Biomechanically low load computer mouse

• US 20040246231A1
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jennifer Astbury, Simon Large, Sophie Large
• Original Assignee: Toray Holdings Incorporated (Toray Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Large, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,145,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0333 Ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0334 Ergonomic shaped mouse for vertical grip, whereby the hand controlling the mouse is resting or gripping it with an attitude almost vertical with respect of the working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence

Abstract

A mouse which truly performs at a low load level, significantly reducing high statistics rates of damaged muscle tissue and severe injury. The mouse does not require lifting to get back into sync and can adjust to the varying hand structure of different users, and apply contour in effective areas as to support the hand in such a way that strain is concentrated on the larger muscles of the lower arm rather than specific muscles of the wrist and fingers.

Claims

1. A mouse apparatus that does not require gripping so having a low biomechanical load, said apparatus comprising:

a base, configured to be placed on a working surface,

a first housing, wherein said first housing has an inner surface and an outer surface, said outer surface having a thumb ledge; and

a second housing with a bottom surface, a second inner surface, and a second outer surface, wherein said bottom surface is in adjustable communication with said base.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a thumb rest protruding from said thumb ledge.

3. An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said thumb rest includes a concave thumb ledge.

4. An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said thumb rest is vertically adjustable manually by the user.

5. An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said thumb rest is adjustable automatically by an electromechanical actuator within the mouse device.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said second housing is adjustable in a substantially horizontal direction.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said second housing is manually adjustable by the user in a substantially horizontal direction relative to said first housing.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the relative positions of said first housing and said second housing can be dynamically adjusted by actuators acting under the control of a computer program.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a connector device.

10. An apparatus as in claim 9, wherein said connector device is selected from the group consisting of interlocking arches, a hinge, adjustable screw, screw, frictional positioner, pins, and hinge and pin set.

11. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said second housing is automatically adjustable in a substantially vertical direction by an electromechanical actuator within the mouse device.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a hand-cushioning supportive material in fixed contact with at least one of said first housing, said base, and said second housing.

14. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said inner surface comprises a plurality of continuous curved regions extending the length of said inner surface and said second inner surface comprises a second plurality of curved regions so as to form a mound portion and a gully portion.

15. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor that, in response to a trigger, activates or deactivates a mousing action.

16. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a sensor that can sense the presence of a users hand and allow for mousing when the users hand is present.

17. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a sensor wherein said sensor may be used to scroll the screen cursor in response to hand movement.

13. An apparatus as in claim 13, wherein said hand-cushioning supportive material is chosen from the group consisting of foam and gel.

18. An ergonomic computer mouse for translation over a horizontal stationary surface, said mouse comprising:

a generally horizontal bottom surface for stably and translatably positioning said mouse over said horizontal surface;

a first housing attached over said bottom surface, said first housing having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein said inner surface has a plurality of curved regions and said outer surface has a thumb-supporting surface;

a second housing movably attached over said bottom surface, 10 said second housing having a second inner surface and a second outer surface, said second inner surface having a plurality of curved regions, wherein said inner surface and said second inner surface form a mound region and a gully region, so that the hand of the user rests upon the mound region and said mouse is easily maneuvered while the hand is in a natural and relaxed position.

19. An apparatus as in claim 18, wherein said thumb-supporting surface includes a concave thumb ledge.

20. An apparatus as in claim 18, wherein said thumb rest is vertically adjustable manually by the user.

21. An apparatus as in claim 18, wherein said thumb rest is vertically adjustable automatically by an electromechanical actuator within the mouse device.

22. An apparatus as in claim 18, wherein said second housing is adjustable in a substantially horizontal direction.

23. An apparatus as in claim 18, wherein said second housing is manually adjustable by the user in a substantially horizontal direction relative to said first housing.

24. An apparatus as in claim 18, wherein the relative positions of said first housing and said second housing can be dynamically adjusted by actuators acting under the control of a computer program.

25. An apparatus as in claim 18, further comprising a connector device.

26. An apparatus as in claim 25, wherein said connector device is selected from the group consisting of interlocking arches, a hinge, adjustable screw, screw, frictional positioner, pins, and hinge and pin set.

27. An apparatus as in claim 18, wherein said second housing is adjustable in a substantially vertical direction and automatically by an electromechanical actuator within the mouse device.

28. An apparatus as in claim 18, further comprising a hand-cushioning supportive material in fixed contact with at least one of said first housing, said base, and said second housing.

29. An apparatus as in claim 18, further comprising at least one sensor that, in response to a trigger, activates or deactivates a mousing action.

30. An apparatus as in claim 18, further comprising a sensor that can sense the presence of a users hand and allow for mousing when the users hand is present.

31. An apparatus as in claim 18, further comprising a sensor, wherein said sensor may be used to scroll the screen cursor in response to hand movement.

