Implements usable by persons afflicted with arthritis

• US 4,035,865 A
• Filed: 01/19/1976
• Issued: 07/19/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brian Joseph Mcrae, Lucy Theresa Mcrae
• Original Assignee: Brian Joseph Mcrae, Lucy Theresa Mcrae
• Inventors: McRae, Brian Joseph, McRae, Lucy Theresa
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundrat, Andrew V.
• Application Number:
  US05/650,127
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 16/110 R, 16/114 R, 30/340, 30/296, 30/298, 30/335, 30/327, 30/324, 30/322, 30/323, 128/77, 272/68
• US Class Current: 16/426
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 5/02 specially shaped for holding by the hand
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 5/025 Grips or handles specially adapted for handicapped persons
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/02 Forks; Forks with ejectors; Combined forks and spoons; Salad servers
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/102 the shape being specially adapted to facilitate handling or improve grip
• CPC Class Codes: B43K 23/004 Holders specially adapted for assisting handicapped or disabled persons to write B43L15/00 takes precedence

Abstract

Implements of the hand-manipulated type are equipped with spherical handles that can be easily grasped by persons afflicted with arthritis. The spherical handle has a diameter that permits the sphere to be retained against the person'"'"'s palm between the thumb and a finger without bending internal joints.

Claims

1. A hand-manipulatable implement for use by persons afflicted with arthritis in their hands:

said implement comprising a functioning device to be operated, and a handle to be held in the palm area of a person'"'"'s hand;

said functioning device being selected from the class comprising an eating knife, fork, toothbrush, hair comb, writing pen, pencil, medicine bottle cover, and telephone dialing aid;

said handle being configured as a sphere having a diameter ranging between 11/2 and 2 inches, whereby the sphere can be frictionally retained against the average person'"'"'s palm and thumb without bending internal joints within the fingers;

the functioning device and handle being separately formed;

said spherical handle having a socket opening extending inwardly from its outer surface along a sphere radius;

said functioning device having a shank adapted to extend into the defined socket to form a rigid force-transmitting connection between the functioning device and handle;

the sphere being formed of a resilient material, and the socket opening being a slit that can be deformed to conform to varying shank cross sections.

2. A hand-manipulatable implement for use by persons afflicted with arthritis in their hands:

said implement comprising a functioning device to be operated, and a handle to be held in the palm area of a person'"'"'s hand;

said functioning device being selected from the class comprising an eating knife, fork, toothbrush, hair comb, writing pen, pencil, medicine bottle cover, and telephone dialing aid;

said handle being configured as a sphere having a diameter ranging between 11/2 and 2 inches, whereby the sphere can be frictionally retained against the average person'"'"'s palm and thumb without bending internal joints within the fingers;

the spherical handle comprising two semi-spheres, one of the semi-spheres being integral with the functioning device.