Patent Application
20110173778
The invention relates to ergonomic auxiliary handles for use with hand tools and hand held implements with a shaft, such as shovels, rakes, brooms, mops and other yard, shop and indoor tools.
Hand held implements, such as shovels, are among the simplest of tools and find widespread use throughout the world. However, it is widely recognized that the commonly used shovel, having a shaft-like handle extending from the working end of the tool, provides poor mechanical advantage for the user. A user wielding a straight handle shovel can experience injury, for example lower back injury, especially when moving heavy loads.
Previous attempts have been made to improve the working of such tools and hand-held implements by providing an auxiliary handle. Unfortunately, such auxiliary handles have exhibited one or more significant drawbacks and disadvantages. For example, many previously available devices required that the original handle of the implement be substantially modified before the auxiliary handle could be attached. Alternatively, some previously available devices can only be used with original handles which are specifically designed for such purposes. In either case, the end user is generally required to buy a completely new implement or new tool handle already fitted with ergonomic handles, or severely modify his old implements for use with the new auxiliary handle. Moreover, previously available devices often require fasteners for assembly.
The previously available devices are also generally fabricated out of metal components which, due to the environment in which many hand held implements are used, are subject to corrosion. Corrosion of metal parts results in weakening of the device and hindering or even arresting of the movement of articulating parts.
Most notably, the previous available devices were rigid, fixed-position handles. These handles only provided one or two degrees of freedom—typically limited to movement along the axis of and around the circumference of the shaft. This only provides the user with a limited number of possible gripping positions and therefore these previous devices provide only limited relief of the back and leg strain associated with the use of the implement alone.
In view of these drawbacks and disadvantages, it would be an advance in the art to provide an improved auxiliary handle for use with a variety of hand held implements.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ergonomic auxiliary handle that can be attached to any tool having an elongate shaft to provide leverage for using the tool, while allowing the user to assume a more ergonomic body position.
These and other objectives are achieved by providing an ergonomic auxiliary handle that can be quickly and securely, yet removably attached to a variety of tools. It is a further object of the present invention to provide this handle with several adjustment means so that it may be moved or adjusted into any position that would suit the user's needs. Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an ergonomic auxiliary handle that is constructed of durable and rust-proof materials so that they do not need to be replaced frequently.
Other objects, features and advantages according to the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of several embodiments of the invention as described in conjunction with the drawings.
The disclosed invention is an ergonomic auxiliary handle that can be retrofitted onto common yard and home tools to improve the ergonomics and usability of the tools. The ergonomic handle of the present invention may be used with any implement or tool (not shown) with a long shaft, such as but not limited to a rake, shovel, snow shovel, mop, hoe, spade, paint roller and broom. The shaft has a first end located near the tool of the implement and a second end located away from the tool. The tool may be a rake head, shovel head, bristles of a broom, mop head, hoe blade, spade blade, etc. In addition, two ergonomic handles may be used at one time with the same tool or implement. This takes advantage of existing leverage while providing additional leverage reliving back pain and over-strenuous activity. The ergonomic auxiliary handle is adjustable, and can be used anywhere where an additional handle may be useful, both indoors and outdoors, such as on rakes, brooms, shovels, power washers, and weed-trimmers.
The ergonomic auxiliary handles of the present invention have several notable advantages, including: (1) they create leverage on all tools with handles; (2) they eliminate back and leg strain by allowing the user to stand more upright and grasp the tool in a more ergonomic manner; (3) they provide a cushioned grip so that gloves are no longer necessary and blisters are no longer a problem; (4) they fit all handle tools, such as rakes, shovels, hoes, brooms, snow shovels, pole saws, pruners, and extensions for paint rollers, light bulb changers, dusters etc.; (5) they quickly, easily and securely clamp onto all handles; (6) the handles and attachment means are made out of plastics or other rust-proof materials; and (7) the handles are adjustable with at least 10 degrees of freedom, providing an infinite number of gripping positions.
Turning now to the figures, the ergonomic auxiliary handle 10 of the present invention is shown in
The body 18 of the handle portion 12 may be slidably and/or rotatably disposed in the base portion 14. In a preferred embodiment, the body 18 is both slidably and rotatably disposed in base portion 14. In addition, the body 18 may be substantially curved such that the handle portion 12 may slide a full 180 degrees within the base portion 14.
Base portion 14 includes a first yoke portion 22, a second yoke portion 24 and an adjuster 21. In one embodiment, adjuster 21 may be screw 26 which terminates in a knob 28. As can be seen in
Additionally, the first yoke portion 22 is provided with a hole 30 therethrough for passing the adjustment screw 26 and the inner surface of the second yoke portion 24 is provided with an internally threaded hole 32 for threadably engaging the adjustment screw. Aside from hole 30 and threaded hole 32, the inner surfaces of the first and second yoke portions 22, 24 are substantially identical. Knob 28 prevents the adjustment screw from being pulled through the hole 30 in the first yoke portion 22. When the adjustment screw 26 is passed through hole 30 and threaded into hole 32, the first and second yoke portions 22, 24 are brought into abutment and can be tightly fitted together as the adjustment screw 26 is tightened. While the two yoke portions 22, 24 create a pyramidal shape when brought together, it is understood that any other suitable shape or design may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is also contemplated that yoke portions 22, 24 may be formed as a single piece, with an aperture defined therein for accepting at least a portion of the handle portion body 18, instead of two separate pieces as shown in
The attachment portion 16 may be any suitable attachment means that allows for easy and quick attachment and removal of the auxiliary handle 10 to the shaft of a tool or implement. In one embodiment, the attachment portion 16 may include a first jaw 34 and a second jaw 36 for releasably clamping around the shaft of a tool or instrument. For example, the attachment portion 16 may be a simple collar that “snaps” or slides onto the shaft of a tool or instrument and is held in place by friction. Or, the attachment portion may be a C-clamp. Other alternative embodiments are contemplated and will not depart from the spirit of the invention. The attachment portion 16 may also include an adjuster 37. In the embodiment shown in
Turning back to the embodiment shown in
Each of the first and second jaws 34, 36 are also provided with a longitudinal slot 48, 50 for accommodating the adjustment screw 38 therein. A transverse bore 52 also passes through second jaw 36 and bisects the longitudinal slot 50. An adjustment nut 54 having a threaded transverse hole 56 is rotatably disposed in the transverse bore 52. When assembled, adjustment screw 38 passes through the longitudinal slot 48 in the first jaw 34, is threaded into the threaded transverse hole 56 in the adjustment nut 54 and then passes out of the longitudinal slot 50 in the second jaw 36.
Because adjustment nut 54 is rotatably disposed in the second jaw 36, it allows the adjustment screw 38 to be tilted or pivoted within the longitudinal slot 48. Thus, when the adjustment screw 38 is tilted or pivoted within the longitudinal slot 48 of the first jaw 34, adjustment nut 54 will correspondingly rotate within the second jaw 36. This allows for further range of motion of the second jaw 36 allowing for the attachment portion 16 to be adjusted to fit a wide range of diameters. Moreover, when the knob 40 of the adjustment screw 38 is tilted upwards toward the handle portion 12, the second jaw 36 naturally pivots inward towards the first jaw 34, providing additional wedging or clamping force. In addition, this has the added benefit of drawing the adjustment screw 38 upwards toward the upper, inner surface of the attachment portion 16 and protecting the surface of the shaft of the tool or implement. First jaw 34 may also be provided, around the area of the slot 48, with a wedged inset 49 to allow more operating room for knob 40.
One or more pads 58 may also be provided on the inner surface of each jaw member. The pads 58 may be made of any suitable material, such as a soft plastic or foam, so as to not only prevent damage to the shaft of the tool or implement, but also add additional grip and help to further secure the jaws to the shaft of the tool or implement. The pads 58 may simply be pressed into holes 46, 48 in the first and second jaws 34, 36, respectively. Alternatively, the inner surfaces of the jaws 34, 36 may be lined to add additional grip.
The base portion 14 is rotatably attached to the attachment portion 16 by means of a neck 60 which terminates in a shoulder 62. The internal surfaces of each of the yoke portions 22, 14 of the base portion 14 are each provided with a corresponding collar 64, 66 and shelf 68, 70 for accommodating the neck 60 and shoulder 62 of the attachment portion 16. In operation, if the adjustment screw 26 of the base portion 14 is loosened, a user may rotate the base portion 14 with respect to the attachment portion 16. While not required, the neck may also be provided with a plurality of teeth 72 for mating with a plurality of teeth 74 on each collar 64, 66 of the base portion 14. These mating teeth 72, 74 provide a discrete number of preset locations into which the base portion 14 may be positioned and provide additional strength to prevent undesirable rotation of the base portion 14 with respect to the attachment portion 16 while the auxiliary handle is in use.
