BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The invention relates to anti-slip grips for devices intended for hand gripping and manual manipulation.

In particular, the invention relates to hand grips which cooperate with the deformable fleshy portions of the hand for restrainedly containing portions of the deformable flesh of the hand.

Background Art

Many devices intended to be gripped in the hand for manual manipulation suffer from the fact that the grip of the hand on the device becomes insecure because of the nature of the surface of the device at which it is gripped by the hand or because of moisture introduced between the hand and the device as a result of perspiration. While the problem is experienced in general with respect to all hand gripped devices, for example hand tools, sporting implements, a policeman's night-stick, etc., the problem is often dramatically disclosed to viewers watching a percussionist perform. In the course of a performance, the percussionist's hand may perspire so that his grip on his drumstick may become so tenuous as to cause the drumstick to fly from the. drummer's hand. The performer must then improvise, trying to maintain the beat while seeking to either retrieve the fly-away drumstick or obtain a replacement therefor.

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3 ^• To overcome the slippage problem in handling drumsticks,

4 the gripping region has been wrapped with a cord to provide

5 an anti-slip surface. This approach has proven unsatisfactory.

6 A gum rubber sheath has been employed as has a sheath of

7 nylon fibers . All of these approaches tended to change the.

8 diameter of the hand gripping region of the drumstick as

9 well as to change the "feel" of the stick in the hand of the 0 drummer. None of them fully cooperated with the hand to 1 provide an anti-slip grip on the drumstick. 2 3 Some drumsticks, have had undercut portions in the hand 4 gripping region of the drumstick. These undercut portions 5 had smooth surfaces which were themselves slippery when the 6 drummer' s hand became moist with perspiration. The terminal ⁷ ends of the undercuts were smoothly shaped and did little °- to impede the movement of the drumstick from the moist hand of ⁹ the drummer. 0 1 A training aid had a pair of rings locatable at selected ² positions along a drumstick. These rings served the purpose --- of indicating to the drummer the correct portion of the 4 drumstick to be gripped in the hand. The rings were employed as indicating devices rather than means for preventing 6 slippage of the drumstick from the hand. Indeed, the rounded ⁷ surfaces of the ring exposed above the surface of the drum- ⁸ stick wouldv do little to impede the slippage between the -* drumstick and the hand of the drummer. 0 1 It is an objective of the invention to provide an anti- 2 slip hand grip for devices meant to be gripped in the hand 3 for manual manipulation. 4 5 it is a particular objective of the invention to 6 provide an anti-slip hand grip which cooperates with the 7 deformable fleshy portions of the hand to provide means for

containment of small portions of that fleshy portion of the hand and a means for inhibiting the movement of the flesh so contained with respect to the device gripped by the hand.

Disclosure of Invention

In describing the invention the words "annular" and "periphery" and the like will be used. Although such words are associated with devices having circular cross sections, no such limitation is hereby intended or implied. Rather, these words are used in their analogous meaning with respect to devices having other than circular cross sections.

in a device intended for hand grasped manual manipula- tion, the invention comprises an improvement. The improve- ment is an anti-slip gripping means for assuring a secure hand graspOf the device as it is manipulated. The anti- slip gripping means comprises annular containment voids encircling the device in the region in which it is hand grasped. These annular containment voids contain portions of the deformable fleshy parts of the hand grasping the device. Annular walls which define these containment voids each haye at least one wall which terminates at its periph- ery in a biting edge which grasps portions of the deformable parts of the hand grasping the device. By reason of the containment of the flesh within the containment voids and the gripping of the flesh by the biting edges at the periphery of the annular walls, an anti-slip hand grip is devised.

in a first embodiment of the invention, the anti-slip gripping means comprise undercuts in the body of the device. These undercuts define the biting-edged annular walls and the containment voids.

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. In another embodiment of the invention, the anti-slip gripping means will comprise a sheath. Molded into the sheath will be the biting-edged annular walls and the con- tainment voids. The sheath is coupled to the hand gripped, manually manipulated device. The sheath itself may comprise a continuous, adhesive-backed wrapping to be applied to the hand gripping region of the device, or it may be modified into a form-fitting cover for that region of the device.

Various devices employing the invention are disclosed, such as, drumsticks, night-sticks, hand tools, and sporting implements.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figures 1-4 illustrate various devices having the improved, anti-slip hand grip.

Figure 5 is a perspective detail of the improved hand grip.

Figure 6 illustrates the manner in which the fleshy pad of a finger is contained within the containment voids of the hand grip and the manner in which the biting edges at the periphery of the walls of the containment voids cooperate with the- flesh of the finger to prevent slippage.

