KEYBOARD SUPPORT MECHANISM

Abstract: A keyboard support mechanism (10) employs a mounting member (12) adapted to be fixed to a base (14), such as a desk or table top; a support (18, 34) adapted to support a keyboard; an upper link (30) having its front and rear ends connected to the support (18, 34) and the mounting member (12) by first pivot means (38) and second pivot means (40); a lower link (32) having its front end connected to the support (18, 34) by a third pivot means (42) and its rear end formed with a bearing surface (32b) slidably and pivotally engaging the second pivot means (40); and the rear end of the lower link (32) having an upwardly facing curved locking surface (32f) for engagement with a surface of the mounting member (12) for selectively maintaining the support (18, 34) at a desired vertical position relative to the mounting member (12).

Description: KEYBOARD SUPPORT MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF. THE INVENTION It is well known to provide a support mechanism including a four bar or parrallelogram linkage to support an art device, such as a keyboard, for vertically swinging movement relative to a base, such as a wall, desk top or table top, between lower and upper use positions; and a locking device to releasably retain the art device in a desired position. Typically, the linkage includes upper and lower links, a first end link for mounting a keyboard support, a second end link fixed to the base and pivot connections for pivotally connecting the ends of the links for pivotal movement about four parallel pivot axes; and the locking device includes a pair of cooperating members carried by the links . In a commonly assigned patent application entitled KEYBOARD MOUNTING MECHANISM and filed November 5, 1998, there is disclosed an improved mechanism, wherein a parallelogram linkage is pivotally mounting by one of its pivot connections on a separate base mounting member, and a locking device includes members carried by the linkage and mounting member. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present convention is directed to an improved keyboard support mechanism in which a three-bar linkage is employed in place of a conventional four-bar linkage for mounting a keyboard support for vertical swinging movement relative to a base in combination with a locking mechanism releasable for permitting vertical movement of the keyboard support upon the application of a lifting force thereto. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The nature and mode of operation of the present invention will now be more fully described in the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a keyboard support mechanism of the present invention while disposed in a lower use position; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a keyboard support mechanism of the present invention while disposed in upper use position; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 5-5 and Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 6-6 in Fig. 4, but showing the mechanism swung upwardly into its upper use position of Fig. 2; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 7-7 in Fig. 4, but showing the mechanism in an intermediate position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference is first made to Figs. 1 and 2, wherein a keyboard supporting mechanism of the present invention is generally designated as 10 and shown as including a mounting member 12 adapted to be fixed to a base, such as a table or desk top or other work surface shown in broken line as 14; and a three bar linkage 16 having a first or front end 16a for mounting a keyboard support shown in broken line at 18 and a second or rear end 16b connected to mounting member 12 for permitting vertical swinging movement of the three bar linkage and thus keyboard support relative to the mounting member between lowermost and uppermost use positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively. Mounting member 12 is shown as being in the form of an inverted U-shaped bracket having side walls 20,20 and a connecting top wall 22. As is conventional, top wall 22 may be suspended below base 14 by an intermediate bracket 24 for pivotal movement about a vertically disposed axis or for both pivotal movement and sliding movement normal to the base front edge 14a by a base affixed guide track, which is generally designated at 28 and enclosed at its front end with a track guard 28a. Alternatively, top wall 22 may be non-movably fixed directly to the lower surface of base 14. Bracket side walls 20,20 are formed with aligned bore openings 20a, 20a, and inturned flanges 20b, 20b, which serve to define aligned and rearwardly facing, abutment