Abstract:
The present invention comprises a handle or gripping device used for small household items such as a toothbrush, cooking and eating utensils, and other similarly sized items, specifically handles or grippers that provide an enlarged gripping surface for the item being held to make holding such item more comfortable for a person with an impaired ability to hold such items, and a method for using the same.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority, under 35 USC 119( e )(1), of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/367,257, which is entitled APPARATUS FOR GRIPPING HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, and filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on 23 Jul. 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This invention is in the field of handles or gripping devices used for small household items such as a toothbrush, cooking and eating utensils, and other similarly sized items, specifically handles or grippers that provide an enlarged gripping surface for the item being held to make holding such item more comfortable for a person with an impaired ability to hold such items. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    US Patent Application 20080131842 (Edwards; filed Oct. 14, 2004 and published Jun. 5, 2008) teaches a multiple grip handle for dental and other hand-held oral hygiene implements, the handle being adapted to render the implement to which it is applied useable by individuals who have difficulty in firmly grasping a conventional oral hygiene implement handle, difficulty manipulating and stabilizing a handle during oral hygiene, or by individuals who have varying types of preferred grips. The multiple grip handle in the preferred embodiment is fabricated of thermoplastic with an elastomeric coating material having good cushioning, non-slipping, and antimicrobial properties. The handle also has a variable elliptical cross section, a central cavity to socket a brush neck or other equipment, a unique thumb/knuckle grip on the dorsal surface, a plurality of gripping elements on the ventral surface, and an extended distal portion to afford fine control, comfort and stability for whatever gripping style the user prefers. This invention is unique in that it is reverse-engineered and designed from the perspectives of ergonomics, sports, fitness, and disability as well as from a hygiene perspective. It was designed by forming a moldable material into multiple oral hygiene and dental fitness grip styles superimposed onto each other such that a multiple grip handle resulted that is especially applicable to toothbrushes but may also be adapted to other oral hygiene devices and possibly even other household implements that must be manipulated by hand. A unique dental fitness routine was designed, which resulted in further refinements to the handle. Oral hygiene has been redefined as dental fitness and the invention thus becomes a new type of oral hygiene device called a dental fitness device. The invention is stocky enough to eventually incorporate many types of modifications internally and externally. It is the first oral hygiene device ever designed that advances the concept of hygiene into fitness and is the basis for a proposed line of upcoming dental fitness products. The handle can turn almost any toothbrush and insertable toothbrush neck into a dental fitness device. Very importantly, this invention addresses the issues of self-inflicted cavities and gum problems as well as the naturally occurring ones and aims to help prevent both types of problems more effectively than prior art. 
         [0006]    There is a need in the art for a device that easily holds multiple small implements and makes the handling of such implements easy for a person with hand injury, 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a gripping tool showing a spherical body  100  penetrated by a bore  105 , the bore being bordered by two flanges  110 , with the bore and flanges penetrating said body  100  substantially along a diameter or other radius of the body; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates a toothbrush  205  coupled to the gripping tool of  FIG. 1  being inserted through the bore  105 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  illustrates a pencil  305  coupled to the gripping tool of  FIG. 1  being inserted through the bore  105 ; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  illustrates a knife  405 , fork  410  and spoon  415 , each coupled to the gripping tool of  FIG. 1  by being inserted through the bore  105 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  illustrates a wrench  505  coupled to the gripping tool of  FIG. 1  being inserted through the bore  105 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
         [0013]    Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention generally provides an apparatus comprising a body  100  encompassing a bore  105  throughout the body  100 . The bore  105  may optionally have flanges  110  that can be used to retractably expand the diameter of the bore  105 . These assist a user with limited hand mobility or dexterity to grip various items. Persons may have limited hand mobility or dexterity due to hand, wrist, or finger injury, arthritis, or congenital malformation that negatively impacts their ability to grasp and maintain a grip on common objects and tools. For example, such an apparatus may be used in conjunction with household items such as a toothbrush  205 , pencil  305 , eating implement  405 ,  410 ,  415 , or wrench  505  as illustrated in  FIG. 2-FIG .  5 . These are merely examples of possible uses of the present invention; other uses are possible and within the scope of the invention. 
         [0014]    One embodiment of the present invention may have a configuration that is roughly spherical  100 . Another embodiment of the present invention may have a configuration that is roughly cubic. Another embodiment of the present invention may have a configuration that is roughly solid rectangular. Another embodiment of the present invention may have a configuration that is roughly ellipsoid. The invention may be sized to accommodate an adult&#39;s hand or a child&#39;s hand. 
