Wrist rest assembly

• US 5,980,143 A
• Filed: 08/28/1996
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: Bettenhausen, Larry A., Bayer, Glen H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burr, Edgar S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anthony H.
• Application Number:
  US08/704,332
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 400/715, 400/719, 248/118, 248/118.1, 248/118.5, 248/118.3
• US Class Current: 400/715
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/0371 Platforms for supporting wrists
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0093 Wrist pad cover

Abstract

A wrist rest assembly has a base and a layer of resilient gel supported above the base. The wrist rest assembly is for use adjacent a device operated by a person'"'"'s hands or fingers, such as a computer keyboard, lap-top or portable computer, computer mouse or other input device. A layer of resilient nonwoven material is disposed between the base and at least a portion of the layer of gel to define, in combination with the layer of gel, a resilient wrist rest support structure supported from the base. A flexible liquid-impervious layer is disposed between the layer of resilient gel and the layer of resilient nonwoven web material.

Claims

1. In a wrist rest assembly for use adjacent a device operated by a person'"'"'s hands or fingers, such as a computer keyboard, lap-top or portable computer, computer mouse or other input device, wherein the wrist rest assembly has a base and a layer of resilient gel supported above the base, the improvement which comprises:

a layer of resilient material disposed between the base and at least a portion of the layer of gel to define, in combination with the layer of gel, a resilient wrist rest support structure supported from the base, and

a flexible outer cover completely and permanently surrounding both the layer of resilient gel and the layer of resilient material.

2. The wrist rest assembly of claim 1 wherein the layer of resilient material is a lofty nonwoven pad.

3. The wrist rest assembly of claim 1 wherein the outer cover includes an outer layer defining a top outer surface of the wrist rest support of soft material for contact with a user'"'"'s wrists.

4. The wrist rest assembly of claim 1, and further comprising:

a flexible liquid-impervious layer disposed between the outer cover and the layer of resilient gel.

5. The wrist rest assembly of claim 1 wherein the gel is a stable elastomeric block copolymer gel.

6. The wrist rest assembly of claim 1, and further comprising:

a flexible liquid-impervious layer disposed between the layer of resilient gel and the layer of resilient material.

7. The wrist rest assembly of claim 1 wherein the base is flexible.

8. The wrist rest assembly of claim 1 wherein the base has a first portion for supporting the resilient wrist rest support structure thereon and a second portion for supporting the device to be operated by the user.

9. The wrist rest assembly of claim 1 wherein the base has a bottom outer surface which has nonskid characteristics.

10. The wrist rest assembly of claim 1 wherein the layer of resilient material has a lower density than the layer of resilient gel.

11. The wrist rest assembly of claim 1 wherein the layer of resilient material is selected from the group consisting of nonwoven webs, foam materials, or combinations thereof.

12. The wrist rest assembly of claim 1, and further comprising:

a liquid-impervious envelope covering the layer of resilient gel.

13. In a wrist rest assembly for use adjacent a device operated by a person'"'"'s hands or fingers, such as a computer keyboard, lap-top or portable computer, computer mouse or other input device, wherein the wrist rest assembly has a layer of resilient gel retained in a sealed chamber which is defined by a flexible upper wall, a lower wall and side walls disposed therebetween, the improvement which comprises:

a layer of resilient material disposed in the chamber between its lower wall and the layer of gel.

14. The wrist rest assembly of claim 13, and further comprising:

a flexible outer cover which defines a portion of the sealed chamber.

15. The wrist rest assembly of claim 14 wherein the flexible outer cover includes an outer layer of soft material for contact with a user'"'"'s wrists.

16. The wrist rest assembly of claim 14, and further comprising:

a flexible liquid-impervious layer disposed between the outer cover and the layer of resilient gel.

17. The wrist rest assembly of claim 13, and further comprising:

a liquid-impervious layer about the layer of resilient gel retained in the sealed chamber.

18. The wrist rest assembly of claim 13, and further comprising:

a flexible liquid-impervious layer disposed between the layer of resilient gel and the layer of resilient material.

19. The wrist rest assembly of claim 13 wherein the gel is a stable elastomeric block copolymer gel.

20. The wrist rest assembly of claim 13 wherein the layer of resilient material is selected from the group consisting of nonwoven, woven or foam materials, or combinations thereof.

21. The wrist rest assembly of claim 13 wherein the layer of resilient material has a lower density than the layer of resilient gel.

22. The wrist rest assembly of claim 13 wherein the lower wall of the sealed chamber is defined by a base member.

23. The wrist rest assembly of claim 22 wherein the base member is flexible.

24. The wrist rest assembly of claim 22 wherein the base member has a bottom outer surface which has nonskid characteristics.

25. The wrist rest assembly of claim 22 wherein the base member has a first portion for supporting the resilient wrist rest support structure thereon and a second portion for supporting the device to be operated by the user.

26. The wrist rest assembly of claim 13, and further comprising:

a liquid-impervious envelope covering the layer of resilient gel.

27. The wrist rest assembly of claim 13 wherein the layer of resilient material is a lofty nonwoven pad.

28. A wrist rest assembly for use adjacent a device operated by a person'"'"'s hands or fingers, such as a computer keyboard, lap-top or notebook computer, computer mouse or other input device, the wrist rest assembly comprising:

a base having top and bottom opposed surfaces and a periphery;

a layer of resilient material having top and bottom surfaces, the layer of resilient material aligned with its bottom surface on the top surface of the base;

a layer of gel having top and bottom surfaces and opposite longitudinally extending edges, the layer of gel aligned with at least a portion of its bottom surface on the top surface of the layer of resilient material, the layers of resilient material and gel having a sufficient width between edges and combined thickness, between the bottom surface of the layer of resilient material and the top surface of the layer of gel, to support a user'"'"'s wrists on the top surface of the layer of gel and afford significant motion, in a horizontal plane, of the top surface of the layer of gel with the supported wrists relative to the bottom surface of the layer of resilient material; and

a flexible outer cover extending about both the layers of gel and resilient material and sealed to the periphery of the base to permanently secure the layers of gel and resilient material relative to the base.

29. A multilayered resilient wrist rest assembly comprises:

an outer flexible cover sheet having a peripheral edge;

a layer of gel disposed under the cover sheet;

a discrete layer of resilient support material disposed under the layer of gel; and

a base structure, the peripheral edge of the cover sheet being bonded to the base structure to retain the layers of gel and resilient material therebetween.