As Aristotle said, “the hand is the tool of tools.” In many occupations and activities, the complete use of fully functioning hands is of vital importance. Hands that have been damaged or fatigued can often be debilitating to the accomplishment of a task.
One arena where highly functioning use of one's hands is of the utmost importance is the construction industry. During a construction projection, a person needs to use his or her hands for all sorts of activities, be it carrying items, operating tools, writing-up orders, texting, and the like. In particular, the carrying of numerous and disparate items is a ubiquitous part of the construction job. Many of these items are of awkward size and shape and/or are extremely heavy. When carrying awkward and/or heavy items, a person's grip can lose strength and effectiveness, and the person may have to set the item down for a period of time to rest. Sometimes, the grip strength can go out quickly, and it can become easy for a person to lose their grip and drop or damage the item or themselves. Furthermore, even when the item is not dropped or damaged, the carrying of one or more items can cause trauma to the hand. This can leave the hand or hands numb, weak, or in pain and can impair the user's ability to use their hands in other tasks.
Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus that can assist a person in carrying item by hand. There is further a need for an apparatus that can reduce the stress and/or weight on a person's hand when the person is carrying an item by hand. There is further a need for an apparatus that can distribute the load away from a person's hand when the person is carrying an item by hand. There is further a need for an apparatus that can assist a person in carrying an object without damaging the object.
The present invention satisfies these needs. In one aspect of the invention, an apparatus provides assistance to a person carrying an item by hand.
In another aspect of the invention, a load distribution apparatus reduces the stress and/or weight on a person's hand and/or fingers when the person is carrying an item by hand.
In another aspect of the invention, a load distribution apparatus distributes weight away from a person's hand when the person is carrying an item by hand.
In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus provides assistance to a person carrying an item by hand in a manner that prevents damage to the item.
In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus provides a user to selectively distribute the load of a item or items being carried from the hands to the wrist or arm.
In another aspect of the invention, a load distribution apparatus comprises an attachment portion, the attachment portion comprising an attachment mechanism adapted to connect to a wrist or arm of a user; a weight receiving portion, the weight receiving portion comprising a downwardly extending portion, an upwardly extending portion, and a bottom portion connecting the downwardly extending portion and the upwardly extending portion, the bottom portion including a contact surface adapted to receive one or more items to be carried by the user; and a connection portion connecting the attachment portion to the weight receiving portion in a manner where the weight of the one or more items on the contact surface can be transferred to the wrist or arm of the user.
In another aspect of the invention, a load distribution apparatus comprises an attachment portion, the attachment portion comprising an attachment mechanism adapted to connect to a wrist or arm of a user; a weight receiving portion, the weight receiving portion comprising a downwardly extending portion, an upwardly extending portion, and a bottom portion connecting the downwardly extending portion and the upwardly extending portion, the bottom portion including a contact surface adapted to receive one or more items to be carried by the user; and a connection portion connecting the attachment portion to the weight receiving portion in a manner where the weight of the one or more items on the contact surface can be transferred to the wrist or arm of the user, wherein the downwardly extending portion and the upwardly extending portion are not parallel.
In another aspect of the invention, a load distribution apparatus comprises an attachment portion, the attachment portion comprising an attachment mechanism adapted to connect to a wrist or arm of a user; a weight receiving portion, the weight receiving portion comprising a downwardly extending portion, an upwardly extending portion, and a bottom portion connecting the downwardly extending portion and the upwardly extending portion, the bottom portion including a contact surface adapted to receive one or more items to be carried by the user; and a connection portion connecting the attachment portion to the weight receiving portion in a manner where the weight of the one or more items on the contact surface can be transferred to the wrist or arm of the user, wherein the contact surface includes a flattened portion that increases the contact area with the one or more items when the one or more items contact the contact surface.
