Pivoting keyboard and mouse tray

• US 7,516,923 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jaco, Inc. (GCX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jaco, Inc. (GCX Corporation)
• Inventors: Rossini, Alfred P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUCKWORTH, BRADLEY
• Application Number:
  US11/122,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20050247830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 248/118, 248/118.3
• US Class Current: 248/118
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/0321 Keyboard supports
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/0335 mounted under the worksurface
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/035 having double articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/0314 Platforms for supporting office equipment

Abstract

A pivoting keyboard and mouse tray for attachment to a support structure such as a mobile computer cart. The device includes a keyboard tray adapted to hold a keyboard, a mechanical structure for coupling the keyboard tray to the support structure, one or more hinges between the keyboard tray and the mechanical structure to allow the keyboard tray to be pivoted relative to the support structure and maintain the keyboard tray in the pivoted position, and one or more mouse trays integral with or coupled to the keyboard tray.

Claims

1. A support structure comprising:

a substantially horizontal work surface comprising a top side, a bottom side, a front edge, a back edge opposite the front edge, and two opposed side edges, and defining a substantially horizontal plane;

a keyboard tray adapted to hold a keyboard and comprising a top side, a bottom side, a front edge, a back edge opposite the front edge, and two opposed side edges;

an extension member comprising a top side, a bottom side, a front edge, a back edge opposite the front edge, and two opposed side edges, wherein the top side of the extension member is coupled to the bottom side of the keyboard tray, and wherein the bottom side of the extension member further comprises two arc-shaped slots, a first arc-shaped slot located below and proximate one of the side edges of the keyboard tray and a second arc-shaped slot located below and proximate the opposed side edge of the keyboard tray;

an arm comprising first and second side members, an edge member, and a pair of flanges, wherein each of the side members is each generally “

L”

shaped and comprise a first end and a second end, and wherein the side members are spaced apart and generally parallel to each other, and

wherein the first ends of the side members are each coupled to one end of the edge member and the second ends of the side members are each coupled to one of the flanges, and

wherein the flanges are fixedly and non-pivotably coupled to the bottom side of the work surface, so as to position the keyboard tray in a substantially horizontal plane below the substantially horizontal plane defined by the work surface;

one or more collinear torque hinges coupled to the bottom side of the extension member at a location proximate the back edge of the keyboard tray, the one or more hinges having sufficient resistance to maintain the position of the keyboard tray and allow the keyboard tray to pivot relative to the edge member of the arm along a range of motion from a substantially vertical downward position relative to the support structure up to a position beyond horizontal relative to the support structure, wherein the extension member is adapted to couple the one or more hinges to the keyboard tray without interfering with the top side of the keyboard tray; and

two mouse trays, a first mouse tray coupled to the bottom side of the extension member proximate one of the side edges of the keyboard tray and a second mouse tray coupled to the bottom side of the extension member proximate the opposed side edge of the keyboard tray, each mouse tray having a top side, a bottom side, a front edge, a back edge opposite the front edge, and two opposed side edges,

wherein each of the mouse trays further comprises a projection located on the top side of the mouse tray and proximate the side edge of the mouse tray closest to the keyboard tray and adapted to couple the mouse tray to the extension member, and a pin located on the top side of the mouse tray proximate the side edge of the mouse tray closest to the keyboard tray and adapted to ride in the arc-shaped slot in the extension member,

wherein each of the mouse trays is adapted to pivot relative to the keyboard tray about the projection from a retracted position where the mouse tray is stowed under the keyboard tray through to an extended position where the front edge of the mouse tray is generally parallel to the front edge of the keyboard tray, and

wherein the extended and retracted positions of each mouse tray are defined by contact of the pin with the ends of one of the arc-shaped slots.

2. The support structure of claim 1, wherein each mouse tray further comprises a rod assembly coupled to the bottom side of the mouse tray, wherein the rod assembly comprises a rod having a distal portion proximate the back edge of the mouse tray and adapted to assist in maintaining a mouse on the mouse tray.

3. The support structure of claim 2, wherein each mouse tray further comprises a tab projecting up from the back edge of the mouse tray and adapted to form a gap between the tab and the distal portion of the rod to assist in positioning a cable coupled to the mouse.

4. The support structure of claim 1, further comprising a handle located on the bottom side of the mouse tray and adapted to provide a grasping point for pivoting the mouse tray between the extended and retracted positions.