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: 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 defacto standard for text entry on standard telephone keypads, such as fixed phones, cell phones, fax machines, and the like is a multi-tap method where one of several letters associated to a input means is selected by pressing the input means a number of times equal to the position of the desired letter in the ordering of letters associated to the input means. Typically, for the standard alphabetic ordering, a large number of presses are required to obtain any given letter. The present invention uses prefix information to dynamically reorder the choices so that the average number of input means manipulations is reduced. This method is applicable to any language composed of strings of symbols for which the probability of any given symbol appearing in a string at a given position is correlated with the probability of another symbol appearing in the string.

Abstract: 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 sliding the armrest to and away from a cantilever disk which is secured to a table 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 a wide range of locations for positioning of an individual's 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 of the cantilever disk to prevent inadvertent engagement between an individual and/or the individual's clothes and the cantilever disk.

Abstract: 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 sliding the armrest to and away from a stem dowel which is secured to an object such as a table or chair. The shroud is disposed about a pillow block which includes a plurality of roller bearing members which slidably engage one or more of the inside surfaces of the shroud. The slidable pillow block allows the shroud to be slidably and pivotally repositioned relative to the stem dowel. The arm pad is pivotal relative to the shroud and may be positioned to provide a wide range of locations for positioning of an individual's forearms.

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.

Abstract: A liquid dispenser which includes a housing having a chamber for holding a collapsible tube of liquid, a front opening to the chamber, and a side opening to the chamber. An actuating lever is pivotally connected to the housing and has a protrusion extending into the side chamber through the side opening for engaging and compressing the tube. The tube has a dispensing nozzle which extends through the front opening of the housing. A stop mechanism limits the movement of the actuating lever toward the tube for limiting the compression of the tube and the amount liquid dispensed from the tube. More specifically, the stop mechanism is adjustable and the dispenser is fabricated from a plurality of modules.

Abstract: An ergonomic arm support for supporting the forearm during typing, keying, or assembly operations. The arm support includes an armrest pivotally mounted on a slide or a shroud for sliding the armrest to and away from a base which is secured to a table or chair. The slide or shroud is pivotally mounted in the base such that the armrest, which is pivotal relative to the slide or shroud and slidable to and away from the base, is also rotatable about the base to provide for a wide range of fluid motion for the forearm. The armrest further includes a plurality of roller bearing arrangements for facilitation of the slide or shroud and arm support. The roller bearing arrangements engage the slide or shroud proximate to the housing to provide for the fluid movement of the slide or shroud. A shroud may also be provided for enclosure of the roller bearing slide arrangement to prevent inadvertent engagement between an individual and/or the individual's clothes and the slide.

Abstract: A vibration attenuating member includes at least a first layer composed of a viscoelastic material having a Shore 00 durometer of less than 50 and a rebound percentage of less than 20. Preferably the vibration dampener also includes second and third layers, coterminous with the first layer, which are composed of a foam material. The viscoelastic layer may have a non-uniform shape, such as precurved, tapered, or the like. The viscoelastic material may be creased to facilitate bending. The member has a transmissibility no greater than 1.0 in the range of from 31.5 to 200 Hz, and a transmissibility of no more than 0.6 in the range of from 200 Hz to 1250 Hz. The vibration attenuating member may form a glove, a glove liner, a portion of a glove liner, a portion of a glove, a sports glove, a wrap for a tool, or be used in some other application where vibration attenuation is desirable.

Abstract: An antivibration glove includes a glove body with a front and back and a vibration dampener essentially disposed in the interior of the glove toward the palm side of the glove. The vibration dampener has at least a first layer composed of a viscoelastic material having a Shore 00 durometer of less than 50 and a rebound percentage of less than 20. Preferably the vibration dampener also includes second and third layers, coterminous with the first layer, which are composed of a foam material. The viscoelastic layer may have a non-uniform shape, such as precurved, tapered, or the like. In one embodiment the layer of viscoelastic material is relatively thicker near the glove palm area and ball of the thumb and relatively thinner adjacent the finger portion of the glove. The viscoelastic material may be creased to facilitate bending of the glove. The glove attenuates at least 40% of the applied vibration occurring in the range of from 200 Hz to 1250 Hz.

Abstract: A back support for a human user includes an elastic support belt having first and second free ends, members secured to the support belt for releasably joining the free ends for maintaining the belt in a closed position in which it forms a closed surface adapted to encircle a human user, and structure secured to the support belt for releasably maintaining the belt in an open position in which the support belt free ends are unattached to each other. A related back support garment includes a garment body having a garment front and a garment back defining an inside and an outside of the garment, the garment body being suitably sized for a human wearer. An elastic support belt is disposed inside the garment body and secured thereto. The elastic support belt has first and second free ends and also has structure for releasably joining the free ends for maintaining the support belt in a closed position in which the support belt forms a closed surface adapted to encircle the human wearer.

Abstract: A computer keyboard is designed such that a user may acquire total tactile familiarity with the keyboard, thus enabling the user to copy written material and look at the screen while typing without looking at the keyboard. One embodiment of the keyboard of the invention is divided at its midpoint by a central peak and the outer portions slant downwardly and away from the central peak and upwardly away from the user to form a shallow V-shape. The V-shaped keyboard configuration lessens ulnar abducted deviation and permits a relatively straight hand-wrist orientation. The center-peak design also lessens the amount of hand pronation, i.e. the rotation of the hands from a comfortable vertical posture into an uncomfortable horizontal posture. Further, the V-shaped arrangement enables the forearms to be separated, allowing for unobstructed visual access to a copy-viewing area. Strain on the hands and wrists is minimized and occupationally-induced injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, are avoided.