Mouse pad

A mouse pad which enables a mouse to be manipulated more easily and gives less fatigue to the wrist. A mouse pad (A) has a surface portion (10) and a thick base portion (20), the surface portion (10) having a mouse running surface (10a) inclined relative to a back surface of the thick base portion (20). The surface portion (10) is formed of vinyl chloride or a leather material, and thick base portion (20) is formed of a shock absorbing material such as urethane foam or the like.

TECHNICAL FIELD
 The present invention relates to a mouse pad, on the surface of which a
 mouse for use with computers for input operation is manipulated to run.
 BACKGROUND ART
 A mouse is a box-shaped input device including a ball arranged therein to
 expose from the bottom side, and is used primarily with personal
 computers. The mouse is manipulated to run on the surface of a desk or the
 like when used. A mouse pad is also often employed to make the mouse run
 in a more stable manner and to achieve accurate input operation. As shown
 in FIG. 5, a conventional mouse pad B is formed of a plate being
 substantially uniform in thickness, and is made of vinyl chloride or the
 like.
 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
 However, because the conventional mouse pad is formed of a plate being
 substantially uniform in thickness, there have been such problems that a
 mouse is not satisfactorily easy to manipulate and the user's wrist is
 fatigued. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the wrist is bent inward
 (downward) from the normal state during manipulation of the mouse. An
 angle Q (see FIG. 5) between the arm and the hand is larger than the
 normal angle. This means that the user manipulates the mouse while the
 wrist is in the unnatural state. As a result, the mouse is not
 satisfactorily easy to manipulate and the wrist is fatigued. In
 particular, continuing manipulation of the mouse for a long time, while
 the wrist is in the unnatural state, makes the wrist much fatigued.
 It is therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a mouse
 pad which enables a mouse to be manipulated more easily and gives less
 fatigue to the wrist.
 The present invention has been accomplished with the view of solving the
 problems set forth above. According to a first aspect of the present
 invention, in a mouse pad for use in manipulating a mouse, the mouse pad
 has a mouse running surface on the front side on which the mouse runs, and
 a back surface on the back side brought into contact with a set surface on
 which the mouse pad is placed, the mouse running surface being inclined
 relative to the rear surface of the mouse pad.
 In use of the mouse pad according to the first aspect, the mouse is placed
 on the mouse running surface and then manipulated. Since the mouse running
 surface is inclined relative to the back surface of the mouse pad, the
 user can manipulate the mouse with the wrist kept in the natural state.
 Therefore, the mouse is easier to manipulate and the wrist is less
 fatigued. In other words, the so-called "slope effect" can be developed
 from the ergonomic point of view.
 According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a mouse pad for
 use in manipulating a mouse, the mouse pad has a mouse running surface on
 which the mouse runs, the mouse running surface being inclined relative to
 a set surface on which the mouse pad is placed.
 In use of the mouse pad according to the second aspect, the mouse is placed
 on the mouse running surface and then manipulated. Since the mouse running
 surface is inclined relative to the set surface, the user can manipulate
 the mouse with the wrist kept in the natural state. Therefore, the mouse
 is easier to manipulate and the wrist is less fatigued. In other words,
 the so-called "slope effect" can be developed from the ergonomic point of
 view.
 According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the mouse pad
 according to the first or second aspect, the mouse pad is triangular or
 trapezoidal in sectional shape.
 According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the mouse pad
 according to any one of the first to third aspects, the mouse running
 surface is substantially rectangular and planar.
 According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the mouse pad
 according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the mouse pad
 comprises a surface portion having the mouse running surface, and a thick
 base portion having the back surface brought into contact with the set
 surface on which the mouse pad is placed, the surface portion being made
 of vinyl chloride or a leather material, the thick base portion being made
 of a shock absorbing material.
 In the mouse pad according to the fifth aspect, the mouse pad comprises the
 surface portion and the thick base portion, the surface portion being
 formed of vinyl chloride or a leather material, thick base portion being
 formed of a shock absorbing material. Therefore, the mouse is able to run
 on the mouse pad with stability.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUR THE INVENTION
 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with
 reference to the drawings.
 A mouse pad A according to the present invention is constructed as shown in
 FIGS. 1 and 2, and comprises a surface portion 10 and a thick base portion
 20. The surface portion 10 is in the form of a sheet of which surface
 provides a planar mouse running surface 10a. More specifically, the
 surface portion 10 is formed of a substantially rectangular sheet having
 rounded corners and being uniform in thickness. The surface portion 10 is
 made of, e.g., vinyl chloride or a leather material. Examples of other
 materials usable as the surface portion 10 include cloth, unwoven cloth,
 synthetic leather, polypropylene, paper, etc.
 The thick base portion 20 is substantially in the form of a plate having an
 upper surface inclined relative to a back (bottom) surface 20a thereof. As
 shown in FIG. 2, the thick base portion 20 is substantially trapezoidal
 when viewed from a side. A sectional shape of the thick base portion 20 is
 also substantially trapezoidal. It is to be noted that the thick base
 portion 20 may be triangle in side and sectional views.
 An angle, at which the mouse running surface is inclined relative to the
 back surface of the thick base portion 20 or to a set surface on which the
 mouse pad is placed, is optional. Theoretically, the angle may be set
 within the range of 3.degree. to 45.degree.. Considering the manner in
 which the mouse pad is used in practice at present, an appropriate range
 of the angle is from 3.degree. to 10.degree. in which the mouse pad can
 maintain the so-called "slope effect".
 In the above appropriate range, the angle at which the "slope effect" is
 developed most conveniently from the ergonomic point of view is 6.degree.
