Abstract:
A computer mouse having a separately movable hand rest. The mouse comprises a housing having a conically shaped depression within a top wall of the housing tapering to an aperture through the top wall. A connecting pin extends through the aperture with an interior end secured within the mouse housing. A hand rest providing support to the heel and palm of the hand is orbitally connected to the connecting pin by an aperture through the hand rest located within a concave portion sized to fit within the depression of the mouse housing. The hand rest has an arcuate shaped bottom portion and a base end moving about the mouse housing during use to maintain alignment of the hand rest with the hand. The housing moves free of interference from the hand rest adjacent the arcuate shaped bottom portion. A tensioning means tensions movement of the hand rest about the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention generally relates to computer mice. More specifically, the present invention relates an ergonomic computer mouse having a separately movable hand rest.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Computers have become increasingly more important in the everyday life of most people and very few are not affected in one way or another by computers processing information concerning the world around us. Computers have become an essential tool to many different occupations and professions where people use computers for long periods of time to transact business. As we increasingly rely on computers in the office as well as in the home, the debilitating physical effects of prolonged use of computer mice have become apparent.  
           [0005]    Most desktop computer software rely on “point and click” operations. Hand-operated pointing devices with buttons are commonly used to manipulate computer displays and make selections. While many different devices have been developed to facilitate use of computer software such as trackballs or touch pads, the computer mouse is by far the most popular. In order to make the use of computers more user friendly, many different types of computer mice have been created to provide a more ergonomically correct computer interface.  
           [0006]    Although computer mice may differ in their exact style and appearance from one manufacturer to another, their functions and methods of use are very similar. To communicate with the computer, the computer user must move the mouse and click selection buttons to manipulate the computer software. This repetitive moving and clicking of the computer mouse, as well as other activities associated with using the mouse, can cause tendinitis and other types of hand, wrist, and arm pain, referred to in general as Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs) or Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs). Once the pain is present, a vicious cycle of use-pain-stop use/use-pain-stop use often begins and computer use becomes difficult. One of the more damaging types of repetitive motions is the continual flexion and extension of the middle finger, as might be caused by clicking the mouse button. Constant flexion and extension of the middle finger causes activation of the extensor carpi radialus brevis muscle and may cause subsequent impingement and irritation of the radial nerve.  
           [0007]    Many of the computer mice created to date have been designed to provide static ergonomic support by contouring the outer surface of the mouse housing to orient the user&#39;s hand in an ergonomically correct position. However, the mice created to date do not provide ergonomic support that is dynamic to compensate for the movements of the user&#39;s hand during use of the mouse. Several of these mice are discussed here.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,370 issued to Kravtin et al. discloses a conventional computer mouse in combination with an ergonomic extension. The ergonomic extension is attached to the computer mouse for movement therewith and is positioned adjacent to the computer mouse for facilitating use of the mouse by a user in a ergonomically correct position. An adjustment mechanism enables the user to adjust the position of the computer mouse relative to the ergonomic extension for enabling use of the computer mouse and ergonomic extension by users having different size hands.  
           [0009]    A drawback to this particular type of computer mouse design is the fact that the ergonomic extension does not move in relation to the computer mouse during use. Due to this limitation, the alignment of the user&#39;s hand with the ergonomic extension may not be maintained in an ergonomically desirable position. Therefore, there still remains a need for a computer mouse that dynamically supports the heel and palm of the hand while still allowing the computer mouse to rotate and translate freely in relation to the heel and palm support.  
           [0010]    Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,371 issued to Bunke et al. discloses an ergonomic computer mouse having support surfaces that are adjustable in two directions. The mouse includes a pivot mechanism that couples an upper and lower portion of the mouse housing together. The pivot mechanism may allow a user to adjust the upper and lower housing portions in pitch and roll directions with respect to one another. This computer mouse also does not provide dynamic ergonomic support to a user&#39;s hand when the user moves the centerline of the computer mouse out of alignment with the centerline of the user&#39;s hand and wrist.  
