Abstract:
An ergonomic clipboard that can be easily grasped by persons of various body shapes and sizes. Preferably, the ergonomic clipboard comprises a writing board including a surface having a clamp attached to it, a top edge, a first side edge sharing a first corner with said top edge and having two recesses, each of which recesses being configured to engage with the crook of an arm of a user, a second side edge sharing a second corner with said top edge and that is opposite said first side edge, said second side edge having a protrusion and an adjacent notch that are configured to be graspable by the fingers of the same arm of the user, and a bottom edge sharing a third corner with said first side edge and a fourth corner with said second side edge.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to ergonomic clipboards. In particular, the invention relates to a clipboard that can be easily grasped by users of various sizes. 
     Clipboards have been used as writing surfaces for decades. Most background art clipboards are rectangular in shape and, hence, awkward to grasp. The natural configuration into which a human arm bends cannot be attained when such clipboards are used. 
     The background art is characterized by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,894,559; 2,284,501; 2,516,239; 2,881,009; 3013,818; 4,586,730; 4,750,657; 6,637,774; D172,363; D1185,285; D221,360; D243,688; D349,731; D403,019; D450,090; D490,471; and D495,369; the disclosures of which patents are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
     Fisher in U.S. Pat. No. 1,894,559 discloses a body fitting writing board. This invention is limited in that its base is curved to fit the abdominal front and side of the user. 
     Welch in U.S. Pat. No. 2,284,501 discloses a time study board. This invention is limited in that a lower or bottom edge is required to slant upwardly a trifle toward ip.a shorter left edge  5  so that the lower or bottom edge engages with the body of the user, desirably above the hip. Moreover, the upper or top edge  8  of the board is provided with a three-sided projection  10  which constitutes a handle. 
     Moss in U.S. Pat. No. 2,516,239 discloses a clip board. This invention is limited in that it provides an arm  11  having a single curve  13  such as to fit comfortably into the inside bend of the arm at the elbow of a user and another curve  12  that conforms to the stomach curve above the waist of the user and two readily grasped extensions diagonally opposite arm  11 . 
     Delaney in U.S. Pat. No. 2,881,009 discloses a writing board. This invention is limited in that the lower left hand corner of the board is concavely curved as at  12  to provide a surface for fitting the lower portion of the chest of a user. On a side adjacent to curve  12 , two projecting portions  13  and  14  are formed to provide a single recess  15  there between. Single recess  15  is shaped to partially encircle the user&#39;s arm. Moreover, diagonally across the board from curved corner  12  a flat extension  16  is provided to hold two stop watches. 
     Plotzker et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,013,818 disclose a braceable clip board. This invention is limited in that it includes a board having an upper work surface  10  and a lower work surface  12  with a single elbow engaging corner portion  22  having an edge  36  and a grip element  20  attached to lower work surface  12 . The elbow contacting portion of the board  48  may have a curved outer edge  50  of concave contour that is concealed by molded foam rubber or soft plastic molding  52  providing padding for engagement of this portion of the board against the crook of the elbow of the user. 
     King in U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,657 disclosed a body-supported clip board. This invention is limited in that the thickened portion of the board between F and G is curved to contact the user&#39;s midsection. Moreover, straps are required. 
     A review of the background art reveals that technical problems still exist in the art. What is needed is a clipboard that satisfies the writing needs of people of all shapes and sizes, while achieving a high level of aesthetic appeal. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the invention is to provide a writing board that can be easily grasped by persons of various body shapes and sizes. One advantage of a preferred embodiment of the invention is that it is usable by women and men. Another advantage of a preferred embodiment of the invention is that it is usable by right-handed and left-handed users. Another advantage of a preferred embodiment of the invention is that it comprises portions that abut or engage with parts of the user&#39;s anatomy rendering the invention more stable when used. Another advantage is that the invention need not be rested on the torso (e.g., chest or abdomen) of the user to be stable. 
     The invention is an apparatus that provides an easily grasped writing surface and that is preferably named Ergo-CB™. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is an apparatus that comprises: a substantially rectangular body portion having a clip affixed thereto; a first side portion that is attached to said body portion, said first side portion having a first lower inner-elbow accepting recess, a first upper inner-elbow accepting recess, a first lower graspable protrusion and a first upper graspable protrusion; a second side portion that is attached to said body portion, said second side portion having a second lower elbow accepting recess, a second upper elbow accepting recess, a second lower graspable protrusion and a second upper graspable protrusion; a top portion that is attached to said body portion, said top portion having a first thumb accepting recess and a second thumb accepting recess; and a bottom portion that is attached to said body portion, said bottom portion having two rounded corners. 