surfaces 20c, 20c. Bracket top wall 22 is provided with a downwardly facing surface 22b. Three bar linkage 16 .is shown as including an inverted U- shaped upper or first link 30; a pair of lower or second links 32,32; a first end or third link 34 adapted to be suitably fixed to keyboard support 18; and first, second and third pivot connections 38, 40 and 42, respectively, serving to pivotally interconnect the links for relative pivotal or swinging movement about parallel axes. As will be apparent, a pair of links may replace upper link 30, and a single link may replace the pair of lower links 32, 32. Upper link 30 has a connecting flange 30a defining a lower abutment surface 30b; and a pair of parallel side wall flanges 30c, 30c, which are formed adjacent linkage first end 16a with a pair of aligned bore openings 30d,30d and adjacent linkage second end with a pair of aligned bore openings 30e,30e. Lower links 32,32 are formed adjacent linkage first end 16a with a pair of aligned bore openings 32a, 32a; and adjacent linkage second end 16b with pairs of aligned bearing openings 32b, 32b, which define bearing surfaces 32c, 32c and end abutment surfaces 32d, 32d; downwardly projecting abutment fingers 32e,32e; and curved edge surfaces 32f,32f . First and link 34 is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 as having a pair of generally L-shaped side wall flanges 34a, 34a formed with a pair of upper, aligned bore openings 34b, 34b and a pair of lower, aligned bore openings 34c, 34c; and a connecting flange 34d. Side wall flanges 34a, 34a are provided with mounting openings, not shown, for attachment of support 18. Alternatively, first end link 34 may be employed solely to pivotally couple upper link 30 to lower links 32, and a separate intermediate link, not shown, employed to couple support 18 to pivot connections 38 and 42 in order to permit adjustable negative and positive tilting movements of the support relative to linkage first end 16a, as disclosed in above-mentioned commonly-assigned patent application whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. The term negative tilt means tilting of support 18 away from an operator or clockwise of linkage end 16a, as viewed in Fig. 1, and positive tilt means tilting towards the operator. First pivot connection 18 is preferably defined by fitting a first pivot pin 38a within bore openings 30d, 30d and 34b, 34b. Second pivot connection 40 is preferably defined by fitting a second pivot pin 40a within bore openings 20a, 20a and 30e, 30e and third pivot connection 42 is preferably defined by fitting a third pivot pin 42a within bore openings 32a, 32a and 34c, 34c. Second pivot pin 40a is also arranged to pass through bearing openings 32b, 32b. While one or more of pivot pins 38a, 40a and 42a may be replaced by pairs of short, axially aligned stub pivot shafts, it is preferable to employ the illustrated elongated, pivot pin arrangement in view of strength considerations, and for the case of second pivot pin 40a to provide means for mounting a coil spring 50 having opposite ends 50a and 50b arranged to bear on mounting member surface 22b and upper link lower surface 30b, respectively. Spring 50 may be employed to counterbalance a portion of the weight of linkage 16 and support 18 in order to facilitate lifting of the support by an operator. Mechanism 10 additionally includes a locking device 60, which is adapted lock support 18 in a desired use position under the influence of gravity and to be released or unlocked to permit downward movement of the support by the application of a manual lifting force to the support . In the presently preferred construction, bearing surfaces 32c, 32c are downwardly facing, concave surfaces arranged for sliding movement transversely of and pivotal movement about pivot pin 40a; and locking device includes a first locking surface defined by upwardly facing convex link surfaces 32f, 32f and a second locking surface defined by planar and downwardly facing mounting member surface 22b. Preferably, bearing surfaces 32c, 32c and locking surfaces 32f,32f are concentric and arranged relative to locking surface 22d, so as to enable the present three-bar linkage to function as a parallelogram linkage, wherein the whole of linkage swings about single pivot 40a and support 18 is disposed in essentially constant attitude, which is preferably horizontal, in all of its vertically spaced use positions. Specifically, this may be achieved by an arrangement shown in Fig. 7, wherein the center of pivot pin 40a; bearing surfaces 32c, 32c; and locking surfaces 32f,32f are spaced through distances Ri , R 2 and R 3 from a given center of curvature C. The placement of center of curvature C