           [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,289 issued to Speece discloses an ergonomic wrist rest for a user of a computer mouse input device. The rest is adapted to receive the arm of the user, extending to the user&#39;s wrist for maintaining the user&#39;s hand in a predetermined position with respect to the arm of the user when the fingers of the user contact the mouse input device. This ergonomic wrist rest retains the hand and wrist of the user in a predetermined position so that the centerline of the user&#39;s hand and wrist is held in line with the centerline of the computer mouse. However, this type of design can be rather restrictive and uncomfortable and requires a greater amount of desktop space to accommodate the rest. Therefore, a new approach is needed for providing dynamic ergonomic support to a user&#39;s hand.  
           [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,249 issued to Derocher et al. discloses a computer mouse that collapses into a smaller form. In one embodiment, a cover slides to hide or reveal buttons and collapses or extends the length of the mouse. This computer mouse is another example of a mouse designed to adjustably accommodate different situations, but does not provide dynamic ergonomic support to a user&#39;s hand.  
           [0013]    These prior art devices, as well as devices that are not expressly discussed here, disclose providing static support to the heel and palm of the hand during use of a computer mouse but do not disclose, teach, or suggest how to compensate for movement of the heel and palm of a user&#39;s hand during movement of the computer mouse and hand in relation to the static support. Therefore, there is still a need for an ergonomic computer mouse having dynamic ergonomic support for the heel and palm of a user&#39;s hand during use of the computer mouse.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0014]    To provide a solution to the foregoing problems of the prior art, as well as others that will become evident upon the reading of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and viewing the drawings contained herein, the claimed invention provides an ergonomic computer mouse having a separately movable hand rest.  
           [0015]    A primary objective of the claimed invention is to provide an ergonomic computer mouse having dynamic ergonomic support for a user&#39;s hand during use of the computer mouse.  
           [0016]    Another objective of the claimed invention is to provide an ergonomic computer mouse with multiple moving body sections, yet still having a simplified design.  
           [0017]    A further objective of the claimed invention is to provide an ergonomic computer mouse having a hand rest that elevates the heel of the hand above the surface on which the computer mouse moves.  
           [0018]    An even further objective of the claimed invention is to provide an ergonomic computer mouse that reduces the extension of the hand in relation to the wrist so that the hand is placed in a substantially neutral position during use of the ergonomic computer mouse.  
           [0019]    A still further objective of the claimed invention is to provide a method of dynamically supporting a user&#39;s hand during use of the ergonomic computer mouse.  
           [0020]    The ergonomic computer mouse comprises a housing having a frustroconically shaped recess within a top wall of the housing. The recess tapers to a centrally located aperture through the top wall of the housing. A connecting pin extends through the aperture having an interior end secured within the mouse housing. A hand rest providing support to the heel and palm of the hand is orbitally connected to the connecting pin by an aperture through the hand rest located within a concave portion sized and shaped to fit within the depression of the mouse housing. The hand rest has an arcuate shaped bottom portion and a base end moving about the mouse housing during use to maintain alignment of the hand rest with the hand. The mouse housing moves free of interference from the hand rest adjacent the arcuate shaped bottom portion of the hand rest. A tensioning means tensions movement of the hand rest about the housing.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the ergonomic computer mouse.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the ergonomic computer mouse.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the bottom section of the computer mouse housing.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows a vertical cross sectional view of the top section of the computer mouse housing.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows a top view of the top section of the computer mouse housing.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6. FIG. 6 shows vertical cross sectional view of the hand rest.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 7. FIG. 7 shows a top view of the hand rest.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 8. FIG. 8 shows a bottom view of the hand rest.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 9. FIG. 9 shows an enlarged view of the connecting pin. FIG. 10. FIG. 10 shows typical placement of a user&#39;s hand upon the ergonomic computer mouse.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 11. FIG. 11 shows a vertical cross sectional view of the ergonomic computer mouse in a neutral position.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 12. FIG. 12 shows a vertical cross sectional view of the ergonomic computer mouse in a fully retracted position.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 13. FIG. 13 shows a vertical cross sectional view of the ergonomic computer mouse in a fully extended position.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 14. FIG. 14 shows the base end of the hand rest rotated to the right of the mouse housing.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 15. FIG. 15 shows the base end of the hand rest rotated to the left of the mouse housing.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0035]    Turning now to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the claimed invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The internal components and functions of the ergonomic computer mouse  10  are essentially the same as a standard computer mouse such as those described and referenced in U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,371. The claimed invention presents an improved ergonomic computer mouse  10  having multiple moving body part sections to provide dynamic ergonomic support during use. The overall shape of the computer mouse housing  10  and hand rest  30  are designed to create a combined dynamic ergonomic surface to support a user&#39;s hand during use of the ergonomic computer mouse  10 . The ergonomic computer mouse  10  shown in FIG. 2 generally consists of a computer mouse housing  20  having a bottom section  40  and a top section  50  with interior space for internal electronic components and an ergonomic hand rest  30  orbitally connected to the housing  20  by a connecting pin type connector assembly  60 .  
