Chairs and seats – Armrest – Adjustable to multiple use positions relative to bottom or back
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-29
2001-03-20
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Armrest
Adjustable to multiple use positions relative to bottom or back
C297S411360, C297S411370, C297S411380
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203109
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Ergonomics may be defined as an engineering and physiological study of relationships between man and machines. An ergonomic device may be a device that is tailored to reflect human structure and function to, for example, enhance a person's ability to operate the device or an adjacent apparatus.
An ergonomic device may enhance a worker's performance or ability to operate a machine by relieving fatigue. For example, fatigue or repetitive motion disorders of the hand, wrist, and arm may be caused by repetitive or tedious hand, wrist, and arm functions. In the computerized environment, keyboard operators may spend their entire workdays at terminals with their forearms extended to their keyboards. Postal workers may spend long periods of time with their forearms extended to operate coding machines for coding and sorting mail. Assembly-line personnel may also work with their forearms extended over articles of manufacture to manipulate tiny parts with their fingers.
Ergonomic arm support devices have been designed for supporting the forearm of keyboard operators. Each of these devices typically consist of two arms with one arm secured to a desk and the second arm having a cushion at its distal end for supporting the forearm. These arms are frequently jointed at their connection, and also may be jointed at the forearm cushion and at the connection to the keyboard table for a total of three joints.
These jointed arm support devices have a number of problems. For example, the inclusion of two arms and three joints for a single device requires that the arm be secured to the keyboard table and positioned at a relatively great distance from the keyboard in order to provide sufficient space for mounting the jointed arm. Accordingly, a pair of such arm support devices may require a larger desk, and therefore may disadvantageously occupy a greater amount of work space than is otherwise required. If the arm supports are in fact mounted closer to the terminal, the range of motion of each of the arm supports is limited, and the arm supports may dig into a worker's torso or interfere with his or her chair.
A similar problem concerns the impracticality of mounting the conventional jointed arm support on a chair. If this type of arm support is mounted on a chair, the long reach of its jointed two arms may interfere with access to the seat of the chair. Furthermore, the jointed arm support simply may not be reasonably operable on a chair because a chair, by its very nature, is drawn adjacent to the keyboard to a position in which the torso of the occupant of the chair or the keyboard may interfere with a range of motion of the second arm.
Another problem with the conventional jointed arm support is that it easily breaks when leaned upon. It is typical behavior for a worker to lean and exert downward pressure or weight on the cushioned or distal end of the second arm of the conventional arm support which is intended for supporting only the weight of a forearm. The leverage or force exerted by the weight of such a lean or end loading is magnified by the overall length of the two arms of the jointed arm support.
Still another problem with the jointed arm support is that it is difficult to maneuver. For example, when one arm is aligned directly over the other arm, and the intended direction of movement of the forearm is in line with the two arms, the arms initially resist pivoting relative to each other until the forearm exerts a force out of alignment with the two arms. Accordingly, such a conventional jointed arm support may not meet the definition of an ergonomic device that typically tracks or follows a natural movement of the human body without resistance.
Yet another problem is that the conventional two-arm jointed arm support may not decrease substantially the risk of carpal syndrome. This syndrome may be caused at least in part by the tendency of a keyboard operator to rest his or her wrists on the keyboard, or on a portion of the table immediately in front of the keyboard, while his or her hands are elevated relative to the wrists for operation of the keyboard. With the long reach of the two-arm jointed arm support, and the attendant amount of leverage, the arm cushion on the distal end of the second arm may sink to the table surface even under the relatively light weight of an arm. Even providing for height adjustment, such instability or deflection of the second arm may not provide a sufficient lift for the wrists to be held at the proper elevation relative to the hands to minimize the risk of carpal syndrome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An ergonomic arm support for supporting the forearm during typing, keying, or assembly operations. The arm support includes an armrest pivotally mounted on a shroud for slidably positioning the armrest to and away from a cantilever disk which is secured to an object or chair. The shroud is pivotally slidable or repositionable relative to the cantilever disk such that the armrest, which is pivotal relative to the shroud may be positioned to provide for a wide range of locations for positioning of an individuals forearms. The cantilever disk permits easy or convenient inward, outward, forward, or backward positioning of an armrest relative to an object where the cantilever disk frictionally engages the shroud to lock the armrest into a desired position during use. The shroud may also function as an enclosure for the cantilever disk to prevent inadvertent engagement between an individual and/or the individual's clothes and the cantilever disk.
An object of the present invention is to provide an arm support which may be easily and quickly repositioned by an individual.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a strong and durable arm support.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an arm support which includes an armrest which is easily fixedly positioned relative to an object during use by an individual.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an arm support of relatively simple and inexpensive design, construction, and operation which fulfills the intended purpose of supporting an arm without risk of injury to persons and/or damage to property.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an arm support having a single mechanism to permit inward, outward, forward, and/or backward positioning of an armrest which may be fixed in a desired location during use by the downward application of weight upon the armrest.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an arm support having a simple mechanism which may be easily manipulated and repositioned into a new desired location by removal of downward weight or force from the armrest via the interrelationship between the shroud and a cantilever disk.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cantilever effect for positioning and repositioning of an armrest relative to an individual and to an object to secure the armrest in a desired location.
A feature of the present invention is an arm support having an armrest for engaging a forearm for being secured to an object such as a table or chair.
Another feature is the provision in such an arm support, of an extension support fixed to, and extending from, the spindle of a chair for serving as a base for the arm support.
Still another feature of the present invention is the provision of a round disk having a smaller disk which is positioned in a stationary or fixed location relative to a chair, bracket, or object.
Still another feature of the present invention is the provision of a round disk engaged to the interior of a shroud having armrest where the arm support may be secured in a desired location by the application of downward force or weight upon the armrest which in turn causes a cantilever binding effect between the disk and shroud.
Still another feature of the present invention is the provision of a vertically adjustable stem or standard as integral or atta
Bergsten Donald A.
Bergsten Jeffrey D.
Industrial Ergonomics, Inc.
Jr. Milton Nelson
Vidas Arrett & Steinkraus
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