In another aspect of the invention, a load distribution apparatus comprises an attachment portion, the attachment portion comprising an attachment mechanism adapted to connect to a wrist or arm of a user; a weight receiving portion, the weight receiving portion comprising a downwardly extending portion, an upwardly extending portion, and a bottom portion connecting the downwardly extending portion and the upwardly extending portion, the bottom portion including a contact surface adapted to receive one or more items to be carried by the user; and a connection portion connecting the attachment portion to the weight receiving portion in a manner where the weight of the one or more items on the contact surface can be transferred to the wrist or arm of the user, wherein the extending portion and the bottom portion are sized and shaped to allow the user to selectively grasp the one or more items with the user's fingers and to selectively not touch the one or more items when the one or more items are on the contact surface.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of distributing a load comprises attaching an attachment mechanism to a wrist or arm of a user; receiving one or more items in a weight receiving portion of a load distribution apparatus, the weight receiving portion comprising a downwardly extending portion, an upwardly extending portion, and a bottom portion connecting the downwardly extending portion and the upwardly extending portion, the bottom portion including a contact surface adapted to receive the one or more items to be carried by the user; the attachment mechanism being connected to the weight receiving portion in a manner where the weight of the one or more items on the contact surface can be transferred to the wrist or arm of the user.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of distributing a load comprises attaching an attachment mechanism to a wrist or arm of a user; receiving one or more items in a weight receiving portion of a load distribution apparatus, the weight receiving portion comprising a downwardly extending portion, an upwardly extending portion, and a bottom portion connecting the downwardly extending portion and the upwardly extending portion, the bottom portion including a contact surface adapted to receive the one or more items to be carried by the user; the attachment mechanism being connected to the weight receiving portion in a manner where the weight of the one or more items on the contact surface can be transferred to the wrist or arm of the user, wherein the downwardly extending portion and the upwardly extending portion are not parallel.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of distributing a load comprises attaching an attachment mechanism to a wrist or arm of a user; receiving one or more items in a weight receiving portion of a load distribution apparatus, the weight receiving portion comprising a downwardly extending portion, an upwardly extending portion, and a bottom portion connecting the downwardly extending portion and the upwardly extending portion, the bottom portion including a contact surface adapted to receive the one or more items to be carried by the user; the attachment mechanism being connected to the weight receiving portion in a manner where the weight of the one or more items on the contact surface can be transferred to the wrist or arm of the user, wherein the contact surface includes a flattened portion that increases the contact area with the one or more items when the one or more items contact the contact surface.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of distributing a load comprises attaching an attachment mechanism to a wrist or arm of a user; receiving one or more items in a weight receiving portion of a load distribution apparatus, the weight receiving portion comprising a downwardly extending portion, an upwardly extending portion, and a bottom portion connecting the downwardly extending portion and the upwardly extending portion, the bottom portion including a contact surface adapted to receive the one or more items to be carried by the user; the attachment mechanism being connected to the weight receiving portion in a manner where the weight of the one or more items on the contact surface can be transferred to the wrist or arm of the user, wherein the extending portion and the bottom portion are sized and shaped to allow the user to selectively grasp the one or more items with the user's fingers and to selectively not touch the one or more items when the one or more items are on the contact surface.
These features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings which illustrate exemplary features of the invention. However, it is to be understood that each of the features can be used in the invention in general, not merely in the context of the particular drawings, and the invention includes any combination of these features, where:
The present invention relates to an apparatus for assisting in the carrying of one or more items by hand. In particular, the invention relates to a load distribution apparatus that distributes the load of an item carried by hand away from the hand. Although the invention is illustrated and described in the context of being useful for carrying items at a construction site, the present invention can be used in other ways, as would be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the present invention should not be limited just to the examples and embodiments described herein.
In the version shown in
The weight receiving portion 110 of the load distribution apparatus 100 is designed to extend into the palm of the hand of a person when the load distribution apparatus 100 is attached to the wrist of the person. The weight receiving portion 115 comprises a first bar 180, a second bar 185, and a cross bar portion 190 near the first end 125 of the weight receiving portion 110 that connects the first bar 180 to the second bar 185. The first bar 180 and the second bar 185 are each made up of a downwardly extending portion 195 and a hook portion 200. The hook portion 200 is made up of bottom portion 205 and an upwardly extending portion 210. The downwardly extending portion 195, the bottom portion 205, and the upwardly extending portion 210 together create an interior space 215 that can receive an item to be carried. In one version, the first bar 180 and the second bar 185 are substantially mirror images of one another and extend parallel to one another along their respective lengths. Alternatively, the first bar 180 and the second bar 185 can be something other than a mirror image of one another and/or can be non-parallel at least over a portion of the bars. Together the first bar 180 and the second bar 185 form a double-hooked claw configuration. The first bar 180 and the second bar 185 may be made of a metal, such as one or more of carbon steel, tool steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, iron, any metal alloy, and the like, or may be made from a material other than metal that is capable of carrying the desired load. The load distribution apparatus 100 can be designed to be able to carry from 1 pound to 25,000 pounds. In one version, the cross-sectional dimension of the first bar 180 and/or the second bar 185 is from about ⅛th inch to about 2 inches in diameter or in the equivalent cross-sectional dimension if non-circular.