         [0036]    The bottom section  40  of the computer mouse housing is sized similar to existing computer mice with the overall length  70  of the bottom section  40  shown in FIG. 3 preferably being about 4.10 inches and the overall width  80  being about 2.50 inches. The bottom wall  90  of the bottom section  40  is generally flat and has features similar to existing computer mice such as an aperture  100  for the rotating ball of the computer mouse to extend through and detail for securing the rotating ball within the computer mouse housing  20 . The height of the side walls  110  of the bottom section  40  increase from about 0.19 inches at the front end  120  to about 1.30 inches at the back end  130  so that the bottom section  40  has an inclined profile from the back end  130  to the front end  120 . The back wall  140  of the bottom section  40  generally angles out from the bottom wall  90  of the bottom section  40  so that the back end  130  of the computer mouse housing  20  does not interfere with movement of the mouse housing  20  with respect to the hand rest  30  during use. The inclined profile of the bottom section  40  is designed to cooperate with the design of the hand rest  30  to form a dynamic ergonomic computer mouse  10  where the overall shape of the ergonomic computer mouse  10  holds the user&#39;s hand  150  in a neutral position when the user&#39;s hand  150  is placed upon the ergonomic computer mouse  10  as shown in FIG. 10.  
         [0037]    The top section  50  of the computer mouse housing  20  is sized similar to existing computer mice with the overall length  170  of the top section  50  shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 preferably being about 4.1 inches including the mouse buttons  200 . The overall width  180  of the top section  50  is about 2.50 inches. The front end  190  of the top section  50  can be variously configured to compliment mouse button configurations  200  of different types such as, but not limited to two button configurations, three button configurations, and two and three button configurations in combination with a selector wheel. The curvature of the front end  190  of the top section  50  is configured to provide a transition from the curvature of the hand rest  30  to the curvature of the mouse buttons  200  as shown in FIG. 4. A frustroconically shaped recess  210  is centrally located within the top section  50  of the mouse housing  20  to provide clearance for the interaction of the connector assembly  60  with the top section  50  and the hand rest  30  as shown in FIGS.  11 - 13 . The conical recess  210  preferably tapers from about 2 inches in diameter to an aperture  220  through the top section  50  having a diameter of about 0.25 inches where the connector assembly  60  connects to the top section  50 . A flat spring retention ledge  230  with a spring engagement slot  240  surrounds the aperture  220 .  
         [0038]    The overall design of the hand rest  30  is created to provide a surface that places the user&#39;s hand  150  in a neutral position when the user&#39;s hand is resting upon the hand rest, meaning the user&#39;s hand is not flexed, hyper-extended when placed upon the ergonomic computer mouse as shown in FIG. 10. This neutral position posture can be demonstrated by letting the arm and hand hang relaxed at the side of the body. The ergonomic computer mouse  10  is designed to maintain this natural position by slightly elevating the heel  250  of the user&#39;s hand  150  in relation to the mouse housing  20  so that the user&#39;s hand  150  is not hyper-extended during use of the ergonomic computer mouse  10 . FIG. 10 shows typical placement of a user&#39;s hand  150  upon the ergonomic computer mouse  10 . Incorrect mouse posture, such as hyper-extension of the hand, can create situations that stress the hand and puts users of computer mice at risk of developing a cumulative trauma disorder due to prolonged and repetitive placement of the hand in an unnatural position such as computer mice of the prior art require.  
         [0039]    The hand rest  30  as shown in FIGS.  6 - 8  preferably has an overall length  260  of about 5.40 inches and an overall height  270  of about 1.65 inches. FIGS. 1 and 11- 13  show that the hand rest  30  is partially superimposed over the mouse housing  20  so that the mouse housing  20  and hand rest  30  act as a unitary device. However, it is contemplated as being within the scope of the claimed invention that different sizes and shapes of hand rests may be designed to accommodate different users. The hand rest  30  shown in FIG. 6 has a base  280  comprising a lower rest portion  290  preferably having an overall width  300  of about 3.20 inches that is contoured to receive the heel  250  of the user&#39;s hand  150  as shown in FIG. 10. This allows a user to rest the user&#39;s entire hand  150  upon the ergonomic computer mouse  10  without relying upon the surface on which the mouse  10  is resting to provide support to the heel  250  of the user&#39;s hand  150 . The lower rest portion  290  elevates the heel  250  of the user&#39;s hand  150  so that the hand  150  is not hyper-extended when the hand  150  is placed upon the ergonomic computer mouse  10 .  
         [0040]    One of the more damaging types of repetitive motions in using a computer mouse is the continual flexion and extension of the middle finger when clicking mouse buttons. Constant flexion and extension of the middle finger causes activation of the extensor carpi radialus brevis muscle and may cause subsequent impingement and irritation of the radial nerve. Placement of the entire hand upon the ergonomic computer mouse  10  facilitates maintaining proper spatial relationship between the heel  250  of the user&#39;s hand  150  and the buttons  200  of the computer mouse  10  so that the user&#39;s fingers  310  are properly positioned over the mouse buttons  200 . By maintaining a proper relationship between the user&#39;s fingers  310  and the inclined profile of the mouse housing  20 , the user can push the mouse buttons  200  with a reduced amount of flexion and extension of the fingers  310  thus reducing the possibility of irritation of the nerves in the user&#39;s hand  150 .  
         [0041]    The hand rest  30  has an inclined surface forming a middle rest portion  320  for providing ergonomic support to the palm of the user&#39;s hand  150  as shown in FIG. 10. The curvature of the middle rest portion  320  from the lower rest portion  290  maintains the placement of the user&#39;s palm in the desired neutral position when using the ergonomic computer mouse  10 . The hand rest  30  terminates in an upper rest portion  330  where the knuckles  340  of the user&#39;s hand  150  may rest. The curvature of the upper rest portion  330  is designed to match the curvature of the top section  50  of the housing  20  when the ergonomic computer mouse  10  is in a neutral position as shown in FIG. 11.  
         [0042]    A frustroconically shaped recess or well  350  is centrally located within the upper rest portion of the hand rest as shown in FIGS. 2, 6, and  7  to allow the connection of the top end  480  of the connector assembly  60  to the hand rest  30  without interfering with the placement of the user&#39;s hand  150  over the area where the connector assembly  60  connects to the hand rest  30 . The conical shaped recess  350  within the upper rest portion  330  preferably tapers from about 1 inch in diameter to an aperture  370  through the hand rest  30  having a diameter of about 0.25 inches where the connector assembly  60  connects to the hand rest  30 . A flat spring ledge  380  with a spring engagement slot  390  surrounds the aperture  370 . A cover  400  is placed over the conical shaped recess  350  to prevent the user from interfering with the movements of the connector assembly  60  during use.  
         [0043]    The connector assembly  60  as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 connects the hand rest  30  to the mouse housing  20 . The connector assembly  60  preferably comprises a connecting pin  410 , an upper compression spring  420 , an upper spring retainer  430 , an upper spring retainer screw  440 , a lower compression spring  450 , a lower spring retainer  460 , and a lower spring retaining screw  470 . Alternately, elastic bands can be used to provide the function that the compression springs  420  and  450  provide in this preferred embodiment. The top end  480  of the connecting pin  410  extends through the aperture  370  of the hand rest  30  so that the upper compression spring  420  is placed about the connecting pin  410  and rests on the spring ledge  380  that surrounds the aperture  370  through the hand rest  30 . The upper spring retainer  430  allows the upper spring retaining screw  440  to retain the upper compression spring  420  in place about the connecting pin  410  and against the spring ledge  380  about the aperture  370  through the hand rest  30 . The top end  490  of the upper compression spring  420  engages the spring end slot  500  of the upper spring retainer  430  and the bottom end of the upper compression spring  510  engages the engagement slot  390  of the hand rest  30 . The key (not shown) of the upper spring retainer  430  engages the key slot  520  of the connection pin  410 .  
         [0044]    The bottom end  530  of the connecting pin  410  extends through the aperture  220  through the top section  50  of the mouse housing  20  so that the lower compression spring  450  is placed about the connecting pin  410  and is retained against the interior face of the spring retention ledge  230  about the aperture  220  through the top section  50  of the mouse housing  20  by the lower spring retainer  460  and lower spring retainer screw  470 . The top end  540  of the lower compression spring  450  engages the engagement slot  240  of the top section  50  and the bottom end  550  of the lower compression spring  450  engages the spring end slot  560  of the lower spring retainer  460 . The key  570  of the lower spring retainer  460  engages the lower key slot  580  of the connection pin  410 .  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 11 shows a vertical cross sectional view of the ergonomic computer mouse  10  where the compression springs  420  and  450  maintain the mouse housing  20  in a neutral position with respect to the hand rest  30  aligning the aperture  370  of the hand rest  30  over the aperture  220  of the top section  50  of the mouse housing  20 . As the hand rest  30  is moved out of alignment with the mouse housing  20 , the connecting pin  410  moves within the recess of the top section  210  of the mouse housing  20  as the compression springs  420  and  450  gradually resist rotational and translational movement of the mouse housing  20  with respect to the hand rest  30 . FIG. 12 shows a vertical cross sectional view of the ergonomic computer mouse  10  where the mouse housing  20  is fully retracted to the hand rest  30 . FIG. 13 shows a vertical cross sectional view of the ergonomic computer mouse  10  where the mouse housing  20  is fully extended from the hand rest  30 .  
         [0046]    The conical shape of the recess  210  within the top section  50  allows the connecting pin  410  to move rotationally as well as translationally about the center of the aperture  220  through the top section  50  of the mouse housing  20  when the mouse housing  20  is moved with respect to the hand rest  30 . The 2 inch diameter of the recess  210  within the top section  50  of the mouse housing  20  limits the movement of the connecting pin  410  to a 1 inch radius about the center of the aperture  220  through the top section  50  of the mouse housing  20 . The torsional spring force of the compression springs  420  and  450  bring the connecting pin  410  back to it original position, moving the mouse housing  20  into rotational and translational alignment with the hand rest when the computer mouse  10  is not in use.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIGS. 14 and 15 show how the hand rest  30  and the mouse housing  20  can rotate with respect to one another. As the mouse housing  20  and hand rest  30  rotate with respect to one another, the compression springs  420  and  450  are contorted about the connection pin  410  due to the engagement of top end  540  of the lower compression spring  450  with the engagement slot  240  of the top section  50  and the engagement of the bottom end of the upper compression spring  510  with the engagement slot  390  of the hand rest  30 . During use of the ergonomic computer mouse  10 , the torsional spring force of the compression springs  420  and  450  act to gradually resist movement of the mouse housing  20  and hand rest  30  with respect to one another giving the user of the ergonomic computer mouse  10  tactile feedback as to the movement of the mouse housing  20  with relation to the hand rest  30 .  
         [0048]    The claimed invention also comprises a new method of providing ergonomic support to the entire hand of a computer mouse user. Previously, computer mice have been designed to provide ergonomic support to the user&#39;s palm and fingers without regard to the positioning of the user&#39;s hand in relation to the user&#39;s wrist and arm during use of the computer mouse. The claimed invention provides a method of dynamically supporting the heel and palm of the user&#39;s hand during use to maintain the user&#39;s hand in a neutral position with relation to the user&#39;s wrist and arm thus reducing the risk of trauma to the user&#39;s hand, wrist and arm. The dynamic support of the heel and palm of the hand elevates the heel above the surface on which the ergonomic computer mouse is resting thus reducing the extension of the hand with relation to the wrist and elevating the knuckles of the hand above the top section of the mouse housing thus allowing manipulation of the mouse buttons with less flexion and extension of the fingers.  
         [0049]    Although the invention has been described by reference to some embodiments it is not intended that the novel device be limited thereby, but that modifications thereof are intended to be included as falling within the broad scope and spirit of the foregoing disclosure, the following claims and the appended drawings.