US 5,992,809 · Granted 1999-11-30
The Ergonomic Mount That Lets You Adjust Your Screen Any Way You Want
Imagine a robotic arm for your computer monitor and keyboard that lets you move them up, down, left, right, and every angle in between—and stays exactly where you put it. This patent describes a system of jointed arms with special springs and friction washers that hold your display steady no matter what position you choose, so you can find the perfect viewing angle for your neck and eyes.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a multi-jointed mounting system with pivot points that allow a flat panel display and/or keyboard to rotate and move along vertical, horizontal, and elevation axes. What's protected here is the specific combination of pivoting support arms, friction washers made of plastic, and nitrogen gas springs that work together to keep the monitor or keyboard in any user-selected position without drifting or requiring constant force to maintain the angle.
Why it matters
This patent became foundational for the ergonomic monitor arm category that dominates office and creative workspaces today. By solving the problem of positioning weight and friction control—using gas springs to counterbalance the display while friction washers lock in the user's chosen angle—Ergotron created a product that genuinely improved worker comfort and reduced neck strain. The patent's elegant combination of mechanical elements became the blueprint that competitors had to design around for decades.
Real-world use
Every time someone at a desk smoothly swings their monitor up to eye level or pulls a keyboard tray forward without it sagging, they're using the mechanical principles locked down in this patent.
Original USPTO abstract
Multi-jointed and pivoted support system for support of a flat panel video display and/or keyboard tray, incorporating a plurality of pivot points providing for pivotal motion of one or more components about a plurality of vertical, horizontal and elevational axis. Support arms having elevational pivot assemblies, including plastic friction washers and nitrogen gas springs which offer elevational arm control requiring constant and predetermined positioning effort on the part of the video display operator and keyboard operator.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,992,809
- Filing date
- 1998-02-12
- Grant date
- 1999-11-30
- Assignee
- Ergotron, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- SWEERE; HARRY C., GONNERMAN; MICHAEL D., VOELLER; DONALD M.
- CPC class
- F16M11/2064
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