U.S. patent application number 12/182946 was filed with the patent office on 2009-03-05 for support tray with infinite mounting positions.
This patent application is currently assigned to CompX International. Invention is credited to NICHOLAS L. BLACKBURN.
Application Number | 20090057253 12/182946 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40299601 |
Filed Date | 2009-03-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090057253 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BLACKBURN; NICHOLAS L. |
March 5, 2009 |
SUPPORT TRAY WITH INFINITE MOUNTING POSITIONS
Abstract
A tray for supporting a peripheral at a workstation has T-slots
extending across the tray. The T-slots are used with corresponding
T-nuts to mount the tray on an articulating support arm and mount a
mouse support onto the tray. The mounting positions are infinite in
each slot as the T-nuts can be tightened at any location.
Preferably, the T-slots extend from side to side across the
tray.
Inventors: |
BLACKBURN; NICHOLAS L.;
(Wellesley, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DARYL W SCHNURR;MILLER THOMSON LLP
ACCELERATOR BUILDING, 295 HAGEY BLVD., SUITE 300
WATERLOO
ON
N2L 6R5
CA
|
Assignee: |
CompX International
|
Family ID: |
40299601 |
Appl. No.: |
12/182946 |
Filed: |
July 30, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60953092 |
Jul 31, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/133.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 21/0314
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
211/133.6 |
International
Class: |
A47F 3/14 20060101
A47F003/14 |
Claims
1. A tray for supporting a peripheral at a workstation, said tray
being used with a support arm, said tray comprising a front, a
rear, top, bottom and two sides, said tray having a T-slot
extending across said tray from at least one of said sides, thereby
permitting said tray to be mounted on said support arm using a
T-nut at infinite locations along said T-slot, said T-slot having a
T-shaped cross-section, said T-nut extending between said support
arm and said tray.
2. A tray as claimed in claim 1 wherein said T-slot extends across
said tray from side to side.
3. A tray as claimed in claim 2 wherein said T-slot is a first
T-slot and extends along an approximate centre line of said
tray.
4. A tray as claimed in claim 3 wherein said T-slot is a first
T-slot and there is a second T-slot extending from at least one of
a front, rear and two sides of said tray, said second T-slot
providing means to support a mouse support at infinite locations in
said second T-slot, said second T-slot having a second T-nut
extending between said tray and said mouse support.
5. A tray as claimed in claim 4 wherein said mouse support is
mountable in said first T-slot or in said second T-slot.
6. A tray as claimed in claim 5 wherein said support arm is
mountable in said first T-slot or in said second T-slot.
7. A tray as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first T-slot and said
second T-slot are mounted across a bottom of said tray.
8. A tray as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first T-slot and said
second T-slot extend from side to side of said tray.
9. A tray as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first and second
T-slots are parallel to one another.
10. A tray as claimed in claim 4 wherein said top of said tray has
a friction surface extended thereon to assist in preventing a
keyboard from sliding on said tray.
11. A tray as claimed in claim 1 wherein said T-slot is a first
T-slot and said T-nut is a first T-nut, there being a second T-slot
and corresponding T-nut extending from at least one of a front,
rear, and two sides of said tray, one of said T-slots extending
only partway across said tray.
12. A tray as claimed in claim 11 wherein both of said T-slots
extend only partway across said tray.
13. A tray as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tray has more than
two T-slots and corresponding T-nuts.
Description
[0001] Applicant claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application
Ser. No. 60/953,092 filed on Jul. 31, 2007.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to a tray for supporting a peripheral
at a workstation for the tray as mounted on a support arm and there
are infinite locations along a T-slot in the tray.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] Keyboard trays that are mounted on articulating support arms
are known. The tray is centrally mounted on the keyboard arm in a
fixed location on the tray. When a keyboard is supported on the
tray it can be inconvenient for a user to have to access the
keyboard when it is located on a tray that is centrally mounted on
the support arm. For example, if a user will be using mainly the
number keys on the keyboard, the use of those keys might cause more
strain to the user as those keys are located off center or further
away from the user than is comfortable. Repetitive strain injuries
are a serious concern in the computer industry.
