Patent Application
20060200912
The present invention relates generally to multipurpose hand-held tool implements useful for a variety of tasks, including scraping, digging, and scooping target materials and substrates. More particularly, the invention relates to various embodiments of tool implements that are shaped to conform to the shape of all or a portion of a user's hand, thereby facilitating manipulation of the tool implement in the performance of tasks that are directed by the motion of the user's hand.
Multipurpose hand-held tool implements are provided. The tool implements comprise a body member and a retaining strap. Body members according to the instant invention comprise a top face for contact with at least a portion of a human hand, and a bottom face for contact with a target material or substrate. Body members also comprise first and second side edges and hand engagement and tool ends that define the body member-periphery. The lengths of body members according to the instant invention are defined by the distance between the hand engagement end and the tool end, and are sufficient to accommodate contact with at least a portion of one or more fingers of a human hand. Body members have a width that is defined by the distance between the first and second side edges. Retaining straps according to the instant invention are engageable with a body member. When engaged with a body member, a retaining strap traverses the top face of the body member to form an aperture.
In some embodiments, tool implements of the instant invention comprise a glove member. Glove members encase all or a portion of the users hand. In some embodiments, the glove member is separate from the body member and the retaining strap. According to such embodiments, the glove member is insertable through the aperture formed by an engaged body member and retaining strap. In other embodiments, the glove member is either attached to or integrated with either the body member or the retaining strap, or both. According to such embodiments, the glove member is typically oriented such that all or a portion of the user's hand is encased within the glove member upon insertion of all or a portion of one or more fingers of the user's hand through the aperture formed by an engaged body member and retaining strap.
The tool implements of the instant invention are used for manipulation of target substrates and materials by a user. All or a portion of one or more fingers of a human hand is inserted through the aperture formed by an engaged body member and a retaining strap such that the volar surface (the palm side of the hand) of the one or more fingers is in contact with the top face of the body member, and the dorsal surface (the top side of the hand) of the one or more fingers is in contact with the retaining strap. When the user manipulates the tool implement, the retaining strap assists in retaining the users hand in close contact with the body member.
The tool implements provide reinforcement and stability to the user's hand. The tool implements also provide one or more of a variety of tools that extend from the user's fingertips for manipulating target substrates. The tool implements also shield all or a portion of the user's hand from direct contact with the target substrates and materials, and in some embodiments, further protect the user's hand from being soiled.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Multipurpose hand-held tool implements and methods for using the same are provided. The tool implements are useful for a variety of tasks such as cutting, digging, scraping, scooping and spreading. The tool implements are useful for scraping the flesh from fruits and vegetables, such as pumpkins and similar vegetables and replicas thereof. The multipurpose hand-held tool implements are also useful for scooping, digging, spreading, or otherwise manipulating earth, clay, soil, dirt, vermiculite, humus, and other like materials in connection with lawn and gardening activities. The multipurpose hand-held tool implements are also useful for scooping, digging, scraping, and spreading attendant to performance of cleaning tasks, crafts, baking and cooking, light construction and remodeling, and other like activities.
The tool implements substantially conform in general shape to all or a portion of the hand of a human user, and thereby permit the user to guide and direct the tool following the natural motion of the user's hand. The tool implements provide reinforcement and stability to the user's hand to improve leverage in the performance of tasks. The tool implements also provide one or more of a variety of tools that extend from the user's fingertips or extend along the edges of the implement for manipulating target substrates. The tool implements also shield all or a portion of the user's hand from direct contact with the target substrates and materials, and in some embodiments, further protect the user's hand from being soiled by such substrates and materials.
The multipurpose hand-held tool implements of the instant invention comprise a body member, a retaining strap, and in some embodiments, a glove member.