     In another preferred embodiment, the invention is not symmetrical. In this embodiment, the invention is an apparatus that comprises: a body portion having a clip affixed thereto; a first side portion that is attached to said body portion, said first side portion having a lower inner-elbow accepting recess and a upper inner-elbow accepting recess; a second side portion that is attached to said body portion, said second side portion having a lower graspable protrusions and an upper graspable protrusion; a top portion that is attached to said body portion, said top portion having a thumb accepting recess; and a bottom portion that is attached to said body portion, said bottom portion having corners. 
     In another preferred embodiment, the invention is an apparatus that comprises: a writing board including a surface of said writing board having a clamp attached to it, a top edge of said writing board, a first side edge of said writing board sharing a first corner with said top edge, said first side edge having two recesses, each of which recesses being configured to engage with the crook of an arm of a user, a second side edge of said writing board sharing a second corner with said top edge and that is opposite said first side edge, said second side edge having a protrusion and an adjacent notch that are configured to be graspable by the fingers of the same arm of the user, and a bottom edge of said writing board, said bottom edge sharing a third corner with said first side edge and a fourth corner with said second side edge. 
     In use, the invention is preferably operated by clipping a piece of paper to the clipboard, placing an elbow accepting recess on one side of the clipboard in the crook of the arm of a user and grasping either a graspable protrusion or an upper corner on the other side of the clipboard with the fingers of the same arm. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the clipboard may be held in either arm and need not be rested on the torso of the user to be stable. 
     Further aspects of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the drawings and the ensuing description of preferred embodiments of the invention. A person skilled in the art will realize that other embodiments of the invention are possible and that the details of the invention can be modified in a number of respects, all without departing from the concept. Thus, the following drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features of the invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing preferred radii for selected features. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a user holding a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing another user holding a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing yet another user holding a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     The following reference numerals are used to indicate the parts and environment of the invention on the drawings:
           10  clipboard, writing board     12  body portion     14  first side portion     16  second side portion     18  top portion     20  bottom portion     22  clip, clamp     24  first lower inner-elbow accepting recess     25  first intermediate arc     26  first upper inner-elbow accepting recess     28  first lower graspable protrusion     29  first lower notch     30  first upper graspable protrusion     32  second lower inner-elbow accepting recess     33  second intermediate arc     34  second upper inner-elbow accepting recess     36  second lower graspable protrusion     38  second upper graspable protrusion     40  first thumb accepting recess     42  second thumb accepting recess     44  first rounded corner     46  second rounded corner     48  center     50  top inside width     52  top outside width     54  maximum width     56  first top inside arc     60  first top outside arc     62  first lower arc     64  bottom inside width     66  first bottom arc     67  bottom outside width     68  second bottom arc     70  second top inside arc     72  second top outside arc       

     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a preferred embodiment of clipboard  10  is presented. In this embodiment, clipboard  10  apparatus comprises: substantially rectangular body portion  12 , first side portion  14 , second side portion  16 , top portion  18  and bottom portion  20 . Clip  22  is affixed to substantially rectangular body portion  20  adjacent to its upper end. Body portion  12  is preferably of a suitable stiffness and of such dimensions as to hold one or more sheets of legal or smaller sized writing paper. Clip  22  may be of any suitable design to hold the sheets of writing paper. Examples of appropriate clips are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,516,239 and 2,881,009, which patents were incorporated by reference above. 
     First (e.g., left) side portion  14  is attached to body portion  12  and is preferably integral to it. First side portion  14  is configured to provide first lower inner-elbow accepting recess  24 , first upper inner-elbow accepting recess  26 , first lower graspable protrusion  28  and first upper graspable protrusion  30 . First lower inner-elbow accepting recess  24  and first upper inner-elbow accepting recess  26  are configured to conform to the crook of the left arm of users of different sizes (larger and smaller). First lower graspable protrusion  28  or first upper graspable protrusion  30  are graspable by the fingers of the right hand of a user and are preferably separated by first lower notch  29  that is capable of accepting the bottom of the palm of the right hand of the larger user. 
