# US 5,350,342 A · Deformable grip

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- Number: US 5,350,342 A
- Document ID: US5350342A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/021,520
- Filed: 1993-02-22
- Granted: 1994-09-27
- Earliest claimed: 1992-06-09
- Inventors: Mark A. Scatterday
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5350342A

## CPC

- A63B 21/00189: {using resistance provided by plastic deformable materials, e.g. lead bars or kneadable masses (resilient force-resistors made of material having high internal friction A63B21/028)}
- A63B 23/16: for hands or fingers {(for teaching typing G09B13/00)}
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)

## Abstract

The invention is a semi-resilient exercise grip that has a non-resilient particulate core surrounded by a resilient rubber covering. Within the core there is also a dry lubricant such as talc that allows the particles to move over each other without damage. The outer covering may consist of a single thick latex layer, a thin latex layer surrounded by a thick rubber layer or a number of thin latex layers. The semi-resiliency of the grip enables a user to deform the grip and thereby change its shape. The grip can be moved within the hand to allow the user to deform it repeatedly while changing the grip's shape each time.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semi-resilient exercise grip comprising:
a non-resilient dry core containing a deformable mixture of tightly-packed individual particles that are in continuous contact with each other, and a dry lubricant that allows the particles to slide over each other; and
a resilient covering surrounding said core wherein when the grip is held in a user's hand in a non-deformed around shape and then compressed by a user's hand, it is deformed into a first shape and upon the release of compressive force, the grip partially resumes the shape it had prior to the deformation and assumes a second shape that is different from said first shape.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The grip of claim 1 wherein the particles are hard and are similar in size and shape to millet.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The grip of claim 2 wherein the particles are millet.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The grip of claim 1 wherein the lubricant is a dry powder and has lubricating properties similar to powdered talc.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The grip of claim 1 wherein the covering is formed from a plurality of rubber layers that are ball-shaped when in an unstretched state and wherein each rubber layer applies its own inward force on the core and wherein the total inward force on the core is the combined total of the individual inward forces exerted on the core by each layer of the covering and wherein the effort required to deform the grip increases as the grip is deformed away from a non-deformed shape.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The grip of claim 5 wherein each rubber layer is formed from a latex rubber material.

### Claim 7

A semi-resilient exercise grip comprising:
a non-resilient dry core containing a deformable tightly-packed mixture of individual, substantially millet-sized particles that are in continuous contact with each other; and
a resilient covering surround said core wherein when the grip is held in a user's hand in a non-deformed round shape and then compressed by a user's hand, it is deformed into a first shape and upon the release of compressive force, the grip partially resumes the shape it had prior to the deformation and assumes a second shape that is different from said first shape and wherein the effort required to deform the grip increases as the grip is deformed away from a non-deformed shape.

### Claim 8

A semi-resilient exercise grip comprising:
a non-resilient core containing a deformable mixture of individual particles and a powdered talc lubricant; and
a resilient covering surround said core wherein when the grip is held in a user's hand in a non-deformed round shape and then compressed by a user's hand, it is deformed into a first shape and upon the release of compressive force, the grip partially resumes the shape it had prior to the deformation and assumes a second shape.