Patent Publication Number: US-6901931-B2

Title: Personal novelty apparatus

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
   The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/327,857 filed Oct. 9, 2001. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to personal novelty apparatus and more particularly to a type of personal novelty apparatus commonly referred to as a spreader bar. 
   Personal novelty apparatus are a class of device useful in activities engaged in between consenting adults. Many types of such apparatus are well known. One particular class of such novelty apparatus is known as a spreader bar. 
   A spreader bar is typically utilized when a user is to be restrained such that the limbs of the user, i.e., the arms or the legs, are to be maintained in a fixed spaced apart position. Known spreader bars typically include a fixed length of a tubular rigid material. At each end of this type of spreader bar, a cuff or other device useful for grasping the limb of the user is attached. In use, each cuff is attached to a respective limb whereby the limbs are maintained in a spread apart position commensurate with the fixed length of the spreader bar. A disadvantage and limitation of known fixed length spreader bars is that several spreader bars of differing lengths are required to obtain various spread apart positions of the user or to accommodate users of different sizes. 
   To overcome this disadvantage and limitation, length adjustable spreader bars are also known. One known length adjustable spreader bar includes two elongated tubular members, where in the outside diameter of one member is substantially equal to the inside diameter of the other member such that the members may be coaxially disposed in a telescoping relationship. Radial bores are equidistantly disposed along the length of each of the tubular members. The members are telescoped until the spreader bar is at the desired length. A pin is inserted through each member whereat a bore in each member is axially aligned, preferably near the midsection of the assembled spreader bar. As with the fixed length spreader bar, the cuffs or other restraining devices are attached at the ends of the spreader bar. In particular, one cuff is attached to the distal end of each respective tubular member. 
   A disadvantage and limitation of the spreader bar constructed from telescoping members is that as the telescoping members reach full extension, the clearance required between the outside diameter of the smaller member and the inside diameter of the larger member may be sufficiently large such that a torque developed about the pin would allow each member to rotate slightly with respect to each other about the axis of the pin, thereby causing each tubular member to have its axis skewed with respect to the axis of the other tubular member. The skewed axes of the tubular members would then develop stresses at the inner ends of each tubular member whereat the inner end contacts the other spreader bar. These stresses may in turn cause failure of the spreader bar, which may possibly cause injury to the user or partner of the user. 
   A further disadvantage and limitation of each of the above described spreader bars is that the cuffs or other restraining devices are fixedly attached at the distal ends of the spreader bar. No provision is paid for the attachment of the cuffs at other locations or for the attachment of additional devices, which may be desirable or useful. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to overcome one or more disadvantages and limitations of the prior art hereinabove enumerated. It is an important object of the present invention to provide an adjustable spreader bar that eliminates the torque about pin of the adjustable spreader bar as hereinabove described thereby improving safety to the user. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adjustable spreader bar wherein the cuffs or other restraining devices may be attached at multiple locations. It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable spreader bar wherein multiple devices may be attached thereto. 
   According to the present invention, a personal novelty apparatus includes a pair of elongated members and a pair of fasteners. Each of the members has a planar surface and a plurality of bores. The bores are disposed in the planar surface and extend through the elongated members. The elongated members are adapted to be disposed with the planar surface of a first one of the members being in a facing relationship to the planar surface of a second one of the members wherein the facing relationship may vary from a minimal overlap of the planar surface of each of the members to a maximum overlap of the planar surface of each of the members. When so disposed, at least two of the bores of the first one of the members are axially aligned with at least two of the bores of the second one of the members. A third one of the bores in each of the members is provided to releasably attach a user wearable device. Each of the fasteners is adapted to be disposed through a respective one of the axially aligned bores in each of members. When fastened to each other the first member and the second member form a rigid elongated structure. 
   A feature of the present invention is that the two elongated members, being disposed in facing relationship, are secured to each other by a pair of fasteners wherein each of the fasteners is disposed in a respective one of the axially aligned bores in each member. The advantage of such attachment is that the facing surfaces of each member are flush with each other, thereby having substantially zero clearance therebetween, and the two fasteners prevent torque from being developed about a single pin as found in the prior art. Another feature the present invention is that the plurality of bores in each of the members may be advantageously use to attach multiple devices at any location along the length of the elongated combination of the two members. Accordingly, the novel spreader bar of the present invention may be used, not only to secure a single user in various positions, but also to secure multiple users to each other. 