corresponds to that of a fourth pivot axis of a parallelogram linkage, which would be formed by adding a fourth link, not shown, to the three-bar linkage defined by first link 30, second link 32, and first end link 34, that is, a four-bar linkage where the length of second link 32, as measured between the axis of pivot pin 42a and the axis of such fourth pivot pin, is equal to the length of first link 30, as measured between the axes of pivot pins 38a and 40a, and the length of such fourth link, as measured between the axes of pivot pin 40a and such four pivot pin, is equal to the length of first end link 34, as measured between the axes of first pivot pin 38a and third pivot pin 40a. Having established the value of Ri, the value of R 2 can be determined by selection of the diameter of pivot pin 40a. For a given set of values of the distances between the axis of second pivot pin 40a and surface 22b, and between the axis of the second pivot pin and center of curvature C, the value of R 3 may be selected on a trial and error basis, so as to cause support 18 to assume an essentially horizontal attitude in its various use positions. For smaller values of R 3 , support 18 would be forced to assume a positive tilt, and for larger values of R 3 , the support would be forced to assume a negative tilt. It is contemplated that the above values may be made larger and smaller and the above surfaces changed in a multitude of ways in order to provide desired constant or variable orientations of support 18 in its lower and upper use positions, as well as all positions therebetween. To facilitate description of the operation of mechanism 10, as thus far described, it will be assumed that keyboard support 18 resides in its above described lowermost use position shown in Fig. 1. In this position, the right hand end of locking surfaces 32d, 32d engage with surface 22b; the right hand of bearing surfaces 32c, 32c and end abutment surfaces 32d, 32d engage with second pivot pin 40a; and the upper surface of support 18 lies essentially horizontal. Two possible modes of operation are presented for purposes of moving support 18 upwardly into -a selected use position, namely, an operator may grip and lift the support while maintaining same in its original horizontal orientation, or an operator may simply lift the support, while permitting the support to assume a negative tilt, as an incident to which locking surfaces 32d, 32d are swung away from locking engagement with locking surface 22b in a direction extending clockwise about a point of engagement of surfaces 32c, 32c with pivot pin 40a, as viewed in Fig. 5. The extent of negative tilt may be limited for instance by engagement of the ends of fingers 32e,32e with abutment surfaces 20c, 20c. In the first mode of operation, the locking surfaces 32d, 32d slide forwardly across locking surface 22b and the force of gravity is effective to automatically lock support 18 in any elevated use position whenever the lifting force is removed. In the second mode of operation, it is necessary for an operator to tilt support 18. forwardly or in a positive sense about the axis of first pivot pin 38a to again assume its initial horizontal attitude, when a desired use position has been reached and before releasing the lifting force, since lower link locking surfaces are not returned for locking engagement with locking surface 22b until the support is returned to its initial horizontal attitude. In either mode of operation, the portions of locking surfaces 32d, 32d presented for contact with surface 22b for locking purposes, and of bearing surfaces 32c, 32c presented for engagement with pivot pin 40a, progressively move to the left, or counterclockwise, as sequentially viewed in Figs. 5, 7 and 6, until the uppermost use position is reached. This latter position may be variously defined, as for example, by engagement of link 30 with track guard 28a. When it is desired to move support 18 downwardly into a lower use position, an operator is required to grip the support and then tilt same rearwardly or in the direction of negative tilt sufficiently to remove lower link surfaces 32d, 32d from locking engagement with surface 22b, lower the support to a desired use position, and then tilt the support forwardly to again assume its horizontal attitude in order to effect reengagement of locking surfaces 32d, 32d with locking surface 22b. While the present invention is particularly adapted for mounting a keyboard, it will be understood that it is equally adapted for supporting any other art device, such as a work surface for use as a writing surface, or for supporting a mouse pad, which is desired to be moved vertically between a number of use positions .

