Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02355784 2001-08-24
COMPUTER MOUSE AND STAND-MOUNTED MOUSE PAD SYSTEM
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of computer devices and in particular to a
system including a mouse magnetically cooperating with inclinable mouse pad
mounted on a
floor stand.
Background of the Invention
It is well known to use a roller-ball based computer interfaced pointing
device
such as generically referred to as a mouse for rolling on a flat surface,
normally a desktop,
adjacent a keyboard for directing a cursor on a computer screen. It is also
documented in prior
art such as United States Patent No. 5,765,795 which issued to Alex on June
16, 1998 for a
Deformable Computer Mouse Pad, and United States Patent No. 5,678,800 which
issued to
Markussen on October 21, 1997 for a Computer Mouse Pad Having Inclined
Surfaces that the
use of a mouse on a mouse pad positioned adjacent a keyboard on a flat desktop
may be
fatiguing to the user. Consequently, Markussen discloses using an incline
support to incline
the mouse pad on an inclined work-surface so as to position a user's hand at
an angle relative
to the table supporting the mouse pad. Alex teaches a deformable mouse pad
that may be
deformed so as to be mountable onto, for example, the arm of a chair or a
thigh of the user so
as to allow a user to control the operation of the mouse in a less fatiguing
manner.
Applicant is also aware of International Patent Application No.
PCT/IB99/01453 published March 2, 2000 under International Publication Number
WO
00/11598 for the invention of Jacobs et al. and entitled Computer Mouse.
Jacobs et al.
disclose the use of magnetic attraction between the roller-ball of a computer
mouse and the
mouse pad to improve the stability and traction of the ball and to increase
the resistance of the
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ball to movement to make the mouse easier to control and more accurate, the
ball containing a
magnet and the mouse pad containing a magnetic sheet.
What is neither taught nor suggested, and which it is an object of the present
invention to provide, is a selectively inclinable mouse pad pivotally mounted
on a floor stand,
the stand providing for vertical height adjustment of the pad above the floor
on which the
stand is placed. Magnetic attraction between a mouse placed on the mouse pad
and the pad
itself keeps the mouse adhered to the mouse pad when the mouse pad is inclined
and lowered
into a position, for example, adjacent the lap of a user so as to thus lessen
fatigue or to reduce
the pain of injury such as from carpal tunnel syndrome.
Summary of the Invention
In summary, the computer mouse and stand-mounted mouse pad system of the
present invention includes a selectively inclinable rigid platform pivotally
mounted at an upper
end of a floor-stand, and a computer mouse mountable onto the platform for
sliding translation
thereover. The computer mouse has a releasable magnetic coupler for releasably
magnetically
mounting the computer mouse onto the platform. The platform is adapted to
magnetically
adhere to the magnetic coupler. The floor stand may include a selectively
vertically adjustable
shaft. The platform may be mounted atop the shaft. The floor stand may include
a tripod
mount as its base. The floor-stand may include a means for adjusting a height
of the platform
above a base of the floor-stand and a means for pivotally adjusting an
inclination angle of the
platform relative to the floor-stand. The height may be generally between 6
and 24 inches
measured from a lower-most end of the base.
The upper surface of the platform may be planar. The platform may further
comprise a rigid fore-arm rest cantilevered from the platform. The fore-arm
rest may also be
planar and may have an upper surface generally parallel to an upper surface of
the platform.
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The magnetic coupler may be a magnetic roller ball rotatably mounted in the
mouse, in which case the platform advantageously includes a metal layer. The
metal layer
may be an uppermost surface of the platform. In a further embodiment not
intended to be
limiting, the magnetic coupler may be a metal roller ball rotatably mounted in
the mouse, in
which case the platform advantageously has a magnetized upper or upper-most
surface. The
magnetized upper surface may include at least one magnetic strip.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is, in side elevation view, the mouse and mouse pad system of the
present invention.
Figure 2 is, in perspective view, the mouse and mouse pad system of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line 3-3 in Figure 2.
Figure 4 is, in side elevation enlarged view, the mouse and mouse pad system
of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is, in isometric view, the mouse pad of Figure 4.
Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention
As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the mouse and mouse pad system 10 of the present
invention includes a rigid generally planar platform 12 which may serve as a
mouse pad or to
which a mouse pad or like surface 14 may be adhered or otherwise mounted to
the upper
surface of the platform for sliding translation thereover of a computer mouse
16. Computer
mouse 16 is releasably magnetically adhered to surface 14 on platform 12 as
better described
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below so as to allow sliding translation of mouse 16 over surface 14 to allow
for the
conventional use of the mouse as a pointing and interface device.
Platform 12 is pivotally mounted to the upper end of a vertically adjustable
shaft or column 18 adjustably supported within a floor stand or base such as
tripod 20.
Platform 12 may, without intending to be limiting, be pivotally mounted to
shaft 18 by means of a pair of bevelled rigid members 22 extending
orthogonally cantilevered
from the underside of platform 12, members 22 parallel and spaced apart
sufficiently so as to
snugly sandwich upper end 18a of shaft 18 between the distal ends of members
22. A shaft or
pin 24 or the like is journalled through a laterally disposed bore through end
18a and through
correspondingly aligned coaxial bores or apertures in the distal ends of
members 22 when
mounted over end 18a so as to provide a pivot for rotation of platform 12 in
direction A
relative to shaft 18 as better seen in Figure 3. Pin 24 may have a knob 24a at
one end as seen
in Figure 4 and may be threaded at its opposite end so as to engage mating
threads within the
corresponding bore of the corresponding member 22 (not shown). Thus, with
members 22
mounted over end 18a and with pin 24 journalled through the coaxial apertures
in members 22
and the bore in end 18a, pin 24 may be threadably tightened so as to clamp
members 22
together. Clamping members 22 together provides, as an example, for
frictionally coupling
end 18a between members 22 to thereby releasably lock the position of platform
12 relative to
shaft 18 at an angular orientation a as desired by, and comfortable to a user
26.
Shaft 18 may have along its length a row of teeth or serrations or notches or
threads which will allow for selective height adjustment of shaft 18 relative
to tripod 20. In
the embodiment illustrated by way of example, roughened surface 18b
frictionally mates with
the innermost end of a threaded shaft or bolt 28 when a user tightens the end
of the shaft or
bolt by rotating knob 28a so as to frictionally engage the end of the shaft or
bolt against
surface 18b. It may be convenient to provide for an adjustable range of height
between floor
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30 and platform 12 of between approximately 6 inches and 24 inches to
accommodate the
various comfort preferences of individual users.
The magnetic adherence of mouse 16 onto platform 12 may be accomplished a
number of ways. For retrofit to an existing mouse, the mouse roller ball 16a
may be a
magnetic roller-ball for magnetic attraction to a metal or otherwise
magnetically attractive
substrate on or beneath surface 14. For use with a mouse that does not rely on
a roller-ball to
detect relative translation between the mouse and the mouse pad, for example
an optical
mouse, then instead of the use of a magnetic roller-ball, magnetic strips (not
shown) may be
mounted to the underside of the mouse in substitution for the magnetic roller-
ball.
Alternatively, a sheet magnet 14a or a plurality of discrete magnets may be
mounted to,
formed in or mounted beneath surface 14 so long as the underside of mouse 16
and/or its
roller-ball are of a material, such as metal, which will then magnetically
adhere to surface 14.
Thus in use, user 26 positions tripod 20 on the same side of the user as the
user
would normally position a mouse pad. Thus as an example, if user 26 was right-
handed, tripod
would be placed on floor 30 to the right of the user when sitting in seat 32
in front of
keyboard 34. With tripod 20 so positioned, the height of shaft 18 is adjusted
so as to position
platform 12, for example, adjacent the seat cushion or the thigh or lap of the
user. Platform 12
20 is inclined forwardly relative to the user when sitting in seat 32 so as to
position mouse 16 at a
comfortable angle a, comfortable to user 26 when seated in seat 32.
An elongate cantilevered rest pad 36 may be mounted at one end of platform 12
For example, rest pad 36 may be rigidly mounted to platform 12 or
telescopically mounted in
platform 12 for adjustable sliding in and out of the platform. Rest pad 36 may
be generally
planar so as to be parallel to, or co-planar with surface 14. Rest pad 36
accommodates resting
of the wrist or forearm of user 26 onto the upper surface of the rest pad
while the user is
holding or manipulating mouse 16.
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As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing
disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of
this invention
without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of
the invention is
to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following
claims.
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