Abstract:
The assistive apparatus for hand held vessels or items is a device worn on the hand to facilitate the holding of anything of weight and to reduce the need for gripping strength. The device is a length of flexible material with at least two loops; one at either end; such that the loops are worn over the thumb and the pinky or one or more other fingers. The flexible material hangs like a hammock and allows the weight of an object, such as a glass or tool, to rest on the skeletal structure of the hand rather than depending upon the mechanical gripping force exerted by fingers. The device has application to help individuals suffering from a weakened grip from an ailment, such as arthritis, or that are in professions that require holding heavy objects for extend periods of time.

Description:
This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/771,003 filed on Feb. 28, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD 
     The invention in the disclosed embodiments relates, in general, to a device worn on the hand to facilitate the holding of anything of weight to reduce the need for gripping strength. 
     The invention relates for use in the medical field for supporting beverage-ware or any and all containers/receptacles to assist holding and drinking, where a medical condition reduces the normal gripping force of the hand or fingers. 
     Secondarily, the invention relates for a general use as a novelty item for supporting beverage-ware at parties or functions. In these settings, the invention can be accompanied by a logo, an advertising statement, as a novelty-item, or for a party keepsake. 
     Additionally, the invention relates for use in the industry field for use with industrial containers (e.g. a can of paint, jar of oil, tumbler, beaker, or other vessels) or devices used in servicing or manufacturing fields where a can, jar, tumbler, beaker, or other container/receptacle holding a spill-able substance (eg: paint, powder, grease, oil, chemicals, other industrial contents housed in a container) can be held securely. This would be particularly useful for workers in manufacturing or service industry that require holding something of weight for long periods of time. (e.g.: a painter doing trim work). 
     Also, the invention relates for use with personal hand held devices that must be held for a long time while engaged in recreational pursuits for example while: hunting, fishing, jogging (e.g. holding weights while running for physical conditioning), walking, reading books, reading or watching personal tablets (as in holding electronic devices such as an iPad, iPod, tablet, e-readers, or one of the many other personal devices which are held for long periods of time.)) 
     Furthermore, the invention relates for use in the manufacturing field for use with mechanical or static devices that must be held for an extended period of time for the purpose of work or pleasure to assist the wearer in “holding on” to whatever device must be held; thus lessoning hand fatigue or strain (e.g. a mechanic or carpenter holding a drill for extended periods of time, beautician holding a hair dryer). 
     BACKGROUND 
     Various medical conditions, such as arthritis, neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, Parkinson&#39;s disease, or even missing digits, can result in a weakened grip. One impact of this condition is a lack of strength to hold objects. In many persons, the condition is advanced enough to make holding a glass, mug or bowl difficult, especially when filled with a beverage or food item. Consequently, the simple act of taking a drink or holding a bowl of pudding so that it may be consumed becomes difficult; resulting in unwanted spills and accidents. The assistive apparatus for hand held vessels (AAHHV) alleviates this problem keeping these vessels firmly placed in the hand with minimal need for gripping strength. Another benefit of the (AAHHV) is that it is simple to use, easy to put on and take off, and can be left on the hand after a vessel is removed and the hand still has almost all its previous functionality and mobility. 
     The purpose of the invention is to facilitate the holding of anything of weight and to reduce the need for gripping strength. It is a simple device that allows the weight of vessels or items to be held by the structure of the hand as supported by a “hammock” rather than depending upon the mechanical force exerted by the fingers. This is especially useful to people who have reduced grip strength for various medical reasons, or for people who must hold vessels or items for extended periods of time. The weight of the vessels or items is now distributed to the skeletal bones, and limited gripping force is needed to successfully hold the items. 
