US20090165233A1

US20090165233A1 - Ergonomic handle design applicable to many hand held implements

Info

Publication number: US20090165233A1
Application number: US12/004,989
Authority: US
Inventors: Ted Hagemann
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-12-26
Filing date: 2007-12-26
Publication date: 2009-07-02

Abstract

The ergonomic paint brush handle provides for comfortable 360 degree operation for the user being that there is more than one way to hold and use this ergonomic brush handle. In this said invention I will describe a handle in its application toward the easibility of brushing and painting. The common paint brush handle is very difficult to use for lengths of time and is not ergonomic in design. This said invention will relieve the pains of the hand and fingers by reapplying the hand to a new designed handle based on the over all movement of the hand wrist arm and body.

This said invention takes into account the simultaneous movement of the hand and finger together to operate basic hand tools. The paint brush handle that is described with-in said documents is just one of said tools. The handle extends out on a three dimensional axis to allow a good grip by the right or left hands. The handle allows for the middle, ring and pinky fingers to establish a good grip on said handle. The fore finger and thumb go on each side just below the ferrule on the shoulder of the brush to help guide for control of usage. The angle of the twisted handle allows for easy movement between the palm of the hand and the middle, ring and pinky fingers. The results is a brush with an ergonomic handle that relives all known painting difficulties known with conventional design handles.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This presented ergonomic handle design invention specifically refers to an ergonomically designed ordinary commercially available type paint brush handle.
Years of using hand tools urged this inventor to rethink the hands physical limitations to various tool handle designs presently available in the market place. This said ergonomically designed handle will clearly demonstrate the conformability, easibility and usability with the hands in relationship to the rest of the body.
It is not the intention of said ergonomic invention to include other implement applications this said invention applies. This invention is oriented to the paint brush however mentioned later will be a host of other implements this handle applies. It is important to say that this ergonomic design is applicable to many hand operated levers and implements.
The available paint brush handles that are common to the inventors decades of usage, results in the hand trying to manipulate the paint brush (or many other type of implements as well) and the rest of the body goes along for the ride in a fashion that is not as comfortable as you would want it to be.
This said invention is being applied to the regular everyday house painting brush to clearly show one basic application said invention can be applied to. Through the many tools this inventor has used there have always been other ergonomically designed alterations to allow the tool to be more comfortable to the natural movement of the fingers, palm of hand, wrist, fore and upper arms. In fact, this said invention allows the entire body to operate better and be more effective as a tool than previous ergonomic designs. Through trial and error better alterations have been processed and developed by the inventor on many tools but not all tool applications.
The example of hand tools that said invention conforms to be virtually endless when it comes to the applications that this said invention is applicable. Using this ergonomic handle invention to help guide the paint brush more economically will again demonstrate the functioning problems of the average paint brush handle on the market or any previous works of art.
The brushes can be of any size from smaller artist brushes to larger 8 inch industrial strength quality and home painting brushes. However the inventor of said invention finds that this design is applicable to many other tools of the many known industries. At this time the paint brush is the only implement that has been contractor tested and approved beyond acceptance. The contractor wanted the brush to be an 8 inch brush.
This said ergonomic handle design is applicable to the cooking, cutlery, carpentry, masonry, medical industries. Examples are spatulas and large cooking utensils. The cutlery industry including knives forks and spoons are applicable. Furthermore, many other industries this said invention satisfies stress and fatigue free operation. These industries include: weapons industry for rifle and hand gun application. Specifically this inventor found that this said ergonomic invention applies directly to putty knives, spackling knives, trowels and floaters for the concrete industry. I see the scalpel for the medical industry would have a great advantage as well manufactured with this said invention. This ergonomic handle design can be applied to the artillery industry such as weapons like hand guns and levers of all sorts that operate by the hand.
Many of the fore mentioned tool industries have handle designs that are awkward and some times very difficult to operate efficiently and accurately. However, we use these manual labor tools from all these industries ever day. The inventor may not be aware of other industries that are applicable. The difficulties arise when some of these tools are used. These tools in general when operated from their original conventional design create many health related problems.
The inventor notes many of the above mentioned existing tools on the market are stressful to the fingers, hands, wrists, fore and upper arms, back and legs during prolonged usage. The physical muscular and skeletal stress comes from the cramped fingers hands arms etc. do to the existing handle configurations on the market today many painter have physical limitations that slow their painting process down. The bodily stress mostly the hand wrist and arm can result in failure of the body dropping the paint brush and ruining the work piece or physically damaging the painter hand, wrist or arm.
This said ergonomic handle invention for the paint brush is unique in that it provides not only comfort for the wrist, hand, arm and the rest of the body resulting in an increased time duration that the tool can be used without major wrist and hand fatigue also, the ability to paint where conventional brushes dare to go.
The conventional straight paint brush handle that is globally marketed limits the arm, wrist and hand from efficiently maneuvering the tool to do precise work. The old straight handle design commonly known dictates undue stress on the arm, wrist and hand resulting in muscle fatigue and risking damage to the hand and fingers with blisters, pain and cramped and possibly hurting muscles and bones to the degree of failure requiring medical attention. This has been the inventors experience regarding the reason for this said ergonomical handle. The failure can range from sloppy unacceptable paint work to the hand failing and dropping the paint brush during the work process. This can prevent a person to become a professional painter. The brush of the old design presents other problems as well. One is that the paint runs down the furrel and straight down the brush handle and onto the hand making sloppy messy work.