In one embodiment, neck 60 may be integral with the attachment portion 16. As shown in
Similarly, the body 18 may also be provided with at least one groove 76 running along its length. This at least one groove 76 mates with at least one ridge 78, 80 disposed on the inner surface of the crescent-shaped notch 25, 27, respectively, of each yoke portion 22, 24 of the base 14. The at least one ridge 78, 80 is preferably substantially straight, but may be slightly curved to correspond to the curvature of at least one groove 76. Alternatively, the inner surface of the crescent-shaped notch 25, 27 of each yoke portion 22, 24 of the base 14 may be provided with at least one groove and the body 18 may be provided with at least one mating ridge. Preferably, the body 18 and the inner surface of the crescent-shaped notch 25, 27 of each yoke portion 22, 24 of the base 14 are provided with more than one groove 76 and ridge 78, 80, respectively.
This system of at least one groove and at least one ridge provides several advantages. First, if the user desires to slide the handle 12 in the direction D as shown in
The ergonomic auxiliary handle 10 may be made out of any suitable material, such as molded plastic or metal. Preferably, the auxiliary handle 10 is made of a plastic, such as regrind plastic, so that it will not rust due to outdoor use. As stated above, the grip portion may be made out of foam for comfort purposes.
Notably, the attachment portion 16 of the auxiliary handle 10 has several advantages. First, no tools such as wrenches or screwdrivers are necessary to attach or release the auxiliary handle 10 to the shaft of a desired tool or implement. Due to the novel design, all that is required is for a user to loosen and/or tighten the adjustment screw 18 by means of knob 40. Second, the attachment portion 16 does not require any modification of the shaft of the tool or instrument in order to attach the auxiliary handle 10. As discussed above, one disadvantage of prior art auxiliary handles is that they must be screwed into the shaft of the desired tool, or the attachment means has burrs or teeth that dig into the shaft, both causing damage to the shaft of the tool itself. Third, the attachment portion 16 is completely and easily releasable from the shaft of the desired tool or implement. Because the adjustment portion 16 is not permanently affixed to the shaft, a user does not need a separate auxiliary handle 10 for each tool or implement on which an auxiliary handle is desired. The attachment portion 16 allows the auxiliary handle 10 to be a stand-alone device.
As illustrated in
Third, the handle portion 12 may be rotated about axis 4, which passes through the aperture defined in the base portion, in the direction of arrow C by loosening adjustment screw 26 of the base portion 14 via knob 28 and rotating the handle portion 12 to the desired angle, in either direction, and then tightening the adjustment screw 26 to secure it in place. Depending on the size and shape of the handle portion 12, base portion 14 and attachment portion 16, the handle portion 12 may be rotated at least 180 degrees, and likely at least 270 degrees, around axis 4. Preferably, the handle portion 12 may be rotated until it touches the shaft of the tool on either side of the attachment portion 16. If the body 18 of the handle portion 12 and the inner surface of the crescent-shaped notch 25, 27 are provided with corresponding grooves 76 and ridges 78, then the handle portion 12 must be rotated into one of the “preset” positions. If not, then the handle may rotate freely into any position. This is further illustrated in
Fourth, the handle portion 12 may be slid in the direction of arrow D by loosening adjustment screw 26 of the base portion 14 via knob 28 and sliding the handle portion 12 to the desired position, in either direction of arrow D, and then tightening the adjustment screw 26 to secure it in place. If the body 18 of the handle portion 12 and the inner surface of the crescent-shaped notch 25, 27 are provided with corresponding grooves 76 and ridges 78, then the grooves and ridges provide a track within which the body 18 slides. This is further illustrated in
Fifth, the base portion 14 may be rotated around axis 2 with respect to the attachment portion 18 in the direction of arrow E by loosening adjustment screw 26 of the base portion 14 via knob 28 and rotating the handle portion 12 to the desired position, in either direction of arrow E, and then tightening the adjustment screw 26 to secure it in place. This is further illustrated in
Last, the grip 20 of the handle portion 12 may be rotated around axis 3 with respect to the body 18 in the direction of arrow E.
To increase the usability of a tool or implement, two auxiliary handles may be used in accordance with the invention
In another embodiment of the auxiliary handle 100, shown in
The attachment means may also include, inter alia, a ring slideable onto the shaft with a set screw, a ring slideable onto the shaft where the ring can be tightened onto the shaft, or a spring loaded clamp.
It should be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, and “third”, and the like may he used herein to modify elements performing similar and/or analogous functions. These modifiers do not imply a spatial, sequential, or hierarchical order to the modified elements unless specifically stated.
While the disclosure has been described with reference to several embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims
The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of the U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/254,459, filed on Oct. 23, 2009, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61254459 | Oct 2009 | US |