         [0015]    The device may be comprised of a single piece of urethane rubber or a similar polymer. The device may also be seamed from two separate halves. The hardness of the material used to construct the device may have a durometer measurement in the range of 30-60 d in order for the device to be comfortable in a user&#39;s hand. The outside diameter of the device may range from 0.5-3.5 inches to accommodate varying hand sizes and levels of dexterity. 
         [0016]    The interior section seeks to maintain the position of an object inserted into the device while the exterior of the devices offers the user a comfortable gripping surface to manipulate the inserted object by using friction, although other methods of securing the position of the object are within the scope of the invention. The exterior of the device may support a user&#39;s hand and may offer a larger, comfortable gripping surface and gripping position for holding a variety of items a user may find difficult to grasp due to limited hand mobility and/or dexterity. 
         [0017]    The device may include a substantially central bore  105  that may be cylindrical, cubic, solid rectangular, or ellipsoid in shape for accommodating various items. The bore  105  may measure, at its widest point, substantially in the range of 1/32″-¾″. The bore  105  may optionally also include lateral wings  110  that may range substantially from ¼″-2¾″ in width. The lateral wings  110  may run the length of the bore  105  to allow for different shaped objects to be inserted through the device. The number of lateral wings  110  may be one, two, three, four, five, six, or more. The material used to make the device may also be flexible in order to allow easier insertion of various items through the device. Friction may be created within the center bore  105  when flexing pressure is released. This friction, along with the relative stickiness of the material used to construct the device, may serve to maintain the position of an object inserted in the device. 
         [0018]    The device may be constructed through injection molding or any other method suitable for forming a solid body  100  encompassing a bore  105 . Variations in the material, overall size, size of the bore  105 , and/or size of the lateral wings  110  may be made in order to accommodate different sized objects. However, the overall size must be of such a size as to easily accommodate a human hand, sized for either an adult or a child. 
         [0019]    To use the device, a user may first grip the body  100  and then insert and slide an object  115 ,  205 ,  305 ,  405 ,  410 ,  415 ,  505  through the bore  105  until the object  115 ,  205 ,  305 ,  405 ,  410 ,  415 ,  505  protrudes a desired distance from the opposite side of the body  100 . The object is frictionally held in place through contact with the sides of the bore  105  and/or of the lateral wings  110 . The user may grip the body  100  to manipulate the object  205 ,  305 ,  405 ,  410 ,  415 ,  505  for its desired use. Narrow objects, including but not limited to writing instruments  305 , eating implements  405 ,  410 ,  415 , toothbrushes  205 , or narrow-handled tools  505  such as fine-work screwdrivers, may be held directly in the open bore  105  and may require little flexing of the lateral wings  110 . Larger objects may also be inserted through the bore  105 , but may require extra initial pressure to flex the lateral wings  110  and a bore  105  that is large enough to accommodate the wider object  205 ,  305 ,  405 ,  410 ,  415 ,  505 . A user may remove the object  205 ,  305 ,  405 ,  410 ,  415 ,  505  in a similar fashion by gripping and pulling the object  205 ,  305 ,  405 ,  410 ,  415 ,  505  out of the bore  105 . 
         [0020]    The device may sustain tactile, functional, and structural improvements over current options in that it may have a softer rubber touch, it may more easily accept items of various sizes, it may weigh less, and it requires no additional hardware to hold objects in place. It allows users with various dexterity needs to functionally grip and manipulate a variety of everyday objects. Current devices are limited by (i) their designs which attempt to improve the gripping surface of a particular object, (ii) rigid hardware used to secure an object within or to the device, and (iii) the use of complex means such as pneumatics for securing the object to the device. 
         [0021]    The device improves upon similar devices in that it offers a larger gripping surface, includes flexible and semi-elastic internal structure for accepting and holding numerous common objects, does not require the need of threaded screws to hold the object in place, eliminates the need for a complex pneumatic system required to hold an object, and does not require an additional mechanism to rigidly secure an object to the device. 
         [0022]    The embodiments provided here are examples only and are not intended to be a complete listing of possible embodiments, nor should they be construed as an exclusive listing of embodiments. Variations in the described invention and its uses are possible within the scope of this disclosure without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of claims to be examined, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which I regard as my invention.