Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SUMMARY
Keyboard and mouse trays have long been known and widely used in the
context of an office environment where assemblies are used to store a
keyboard and mouse under a desk and be retrieved when required. No
assemblies have been designed to date where a keyboard and mouse may be
used freestanding in other locations such as a living room or a recreation
room where a computer is used with a large monitor or television. This
invention is a convenient means to allow the user to access and use the
keyboard and mouse while sitting on a recliner, chair or sofa, standing,
sitting or kneeling on the floor.
In the drawings which form a part of this specification,
Figure 1 is an elevation view of the stand in its medium height position.
Figure 2 is an elevation view of the stand in its lowest position.
Figure 3 is an elevation view of the stand in its highest position.
Figure 4 is a side view of the stand in its medium height position.
Figure 5 is a side view of the stand in its lowest position.
Figure 6 is a side view of the stand in its highest position.
Figure 7 is an exploded view of the stand showing the three sub-assemblies
and spring.
Figure 8 is an elevation view of the base assembly.
Figure 9 is a detailed below view of the base assembly with parts removed
for clarity of illustration of the post support fastener locations.
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Figure 10 is a detailed below view of the base assembly with parts
removed for clarity of illustration of the top plate fastener locations.
Figure 11 is a detailed below view of the base assembly showing the base
contour support fastener locations and foot pegs.
Figure 12 is an enlarged view of the base assembly spring-loaded sliding
post lock.
Figure 13 is an enlarged view of the foot pegs and insert.
Figure 14 is an elevation view of the arm assembly.
Figure 15 is an enlarged, exploded view of the arms, brackets, bearings,
screw and nut for clarity of illustration of the assembly process.
Figure 16 is an enlarged, exploded view of the arm assembly with parts
removed for clarity of illustration of the bearing locations.
Figure 17 is an enlarged view of the arms and piston with cut-out showing
the extremities of the piston inside the arms.
Figure 18 is an enlarged view of the bearing.
Figure 19 is an enlarged view of the arms, brackets, spacers, screw and
handle for clarity of illustration of the assembly process of the locking
option.
Figure 20 is an elevation view of the tray assembly.
Figure 21 is an elevation view of the tray assembly with a cutout showing
the post and bracket fastening points.
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Figure 22 is an enlarged view of the screw and bolt used to fasten the
mouse and keyboard trays together.
Figure 23 is an elevation view of the arm assembly with parts removed for
clarity of illustration of the tray assembly bracket.
Figure 24 is an elevation view of the arm assembly with parts removed for
clarity of illustration of the tray assembly bracket fastening points on the
keyboard tray.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The stand consists of three major components: the base assembly 1, the arm
assembly 2, a spring 2 and the tray assembly 4 as shown in Figure 7.
The base assembly 1 shown in Figure 7 is shown in detail in Figure 8. It
consists of left base support 5 and right base support 6, a curved contour
support 7, a lateral support 8 and a top plate 9 all of a suitable rigid
material.
The base assembly 1 also consists of a post support 10 and a post 11. The
post 11 is made of steel whereas the post support 10 is made of steel,
aluminum or a metal alloy. The left base support 5, the right base support 6
and the curved contour support 7 fastened together adequately provide a
very rigid horizontal structure necessary to support the moment of force
exerted by the post and the weight of the entire assembly. The top plate 9 is
sufficiently thick and of stiff wooden material such that no twisting occurs
from the moment of force exerted by the post. The post support 10 is also
sufficiently rigid to prevent bending of the post 11 with respect to the top
plate 9. Figure 8 shows a round handle spring-loaded lock 12 spot-welded
to the post which allows the arm assembly post 20 (described further and
shown in Figure 14) to slide inside the base assembly post 11 and stop at
various fixed height positions.
Figure 9 shows that the post support 10 is fastened to the top plate 9 with
four screws 13. Figure 9 also shows that the base assembly post 11 is
fixed inside post support 10 with one screw 14.
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Figure 10 shows that lateral support 8 is fastened to top plate 9 using three
counter-sink screws 15. Contour support 7 is also fastened to top plate 9
using eight counter-sink screws 16.
Figure 11 shows that left and right base supports 5 and 6 are fastened to
the curved contour support 7 with seven screws 17 each. Figure 11 also
shows that four threaded adjustable foot pegs 18 are fastened to left and
right
supports 5 and 6 with four threaded inserts 19.
Figure 12 is an enlarged view of the spring-load sliding post lock 12.
Figure 13 is a detailed view of the adjustable threaded foot pegs 18 and
corresponding threaded insert 19.
The arm assembly 2 shown in Figure 7 is shown in detail in Figure 14. It
consists of a post 20, a rounded post bracket 21, left and right straight
brackets 22 and 23, left and right shims 24 and 25, upper and lower arms 26
and 27, piston 28 and eight thrust unground banded thrust bearings 29. Left
and right straight brackets 22 and 23 a made of a thin, suitable, rigid metal
and are used to hold the corresponding arm assembly joints and the tray
assembly 4 together. The upper and lower arms 26 and 27 are square hollow
pipes of suitable steel or aluminum material with cut-outs for the piston 28
extremities. The material used for the arms is sufficiently thick and rigid to
minimize torsion as weight is applied by the user to either side of the
keyboard tray. Unground banded thrust bearings 29 allow the arm assembly
to articulate with minimal friction at the fastening points allowing the tray
assembly to be lowered and raised effortlessly. Piston 28 is a gas spring
with a sufficient amount of force required to hold the tray assembly upright
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including the weight of a typical keyboard and mouse and the force applied
by the person using the keyboard and mouse.
Figure 14 shows that the upper and lower arms 26 and 27 are fastened to
left and right straight brackets 22 and 23 using flat head screws 30 and flat
head bolt 31 (shown in Figure 15). The post 20 is a rigid, hollow circular
tube of metal such as steel or aluminum that includes an array of slots 38
that accommodate the spring-loaded lock 12 located on the base assembly
post 11 shown in Figure 8. The slots 38 are sufficiently wide such that the
tray assembly 4 and arm assembly 2 can swivel left to right with respect to
the base assembly 1, allowing the user to push the tray aside making room
when getting up from a seated position. Figure 13 also shows a cap 39
inserted at the top end of arm assembly post 20. Figure 15 is an enlarged,
exploded view showing the assembly of the upper and lower arms 26 and
27, rounded post bracket 21, left and right bearings 29, flat head screw 30
and flat head bolt 31.
Figure 16 is an enlarged, exploded view showing the locations of the eight
bearings 29 relative to the upper and lower arms 26 and 27.
Figure 17 is an enlarged view of the upper and lower arms 26 and 27 and
piston 28 with cutouts showing the extremities of the piston inside the arms.
Figure 18 is an enlarged view of the bearing. The bearing consists of a cold
forged steel upper race 32 which revolves freely over the steel balls (not
shown), a forged steel lower race (also not shown) and a soft steel band 33.
Figure 19 is an enlarged view showing the assembly of the upper and
lower arms 26 and 27, rounded post bracket 21, left and right round spacers
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34 and 35, flat head locking screw 36 and threaded rounded locking handle
37. This locking mechanics is an alternative to the assembly process
described above and depicted in Figure 15.
The tray assembly 4 shown in Figure 7 is shown in detail in Figure 20. It
consists of a keyboard tray 40, a mouse tray 41, a post 42 and a lateral
bracket 43. The post 42 is used to fasten the tray assembly 4 to the arm
assembly 2 and the bracket 43 is used to provide lateral rigidity to the
assembly as the user applies force to either side of the tray and to the
mouse.
Also shown are two screws 44 that fasten bracket 43 to the keyboard tray 40
as well as a flat-head screw 45 and a flat-head nut 46 (shown in Figure 22)
that hold the two trays (40 and 41) together. Flat-head screw 45 and nut 46
may be tightened together with a locking fluid to prevent loosening as the
mouse tray 41 swivels on the keyboard tray 40.
Figure 21 is an enlarged view with a cutout in the post 42 showing two
screws 47 that fasten tray post 42 and tray bracket 43 to the keyboard tray
40.
Figure 22 is an enlarged view of the flat-head screw 45 and flat-head nut
46 used to fasten the mouse and keyboard trays together. Keyboard and
mouse trays 40 and 41 are shaped such that when they are assembled
together there is a flat, round surface that provides a means for the mouse
tray to swivel with respect to the keyboard tray.
Figure 23 is an elevation view of the tray assembly with parts removed for
clarity of illustration of the tray assembly bracket 43.
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Figure 24 is an elevation view of the tray assembly with parts removed for
clarity of illustration of the four fastening points 48 on the keyboard tray
40
for bracket 43 (not shown).