     Former approaches to assist persons who have difficulty holding cups, have supplied several solutions such as duel plastic handles with a ring in which a cup or glass is inserted, or whole specialized cups with increased handle circumference or rubberized handles. These specialized handles or holders are used in conjunction with a container or are themselves the container. These devices have several disadvantages. One is they only accommodate certain cups and, no stem wear, and no vessels with handles such as a mug. Secondly, they tend to be made of hard plastic, are bulky, are not easily transportable for seniors, and tend to be very obvious; drawing attention to the person with the disability and causing public embarrassment. The AAHHV, however, is light weight, compact, affordable, easily portable, discrete, and allows seniors or anyone with gripping problems confidence in holding. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, discreet apparatus to be worn on the hand that assists the wearer in the holding of a cup, container or other hand held item. In its simplest embodiment, the invention is a simple length of flexible material with loops at either end to fit over the thumb and one other finger of the hand. This then allows the weight of containers to be held by the skeletal structure of the hand rather than depending upon the mechanical gripping force exerted by the fingers. 
     The apparatus is a light weight, easily used, versatile holder for various vessels and items. Its purpose is twofold: to assist those who due to physical ailments have reduced finger strength and thus aid them in holding a cup to drink from or small bowl from which to eat; and secondly, to reduce hand fatigue and strain, especially to the distal joints, for those who hold objects for extended periods of time. The apparatus changes the leverage of the device from stress on the distal joints to the proximal joints, enabling the skeletal structure of the hand to support weight of a hand held object, as opposed to depending on the gripping strength of the fingers and hand. 
     Former approaches present specialized handles or holders which are used in conjunction with a specific type of built in container. These have the disadvantage of adding bulk and weight. The “sippy cup” styles or double handled styles bring attention to the infirmity of the user and may cause embarrassment. Such items have limited portability. Additionally, the cups they use are specific to the holder being used and are not universal in their use. 
     The novel features of this invention are: (1) the use of a simple length of flexible material with two loops to form a holder in the hand to aid in the holding of heavy objects. (2) The simple design means it is inexpensive to manufacture, (3) the invention stacks easily, is portable, and versatile; and (4) can hold multiple cup sizes and shapes instead of limited to one type of cup. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is an illustration showing how an embodiment is worn on the thumb and pinky finger. 
         FIG. 1B  is an illustration showing how an embodiment is worn on the thumb and ring finger. 
         FIG. 2A  is a non-limiting illustration according to the embodiments showing relative dimensions, thumb-loop and finger-loop. 
         FIG. 2B  is a bottom view of an example embodiment showing the flexible material with stitched thumb-loop and finger-loop. 
         FIG. 2C  is a bottom view of an example embodiment showing the flexible material with tapered or shaped thumb-loop and finger-loop. 
         FIG. 2D  is a bottom view of an example embodiment showing the flexible fabric with tapered or shaped thumb-loop and finger-loop prior to folding. 
         FIG. 2E  is a top view of an example embodiment showing shaped flexible fabric with shaped thumb-loop and finger-loop after affixing. 
         FIG. 2F  is a bottom view of an example embodiment showing shaped flexible fabric with shaped thumb-loop and finger-loop after affixing. 
         FIG. 3A  is a side view showing the invention on the hand as used with a glass. 
         FIG. 3B  is an example of the invention holding stem-ware. 
         FIG. 3C  is an illustration showing an embodiment of the invention holding a bottle. 
         FIG. 3D  is an example of the invention holding a handled vessel. 
         FIG. 4A  is an example of the invention, front view, with a support strap attachment to help support said vessels from tipping out of the Hand Hammock. 
         FIG. 4B  is a top view of the invention with a support strap as described in  FIG. 16 . 
         FIG. 5  is an example of the invention with material such as elastic fastened to the “hammock” portion of the invention in loops to fit multiple fingers. 
         FIG. 6  is view of the invention used to hold a smart phone. 
         FIG. 7  shows another top view of the invention where a hole has been cut in the center strip to allow the passage of hoses or cables or other protuberances. 
