Ergonomic laterally-pitched PC-mouse w/magnetic-cling & retrofit-kit

Abstract

The notion of a unique ‘magnetic-cling’ PC-Mouse operating ergonomically in association with a special PC/Mouse-pad arranged at laterally-inboard angles of 23 to 95-degrees upward from the horizontal;—thereby facilitating drastic reduction in RMI-trama known by physio-therapists as CTS (carpal-tunnel syndrome)-disease, typically owing to stressfully torqued pronated hand/wrist orientation. The preferred-embodiment comprising a special ferrous-metal mouse-pad gliding-platen, in combination with a substantially conventional PC-mouse which bottom-side is provided with an optionally user-retrofitable PM/ferro-polymer glide-shoe. The MagneMouseRx™ aggregation is thus self-energized with ‘magnetic-cling’ as to thereby maintain any position upon the LIM (laterally-inboard mouse)-pad, which preferred circular sheet-steel traversing-surface preferably includes a contiguously formed support-base portion made finitely-adjustable as to degree of angularity, by simple method of manually re-bending to desired angularity along its longitudinal-crease. This LIM-pad support-base also preferably includes a selectively reversible pivot-tongue like extension, holding a longitudinal cushion-pad in ultimately comfortable support of user's left or right hand hypothenar-eminence;—thereby enabling mirror-image use at either L/R-side of a conventional PC-keyboard or PC-laptop. Other generic-variant embodiments include adaptations enabling alternate remote use of the MagneMouseRx™ relative to ones thigh, forearm, or waist;—as well as adaptions readily folding-away within a PC-laptop.

1 .) An ergonomic PC-mouse and Mouse-pad for PC-operation, said apparatus comprising: a conventional PC-mouse adapted with a PM/gliding-shoe means cooperating with a LIM-pad means employing a ferrous-metal gliding-platen as to provide a constant magnetic-cling action; said LIM-pad including a supporting means maintaining said gliding-platen arranged laterally inboard relative to user's hand and wrist longitudinal-axis at a therapeutically verticalized angularity approximately 23-95 degrees from horizontal.  
   
   
       2 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse apparatus according to claim- 1 , wherein the PM-force components assigned to said LIM-pad and said PC-mouse are relatively interchangeable, thus juxtapositionable according to manufacturer's engineering-design preference, whereby an alternative equivalent PM/gliding-platen means and a PC-mouse adapted with a ferrous-metal gliding-shoe means, facilitate the same said constant magnetic-cling action; hence tantamount to resorting of an equivalent apparatus.  
   
   
       3 .) An ergonomically improved PC-mouse and Mouse-pad ensemble addressing RMI-syndrome associated with personal-computer operation; said apparatus comprising: 
 a.) a conventional PC-mouse adapted with a self-energized PM-force means providing a constant magnetic-cling action, enabling resulting PM/PC-mouse to remain at a manually selected X&Y-axes position upon removal of user's hand therefrom, yet said PM/PC-mouse is easily glided to alternate X&Y-axes positions when again urged by hand;    b.) a cooperative LIM-pad means having a ferrous-metal gliding-platen member and supporting means of sufficient rigidity as to maintain said gliding-platen arranged laterally inboard relative to users wrist longitudinal-axis at a verticalized angularity approximately 23-95 degrees from horizontal;    c.) a resulting physiological therapeutic advantage as user's wrist is thereby rotated into a comfort-zone of operation, thus relieving user's wrist carpal-tunnel region of tramatic torsional-stress impingement of their median-nerve.    
   
   
       4 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 3 , wherein said PM-force means is provided by a PM/gliding-shoe means molded from a ferro-polymer composition then electro-magnetized to integrally form the PC-mouse's slide-surface.  
   
   
       5 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 3 , wherein said PM-force means is a PM/gliding-shoe means fabricated from commercially available electro-magnetized ferro-polymer material adapted to fit intimately beneath the perimeter-outline of a PC-mouse's slide-surface to which it is affixed.  
   
   
       6 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 3 , wherein said PM-force means is provided by an embeded-PM device arranged within the PC-mouse housing.  
   
   
       7 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 3 , wherein said PM-force means is provided by a PM/gliding-shoe means, whereto a low-friction substrate is included upon the outwardly-exposed face of said PM/gliding-shoe.  
   
   
       8 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 3 , wherein a low-friction substrate is provided upon face of said gliding-platen means.  
   
   
       9 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 3 , wherein said PM-force means is provided by a PM/gliding-shoe means, and includes a reflex-relief means enabling unimpeded projection of PC-mouse's optical-tracker LED/light-beam.  
   
   
       10 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 3 , wherein said LIM-pad gliding-platen is made of ferrous-metal having a substantially circular perimeter, and includes a rigid support-base means employing a contiguous-joint longitudinal-bend means capable of yielding for manual-rebending to a different said angularity.  
   
   
       11 .) The ergonomic LIM-pad member according to claim- 10 , wherein said support-base means extends horizontally inboard from said longitudinal-bend, whereto a cooperative stabilizer-foot portion is included extending horizontally in the opposite outboard direction; said LIM-pad thus comprising a single sheet of ferrous-metal cut and formed into three radial-elements extending divergently from said longitudinal-bend.  
   
