Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US4632383?dq=mezick
Timestamp: 2014-07-26 05:20:08
Document Index: 343809422

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 21', 'art 22', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 22', 'art 21', 'art 22']

Patent US4632383 - Training tool for promoting grip - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsA case of approximate sphere is formed by assembling a pair of hemispherical shell pieces with elastic materials. A rack, capable of shifting in the axial direction in connection with shift of the shell pieces, is supported within the case. A pinion designed to rotate in engagement with the rack is provided...http://www.google.com/patents/US4632383?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US4632383 - Training tool for promoting gripAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS4632383 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 06/571,669Publication dateDec 30, 1986Filing dateJan 17, 1984Priority dateJan 21, 1983Fee statusPaidPublication number06571669, 571669, US 4632383 A, US 4632383A, US-A-4632383, US4632383 A, US4632383AInventorsKiyohiko TsuzukiOriginal AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Tsuzuki SeisakujoExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (9), Referenced by (11), Classifications (9), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetTraining tool for promoting gripUS 4632383 AAbstract A case of approximate sphere is formed by assembling a pair of hemispherical shell pieces with elastic materials. A rack, capable of shifting in the axial direction in connection with shift of the shell pieces, is supported within the case. A pinion designed to rotate in engagement with the rack is provided within the case. A grip indicator dial designed to rotate in connection with the pinion is provided within the case. This grip indicator dial is provided with a scale observable from outside the case. Within the case is provided a target-grip setting dial capable of being operated from outside the case. The target-grip setting dial is provided with a scale indicating the target-grip.
I claim: 1. A training tool for promoting grip characterized in that it comprises:a case of approximately spherical shape constituted by a pair of shell pieces of approximately hemispherical shape positioned with their open sections facing each other and connected with each other by elastic materials so as to be able to shift relatively to each other and to return to the original position by spring action; a pair of windows which are located parallel to each other on the surface of said spherical case; a rack which is supported to one of said shell pieces within said case so as to be able to shift in the axial direction in connection with the relative shift of said shell pieces; a pinion which is caught by said rack so as to be able to rotate within said case; a grip indicator dial which is supported within said case rotatably in connection with said pinion, said dial has a circular face positioned under one of said pair of windows, and a grip-scale provided on said circular face so that said scale may be read through said window; a target-grip setting dial which is provided parallel to said grip indicator dial within said case so as to be held at any prescribed rotational position, said setting dial has a circular face positioned under the other of said pair of windows, and has a target-grip scale provided on said setting dial circular face; and an informer circuit which comprises a conductive contactor piece positioned on said grip indicator dial and a conductive piece positioned on said target-grip setting dial so as to be brought into contact with said contactor piece when said pair of shell pieces have been appropriately shifted toward each other, said circuit is capable of being put into operation when said contactor piece has come into contact with said conductive piece. 2. A training tool for promoting grip according to claim 1, wherein both said grip indicator dial and said target-grip setting dial are supported rotatably on a common shaft which is fixed on a pair of projected parts extending from a bracket fixed within said case.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention was motivated by the above-mentioned situation with respect to the defective performance of the prior invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying figures show a preferred embodiment of the present invention:
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Below will be explained in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention by referring to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, a bracket 18 is fixed on the upper shell piece 2 by screws 19 and 20, and a shaft 23 is fixed on the pair of projected parts 21 and 22 of the bracket 18. The shaft 23 supports rotatably the target-grip setting dial outside the projected part 22. The scale 12, which is provided on a part of the peripheral side of target-grip setting dial 11 to indicate the target-grip value, can be observed through the window 13 as already mentioned. The target-grip setting dial 11 has a gear section 24 formed on a part of its peripheral side and this gear section 24 is caught by a positioning stopper 25 screwed under the bracket 18. The shaft 23 supports rotatably the grip indicator dial 8 inside the projected part 21. The scale 9, which is provided on a part of the peripheral side of grip indicator dial 8 to indicate the value of grip exerted onto the case 1, can be observed through the window 10 as already mentioned. The grip indicator dial 8 has, at a position near its peripheral side, a conductive contactor 26 penetrating in the thickness direction and fixed. The target-grip setting dial has an elastic, conductive piece 27 provided in such a way that the contactor 26 is always on the conductive piece 27 as it moves with the rotation of grip indicator dial 8. The conductive piece 27 is designed to shift farther away the contactor 26 as higher values of the scale 12 on the target-grip setting dial 11 are brought on the reference mark 15; the contactor 26 moving with the rotation of grip indicator dial 8 will come into contact with the conductive piece 27 when the value of scale 9 on the reference mark 14 for the grip indicator dial 8 has coincided with the value of scale 12 on the reference mark for the target-grip setting dial 11. The shaft 