U.S. patent application number 13/202558 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-22 for hand utility interface.
Invention is credited to Michael Charlton Powell, Leslie James Stokes.
Application Number | 20120071070 13/202558 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42144945 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120071070 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Powell; Michael Charlton ;
et al. |
March 22, 2012 |
HAND UTILITY INTERFACE
Abstract
The present invention provides, inter alia, a hand utility
interface comprising a body having a plurality of finger members or
channels each sized and shaped to receive one finger of the user's
hand, wherein the user's hand is releasably gripped by the hand
utility interface when the fingers of the hand are inserted into
the members or channels, the interface having a finger
tip-receiving recess formed therein in the upper surface thereof at
a location that is proximate a front edge/distal end of the hand
utility interface substantially forward of at least one of the
finger members or channels whereby the user may insert a finger tip
into the recess to press the hand utility interface down firmly
against a target surface at the front/distal end of the hand
utility interface. This arrangement enhances control when the
device is used to sand or otherwise treat surfaces of target
objects in corners/regions that are otherwise enclosed and awkward
to access. In other aspects the interface body is provided with a
skirt to protect the user from fluids; or with a front that is
angled tapering towards a forward-most point whereby the media may
ride up the walls of the tapering front. In a yet further aspect
the interface has a reservoir for a treatment fluid, the reservoir
being separable from the hand utility interface and formed as a
vessel with a compressible concertina-form perimeter wall.
Inventors: |
Powell; Michael Charlton;
(Isle of Man, GB) ; Stokes; Leslie James; (Isle of
Man, GB) |
Family ID: |
42144945 |
Appl. No.: |
13/202558 |
Filed: |
February 19, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
February 19, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2010/000303 |
371 Date: |
November 30, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
451/458 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B24D 15/045 20130101;
A47L 13/18 20130101; A47L 13/28 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
451/458 |
International
Class: |
B24B 19/00 20060101
B24B019/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 19, 2009 |
GB |
0902830.9 |
Feb 19, 2009 |
GB |
0902831.7 |
Feb 19, 2009 |
GB |
0902832.5 |
Feb 19, 2009 |
GB |
0902833.3 |
Claims
1. A hand utility interface comprising a body having a plurality of
finger members or channels each sized and shaped to receive one
finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is releasably
gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers of the hand
are inserted into the members or channels, the interface having a
finger tip-receiving recess formed therein in the upper surface
thereof at a location that is proximate a front edge/distal end of
the hand utility interface substantially forward of at least one of
the finger members or channels whereby the user may insert a finger
tip into the recess to press the hand utility interface down firmly
against a target surface at the front/distal end of the hand
utility interface.
2. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
recess is located in a region that is to the right or to the left
of the hand utility interface.
3. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 2, wherein the
recess is located at or near a right or left front corner of the
hand utility interface.
4. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hand
utility interface has at least two finger-tip receiving recesses,
one to the left and one to the right of the hand utility
interface.
5. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
recess has a front wall/face and a rear wall/face whereby when a
fingertip is inserted into the recess the hand utility interface
may be pressed and moved back and forth by the fingertip.
6. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 5, wherein the
recess is substantially circular as viewed in plan whereby the
recess may securely accommodate a fingertip to enable the hand
utility interface to be readily pressed and moved back and forth or
laterally by a fingertip inserted into the recess.
7. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hand
utility interface has at least one medial finger channel or member
and two lateral finger channels or members and the least one finger
tip-receiving recess is located directly forward of the tip of one
of the lateral finger channels or members.
8. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hand
utility interface has at least one medial finger channel or member
and two lateral finger channels or members and outer sidewalls of
the lateral finger channels are substantially absent.
9. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hand
utility interface body has a raised/domed palm portion extending
proximally beyond the proximal end of the finger channels to
overlie the user's palm .
10. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
hand utility interface body has a utility media substrate such as
an abrasive cloth, sheet or pad demountably mounted to its
underside in use.
11. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 10, wherein the
utility media substrate is an uncut rectangular sheet.
12. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 10, wherein the
utility media substrate is a narrower standard abrasive width or
less.
13. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
hand utility interface body has a mounting substrate layer that is
provided on, and suitably bonded to, the underside of the hand
utility interface body and which has a plurality of minute hooks to
co-operatively engage with the backing of common abrasive utility
media substrates.
14. A hand utility interface as claimed claim 13 wherein the minute
hooks are minute lugs with heads.
15. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
finger tip-receiving recess is located in a position where the user
can reach it and insert their index finger tip without disengaging
the rest of the hand and fingers from the finger
channels/members.
16. A hand utility interface comprising a body having a plurality
of finger members or channels each sized and shaped to receive one
finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is releasably
gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers of the hand
are inserted into the members or channels, the interface further
having a reservoir for a treatment fluid, the reservoir being
separable from the hand utility interface and formed as a vessel
with a compressible concertina-form perimeter wall, wherein the
vessel is open-topped and capped by a demountable lid that has
apertures to dispense the treatment fluid contents of the
vessel.
17. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 16, wherein
concertina-form perimeter wall of the vessel converges to a neck at
the top of the vessel and the demountable lid is formed with first
co-operative engagement means to securely engage with complementary
second co-operative engagement means provided on the neck.
18. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 17, wherein the
first and second co-operative engagement means comprise mating
screw threads.
19. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 16, wherein the
upper face of the lid provides a docking receptacle into which the
hand utility interface body may dock and be held against lateral
displacement.
20. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 19, wherein the
docking receptacle comprises a recess into the lid and or an
upstanding perimeter wall or substantially opposing wall sections
or flanges on the lid that constrain the hand utility interface
body against lateral displacement.
21. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 19, wherein the
hand utility interface body has media on the underside thereof to
receive and apply the treatment fluid and the docking receptacle
comprises a recess into the lid and or an upstanding perimeter wall
that surrounds and substantially encloses the media when the hand
utility interface body is docked therein.
22. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 19, wherein the
docking receptacle comprises substantially opposing wall sections
or flanges on the lid that extend up above any media on the hand
utility interface body to constrain side walls of the hand utility
interface body.
23. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 22, wherein the
hand utility interface body has opposing sidewalls the outer faces
of which are substantially straight/planar and the opposing
upstanding walls or flanges of the lid have inner faces which are
correspondingly substantially straight/planar whereby the walls or
flanges serve to constrain the body against lateral or rotational
movement relative to the vessel when the body is docked in use.
24. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 16, wherein the
concertina-form perimeter wall of the vessel comprises less than
four concertina elements.
25. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 16, wherein the
concertina-form perimeter wall of the vessel comprises concertina
elements wherein the angle between the pair of wall sections of
each concertina element, when the concertina-form perimeter wall is
in an un-compressed state, is greater than 20.degree..
26. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 16, wherein the
hand utility interface body has only three finger channels and no
significant palm part extending proximally beyond the proximal end
of the finger channels to overlie the user's palm and thereby is
very compact to facilitate docking to the lid.
27. A hand utility interface comprising a body having a plurality
of finger members or channels each sized and shaped to receive one
finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is releasably
gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers of the hand
are inserted into the members or channels, the interface further
having a reservoir for a treatment fluid, the reservoir being
separable from the hand utility interface body and formed as a
vessel with a compressible concertina-form perimeter wall, the
vessel having a top with apertures to dispense the treatment fluid
contents of the vessel, wherein the top is further provided with a
docking receptacle into which the hand utility interface body may
dock and be held against lateral displacement.
28. A reservoir for a hand utility interface, the reservoir being
mountable to a hand utility interface and formed as a vessel with a
compressible concertina-form perimeter wall, wherein the vessel is
open-topped and capped by a demountable lid that has apertures
dispense the treatment fluid contents of the vessel, the
demountable lid being provided with a docking receptacle into which
a hand utility interface body may dock and be held against lateral
displacement.
29. A hand utility interface, comprising a body having a plurality
of finger members or channels each sized and shaped to receive one
finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is releasably
gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers of the hand
are inserted into the members or channels, wherein the hand utility
interface body has only three finger channels and no significant
palm part extending proximally beyond the proximal end of the
finger channels to overlie the user's palm.
30. A hand utility interface comprising a body having a plurality
of finger members or channels each sized and shaped to receive one
finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is releasably
gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers of the hand
are inserted into the members or channels, the interface body
having a front that is angled tapering towards a forward-most point
whereby the front of the body is wedge-shaped as viewed in plan,
the interface body further having a utility media on the underside
thereof in use, wherein the utility media extends beyond the front
of the body whereby the media may ride up the walls of the tapering
front.
31. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 30, wherein the
utility media substrate is a circular disc and whereby it has
frontal segments that extend beyond the body at the zones where the
front of the body tapers.
32. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 30, wherein the
utility media substrate is a sanding or polishing sheet or pad.
33. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 32, wherein the
utility media substrate is a circular sanding or polishing
disc.
34. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 30, wherein the
front of the hand utility interface body tapers to a forward-most
point that is substantially central transversely across the body,
the hand utility interface body is axi-symmetric, the forward-most
point being substantially coincident with the axis of symmetry of
the hand utility interface body and the wedge shaped front being
axi-symmetrical also.
35. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 30, wherein the
the body is generally circular in foot-print, ie in shape as viewed
in plan, corresponding to the circular shape of the utility media
circular disc and is of substantially the same diameter.
36. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 30, wherein a rear
extension of the body is provided that preferably extends from the
rear edge of the body to serve as a support surface for the heel of
the user's hand in use.
37. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 30, wherein the
utility media substrate is demountably mounted to the underside of
the hand utility interface body by use of a mounting substrate
layer that is provided on the underside of the hand utility
interface body.
38. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 37, wherein the
mounting substrate layer for mounting the utility media substrate
to the hand utility interface body comprises a sheet that has a
plurality of minute hooks to engage velour-backed/loose
woven-backed utility media substrate/discs or minute lugs with
heads to co-operatively engage with loose woven-backed or open cell
foam-backed utility media substrate/discs.
39. A hand utility interface comprising a body having a plurality
of finger members or channels each sized and shaped to receive one
finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is releasably
gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers of the hand
are inserted into the members or channels, the interface body
having, or being adapted to have releasably mounted thereto, a
utility media on the underside thereof, wherein the utility media
is a circular sanding or polishing disc of the type that is widely
commercially available for use with powered rotary head tools such
as rotary sanders/disc sanders.
40. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 39, wherein the
body has an approximately circular shape as viewed in plan and a
diameter to substantially fit to a said disc.
41. A hand utility interface comprising a body having a plurality
of finger members or channels each sized and shaped to receive one
finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is releasably
gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers of the hand
are inserted into the members or channels, the interface body
having a utility media on the underside thereof, wherein the
utility media is demountably mounted to the underside by a mounting
substrate on the underside, the mounting substrate comprising a
sheet that has a plurality of minute hooks to engage
velour-backed/loose woven-backed utility media substrate/discs or
minute lugs with heads to co-operatively engage with loose
woven-backed or open cell foam-backed utility media
substrate/discs.
42. A hand utility interface comprising a body having a plurality
of finger members or channels each sized and shaped to receive one
finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is releasably
gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers of the hand
are inserted into the members or channels, the interface body
having in use on the underside thereof a foam pad or other media
for applying, or working in, a treatment fluid to a target object,
wherein the interface body is provided with a skirt extending from
a perimeter of the body to shield the hand of the user from
treatment fluid carried by the foam pad or other media.
43. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 42, wherein the
skirt extends upwardly, or downwardly to a level that at least
partially covers the sides of the foam pad or other media.
44. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 42, wherein the
skirt is formed from the interface body by a perimeter flange that
extends outwardly from the interface body beyond the perimeter of
the foam pad or other media.
45. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 44 wherein the
perimeter flange that extends outwardly then turns downwardly
and/or upwardly.
46. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 45, wherein the
perimeter flange turns downwardly at an angle in an arc or curve or
a straight line.
47. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 46, wherein the
angle of the turn is substantially less than 90.degree., thereby
defining a bevelled edge to the hand utility interface body.
48. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 43, wherein the
skirt extends downwardly from the perimeter of the body to a level
that is below the level of the whole of the rest of the body.
49. A hand utility interface as claimed in claim 43, wherein the
skirt extends downwardly from the perimeter of the body to a level
that substantially fully covers the sides of the foam pad or other
media when the foam pad or other media is compressed hard against a
target object in use.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a hand utility interface
which can grip the hand of a user and which, by eliminating the
need for the user to "grip", serves to enable the hand naturally to
conform to the contours of the surface being cared for and which
protects the user's hand during utility tasks.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0002] The interface may serve as a means to engage the hand with
media, such as, for example, an abrasive cloth, sheet or pad, for
sanding down a target surface or applying or working in a treatment
fluid to a target surface or for any number of other uses. The hand
utility interface may have uses including, for example, for
sanding, polishing, waxing or otherwise finishing wooden furniture
or other items or sanding or otherwise treating items of metalwork.