[0006] Similarly, while it is known to have mouse supports mounted
onto trays, the location of the mouse support mounts are fixed and
do not allow an infinite choice of locations. As with keyboards,
for a particular user, the available location or locations for
mounting a mouse support on a tray may be uncomfortable to a user
and cause unnecessary strain to the user. It is known that using a
keyboard or clicking a mouse can cause pain in the arm muscles or
other muscles in the user that continues after the work has been
completed and can result in time off work at great expense to an
employer. Also, sometimes different users have different
preferences or requirements as to the location of a tray or mouse
support on a tray in order to provide a working atmosphere that is
comfortable for a particular user or for a particular task.
Sometimes, more than one user works at a particular workstation
during a work day.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a tray
for supporting a keyboard and the like that is mountable on a
support arm where the tray has infinite locations at which the tray
can be mounted onto the support arm, the locations being easily
changeable as the needs of a user or users change. It is a further
object of the present invention to provide a tray that provides
infinite locations for mounting a mouse support thereon and those
locations are also variable as desired by a user or users.
[0008] A tray for supporting a peripheral at a workstation, the
tray being used with a support arm, comprises a front, top, bottom
and two sides. The tray has a T-slot extending across the tray from
at least one of the sides, thereby permitting the tray to be
mounted on the support arm using a T-nut at infinite locations
along the T-slot. The T-slot has a T-shaped cross-section and the
T-nut extends between the support arm and the tray.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tray having a mouse
support mounted on a support arm;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a side view of a tray, mouse support and support
arm partially in sections; and
[0011] FIG. 3 is a sectional end view of a T-slot in the tray.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0012] In FIG. 1, an articulating support arm 2 is shown in dotted
lines as the support arm is not part of the present invention. A
tray 4 is mounted on the support arm 2 where the support arm is
mounted in a T-slot located (not shown in FIG. 1) using a T-nut
(not shown in FIG. 1) where the tray 4 can be mounted in an
infinite number of locations between two sides 6 of the tray 4. The
tray 4 has a rear 8, a front 10, top 12 and bottom 14. A wrist
support 16 is located along the front 10 on the top 12. Also on the
top 12, there is a band 17 extending between the sides 6 near a
rear 8. The band 17 contains a plurality of serrations that are
created during the extrusion of the tray and provide a friction
surface for a keyboard (not shown) and the like that are supported
on the tray. In a right rear corner 18 of the tray 4, there is
located a mouse support 20 that is supported in a T-slot (not shown
in FIG. 1) on the tray. As with the tray itself, relative to the
support arm 2, the mouse support 20 can be mounted in infinite
locations between the sides 6 of the tray 4 within either of the
T-slots.
[0013] In FIG. 2, the same reference numerals are used as those
used in FIG. 1 for those components that are identical. The support
arm 2, which is preferably an articulating support arm, is
conventional and is only partially shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2.
A sectional view of the tray 4 is shown and it can be seen that the
tray has a first T-slot 22 that extends from side to side near a
center of the tray 4 between the rear 8 and the front 10. A T-nut
24 is located within the first T-slot 22 and connected to the
support arm 2 so that the tray 4 can be fixedly secured to the
support 2 at any location within the first T-slot 22 between the
two sides 6. A second T-slot 26 is located in the bottom 14 of the
tray 4. A T-nut 28 is located within the second T-slot 26 and
receives a bolt 30 that threads into the T-nut 28 and is connected
to a handle 32 beneath the mouse support 20. When the handle 32 is
turned so that the bolt and nut are loosely affixed to one another,
the mouse support can slide along the entire second T-slot 26,
which preferably extends from one side 6 to the other side 6 of the
tray 4. The handle can be turned to tighten the bolt 30 and T-nut
28 to affix the mouse support in any one of an infinite number of
positions within the second T-slot 26.
[0014] In FIG. 3, there is shown an enlarged sectional view of the
first T-slot 22 of the tray 4. The same reference numerals are used
in FIG. 3 as those used in FIG. 2 for those components that are
identical. The T-slot 22 shown in FIG. 3 is identical to the T-slot
26 and could have been designated as the second T-slot 26 rather
than the first T-slot 22.
[0015] While it is preferable that both T-slots extend across an
entire width of the tray 4, a tray can have one or both of the
T-slots extending only part way across the tray from one of the
sides. A T-slot can extend partially or fully across the tray from
a front or rear, or both rather than from a side. A tray can have
one T-slot only with both the support arm and the mouse support
mounted in the same T-slot. T-slots can also be located at
locations in the tray other than those shown in the drawings and a
tray can have more than two T-slots located therein. Further, the
tray can be connected to a support arm by using either T-slot where
there are two T-slots or any T-slot where there are more than two
T-slots.
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