     Second (e.g., right) side portion  16  is attached to body portion  12  and is preferably integral to it. Second side portion  16  is configured to provide second lower inner-elbow accepting recess  32 , second upper inner-elbow accepting recess  34 , first lower graspable protrusion  36  and second upper graspable protrusion  38 . Second lower inner-elbow accepting recess  32  and second upper inner-elbow accepting recess  34  are configured to conform to the crook of the right arm of users of different sizes. Second lower graspable protrusion  36  or second upper graspable protrusion  38  are graspable by the fingers of the left hand of the user and are preferably separated by second lower notch  37  that is capable of accepting the bottom of the palm of the left hand of the larger user. 
     Top portion  18  is attached to body portion  12  and is preferably integral to it. Top portion  18  is configured to provide first thumb accepting recess  40  and second thumb accepting recess  42 . Thumb accepting recesses  40  and  42  are configured to accept the thumb of the right hand or the left hand of a larger user, respectively. Bottom portion  20  is attached to body portion  12  and is preferably integral to it. Preferably, bottom portion  20  has two rounded corners, first rounded corner  44  and second rounded corner  46 . 
     Referring to again to  FIG. 1 , the features of clipboard  10  are shown to have preferred dimensions. While the following dimensions are preferred, the applicant envisions that any individual dimension or all of the disclosed dimensions are approximate and can vary by plus or minus fifty percent from the preferred dimension. On the X (side to side) axis, the terms “inside” and “outside” are relative to center  48  of clipboard  10 , with “inside” meaning closer to center  48  and “outside” meaning farther from center  48 . Likewise, the terms “concave” and “convex” are relative to center  48  of clipboard  10 , with concave arcs generally arcing inward toward center  48  and convex arcs generally arcing outward away from center  48 . On the Y (up and down) axis, the terms “top” and “bottom” relative to the top of clipboard  10  which is the elevation of top outside width  52  and the bottom of clipboard  10  which is the elevation of bottom outside width  27 . The “top” of any arc means closer to the top of clipboard  10  and the “bottom” of any arc means closer to the bottom of clipboard  10 . 
     In this embodiment, top inside width  50  of the top of clipboard  10  from the inside of the left side concave arc (first top inside arc  56 ) to the inside of the corresponding concave arc on the right side (second top inside arc  70 ) is preferably 6.55 inches. Top outside width  52  of clipboard  10  from the outside of the concave arc on the left side (first top outside arc  60 ) to the outside of the concave arc on the right side (second top outside arc  72 ) is preferably 9.38 inches. Maximum width  54  of clipboard  10  from the farthest-reaching convex arc on either side is preferably 12.01 inches. Bottom inside width  64  of clipboard  10  from the inside of the convex arc on the left side (first bottom arc  66 ) to the inside of the convex arc on the right side (second bottom arc  68 ) is preferably 10 inches. Bottom outside width  67  of clipboard  10  from the outside of the convex arc on the left side that forms first rounded corner  44  to the outside of the convex arc on the right side that forms second rounded corner  46  is preferably 10.97 inches. 
     The following preferred dimensions characterize clipboard  10  in a counterclockwise manner from the top to the bottom of the left side. At the top of clipboard  10 , first top inside arc  56  is preferably located at the inside of first thumb accepting recess  40 . First top inside arc  56  is preferably convex and has a radius of 0.13 inches. First thumb accepting recess  40  is preferably formed by a concave arc with a length of 1.5 inches and a radius of 0.75 inch. First top outside arc  60  is preferably located at the outside of first thumb accepting recess  40  and at the top of first upper graspable protrusion  30  and is preferably convex with a radius of 0.13 inch. Measured along the Y-axis, the highest point of first top outside arc  60  is preferably 0.07 inch below the highest point of first top inside arc  56 . 
     First upper graspable protrusion  30  and is preferably formed by a convex arc with a length of 4.10 inches and a radius of 3.52 inches. First lower notch  29  at the bottom of first graspable protrusion  30  is preferably formed by a concave arc with a length of 1 inch when measured from the bottom of the arc forming first upper graspable protrusion  30  and a radius of 0.5 inch. 
     First upper graspable protrusion  28  is preferably formed by a convex arc with a length of 0.41 inch when measured from the bottom of first lower notch  29  and a radius of 0.25 inch. First upper inner-elbow accepting recess  26  is preferably formed by a concave arc with a length of 2.76 inches and a radius of 2 inches. 