Figure 7 is a partial cross sectional detail of the innovative hand grip.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of improved hand grip on a molded sheath which sheath will encapsulate the hand gripping region of a hand held device.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the improved hand

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grip molded into a continuous, adhesive-backed wrapping which wrapping may be applied to the hand gripping region of a hand held device.

Figure 10 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the wrapping of Figure 9 is applied to a hand held device such as a baton.

Best Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Many devices are intended to be grasped in the hand for manual manipulation. Figures 1-4 illustrate several typical devices of this nature; a drumstick 10; a sporting implement, golf club 11; a night-stick or baton 12; and a hand tool, hammer 13. Each of these devices is provided with an anti-slip hand grip 20 as disclosed more fully and claimed herein.

Hand grip 20 is illustrated in greater detail in the perspective drawing of Figure 5. The hand grip 20 of Figure 5 may be literally cut into the gripping surface of devices such as 10, 11, 12 and 13 or may be molded into a sheath which is fitted over or wrapped around the hand gripping region of such a device, as more clearly indicated

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3 in Figures 8-10.

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5 The concept of a fully molded sheath is illustrated in g Figure 8. Here, the hand grip 20 is molded into the surface η of sheath 32 which may be fitted over the hand gripping g region of a hand held device so as to effectively encapsulate g that region. The concept of an encapsulating sheath is well

^• _j _0 known to the prior art and is frequently employed to renew the

11 grip surface of a golf club.

12 3 To permit the retroactive application of hand grip 20

_] _4 to existing hand held devices, the continuous wrapping 33

• _] _5 may be utilized. Wrapping 33 will have hand grip 20 molded _g into its surface and be provided as a continuous, adhesive- η backed 34 strip. The adhesive backing 34 maintains

18 wrapping 33 in intimate contact with the hand gripping

19 region of the hand held device to which it is applied.

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21 Figure 10 illustrates the manner in which wrapping 33

22 ^ma Y be applied to a baton to provide it the advantages of

23 anti-slip hand grip 20.

24

25 The detailed construction and the effective workings

26 of hand grip 20 can be best understood by reference to

27 Figures 6 and 7. Hand grip 20 is comprised of a series of

28 annular containment voids 22. When hand grip 20 is grasped

29 by the hand, the deformable fleshy portions of the hand

30 will be deformed so that a portion of the flesh will be

31 depressed downward into and contained by containment voids

32 22. This is illustrated at 31 in Figure 6 which illustrates

33 a finger 30 in contact with hand grip 20. Each of the annu-

34 lar walls 21 which define a portion of containment voids

35 22 terminates at its periphery 24 with a biting edge 23 2 _ζ which grips the portions of the deformable fleshy parts -,7 of the hand contained within containment voids 22.

^• It has been determined that the most effective biting edge 23 is achieved when the angle included between sidewall 21 and peripheral edge 24 is ninety degrees or less. As the included angle between wall 21 and peripheral edge 24 is increased beyond ninety degrees, the ability of edge 23 to grasp the deformed flesh contained within containment voids 22 is decreased and the effectiveness of grip 20 as an anti-slip hand grip is impaired. With small portions of the flesh contained within containment voids 22 and that contained flesh being gripped by the biting edges 23, hand grip 20 produces a most effective anti-slip hand grip on a device experiencing a thrust in a direction of the arrow indicated in Figure 6.

The width of a peripheral edge 24 has an effect on the anti-slip characteristics of hand grip 20. One of the most effective anti-slip grips is derived when peripheral edge 24 has essentially a zero width. The width of peripheral edge 24 may be extended, but not so much as to prohibit the defamation of the fleshy portion of the hand into contain- ment voids 22. It is the containment of flesh within the containment voids 22 and the gripping of the flesh by the biting edges 23 at the periphery 24 of the annular walls 21 which provides hand grip 20 with its anti-slip characteristics.

What has been disclosed is an anti-slip hand grip useful for all devices which are gripped in the hand for manual manipulation. The hand grip provides containment voids into which the soft fleshy portions of the hand are deformed. one of the walls defining the containment void is provided with a biting edge which grips the flesh deformed into and contained by the containment voids. The combination of the- flesh deformed within the containment voids and the gripping of the flesh by the biting edges provides an effective anti- slip hand grip.

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Those skilled in the art will conceive of other embodiments of the invention which are drawn from the teach- ings herein. To the extent that such other embodiments are so drawn it is intended that they shall fall within the ambit of protection provided by the claims appended hereto.

Having described my invention in such clear and concise detail in the foregoing specification and the accompanying drawings that those skilled in the art may readily under- stand and easily practice the invention, that which I claim is: