The invention to which this application relates is a device including a handle assembly for use particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, with a member in the form of a sex toy such as a vibrator.

The use of these members, commonly known as sex toys, is well known, and sales of the same occur on a wide scale throughout the world such that the market for the same is large. The members can be used by partners, or individually, and may be inserted in various orifice of the human body to provide sexual pleasure to the user of the device.

A common problem experienced by the user of the member is how to be able to control the same so that the desired benefits of the use of the same can be achieved. In particular the user may have difficulty in being able to reach the position of use of the device while at the same time still being able to achieve the control of the operation of the device. If the user is unable to control the operation of the device accurately then the benefits of use may not be achieved by the user.

Another problem which can be experienced and which can again be increased by the problems experienced in being able to reach and control the device in use, is the possibility for the device to be lost within the users body and be difficult to retrieve which can cause discomfort and/or embarrassment to the user.

An aim of the present invention is to provide a means which may be provided for use with the device herein described to allow the desired use of the device to be achievable and for the control of the same to be more easily enabled by the user of the device.

In a first aspect of the device there is provided a device including a handle assembly for use with a member for use as a sex toy, said member provided with a free end and an opposing, distal, end and wherein the handle assembly is provided to extend from said distal end and be held by a person to control the member when in use.

Typically said handle assembly is provided to be positionable with respect to the member in order to allow the user to be able to control the device without having to hold the member itself.

In one embodiment the handle assembly position with respect to the member can be selectively adjusted by the user to allow improved comfort and/ or ease of use.

In one embodiment at least one joint is provided between the handle assembly and member which allows the angular orientation between the handle assembly and member to change during use of the device.

In one embodiment a ball joint, or equivalent joint arrangement, is provided between the member and handle assembly to allow relative angular movement between the handle assembly and member around a relatively wide range of movement.

In one embodiment the handle assembly is provided separately from the member and is selectively connectable to the device. This therefore allows the handle assembly to be selectively connected to any of a range of member. The member can be any of a range of sex toy devices such as vibrators and the like, which may or may not include movement means for movement of at least a portion of the member.

In one embodiment attachment means are provided which require a relative rotational movement between the member and handle assembly to engage and/or disengage the same. In one embodiment the attachment means comprises a male threaded member in one of the member or handle assembly which is receivable within a female threaded portion in the other of the member or handle assembly. In an alternative embodiment the member and handle assembly are provided as an integral unit.

In a yet further embodiment the attachment means includes an engaging portion to allow existing members without specific attachment formations to be attached and used with the handle assembly.

In one embodiment the handle assembly includes a U shaped portion. In one embodiment the shape of the handle assembly may be adjustable via selective movement of at least a portion of the assembly.

In one embodiment the handle assembly includes a portion to be gripped by the user in order to control the member in use. By selective movement of the gripped portion the user can then, via the joint connection with the member, control the movement of the member.

In one embodiment the handle assembly can be adjustable in length, typically in a telescopic manner.

In one embodiment the handle assembly can include means to allow electrical control of the member. Certain members may include electrical operation means which cause movement of the member and, in accordance with one embodiment, the electrical control means of the member can be connected to those provided on the handle assembly to allow the user to control operation of the member via the handle assembly. The control can be any or any combination of switching on or off, mode of operation and/or speed of operation. Typically in this embodiment an electrical connection is provided at or adjacent to the mechanical attachment between the member and the handle assembly so as to allow electrical connection to also be achieved. The control means on the handle assembly typically include a hand or finger actuated switch or lever located at or adjacent to the gripping portion of the handle assembly.

Typically the handle assembly may be gripped by a user when lying down and used to control the position of the member with respect to their body without the user needing to contact or grip the member itself.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a handle assembly for use with a sex toy member.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a sex toy device, said device including a member and a handle assembly for use to control the member position and wherein there is provided a further portion which can be selectively gripped.

In one embodiment the said further portion is provided intermediate the member and the handle assembly.

In one embodiment the handle assembly can be gripped by a first person and the said further portion can be gripped by a further person.

In one embodiment the device is provided as an integral assembly.

In an alternative embodiment the device includes a means whereby a member can be fitted to the device. In one embodiment the attachment means can be range taking and includes a resilient gripping means which can receive an end of the member and then allows the member to be used in conjunction with the device. In an alternative embodiment the attachment means comprise respective male and female threaded portions. In one embodiment the member is any of a range of sex toys with appropriate attachment means formed thereon or attached thereto.

In one embodiment the device includes a stimulus portion which can act as a stimulus when in contact with the body of the user of the device. In one embodiment the stimulus portion can be caused to vibrate in conjunction with the sex toy.

