US20110289642A1

US20110289642A1 - Finger guard

Info

Publication number: US20110289642A1
Application number: US12/791,283
Authority: US
Inventors: James Pena
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-06-01
Filing date: 2010-06-01
Publication date: 2011-12-01

Abstract

A finger guard includes an elongated conical member having a hollow interior, a cap disposed on top and an opening along the bottom into which the hand of a user can be inserted. The elongated conical member can be constructed from transparent material and can include a padded interior, one or more fasteners and a channel for accommodating an IV line.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a hand and finger protection device, and more particularly to a device for protecting the thumb and fingers of a user while being dressed.
2. Description of the Related Art
As any parent will attest, dressing an infant can be a challenging endeavor at times. Unlike older children who have learned to close their hands when putting on a shirt, infants and young children will often leave their hands open while being dressed. When this occurs, the thumb and fingers of the infant will often become entangled with the clothing. In some instances, the parent may not realize that a finger or thumb has become snagged and as they continue to pull the clothing across the arm of the infant, an injury can occur. Such injuries often include pulled ligaments, pulled tendons and/or broken bones.
To this end, one of the biggest challenges facing a parent while dressing an infant revolves around getting the infants' hands through the clothing without injuring their fingers. As such, many parents will attempt to hold the infants hand while trying to gently feed it through the narrow arm opening of the shirt. However, due to the small size of the opening it is not uncommon for the parent to inadvertently stretch, tear or otherwise damage the clothing which can be expensive to replace.
Although devices have been proposed for deterring children from sucking fingers and for protecting hands against extreme temperature variation, there remains a need for a device capable of protecting the fingers and thumb of an individual while being dressed. Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a device that is also easy to use, and economical to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a hand and finger protection device that includes an elongated conical member having a hollow interior and a cap disposed at a first end. The device also includes an opening along the bottom into which the hand of a user can be inserted. When so placed, the device can be utilized by a caregiver to protect the fingers and thumb of a user while being dressed.
Another embodiment of the present invention can include a channel for routing an IV line, and yet another embodiment of the present invention can include one or more fasteners for preventing the device from accidently separating from the hand of the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a frontal elevation of one embodiment of a finger guard device that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating one embodiment of the invention in use.

FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating an alternate embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view illustrating another alternate embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view illustrating an alternate embodiment of the invention in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the inventive arrangements in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Additionally, as described herein, the terms “thumb” and “finger” are intended to be interchangeable such that any reference to one may include the other. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Although depicted as an aid for infants, the inventive concepts disclosed herein can be equally utilized by older children or adults who require assistance. As such, embodiments of the present invention can be utilized to aid caregivers of developmentally challenged individuals and the infirm, for example, without departing from the spirit of the invention.
FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a finger guard that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. To this end, finger guard 10 can include an elongated frustum-conical body (cone) 11 having a diameter that is large at the bottom (D) and small at the top (D′) until forming a convex cap 12. The cone 11 can further include a hollow interior 13 and an opening 14 positioned at the bottom thereof for receiving a hand.
As shown, cap 12 can be securely positioned atop cone 11 via a permanent attachment means such as an industrial grade adhesive, for example. Alternatively, cap 12 can also be formed by extending the cone 11 such that the cap 12 becomes a seamless element of the cone 11. Moreover, the inner wall of cone 11 can also include an optional foam pad lining or a soft rubber coating (not shown) in order to improve the comfort of the user, each of these elements being well known to one of skill in the art.
In one preferred embodiment, cone 11 and cap 12 can be constructed from a clear lightweight and impact resistant material such as hardened acrylic or injection molded plastic, for example, however other materials are also contemplated. Additionally, finger guard 10 when configured for use with infants, can preferably have a dimension of 5 inches in length and a diameter D of 2 inches at the bottom and a diameter D′ of 0.5 inch at the top. Of course other dimensions and shapes are also contemplated, as will be discussed below.
FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of the finger guard 10 in use. As shown, a hand 20 can be inserted through the opening 14 and into the hollow portion 13 of the cone 11. When positioned in this manner, the thumb and fingers of the hand 20 can be protected against injury resulting from contact with clothing 21. Moreover, the convex cap 12 acts as smooth guide to allow a shirt, hospital gown, or other material to slide easily over the finger guard (See arrow A) without snagging the fingers of the user. As such, when utilized by a parent or caregiver, it is possible to quickly and easily dress a user without causing injury.
FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a finger guard 30 that is essentially a larger version of the above described device and includes a transparent cone 11. Such a configuration can be utilized, for example, in a hospital setting, and is particularly applicable to patients attached to an IV or other medical instruments. In this embodiment, the elongated cone 11 can be constructed from a transparent material, and in a dimension suitable for fully enclosing the hand 20 of a child or adult user while leaving extra space to accommodate an intravenous line (IV) 31. Additionally, the device can further include an optional channel 32 positioned within the inside wall of the elongated cone and extending to the opening 14. To this end, channel 32 can include a recessed path for providing additional space to accommodate an IV line 31 a.
By incorporating a clear/transparent material in which the hand remains visible to the caregiver, it becomes possible to easily dress the user without causing injury to either the fingers, or the IV attached to the hand.
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an alternate embodiment of a finger guard 10 that further includes a plurality of fasteners 40 for securing a hand inside the guard 10. As shown in FIG. 4, several fasteners 40 can be located along the bottom of the cone 11 just inside the opening 14. These fasteners can preferably include a soft bendable material capable of conforming to the shape of the hand when inserted. As shown in FIG. 5, when a hand 20 is placed inside the cone, the fasteners 40 can apply a light pressure on the hand while bending upward. In this regard, the fasteners can remain in contact with the hand at all times thus preventing the guard 10 from inadvertently falling off. Likewise, when the hand is being removed, the fasteners can bend with the hand allowing it to be easily removed when adequate pressure is applied.
In one preferred embodiment, fasteners 40 can be constructed from a soft bendable material such as rubber, or neoprene, for example, however other materials are also contemplated.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed.
Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims

1. A finger guard comprising:

an elongated conical member having a hollow interior and a cap disposed at a first end;

an opening positioned at a second end of the conical member, said second end being opposite to said first end, and said opening exposing the hollow interior;

wherein said hollow portion is configured to encompass a hand of a user and said conical member is configured to easily glide across a cloth.

2. The finger guard of claim 1, wherein said elongated conical member is transparent.

3. The finger guard of claim 1, further comprising:

a channel configured to accommodate an IV line, said channel extending along an inside portion of the conical member from said opening.

4. The finger guard of claim 1, further comprising:

a padded layer attached to an inside portion of the conical member.

5. The finger guard of claim 4, wherein said padded layer includes one of a foam lining and a soft rubber coating.

6. The finger guard of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more fasteners positioned along an inside periphery of the opening, said fasteners being configured to removably secure the hand of the user inside the hollow portion.

7. The finger guard of claim 6, wherein said one or more fasteners includes a flexible element configured to bend.

8. The finger guard of claim 7, wherein said one or more fasteners includes at least one of rubber and neoprene.

9. The finger guard of claim 1, wherein said cap is transparent.

10. The finger guard of claim 1, wherein said cap is permanently affixed to said conical member.

11. The finger guard of claim 1, wherein said cap is removably affixed to said conical member.