Xerox Corporation

Dale E Boudreau

James J Reid

Timothy L Huss

William R Enderle, Jr

In a manually movable computer mouse with a mouse movement sensing system for providing mouse movement signals, and at least one user finger operable control switch, for providing control signals for a graphic user interface, the mouse has a boomerang shaped body ergonomically shaped to fit and support the user's hand in a naturally relaxed curled hand position, with a main body portion and a narrower neck portion extending at an angle of about 45 degrees to 90 degrees to the main body narrow enough to be interposeable between the thumb and first finger, and with an integral mouse movement control fin or tab extending above the mouse body and being thinly shaped to fit in the relaxed space between the first and second fingers (and to also provide an alternate pen-like grip between the thumb and first finger) to orient the mouse to the users hand and move the mouse with user arm movements. An integral wrist support may be provided extending from the wrist end of the mouse. The movement sensing system is adjacent that same end.

Ergonomic computer mouse

Particles are packed in a container. The container is either cylindrical-shaped or box-shaped. The container has a container inner wall and an inner bottom. A ramp is disposed on the container inner bottom. The ramp has a ramp base that is narrower than the container inner bottom. A conical-shaped inclined ramp surface extends upward from the ramp base at a substantially constant ramp surface angle with respect to horizontal and towards the container inner wall. The inclined ramp surface defines a ramp upper rim that is substantially proximate to the container inner wall. The particles have an angle of repose that is less than the ramp surface angle. The particles flow down the inclined ramp surface towards the ramp base. The particles are removed from the container using a vacuum feed nozzle that is disposed proximate to the particles in the container.

Container with conical-shaped ramp and method of removing particles from the same

A machine models assembly workstation is provided for selectively assembling a variety of different machine parts to different machine models having different model identification numbers. The workstation includes a machine model assembly area for holding each different machine model during parts assembly; a machine travel path to, and from, the machine model assembly area; and a plurality of bins located at the machine model assembly area for holding the different machine parts to be selectively assembled to the different models. Each bin of the plurality of bins has walls defining a parts holding chamber, and an access opening into the chamber. A shutter is attached to the walls over the access opening, and has an unlocked open position and a closed locked position. The machine models assembly workstation also includes a bin access control device, responsive to an input machine model identification number, for selectively closing and locking a first set of the plurality of bins, and for automatically selecting, unlocking and opening a second set of the plurality of bins, such that the second set of the plurality of bins holds only approved machine parts for assembly into a machine having the input machine model identification number, thereby enabling fast and accurate assembly while effectively preventing inadvertent operator assembly errors.

Machine models assembly including bin access control

In a manually movable computer mouse with a mouse movement sensing system for providing mouse movement signals, and at least one user finger operable control switch, for providing control signals for a graphic user interface, the mouse has a boomerang shaped body ergonomically shaped to fit and support the user's hand in a naturally relaxed curled hand positon, with a main body portion and a narrower neck portion extending at an angle of about 45 degrees to 90 degrees to the main body narrow enough to be interposeable between the thumb and first finger, and with an integral mouse movement control fin or tab extending above the mouse body and being thinly shaped to fit in the relaxed space between the first and second fingers (and to also provide an alternate pen-like grip between the thumb and first finger) to orient the mouse to the user hand and move the mouse with user arm movements. An integral wrist support may be provided extending from the wrist end of the mouse. The movement sensing system is adjacent that same end.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Dale E Boudreau