PATENT SEARCH OF RELATED ART

Invention #'s
Ser. No. 167,775
U.S. Pat. No. 1,888,930
U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,198
U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,669
D167775
D255845
D415899
20020066163
U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,213 B1
U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,669
Previous art in this area is wide spread on alterations of the common handle for many devices. The following will concentrate on the paint brush handle and other art that concentrates on hand movement and operation in general.
USP application 20020066163 show basic hand grip type application that doest concentrate on wrist and arm movement in relation to the rest of the body. After studing this illustration this inventor feels there may be only one way to hold this brush and be a little effective.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,213 B1 shows a design of ergonomic handle for a paint brush application. This is good thinking on this inventor however the inventor doesn't take into account the hand arm movements that operate the brush and to enhance the operation of the artists mind. Where as this said ergonomic invention that this application is for demonstrates a design that further reaches greater ability to move and be creative in his or her creativity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,669 shows a handle that represents a typical application that is seen in many pieces of art around the globe One being military weaponry and simple artillery application. This also does little to the artist ability to be creative. In this inventors patent shows many arrangements of the handle. Clearly the handle remains in a two dimensional plane which does not compliment the hand wrist arm operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,888,930 shows the clockwise twist of the handle which conform to the inner thumb contour. This is a good approach however my invention not only has this clockwise twist but also has the offset to accommodate 3 dimensionally the rest of the hand configuration.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 167,775 shows the slight angle protruding directly downward from the shoulder of the brush but again it is all in the same two dimensional plane where this said ergonomic handle design is a 3 dimensional design.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Two canted handle adjustments aid greatly in the operation of said ergonomic handle. However, the distorted handle appendage end as a solid body, by turning one part relative to another about the main axis of the tool body greatly induces human body parts comfort ability during usage. This said ergonomic handle is the appendage extension from the shoulder of the brush head. The handle extends away from the brush head in the same axis as the head at a predetermined point the appendage forms an approximate downward angle between 20 and 75 degrees the optimum is 40 to 45 degree bend in the appendage. Refer to drawings. The same extended appendage is canted outward at 5 to 35 degree angle with 18 to 25 degrees being optimum. Further more, this said invention also forms a twist of the outward canted appendage between 5 and 35 degrees with 18 to 25 degrees being optimum for this inventor.
The normal hand position shown in FIG. 7 shows the hand is at a relaxed state but prepared to engage in work. This said invention allows the hand to operate the brush more efficiently and for much longer periods of time.
This said ergonomic handle provides better gripping by filling the palm concaved gripping portion of the hand and this fills this area for brush maneuverability. As the palm is naturally gripped on the handle the fingers are flexible to operate the brush for more precise work and longer periods of time. This is show in FIG. 10.
This better grip allows the hand to operate the brush easier and smoother in relation to the old accepted handle design. The natural painting positions of the body becomes relaxed and allows the hand, wrist, arm to be in a better position with the body to develop faster more effective painting. This results in faster painting more effectively with longer durations of time of tool usage without muscle fatigue or from this inventor experience bone fatigue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1) shows a perspective frontal view of a right handed ergonomic handle

FIG. 2) shows a perspective rear view of said invention

FIG. 3) shows a perspective top view. This view shows the optimum 20 degree offset from the brushes main axis.

FIG. 4) shows a bottom perspective of said invention. Again showing the 20 degree offset.

FIG. 5) shows an end view perspective of said invention. This view shows the handles clockwise twist of a 20 degree optimal position

FIG. 6) shows a frontal bottom perspective again emphasizing the said inventions handle angles.

FIG. 7) shows the frontal perspective with a normal hand position in a relaxed state.

FIG. 8) shows a rear with hand perspective showing the forefingers control position.

