The trackball is arranged near the middle of the body and above the grip handle so that thumb can reach it and operate it in its natural posture. A trackball cover is designed to separate the trackball and hand palm. Two click buttons and scroll wheel are arranged vertically on the fore edge of the body so that index finger and middle finger can naturally reach and operate them. The finger guard ring is designed to help adjusting the body'"'"'s location in a hand palm with ring finger and little finger. The curved top edge and front extrusion are designed to make the body shape look aesthetic. The two spherical extrusions on each side of the body are designed to provide 3-points support together with trackball when the mouse is used on a flat surface.

3. An ergonomic computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein said the computer mouse housing has a finger guard ring, which is designed for the operation of ring finger and little finger. With the finger guard ring, when the ring finger and little finger push the finger guard ring out or pull the grip handle back, the mouse will rotate a bit about the hand part between thumb and index finger. This function may be used to adjust the mouse'"'"'s location and orientation in a hand palm.

4. An ergonomic computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein said the rear extrusion is smoothly curved and extrudes properly in length to create a curved support area for the hand part between thumb and index finger.

5. An ergonomic computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein said the slide slot for trackball cover is a slot which is cut in the body around the trackball to fit trackball cover'"'"'s shape. It is designed for trackball cover to slide in and out in the computer mouse housing.

6. An ergonomic computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein said the trackball cover has a partial spherical inside surface, which is designed to keep 1 mm gap between trackball surface and the trackball cover'"'"'s inside surface. It is a strip in shape and is designed to separate the trackball and palm to avoid resistance applied on the trackball by the palm. Its thickness may be about 1 mm. There are two slot cut-outs on each end of the cover to make the two ends elastic and flexible when it squeezes into the slide slot for the trackball cover. There are four spherical extrusions on each end of the cover evenly separated on two edges. When the trackball cover squeezes into the slide slot for trackball cover, the spherical extrusions help to hold the trackball cover on the wall of the computer mouse housing.

7. An ergonomic computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein said the index finger click button, the middle finger click button, and the scroll wheel are arranged vertically on the fore edge of the body so that index finger and middle finger can naturally reach and operate them when the mouse is vertically held. The index finger click button is located above the scroll wheel and the middle finger click button is below the scroll wheel. They fit for either right hand or left hand. When the mouse works on a flat surface, this arrangement allows index finger and middle finger to operate the mouse just as using a regular mouse.

8. An ergonomic computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein said curved top edge and front extrusion are designed to make the profile of the body to transit smoothly and look aesthetic.

9. An ergonomic computer mouse according to claim 1, wherein said two spherical extrusions on each side of the body are designed to provide 3-points support together with trackball on a flat surface. When the mouse is moved on a flat surface, the trackball rolls so a cursor is moved on screen. This operation method is the same as using a regular mouse.