Abstract: A foot switch includes: a pedal member extending in a front-rear direction; and a base unit connected to the pedal member via a rotating shaft portion. The base unit has: an elastic force applying portion applying an elastic force to the pedal member; a switch portion operated by the pedal member by the pedal member being stepped on and rotating around the rotating shaft portion; and a support portion supporting the pedal member with the elastic force applied from the elastic force applying portion in a state where the pedal member is yet to be stepped on. The elastic force applying portion and the support portion are disposed on one side in the front-rear direction with respect to the rotating shaft portion. The support portion supports a side wall portion of the pedal member.

Abstract: A foot switch includes: a pedal member extending in a front-rear direction; and a base unit connected to the pedal member via a rotating shaft portion. The base unit has: an elastic force applying portion applying an elastic force to the pedal member; a switch portion operated by the pedal member by the pedal member being stepped on and rotating around the rotating shaft portion; and a support portion supporting the pedal member with the elastic force applied from the elastic force applying portion in a state where the pedal member is yet to be stepped on. The elastic force applying portion and the support portion are disposed on one side in the front-rear direction with respect to the rotating shaft portion. The support portion supports a side wall portion of the pedal member.

Abstract: A suspended tire manipulator for use by an operator in lifting a tire having a mounting aperture includes a first handle attached to a first proximal arm. The first proximal arm is connected to a first distal arm at an obtuse angle. The manipulator includes a rotary balancer pivotally mounted to the first distal arm. The rotary balancer provides a pivoting torque to the first distal arm in response to operator movements raising and lowering the manipulator via manual force applied at the handle. A vertical support has a lower end and an upper end. The lower end connects to the rotary balancer. The manipulator includes a pair of gripper shoes. The pair of gripper shoes are slidably mounted on a rail and move in opposite inboard and outboard directions on the rail.

Abstract: A suspended tire manipulator for use by an operator in lifting a tire having a mounting aperture includes a first handle attached to a first proximal arm. The first proximal arm is connected to a first distal arm at an obtuse angle. The manipulator includes a rotary balancer pivotally mounted to the first distal arm. The rotary balancer provides a pivoting torque to the first distal arm in response to operator movements raising and lowering the manipulator via manual force applied at the handle. A vertical support has a lower end and an upper end. The lower end connects to the rotary balancer. The manipulator includes a pair of gripper shoes. The pair of gripper shoes are slidably mounted on a rail and move in opposite inboard and outboard directions on the rail.

Abstract: A keyboard support having a generally flat keyboard supporting surface and a track extending along an outer periphery of the keyboard support. A mouse support has a generally flat mouse supporting surface and is coupled to the keyboard support by a track follower that engages the track for movement along the track. A coupling arm engages the track follower and allows pivoting of the mouse support with respect to the keyboard support.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a keyboard support for movably supporting a keyboard with respect to a work surface of a workstation. The keyboard support includes a workstation engaging member adapted to be attached to an underside of the work surface, a keyboard engaging member for supporting a keyboard, and a linkage assembly mechanically coupling and providing relative movement between the workstation engaging member and the keyboard engaging member and thereby between the keyboard and the work surface. The keyboard support also includes a braking assembly adapted to allow relative movement of the keyboard engaging member with respect to the workstation engaging member in an unlocked position and to prevent relative movement of the keyboard engaging member with respect to the workstation engaging member in a locked position. The braking assembly comprises a roller assembly carried on a connector of the linkage assembly.

Abstract: Languages based in whole or in part on ideographic characters such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, are often are entered in a computerized text-entry system in a two-phase process. In the first phase, symbols from a first pre-conversion set are entered, then in the second phase, these pre-conversion symbols are converted into a second set of post-conversion symbols. This invention teaches a method and apparatus for the automatic conversion of pre-conversion symbols into post-conversion symbols without requiring an explicit conversion signal to be input by the user. It accomplishes this goal though the design of trigger sequences of keystrokes which are substantially functionally equivalent to an explicit conversion signal input by the user. An apparatus constructed according to the trigger sequence method is particularly well adapted for use on reduced keyboards, and in conjunction with predictive text-entry methods. Explicit constructions are shown for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

Abstract: A keyboard support including: a workstation engaging member adapted to be attached to an underside of the work surface; a keyboard engaging member disposed forwardly of the workstation engaging member for supporting a keyboard; a linkage assembly mechanically coupling and providing relative movement between the workstation engaging member and the keyboard engaging member; and a tilt gauge assembly to indicate a tilt angle of the keyboard engaging member, the tilt gauge assembly including a parallelogram linkage defining a longitudinal axis, the parallelogram linkage including stationary member affixed to the keyboard engaging member that pivots with the keyboard engaging member with respect to the upper connector and a movable member tangent to the lower connector, wherein changing the tilt angle of the keyboard engaging member causes a distance along the longitudinal axis between the stationary member and the movable member to change.

