Guard for protecting painter's thumb
US6865748B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 20, 2002 |
| Grant date | Mar 15, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 20, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA41D13/087
- WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
The present invention comprises a thumb guard and method of protecting tissues of the thumb and hand from injury. A preferred thumb guard according to the present invention comprises a tubular tapered body made from a strap of flexible, resilient material in which the end segments are interconnected and oppositely inclined so that the guard will fit complementally over the user's thumb. The guard is configured so that when placed on a user's thumb, portions of the guard cover the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb to protect the thumb from stress and injury when the user holds a paint bucket with the thumb hooked under the bail of the bucket. The body is fabricated of sufficiently flexible material to permit fold back of the overlapping end segments of the strap body to permit orientation of the guard on the user's thumb in an alternate disposition such that the folded back segments of the guard protect the user's thumb pad from bail imposed stress when holding a paint bucket with the thumb hooked over the bail of the bucket.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.