Claims: What is claimed is: 1. A mechanism for mounting a support for an art device for vertical swinging movement relative to a base comprising: a mounting member adapted for connection to said base; a first link having a first end coupled by a first pivot means to said support for pivotal movement about a first axis and a second end coupled by a second pivot means to said mounting member for pivotal movement about a second axis, a second link having a first end coupled by a third pivot means to said support for pivotal movement about a third axis disposed parallel to said first and second axes and a second end engaging said second pivot means for sliding movement transversely of and for pivotal movement about said second axis, said first and second links supporting said support for vertical swinging movement relative to said mounting member between lower and upper positions; and locking means responsive to a gravity for retaining said support in a selected vertical position and responsive to a lifting force applied to said support for releasing said support for lowering movement towards said lower position. 2. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said the attitude of said support is essentially constant throughout the extent of movement thereof between said lower and upper positions. 3. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said locking means includes a pair of locking surfaces gravitationally biased into locking engagement with one another . 4. A mechanism according to claim 3, wherein said locking surfaces are adapted to frictionally engage with one another. 5. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said locking means includes a first locking surface carried by said second link and a second locking surface carried by said mounting member. 6. A mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said locking surfaces are adapted to frictionally engage with one another. 7. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said second pivot means includes a pivot pin received within aligned bearing openings in said first link and said mounting member and an opening in said second link defining a bearing surface arranged for sliding and pivotal engagement with said pivot pin. 8. A mechanism according to claim 7, said locking means includes a first upwardly facing locking surface carried by said second link and a second downwardly facing locking surface carried by said mounting member. 9. A mechanism according to claim 8, wherein said locking surfaces are adapted to frictionally engage with each other. 10. A mechanism according to claim 7, wherein said bearing surface is a concave surface; and said locking means includes an essentially planar downwardly facing locking surface on said mounting member and a convex upwardly facing locking surface on said second link and arranged to removably frictionally engage with said locking surface of said mounting member to releasably lock said support in a position intermediate lower and upper positions. 11. A mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said bearing and convex locking surfaces are essentially concentric and arranged to maintain said support in essentially a horizontal attitude in said lower and upper positions and positions therebetween. 12. A mechanism for mounting an art device for vertical swinging movement relative to a base comprising: a mounting member for attachment to said base and defining a downwardly facing locking surface; a support means for said art device; a first link having a first end connected to said support means by a first pivot means and a second end connected to said mounting member by a second pivot means; a second link having a first end connected to said support means by a third pivot means and a second end having a bearing surface and a locking surface, said first, second and third pivot means defining spaced and parallel first, second and third pivot axes, respectively, said bearing surface being arranged for engagement with said second pivot means, said link locking surface being arranged to removably engage with said mounting member locking surface, the force of gravity tending to swing said link locking surface into engagement with said mounting member locking surface about a point of engagement of said bearing surface with said second pivot means for releasably retaining said first link against downwardly directed swinging movement about said second pivot axis, and said link locking surface is removed from locking engagement with said mounting member locking surface to permit downwardly directed swinging movement of said first link about said second pivot axis by manual application of lifting force to said support means. 13. A mechanism according to claim 12, wherein said bearing surface is defined by an edge of a slot having one end engageable with said second pivot means for defining a limit of said downwardly directed swinging movement of said first link. 14. A mechanism according to claim 12, wherein said bearing surface and said link locking surface are curved and said mounting member locking surface is essentially planar. 15. A mechanism according to claim 14, wherein said bearing surface and said link locking surface are essentially concentric and are arranged to maintain said support means in an essentially horizontal attitude in vertical positions thereof in which said first link is retained against said downwardly directed swinging movement . 16. A mechanism according to claim 15, wherein said bearing surface is defined by a slot having one end arranged to engage with said second pivot means for defining a limit of said downwardly directed swinging movement of said first link. 17. A mechanism according to claim 12, wherein said second link and said mounting member are provided with removably engaging abutments for limiting negative tilting movement of said support means about said first pivot axis. 18. A mechanism according to claim 12, wherein said second pivot means is a pivot pin received within bore openings of said mounting member and said second end of said first link and an opening in said second end of said second link, said opening in said second link having a downwardly facing edge defining said bearing surface. 