Patent Application
20230008794
When working with computers and computing devices, proper posture and hand support are crucial to avoid long-term injuries. Supports may be places in desired locations, depending on the task to be performed. For example, wrist supports may be placed in front of a mouse or a keyboard. However, such supports are typically not attached to the desk surface, resulting in frequent displacement by sliding, accidental impact, or even mere application of pressure from a user's wrists during interaction with the mouse and keyboard. Such displacement can reduce the benefits of the supports.
Supports can also be provided as part of a pad structure, where a large pad is placed beneath the keyboard and mouse, and the supports are integrated into the pad. While such an arrangement prevents accidental displacement, it presents disadvantages as the supports cannot be removed or relocated when it is desired to do so. Accordingly, a solution that allows for such supports to be securely positioned as well as moved and removed, is desired.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment, a modular desk pad system including a desk pad and at least one attachment is disclosed. The desk pad can include at least one permanent magnetic sheet embedded therein and the at least one attachment can include a flexible magnetic metal sheet or a complementary permanent magnetic sheet embedded therein. The attachment is removably attachable to the desk pad by way of an interaction of the permanent magnetic sheet of the desk pad and the flexible magnetic metal sheet or complementary permanent magnetic sheet of the attachment. The desk pad can further include an upper pad layer, a lower pad layer, and an intermediate pad layer that includes the permanent magnetic sheet, while the attachment can further include an upper attachment layer, a lower attachment layer, and an intermediate attachment layer that includes the flexible magnetic metal sheet or the complementary permanent magnetic sheet. In some exemplary embodiments, the upper pad layer, lower pad layer, and intermediate pad layer may extend conterminously over the area of the desk pad. In some exemplary embodiments, the permanent magnetic sheet can be provided as at least one strip. The attachment can include one or more of a wrist support, an electronic device support, a stationery item holder, and a personal item support.
Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments. The following detailed description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which:
Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the claims. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows.
As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiment are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention”, “embodiments” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.
According to at least one exemplary embodiment, and as shown in
Desk pad 110 may include at least three layers, an upper layer 112, a lower layer 114, and an intermediate layer 116 disposed therebetween. Upper layer 112 and lower layer 114 may be made from any material that enables system 100 to function as described herein. For example, upper layer 112 may be chosen based on a desired look and feel; similarly, lower layer 114 may be chosen based on a desired resistance to sliding against a desk surface. Exemplary materials for upper layer 112 and lower layer 114 may include leather or imitation leather, vinyl, silicone, suede or imitation suede, rubber, or any other material as desired. It should be appreciated that the amount of layers should not be considered as limiting and additional layers may be provided as desired.
Interposed between upper layer 112 and lower layer 114 may be intermediate layer 116. Intermediate layer 116 may include a magnetic material. In one exemplary embodiment, intermediate layer 116 may be provided as a permanent magnetic sheet or as a sheet of magnetic metal. As used herein, “permanent magnet” means a magnetic material that exerts a magnetic force, and “magnetic metal” means a magnetic material that is not a permanent magnet and that is attracted by a magnetic force.
Attachment 150 may likewise include at least three layers, an upper layer 152, a lower layer 154, and an intermediate layer 156 disposed therebetween. Upper layer 152 and lower layer 154 may be made from any material that enables system 100 to function as described herein. For example, upper layer 152 may be chosen based on a desired look and feel; similarly, lower layer 154 may be chosen based on a desired interaction with the upper layer 112 of pad 110. For example, both pad upper layer 112 and attachment lower layer 154 may be chosen such that the attachment can slide on the pad, and such that the attachment can be maintained in contact with the pad without causing damage, marking, or other permanent impressions on either layer 112 or 154. Exemplary materials for upper layer 152 and lower layer 154 may include leather or imitation leather, vinyl, silicone, suede or imitation suede, rubber, or any other material as desired. It should be appreciated that the amount of layers should not be considered as limiting and additional layers may be provided as desired.
