Adjustable keyboard support

• US 5,219,136 A
• Filed: 09/04/1991
• Issued: 06/15/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MicroComputer Accessories, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MicroComputer Accessories, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Wielt, Jeff A., Hassel, H. Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Blair M.
• Application Number:
  US07/754,335
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 248/118, 248/918, 248/118.3, 248/118.1, 248/118.5, 400/715
• US Class Current: 248/118
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/0307 Platforms for supporting office equipment and wrists
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/0321 Keyboard supports
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/0314 Platforms for supporting office equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/0371 Platforms for supporting wrists
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/918 Ancillary device support associated with a video display screen

Abstract

A wrist and keyboard support assembly that may be linearly and angularly adjusted in a variety of dimensions. The wrist and keyboard support assembly includes a keyboard platform and a variable height wrist support assembly. The wrist support assembly may be variably distanced from the keyboard platform to accommodate various sized keyboards. The wrist support assembly includes a wrist bar that may be adjusted to various heights relative to the work surface or the keyboard supported on the keyboard platform. The angle of the keyboard platform relative to the work surface may be adjusted to any desired angle.

Claims

1. An adjustable keyboard support comprising:

a keyboard platform having a substantially flat upper surface for supporting a keyboard above a planar work surface;

means for continuously adjusting the angle of the keyboard platform relative to the planar work surface by adjusting the height between the planar work surface and a back side of the keyboard platform;

a wrist support bar;

means for attaching said wrist support bar to said keyboard platform at a variable distance relative to a front edge thereof, whereby the keyboard platform may accommodate various-sized keyboards; and

means for adjusting the height of said wrist support bar relative to the upper surface of the keyboard platform.

2. The adjustable keyboard support of claim 1 wherein the means for adjusting the angle comprises:

an internally threaded aperture located near a back edge of the keyboard platform; and

a support member having an externally threaded member having an upper end engaging the internally threaded aperture from a bottom side of said keyboard platform, whereby the threaded member may be adjustably turned into the threaded aperture to vary the height between the work surface and the back edge of the keyboard platform.

3. An adjustable keyboard support comprising:

a rigid keyboard platform having a substantially flat surface for supporting a keyboard above a planar work surface;

adjustable support means, integral with the keyboard platform, for supporting the keyboard platform at a variable angle relative to the planar work surface by adjusting the height between the planar work surface and a back end of the keyboard platform;

a wrist support bar;

variable position attachment means for attaching said wrist support bar to said keyboard platform at a variable distance relative to a front edge thereof;

whereby the keyboard platform may accommodate varioussized keyboards; and

adjustment means for adjusting the height of said wrist support bar relative to an upper surface of the keyboard platform.

4. The adjustable keyboard support of claim 3 wherein the support means comprises a pair of spaced front support feet located adjacent to the front edge of the keyboard platform.

5. The adjustable keyboard support of claim 4 wherein the support means further comprises:

a variable height rear support foot located adjacent to a rear edge of the keyboard platform, the height of said rear support foot being adjustable to pivot the keyboard platform about the front support feet and thereby vary the angle of the keyboard platform relative to the planar work surface.

6. The adjustable keyboard support of claim 4 wherein:

the wrist support bar is comprised of a pair of spaced apertures extending vertically therethrough;

each support foot is comprised of an upwardly extending threaded shafts that extends through a corresponding one of said spaced apertures; and

the adjustment means is comprised of a pair of knobs, each knob extending through a corresponding one of said apertures, each knob having a shoulder at a bottom end thereof for supporting the wrist support bar thereon, and each knob having a threaded bore extending upward from a bottom end thereof for engaging a corresponding one of the upwardly extending threaded shafts whereby the knobs may be turned to adjust the height of the wrist support bar relative to the planar work surface.

7. The adjustable keyboard support of claim 4 wherein a rear end of the rigid keyboard platform carries a threaded aperture and wherein the rear support foot comprises:

a cylindrical member threaded on an upper end thereof, said threaded upper end engaging the threaded aperture of the rigid keyboard platform; and

a knob located on said cylindrical member above a bottom end thereof.

8. The adjustable keyboard support of claim 3 wherein the variable position attachment means comprises:

a pair of rigid support members having a proximate end and a distal end;

a pair of spaced slide channels formed in the keyboard platform, the proximate end of each rigid support member being variably positioned within a corresponding one of said slide channels; and

means for attaching the distal end of each rigid member to the wrist support bar, whereby the wrist support bar may be variably positioned relative to the front edge of the keyboard platform.

9. The adjustable keyboard support of claim 8 wherein each rigid support member is comprised of an elongate rod configured to form a U-shaped portion at the proximate end thereof, said U-shaped portion being defined by a primary segment extending from the proximate end to the distal end and a shorter secondary segment:

extending from the proximate end substantially parallel to and partially along the length of the primary segment.

10. The adjustable keyboard support of claim 9 further comprising:

a bridge member positioned between the primary segment and the shorter secondary segment to provide increased rigidity.