 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A mouse pad having the inclination angle of
 6.degree. is planned to commercialize as, for example, "Nanamekun"
 (trademark pending, by KITAJIMA CRAFT LTD.).
 When the mouse pad is employed in the special situation, the inclination
 angle can be set to be larger than 10.degree..
 Further, when the thickness of the mouse pad is set to be within 10 mm, for
 example, in order to comply with the code of ordinary mail in Japan, the
 inclination angle is about 3.degree. and the mouse pad is in the form of a
 nearly flat plate, taking into account the usual area of mouse pads. The
 inclination angle of 3.degree. is a minimum limit at which the so-called
 "slope effect" can be least maintained with the manner in which the mouse
 pad is used in practice at present.
 The thick base portion 20 is made of a shock absorbing material such as
 polyurethane foam or the like. In addition to polyurethane foam, the
 material of the base portion may be any of synthetic resin foams such as
 polyurethane foam and synthetic resin sponges, plastics such as acrylic
 resin, vinyl chloride resin and polypropylene, metals such as iron and
 aluminum, ceramic ware such as ceramics and glass, and natural materials
 such as leather and wood. In the case of using a metal, wood or the like
 as the material of the thick base portion 20, the surface of the mouse pad
 can be inclined three-dimensionally by any suitable means such as slicing
 or assembling. A resulting space may be utilized to bury a high-tech part
 such as a sensor, a clock or a liquid crystal therein.
 The surface portion 10 and the thick base portion 20 are joined together by
 bonding the back surface of the surface portion 10 to the upper surface of
 the thick base portion 20. In other words, looking the mouse pad A as one
 unitized structure in its entirety, the mouse running surface 10a defined
 by the surface of the mouse pad A is inclined relative to the back surface
 10a of the thick base portion 20.
 The manner of usage of the mouse pad A having the above-described
 construction will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
 The mouse pad A is placed, as shown in FIG. 4, on a predetermined set
 surface S given by the surface of a desk, a table or the like. In a state
 shown in FIG. 4, the mouse running surface 10a is sloped down toward the
 user, and a wall surface 20b of the thick base portion 20 is positioned on
 the side away from the user. A mouse M is then placed on the mouse running
 surface 10a defined by the surface of the mouse pad A. The user
 manipulates the mouse M by grasping it with the hand as shown in FIG. 3.
 During the manipulation, since the mouse running surface 10a of the mouse
 pad A is sloped down toward the user, an angle P formed between the arm
 and the hand is smaller than the angle Q (see FIG. 5) in the case of using
 the conventional mouse pad, as shown in FIG. 4, thus resulting in that the
 wrist is kept in the natural state. Accordingly, the mouse is easier to
 manipulate and the wrist is less fatigued. Note that the inclination angle
 of the mouse pad A shown in FIG. 4 is somewhat exaggerated to more clearly
 illustrate the bent condition of the wrist.
 As an alternative manner of usage, the mouse pad A may be used in such an
 orientation that the mouse running surface 10a is slowed down in an
 opposite direction. Specifically, the wall surface 20b of the thick base
 portion 20 is positioned to face the user, and the top end of the mouse
 pad A is located on the side close to the user. Then, the user manipulates
 the mouse M on the mouse running surface 10a by the fingers with the wrist
 rested on the top end of the mouse pad A. This condition makes the wrist
 less fatigued because it is not needed for the user to hold the wrist
 floated while manipulating the mouse M.
 Further, since the surface portion 10 is formed of a vinyl chloride resin,
 a leather material or the like and the thick base portion 20 is formed of
 a shock absorbing material such as urethane foam or the like, the mouse
 can be run with stability. Also, the mouse pad may be given with a
 non-slip function by additionally applying a suitable material to the back
 surface thereof (i.e., a placement surface of the mouse pad).
 While the mouse pad A has been described as being substantially rectangular
 in a plan view, it may have any other suitable shape such as a circle,
 ellipse, heart or triangle, for example, so long as the mouse is able to
 run on the mouse pad. Further, an outer periphery of the mouse pad may be
 trimmed into an irregular shape, for example, so that the mouse pad has a
 change in its outer configuration.
 Moreover, while the mouse pad A has been described as being of a
 two-layered structure comprising the surface portion 10 and the thick base
 portion 20, it may be of a one-layer structure or three or more-layered
 structure.
 INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
 With the mouse pad of claim 1 according to the present invention, since the
 mouse running surface is inclined relative to the back surface of the
 mouse pad, the user can manipulate the mouse with the wrist kept in the
 natural state. As a result, the mouse is easier to manipulate and the
 wrist is less fatigued.
 With the mouse pad of claim 2, since the mouse running surface is inclined
 relative to the set surface on which the mouse pad is placed, the user can
 manipulate the mouse with the wrist kept in the natural state. As a
 result, the mouse is easier to manipulate and the wrist is less fatigued.
 Particularly, with the mouse pad of claim 5, since the mouse pad comprises
 the surface portion and the thick base portion, the surface portion being
 formed of vinyl chloride or a leather material, thick base portion being
 formed of a shock absorbing material, the mouse is able to run on the
 mouse pad with stability.
 It is further possible to additionally give the mouse pad of the present
 invention with a new function to serve as a small ornamental article,
 which contributes to providing a relaxed atmosphere or a mentally stable
 feel, by utilizing the three-dimensional structure of the pad. For
 example, original mouse pads may be produced in small lot by using unwoven
 cloth adaptable for printing as the material of the upper surface portion,
 and printing favorite figures, patterns, marks thereon by digital printing
 or any other suitable means. Alternatively, when the mouse pad is not
 used, it may serve as an interior ornament such as a mural decoration by
 using a high quality material (for both the upper surface portion and the
 base portion) and machining a hanging hole in an appropriate position of
 the mouse pad.