32. An ergonomic mouse apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a base with a bottom side and a top side, wherein said bottom side is adapted to contact a planar working surface;

a first housing in fixed communication with said top side of said base, having;

an inner surface comprising a plurality of continuous curved regions extending the length of said inner surface in fixed connection With said top side of said base;

an outer surface opposing said inner surface, having a plurality of continuous curved regions including a thumb ledge region, a thumb height adjuster in fixed communication with said thumb ledge region and a concave thumb rest;

a second housing in adjustable communication with said top side of said base in communication with the outer portion of the hand of said user, wherein said second housing includes a second inner surface having a second plurality of curved regions and a second outer surface opposing said second inner surface, wherein said plurality of continuous curved regions of said inner surface of said first housing and said plurality of continuous curved regions of said inner surface of said second housing form a mound portion and a gully portion, so that at least a portion of the wrist, hypothenar eminence and outer portion of the little finger of a user rests in said gully portion, and the fingers may easily make contact with said mound portion such that said mouse is easily maneuvered while the hand is in a natural and relaxed position; and

a sensor that can sense the presence and size of a users hand, adjusting the position of said first housing and second housing and only allowing for mousing when the users hand is present.

33. An apparatus as in claim 32, wherein said thumb rest is vertically adjustable manually by the user.

34. An apparatus as in claim 32, wherein said thumb rest is vertically adjustable automatically by an electromechanical actuator within the mouse device.

35. An apparatus as in claim 32, wherein said second housing is adjustable in a substantially horizontal direction.

36. An apparatus as in claim 32, wherein said second housing is manually adjustable by the user in a substantially horizontal direction relative to said first housing.

37. An apparatus as in claim 32, wherein the relative positions of said first housing and said second housing can be dynamically adjusted by actuators acting under the control of a computer program.

38. An apparatus as in claim 32, further comprising a connector device selected from the group consisting of interlocking arches, a hinge, adjustable screw, screw, frictional positioner, pins, and hinge and pin set.

39. An apparatus as in claim 32, wherein said second housing is adjustable in a substantially vertical direction and automatically by an electromechanical actuator within the mouse device.

40. An apparatus as in claim 32, wherein said thumb height adjuster is an adjustment screw located in said thumb ledge region in substantially vertical adjustable communication with said thumb rest.

41. An apparatus as in claim 32, further comprising a supportive material in fixed contact with at least one of said first housing, said base, and said second housing.

42. An apparatus as in claim 32, further comprising a programmably motorized system in electrical communication with said second housing.

43. An apparatus as in claim 32, further comprising:

a biometric sensor adapted to continuously identify the presence user of the mouse and adjust said second housing accordingly.

44. An apparatus as in claim 32, further comprising:

at least one sensor incorporated within said mouse adapted to continuously detect contact of the user'"'"'s hand with a surface the mouse and only allow for mousing when the user'"'"'s hand is present.

45. A method for providing an automatically adjustable grip-less and biomechanically low load mouse, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a base with a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein said top portion has a first cavity therein an first adjustment assembly, a second cavity containing therein second adjustment assembly and said bottom portion is substantially flat for movement across a planar surface;

providing a first housing with an inner surface and outer surface, wherein said inner surface and said outer surface have a plurality of curved regions adapted to receive a portion of the of a users hand, wherein said first housing contains a portion of said first adjustment assembly and said first adjustment assembly senses the size and placement of said users hand and adjusts said first housing accordingly; and

providing a second housing with a second inner surface and a second outer surface, wherein said second inner surface and said second outer surface have a plurality of curved regions for the receipt of a portion of said users hand, wherein said second housing contains a portion of said second adjustment assembly and said second adjustment assembly senses the size and placement of a users hand and adjust said second housing accordingly.

46. A method as in claim 45, further comprising the step of:

providing a sensor contained within said mouse and in communication with a computer controlled program, wherein said sensor detects the presence of a users hand and allows said mouse to operate only when said users hand is in communication with said mouse.

47. A method as in claim 45, wherein said first housing and said second housing form a mound portion and a gully portion, said gully portion adapted to received at least a portion of one of the hypothenar eminence, wrist and outer portion of the little finger.

48. A method as in claim 45, further comprising the step of:

providing a vertically adjustable thumb rest extending from said outer portion of said first housing.

49. A method as in claim 45, further comprising the step of:

automatically sensing the position of said users thumb and adjusting said thumb rest.

50. A method as in claim 45, further comprising the step of:

automatically sensing the position of said users hand and adjusting said first housing accordingly.

51. A method as in claim 45, further comprising the step of:

automatically sensing the position of said users hand and adjusting said second housing accordingly.

52. A method as in claim 45, further comprising the step of:

providing a sensor that may be used to activate or deactivate mousing.

53. A method as in claim 45, further comprising the step of:

providing a biometric sensor adapted to continuously identify the present user of the mouse and adjust said first housing and said second housing accordingly.