Computer armrest

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6786461
  • Patent Number
    6,786,461
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, July 30, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, September 7, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A computer armrest includes an elbow supporter, a mouse pad and a connect arm. The elbow supporter and the mouse pad are movably connected with the connect arm so as to freely turn with the position of the elbow or the palm. The elbow supporter can be adjusted more than 90 degrees by means of the connect arm and also bent downward to be collapsed under a computer table not to lake any space on the table in case of not using.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




This invention relates to a computer armrest, particularly to one preventing a computer-using worker from getting occupational harm.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




As for equipment for preventing computer-using workers from preventing them from occupational harm, a U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,501 disclosed an elbow supporter for workers using computers to rest the elbow thereon, using two always-parallel arms for adjusting the horizontal height of the elbow supporter so that a user can place the elbow stably and comfortably thereon. This elbow supporter is designed to have an objective and function of horizontal adjustment and tight fixing with a computer table for the elbow supporter. But it only has a bolt for adjusting the two parallel arms so the adjustable angle and the horizontal position are quite limited, impossible to collapse it under the table when not used.




And another U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,526 disclosed one, which has two arms combined vertically, with one at the upper and the other at the lower, and corresponding toothed surfaces at the joint, with an disadvantage that each arm can only swing right and left in adjusting the position of the two arms. Therefore, it is limited in its use, very inconvenient.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The objective of the invention is to offer a computer armrest possible to prevent a computer using worker from getting occupational harm, and easy to collapsing it under a computer table, not taking any space on the table when not used.




One of the feature of the invention is an elbow supporter held by a connect arm and moving freely together with the elbow of a user, letting the elbow and the arm held naturally.




The other objective of the invention is to offer a computer armrest having the connect arm with its two ends each provided with an adjusting bolt permitting the elbow supporter adjusted in multi-directions and its height.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS




This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:





FIG. 1

is an exploded perspective view of a computer armrest in the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a side view of a first stage of movement of the computer armrest in the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a side view of a second stage of movemtn of the computer armrest in the present invention;





FIG. 4

is a side view of the computer armrest in the present invention;





FIG. 5

is an upper view the computer armrest in moving condition in the present invention;





FIG. 6

is a cross-sectional view of an adjusting bolt in a first adjusting condition in the present invention; and,





FIG. 7

is a cross-sectional view of an adjusting bolt in a second adjusting condition in the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




A preferred embodiment of a computer armrest in the present invention, as shown in

FIG. 1

, includes an elbow supporter


1


, an upper arm


2


, a pinch base


3


, a mouse pad


4


, a front turning base


5


, a rear turning base


6


, a connect arm


7


as main components combined together.




The elbow supporter


1


has a convex upper surface


10


to match with ergonomics, a soft pad


11


laid on the upper surface


10


, and fitted through by a first shaft


20


of the upper arm


2


to turn around freely.




The upper arm


20


has the first shaft


20


to fit in the elbow supporter


1


to let the elbow supporter move freely, and a second shaft


21


extending downward to combine with the rear turning base


6


.




The pinch base


3


consists of an upper pinch base


30


and a lower pinch base


31


, and the upper and the lower pinch base


30


,


31


have respectively a vertical circular toothed surface


300


and


310


to engage with each other for adjustment. The upper and the lower pinch base


30


and


31


further respectively have a vertical slot


301


and a threaded hole


311


, as shown in

FIGS. 2 and 3

, for a bolt


32


to fit through and screw with to adjust the combined height of the two half bases


30


and


31


so as to change the height of the mouse pad


4


. The upper pinch base


30


further has a shaft


33


fixed on an upper surface to fit in either of two shaft holes


40


and


41


of the mouse pad


4


, permitting the mouse pad


4


turn freely as shown in

FIGS. 4 and 5

. The lower pinch base


31


has an upper surface


313


and a threaded hole


314


in the upper surface


313


for a bolt


340


of the pinch plate


34


to screw with so as to adjust the distance between the surface of the pinch plate


34


and a pinch surface


36


of the upper pinch base


30


according to the thickness of the object to be sandwiched for effectuating stable pinching. The lower pinch base


31


further has a turning shaft base


315


with an opening


316


in a rear portion for combining with the front turning base


5


.