FIG. 9) shows an upside down holding position for surfaces of horizontal planes

FIG. 10) shows and end view of said invention showing the twisted handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This said invention ergonomic handle FIG. 1, 1 is manufactured by plastic injected mold process. The furrel FIG. 1, 11, 15 and natural bristles FIG. 1, 7 of the brush are made in conventional means. The said invention handle will be plastic injected by plastic injection machines. The mold will be manufactured to dimension specification set fourth during in the engineering design of the tool mold taking into account of shrinkage for product removal. The tool mold will be injected with plastic to produce said invention. The furrel and natural brush assembly will be stamped by machinery to be clamped to said invention at point FIG. 1, 13. There will be a depression on either side of said handle in the area FIG. 1, 7 for finger control and maneuvering of the brush.
This said ergonomic handle extends from the shoulder of the brush head. The handle extends away from the brush head in the same axis as the head as usual common know handles commercially available on the market today. At a predetermined point FIG. 1, 5 the appendage forms an approximate down ward angle between 20 and 75 degrees the optimum is 40 to 45 degree bend in the appendage FIG. 1, 3.
The same extended appendage is formed outward at a 5 to 35 degree angle with 18 to 20 degrees being optimum FIG. 3, 31. Furthermore, the said ergonomic handle also forms a twist of the angled appendage between 5 and 35 degrees with 18 to 20 degrees being the optimum for this inventor. This angle of torsional twist is clearly observed in FIG. 5, 51 and FIG. 10 101. This twist is to allow the palm of the hand to be filled with the handle of the brush hence the ergonomic effect.
The normal hand position shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10 shows the hand at a relaxed state but prepared to engage in work. The said invention allows the hand to operate the brush more efficiently and for much longer periods of time. This said ergonomic handle provides better gripping by filling the concaved portion of the palm with the offsetted twisted handle. As the palm is naturally gripped on the handle the fingers are flexible to operate the brush for perscion work for longer periods of time.
The better grip allows the hand to operate the brush easier and smoother with heavier finger work required for the older straight handled design. The natural painting positions of the body becomes relaxed and allows to be the hand wrist arms to be in a better position with the body to develop faster more efficient painting. This results in a faster painting more efficiently with longer durations of time of tool usage without muscle or bone fatigue.
This said invention provides a grip for a paint brush application that more geometrically conforms to the hands natural movements shown in FIG. 8, 81, 83, 85 show the back of the hand. The forefinger that extends out onto the shoulder of the brush allows for complete control of the brush head. FIG. 9 shows a position of the brush in the hand that allows you to paint upside down on horizontal surfaces. This brush covers 360 degree in paint environment allows for greater painting ability and creativity.

Claims

1) An ergonomic paint brush handle comprising of a ferrule with natural or synthetic fibers attached to said invention

2) An ergonomic paint brush handle that comprises of a shoulder with an extended appendage protruding from said shoulder.

3) An ergonomic handle extends from the shoulder at a predetermined downward angle of 40 to 50 degrees from the main axis of the shoulder and brush assembly

4) An ergonomic handle extends from the shoulder with an off set, either left or right depending on if it is a left or right handed model design, at 18 to 20 degrees from the plane of the brush head.

5) An ergonomic handle extended from the shoulder with the offset mentioned in claim 4 to be twisted symmetrically clockwise between 18 to 20 degrees.

6) An ergonomic handle allows the painter to be more creative do to the easibility of the implement.

7) This invention will allow a painter to paint longer with less muscle fatigue.

8) This invention can be manipulated to paint many surfaces at many angles without becoming uncomfortable to the hand wrist arm or body.

9) This said ergonomic handle allows the painter to be less sloppy and in more control with the paint application.

10) This handle design will allow the user to paint in a 360 degree angle without losing control of the brush.

11. This described invention is an ergonomic handle design for hand held implements such in this case a paint brush

12. This said invention of an ergonomic handle as referred to in item 11 above (attached to the furrel of a paint brush head) is structured such that the handle is formed out laterally and down at specified angles along with the handle for the palm of the hand section is twisted in a clockwise position to further accommodate the hand and wrist movement in the tool operation.

13. The handle referred in item 11 comprises of a shoulder for finger control with an extended appendage protruding from said shoulder which extends from the shoulder at a predetermined downward angle of 40 to 50 degrees from the main axis of the shoulder and the brush assembly with an off set to the outer right of said brush handle axis, at 15 to 25 degrees from the axis plane of the brush head. This handle design in claim 1 will allow the user to paint in a 360 degree angle without losing control of the brush.