In one embodiment the device includes a flexible j oint which is located between the sex toy and the handle assembly. Typically the j oint allows the relative movement between the handle assembly and sex toy to be angularly controlled by the gripping of the handle assembly and/ or further portion.

In one embodiment the flexible joint is sealed from ingress of foreign matter.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings; wherein

Figures la-b illustrate examples of a member in the form of a sex toy for use with a handle assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2a illustrate a handle assembly according to one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2b illustrates the handle assembly of Figure 2a fitted to a member of Figure la;

Figures 3a and b illustrate attachment means between the handle assembly and member in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and Figures 4a-l illustrate various views of embodiments of the invention.

Referring firstly to Figures la-b there are shown two examples of members in the form of sex toy devices 2,4 with which the handle assembly in accordance with the invention may be selectively used. It should be noted that although it is believed that it is preferable that the handle assembly is provided separately to the member so as to be selectively attached thereto, the handle assembly can be provided integrally with the member in another embodiment.

In order to be able to use the device in a manageable and more beneficial manner the current invention allows the member to be controlled remotely by a person via the handle assembly 6 provided in accordance with the invention and an example of which is shown in Figure 2a. The handle assembly comprises a hand gripping portion 8 which allows the user to exert control on the handle assembly and the member 2 or 4 when connected thereto. The gripping portion 8 is in turn connected to the main portion 10 which can be telescopic so as to enable the same to be moved to the required length so that the gripping portion 8 can be comfortably gripped by the user and also to allow the assembly to be moved to a relatively shorter storage position for when the assembly is not in use. The handle assembly also typically includes a U shaped portion 12 to allow the location of the device with respect to the person's body to be comfortably achieved and the U shaped portion leads to attachment means 14 to which the distal end 16 of the member can be attached as illustrated in Figure 2b to form a device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

The attachment means is shown in more detail in Figure 3a and, in this embodiment comprises a female threaded socket 18 provided in the handle assembly and the member includes a male threaded member 20 which can be screwed into the socket to attach the member to the handle assembly. Preferably, the attachment means will require a relative rotational movement between the member and the handle assembly as this direction of movement is less likely to occur in usage of the member when attached to the handle assembly. In the attachment means shown in Figure 3b there is provided an engaging portion 22 which can be provided to allow members which do not have specific attachment means formed thereon, to still be used with the handle assembly. In this case the engaging portion can be provided to be resilient such that it exerts a pressing and holding force on the distal end when placed into the same to thereby retain the member in position with the assembly.

The handle assembly 6 also includes a movement joint 24 to allow relative angular movement between the handle assembly and the member. In the embodiment shown the joint 24 is a ball joint with a ball 26 located in a socket 28 to allow movement around a wide range. The joint, in this embodiment, is provided on the handle assembly and in the embodiment shown the ball includes the female threaded socket 18 which receives the male threaded member of the attachment means. In another embodiment (not shown) the movement joint can be located on the member.

In each of the figures 4a-l there is illustrated a device 102 in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention. The device includes a sex toy member 104 which is mounted at one end of the device and depends from a handle assembly 106. The handle assembly is formed so as to have a first gripping portion 108 which is positioned so as to be comfortably gripped by the user of the device. In this embodiment the device includes a further portion 1 10 which can be selectively gripped by the same or a further person to further aid the use of the device. The further gripping portion can be, as shown, an aperture which is of a size as to allow a person's hand to pass therethrough and grip the handle assembly at that location.

The Figures also show the provision of a formation of a stimulation portion 1 12 which, when the device is in use can contact the body, such as the clitoral area of a female user, and which can be vibrated in conjunction with the sex toy to further improve the use of the device. The portion can include a number of raised protrusions which can be of any or any combination of forms and sizes so as to provide a required effect.

The device can be provided with attachment means 1 14 which allow specially designed or, in other cases, conventional, sex toy members to be used in conjunction with the handle assembly. In one embodiment the attachment means include a screw threaded engagement means 1 16 as shown in Figure 4h. In an alternative form the attachment means can be a resilient socket 1 18 as shown in Figure 4i which can receive and engage the end of the sex toy member 104.

The device also includes a flexible j oint 120 which allows the relative angular movement between the sex toy or member 104 and the handle assembly 106 as indicated by arrows 122 and 124 in Figure 41. In this case the j oint is formed by a "bellows" arrangement which is provided with an outer housing 126 which ensures that the inner workings of the joint are hygienically sealed.

Thus, in use, the user of the device can place the same in position with respect to their, or another's, body and then wit the device attached to the handle assembly, hold the gripping portion of the handle assembly at a comfortable position and then control, via the handle assembly and movement joint thereon, the movement of the device in an easier, more comfortable and enjoyable manner than if the handle assembly were not provided and also acting to exclude or minimise any possibility that the device can be lost within the user's body.