The front turning base


5


has two shaft bases


50


,


51


with an intermediate opening between them, with the shaft base


50


inserting in the opening


316


and with the lower shaft base


51


positioning under the shaft turning base


315


. Then a shaft


52


extends through the lower shaft base


51


, the turning shaft base


315


and the turning shaft base


50


from under, and then closed with a shaft cap


53


with two washers


500


,


521


to combine the front turning base


5


stably. The front turning base


5


further has a vertical circular toothed surface


54


formed in an inner wall and a threaded hole


55


in the toothed surface


54


.




The rear turning base


6


has two shaft bases


60


,


61


respectively with a center hole for the shaft


21


of the connect arm


2


to fit therein and also pass though a gasket


62


and a washer


63


, and then closed with a shaft cap


64


so as to position the rear turning base


6


stably. The rear turning base


6


further has a vertical circular toothed surface


66


and a threaded hole


65


in the toothed surface


66


.




The connect arm


7


has a front vertical circular toothed surface


70


and a rear vertical circular toothed surface


71


to engage respectively with the toothed surfaces


54


and


66


of the upper and the lower turning base


5


and


6


, and a threaded hole


700


and


710


as shown in

FIGS. 6 and 7

for an adjusting bolt


72


and


73


to fit through a spring


720


and


730


, then screw with the threaded holes


55


,


65


and then are locked by helical spring lock washers


550


and


650


, combining the connect arm


7


movably with the front and the rear turning base


5


and


6


, and limiting the looseness and tightness of the adjusting bolts


72


and


73


. Changing only the combining position of the connect arm


7


with the front and the rear turning base


5


and


6


can change the position of the elbow supporter


1


to correspond with the elbow of a user. Further, the elbow supporter


1


can be collapsed under a computer table not to take the space on the table.




Further, the two adjusting bolts


72


,


73


of the connect arm


7


enable the height of the elbow supporter to be adjusted and the horizontal position also to be adjusted, in accordance with the habit of a user, the height of the key board, and the need of a user to get comfort in using a computer.




While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. A computer armrest comprising:an elbow supporter combined pivotally with a first shaft of an upper arm to turn freely; said upper arm having said first shaft extending upward at a right side and also a second shaft extending downward at a left side; a pinch base consisting of an upper pinch base and a lower pinch base, said upper and said lower pinch base each respectively having a vertical toothed surface formed on a vertical side facing each other to engage with each other for adjusting, either of said upper and said lower pinch base having a threaded hole or a vertical slot for an adjusting bolt to fit through and screw with, said upper pinch base having a left shaft fitting in either of two shaft holes of a mouse pad, said lower pinch base having a threaded hole in its left side for a bolt of a pinch plate to screw with so as to adjust the distance between the upper surface of said pinch plate and a lower surface of said upper pinch base, said lower pinch base further having a turning shaft base at a rear side, said turning shaft base having a intermediate opening for a front turning base to fit therein; said front turning base having a shaft base formed in a left portion, said shaft base fitting in the intermediate opening of said lower pinch base, a shaft fitting vertically through said turning shaft base of said lower pinch base and said shaft base of said front turning base from under, a shaft cap closing said shaft with a washer at the lower side of said front turning base so that said front turning base may be combined with said lower pinch base stably, said front turning base further having a vertical circular toothed surface with a center threaded hole; a rear turning base having a shaft base formed in a right portion for said second shaft of said upper arm to extend through with a ring gasket and a washer, a shaft cap closing said shaft at a lower side of said shaft base, said rear turning base further having a vertical circular toothed surface with a center threaded hole; a connect arm having a front end and a rear end respectively provided with a vertical circular toothed surface with a center threaded hole, an adjusting bolt fitting through a spring and then engaging with said threaded holes of said front and said rear turning base and said connect arm and locked with a helical spring lock washer so that said connect arm may be combined with said front and said rear turning base stably; and, the combined position of said connect arm with said front and said rear turning base can be moved freely and accordingly said elbow supporter possible to be moved freely thereby.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Number Name Date Kind
1266367 Wilson May 1918 A
3193674 Fleming Jul 1965 A
4562987 Leeds et al. Jan 1986 A
4592526 Kobelt Jun 1986 A
5074501 Holtta Dec 1991 A
5964439 Johnson Oct 1999 A
5975469 Chen Nov 1999 A
6086034 McAllister et al. Jul 2000 A
6112449 Blackwell Sep 2000 A
D438725 Takahashi Mar 2001 S
6347771 Lauzon et al. Feb 2002 B1
6688563 Waxham et al. Feb 2004 B1
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
WO-9114384 Oct 1991 SE