The connecting portion 115 connects the attachment portion 105 to the weight receiving portion 110 in a manner whereby any weight carried by the weight receiving portion 110 is transferred to the attachment portion 105. Thus, when the attachment portion 105 is attached to the wrist of a person in a secure manner and when a weighted item is placed in the interior space 215 of the hook portion 200, the weight of the item is carried at least partially by the attachment portion 105 attached to the wrist. In one version, such as shown in
The load distributing apparatus 100 is shown in use in
The load distribution apparatus 100 can be sized, shaped, and dimensioned to fit a standard hand at a desired location and in a desire manner. For example, referring again to
In addition, the width, w, of the space between the first bar 180 and the second bar 185 may be selected as desired. For example, in one version, the space may be sized some that one or four fingers can comfortably extend through the space to allow the fingers to contact an item in the interior space 215. In this version, the width, w, may be from about 0 to about 9 inches, or from about 1 inch to about 8 inches, or from about 1 inch to about 6 inches, or from about 2 inches to about 4 inches, or from about 3 inches to about 4 inches, or about 3.5 inches. Alternatively, in other versions, the space can be significantly wider to allow for very large items to be carried or significantly smaller to prevent fingers from contacting the item. In one version, the first and second bar are replaced by a single bar or sheet. The single bar or sheet can be solid or can have openings therein. In another version, the downward extending portion 195 can be made up of the first bar and the second bar and then the two bars can merge into a single bar or sheet at the bottom portion and/or the upwardly extending portion 210.
In one version of the load distribution apparatus 100, as shown in
By providing an angle, a, that is greater than zero degrees, the load distribution apparatus 100 offers advantages over a version of the device that has an upwardly extending portion 210 that extends all the way to vertical. For example, when the angle, a, is greater than zero, an item or items that are received in the interior space 215 and that are carried by the load distribution apparatus will be easier to remove from the load distribution apparatus 100 and/or load onto the load distribution apparatus 100. If the angle, a, were to be zero, the item or items would not be able to be slid off the load distribution apparatus 100 but would instead have to be entirely lifted. Thus, in one version of the load distribution apparatus, the angle, a, is greater than zero degrees, or greater than 5 degrees, or greater than 15 degrees, or greater than 35 degrees.
In addition or alternatively, in a version of the load distribution apparatus 100, the angle, a is 90 degrees or less. By having an angle, a, of 90 degrees or less, the item or items being carried within the interior space 215 will not slide off merely by gravity. Furthermore, by having an angle, a, of less than 90, some amount of lifting would be needed to remove the item or items. This would help prevent the item or items from inadvertently falling off while the user is moving the item or items. This allows the user to carry many different types of products including buckets, steel studs, and drywall without them readily falling off. Thus, in this version, the angle, a, is 90 degrees or less, or less than 90 degrees, or less than 80 degrees, or less than 70 degrees. In one version, the angle, a, is selected to accomplish both of these advantages. In such version, the angle, a, is from about 5 degrees to less than 90 degrees, or from about 10 degrees to about 85 degrees, or from about 15 degrees to about 80 degrees, or from about 35 to about 70 degrees, or about 55 degrees.
The length, l, of the straight portion 245 of the upwardly extending portion 210 can also be selected to advantageously allow for the carrying of an item or items. In one version, the length, l, is selected to be from about 0.5 inches to about 10 inches, or from about 1 inch to about 5 inches, or from about 2 inches to about 3 inches, or about 2.25 inches. These ranges of lengths have been determined to be well suited for carrying a construction item or items, such as plywood and drywall and are particularly suited for carrying two such boards. The straight portion 245 need not be straight across its length and/or across its entire length. At least a portion of the straight portion 245 can be curved, slotted, notched, indented, have projections thereon, or the like. In this regard, the straight portion 245 can be defined as a portion of the upwardly extending portion 210 that has a first end 250 and a second end 255, wherein the angle, a, at the first end 250 is substantially the same as the angle, a, at the second end 255. Between the ends 250, 255, the angle, a, may be different, and on both sides of the ends 250, 255, the angle can be different. It is the angle, a, at the first end 250 and the second end 255 that desirably falls within the ranges set forth above for the angle.
Another version of the load distribution apparatus 100 is shown in
The load distribution apparatus 100 can be further modified as would be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. For example, the load distribution apparatus 100 can be adapted to fit any desirable item or items that are to be carried. Furthermore, additional safety features or accessories, such as a strap to secure the item in the interior space 215, can be provided.
The present invention also includes the method of using the load distribution apparatus 100 in the manners described above.
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with regard to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible, and alterations, permutations and equivalents of the version shown will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and study of the drawings. For example, the cooperating components may be reversed or provided in additional or fewer number. Also, the various features of the versions herein can be combined in various ways to provide additional versions of the present invention. Furthermore, certain terminology has been used for the purposes of descriptive clarity, and not to limit the present invention. Throughout this specification and any claims appended hereto, unless the context makes it clear otherwise, the term “comprise” and its variations such as “comprises” and “comprising” should be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, limitation, or step but not the exclusion of any other elements, limitations, or steps. Therefore, any appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein and should include all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present application claims the benefit of domestic priority based on United States Provisional Patent Application 62/792,857 filed on Jan. 15, 2019, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62792857 | Jan 2019 | US |