Patent ID: 7367735

Claim:
A hand-held instrument having a variable contour grip, the hand-held instrument comprising: a main body having a grip-attaching portion; and a tubular grip body made of a resilient material and disposed on the grip-attaching portion of the main body for undergoing rotation relative thereto, each of an outer circumferential surface of the grip-attaching portion and an inner circumferential surface of the grip body having a non-circular cross-sectional shape so that when the grip-attaching portion and the grip body are rotated relative to one another, the grip body undergoes deformation so that portions thereof are contracted and other portions thereof are expanded to thereby change an outer configuration or contour of the grip body; wherein the outer circumferential surface of the grip-attaching portion has at least one first surface portion spaced apart from a longitudinal axis of the main body and at least one second surface portion disposed closer to the longitudinal axis than the first surface portion; wherein the grip body has at least one columnar body protruding from an inner surface thereof and extending along the grip-attaching portion so that when the grip-attaching portion is rotated relative to the grip body, the columnar body can be seated on either the first surface portion or the second surface portion of the grip-attaching portion; and wherein the grip-attaching portion has a rotation-supporting portion having a circular outer configuration and the grip body has an inner bearing member disposed on the inner surface of the grip body, the inner bearing member having a tubular portion rotatably fitted to the rotation-supporting portion and integrally connected to a basal end of the columnar body.