Referring now to
The length L is sufficient to accommodate contact between the top face 201 of the body member 200 and at least a portion of one or more fingers of an adult human hand. In other embodiments, the length L is sufficient to accommodate contact between the top face 201 of the body member 200 and at least a portion of one or more fingers of a juvenile human hand. More particularly, in some embodiments, the length L is sufficient to accommodate contact between the top face 201 of the body member 200 and at least a portion of, but nor more than, the phalange segments of one or more fingers of a human hand. According to such embodiments, when the tool implement 100 is donned by a user, as depicted in
In other embodiments, the length L is sufficient to accommodate contact between the top face 201 of the body member 200 and the phalange and metacarpal segments of one or more fingers of a human hand. According to such embodiments, when the tool implement 100 is donned by a user, as depicted in
Referring to
In some embodiments, the body member 200 of a hand-held tool implement 100 comprises a gripping means 209. Referring to
In some embodiments, the body member 200 of a hand-held tool implement 100 comprises a texture rendering means (not shown). Such texture rendering means comprises: one or more ridges, baffles, bumps, pocks, grooves, or like structural features, surface texture in the form of hatches, ridges, grooves rendered on the body member 200 by one or a combination of etching, embossing, coating, layering, affixing or adhering, and combinations thereof. Texture rendering means may be on are on all or a portion of the back face 202 of the body member 200, including on all or a portion of the central portion 208 of the back face 202, or along one or more of the tool edge 205 and the first and second side edges 203, or combinations of these. Texture rendering means are useful for rendering texture on the material or substrate being manipulated by the user with the hand-held tool implement 100.
In some embodiments, the back face 202 of the body member 200 of a hand-held tool implement 100 comprises shape or structure such as bowl or scoop shape, or channels (not shown). These structures are useful for containing or directing the movement of target substrate or material being manipulated by the user with the hand-held tool implement 100.
The body member 200 of a hand-held tool implement 100 comprises first and second side edges 203, the distance between which define the width W of the body member 200 along its length L. In some embodiments, as depicted in Referring to
In the various embodiments, the height H of one or both of the first and second side edges 203 may vary between a minimal height that is low profile (as depicted in
According to some embodiments, the height H of one or both of the first and second side edges 203 decreases along the length L of the body member 200 from a maximum height at the hand engagement end 204 to a minimum height at or before the tool end 205. According to some such embodiments, the height of one or both of the first and second side edges 203 decreases to a substantially nil height at a point before the tool end 205 of the body member 200.
In yet other embodiments, the height of the first and second side edges 203 decreases to a substantially nil height at a point near or at the tool end 205 of the body member 200. And in yet other embodiments, the eight H of one or both of the first and second side edges 203 is continuous along the length L of the body member.
The junction between the termini of one or both of the first and second side edges 203 and the hand engagement end 204 and the tool end 205 may be formed by a continuous curve, or a right angle, or combinations thereof in the same body member 200. For example, referring to
In some embodiments, one or both of the first and second side edges 203 have teeth or bevels or combinations thereof disposed along the periphery 215 to cooperate with or augment the actions of the tool end 205 of such tool implements 100. As depicted in
As shown in
Referring again to
According to some embodiments, the width W of the body member 200 is constant along the length L of the body member 200. According to yet other embodiments, the width W varies between the hand engagement end 204 and the tool end 205. In some embodiments, the hand engagement end 204 is wider than the tool end 205. A representative example of such an embodiment is shown in
Hand-held tool implements 100 according to the instant invention comprise on the body member 200 a tool end 205. According to one or more of the various embodiments, the tool end 205, either alone, or together with one or more of the back face 202 and one or both of the first and second side edges 203, are maneuvered by the user's hand to carry out such tasks as cutting, digging, scraping, scooping and spreading, and the like. Accordingly, the body member 200 of hand-held tool implement 100 comprises a means for executing tasks such as scraping, digging, scooping, spreading, and the like, wherein the means is situated at or adjacent to the tool end 205.
In some embodiments, the hand-held tool implement 100 comprises a cutting edge. A representative example of such an embodiment is shown in
Referring now to
Turning now to
According to some embodiments, the retaining strap has a length L′ that is only a fraction of the length L of the body member 200, whereby, when one or more fingers of a human hand is inserted through the aperture 400 formed by the engaged body member 200 and retaining strap 300, the distal portions of the inserted one or more fingers are exposed. A representative example of such an embodiment is shown in
According to the instant invention, a retaining strap 300 is engaged with a body member 200 by clip, screw, hook, snap-fit, glue, hinge, ultrasonic weld, heat bonding, rivet, or weld means, or other engagement means.
In some embodiments, the retaining strap 300 is releasably engaged with the body member by either one or two connection points. According to particular embodiments thereof, releasable engagement is with at least one of the first and second side edges 203 of the body member 200. In other embodiments, the retaining strap 300 is permanently engaged with the body member 200. According to particular embodiments thereof, the retaining strap 300 is integral with the body member 200. Engagement between the retaining strap 300 and the body member may be at one or more connection points along one or both sides of the retaining strap 300 and the body member 200.
