Inventors:
Donald Archuleta - Loveland CO, US
International Classification:
A63B023/14
A63B023/16
Abstract:
Fingers clenched during sleep (the ‘trigger finger’ condition) can be prevented from locking up by limiting the degree of flexure (closure) that the fingers can experience. An object of compressible resilient material, which may be a soft rubber ball, is affixed proximate the palm of the hand. As the fingers curve to become flexed they wrap around the object and the degree of flexure is limited to a non-locking amount by the gradual but increasing resistance of the object to compression. To keep the ball in place during sleep the person may wear a glove, and the ball is removably affixed to the exterior palm portion of the glove, perhaps with hook and loop fasteners. The glove may be of thin stretchable material that is also breathable and having finger sections that omit the ends thereof. The appliance can be used for hand exercises, and different degrees of effort can be obtained by selecting a compressible resilient object having a desired degree of resistance to compression. And for either use, the size of the compressible resilient object or diameter of the ball can be chosen to fit comfortably within the partially flexed fingers of the hand. Alternate embodiments include permanently mounting the ball to the palm of the glove and omitting the glove in favor of elastic loops affixed to the ball (either permanently or removably) that engage the center fingers and the back of the hand.