19. A mechanism according to claim 18, wherein said bearing surface and said link locking surface are curved and said mounting member locking surface is essentially planar. 20. A mechanism according to claim 19, wherein said bearing surface and said link locking surface are essentially concentric and are arranged to maintain said support means in an essentially horizontal attitude in vertical positions thereof in which said first link is retained against said downwardly directed swinging movement . 21. A mechanism according to claim 20, wherein said opening in said second link has an end arranged for engagement with said pivot pin to define a limit of said downwardly swinging movement of said first link. 22. A mechanism according to claim 21, wherein said second link and said mounting member are provided with removably engaging abutments for limiting negative swinging movement of said support means about said first pivot axis. 23. In a mechanism for mounting an art device for vertical movement relative to a base, the improvement comprising: a mounting member for attachment to said base; a support for said art device; an upper link having first and second ends; a lower link having first and second ends; said first ends of said links being pivotally connected to said support for relative pivotal movement about parallel pivot axes, said second end of said upper link being supported by a pivot pin on said mounting member for relative pivotal movement about a pivot axis parallel to said axes, said second end of said lower link having a bearing surface arranged to slidably and pivotally engage with said pivot pin; and locking means having a first locking surface carried by said lower link and a second locking surface carried by said mounting member, said first locking surface being biased by gravity to engage with said second locking surface for retaining said support in a selected vertical position relative to said mounting member, and said first locking surface being released from engagement with said second locking surface by the application of manual lifting force to said support. 24. A mechanism for mounting an art device for vertical movement relative to a base comprising: • a mounting member for attachment to said base; support means for supporting said art device; an upper link having first and second ends connected to said support means and said mounting member by first and second pivot means for pivotal movement about first and second pivot axes; a lower link having a first end pivotally connected to said support means by a third pivot means for pivotal movement about a third pivot axis disposed parallel to said first and second pivot axes and a second end having a bearing surface arranged for engagement with said second pivot means, said upper and lower links cooperating to mount said support means for vertical swinging movement relative to said base between lower and upper positions; and locking means for releasably retaining said support means in a selected intermediate position vertically between said lower and upper positions, said locking means including a first locking surface carried by said second end of said lower link and a second locking surface carried by said mounting member, the force of gravity tending to simultaneously maintain said bearing surface engaged with said second pivot means and said first locking surface engaged with said second locking surface to releasably lock said support means in said intermediate position, and first locking surface is released from engagement with said second locking surface to permit said vertical swinging movement of said support means by applying an upwardly directed lifting force to said support means . 25. A mechanism according to claim 24, wherein said bearing surface has first end, second end and intermediate surface positions arranged to respectively engage with said second pivot means when said support means is in said lower, upper and intermediate positions . 26. A mechanism according to claim 24, wherein said bearing surface is a curved surface. 27. A mechanism according to claim 26, wherein said first locking surface is curved and said second locking surface is essentially planar. 28. A mechanism according to claim 24, wherein said support means is maintained in an essentially constant attitude throughout its range of vertically swinging movement. 29. A mechanism according to claim 28, wherein said attitude is essentially horizontal. 30. A mechanism according to claim 24, wherein said mounting member and said lower link have abutment surfaces arranged to engage one another to limit negatively directed tilting movement of said support means relative to said upper link about said first pivot means . 31. A mechanism according to claim 24, wherein said lower link engages with said upper link to limit positively directed tilting movement of said support means relative to said upper link about said first pivot pin. 32. A mechanism according to claim 31, wherein said mounting member and said lower link have abutment surfaces arranged to engage one another to limit negatively directed tilting movement of said support means relative to said upper link about said first pivot means . 33. A mechanism according to claim 32, wherein said lower link is provided with an abutment surface arranged to engage with said second pivot means to define said lower position.

Inventors: WISNIEWSKI MICHAEL G, WISNIEWSKI, MICHAEL, G.
Applicants: WEBER KNAPP CO, WEBER KNAPP COMPANY
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A47F5
IPC codes: A47B21, G06F1