Cord strain relief device for reducing cumulative trauma disorders

• US 5,901,930 A
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stephen K. Harrel
• Original Assignee: Stephen K. Harrel
• Inventors: Harrel, Stephen K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIPCSIK, ROBERT N
• Application Number:
  US08/941,835
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 248/51, 248/52, 248/205.2, 224/165, 224/222, 224/268
• US Class Current: 248/51
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/01 for supporting or guiding the pipes, cables or protective tubing, between relatively movable points, e.g. movable channels

Abstract

A cord restraining device including a band fastened around the extremity of a user employing a corded, hand-held tool. Fastened to the band is a hook-member through which the cord is loosely suspended. Fastened to the cord is a stop member which, when abutted with the hook member, prevents further movement of the cord. In this manner, a desired length of cord can be suspended by the tool to thereby allow a user to more accurately balance the tool and prevent trauma and other disorders to joints such as the wrist, hand and fingers.

Claims

1. A device for supporting a line connected to a tool, comprising:

an anchor structure adapted for fastening to an object;

a line retainer member fastened to said anchor structure, said line retainer member having a passageway through which the line is loosely fittable; and

a stop member associated with the line between said anchor structure and the tool, said stop member being larger than said passageway in said retainer member to thereby prevent movement of the line in one direction when said stop member is abutted against said line retainer member and thereby reduce pulling forces exerted by the line on the tool.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said line retainer member comprises a hook-shaped member for allowing easy removal of the line therefrom.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said hook-shaped member is deformable to allow removal of the line therefrom.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said line retainer member is formed integral with said anchor structure.

5. The device of claim 1, further including an expandable band fastened to said anchor structure.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said expandable band comprises an endless coiled filament.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said stop member is constructed so as to be adapted to be movably fixed to the line to adjust the amount of line supported between said line retainer member and the tool.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said stop member is spring biased so as to clamp to the line.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the object comprises an extremity of a person.

10. A device for supporting a cord connected to a tool, comprising:

a band engageable around an extremity of an operator utilizing the tool;

a cord retainer attached to said band, said cord retainer having an opening for loosely supporting the cord;

a stop member associated with the cord, said stop member being of a size larger than the opening in said cord retainer to prevent movement of the cord through the opening when said stop member is abutted with said cord retainer; and

said stop member being constructed so as to be engageable with the cord such that a predefined length of the cord remains between the tool and said cord retainer irrespective of the location of the tool.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said stop member is adapted for being adjustably clamped at different locations to the cord.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein said stop member is spring biased into a clamping engagement with the cord.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein said band is endless, and is elastically expandable.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein said band has two ends, and means for removably attaching the two ends together.

15. A method of supporting a line of a tool, comprising the steps of:

attaching a device to a user'"'"'s extremity;

suspending the line in an apertured portion of said device so that the line is movable through the aperture;

moving the tool toward the apertured device to allow the line to move through the aperture in a first direction until stopped by a stop member on the line; and

allowing the amount of line between said stop member and the tool to remain fixed when said stop member abuts against said apertured portion of said device.

16. The method of claim 15, further including movably fixing said stop member at a desired location to the line.

17. The method of claim 16, further including fixing said stop member by using a spring biased stop member.

18. The method of claim 15, further including attaching said device to the user'"'"'s extremity using an elastic-type band.

19. The method of claim 15, further including attaching said stop member to the line at a location between the tool and said device.

20. The method of claim 19, further including attaching said stop member to the line at a location such that a weight of a length of the line between said stop member and the tool facilitates balancing of the tool in the user'"'"'s hand.

21. The method of claim 15, further including adjusting said stop member at a location on the line to reduce tissue trauma in the user'"'"'s wrist and hand.