Abstract: We discovered that a) a single key can support a multiplicity of ordered groups, b) only a subset of each group needs to be visually represented on the face of a key, c) either multi-tap or predictive methods, or both, can be used to input members of each of the groups, and d) auxiliary keys are a convenient, effective and user-discoverable method to select ordered groups, and to perform the multi-tap function. The objects of: limiting multi-tap depth, reducing keystrokes per symbol, unifying focus, increasing discoverability, graduated discoverability, power, compact presentation, and seamless integration of multi-tap and predictive text methods, can all be achieved by exploiting these discoveries.

Abstract: A keyboard support having a generally flat keyboard supporting surface and a track extending along an outer periphery of the keyboard support. A mouse support has a generally flat mouse supporting surface and is coupled to the keyboard support by a track follower that engages the track for movement along the track. A coupling arm engages the track follower and allows pivoting of the mouse support with respect to the keyboard support.

Abstract: A keyboard support for movably supporting a keyboard with respect to a work surface of a workstation. The keyboard support includes a workstation engaging member adapted to be attached to an underside of the work surface, a keyboard engaging member for supporting a keyboard, and a linkage assembly mechanically coupling and providing relative movement between the workstation engaging member and the keyboard engaging member and thereby between the keyboard and the work surface. The keyboard support also includes a braking assembly adapted to allow relative movement of the keyboard engaging member with respect to the workstation engaging member in an unlocked position and to prevent relative movement of the keyboard engaging member with respect to the workstation engaging member in a locked position. The braking assembly comprises a roller assembly carried on a connector of the linkage assembly. The roller assembly is biased against a wedge affixed to a vertical side of the keyboard engaging member.

Abstract: A method for gas pressurizing of parts for leakage detection including an enhanced process for reliably achieving full gas pressurization of the part to a predetermined test pressure value and monitoring for various errors which may occur during pressurization, and after pressure and temperature settling, taking an instantaneous snapshot pressure measurement and calculating two pressure thresholds. A snapshot pressure measurement is compared to a slam threshold value after termination of the slam time period and if pressure remains above the threshold signaling “good” and terminating the test. If the measured pressure reads below the slam threshold during slam test then the slam test terminates and the standard threshold test will then be performed repeatedly over the total test time which will yield a good result unless the pressure goes below the standard threshold during total test time which will then yield a bad part result.

Abstract: The design of typable devices, in particular, touch-typable devices embodying ambiguous codes, presents numerous ergonomic problems. Solutions for these problems are herein disclosed. This invention teaches methods for the selection of ambiguous codes from the classes of strongly-touch-typable ambiguous codes and substantially optimal ambiguous codes for touch-typable devices such as computers, telephones, pagers, personal digital assistants, smart cards, television set-top devices and other information appliances, given design constraints such as the size, shape, and computational capacity of the device, the typical uses of the device, and conventional constraints such as respect of alphabetic ordering or Qwerty ordering.

Abstract: A footrest apparatus is described for use in the field of workstation design. The footrest apparatus comfortably supports the chair user's feet and includes a support section and a connecting section. The footrest apparatus may be detachably connected to chair legs. The footrest apparatus may be adjusted to accommodate chairs of different sizes.

Abstract: A multi-position armrest designed for use with a conventional chair to enhance the comfort of an individual seated within the chair. The armrest includes a support arm having a first end adapted for attachment to a chair and a second end coupled to an arm pad in a manner permitting the arm pad to selectively rotate relative to the support arm. The arm pad includes a first circular locking member engaging a second circular locking member on the support arm to selectively lock the arm pad relative to the support arm. The armrest is also provided with a resilient coupling assembly coupling the arm pad to the support arm in a manner permitting the arm pad to move from the support arm to disengage the first circular locking member from the second circular locking member and permit the arm pad to rotate relative to the support arm.

Abstract: A pump assembly is described for use in the field of workstation design. The pump assembly is described for use in combination with a chair back having an expandable fluid bladder for lumbar support. The pump assembly allows a person, while seated, to more easily inflate or deflate an expandable fluid bladder. An actuator for inflating and deflating the expandable fluid bladder is also described.

Abstract: The design of typable devices, in particular, touch-typable devices embodying ambiguous codes, presents numerous ergonomic problems. Solutions for these problems are herein disclosed. This invention teaches methods for the selection of ambiguous codes from the classes of strongly-touch-typable ambiguous codes and substantially optimal ambiguous codes for touch-typable devices such as computers, telephones, pagers, personal digital assistants, smart cards, television set-top devices and other information appliances, given design constraints such as the size, shape, and computational capacity of the device, the typical uses of the device, and conventional constraints such as respect of alphabetic ordering or Qwerty ordering.