Adjustable wrist rest support and method

• US 5,421,543 A
• Filed: 10/27/1993
• Issued: 06/06/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Curtis Computer Products Incorporated (ACCO Brands Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Curtis Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Hotaling, Bryan R., Rossman, Jon R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Blair M.
• Application Number:
  US08/143,860
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 248/118.3, 248/118, 248/118.1, 248/918, 248/188.2, 297/411.36
• US Class Current: 248/118.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/0392 height adjustable
• 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

An adjustable wrist rest support for the wrist of a user engaged in repetitive motions of the fingers and hands, which wrist rest support comprises a support section having a top surface area with a shape to provide support to the wrist of a user, a base section, and a height adjusting platform therebetween snap-fitted together to provide for the selected slidable adjustment of the vertical height of the support section by the user relative to the base section to place the support section in a selected position for use in front of a computer keyboard on a work surface. The top support section has a wrist-cushioning sheet material placed over the top surface area and secured with inner reinforcing ribs, the material optionally having antistatic properties and connected to a metal clip, wire and ground. The height adjusting platform includes a handle for slidable lateral movement by the user to adjust the vertical height of the support section from the base section and has corrugation friction-engaging means on its lower surface that retains the platform in its vertical height position when placed in contact with the corrugated surface on the top section of the base.

Claims

1. An adjustable wrist rest support for the wrist of a user engaged in repetitive motions of the fingers and hands, which wrist rest support comprises:

a) a support section having a top and bottom surface, one and other end, front and back sides and a top surface having a surface area and a shape to provide support to the wrist of a user;

b) a base section having one and an other end, front and back sides and a top surface and secured to and positioned beneath the support section;

c) height adjusting means to provide for the slidable adjustment of the vertical height of the support section by the user relative to the base section to place the support section in a selected position for use; and

d) handle means outwardly extending from the front side and connected to the height adjusting means and adapted for slidable lateral movement by the user to adjust the vertical height of the support section from the base section.

2. The support of claim 1 which includes a flexible wrist-cushioning sheet material over the surface area of the support section.

3. The support of claim 1 wherein the base section has planar dimensions generally the same as the planar dimensions of the support section.

4. The support of claim 2 wherein the sheet material comprises a foam sheet material placed over the top surface area and between the one and other ends and secured at opposite outer edges between the base section and support section.

5. The support of claim 2 wherein the sheet material has antistatic properties, and the support section includes means to place the antistatic sheet material in electrical contact with ground.

6. The support of claim 1 wherein the support section includes raised end sections at the one and the other end of the support section and which support section includes on the top surface a flexible, wrist-cushioning sheet material extending generally between the raised sections and over the surface area.

7. The support of claim 1 wherein the top surface of the base section has an indentation therein to receive the handle means and to permit movement from one to the other side of the handle means.

8. The support of claim 1 wherein the base section includes a friction-engaging surface means to provide for the retention of the support section in its adjusted vertical height position.

9. The support of claim 8 wherein the friction-engaging surface means includes corrugations at each end of the top surface of the base section.

10. The support of claim 1 which includes a pair of elongated open spaces on either side of the open bottom surface of the support section, and a pair of snap-in, sheet material retaining ribs therein to retain the sheet material in a taut position on the surface area of the support section.

11. The support of claim 1 wherein the height adjusting means includes a slidable platform means between the support section and base section, the platform adapted to be slidably moved by an extended handle means along the top surface of the base section and secured to the support section, with the vertical height of the support section raised from the base section.

12. The support of claim 11 wherein the height adjusting means includes:

a) a platform adapted for slidable movement on the top surface of the base section;

b) a pair of generally upright opposing sidewalls on the platform;

c) a plurality of generally aligned, spaced-apart slots placed at an angle in the side walls;

d) handle means secured to and extending from the platform; and

e) means on the platform to secure detachably the platform to the top surface of the base section for slidable movement;

i) wherein the base section includes means to receive and secure the platform to the top surface of the base section; and

ii) wherein the support section includes a plurality of tabs for insertion in the receiving means of the platform to permit slidable movement of the platform on the base section by lateral movement of the handle means.

13. The support of claim 11 which includes friction-engaging means at each end of the top surface of the base section to engage and prevent the further movement of the support section after selected vertical height adjustment.

14. The support of claim 11 wherein the platform has a bottom surface with friction-engaging means with the top surface of the base section to secure the platform in a selected height position.

15. The support of claim 11 wherein the means on the platform to receive detachably the platform includes a plurality of spaced-apart, open sections on the platform and the means to receive on the base section includes a plurality of aligned, spaced-apart tabs on the base section to fit within said open sections.

16. The support of claim 11 wherein the angled slots have an angle from the horizontal of between about 30 to 60 degrees.

17. The support of claim 11 wherein the height adjusting means provides for slidable adjustment of the height of the support section up to a height of 0 to about 21/2 inches.

18. In combination, a system which comprises a work station on a work surface which includes a keyboard and the adjustable wrist rest support of claim 1 positioned on the work surface in front of the work station and keyboard and adjusted in height to support the wrist of the user for use of the keyboard.

19. The support of claim 1 which includes detachable securing means which comprise a plurality of lugs on the top surface of the base section or the bottom surface of the support section and a plurality of lug-receiving spaces on the other respective base section or support section and aligned with and adapted to receive the lugs therein of the other section in a snap-fitting, friction detachable relationship to secured the support section to the base section and to permit easy detachment of the sections from each other.

20. The support of claim 1 wherein the base section, the support section, height adjusting means and handle means are composed of a hard, molded material in a snap-fitted relationship to form the wrist rest support.

21. The support of claim 1 wherein the base section includes a single, generally centrally positioned, planar, oval, outwardly extending element from the front side of the base section.

22. A method for the use of a wrist rest support with a work station on a work surface, which method comprises:

a) providing a wrist rest support for the wrist of a user engaged in repetitive motions of the fingers and hands, which wrist rest support comprises;

i) a support section having a top and bottom surface, one and other end, front and back sides and a top surface having a surface area and a shape to provide support to the wrist of a user;

ii) a base section having one and an other end, front and back sides and a top surface and secured to and positioned beneath the support sections.

iii) height adjusting means to provide for the slidable adjustment of the vertical height of the support section by the user relative to the base section to place the support section in a selected position for use; and

iiii) handle means outwardly extending from the front side and connected to the height adjustment means and adapted for slidable lateral movement by the user to adjust the vertical height of the support section form the base section;

b) positioning the wrist rest support in front of a keyboard on a work surface; and

c) slidably adjusting the vertical height of the support section above the base section by slidable lateral movement of the handle means to a selected height position.

23. The method of claim 22 which includes detachably securing a flexible wrist cushioning sheet material over the top surface of the support section and securing ends of the sheet material between the base section and the support section.