Patent Publication Number: US-2007119248-A1

Title: Finger gripping force measuring device

Description:
The present invention is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/290,666, filed 29 Nov. 2005, pending. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a finger gripping force measuring device, and more particularly to a portable finger gripping force measuring device for effectively or accurately and easily and readily measuring the finger gripping force of the users.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      Heretofore, various kinds of typical exercisers have been developed for exercising the upper muscle groups of the hands or arms or wrists of the users, but no exercisers or testing devices have been developed for exercising or testing the finger griping force of the users.  
      The inventor and the applicant of the present invention has first developed various kinds of measuring devices for measuring or detecting the finger gripping force of the user. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,728 to the applicant of the present invention, Lee discloses a typical finger gripping rate measuring device comprising an inflatable bladder for being held and grasped or gripped by the users, and a pressing device engaged onto the inflatable bladder and having a pair of opposite flaps for being suitably grasped or gripped by the users.  
      However, similarly, the bladder and the pressing device comprise a great volume that may not be easily carried with the users.  
      The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional finger gripping force measuring devices.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a finger gripping force measuring device including a compact configuration for being easily carried with the users.  
      The other objective of the present invention is to provide a finger gripping force measuring device including a compact configuration for being disposed in such as mobile or portable phones for being easily operated by the users.  
      In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a finger gripping force measuring device comprising a housing, a pressure detecting device disposed in the housing, a knob attached to the pressure detecting device for engaging with a finger of a user, and for allowing the finger of the user to apply a pressing force against the pressure detecting device with the knob, and a displayer coupled to the pressure detecting device for receiving signals from the pressure detecting device and for displaying the pressing force applied against the pressure detecting device.  
      The displayer is preferably a liquid crystal displayer. The housing includes a circuit board disposed therein and coupled to the pressure detecting device, for supporting the pressure detecting device.  
      The housing includes an opening formed therein, and aligned with the displayer for allowing the displayer to be seen through the opening of the housing.  
      Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a finger gripping force measuring device in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a partial exploded view of the finger gripping force measuring device;  
       FIG. 3  is a plan schematic view of the finger gripping force measuring device; and  
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the finger gripping force measuring device, taken along lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIGS. 1-3 , a finger gripping force measuring device  1  in accordance with the present invention comprises a body or housing  10  including such as two housing members  11 ,  12  secured together with such as fasteners or latches (not shown), adhesive materials, or by welding processes, and including a member  13 , such as a thermometer  13  attached thereto, such as attached to the front portion thereof ( FIGS. 1-3 ) or attached to the upper portion thereof for detecting the temperature of the environment. Alternatively, the member  13  may be an antenna  13  for the mobile or portable phones.  
      A pressure transducer or pressure detecting device  15  is disposed or secured in the housing  10  with such as latches or fasteners  16 , and arranged for being depressed to detect the pressure applied onto the pressure detecting device  15 . One or more, such as two knobs  17  may be attached to the pressure detecting device  15  for engaging with one of the fingers or finger tips of the user, such as the thumb, the forefinger, the middle finger, or the like, and for being suitably gripped or grasped or depressed by the finger of the user, best shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , and thus for allowing the pressure detecting device  15  to be directly depressed or gripped or actuated or operated by the finger of the user, or for allowing the finger of the user to readily apply the pressing or compressing force against the pressure detecting device  15 .  
      A circuit board  20  is disposed in the housing  10  and secured to the housing  10  with such as latches or fasteners  21 , and is electrically coupled to the pressure detecting device  15  with electrical wires or cables  22  for receiving the signals corresponding to the pressing or compressing force from the pressure detecting device  15  and for treating or calculating or measuring the pressing or compressing force of the user. A displayer  23 , such as a liquid crystal displayer  23  is further provided and attached to or disposed on the circuit board  20  and electrically coupled to the pressure detecting device  15  for showing or displaying the pressing or compressing force applied against the pressure detecting device  15 , as shown in  FIG. 3 .  
      It is preferable that the housing  10  includes an opening  18  formed therein, such as formed in the middle portion of the front housing member  11 , and aligned with the displayer  23  for allowing the displayer  23  to be seen through the opening  18  of the housing  10 . The housing  10  may include an orifice  19  formed in each of the housing members  11 ,  12  and aligned with the knobs  17  for allowing the knobs  17  to be disposed or extended out of the housing  10  for being directly engaged with the finger of the user, and for allowing the finger of the user to directly apply the pressing or compressing force against the pressure detecting device  15 . An air or water tight seal may be provided or formed between the knobs  17  and the housing  10  with such as sealing rings (not shown) or the like.  
      Alternatively, the housing members  11 ,  12  of the housing  10  may each include a soft or resilient area or membrane or film that is formed or made with flexible or deformable materials, and aligned with the knobs  17  for allowing the knobs  17  to be suitably depressed or gripped or actuated or operated by the finger of the user. The soft or resilient membrane or film may be used to enclose or to seal the housing members  11 ,  12  of the housing  10  and to protect or to shield the knobs  17 , and for preventing water or fluid from entering into the housing members  11 ,  12  of the housing  10 , and thus for preventing the elements or parts received in the housing  10  from being wetted and damaged.  
      In operation, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the user may suitably grasp or grip or press the pressure detecting device  15  to effectively apply the pressing or compressing force against the pressure detecting device  15 , and thus for accurately detect or measure the finger gripping force of the user applied onto or against the pressure detecting device  15 , and for allowing the pressing or compressing force applied by the user against the pressure detecting device  15  to be shown or displayed on the displayer  23 . It is preferable that the housing  10  is in the form of a mobile or portable phone having the pressure detecting device  15  and the knob  17  and the displayer  23  disposed therein for readily detect or measure the finger gripping force applied by the finger of the user.  
      It is to be noted that the typical or conventional gripping force measuring devices comprise two flaps for being gripped by the user against the bladder, but fail to provide one or more knobs  17  attached to the pressure detecting device  15  for being grasped or gripped or actuated or operated by the finger of the user in order to easily and readily determine the finger gripping force of the user applied onto the pressure detecting device  15 . Actually, the health condition of the user may be determined or evaluated by the finger gripping force applied by the finger of the user, or finger gripping force applied by the finger of the user may be used to determine or evaluate the health condition of the user.  
      Accordingly, the finger gripping force measuring device in accordance with the present invention includes a knob provided for being suitably or directly grasped or gripped by the users to effectively or accurately detect or measure the finger gripping force of the users.  
      Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.