In some exemplary embodiments, upper layer 152 of attachment 150 may have additional materials woven into, interspersed, impregnated, or otherwise provided within the upper layer. Such additional materials may include, for example, materials which may have therapeutic qualities when in close proximity to a user. For example, upper layer 152 may have copper thread woven throughout all or a part of upper layer 152, may have therapeutic magnetic elements included therein, and so forth. Alternatively, magnetic materials may be also have therapeutic qualities when in close proximity to a user. Additionally any other known material having therapeutic qualities may be contemplated and provided as desired.
Interposed between upper layer 152 and lower layer 154 may be intermediate layer 156. Intermediate layer 156 may include a magnetic material. In one exemplary embodiment, intermediate layer 156 may be provided as a permanent magnetic sheet or as a sheet of magnetic metal. If attachment intermediate layer 156 includes a permanent magnet, then pad intermediate layer 116 may include a magnetic metal. Similarly, if attachment intermediate layer 156 includes a magnetic metal, then pad intermediate layer 116 may include a permanent magnet. Additionally, if both pad intermediate layer 116 and attachment intermediate layer 156 include permanent magnets, then the permanent magnets may be oriented such that, when attachment lower layer 154 is in facing relation to pad upper layer 112, the permanent magnets exert an attractive force on each other.
According to various exemplary embodiments, in desk pad 110, the magnetic material of intermediate layer 116 may be provided in various configurations. In one exemplary embodiment, as shown in
According to various exemplary embodiments, and as shown in
In yet other exemplary embodiments, as shown in
Attachments 150 may be arranged on pad 110 as desired by the user. For example, the keyboard/laptop and mouse wrist supports may be positioned on the desk pad in any position that the user finds comfortable. For example, as shown in
When positioned, each attachment 150 may be maintained in place by magnetic force between pad 110 and the attachment 150. The magnetic force may be sufficiently strong so as to maintain the attachments in place under application of typical forces when the attachments are used (for example, regular usage of the wrist supports). The attachments 150 may resist sliding on the surface of pad 110 under application of typical forces when in use by the user. The attachments may further be repositioned as desired by the user, for example by lifting the attachment 150 from the surface of pad 110 and positioning the attachment on any other desired location on pad 110. For example, a mouse wrist support may be moved from the right side of a keyboard support to the left side thereof, as desired by the user. In some embodiments, the attachment 150 may also be slid on top of the surface of pad 110 upon application of sufficient additional force. The various embodiments of attachments 150 may function in a substantially similar manner.
In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in
In yet another exemplary embodiment of modular desk pad system 200, as shown in
Similarly, attachment 150 may likewise be formed from a single layer 258, or at least a single layer 258 and an upper layer 252. Layer 258 may include magnetic metal flakes 259 embedded therein. Attachment 250 can therefore be attracted to a magnetic force without a separate layer of magnetic metal. The layer 258 may be made from any material that enables system 200 to function as described herein. For example, the layer 258 may be chosen based on a desired look and feel and/or a desired interaction with an upper surface of desk pad 210. Exemplary materials for layer 258 may include leather or imitation leather, vinyl, silicone, suede or imitation suede, rubber, or any other material as desired. It should be appreciated that the amount of layers should not be considered as limiting and additional layers may be provided as desired.
It should further be appreciated that the embedded materials of layers 218 and 258 may be reversed; i.e., layer 218 having embedded magnetic metal flakes and layer 258 having embedded permanent magnet flakes. It should further be appreciated that pad 210 may be used with the embodiment of attachment 150, and attachment 250 may be used with the embodiment of pad 110, so long as the magnetic material layers are correspondingly matched such that an attractive force results between the pad and the attachment.
Accordingly, the embodiments of the modular desk pad system disclosed herein allow a user to conveniently and securely place various attachments on the desk pad according to any comfortable, convenient, or otherwise desired configuration.
The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
