Abstract:
A keyboard drawer with self-retracting mouse platform beneath the desktop of a desk is slidably engaged between first and second parallel vertical members extending downward from the desktop. The mouse platform is pivotally connected atop a sidewall of the keyboard drawer such that one of the vertical members provides a pivot point for pivoting the mouse platform from an extended position, in front of the vertical member, to a retracted position, over the keyboard drawer. The mouse platform is pivoted when it contacts the pivot point during movement of the keyboard drawer from an open position in front of the desktop to a closed position beneath the desktop.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to drawers mounted beneath a desk or table top and, more particularly, keyboard drawers and mouse platforms, typically for use with computer work areas. 
   Keyboard drawers and trays are typically attached beneath desktops and tabletops by sliding mechanisms that allow them to slide out from underneath the desktop for keyboard access and slide beneath the desktop to stow the keyboards out of the way when not needed. Some provide one common surface that may hold a pointing device, such as a computer mouse, adjacent the keyboard, while others provide a separate tray or platform positioned to one side. Those keyboard drawers and trays that have separate mouse platforms typically provide various ways of stowing them out of the way when not in use. Some mouse platforms are entirely manually operated, while others are automatically operated. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   One aspect of the invention involves a desk having a desktop, a first vertical support member extending downward from the desktop and a sliding drawer mounted below the desktop that has one side adjacent the first vertical support member. A mouse platform is pivotally connected to the side of the drawer and extendable therefrom into a position in front of the vertical support member when the drawer is open. The mouse platform has a retracted position adjacent the vertical support member where the mouse platform automatically pivots into the retracted position in response to contact with the vertical support member as the drawer is closed. 
   Another aspect of the invention involves a desk having a desktop and first and second parallel vertical members extending downward from the desktop. A keyboard drawer is slidably engaged between the first and second vertical members. The keyboard drawer has a bottom, a sidewall positioned adjacent the first vertical member, and a hinge-mounted front wall having height greater than the sidewall relative to the bottom, providing a clearance pocket between the desktop and the sidewall. A mouse platform is pivotally connected horizontally atop the sidewall of the drawer within the clearance pocket. The mouse platform is extendable into a position in front of one of the first and second parallel vertical members when the keyboard drawer is open and has a retracted position adjacent said vertical member, where the mouse platform pivots into the retracted position in response to contact with the vertical support member as the keyboard drawer is closed. 
   A further aspect of the invention involves a method of mounting a keyboard drawer with a pivotally mounted mouse platform in a desk to provide a self-retracting mouse platform. A desk with a desktop, a vertical member extending downward therefrom, and a keyboard drawer having a pivotally mounted horizontal mouse platform is provided. The keyboard drawer with pivotally mounted horizontal mouse platform is mounted beneath the desktop of the desk such that the vertical member provides a contact point for the mouse platform to contact when the drawer is moved from an open position to a closed position. The contact pivots the mouse platform from an extended position in front of the vertical member into a retracted position adjacent the vertical member. 
   Another aspect of the invention involves a method of attaching a self-retracting mouse platform to a keyboard drawer that is slidably mounted beneath a desktop of a desk to a vertical member extending downward from the desktop. The keyboard drawer has a bottom and a sidewall connected adjacent the vertical member. A provided mouse platform is pivotally mounted atop the sidewall of the keyboard drawer such that the vertical member provides a contact point for pivoting the mouse platform from an extended position in front of the vertical member to a retracted position over the bottom of the keyboard drawer when the mouse platform contacts the contact point during movement of the keyboard drawer from an open position to a closed position. 
   The objects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a desk including one embodiment of a keyboard drawer with self-retracting mouse platform according to the present invention while in use. 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of the desk of  FIG. 1  during closure of the keyboard drawer with self-retracting mouse platform. 
       FIG. 3  is a plan view of the desk of  FIG. 1  with the keyboard drawer with self-retracting mouse platform in a fully retracted position. 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of a desk including another embodiment of a keyboard drawer with self-retracting mouse platform. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. 
   Desks, tables, countertops and other work surfaces, hereinafter collectively referred to as desks, are commonly used to hold desktop computers with their associated computer monitors typically being placed on the desktop and their computer keyboards and computer mice being held in a tray or drawer beneath the desktop. The desk  10  shown in  FIG. 1  holds a desktop computer monitor  12  and utilizes a keyboard drawer with self-retracting mouse platform according to the present invention to hold the computer keyboard  16  and computer mouse  18 . The desk  10 , keyboard drawer  20  and mouse platform  22  shown in  FIG. 1  are made of wood, but may be made of other materials such as metal or plastic. 
   Desks typically have one or more vertically oriented support members connected to the bottom of the desktop, such as the sidewall of a drawer or inner surface of a desk leg, adjacent a seating area intended for use as leg clearance for a person sitting at the desk. The desk  10  shown in  FIG. 1  has a desk leg  24  connected to the bottom of the desktop  26  at the right edge and a stack of drawers  28  and desk leg  29  at the left side, defining the seating area  30 . A sliding component  32 , such as a slide track  34  with stationary roller  36 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  only on the inner surface  38  of leg  24  for illustrative purposes, is secured to the inner surface  38  of leg  24  and inner surface  40  of the stack of drawers  28  to receive the keyboard drawer  20  with self-retracting mouse platform  22 , above the seating area  30 . 
