Grip strength enhancement device
OwnerXiaolu Wuinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A grip strength enhancement device includes first and second arms pivotally coupled about an axis, with handles at their lower ends. A spring extends between upper portions of the arms. The spring is connected to the first arm via an upper loop and operatively coupled to a threaded adjustment mechanism on the second arm via a lower hook. The adjustment mechanism, driven by a knob and screw, includes a nut constrained within a limiting slot defined in the second arm. End stop surfaces cooperate with the nut and the spring hook to limit adjustment travel and reduce disengagement risk. A pivot region may include complementary engagement features for load sharing and axial restraint. The handles may feature asymmetric ergonomic cross-sections and offset bottom-end geometry to improve conformity during gripping.
Claims7
A grip strength enhancement device for hand strength training, comprising:
- a first arm and a second arm pivotally coupled about an axis;
- a first handle disposed at a lower end of the first arm and a second handle disposed at a lower end of the second arm, wherein the first handle comprises a bearing surface configured to conform to a thenar eminence of a user's palm and a front side surface opposite the bearing surface, and wherein the second handle comprises a gripping surface configured to conform to finger pads of the user and an extension surface opposite the gripping surface;
- a spring having an upper end coupled, via a loop, to a third pin on an upper portion of the first arm, and having a lower end operatively coupled, via a hook, to a threaded adjustment mechanism disposed on the second arm, such that, in an absence of an externally applied force, the first arm and the second arm are urged by a tensile force of the spring to pivot relative to each other in an opening direction;
- wherein the threaded adjustment mechanism is disposed on a base arm of the second arm, the base arm defines a limiting slot extending along a first direction, and the threaded adjustment mechanism comprises:
- a screw disposed along the first direction of the limiting slot and a knob located at an outer end of the limiting slot, wherein an outer end of the screw is non-rotatably coupled to the knob for rotation with the knob, and an inner end of the screw is configured to be locked at an inner end of the limiting slot to restrict axial play of the screw while permitting circumferential rotation of the screw;
- and
- a nut threadably engaged with the screw, wherein the nut is constrained by the limiting slot and the screw to move only linearly along the first direction, the nut having a protruding portion received in the limiting slot, the protruding portion defining a fixing hole through which the hook extends;
- and
- wherein rotation of the knob drives rotation of the screw to reciprocally move the nut between a proximal stop position and a distal stop position, thereby changing an initial pre-extension amount of the spring;
- wherein, when the nut is at the proximal stop position, the nut abuts a first end stop surface, and when the nut is at the distal stop position, the hook of the spring abuts a second end stop surface;
- and
- wherein an upper end of the limiting slot defines a through slot extending through the limiting slot, the through slot having a first end proximate to a pivot joint, the first end extending into the through slot to form a stepped portion, and an end face of the stepped portion proximate to the through slot forms the first end stop surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.