The present application is generally related to devices for assisting those who have difficulty grasping items. More specifically, the present application relates to an assist device that can be removably attached to a user's forearm and can be used to secure a handle, or other item.
There are currently many individuals who lack the arm and/or hand strength required to grip certain items. For instance, it takes a certain amount of arm and hand strength to adequately grip a sports club, such as a golf club, a baseball bat, etc. Many individuals lack sufficient strength. In addition, such individuals may find it difficult to grip other items as well, such as broom handles, rake handles, pan handles, or a wide variety of other things.
There are myriad causes for this reduced grip strength. Among those are included arthritis and rheumatism, which cause joint pain during certain types of flexion or extension of the hand joints, for instance. For example, one study, even several years ago, has indicated that those suffering from arthritis, in the United States alone, number in excess of 51 million. Other things also make it difficult for certain individuals to grip items. Those things include stroke, which afflicts approximately 600,000 people in the United States every year, amputation for various reasons, which afflicts in excess of 185,000 people in the United States every year, diseases such as Cerebral Palsy which afflicts over half a million in the United States, and other causes such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which afflicts in excess of 11 million people in the United States.
All of these things can afflict individuals in a way that makes it difficult, or impossible, for those individuals to carry on even simple everyday tasks, much less to engage in hobby activities, such as sports activities.
A gripping assist device is removably attachable to the forearm of a user. For example, in one embodiment the assist device can be attached to an inner, outer, and/or side of a forearm of the user. The assist device has a sleeve with an opening sized to receive a handle or grip of an item. In one example, a portion of the item (e.g., the handle or grip) is grasped by the user (e.g., using a hand of the user). In another example, the user can move, manipulate, and/or use the item without grasping the item (i.e., the user's hand does not grasp the item).
In one embodiment, the opening is reinforced to retain its shape even when no handle or grip is inserted therein. This makes it easier to insert a handle or grip, into the pouch.
In another embodiment, the opening to the pouch is preformed in a desired shape. The removable attachment to the forearm can be accomplished using straps with attachment elements, such as hook and loop fabric, buckles, snaps, etc.
In another embodiment, the straps can be removably inserted through channels in the forearm contacting portion and/or through buckles attached to the forearm contacting portion of the assist device. In this way, the straps can be reversed to accommodate either a left arm or a right arm, and the straps can be removed and replaced with either longer or shorter straps to accommodate forearms of varying size.
In the embodiment shown in
Also in the embodiment shown in
In any case, in one embodiment, the opening 116 is illustratively formed such that it retains its shape, even when no grip or handle is inserted through it, within pouch 104. In the embodiment shown in
In another embodiment, reinforcement element 118 can be removable or fitted to receive inserts that define a different sized opening 116. Therefore, a single assist device 100 can be used to accommodate a wide variety of handles (e.g., a baseball bat and a paint brush) simply by switching inserts to define openings 116 of different sizes. Similarly, element 118 can be configured, using a screw, slip knot, or other mechanism, so it can be re-sized by the user to make opening 116 larger or smaller. Of course, element 118 can be of fixed size, without inserts, as well. Also, element 118 can be eliminated if the material forming pouch 102 is sufficiently rigid so opening 116 stays open when pouch 102 is empty.
In the embodiment shown in
It will be appreciated, of course, that the specific materials from which device 100 is made, and the specific way in which those materials are connected to one another, is not critical to the present invention. Device 100 can be made using a wide variety of different material and connecting those materials to one another in a wide variety of different ways. In addition, the portions of device 100 can be made integrally with one another, such as by molding, extrusion, or any other desired process.
Further, in one illustrative embodiment the assist device is positioned such that the user grasps a portion of the item (e.g., a handle or other portion of the item that extends from the assist device). For example, if the assist device is worn on a left forearm the user grasps the item using the user's left hand. In accordance with one embodiment, the assist device can be used without the user grasping the item. For instance, in the above example the user can move, manipulate, and/or use the item without grasping the item in the user's left hand. It is noted that these are examples illustrating how the assist device can be utilized by a user and are not intended to limit the scope of the concepts described herein.
Each of straps 106-110 is inserted through its corresponding buckle 122 and folded back on itself as shown by arrows 206 in
Referring again to
The user then illustratively tightens straps 106-110 such that they are securely fitted around the user's inner forearm in the position shown in
It will also be noted, of course, that the connection of device 100 with the user's forearm can be accomplished in many different ways. For instance, buckles 122 can be formed such that, when straps 106-110 are threaded therethrough, they can be tightened, but then the straps frictionally engage the buckle so that they will not loosen, unless the user manipulates the buckle in some way. These types of buckles are known. There are a wide variety of different buckles, snaps and connection mechanisms which can be used to fasten device 100 to the user's forearm.
