Abstract:
A handle assembly for a tool for providing an ergonomic handle designed to minimize back strain and injury. The handle assembly for a tool includes a main member with a gripping portion, a connection assembly which extends from the main member and includes a pair of opposing connection arms, and a locking assembly couplable to the opposing connection arms for clamping the opposing connection arms to an elongated rod handle of a tool.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to handles and more particularly pertains to a new handle assembly for a tool for providing an ergonomic handle designed to minimize back strain and injury. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of handles is known in the prior art. More specifically, handles heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,594,975; 5,695,231; 5,669,101; 5,352,060; 5,625,922; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 401,833. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new handle assembly for a tool. The inventive device includes a main member with a gripping portion, a connection assembly which extends from the main member and includes a pair of opposing connection arms, and a locking assembly couplable to the opposing connection arms for clamping the opposing connection arms to an elongated rod handle of a tool. 
     In these respects, the handle assembly for a tool according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing an ergonomic handle designed to minimize back strain and injury. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of handles now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new handle assembly for a tool construction wherein the same can be utilized for providing an ergonomic handle designed to minimize back strain and injury. 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new handle assembly for a tool apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the handles mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new handle assembly for a tool which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art handles, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a main member with a gripping portion, a connection assembly which extends from the main member and includes a pair of opposing connection arms, and a locking assembly couplable to the opposing connection arms for clamping the opposing connection arms to an elongated rod handle of a tool. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new handle assembly for a tool apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the handles mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new handle assembly for a tool which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art handles, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new handle assembly for a tool which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new handle assembly for a tool which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
     An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new handle assembly for a tool which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such handle assembly for a tool economically available to the buying public. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new handle assembly for a tool which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new handle assembly for a tool for providing an ergonomic handle designed to minimize back strain and injury. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new handle assembly for a tool which includes a main member with a gripping portion, a connection assembly which extends from the main member and includes a pair of opposing connection arms, and a locking assembly couplable to the opposing connection arms for clamping the opposing connection arms to an elongated rod handle of a tool. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new handle assembly for a tool that can be fit onto any common household gardening tool. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new handle assembly for a tool that can be positioned to fit the individual requirements of the user. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a new handle assembly for a tool according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the present invention in use. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic detail view of the pivotal coupling portion of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new handle assembly for a tool embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the handle assembly for a tool  10  generally comprises a main member  20 , a connection assembly  40 , and a locking assembly  60 . 
     The main member  20  includes a gripping portion  22 . 
     The connection assembly  40  extends from the main member  20 . The connection assembly  40  includes a pair of opposing connection arms  42 . 
     The locking assembly  60  is coupled to the opposing connection arms  42  for clamping the opposing connection arms  42  to the elongated rod handle  2  of the tool. Thus the main member  20  is coupled to the shaft  2  of the tool. 
     The main member  20  includes a pair of spaced side members  24 . The gripping portion  22  extends between distal ends of the side portions  24 . 
     The side portions  24  are positioned such that a longitudinal axis of the grip  22  extends transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft  2  of the tool when the connection portion  40  is coupled to the shaft  2 . 
     The grip  22  includes a pair of outer portions  26  and a medial portion  28  positioned between the outer portions  26 . 
     The medial portion  38  is curved such that an area of a transverse cross-section of the medial portion  28  is greater than an area of a transverse cross-section of each of the outer portions  26  for facilitating gripping of the grip  22  by a human hand. 
     Each one of a pair of clamping aperture  44  extends through an associated one of the connection arms  42 . 
     The locking assembly  60  includes a connector  62  with a head portion  63  and a rod portion  64 . A distal end of the rod portion  64  is threaded. The rod portion  64  of the connector  62  is insertable through the clamping apertures  44 . 
     The locking assembly  60  includes a tightening member  66  with a threaded aperture  68  extending through the tightening member  66 . The threaded aperture  68  is for threadedly receiving the distal end of the connector  62 . Thus the connection arms  44  are compressible between the head portion  63  of the connector  62  and the tightening member  66  when the tightening member  66  is engaged to the distal end of the connector  62  and the tightening member  66  is rotated in a first direction relative to the connector  62 . Thus the connection arms  44  can be urged into contact with the shaft  2  of the tool for coupling the main member  20  to the shaft  2  of the tool. 
     The tightening member  66  includes a knurled outer perimeter  67  for facilitating gripping and rotation of the tightening member  66 . 
     The head portion  63  includes a straight outer edge. 
     A first one of the connection arms  42  includes a recess  46  for receiving the head portion  63  of the connector  62  when the connector  62  is fully inserted through the clamping apertures  44  such that the straight outer edge of the head portion  63  extends along a straight edge of the recess  46  for preventing rotation of the connector  62  relative to the first one of the connection arms  42  when the connector  62  is fully inserted through the clamping apertures  44 . 
     A sleeve member  50  is designed for coupling around the shaft  2  of the tool. The sleeve member  50  is positionable between the connection arms  42  such that the sleeve member  50  is clampable between the connection arms  42 . Thus the sleeve member  50  frictionally engages the shaft  2  of the tool. Thus the main member  20  is coupled to the shaft  2  of the tool. 
     An angled split  52  extends through a wall of the sleeve member  50  for facilitating compression of the sleeve member  50  around the shaft  2  of the tool when the connection arms  42  are urged together by the locking assembly  60 . 
     A medial extent  54  of the sleeve member  50  includes an outer diameter less than an outer diameter of each of a pair of outer extents  56  of the sleeve member  50 . 
     The connection arms  42  are positionable around the medial extent  54  of the sleeve member  50  such that the outer extents  56  prevent the sleeve member  50  from slipping out from between the connection arms  42 . 
     In an embodiment, one of the connection arms  42  is pivotally coupled to the main member  20  for facilitating positioning of the shaft  2  of the tool between the connection arms  42 . A first one of the connection arms  42  includes a clamping slot  48  and a second one of the connection arms  42  includes a clamping aperture  44 . The second one of the connection arms  42  is pivotally coupled to the main member  20 . The rod portion  64  of the connector  62  is positionable to extend through the clamping slot  48  and the clamping aperture  44 . The first one of the connection arms  42  includes a recessed slot  49  aligned with the connection slot  48 . The recessed slot  49  is for receiving the head portion  63  of the connector  62  when the connector  62  is inserted through the clamping aperture  44  such that the straight outer edge of the head portion  63  extends along a straight edge of the recess  46  for preventing rotation of the connector  62  relative to the first one of the connection arms  42  when the connector  62  is inserted through the clamping aperture  44 . 
     In use, the handle assembly is placed around the shaft of a tool. The connection arms arm urged together by the locking assembly. If desired the sleeve member is positioned over the shaft of the tool prior to applying the handle assembly. The tool is the used with a modified two handed grip. 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.