GRIP DEVICE
A device is shown which is utilized to strengthen gripping muscles of the user's hand as well as thumb muscles of the user's hand. The device has first and second handles which may be gripped by the user to strengthen the user's gripping muscles. The device may be oriented upside down so that the user can grasp the first and second handles with his or her left and right hands. The user's thumbs may rest upon thumb pads extending out of the first and second handles. These thumb pads may be depressed cyclically to strengthen the user's thumb muscles. Accordingly, the device provides additional features and benefits.
Not Applicable
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable
BACKGROUNDThe various embodiments disclosed herein relate to a hand exercise device.
A number of hand exercising devices exist in the prior art. The traditional hand exercise device has a torsion spring with first and second handles connected to the legs of the torsion spring. The user can grip the first and second handles and squeeze the first and second handles to strengthen his or her gripping muscles.
Another type of hand gripping device integrates four push pads which are biased to an extended position. Each of the push pads align to one of the four fingers of the user's hand. In this way, the user can exercise an individual finger muscle independent from the muscles of the other fingers. This is often utilized in sports that might require strengthening of one finger such as pistol shooting.
Unfortunately, prior art hand exercise devices are limited to their specific purpose of exercising the gripping muscles of the user. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved hand exercise device.
BRIEF SUMMARYThe various embodiments disclosed herein address the needs discussed above, discussed below and those that are known in the art. A hand gripping and thumb muscle exercising device is disclosed. The device may have first and second handles which can be gripped by one hand of the user. By squeezing the first and second handles together, the user may strengthen his or her gripping muscles. This can be done repetitively to strengthen the user's gripping muscles. The device may also be rotated upside down so that the first and second handles can be gripped by the user's left and right hands, respectively. The thumbs of the user may rest on thumb pads that are biased to an extended position. The user may depress the thumb pads to exercise his or her thumb muscles. In this regard, the device combines gripping and thumb muscle exercise capabilities.
More particularly, a grip device for strengthening muscles of a person's hand and thumb is disclosed. The device may comprise a first elongate handle, a second elongate handle and a biasing member. The first elongate handle may define a distal end with a thumb pad biased to an extended position and traversable between the extended position and a depressed position for exercising thumb muscles of the person. The second elongate handle may be displaced away from the first elongate handle. The biasing member may serve to bias the first elongate handle apart from the second elongate handle wherein the first and second elongate handles are traversable between an open position and a closed position for exercising hand muscles of the person.
The first and/or second elongate handles may be sized and configured to be gripped by the person's hand.
The second elongate handle has a distal end with a thumb pad biased to the extended position. The thumb pad may be traversed between the extended position and the depressed position for exercising thumb muscles of the person.
The biasing member that spreads the first and second elongate handles apart may be a coil or torsion spring.
The first elongate handle may be hollow for receiving a first compression spring. The thumb pad may be disposed on a shaft that reciprocates to compress and decompress the first compression spring.
The second elongate handle may also be hollow for receiving a second compression spring. The thumb pad of the second elongate handle may be disposed on a shaft that reciprocates to compress and decompress the second compression spring.
These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
Referring now to the drawings, a device 10 for exercising hand muscles as well as thumb muscles is shown. The user may grip first and second elongate handles 12, 14 with one hand. The fingers 16 of the user may be wrapped around the first elongate handle 12 while the thumb of the user may be wrapped around the second elongate handle 14. A torsion spring 18 provides opposed resistance as the user squeezes the first and second handles 12, 14 closer to each other as shown by arrows 20. The user squeezes the first and second handles 12, 14 and slowly relaxes his or her hand to exercise the gripping muscles of the user's hand. The user may grip a device 10 in each of his or her hands and repetitiously squeeze the first and second handles 12, 14 of the device 10 to strengthen his or her gripping muscles. This exercise is shown in
More particularly, referring now to
The first and second handles 12, 14 are attached to the first and second legs 26, 28 of the torsion spring 18. During operation, as the user squeezes the first and second handles 12, 14, tension is placed on the torsion spring 18 to provide resistance and build the gripping muscles of the user's hand. The user may slowly release the first and second handles 12, 14 to further build the muscles of the user's hand.
Referring now to
Referring now to
To assemble the thumb exercising mechanism 37, the spring 54 is initially inserted into the hollow cavity 56. The shaft 36 of the thumb pad 24 is inserted through the through hole 40 of the retainer 38. The washer 46 is mounted to the distal end portion 42 of the shaft 36 with a screw 48. External threads 58 of the retainer 38 are engaged to internal threads 60 formed at the distal end portion of the hollow cavity 56 of the elongate handle 12 or 14.
As the threads 58 of the retainer 38 engage the threads 60 within the hollow cavity 56, the opposed ends of the spring 54 contact the washer 46 and the bottom surface 57 of the hollow cavity 56. As the retainer 38 is screwed into the hollow cavity 56, the compression spring 54 is preloaded so that no play exist in the thumb pads 24. By regulating the insertion depth of the retainer 38, and more particularly, degree of engagement of the external threads 58 of the retainer 38 into interior threads 60 of the hollow cavity 56, the preload on the coil compression springs 54 may be increased or decreased to provide more or less resistance to the thumb of the user. For example, when the retainer 38 is inserted deeply into the hollow cavity 56, the compression spring 54 is compressed to a greater degree compared to the situation where the retainer 38 is not as deeply inserted into the hollow cavity 56. By starting out with a greater preload on the compression spring 54, a higher level of resistance is provided to the user's thumb 22 when the user is depressing the thumb pads 24.
In operation, the user may initially engage the retainer 38 into the hollow cavity 56 at a minimal insertion depth. This provides the least amount of resistance and sets the device at a beginner's training level. As the thumb muscles of the user improve, the user may thread the retainer 38 more deeply into the hollow cavity 56 by threading the external threads 58 of the retainer 38 further into the internal threads 60 of the hollow cavity 56. By doing so, the coil compression spring 54 is preloaded to a greater extent and provides greater resistance for thumb muscle building exercises.
To exercise the user's thumb 22, each of the user's left and right hands may grip the first and second elongate handles 12, 14 in the orientation shown in
The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including various ways of shaping the thumb pads 24. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
Claims
1. A grip device for strengthening muscles of a person's hand and thumb, the device comprising:
- a first elongate handle defining a distal end with a thumb pad biased to an extended position and traversable between the extended position and a depressed position for exercising thumb muscles of the person;
- a second elongate handle displaced away from the first elongate handle;
- a biasing member for biasing the first elongate handle apart from the second elongate handle wherein the first and second elongate handles are traversable between an open position and a closed position for exercising hand muscles of the person.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second elongate handles are sized and configured to be gripped by the person's hand.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein the first elongate handle is sized and configured to be gripped by the person's hand.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the second elongate handle defines a distal end with a thumb pad biased to an extended position and traversable between the extended position and a depressed position for exercising thumb muscles of the person.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the biasing member that spreads the first and second elongate handles apart is a coil spring.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the first elongate handle is hollow for receiving a compression spring and the thumb pad is disposed on a shaft that reciprocates to compress and decompress the spring.
7. The device of claim 4 wherein the second elongate handle is hollow for receiving a compression spring and the thumb pad of the second elongate handle is disposed on a shaft that reciprocates to compress and decompress the spring.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 31, 2012
Publication Date: Feb 6, 2014
Inventor: Lemuel Garcia (West Covina, CA)
Application Number: 13/562,665