Methods and apparatus to secure a keyboard with a multi-axis positionable tray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11717079-B2
Application number	US-202117231694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2021
Priority date	Nov 16, 2020
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to secure a keyboard, the methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture including a multi-axis positionable tray apparatus for securing a keyboard, the multi-axis positionable tray apparatus comprising: a tray portion, wherein the tray portion is configured to move along at least a first axis and a second axis, a first positioner to provide positional adjustment along the first axis, wherein the first positioner removably attaches the multi-axis positionable tray apparatus with respect to a mounting surface, and a second positioner to provide positional adjustment along the second axis, wherein the second positioner allows the multi-axis positionable tray to move towards a user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-axis positionable tray apparatus for securing a keyboard, the multi-axis positionable tray apparatus comprising:
a tray portion, wherein the tray portion is configured to move along at least a first axis and a second axis;
a first positioner to provide positional adjustment along the first axis, the first positioner including a first clamp, a second clamp, first adjustment plates extending from the first and second clamps, and second adjustment plates, each of the first adjustment plates including first holes at a first position relative to the first axis, each of the second adjustment plates including a plurality of second holes at different positions relative to the first axis, wherein the first and second clamps removably attach the multi-axis positionable tray apparatus with respect to a mounting surface;
a second positioner to provide positional adjustment along the second axis, wherein the second positioner allows the tray portion to move relative to the mounting surface; and
wherein the second adjustment plates couple to and extend from the second positioner, wherein a first one of the first adjustment plates removably attaches to a respective one of the second adjust plates by positioning pins through respective first holes and first ones of the second holes that are aligned with the respective first holes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first axis is a vertical axis and the first positioner is a vertical positioner, the first clamp and the second clamp to secure the multi-axis positionable tray apparatus with respect to the mounting surface, wherein the first adjustment plates and the second adjustment plates provide the positional adjustment along the vertical axis by aligning second ones of the second holes with the first holes and positioning the pins through the first holes and the second ones of the second holes.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mounting surface is at least one of a desk, table, or ledge.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first axis is a vertical axis and the first positioner is a vertical positioner, the first clamp and the second clamp to suspend the tray portion from the mounting surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first adjustment plates and the second adjustment plates include the first holes and the second holes, respectively, to enable height adjustment along a vertical axis;
wherein the first holes align with the first ones of the second holes to form a first alignment position at a first vertical distance from the mounting surface, and the first holes align with second ones of the second holes to form a second alignment position at a second vertical distance from the mounting surface; and
wherein a third vertical distance between the first alignment position and the second alignment position defines a first extension distance along the vertical axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a third positioner to allow adjustment along a third axis, wherein the third positioner enables the multi-axis positionable tray apparatus to extend or retract in length relative to the third axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the third axis is a lateral axis and the third positioner is a lateral positioner, and wherein the tray portion includes a first tray portion that is detachable from a second tray portion such that the lateral positioner is to adjust a distance between the first tray portion and the second tray portion to laterally adjust the multi-axis positionable tray apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further including a third tray portion, wherein the third tray portion is removably positioned between the first tray portion and the second tray portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the third tray portion is the lateral positioner, wherein the third tray portion is level with the first and the second tray portions.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first tray portion and the second tray portion are not connected, the multi-axis positionable tray apparatus including (a) a left-hand portion corresponding to the first clamp and the first tray portion, the left-hand portion of the multi-axis positionable tray apparatus to support the first tray portion, and (b) a right-hand portion corresponding to the second clamp and the second tray portion, the right-hand portion of the multi-axis positionable tray apparatus to support the second tray portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the lateral positioner is a bracket, the bracket to enable connection of the first tray portion and the second tray portion at different lateral positions such that the first tray portion and the second tray portion may be positioned at any point along a length of the bracket.

12. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the tray portion is located at a coordinate in three dimensional space, wherein the coordinate includes at least a position along one of the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the coordinate in three dimensional space includes:
a first position along the first axis, the first position corresponding to a height of the tray portion;
a second position along the second axis, wherein the second axis is normal relative to the first axis and the third axis; and
a third position along the third axis, the third position corresponding to a length of the tray portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second axis is a horizontal axis and the second positioner is a rail system, the rail system to allow the tray portion to extend along the horizontal axis, the rail system to enable the tray portion to be positioned at different points along a length of the rail system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the tray portion is configured to move from 0 to 9 inches along the second axis relative to the mounting surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a backstop coupled to the tray portion.

17. An apparatus for securing a keyboard underneath a desk, the apparatus comprising:
a multi-axis positionable tray portion, wherein the multi-axis positionable tray portion is positionable at a coordinate in three dimensional space at a first position on a first axis, a second position on a second axis, and a third position on a third axis, the third axis normal to the first axis and the second axis;
a vertical positioner to adjust the multi-axis positionable tray portion in a plurality of positions defined along a vertical plane, the vertical plane defined with respect to a surface to which the apparatus is attached, the vertical plane defined by the first axis;
a horizontal positioner to adjust the multi-axis positionable tray portion in a plurality of positions defined along a horizontal plane defined with respect to the surface to which the apparatus is attached such that the multi-axis positionable tray portion is able to move towards or away from a user, the horizontal plane defined by the second axis;
a lateral positioner to adjust a length of the multi-axis positionable tray portion along a lateral plane defined with respect to the surface to which the apparatus is attached, the lateral planed defined by the third axis,
wherein the lateral positioner is to adjust the length of the multi-axis positionable tray portion while the multi-axis positionable tray portion is at any of the plurality of positions defined along the horizontal plane; and
clamps to secure the multi-axis positionable tray portion with respect to the surface to which the multi-axis positionable tray portion is a

Assignees

• Cknapp Sales Inc

Inventors

• Fehr Micah
• Welander Nicholas
• Meyer Brandon
• Knapp Chance

Classifications

• A47B21/0314 Primary

  Platforms for supporting office equipment · CPC title

• A47B2021/0335

  mounted under the worksurface · CPC title

• A47B2200/0085

  Supplementary support fixed on the edge of a desk or table · CPC title