Computer mouse with single-piece top and single-piece bottom
First Claim
1. A computer mouse housing for supporting a ball therein and exposing a portion of the ball to roll on a working surface, the housing comprising:
- a bottom including a bottom plate having an opening which is configured to expose a portion of the ball;
a top coupled with the bottom;
a ball support disposed between the top and the bottom for supporting the ball upon turning of the mouse housing upside down at a depth measured from the opening of the bottom plate to the center of the ball which drops toward the top away from the opening of the bottom, the depth being substantially greater than the radius of the ball.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer mouse includes a mouse housing for supporting a ball therein. The housing includes a top coupled with a bottom. The bottom includes a single-piece body without a belly door, and the top includes a single-piece body having at least one button formed integrally with the single-piece body. The bottom includes an opening having a size smaller than the diameter of the ball. The opening is sized to expose a portion of the ball to roll on a working surface. Rotational members such as encoding wheel shafts are disposed near the opening to contact the ball and rotate synchronously with the ball. A ball support is disposed between the top and the bottom for receiving the ball upon turning of the mouse housing upside down. The ball support has a sufficient depth to allow the ball to drop away from the opening in the bottom and to expose and render the at least one rotational member accessible from outside the housing through the opening. As a result, a cleaning instrument can be conveniently inserted through the opening to clean the rotational members in the housing without disassembly. In specific embodiments, the ball support is integrally formed with the top.
57 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer mouse housing for supporting a ball therein and exposing a portion of the ball to roll on a working surface, the housing comprising:
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a bottom including a bottom plate having an opening which is configured to expose a portion of the ball;
a top coupled with the bottom;
a ball support disposed between the top and the bottom for supporting the ball upon turning of the mouse housing upside down at a depth measured from the opening of the bottom plate to the center of the ball which drops toward the top away from the opening of the bottom, the depth being substantially greater than the radius of the ball. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18)
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12. A computer mouse housing for supporting a ball therein, the housing comprising:
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a single-piece bottom including an opening having a size smaller than the diameter of the ball, the opening being sized to expose a portion of the ball to roll on a working surface;
at least one rotational member disposed near the opening to contact the ball and rotate synchronously with the ball;
a top coupled with the bottom; and
a ball support disposed between the top and the bottom for receiving the ball upon turning of the mouse housing upside down to drop the ball toward the top away from the opening of the bottom, the ball support having a sufficient depth to allow the ball to drop away from the opening in the bottom and to expose and render the at least one rotational member accessible from outside the housing through the opening. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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19. A method of cleaning a computer mouse which includes a housing including a top coupled with a bottom, the bottom including an opening having a size smaller than the diameter of the ball to expose a portion of the ball to roll on a working surface, the mouse including a ball support disposed between the top and the bottom for supporting the ball upon turning of the mouse housing upside down, the mouse including at least one rotational member disposed near the opening to contact the ball and rotate synchronously with the ball, the method comprising:
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turning the mouse housing upside down to allow the ball to drop away from the opening in the bottom toward the top and be supported by the ball support at a sufficient depth from the opening of the bottom so as to expose the at least one rotational member; and
inserting a cleaning instrument through the opening to clean the at least one rotational member. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification