Abstract:
A foldable keyboard rack is provided which includes a key guard portion adapted to fit over a standard computer keyboard to prevent untimely depression of the keys by a book or other object and a palm rest portion designed to provide the user with an ergonomic hand and wrist position for typing. The key guard folds down over the palm rest portion. The palm rest portion may be used with the keyboard rack in its folded or open position. Hooks or other attachment means attach the palm rest portion to the keyboard.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims priority to and incorporates herein in its entirety the provisional application No. 60/468,781 filed on May 7, 2003 entitled “KEYBOARD RACK WITH PALM REST”, and having the same inventor as this application. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention generally relates computer keyboards. More particularly, this invention pertains to palm rest incorporating a protective keyboard rack.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0003]    Keyboard covers have been designed which protect computer keyboards from spills and dust. U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,163 shows a flat plate for placing atop a keyboard with cutouts for the keys to keep the keys from being untimely depressed. The plate is formed of a rigid material and is slightly thicker than the height of the keys. Other patent publications related to keyboard covers include U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,317 which describes a keyboard cover having a separate opening for each key. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,383,643, 6,010,262, and 889,184 describe keyboard covers and copy holders which do not have openings for striking the keys. U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,763 describes a keyboard cover which allows the user&#39;s hand to be inserted beneath the cover to activate the keys. U.S. Design Patent 370,220 depicts a keyboard holder which appears to hold the keyboard at a downward slant away from the user. Patent Cooperation Treaty Publication No. WO 00/46121 describes a decorative keyboard overlay with openings for operating the keys.  
           [0004]    Palm rests for use with, or as integral parts of, computer keyboards have also been designed. U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,037 discloses a foldable keyboard cover which in its folded position forms a palm rest for the user, and in its unfolded position, covers the keyboard. U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,218 discloses a computer having a keyboard with a detachable palm rest. U.S. Pat. No. 6,262,716 discloses an auxiliary keypad with a cover that can serve as a palm rest. U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,977 discloses a portable computer having a lid and a palm rest including a numeric keyboard. U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,224 discloses a portable computer having an integrated palm rest and battery pack. U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,698 discloses a keyboard holder (a keyboard slide) having a detachable palm rest. U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,320 discloses a keyboard holder with a detachable palm rest. U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,482 discloses a pivotally attached palm rest and handle for a portable computer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,647 discloses a palm rest with an adjustable height. U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,407 discloses a palm rest for use with a computer mouse.  
           [0005]    There is a need in the art for an integrated keyboard rack and palm rest which can be quickly and easily positioned for use with a computer keyboard, which prevents untimely depression of the keys and at the same times provides an ergonomic hand position for the user.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    A folding keyboard rack is provided for use with a computer keyboard having a plurality of keys, comprising a key guard having a height slightly higher than the height of the keys rotatably attached to a palm rest. The key guard prevents a book or other object which may be placed on the key guard, or which may inadvertently slide or drop onto the keyboard from depressing the keys. When limited desk space is available, unused keys such as the optional keys at the right side of the keyboard including a number key bank, usually positioned to the far right of the keyboard, and a navigational key bank containing “home,” “page up,” and other navigational keys, to the left of the number key bank, may be covered with a book, a page to be copied, or other reference material resting on the key guard.  
           [0007]    Legs, preferably adjustable legs, are attached to the front of the palm rest portion of the keyboard rack so that the front of the palm rest is or can be elevated to a height such that a user&#39;s wrist is positioned at a height greater than or equal to the height of said keys. This is an ergonomically desirable position for typing to prevent fatigue and carpal tunnel syndrome. The legs may be of any design known to the art, including folding legs, legs comprised of an inner and outer cylinder as depicted herein, threaded legs fitting within a grooved sleeve, and the like.  
           [0008]    The key guard is preferably made up of bars, e.g., a top bar, two side bars, and a bottom bar, however, it may be also made up of a surface with cutout portions for the keys, of a mesh with cutout portions for the keys, of a support on which a series of posts or pegs are spaced which are higher than the height of the keys, or any other structure providing a surface capable of accommodating a book or paper and keeping it from depressing the keys. Since keyboards vary in their layout, the key guard may be configured in a number of different ways to take advantage of spaces between the keys where the key guard can be supported. For example, typical keyboards have vertical spaces between the number key bank, the navigational key bank, and the main keyboard bank, and they have a horizontal space between the function keys and the number keys above the alphabetical keys. A key guard of this invention can have portions which rest in any of these spaces. In one embodiment, in which the key guard is made up of bars, it may have one, two or more vertical bars spaced between banks of keys in addition to the side bars. It also may have one or more horizontal bars in addition to the top and bottom bars. The bottom bar may be discontinuous, i.e. have a gap in it positioned in use beneath the space bar of the keyboard, for accommodating a user&#39;s thumbs. In an embodiment of this invention, the bottom bar is rotatably attached to the palm rest via two hinges, and the gap in the bottom bar extends substantially from one hinge to the other. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, any means for rotatably attaching the key guard to the palm rest so that it folds down over the palm rest may be used, such as rings, pieces of flexible connecting material, or other means known to the art.  
           [0009]    In one embodiment of this invention, the key guard is omitted and the invention comprises a palm rest rotatably attached to the keyboard. When the adjustable legs at the front of the palm rest are adjusted, the back of the palm rest can rotate to accommodate the adjustment.  
           [0010]    This invention includes a folding keyboard rack as described above in combination with a keyboard. The keyboard rack may be adapted to fit many different keyboard configurations. For example, many keyboards have a curved bottom, or a curved space bar, or both, or may have alphabetical and numeric keys divided into two portions and set at a V-angle to each other. The keyboard rack of this invention is shaped to accommodate the keyboard with which it is designed to be used. In an embodiment for use with a keyboard having a straight bottom and in which the bottom of the keys are aligned horizontally, the bottom bar of the key guard is straight (although as discussed above, it preferably is discontinuous with a gap below the space bar). In one embodiment having a curved space bar, the bottom bar of the key guard is tapered or otherwise shaped to accommodate the curvature of the space bar. Similarly, when the entire bottom of the keyboard is curved, the bottom bar is shaped to fit the curvature.  
           [0011]    In one embodiment of this invention, the palm rest portion of the keyboard rack is equipped with hooks or other means of attachment for attaching it to the keyboard. The hooks preferably have an elastic portion, e.g. a piece of elastomer, or a spring, or other extendible element known to the art, so that the connecting hook stays put without moving against or toward the keys when the front part of the palm rest is elevated to adjust its height and so that the keyboard rack may be easily removed and attached to the keyboard.  
           [0012]    The palm rest portion of the keyboard rack of this invention is designed so that the user&#39;s palm, e.g., the proximal portion of the user&#39;s palm, or wrist, can rest on the palm rest while the user is typing. The palm rest portion may have more than one section for resting the user&#39;s palm or wrist. For example, in embodiments of this invention in which the key guard comprises horizontal and/or vertical bars in addition to the top, bottom and side bars, the palm rest portion will comprise grooves into which these bars fit when the key guard is folded over onto the palm rest, thus dividing the palm rest into a plurality of palm rests. The palm rest(s) may be cushioned, may be formed of cushions attached to a base, or may simply be raised portions of the palm rest portion of the device. Preferably, when the key guard comprises top and side bars, the raised palm rests are indented from the edges of the palm rest portion to leave a ledge on which the top and side bars of the key guard fit when the device is folded. The palm rest portion of the device can still be attached to the keyboard and used when the device is folded.  
           [0013]    The device may be made of any suitable material or materials, including plastic, metal, wood, and the like. Preferably the components are made of molded plastic. Preferably the key guard is formed of molded plastic as an integral unit. Also preferably, the palm rest portion is molded from plastic as an integral piece. The legs, or a portion thereof, may be molded as part of the palm rest portion. Preferably the outer cylinders of the adjustable legs depicted herein are molded integrally with the palm rest portion. Alternatively, the legs may be attached to the palm rest portion by any means known to the art.  
           [0014]    The key guard element and palm rest element as described above are assembled such that the key guard can be folded over onto the palm rest element, and preferably the palm rest element is configured so that the key guard nests therein. The key guard is rotatably attached to the palm rest element by means known to the art such as hinges, hooks or the like. The legs may then be attached, or if a portion of the legs is already part of the palm rest element, the legs may be assembled. In a preferred embodiment, the inner cylinder of the legs is equipped with a peg for adjustment of the legs, and inserted into the outer cylinder which is provided as an integral part of the palm rest element. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the keyboard rack of this invention in the open position.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a top view of the open keyboard rack positioned for use on a computer keyboard with the key guard over the keys and the palm rest in place.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a top view of the keyboard rack in folded position with the palm rest in position for use.  
         [0018]    FIGS.  4 A-C depict the adjustable leg for the keyboard rack shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the outer cylinder of the adjustable leg. FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the inner cylinder of the adjustable leg. FIG. 4C is a bottom view of the adjustable leg.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5A is a perspective top view of a further embodiment of the keyboard rack of this invention in the open position.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5B is a perspective top view of the keyboard rack of FIG. 5A in folded position.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5C is a perspective bottom view of the keyboard rack of FIG. 5A in folded position.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a palm rest of this invention attached to a keyboard. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 depicts the keyboard rack with palm rest  10  of this invention. The rack comprises a top key guard portion  12  and a bottom palm rest portion  26 . The key guard portion  12  comprises a top key guard bar  44  designed to be positioned between a top row of function keys and a second row of number keys on a standard keyboard as shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, top key guard bar  44  can be positioned above the top row of function keys. Top key guard portion  12  also comprises two side key guard bars  46 , a bottom key guard bar  42 , and optionally a middle key guard bar  48 . Additional key guard bars may be present, e.g., bars can be designed to fit both horizontally above the top row of function keys and between the function keys and the second row of number keys on a standard keyboard. Vertical bars can also be placed in any suitable vertical space such as a vertical space to the left of a bank of number keys on the right side of the keyboard and a further set of optional keys to the right of the standard alphanumeric keys of the keyboard. Also, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, any bar may be discontinuous so long as the discontinuity does not allow key guard portion  12  to warp out of a single plane. The bottom key guard bar  42  is discontinuous so as to accommodate a user&#39;s thumbs when the thumbs are positioned to depress the space bar of a standard keyboard. The portions of bottom bar  42  adjacent to the discontinuity in the bar are shown as tapered to accommodate curvature of a keyboard. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, such tapering is unnecessary when the bottom of the keyboard with which the rack is to be used is straight. The key guard portion  12  may be fashioned out of any suitable material such as wood, plastic, metal, rubber or other material providing sufficient rigidity to support the weight of a book, box, or other object which might be placed over it, without allowing the object to depress a key of the keyboard. In one embodiment, the key guard portion  12  is molded from plastic. Further, the bars of key guard portion  12  may be of any cross-section, round, half-round, square, polygonal, or other. The arrow shown in FIG. 1 indicates that the key guard portion  12  may be rotated on hinges  18  to a folded position as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0024]    Key guard portion  12  is attached to palm rest portion  26  by means of hinges  18 , or other suitable fastening allowing rotation of key guard portion  12 . Palm rest portion  26  comprises first palm rest  14  and optional second palm rest  16 . Palm rests  14  and  16  are raised and are inset from the side and bottom edges of palm rest portion  26  so as to leave a ledge  64  of a size suitable to accommodate the top and side key guard bars  44  and  46  when the key rack is in its folded position (as shown in FIG. 3). When middle key guard bar  48  is present in the keyboard rack, palm rest portion  26  also comprises key guard channel  40  to accommodate middle key guard bar  48  when the rack is in its folded position. Palm rest portion  26  may be made of any suitably durable material, preferably the same material from which key guard portion  12  is made. Palm rests  14  and  16  may be made of the same material as the remainder of palm rest portion, or may comprise or be made entirely of cushions made of any suitable material or materials, e.g. leather stuffed with fiber fill. The front side  22  of key guard portion  26  is optionally marked with ruler marks  28  so that it can be used as a measuring device. Key guard portion  26  is also equipped with adjustable legs  24  which allow the height of the front of palm rest portion  26  to be adjusted to two or three levels.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 depicts the open keyboard rack positioned over a standard computer keyboard  30  having keys  34  and space bar  38  with key guard  12  placed over the keys and palm rest portion  26  positioned beneath the keyboard so as to accommodate a user&#39;s palms. The discontinuity in bottom key guard bar  42  is positioned beneath space bar  38  to accommodate a user&#39;s thumbs.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3 depicts the keyboard rack in folded position with the key guard portion  12  folded over palm rest portion  26  which remains in position to support the user&#39;s palms while typing. Bottom key guard bar  42  rotates on hinges  18  as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1 so that top key guard bar  44  and side key guard bars  46  rest on ledge  64  shown in FIG. 2, and middle key guard bar  48  rests in key guard channel  40  shown in FIG. 2. A thumb ramp  50  slopes downward adjacent the discontinuity in bottom key guard bar  42  to provide a surface for the user&#39;s thumbs to rest upon.  
         [0027]    FIGS.  4 A-C depict the adjustable leg  24 . FIG. 4A is the outer cylinder  54  of the adjustable leg comprising a cut-out portion forming vertical adjustment slot  62  and horizontal locking slots  60 . The reverse side of outer cylinder  54  also comprises a cut-out portion identical to that shown. Both cut-out portions are aligned so that peg  58  shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C can engage with both cut-out portions at once. FIG. 4B depicts the inner cylinder  56  of the adjustable leg which is sized and designed to fit within outer cylinder  54  so that peg  58  can engage with slots  60  and  62 . FIG. 4C is a bottom view of adjustable leg  24  showing inner cylinder  56  disposed within outer cylinder  54  with peg  58  extending through inner cylinder and emerging through the cut-out portions (not shown) of outer cylinder  54 . The adjustable leg  24  is also equipped with an adjustment grip  52  by which the user can turn inner cylinder  56  within outer cylinder  54 , causing peg  58  to move in and out of any locking slot  60  and slide along adjustment slot  62 , thereby adjusting the height of adjustment leg  24 , and consequently adjusting the height of the front portion of palm rest portion  26  of keyboard rack  10 .  
         [0028]    FIGS.  5 A-C depict another embodiment of this invention in which the key guard  12  lacks a middle bar and has an extended discontinuity in bottom bar  42 . Palm rest portion  26  lacks a ledge around the sides and bottom of palm rest  14 , and palm rest  14  is a single piece rather than being split into two palm rest portions as shown in FIG. 1. Top key guard bar  44  and side key guard bars  46  are as described above. Palm rest portion  26  is equipped with raised portions  66  having a top equal in height to the top of top and side bars  44  and  46 . Palm rest portion  26  is also preferably equipped with a ramped edge  68  slanting downward in the direction of key guard  12  to accommodate a user&#39;s thumbs. Hinges  18  rotatably secure the ends of bottom bar  42  to palm rest portion  26 . In the embodiment shown, hinges  18  are equipped with hinge tabs  19  which are secured by means known to the art such as gluing or screwing, to palm rest portion  26 . Palm rest portion  26  is also equipped with adjustable legs  24  as described above. The arrow in FIG. 5A indicates that key guard  12  can be rotated around on bottom bar  42  to a folded position as shown in FIG. 5B. FIG. 5C shows the bottom of the folded keyboard rack of FIG. 5B in which hinges  18  and hinge tabs  19  are visible, along with top key guard bar  44  and side key guard bars  56 , as well as adjustable legs  24 . In addition, hooks  20  are depicted on either side attached to the bottom of palm rest portion  26  by means of hook attachments  72 , which may be any structure known to the art, such as a bar embedded in or attached to the bottom of palm rest portion  26 , around which the attached end of hook  20  is rotatably fixed. Hook  20  is equipped with a hook portion  70  for insertion into and engagement with hook slot  74  when the keyboard rack  10  is not in use with a keyboard. Hook  20  also preferably comprises an elastic portion  76 . The left side of FIG. 5C depicts hook  20  in its open position, while the right side of FIG. 5C depicts hook  20  in its closed or hooked position. In use, when the keyboard rack  10  is positioned for use with a keyboard in either its open or folded position, the hook portion  70  of hook  20  fits into the crack between the frame of the keyboard and the bottom row of keys. The elastic portion  76  of hook  20  allows the rack  10  to be adapted to different keyboard dimensions. When rack  10  is in its folded position and being used with a keyboard only for its palm rest function, elastic portion  76  of hook  20  also allows the palm rest to remain attached even when pressure away from the keyboard is exerted by the user&#39;s palms as sometimes happens during normal use.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of this invention in which a palm rest  26  is attached to keyboard  30 . The key guard is omitted. The palm rest includes adjustable legs  24  on the front of the palm rest and means for rotatably attaching the palm rest  26  to keyboard  30 . Such means include rounded tab  80  which may be molded as part of the keyboard, with corresponding gripping member  82 , which may be molded as part of the palm rest, which snaps onto rounded tab  80 , shown on the left side of FIG. 6. Such means for rotatably attaching palm rest  26  also include a snap ring  84  which may be molded as part of palm rest  26  which snaps into ring tab  86 , which can be molded as part of keyboard  30 , shown on the right side of FIG. 6. When adjustable legs  24  are adjusted, the palm rest can rotate on rounded tab  80  or ring tab  86  to accommodate the adjustment.  
         [0030]    The keyboard rack of this invention has been described in terms of certain specific features, however any element of the rack may be substituted with an equivalent structural or functional element as known to the art, and devices with such substitutions are considered to be within the scope of the claims appended hereto.