     The bottom of first upper inner-elbow accepting recess  26  and the top of first lower inner-elbow accepting recess  24  is preferably formed by first intermediate arc  25  that is a convex arc with a length of 0.99 inches when measured from the top of first lower inner-elbow accepting recess  24  and a radius of 0.5 inch. First lower inner-elbow accepting recess  24  is preferably formed by a concave arc with a length of 4.43 inches and a radius of 3.35 inches. 
     The bottom of first lower inner-elbow accepting recess  24  is preferably formed by a convex arc with a length of 0.44 inch when measured from the top of first rounded corner  44  and a radius of 0.25 inch. Rounded corner  44  is formed by first bottom arc  66  which is preferably a convex arc with a length of 0.49 inch and a radius of 0.5 inch. 
     The following preferred dimensions characterize clipboard  10  in a clockwise manner from the top to the bottom of the right side. At the top of clipboard  10 , second top inside arc  70  is preferably located at the inside of second thumb accepting recess  42 . Second top inside arc  70  is preferably convex arc and has a radius of 0.13 inches. Second thumb accepting recess  42  is preferably formed by a concave arc with a length of 1.5 inches and a radius of 0.75 inch. Second top outside arc  72  is located preferably at the outside of second thumb accepting recess  42  and at the top of second upper graspable protrusion  38  and is preferably convex with a radius of 0.13 inch. Measured along the Y-axis, the highest point of second top outside arc  72  is preferably 0.07 inch above the highest point of second inside top arc  70 . 
     Second upper graspable protrusion  38  and is preferably formed by a convex arc with a length of 4.10 inches and a radius of 3.52 inches. Second lower notch  37  at the bottom of second graspable protrusion  38  is preferably formed by a concave arc with a length of 1 inch when measured from the bottom of the arc forming first upper graspable protrusion  38  and a radius of 0.5 inch. 
     Second upper graspable protrusion  36  is preferably formed by a convex arc with a length of 0.41 inch when measured from the bottom of second lower notch  37  and a radius of 0.25 inch. Second upper inner-elbow accepting recess  34  is preferably formed by a concave arc with a length of 2.76 inches and a radius of 2 inches. 
     The bottom of second upper inner-elbow accepting recess  34  and the top of second lower inner-elbow accepting recess  32  is preferably formed by second intermediate arc  33  which is a convex arc with a length of 0.99 inches when measured from the top of second lower inner-elbow accepting recess  32  and a radius of 0.5 inch. Second lower inner-elbow accepting recess  32  is preferably formed by a concave arc with a length of 4.43 inches and a radius of 3.35 inches. 
     The bottom of second lower inner-elbow accepting recess  32  is preferably formed by a convex arc with a length of 0.44 inch when measured from the top second rounded corner  46  and a radius of 0.25 inch. Rounded corner  46  is formed by second bottom arc  68  which is preferably a convex arc with a length of 0.49 inch and a radius of 0.5 inch. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , clipboard  10  is being grasped by a right-handed user of smaller size, in this case a women that is 5′0″ in height. In this situation, first upper inner-elbow accepting recess  26  accepts the left inner-elbow (crook of the left arm) of the user and the fingers of the left hand of the user grasp second lower graspable protrusion  36 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , clipboard  10  is being grasped by a right-handed user of intermediate size, in this case a women that is 5′8″ in height. In this situation, first lower inner-elbow accepting recess  24  accepts the left inner-elbow (crook of the left arm) of the user and the fingers of the left hand of the user grasp second lower graspable protrusion  36 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , clipboard  10  is being grasped by a right-handed user of larger size, in this case a man that is 6′4″ in height. In this situation, first lower inner-elbow accepting recess  24  accepts the left inner-elbow (crook of the left arm) of the user and the fingers of the left hand of the user grasp second upper graspable protrusion  38 . 
     Operation of the invention involves securing one or more pieces of paper to clipboard  10  with clip  22  and holding clipboard  10  in one of the ways described above. Resting clipboard  10  on the torso of the user is not required. 
     Many variations of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Some variations include symmetrical configurations. Other variations call for asymmetrical configurations. All such variations are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the invention. 
     Although some embodiments are shown to include certain features, the applicant specifically contemplates that any feature disclosed herein may be used together or in combination with any other feature on any embodiment of the invention. It is also contemplated that any feature may be specifically excluded from any embodiment of the invention.