It will also, of course, be noted that the user need not have multiple straps 106-110. Instead, device 100 may have a single sleeve (with hook and loop fabric or another fastening device) which is wrapped around the user's forearm, in order to hold device 100 snuggly against the user's forearm, in a removable connection. Further, instead of having straps or a sleeve with different connections, a resilient cuff can be used in which case the user can simply slide his or her arm through the cuff and it will resiliently (or elastically) form to the contours and surface of the user's forearm, thus holding device 100 snuggly against the user's forearm. Such a cuff can be made of, for instance, neoprene, an elastic material, or any other type of resilient material which has a memory such that, even through it is stretched to insert the user's hand and forearm therethrough, it will close on the user's forearm, elastically or resiliently, in an attempt to retain its original size, thus fastening device 100 to the user's forearm. Of course, a wide variety of other attachment mechanisms can be used as well.
In any case,
The user is then ready to insert a device to be grasped within pouch 104.
When the user is finished with golf club 302, the user simply withdraws golf club 302 from pouch 104. One embodiment of this is indicated by
The assist device described herein can be utilized for a wide variety of applications where grip assistance is desired. Examples of items that can be accommodated by the assist device include, but are not limited to, golf clubs, paint brushes, rakes, shovels, brooms, kitchen utensils, pots and pans, hunting equipment, fishing rods, to name a few.
A first end of pouch 1104 includes a handle receiving opening 1116 and a second end of pouch 1104 comprises a closed end 1117. In one embodiment, pouch 1104 and opening 1116 are similar to pouch 104 and opening 116 illustrated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
Handle receiving opening 1116 is sized to receive handles of interest to the user and is illustratively formed such that it retains its shape, even when no grip or handle is inserted through it, within pouch 1104. In the embodiment illustrated in
Assist device 1100 can also include a layer of material 1103 provided for engagement with the user's forearm. Layer 1103 can include materials such as, but not limited to, the materials described above with respect to layer 600.
Assist device 1100 can include a plurality of fastening straps (not shown in
In accordance with one embodiment, assist device 1100 can include indicia related to a characteristic of a user, or potential user, of assist device 1100. For example, a portion of the assist device 1100 (such as, but not limited to, reinforcement element 1118) can be color-coded to indicate a particular ailment, disorder, disease, or other characteristic, etc. related to the user (e.g., a cause that the user supports). For instance, “awareness” colors are sometimes used to indicate such things as arthritis (e.g., the color blue) and strokes (e.g., the color red). Alternatively, or in addition, assist device 1100 can be color-coded to indicate a particular characteristic or feature of the device itself. For example, device 1100 can be color-coded to indicate that the device 1100 is especially designed for persons having a particular ailment, disorder, disease, or other characteristic, etc.
Fastening strap 1206 comprises a snap fastener 1254 positioned proximate first end 1250. Snap fastener 1254 comprises a male connector 1256 and a corresponding female connector 1258. To secure first end 1250 to a buckle 1122 of assist device 1100, the first end 1250 is inserted through the buckle 1122 and the end 1250 is folded back such that female connector 1258 engages and secures to male connector 1256. It is noted that snap fastener 1206 is one example of a fastener that can be utilized. Other fastening mechanisms, such as, but not limited to, hook and loop fabric and the like, can be utilized.
The second end 1252 comprises a tab portion 1260 that is inserted through a buckle 1122 (on an opposing side) of assist device 1100. Tab 1260 is inserted through the buckle 1122 and is folded back to secure fastening strap to the buckle 1122. As shown in
A plurality of fastening straps 1206 can be secured to the buckles of each buckle pair 1105, 1107, 1109, forming loose loops through which the user can insert and advance the user's hand. In one embodiment, the process of securing assist device 1100 to a user's arm can be similar to the process described above with respect to
Further, as illustrated in
While embodiments described herein are discussed in the context of a device for assisting those who have difficulty grasping items, it is noted that the disclosed assist device can also be utilized by individuals who do not lack adequate grip strength. For example, the assist device can be utilized by a person having adequate grip strength as an aid in lifting items, for example to take stress off of an individual's elbows, shoulders, and/or back, etc.
Moreover, while embodiments described herein are discussed in the context of an assist device configured to be worn on a forearm of a user, it is noted that the assist device can also be worn on other parts of a user's body. For example, the assist device can be worn on an upper arm, leg, ankle, foot, etc. of the user.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
The present application is based on and claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/200,972, filed Dec. 5, 2008, titled ASSIST DEVICE, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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