   
       12 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 11 , wherein said stabilizer-foot portion includes an outset vertical pivot-axis mooring means, whereto a rest-tongue supporting a resting-cushion is pivotally moored as to be arranged to the right outboard position proximal said gliding-platen face for right-handed users; or alternately for left-handed users, can thus be pivotally swung around 180-degrees for relocation to a left outboard position proximal said gliding-platen.  
   
   
       13 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 12 , wherein said resting-cushion includes a longitudinal-trough formation for comfortably supporting the hypothenar-eminence region of user's hand/wrist/forearm  
   
   
       14 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 12 , wherein said pivotal mooring means is a circular female-snap adapted as to coaxially index with positive-retention relative to a mating male-snap portion; or alternatively, said male/female-snaps may be arranged juxtaposed into said respective positions.  
   
   
       15 ). The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 3 , wherein said LIM-pad supporting means includes a longitudinal hinge-axis means, enabling said gliding-platen to be selectively biased between a horizontally stowed-modality and said verticalized angularity operational-modality.  
   
   
       16 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 15 , wherein said longitudinal hinge-axis means is integrated with the sidewall of a PC-laptop, thereby enabling said gliding-platen member to be selectively biased into a stow-mode position sandwiched beneath the PC-laptop's closed lid; or alternatively, reopening of the lid enabling said gliding-platen be biased upward into said verticalized operational-modality.  
   
   
       17 .) The folding gliding-platen according to claim- 16 , wherein said gliding-platen includes a right-angle dogleg-bend portion proximal said hinge-axis, thereby providing a critical spatial-offset when said gliding-platen is biased upward into a 90-degree open position; thereby obviating potential damage by closing of the PC-laptop's display-screen downward upon upper rim region of said gliding-platen.  
   
   
       18 .) The folding gliding-platen according to claim- 15 , wherein said hinge-axis is anchored into a U-shaped mounting-clip means comprised of an upper support-flange portion impinging frictionally upon the PC-laptop's palm-rest surface, while a contiguous opposing lower spring-clip portion includes a 180-degree bend as to thereby impinge tightly against the PC-laptop's underside; thereby facilitating a clasping-action whereby said LIM-pad is adapted as an attachable accessory.  
   
   
       19 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 15 , wherein said gliding-platen is made of thin rigid ferrous-metal.  
   
   
       20 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 3 , wherein said LIM-pad means includes an encircling strap means enabling remote use supported upon some portion of the user's body, while said PM/PC-mouse is conveniently held by said magnetic-cling action alone; and whereby said PM/PC-mouse can be operated through its two-dimensional X&Y-axes merely by grasping-action of user's manipulating thumb and fingers in coordinated combination with a skewing motion of their hand at the wrist.  
   
   
       21 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 3 , wherein said LIM-pad's gliding-platen face forms a concave arched-face arranged on a horizontal-plane relative to an approximate radius from the longitudinal-axis of users wrist-region, thereby enabling user's grasping thumb/fingers to move said PM/PC-mouse in a verticalized X-axes direction by rotating their hand/wrist/forearm; whilst repositioning of the PM/PC-mouse in an Y-axes direction is urged via coordinated fore/aft action of their forearm.  
   
   
       22 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 3 , wherein said PC-mouse is of the conventional stationary type employing a topside XY-axes positioning finger-ball, hence said LIM-pad gliding-platen serves essentially to hold this type of PC-mouse fixed at a therapeutically ergonomic said verticalized attitude.  
   
   
       23 .) The ergonomic PC-mouse ensemble according to claim- 3 , wherein said PM-force functions assigned to said LIM-pad and said PC-mouse are relatively interchangeable, and as such can be juxtaposed according to manufacturer's engineering-design preference; thereby providing an alternative equivalent PM/LIM-pad means and a PC-mouse adapted with a ferro-magnetic gliding-shoe means, whilst facilitating the same said constant magnetic-cling action; hence tantamount to resorting of an equivalent apparatus.  
   
   
       24 .) A method of converting a conventional PC-mouse into an ergonomically improved PC-mouse and Mouse-pad ensemble, for addressing RMI-syndrome; said method comprising: 
 a.) an existing commercially available PC-mouse unit;    b.) a retrofit-kit is provided including a sheet of conventional PM/ferro-polymer material cut to fit the traced perimeter-outline of the PC-mouse's slide-surface, then a protective-film is peeled-away exposing an adhesive-backing, whereby a resulting PM/gliding-shoe is permanently applied to PC-Mouse's slide-surface;    c.) a cooperative LIM-pad is also provided having a ferro-magnetic gliding-platen means, and including a supporting means placing said gliding-platen at a laterally inboard angle of approximately 23-95 degrees relative to the horizontal;    d.) a resulting beneficial physiological advantage, whereby users palm and wrist are no longer horizontally pronated, hence weight of users hand and forearm are borne upon their outer-lateral region apart from said gliding-platen, thereby relieving user's wrist/carpal-tunnel region of traumatic torsional-stress impingement of the median-nerve.