Hand exerciser

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/013,730 filed Dec. 14, 2007.

The present invention relates to exercising a person\'s hand, and more particularly to a deformable, stretchable, and resilient hand exercising device.

Motions of the hand that are often used in the therapy, or rehabilitation, and fitness areas include flexion, or squeezing, and extension. There are conventional devices for flexion and for extension, but few if any devices provide for both of these motions. Various balls and shapes are used for flexion in the therapy and fitness markets. Extension devices are predominantly used in the therapy field, and many include rubber bands stretched around a series of posts.

There is a dearth of single devices that can effectively work all the muscles in the hand. Separate exercises using multiple devices may be necessary to satisfactorily develop complete hand functionality. In addition, in the case of geriatric and arthritic patients, traditional squeeze ball devices are frequently dropped by patients, requiring physical therapists to retrieve the dropped device.

Hand exerciser devices are used by individuals who are looking to strengthen and tone their muscles in addition to the rehabilitation of patients with a wide variety of physical ailments. Subsequent to an injury or surgical procedure, a patient under the care of physicians, physical therapists, and/or trainers is guided through a series of exercises using a wide variety of devices, including hand exerciser devices, which offer differing degrees of resistance for any targeted muscle groups.

There is a need for a hand exerciser device which allows a user to practice both flexion and extension during conventional use resulting in greater efficiency, comfort and a decrease in slippage during use.

A hand exerciser device, comprised of a body having a thumb opening, a plurality of finger openings spaced apart from the thumb opening, and a central enlarged portion interposed between the thumb opening and the finger openings where the body is fabricated from a gelatinous elastomeric composition having both sufficient stretchability for extension of the hand exerciser device by opposing pressures applied by the thumb and at least one finger and sufficient resistance for compression of the hand exerciser device by cooperating pressures applied by the thumb and at least one finger and also returning to the original shape with release of the pressures, even after extensive repeated extending and/or flexing.