DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING A BODY PART

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for supporting a body part, in particular a wrist of a user, on a surface, for instance a work surface, which device is provided with at least one cushion and at least one writable medium connected thereto. The writable medium, which can take the form of a plurality of sheets bundled to form a block, can be connected releasably to the cushion. The sheets can herein be bundled to form a block by means of an adhesive edge which is arranged on the side of the block remote from the cushion and which has a contour fitting together well with the cushion.

Description: DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING A BODY PART The invention relates to a device for supporting a body part of a user on a surface. Such supporting devices are known and are used in particular to support parts of the arm of a user on a work surface so as to create an ergonomically responsible working posture and to prevent as far as possible the occurrence of fatigue. Known for instance are wrist supports which are placed along the front edge of a keyboard and on which, as the name already suggests, the user can rest his or her wrists during operation of the keyboard, and wrist supports which are combined with a so-called mouse mat to support the wrist during use of a computer mouse. A problem which increasingly occurs with work surfaces is that they become filled up with a large number of machines and accessories such that there no longer remains any working space thereon. This can be a problem particularly when notes have to be jotted down, for instance during a telephone conversation. The invention therefore has for its object to provide a desk accessory with which this problem is resolved. To this end the invention provides a device for supporting a body part, in particular a wrist, of a user on a surface, in particular a work surface, which device is provided with at least one cushion and at least one writable medium connected thereto. By combining the writable medium, which can take the form of for instance a number of sheets bundled to form a block, with the cushion on which the user rests his wrists, the user has available a note-pad which takes up little space, lies at a position which could anyway not be used for other activities and can moreover not be easily mislaid. In addition, a good working posture is enhanced by this note-pad, which is preferably placed on the side of the cushion remote from the keyboard. Preferred embodiments of the supporting device according to the invention are described in the dependent claims . The invention will now be elucidated on the basis of an embodiment, wherein reference is made to the annexed drawing which shows a perspective view of a supporting device according to the invention in combination with a keyboard. A device 1 for supporting the wrists of a user relative to a work surface 2 comprises a housing 6 on which is arranged a cushion 5. This latter is elongate and has dimensions in longitudinal direction roughly corresponding with the width of a keyboard 3 of a computer 4. On the side of the cushion 5 remote from keyboard 3 the housing 6 is provided with a surface 14 on which is arranged a medium 7 on which can be written. This writable medium 7 is formed by a large number of sheets 8 which are mutually connected to form a block by means of an adhesive backing 9. This adhesive backing 9 is herein arranged on the side of sheets 8 remote from cushion 5 and therefore directed toward the user, whereby a robust block is obtained. In the shown embodiment the adhesive backing 9 does not lie transversely of surface 14 but has a slightly sloping or curved form such that the shape of the block fits well with that of cushion 5. If preferred however with an eye to production cost, the adhesive backing 9 could simply take a right-angled form. Housing 6 is provided on the side remote from writable medium 7 with means 10 for connecting cushion 5 to keyboard 3. In the shown embodiment the connecting means 10 are formed by a protruding part on which rests the side of the keyboard 3 directed toward the user. Supporting device 1 is hereby clamped under keyboard 3. Connecting means 10 could however also be formed by a plate extending under the whole keyboard 3 or by a compartment in which keyboard 3 could be received. Connecting means 10 could however also be omitted, whereby supporting device 1 could be removed in simple manner and will then take up relatively little space. The writable medium 7 in the form of a block is releasably connected to the rest of supporting device 1. The block is provided for this purpose with a bottom board 12 which protrudes beyond the end edge of sheets 8 and the protruding end part of which can be pushed and clamped into a slot 13 of housing 6. Other methods of connecting the block to housing 6 can also be envisaged. Protrusions could for instance be arranged on surface 14 of housing 6 and bottom board 12 of the block could be provided with corresponding recesses . A further accommodation space could also be left clear in housing 6 under the writable medium 7, in which space small loose objects such as pens, paperclips and the like can for instance be stored. A spare block could also be kept in this space. Although the invention is described above with reference to one embodiment, it will be apparent to the skilled person that the invention is not limited thereto. The scope of the invention is defined solely by the appended claims .

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Device for supporting a body part of a user on a surface, provided with at least one cushion and at least one writable medium connected thereto. 2. Supporting device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the writable medium is releasably connected to the cushion. 3. Supporting device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the writable medium takes the form of a sheet . 4. Supporting device as claimed in claim 3, characterized by a plurality of sheets bundled to form a block. 5. Supporting device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the sheets are bundled to form a block by means of an adhesive edge arranged on the side of the block remote from the cushion. 6. Supporting device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the adhesive edge has a contour fitting together well with the cushion. 7. Supporting device as claimed in any of the claims 4-6, characterized in that the block is connected to the cushion by means of a clamp or hook connection. 8. Supporting device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the surface is a work surface and the device is intended to support the wrist of the user. 9. Supporting device as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the cushion is elongate and the writable medium is arranged along a long side of the cushion. 10. Supporting device as claimed in claim 8 or 9, characterized by means for connecting the cushion to a machine to be operated by the user. 11. Supporting device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the connecting means are arranged on the side of the cushion located opposite the writable medium. 12. Supporting device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the connecting means have a protruding edge for clamping under the machine. 13. Cushion evidently intended for use in a supporting device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims . 14. Writable medium evidently intended for use in a supporting device as claimed in any of the claims 1- 12.

Inventors: STEINHAGE CHRISTOFFEL CAROLUS, VAN KOULIL PETRUS MARINUS JOHA, VAN KOULIL-STEINHAGE JOHANNA E, STEINHAGE, CHRISTOFFEL, CAROLUS, MARIA, VAN KOULIL, PETRUS, MARINUS, JOHANNES, VAN KOULIL-STEINHAGE, JOHANNA, ELISABETH, CORNELIA, MARIA
Applicants: KOULIL PETRUS MARINUS JOHANNES, KOULIL STEINHAGE JOHANNA ELISA, STEINHAGE CHRISTOFFEL CAROLUS, STEINHAGE, CHRISTOFFEL, CAROLUS, MARIA, VAN KOULIL, PETRUS, MARINUS, JOHANNES, VAN KOULIL-STEINHAGE, JOHANNA, ELISABETH, CORNELIA, MARIA
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A47B21
IPC codes: A47B21