         FIG. 8  is an illustration of an example use showing that hand flexibility and dexterity remains possible while wearing the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosed embodiments of the invention are to provide an inexpensive, discreet apparatus to be worn on the hand that assists the wearer in the holding of a cup, container or other hand held object. In its simplest embodiment the invention is a simple length of flexible material with loops at either end to fit over the thumb and one other finger of the hand. This then allows the weight of containers to be held by the skeletal structure of the hand rather than depending upon the mechanical gripping force exerted by the fingers. 
       FIG. 1A  shows an illustration of the invention, which at its simplest, is a strip of flexible material with two loops at either end. The thumb-loop  110  is worn over the thumb and the finger-loop  120  is worn over the pinky finger. A container or glass in now placed on the non-liner strip of flexible material at  140 . The weight of a container, glass or object is now distributed to the skeletal bones, and limited gripping force is needed to successfully hold these items. Additionally, the weight of the vessels or items is closer to the whole hand, as opposed to the ends of the fingers or distal joints. This moves the center of gravity inward towards the larger muscles of the hand (as opposed to the fingers) thus reducing stress and fatigue on the fingers. The overall result is a more secure “grip”. 
       FIG. 1B  shows an illustration of the invention where the thumb-loop  110  is worn over the thumb and the finger-loop  120  is worn over the ring finger  130 . This embodiment might be made due to extensive arthritis in the pinky thus perhaps resulting in pain, a weak or bent pinky, a missing pinky. Wearing the embodiment in this way causes the device to sit higher in the hand, for additional strength and comfort, or simply preference of the wearer. 
     The non-liner strip of flexible material  200  used to construct the invention can be, but is not limited to, a flexible fabric made from leather, suede, neoprene, nylon or cotton webbing, boiled wool, duct tape, washable fabric, synthetic rubber, scotch guarded fabric, elastic, or any other flexible thin material that will support a vessel to be comfortably held in the hand; or any combination of fabrics: The length and width of the fabric are variable and are not limited, but are sized such that they are worn over the thumb and “pinky” or “ring finger” to form a platform  140 . Typically, the length and width of the material varies from person to person and depends on the size of the hand, the size (length and breadth) of the fingers, and the size of the article to be held. For example, an embodiment for holding a large water bottle will vary from that of holding a small juice glass which ,would vary still from that of holding a power drill tool. 
       FIG. 2A  shows a non-limiting example embodiment. To manufacture the invention to hold a drinking tumbler for an average person, the apparatus is constructed in the following way: a length of flexible material, such as suede leather, is cut to a length of 32 cm and width of 4.5 cm. A finger-loop  120  for the pinky finger of diameter 2.25 cm, is constructed by folding over (wrong sides together) at the folding point 3.5 cm of one end of the length of material (e.g.  FIG. 2D ,  220 ) and attached with stitching  240 , glue or other means of fastening. Similarly, a thumb-loop  110  for the thumb of diameter 3.5 cm is constructed by folding 5 cm of the other end of the flexible material (e.g.  FIG. 2D ,  210 ) on itself (wrong sides together) and is also attached with stitching  230 , glue or other means of fastening.  FIG. 2B  shows a bottom view of the example embodiment where the flexible material has been folded over and attached to form a thumb-loop  110  and a finger-loop  120  , where the crosshatched area indicates the wrong side of the material and the clear the right side of the material. 
       FIG. 2C  illustrates one embodiment of the invention where the ends of the length of material for the thumb-loop  110  and finger loop  120  taper down for finger comfort.  FIG. 2D  shows a bottom view of this same embodiment before the flexible material has been folded to create the loops. The thumb-loop  110  is created by folding at  210  and affixing the material at  230 . The finger-loop  220  is created by folding at  220  and affixing the material at  240 . This design ( FIG. 2C  and FIG.  2 D) helps accommodate those who may have shorter fingers or desire flexibility of the end one-third joint of the finger. 
     In addition to sewing to construct the loops, various embodiments can create the loops from a length of material where the ends are folded over and fastened with stitching, glue, adhesive, hook and loop, “snaps”, or whatever material best suits the attachment to make a thumb-loop or finger loop. 
