Snowboarding wrist protection device

The snowboarding wrist protection device described contains a grip having a generally cylindrical body around which a snowboarder's hand clenches to make a fist. The forward edge of the grip may contain ridges and the back edge of the grip may be convex to aid the snowboarder in holding the protection device. Additionally, the top and bottom portions of the grip may extend outwardly from the hand held portion of the grip to further aid secure holding of the device. In the event of a fall, the snowboarder's hand remains clenched around the protection device. As such, the hands and fingers are precluded from being outstretched and are therefore not subject to reverse extension injury.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a hand held grip and more particularly to 
a grip held by a snowboarder to prevent finger, wrist and forearm-muscle 
injury. 
BACKGROUND OF THE RELATED ART 
Snowboarding is an increasingly popular sport in which snowboarders tend to 
hold their hands out for balance and on steep terrain to use their hands 
to judge distance from the uphill slope. Further, in the event of a fall, 
snowboarders instinctively, but dangerously, tend to extend their arms in 
an effort to break their fall with their palms open. As their hands 
contact the snow, the heel of the hand first breaks the surface causing 
the fingers and palm to be forced backward resulting in injury from 
reverse extension of the wrist and fingers, as well as from stretching 
muscles in the lower forearm. 
In an attempt to reduce wrist injuries, snowboard gloves have incorporated 
support plates, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,692, to restrict 
movement of the wrist and prevent reverse extension. This approach 
addressed one of the recognized injury hazards by supporting the 
snowboarder's wrist, but left the fingers unprotected and exposed to 
potentially greater injury from more concentrated forces. In the event of 
a fall, the heel of the extended snowboarder's hand would still contact 
the surface of the snow first. The support plates within the glove, 
however, would brace the wrist preventing it from bending backward, 
leaving only the unsupported fingers to absorb the force subjecting them 
to even worse injury. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a 
snowboarding wrist protection device that prevents injury from reverse 
extension of the wrist and fingers as well as over stretching muscles of 
the lower forearm. 
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a hollow inner 
chamber within the snowboarding wrist protection device that allows for 
the insertion of an item for safekeeping, such as a key or a fluid. 
The snowboarding wrist protection device of the present invention protects 
a snowboarder's wrist, fingers and lower forearm muscles from injury in 
the event of a fall. The protection device contains a grip having a 
generally cylindrical body around which a snowboarder's hand clenches to 
make a fist. The forward edge of the grip may contain ridges and the back 
edge of the grip may be convex to aid the snowboarder in holding the 
protection device. Additionally, the top and bottom portions of the grip 
may extend outwardly from the hand held portion of the grip to further aid 
secure holding of the device. In the event of a fall, the snowboarder's 
hand remains clenched around the protection device. As such, the hands and 
fingers are precluded from being outstretched and are therefore not 
subject to reverse extension injury. 
A retaining strap is connected to the top of the grip to prevent loss of 
the protection device. In addition, a tensioning mechanism is provided on 
the retaining strap so that the strap may be fit securely to the 
snowboarder's wrist, thus improving protection from loss. The bottom of 
the grip may be convex, allowing a snowboarder on steep terrain to brush 
the device along the ground for judging distance or providing support. 
Further, the snowboarding wrist protection device of the present invention 
provides a detachable or screw-off cap that allows for access to a hollow 
inner chamber, which hollow inner chamber can then be used for the 
insertion of a user specified item, such as a key or a fluid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As shown in FIG. 1, a first embodiment of the snowboard wrist protection 
device 10 comprises a hand held grip 11 having a generally cylindrical 
body around which a snowboarder's hand is clasped. A grip 11 having any 
shape that allows a snowboarder's hand to clench around the grip is within 
the intended scope of the present invention. The grip 11 preferably has a 
front edge 11A which includes ridges that facilitate a more secure and 
comfortable hold on the grip. The grip is preferably manufactured of 
rubber, plastic or other similar weather resistant material that retains 
its shape. 
An opening 11B at the top of the grip 11 permits insertion of the retaining 
strap 12 into the grip. The retaining strap is permanently affixed and 
held in place by a retaining strap securing means 12B. The securing means 
could include a knot at the end of the retaining strap, adhesive, or other 
means to hold the retaining strap permanently to the grip. The retaining 
strap is placed around the wrist of a snowboarder to prevent loss of the 
device. A strap adjustment mechanism 13 permits the retaining strap 12 to 
be securely adjusted about the snowboarder's wrist. 
A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. 
Similarly to the first embodiment, a snowboard wrist protection device 20 
comprises a hand held grip 21 having a generally cylindrical body. The 
front edge 21A of the grip contains ridges to accommodate a snowboarder's 
fingers and the back edge 21C of the grip is generally convex to 
accommodate the palm of the hand, thus providing a more securely held and 
comfortable grip. Further, the top portion 25A and bottom portion 25B of 
the grip 21 extend radially outwardly above and below, respectively, the 
hand held portion of the grip to provide an even more secure hold by a 
gloved snowboarder. The bottom 24 of the extended portion 25B of the grip 
21 has a generally convex shape allowing a snowboarder to easily brush the 
bottom of the device along the ground while snowboarding to maintain a 
standoff position as well as balance. 
A hole 21B in the top portion 25A of the grip permits a retaining strap 22 
to be inserted into the grip. As with the first embodiment, a strap 
adjustment mechanism 23 permits the strap to be securely affixed around 
the snowboarder's wrist to prevent loss of the device. 
As also shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, the bottom portion 25B can be made as a 
detachable cap to provide access to a hollow chamber 26 that exists within 
the body of grip 21. The hollow chamber can be used to safely store an 
item, such as a key, or a fluid. Such a detachable bottom portion 25B is 
illustrated in FIG. 2C, with threads 27 thus cooperating with threads 
disposed in the hollow chamber. Rather than a screwably detachable bottom 
portion 25B as shown, a friction fit cap or other type of removable cap 
could be used as well to ensure that an item disposed in the hollow 
chamber 26 will not fall out. A detachable top cap, to which is connected 
the retaining strap 22, can also be implemented and has the advantage of 
not being lost as easily when the bottom portion 25B is detached from 
remainder of the grip 21. 
In application, a user snowboarding down a hill holds a protection device 
in each hand with their fingers grasped around the grip. In the event of a 
fall, the snowboarder instinctively retains their grasp on the device. As 
a result, instead of attempting to break the fall with palms outstretched, 
risking wrist, finger and muscle injury, the use of the snowboard wrist 
protection device 10 inhibits the snowboarder's instinctive reaction to 
open the hands with the palms open to break the impact of the fall, and 
instead causes the clenched fists of the snowboarder to be retained, 
thereby causing the snowboarder to break the fall within his hands in a 
fisted condition. thus, with the hands in a fisted position when breaking 
the fall on the snow surface, reverse extension injury is avoided. 
The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred, 
practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within 
a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be 
understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.