The body members 200 provided herein comprise material that is substantially non-elastic, generally retains its shape, and is semi-flexible, semi-rigid or rigid. Examples of material from which body members 200 are formed include metal, wood, paper, or plastic, or composites comprising one or more thereof. In some embodiments, the body members are formed of plastic, such as for example molded plastic. Plastic materials may comprise materials such as rubber to confer flexibility. The retaining straps 300 provided herein comprise material that is elastic or inelastic, and that generally retains its shape. The materials may are generally semi-flexible, semi-rigid or rigid. Examples of material from which retaining strips 300 are formed include metal, wood, paper, or plastic, elastomers such as natural or synthetic rubber and like materials, or composites comprising one or more thereof. In some embodiments, the body members are formed of plastic, such as for example molded plastic. Plastic materials may comprise materials such as rubber to confer flexibility. According to some embodiments, the body members 200 and the retaining straps 300 of the hand-held tool implements 100 are each formed from the same material. According to particular embodiments thereof, the materials comprise molded plastic.
Hand-held tool implements 100 according to the instant invention comprise in some embodiments a glove member 500. Glove members 500 are insertable through the aperture 400 formed by an engaged body member 200 and a retaining strap 300. According to some embodiments, a glove member is free from a body member 200 and a retaining strap 300. According to alternate embodiments, a glove member is attached to one or both of a body member 200 or a retaining strap 300, and is in some particular embodiments integral one or both of a body member 200 or a retaining strap 300. Glove members 500 comprise one or more openings for receiving at least one or more phalange segments of one or more fingers of a human hand. According to some embodiments, glove members 500 comprise openings for receiving substantially all of a human hand. According to yet other embodiments, glove members 500 comprise openings for receiving all fingers of a human hand. Of course it should be understood that glove members 500 according to the instant invention are sized in ranges to accommodate a variety of sizes of adult and juvenile human hands, or are otherwise capable of accommodating and fitting such a range of hand sizes.
Glove members 500 are formed from a variety of materials. According to certain embodiments, particularly those wherein a glove member 500 is integral with a body member 200 or retaining strap 200, the glove member 500 comprise the same material as that of the body member 200 or the retaining strap 300. According to some embodiments, the glove member 500 is formed from the same material as the body member 200 and is integrated therewith. In alternate embodiments, glove members 500 are formed with material that is substantially flexible and generally conforms to the shape of at least a portion of at least one or more fingers of a human hand. Examples of such materials include, but are not limited to cotton, plastic, rubber, or like material. Materials for fabricating gloves are well known in the relevant art.
The hand-held tool implements 100 of the instant invention can be employed for a wide variety of uses. According the embodiment of the tool implement 100 selected by the user, appropriately sized body member 200 and retaining strap 300 are selected based on the user's hand size, or on the intended use. For example, size selection may be appropriate to allow for comfortable accommodation of a child's hand verses an adult's hand, or for a large adult's hand verses a small adult's hand. Alternatively, size selection may be appropriate to accommodate the desired use of the device, wherein the desired use may necessitate the use of one, two, three, or more fingers of a user, or of all or only a portion of the users hand. According to embodiments of the tool implement 100 comprising a glove member 500, the appropriate size and material of glove may be selected by the user. A particular hand-held tool implement 100 will be selected by a user based on the target material or substrate to be manipulated.
Generally, the hand-held tool implements 100 are donned by a user by insertion of one or more fingers of a user through the aperture formed by an engaged body member 200 and retaining strap 300. According to embodiments of the tool implement 100 comprising a glove member 500, the user must don the glove member 500 either prior to, or contemporaneous with donning the engaged body member 200 and retaining strap 300. In some embodiments, the body member 200 and retaining strap 300 must first be assembled by the user prior to use.
Hand-held tool implements 100 are used for tasks such as cutting, digging, scraping, scooping and spreading. Referring to
It should be understood that every maximum numerical limitation given throughout this specification will include every lower numerical limitation, as if such lower numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every minimum numerical limitation given throughout this specification will include every higher numerical limitation, as if such higher numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every numerical range given throughout this specification will include every narrower numerical range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly written herein.
While particular embodiments of the subject invention have been described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications of the subject invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, while the present invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims which should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.