     In another embodiment, adjustable fasteners can be used with the thumb and finger loops to allow size adjustment. These attaching systems could be but not limited to: hook and loop; hook and eye; “snaps”; or some other fastening mechanism to allow for adjustability. Adjustability installed around the affixing points ( FIG. 2D   230  and  240 ) allows for thumb-loop  110  and finger-loop 120  to become adjustable in size or the entire length of the device to become longer or shorter depending on hand size, glass size, tool size, or need. 
     In another embodiment, the length of material  200  ( FIG. 2D ) will be cut with curves ( FIG. 2E  and  FIG. 2F ) rather than a rectangle.  FIG. 2E  shows a top view with the thumb-loop  110  curved for a right handed user. Note the narrower finger-loop  120  for the pinky finger.  FIG. 2F  shows a bottom view of the same embodiment, where the crosshatching indicates the wrong side of the material and the clear the right side. This embodiment can create a more secure, better controlled fit to the hand with additional support to force the vessel back into the crook of the hand and alleviate the possibility of the vessel toppling out of the opening of the hand. 
     Other embodiments can be envisioned where the length of material can take regular or irregular shaped sides. 
       FIGS. 3A ,  3 B,  3 C, and  3 D illustrate exemplary uses showing that the embodiments can accommodate any type of handled or non-handled vessel. Prior solutions do not have this ability. The figures illustrate that the weight of the vessels and their contents form a tight fit due to gravity. 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate an embodiment of the invention that includes a support strap  430 . The support strap embodiment may be permanently affixed or affixed as an attachment to the apparatus. The strap  430  is affixed at  410  and to ensure that vessels or items do not tip or fall out of the hand. It would be used for a person with little or no finger grip strength, but with adequate arm and shoulder functionality. The strap helps hold the vessel in the hand and pushes the vessel or item closer toward the palm of the hand. This shifts the center of gravity closer to the palm of the hand further reducing stress on the distal joints and ensuring a secure grip. The “support strap” attachment  430  could go as high as the thumb-loop  110  and finger-loop  120 . One embodiment of the support strap attachment  430  may be with fasteners. Another embodiment would use an accessory loop that threads through the thumb-loop and finger-loop. 
       FIG. 4B  illustrates the top view of the embodiment from  FIG. 4A , to highlight the curve of the support strap.  410  and  420  indicate the points where the support strap attaches to the flexible material that forms the hammock. The thumb-loop  110  is shown in  FIG. 4B  for orientation purposes. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which each finger is supported by elastic, fabric or other material attached to the flexible material with loops for individual fingers  510 ,  520 ,  530 ,  540  to gain additional support. This embodiment would be used for someone who perhaps needed the additional support of all fingers, (due to severe arthritis or lack of finger strength) whose fingers were extensively bent, or who required said device be more firmly fastened to each finger to prevent slippage. An additional embodiment would be to make one large loop that could fit over all the fingers  560 . Additional embodiments could include various combinations of loops to accommodate various finger combinations. The thumb-loop  110  is shown in  FIG. 5  for orientation purposes. 
       FIG. 6  shows an exemplary use of the invention with a smart phone. This design would work for other small personal electronic devices and tablets as well. An additional embodiment would provide slits in the main material such that the corner of each device would be held in to prevent slippage. 
       FIG. 7  shows a top view of an embodiment with a hole in the center  710  to accommodate a hose, handle or other protuberance to be allowed through the center of the invention for items such as a drill cord, hair dryer handle or electrical cord/air hose. The thumb-loop  110  and finger-loop  120  would still be used. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates how embodiments of the invention can remain on the hand and the hand can still function. In this figure, the apparatus remains on the hand while using a pencil. This may be important in cases of frequent changing of items in the hand or simply for comfort of those who, due to mental or physical restrictions, are not able to remove the device themselves. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the exemplary and alternative embodiments described above can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.