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Finger exerciser

Finger exerciser description/claims

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to exercise devices, more particularly to devices for exercising the fingers, and most particularly to finger exercisers for guitar players.

2. Description of the Prior Art

While strumming a guitar with one hand, a guitar player grips the neck of the guitar with the other hand, placing the thumb directly behind the neck and pressing down on the guitar strings with the fingers to make contact with the guitar frets, thereby changing the sound of the vibrating strings. Similar finger action is required for playing other stringed instruments, such as violins, cellos, and the like. This repetitive motion requires a lot of finger strength. Therefore it would be advantageous to provide a device for exercising and strengthening the fingers of a guitar player or other stringed instrument player.

Many devices are found in the prior art of finger exercisers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,019 to Harris shows an exerciser for fingers that relies on a series of weights attached to pulleys which provide a resistive force to fingers inserted into loops. U.S. Pat. No. D 352,764, also shows a design for a finger exerciser, wherein the fingers press down a plurality of plungers that have springs supplying opposing force. Other design patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. D 419,210, D 418,560, D 418,160, and D 416,299. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,911,011; 6,406,406; 5,820,522; and 6,951,529 show other prior art. None of the aforementioned utility or design patents show an exerciser where the user has his or her thumb in full opposition to the hand, as is required in the use of stringed instruments, and as provided for in the device of the present invention.

In one aspect of the invention, a finger exerciser has a frame with a thumb receiving portion that defines a thumb receiving aperture therein. Four stretchable elements are mounted in a spaced relationship to a portion of the frame substantially opposed to the thumb receiving portion and extend toward the thumb receiving portion. A finger receiving element is attached to the distal end of each stretchable element.

In another aspect of the invention, a finger exerciser has a substantially rigid frame with a thumb receiving portion that defines a thumb receiving aperture therein. Four springs are mounted in a spaced relationship to a portion of the frame substantially opposed to the thumb receiving portion and extend toward the thumb receiving portion. At the distal ends of the springs, four finger receiving elements are attached.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the finger exerciser of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the finger exerciser of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a finger exerciser of the invention with fingers and thumb inserted therein.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a finger exerciser of the invention with fingers and thumb inserted therein and pointed toward a simulated neck portion or frets of a guitar.

FIG. 1 shows a finger exerciser 10 of the invention formed of a frame 12 having a thumb receiving portion 14 thereof. The frame 12 has an open interior. Thumb receiving portion 14 defines therein a thumb receiving aperture 16. Mounted to a portion 18 of frame 12 that is substantially opposed to thumb receiving portion 14 are four stretchable elements 20. The stretchable elements 20 are mounted in a spaced relationship and extend inwardly into the open interior of frame 12 from portion 18 toward portion 14. Connected to the distal ends from the frame 12 of each stretchable element 20 is a finger receiving element 22.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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