WO2007110590A2

WO2007110590A2 - Personal wrist support

Info

Publication number: WO2007110590A2
Application number: PCT/GB2007/001015
Authority: WO
Inventors: Margaret Andrews
Original assignee: Margaret Andrews
Priority date: 2006-03-25
Filing date: 2007-03-22
Publication date: 2007-10-04
Also published as: GB0606059D0; GB2437049B; CN201350141Y; GB2437049A; WO2007110590A3

Abstract

A wrist support is has a toroidal body (1) which includes an arcuate padded support portion (2) having inner and outer surfaces (5) and (6) which converge towards opposite ends. The support portion may be secured about the wrist and adapted to different wrist sizes by means of overlapping end portions (3) and (4) or by a bendable or springy internal element.

Description

PERSONAL WRIST SUPPORT

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to wrist supports which are worn on the person, and more particularly, which are worn about the wrist.

BACKGROUND

Personal wrist rests are already known for supporting the wrist of a user when performing repetitive operations which involve prolonged contact with a surface such as the use of a computer keyboard or mouse. Such devices are intended to provide comfort and support for the wrist and to reduce the risk of medical conditions which can result from such prolonged use, including repetitive strain injury (RSI).

When using such a device it is important that the user should retain full freedom of movement without obstructing the natural movement and positioning of the users hand and arm. If, for example, the device causes the user to adopt an unnatural hand position during the performance of such tasks this can, in itself, result in increased risk of certain medical conditions such as RSI. Furthermore, if the device is uncomfortable to wear, looks obtrusive, or has a tendency to catch on objects during normal hand movements, many users will be reluctant to use the wrist rest.

The wrist support disclosed in US 8 082 682 provides a support cushion of uniform thickness which covers the underside of the wrist. AU 2000 42 617 discloses a similar form of wrist support which provides a pad of uniform thickness covering only the underside of the wrist.

The wrist support shown in WO 00/57749 surrounds the bottom and sides of the wrist, but the device can only comfortably fit a very limited range of wrist sizes. Furthermore, the shape is a major compromise between wrist-down use (as when using a conventional mouse) and use with the wrist rotated, such as when writing. US 2 127 926 and CA 2485 205 suffer from the same potential problems.

The so-called comfort pad described in US 2002/0157163 A1 possesses a pair of opposable ends, but is barely any improvement on closed-ring supports. The support portion again represents a significant compromise between wrist-down use and use with the wrist rotated. The ends of the support portion are uncomfortable and liable to snag during normal hand movements.

The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of personal wrist rest which is both unobtrusive and provides the user with improved comfort and freedom of movement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a personal wrist rest which includes a body having a pair of opposable ends and which is of substantially toroidal shape for encircling the wrist of a user, the said body including, between said opposable ends, a curved elongate resiliently-deformable support portion which, in the plane of the body, has a concave inner surface for placement against the periphery of a users wrist and an opposing convex outer surface such that, in use, the support portion encircles at least the underside and the two opposite sides of the wrist, characterised in that, at each end of the support portion, the said concave and convex surfaces mutually converge towards the adjacent opposable end.

Opposite ends of the support portion may be provided with releasable fastening means. In a further embodiment, the body may include an elongate element of a bendable or springy nature to conform to the size and shape of a users wrist.

The support portion may include an outer flexible skin containing a resiliently-deformable cushioning material. Examples of such resiliently- deformable materials include natural and synthetic cellular or fibrous materials and flowable materials such as gels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general view of a first form of personal wrist rest in accordance with the invention; - A -

Figure 2 is a side view of the personal wrist rest;

Figure 3 is a section on the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a side view of the personal wrist rest showing an example of its use;

Figure 5 is a further side view of the personal wrist rest showing another example of its use;

Figure 6 is a side view of a second form of personal wrist rest in accordance with the invention; and

Figure 7 is section on line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, the personal wrist rest has a doughnut-like body 1 of generally toroidal shape to encircle the wrist of a user. The body 1 includes a support portion 2 of elongate curved shape having a pair of substantially rectangular tabs 3 and 4 at opposite ends which can be overlapped as shown in Fig. 2.

Continuing to consider Fig. 2, the support portion 2 is of arcuate form, being substantially crescent-shaped in the plane of the body 1 with a concave inner surface 5 for contact with the palm side of a users wrist and an opposing convex outer surface 6. The inner and outer surfaces 5 and 6 converge towards opposite ends of the support portion 2, both merging into the opposing end tabs 3 and 4. When the support portion is viewed in transverse section as in Fig. 3, normal to the plane of the body 1 , the inner and outer surfaces 5 and 6 are both seen to be convex, meeting to form a substantially continuous external curved surface. In the drawing, the sectional view is taken about half way along the length of the support portion 2, but if the position of the cross section moved towards the ends of the support portion the shape would become progressively flattened to eventually merge into the substantially flat end tabs 3 and 4.

Continuing to refer to Fig. 3, the body 1 includes an outer skin 7 which is formed of a sheet of soft flexible fabric. In this example the skin 7 is formed from an inner strip 8 and an outer strip 9 which are joined together along opposing seams 10, e.g. by stitching. The strips 8 and 9 are mutually opposed to form the end tabs 3 and 4, but within the support portion 2 the skin 7 is filled with a resiliently-deformable cushioning material 11. Suitable cushioning materials may comprise natural or synthetic materials, including expanded polystyrene beads, cellular rubbers and plastics, and fibrous padding materials such as polyester or cotton. Animal fur or feathers could also be used. In a similar embodiment the body 1 could have a non-porous outer skin 7 formed of silicone rubber, or a similar soft and flexible elastomer, which is filled with a flowable material such as a liquid, gel or a gas.

The opposable inner and outer surfaces of the two end tabs 3 and 4 are provided with rectangular strips of hook-and-loop fastening material 12 and 13 (Fig. 1) by which the tabs 3 and 4 can be releasably secured together. Such materials conveniently allow the extent of the overlap to be varied to accommodate users of different wrist sizes.

In use, the personal wrist rest is placed around the users wrist and secured by means of the fastening strips 12 and 13. The arcuate support portion 2 partially encircles the palm side of the wrist, as shown in Fig. 4. The device provides the wrist with firm but resilient support when working on a hard surface 14, e.g. when manipulating a computer mouse 15 for example. It is important to note that the wrist rest allows the wrist to move naturally from side-to-side with a gentle rocking motion, such as when moving the mouse laterally in direction A. Similar support is also provided when the user's hand is moved in a back-and-forth direction, as when moving the mouse in direction B. The wrist rest is particularly useful with laptop or notebook computers or in other situations where there is restricted wrist support area. In addition, as shown in Fig. 5, the device also cushions the wrist against side contact, for example when using a conventional writing implement, a tablet or a mouse pen 16 as shown in the drawing. The device is very comfortable and unobtrusive to wear, and the lack of angular edges or projecting parts reduces the risk of inadvertent contact with objects when moving the hand from one position to another.

Although the use of hook-and-loop fastening materials is preferred the opposite ends of the support portion could also be joined by other kinds of releasable fastener.

A second form of the personal wrist rest will now be described in relation to Fig.s 6 and 7. The personal wrist rest has a generally toroidal body 21 for at least partially encircling a users wrist. The body 21 includes a support portion 22 which is of arcuate shape in the plane of the body 21 , having a concave inner surface 25 for contact with the palm side of the wrist and a convex outer surface 26. The inner and outer surfaces 25 and 26 are substantially parallel along the support portion 22, but they converge towards each other at opposite ends of the body 21 to form wedge-shaped end portions 27 and 28. The support portion 22 may be of substantially uniform transverse cross-section as shown in Fig. 7. For example, the support portion may be substantially rectangular, the inner and outer surfaces 25 and 26 being joined by side faces 29 and 30. The support portion 22 is formed of a resiliently-deformable cushioning material 31 such as spongy foamed rubber, which could, if desired, be covered by an outer skin. The cushioning material 31 contains a flat strip 32 (also indicated in Fig. 6) which extends along the length of the body 21. The strip 32 may be of metal, plastics or other material which retains its shape when bent, thereby enabling the shape of the wrist rest to be modified to conform to the external size and shape of the users wrist. The wedge-shaped end portions 27 and 28 may be overlapped or spaced apart in use, as necessary.

The strip 32 could also be formed of a springy material which naturally conforms to the smallest wrist size but which can expand to fit larger wrist sizes. In a further embodiment, the opposable inner and outer surfaces of the two end portions 27 and 28 may be provided with strips of hook-and- loop fastening material or other means by which the ends can be releasably secured together with a variable overlap.

In any of the personal wrist rests described herein the visible surfaces of the wrist rest can be profiled or decorated to make the device more aesthetically pleasing.

The personal wrist rests take up no additional desk space and automatically provide wrist support and cushioning whenever the device comes into contact with a horizontal or upright surface.

It will be appreciated that the features disclosed herein may be combined in any embodiment of the invention and in any feasible combination. Whilst the above description places emphasis on those areas which, in combination, are believed to be new, protection is sought for any inventive combination of the features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A personal wrist rest which includes a body (1 ) having a pair of opposable ends (3, 4) and which is of substantially toroidal shape for encircling the wrist of a user, the said body including, between said opposable ends, a curved elongate resiliently-deformable support portion (2) which, in the plane of the body, has a concave inner surface (5) for placement against the periphery of a users wrist and an opposing convex outer surface (6) such that, in use, the support portion encircles at least the underside and the two opposite sides of the wrist, characterised in that, at each end of the support portion (2), the said concave and convex surfaces (5, 6) mutually converge towards the adjacent opposable end (3, 4).

2. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 1 in which the support portion is substantially crescent-shaped in the plane of the body.

3. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 1 in which, in transverse section normal to the plane of the body, said inner and outer surfaces are both convex.

4. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 3 in which the said inner and outer surfaces meet to form a substantially continuous curved external surface.

5. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 1 in which, in transverse section normal to the plane of the body, said inner and outer surfaces are both substantially flat.

6. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 5 in which the support portion is of substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape.

7. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 1 in which the support portion comprises a resiliently deformable cushioning material of a cellular nature.

8. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 1 in which the body has a flexible external skin containing a deformable cushioning material.

9. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 8 in which the cushioning material is of a cellular nature.

10. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 8 in which the cushioning material is of a fibrous nature.

11. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 8 in which the cushioning material is of a flowable nature.

12. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 11 in which the cushioning material is a gas.

13. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 11 in which the cushioning material is a gel.

14. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 11 in which the cushioning material is a liquid.

15. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 1 in which the opposable ends of the support portion are provided with releasable attachment means.

16. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 15 in which the releasable attachment means comprise overlapping end portions of the support portion.

17. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 16 in which the overlapping end portions comprise tabs.

18. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 17 in which the body has a flexible external skin containing a deformable cushioning material and the tabs are formed from the external skin.

19. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 1 in which the body includes an internal elongate element which tends to remain in any position to which it is bent.

20. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 19 in which the elongate element is enclosed within the body.

21. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 1 in which the body includes an internal elongate element which is of a springy nature, tending to return to its original position when bent.

22. A personal wrist rest according to Claim 21 in which the elongate element is enclosed within the body.