Abstract:
A keyboard support is provided with a sliding mouse support having a storage position arranged beneath the keyboard support and right and left hand use positions projecting from opposite ends of the keyboard support, wherein in each use position the mouse support is swingable forwardly and rearwardly of the keyboard support for purposes of adjustably arranging the mouse support within a range of user convenient mouse use positions relative to the front and rear edges of the keyboard support.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to computer keyboard supports and more particularly to keyboard supports having adjustably positioned support means for supporting a computer input device, such as a mouse.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    It has heretofore been proposed to provide a keyboard support with a slidably mounted mouse support having a storage position arranged beneath the keyboard support and right and left hand use positions projecting from opposite ends of the keyboard support, as evidenced for example by U.S. Design Pat. No. 380,462, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,655,743; 5,732,910; 5,901,934; and 6,045,098.  
           [0003]    A drawback of each of the known prior keyboard supports of the type described is that the use positions of the mouse support are not adjustable in a direction extending normal to the front and rear edges of the keyboard support, as required to arrange a mouse in a range of positions convenient to a user.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The present invention relates to an improved keyboard support of the type having a mouse support movable into right and left hand use positions projecting from opposite ends of the keyboard support.  
           [0005]    More particularly, the invention is directed to a keyboard support including a mouse support adapted to be swung forwardly and rearwardly of the keyboard support while in both of its right and left hand use positions in order to provide a range of use positions convenient to a user. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of the keyboard support incorporating the present invention;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof with a mouse support disposed in storage position;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view thereof;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is an end elevational view thereof, as viewed from the right of FIG. 1;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view thereof partially broken away to illustrate internal construction;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken generally along the line  6 - 6  in FIG. 5;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the follower shown in FIGS. 5 and 6;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken generally along the line  8 - 8  in FIG. 2;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken generally along the line  9 - 9  in FIG. 5; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the keyboard support with alternative use positions of the mouse support shown in full and broken line. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    A keyboard support of the present invention is generally designated as  10  in FIGS. 1-5 and shown as including a generally rectangular tray  12  having opposite ends  14  and  16 , a planar upper surface  18  sized to support a computer keyboard, not shown, a lower surface  20 , and front and rear edges  22  and  24 , respectively; and a bracket  26  having generally rectangular upper and lower surfaces  28  and  30 , respectively, and inverted, L-shaped front and rear edge flanges  32  and  34 , respectively, defining parallel, facing edge surfaces  32   a  and  34   a , respectively, and mounting flange portions  32   b  and  34   b.    
         [0017]    Tray lower surface  20  is shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and  6  as being provided with a guideway, such as may be defined by an elongated slot  36 , having opposite ends  38  and  40  disposed relatively adjacent tray ends  14  and  16 ; and in FIGS. 2, 5 and  8  as being provided with a generally rectangular recess  42  having a recessed planar surface  42   a  disposed parallel to lower surface  20  and a peripheral ramp surface  42   b  joining surface  42   a  to lower surface  20 .  
         [0018]    By referring to FIGS. 2, 4 and  5 , it will be understood that bracket  26  is suitably fixed to tray  12 , such as by fasteners  44  passing through bracket mounting flange portions  32   b  and  34   b  upwardly into the tray through lower surface  20 , whereby to form an elongated, open-ended passageway  46 , which is arranged to extend lengthwise of tray  12  between its opposite ends  14  and  16  and is bounded by parallel tray lower surface  20  and bracket upper surface  28  and parallel edge surfaces  32   a  and  34   a.    
         [0019]    Keyboard support  10  may be mounted at a computer work station, not shown, by suitable means, such as by a mounting mechanism shown in part at  48  by fasteners  50  depending from lower bracket surface  30 .  
         [0020]    In accordance with the present invention, a mouse support  52  is intended to be received within passageway  46  for sliding movement lengthwise thereof, as indicated by arrow  52   a  in FIG. 10, from a storage position shown in FIG. 2 in which it is disposed beneath and in alignment with tray  12 , alternatively into right and left hand use positions shown in FIG. 10, and when in such use positions swung forwardly and rearwardly of tray  12  within a range of travel, as indicated by arrows  52   b  in FIG. 10.  
         [0021]    Mouse support  52  is in the form of a flat, elongated plate having enlarged, mouse supporting end portions  54  and  56  joined by a reduced width waist portion  58 .  
         [0022]    End portions  54  and  56 , and waist portion  58  have oppositely facing upper and lower surfaces  60  and  62  arranged to slidably engage with tray lower surface  20  and bracket upper surface  28 . End portions  54  and  56  are further provided with arcuate peripheral edge surfaces  64  and  66 , respectively, which extend vertically between upper and lower surfaces  60  and  62 ; and waist portion  58  is further provided with edge surfaces  68  and  70 , which extend between the ends of arcuate edge surfaces  64  and  66  and vertically between upper and lower surfaces  60  and  62 .  
         [0023]    Arcuate edge surfaces  64  and  66  slidably engage with facing surfaces  32   a  and  34   a , as shown in FIG. 2 for purposes of mounting mouse support  52  for sliding movement lengthwise of passageway  46  from its illustrated storage position alternatively into its right and left hand use positions shown in FIG. 10. Arcuate edge surfaces  64  and  66  also rotatably engage with facing surfaces  32   a  and  34   a , as shown for the case of edge surface  66  in FIG. 5, for purposes of mounting mouse support  52  for rotatable or swinging movement when in its right and left hand use positions.  
         [0024]    The extent of sliding movement of mouse support  52  may be determined by providing abutment means adapted to alternatively engage with arcuate edge surfaces  64  and  66 . The abutment means may be defined for example by a follower  72  having an elongated guide flange  74  slidably received within guide slot  36  for movement alternatively between slot ends  38  and  40 . Guide flange  74  is maintained within slot  36 , due to sliding engagement of follower  72  with bracket surface  28 , as best shown in FIG. 6.  
         [0025]    The forward extent of swinging movement of mouse support  52  may be determined by providing abutments, such as edge  76   a  of facing edge surfaces  32   a , that interface with waist edge surface  68 . The rearward extent of swinging movement of mouse support  52  may be determined by providing abutments, such as an edge of follower  72 , that interface with waist edge surface  70 . Further, as best shown in FIG. 5, waist edge surfaces  68  and  70  may be differently configured in order to permit a greater degree of forward swinging movement of mouse support  52  than rearwardly swinging movement thereof relative to its storage position shown in FIG. 2. Lower surface  62  of end portions  54  and  56  may be formed with user finger receiving recesses  80  and  82  in order to facilitate user induced movements of mouse support  52  into its use positions.  
         [0026]    It is preferable to provide friction braking means to frictionally brake swinging movement of mouse support  52 , when in its right and left hand use positions, while permitting relatively free sliding movement of the mouse support lengthwise of passageway  46  from such use positions into and from its storage position. The friction braking means may include a pad  84  formed of a suitable friction material, which is fixed to upper surface  60  of waist  58  and arranged for alignment with recess  42 , during at least a substantial portion of the extent of sliding movement of mouse support  52  within passageway  46 , such that there is no or little frictional contact with recess surface  42   a  and the mouse support is slidably movable with a minimum of frictional interference. Then, as mouse support  52  approaches its use positions, pad  84  rides up peripheral ramp surface  42   b  and then into engagement with tray lower surface  20  in order to effect compression of the pad between surfaces  20  and  60 , and thus create frictional effects opposing swinging movements of the mouse support.  
         [0027]    Keyboard support  10  is preferably provided with a wrist support  86  defined by an elongated resiliently deformable wrist supporting cushion  88  and a pair of resiliently deformable, generally C-shaped clamps  90  and  92  adapted to clampingly engage with tray surfaces  18  and  20  adjacent front edge  22  for removably positioning the cushion to extend lengthwise of tray  12 .  
         [0028]    If desired, a mouse, not shown, may be supported by surface engagement directly with surface  60  of mouse supporting end portions  54  and  56  when in their respective use positions. It is, however, preferable to provide a suitable, resiliently deformable mouse pad  94 , which is adapted to be removably and alternatively supported by mouse supporting end portions  54  and  56 . Pad  94  may be variously shaped, but would preferably include a circular, mouse supporting bottom pad element  96  and an arcuate, upstanding fence  98 .