Independently adjustable mouse pad and keyboard support apparatus

• US 5,730,408 A
• Filed: 02/28/1996
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Knoll Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Knoll Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bloom, David A., Lee, Jeffrey P., McAllister, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wentsler, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US08/608,261
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 248/118, 248/118.1, 248/118.3, 248/918, 248/288.51, 248/458, 248/639, 248/662, 248/278.1, 248/279.1, 248/346.01, 108/143, 108/138, 108/140, 108/65, 108/69
• US Class Current: 248/288.51
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/0321 Keyboard supports
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/0335 mounted under the worksurface
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/0342 having one double articulated arm
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/009 Keyboards associated with mousepads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0395 Mouse pads
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/918 Ancillary device support associated with a video display screen

Abstract

A mouse pad support is mounted on a keyboard support that has a keyboard support arm attachable to a fixed structure such as the underside of a desk top, and a tiltable keyboard support platform thereon. A mouse pad support arm is coupled to the keyboard support arm via a rotational swivel fitting with a vertical axis for moving the mouse pad arm and mouse pad support table to any position around the keyboard in a circular arc in a horizontal plane. The height of the swivel fitting is adjustably fixed over a range. The mouse pad arm is kept in a horizontal plane because its rotational coupling to the keyboard support arm is made at an angularly fixed part on the keyboard support arm, such as on a parallelogram linkage associated with setting the elevation of the keyboard platform. The keyboard platform tilts relative to the angularly fixed part, whereby mouse position is independent of keyboard platform tilt. The mouse support arm is long enough for the mouse support table to clear the corners of the keyboard platform, but the mouse support table also is adjustably attached to the mouse pad support arm via an off-center rotational joint such that the spacing between the mouse pad and the keyboard can be adjusted by rotating the mouse support table. This off-center joint preferably employs a ball and socket universal joint with a friction adjustment, enabling an adjustable degree of tilt of the mouse pad support table as well.

Claims

1. A workstation support for a keyboard and a mouse to be used in conjunction, comprising:

a keyboard support arm having a proximal part for attachment to a fixed structure and a distal keyboard support forming a movable platform for supporting the keyboard;

a mouse support table dimensioned to receive one of the mouse and a pad for the mouse;

a mouse support arm attachable at a proximal end of the mouse support arm to the keyboard support arm via a swivel fitting and attached at a distal end of the mouse support arm to the mouse support table, the swivel fitting defining a vertical rotation axis and the mouse support arm having a length sufficient to rotate the mouse support table in a circular arc in substantially a horizontal plane around the keyboard support from one lateral side thereof to another.

2. The workstation support of claim 1, further comprising a rotational fitting attaching the mouse support table to the distal end of the mouse support arm, the rotational fitting having a vertical axis disposed off-center between edges of the mouse support table, whereby rotation of the mouse support table on the vertical axis moves one or another of the edges toward and away from the keyboard support platform.

3. The workstation support of claim 1, further comprising a universal joint fitting attaching the mouse support table to the distal end of the mouse support arm.

4. The workstation support of claim 3, further comprising means for adjustably fixing an orientation of the mouse support table relative to the universal joint.

5. The workstation support of claim 4, wherein the means for adjustably fixing the orientation of the mouse support table comprises a threadable structure for compressing at least a part of the universal joint such that the universal joint is frictionally locked.

6. The workstation support of claim 5, wherein the universal joint comprises a ball member and a complementary socket member and the threadable, structure comprises a bolt through the ball member and the socket member and a knob threaded on the bolt for adjusting pressure between the ball member and the socket member to set a desired frictional engagement of the universal joint.

7. The workstation support of claim 6, further comprising a pressure disc disposed inside the ball member, and wherein the bolt is attached to the pressure disc.

8. The workstation support of claim 3, wherein the universal joint is mounted off center on an underside of the mouse support table and the universal joint is rotatable, whereby rotation of the mouse support table on the universal joint adjusts a spacing between an edge of the mouse support table and the keyboard support.

9. The workstation support of claim 1, further comprising a linking fitting coupled to the swivel fitting, the linking fitting being shaped for coupling to an angularly fixed part of the support arm to counteract tilting of the keyboard support, whereby the keyboard support is tiltable while maintaining an orientation of the mouse support table.

10. The workstation support of claim 9, further comprising means for adjustably fixing the swivel fitting over a range of height relative to the linking fitting, whereby the mouse support table is positioned at a selectable elevation relative to the keyboard support.

11. The workstation support of claim 9, wherein the keyboard support arm comprises a parallelogram linkage between the fixed structure and the platform for the keyboard, the parallelogram linkage having two arm members coupled to the linking fitting by spaced pivot pins and being coupled to the fixed structure via fixed pivot pins disposed on a line parallel to the spaced pivot pins of the linking fitting, whereby the linking fitting remains angularly aligned with expansion and collapse of the parallelogram linkage.