23 supports rotatably a pinion 28 inside the projected part 21, and this pinion 28 is designed to rotate in connection with the grip indicator dial 8 by fixing a pin 29, projecting from the peripheral edge of pinion 28, onto the grip indicator dial 8. The pinion 28 engages a rack 31 extending through a through-hole 30 on the bracket 18; this rack 31 is supported by the support base 32 on the lower shell piece 3 and is energized toward the support base 32 by means of a coil spring 34 applied between its collar 33 and the bracket 18. With such an arrangement, approach of the lower shell piece 3 to the upper shell piece 2 will move the rack 31 relative to the pinion 28 upward in FIG. 3, causing the pinion 28 to rotate in proportion to the shift distance of rack 31, i.e., to the grip exerted onto the case 1, and in turn causing the grip indicator 8 to rotate in the same degree of rotation with the pinion 28. For this rotation, the value of scale 9 on the reference mark is designed to be equal to the grip exerted. In FIGS. 3 and 5, a brake piece 35, which is approximately in an S form and has elastic pieces 36 and 37 at both ends of the S form (see FIG. 5), is screwed on the top of the projected part 22 of bracket 18 so that the elastic pieces 36 and 37 are in pressurized contact with the target-grip setting dial 11 and the grip indicator dial 8, respectively. The braking force of this brake piece 35 is set larger than the energizing force of the coil spring 34, so that, when the case 1 has been under application followed by release of a grip, the brake piece 35 will prevent the grip indicator dial 8 from returning to the original position after having rotated maximally, leaving the maximum value of grip on the scale 9. This brake piece 35 is designed to be capable of being kept released with a release lever, not shown, and usually continuous grip training is conducted with the brake piece 35 kept released. Referring to FIG. 4, an arc-like conductive plate 38 fixed on one side face of the grip indicator dial 8 is electrically in contact with the contactor 26 and is also in contact with an elastic contactor piece 39 screwed on the upper face of bracket 18 in the original state, i.e., non-grip state. The conductive plate 38 is in constant contact with the free end of a brush 40 screwed on the projected part 21 of bracket 18. The target-grip setting dial 11 is provided with an arc-like conductive plate (not shown) connected to the conductive piece 27, and this conductive plate, as seen from FIG. 5, is in constant contact with an elastic contactor piece 41 screwed on the top of the projected part 22 of bracket 18. As seen from FIG. 3, a support plate 42 is fixed on the bottom face of bracket 18 and this support plate 42 holds a base board 43 equipped with IC circuits to be described later. As shown in FIG. 5, another base board 44 is provided at an angle of ca. 45� to the base board 43, and on this base board 44 there are placed in parallel two common indicating elements 45 and 46 of seven segments at a position corresponding to the confirmation window 17. The indicating elements 45 and 46 will give 2-digit digital indication of the number of grips exerted on the case 1. The brush 40, elastic pieces 39 and 41, IC circuits on the base board 43, and indicating elements 45 and 46 on the base board 44 constitute an electric circuit together with an on-off switch, a piezo-electric buzzer, and a power supply battery, shown in FIG. 6 and to be described later; the electric circuit effects the operation of the piezo-electric buzzer and indicating elements 45 and 46 in response to the grip operation on the case 1.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS415949 *Apr 1, 1889Nov 26, 1889 Co in-controlled strength-testerUS468154 *Aug 4, 1891Feb 2, 1892 Pocket grip-testerUS710705 *Mar 18, 1902Oct 7, 1902Herbert S MillsBlow-testing machine.US1487631 *Nov 5, 1920Mar 18, 1924David E WangerExercising deviceUS3511097 *Sep 29, 1967May 12, 1970Corwin GilbertExercise apparatusUS3647209 *May 15, 1970Mar 7, 1972Lanne Jack LaWeight lifting type exercising deviceUS3735101 *Jun 22, 1971May 22, 1973Stewart J SimpsonPhysiotherapy control deviceUS4099713 *Jul 15, 1977Jul 11, 1978Donald SpectorElectronic physical trainer systemFR1215484A * Title not available* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS5072927 *Dec 20, 1990Dec 17, 1991Santos James PHand exercise deviceUS5299457 *Jul 13, 1992Apr 5, 1994Donald PangPrecision grip meterUS5820523 *Oct 2, 1997Oct 13, 1998Zemer; UrielPalm muscle exerciser deviceUS6537075 *Jan 11, 2000Mar 25, 2003Francisco J. Valero-CuevasDevice for developing and measuring grasping force and grasping dexterityUS6944914Apr 23, 2003Sep 20, 2005Tillim Stephen LHandle and forceps/tweezers and method and apparatus for designing the likeUS6988295Oct 24, 2002Jan 24, 2006Tillim Stephen LHandle/grip and method for designing the likeUS7010835Oct 24, 2003Mar 14, 2006Tillim Stephen LParallel handle system and method for designing a parallel handle systemUS7506409Aug 16, 2005Mar 24, 2009Tillim Stephen LHandle/grip and method for designing the likeUS7699757 *Dec 5, 2006Apr 20, 2010Cardiogrip Iph, Inc.Apparatus, system and method for carrying out protocol-based isometric exercise regimenUS7739910Jan 12, 2009Jun 22, 2010Cardiogrip Iph, Inc.System and method for carrying out protocol-based isometric exercise regimenUS7975543Jun 18, 2010Jul 12, 2011Cardiogrip Iph, Inc.Method for carrying out isometric exercise regimen* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification482/49, 73/379.03International ClassificationA63B21/05, A63B24/00, A63B23/035, A63B23/16Cooperative ClassificationA63B2220/17, A63B23/16European ClassificationA63B23/16Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionMay 28, 1998FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 12Jun 3, 1994FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8Jun 4, 1990FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Jan 17, 1984ASAssignmentOwner name: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TSUZUKI SEISAKUJO 6649-1 OOAZA SAFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:TSUZUKI, KIYOHIKO;REEL/FRAME:004287/0802Effective date: 19840107Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:TSUZUKI, KIYOHIKO;REEL/FRAME:004287/0802Owner name: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TSUZUKI SEISAKUJO, JAPANRotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google