   The keyboard drawer  20  generally has a bottom  42  with stationary sidewalls  44 ,  46  and a movable front wall  48  hingedly connected to the front of the bottom  42  to allow user access to the keyboard  16  held in the drawer  20 . The keyboard drawer is mounted beneath the desktop  26  such that the taller front wall  48  hangs closely adjacent the bottom of the desktop  26 , creating a clearance pocket between the top of sidewalls  44 ,  46  and the bottom of desktop  26  for mouse platform  22  to occupy. The outer surface of each sidewall  49 ,  50  has a sliding component  52 , such as slide track  54  and roller  56 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  only on the outer surface  50  of sidewall  46  for illustrative purposes, adapted for engagement with the sliding components  32  of the desk  10  so that the drawer  20  may be moved from a retracted, closed position underneath the desktop  26 , to an extended, open position where a majority of the drawer  20  extends out from underneath the desktop  26 , in front of the desk  10 . The top surface of each sidewall  58 ,  60  has a metal insert  62  for receiving the screw fastener  64  that pivotally secures the mouse platform  22  atop the sidewall  44 . 
   The mouse platform  22  shown in  FIGS. 1-3  is pivotally connected to the top surface  58  of the right drawer sidewall  44  with screw fastener  64 , so that the platform pivots above keyboard  16  during extension and retraction. The mouse platform may also be attached to the left sidewall  46  by way of a screw fastener secured into metal insert  62  as shown in  FIG. 4 , if desired for left-handed users. Alternatively, the mouse platform may be connected to the bottom of the keyboard drawer or mounted within an opening in the sidewall of the drawer such that the platform would horizontally pivot through the sidewall. The mouse platform  22  is preferably sized to provide suitable area in which to manipulate a computer mouse during use as a computer pointing device, such as within the range of 42 to 56 in. 2 , for example. The mouse platform  22  shown in  FIGS. 1-3  has a straight inner edge  66  that is designed to align generally parallel with the drawer sidewall  44  when the platform  22  is rotated outwardly and the platform stop  68  contacts the inner surface  70  of the sidewall  44 . This allows for unobstructed access to the computer keyboard  16  during use. The outer edge  72  of the mouse platform  22  is preferably arcuately shaped to facilitate retraction of the platform  22 , as will be described hereinafter. The mouse platform  22  shown in  FIGS. 1-3  has a generally circular outer edge  72 , but may be of a different general shape, such as elliptical, for example. 
   When access to the computer keyboard  16  and mouse  18  are desired, the keyboard drawer  20  may be pulled from a retracted position beneath the desktop  26  to an extended position, in front of the desktop  26 . The front wall  48  of the drawer  20  may then be rotated downwardly on its hinge, to gain access to the keyboard  16 . The mouse platform  22  may then be manually rotated about the screw fastener  64  from a retracted position overlying the keyboard drawer bottom  42 , to an extended position adjacent the keyboard drawer  20  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The platform stop  68  limits extension of the mouse platform  22 . A computer mouse  18  may then be placed upon the mouse platform  22  for use. Alternatively, the pivotal connection may be spring-loaded so that the mouse platform  22  may automatically pivot to an extended position once platform  22  clears end face  74  of desk leg  24 . For example, a torsion spring may be positioned about screw fastener  64  with one end held stationary within sidewall  44  and the other end held within a slot on the bottom of platform  22  such that the torsion spring would urge the platform to an extended position. 
   When it is desired to stow the computer keyboard  16  and mouse  18  out of the way of the desktop  26 , the computer mouse  18  may be removed from the mouse platform  22  and placed in the keyboard drawer  20  and the front wall  48  of the keyboard drawer  20  may be rotated closed. The keyboard drawer  20  may then be pushed from an extended open position to a retracted closed position without having to manually retract the mouse platform  22 . The mouse platform  22  may be self-retracted during closure of the keyboard drawer  20 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   During closure of the keyboard drawer  20 , the arcuately shaped outer edge  72  of the mouse platform  22  makes contact with the vertical member adjacent the drawer which provides a pivot point, in this case, the end face  74  of desk leg  24 , and rotates the platform  22  about screw fastener  64  to a retracted position, as the platform slides past desk leg  24 .  FIG. 3  shows the keyboard drawer  20  and mouse platform  22  in a fully retracted position, with the platform  22  overlying the keyboard drawer bottom  42 . 
     FIG. 4  shows an alternate embodiment of the keyboard drawer  120  with self-retracting mouse platform  122  according to the present invention, where the mouse platform  122  is connected to the left sidewall  146  of the drawer  120 . The mouse platform  122  is self-retracted during closure of the keyboard drawer  120  in this configuration by contact with a vertical member connected to the bottom of the desktop  126 , in this case end face  174  of corner post  176  of drawer stack  128 , causing the platform  122  to rotate about the screw fastener  164  to a retracted position, as the platform  122  slides past the stack of drawers  128 . 
   While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.