   These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent to those killed in the art from a study of the following Description of the Exemplary Preferred Embodiments when read in conjunction with the attached Drawing and the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a spreader bar constructed according to the principles of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the spreader bar of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  is a perspective view of a quick release clamp of FIG.  1   
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1-2 , there is shown a spreader bar  10  constructed according to the present invention. The spreader bar  10  includes a pair of elongated members  12  and a pair of fasteners  14 . 
   Each of the elongated members includes a planar surface  16  and a plurality of bores  18 . The elongated members  12  are adapted to be disposed with the planar surface  16  of a first one of the members  12  being in a facing relationship to the planar surface  16  of a second one of the members  12 . The facing relationship may vary from a minimal overlap of the planar surface  16  of each of the members  12  to a maximum overlap of the planar surface  16  of each of the members  12 . 
   For maximum overlap, each planar surface  16  completely faces the other wherein any two of the bores  18  of the first one of said members  12  are axially aligned with a corresponding two of the bores  18  of the second one of said members  12 . The minimal overlap of the planar surfaces  16  is preferably limited such that at least two of the bores  18  of the first one of said members  12  are axially aligned with at least two of the bores  18  of the second one of said members  12 . For example, bores  18   a  and  18   b  of each of the members  12  become axially aligned with minimal overlap of the planar surfaces  16  thereby defining a maximum extension of the spreader bar  10 . 
   A third one  18   c  of the bores  18  in each of said members is provided to releasably attach a user wearable device  20 . The third one  18   c  of the bores  18  need not be limited to the bore  18   c  shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , but may be any such bore  18  selected by a user. 
   Each of the fasteners  14  is adapted to be disposed through a respective one of the axially aligned bores  18  in each of members  12 . Accordingly, when fastened to each other the elongated members  12  form a rigid elongated structure. 
   In one particular embodiment of the present invention, the bores  18  in each of the elongated members  12  may be disposed normal to the planar surface  16 . Furthermore, the bores  18  may also be spaced equidistantly along a length, l, of each of the members  12 . 
   With further reference to  FIG. 3 , each of the elongated members  12  may further be substantially rectangular in cross section. Each of the rectangular elongated members  12  has a major dimension, h, and a minor dimension, w. As best seen in  FIG. 3 , the planar surface  16  is coextensive with the major dimension, h. 
   As best seen in  FIG. 1 , each of the members  12  may further have an arcuate end portion  22 . The arcuate end portion  22  may further be coextensive with the minor dimension, w. In one particular embodiment of the present invention, the arcuate end portion  22  has a diameter substantially equal to or greater than the major dimension, h. The arcuate end portion  22  is provided to present a rounded surface to the user. 
   As best seen in  FIG. 2 , each of the fasteners  14  includes an eyebolt  24  and a wing nut  26 . Each eyebolt  24  has a eye portion  28  and a threaded shank  30 . The wing nut  26  has a threaded bore  32 . The threaded bore  32  is adapted to receive the threaded shank  30  when the shank  30  is axially disposed through one of the axially aligned bores  18 , as seen above in reference to  FIGS. 1-2 . The eye portion  28  of each bolt  24  and the wing nut  26  facilitate gripping and manipulation by hand to obviate the necessity of using tools. 
   An additional pair of eyebolts  36  and a corresponding pair of wing nuts  38  may also be provided for attaching the user wearable devices to the spreader bar  10 . Identical in construction to the above-described eyebolt  24  and wing nut  26 , each of the additional eyebolts  36  has an eye portion  40  and a threaded shank  42 . Each wing nut  38  has a threaded bore  44 . The threaded bore  44  is adapted to receive the threaded shank  42  when the shank  42  is axially disposed through the user selected third one  18   c  of the bores  18 . The eye portion  40  is adapted to mount a respective one of the user wearable devices  20 . 
   To releasably attach each wearable device  20  to the spreader bar  10 , a pair of quick release clamps  46 , one of which as best seen in  FIG. 4 , may be further provided. The clamp is preferably made from spring steel so that it is moveable between its closed position of FIG.  4 A and its open position of FIG.  4 B. Accordingly, each clamp  46  may releasably secure one of the user wearable devices  20  to a respective one of the eye portions  40 . For example, the user wearable devices  20  may include a pair of cuffs secured to the limbs of a user. 
   There have been described herein exemplary preferred embodiments of a personal novelty apparatus. Those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses of, and departures from, the hereinabove described embodiments without departing from the inventive principles disclosed herein. Accordingly, the present invention is to be defined solely by the lawfully permissible scope of the appended claims.