The interface may also be used in domestic surface care, wet trade
and food surface care, hospital surface care, janitorial care,
automotive care and boat care amongst many other possible uses
[0003] The closest known prior art is represented by the
applicant's earlier published International applications WO
2002/087406, WO 2004/098365, WO 2006/000762 and WO 2008/003979.
Each of these disclosures concerns a hand utility interface which
can grip the hand of a user and which protects the user's hand
during utility tasks. In the latter of these the hand utility
interface is fabricated from a block foam structure or from a
self-supporting resilient membrane and has open-topped finger
channels each sized and shaped to receive one finger of the user's
hand. The user's hand is releasably gripped by the hand utility
interface when the fingers of the hand are pressed into the finger
channels.
[0004] These hand utility interfaces, and especially the latter
ones, have excellent performance. They can be very flexible and
resilient giving the user similar sensitivity and dexterity as if
directly handling the task surface yet delivering protection for
the hand, fingers and nails from abrasion, knocks and stubbing of
the finger tips against the surface and can also provide a
waterproof and chemical barrier between the users hand and the
task. In freeing the hand from the need to grip the substrate, the
fingers of the hand can remain fully out stretched, so covering a
bigger surface area in each pass, and freeing the hand naturally to
conform to the contours of the surface, a thing it cannot do if it
has to grip the substrate.
[0005] However when used for some tasks, and most notably those
that require application of substantial pressure to the target
surface, such as when sanding or seeking to abrade away ingrained
grime, the existing form of the hand utility interface has
limitations in adequately reaching some areas. Zones of the target
surface that fall within enclosed areas/corners between walls or
other structures or formations of a target surface can be difficult
to penetrate effectively with the hand utility interfaces. It is
accordingly a general object of the present invention to address
this limitation of the existing hand utility interfaces.
Additionally, the existing hand utility interfaces do not
co-operate ideally with the widely commercially available forms of
abrasive media that are commonly rectangular. It is a further
general object of the invention to facilitate effective use of the
hand utility interface with such regular abrasive media without
need for wasteful cutting down of the media that is otherwise
needed to better suit the media to the interface.
[0006] A second problem area arises where the interface serves as a
means to engage the hand with media, such as, for example, a foam
pad or cloth, for applying treatment fluid to a target surface and
where the interface has a treatment fluid reservoir which
cooperates with the hand utility interface or which is incorporated
with the hand utility interface itself. Such hand utility
interfaces may be used, for example, for: baby care, beauty care,
patient care, grooming of either people or animals, domestic
surface care, wet trade and food surface care and the other
possible uses mentioned above.
[0007] In one of the embodiments in WO 2004/098365 a cleaning cloth
is mounted to the underside of the hand utility interface and
serves as the utility media. This cloth has perforate and
impermeable layers bonded at their perimeters and that enclose
between them a cleaning fluid reservoir. In a number of the
embodiments in WO 2008/003979 the hand utility interface
incorporates a burstable gel sack or other treatment fluid
reservoir between or beneath the finger channels. This may hold a
limited quantity of a cleaning or polishing paste, gel or liquid
and have a valve to control dispensing of it to the task surface or
intervening media. These hand utility interfaces with integral
reservoirs operate well for small tasks or for limited periods of
time. For greater longevity a simple system for
charging/re-charging the hand utility interface or associated media
with treatment fluid is needed. WO 2006/000762 introduces the
design of a separate disposable reservoir for a cleaning gel. In
one embodiment this comprises a vessel formed as a unitary hollow
body by a blow moulding process. This has a compressible
concertina-form circumferential wall bridged closed by top and
bottom walls, the top wall being perforated with a plurality of
apertures for dispensing the gel contents. The vessel contains a
greater volume of gel or other cleaning agent than the hand utility
interface alone may hold. However, we have found that this separate
vessel, though simple in form, can be difficult to use and is too
difficult to manufacture reliably. The concertina form in WO
2006/000762 demands too much stretching of the fabric of the vessel
wall, and results in very significant variations of thickness of
the wall, between the inward returns of the concertina and the
outward ones, such that some parts become too rigid and others too
thin to be of any useful service. Accordingly, there remains a need
for a hand utility interface and reservoir system that is capacious
enough for sustained usage and which is efficient and effective and
reasonably simple and economic to manufacture.
[0008] A third problem area arises for the hand utility interface
where the interface serves as a means to engage the hand with
media, such as, for example, an abrasive cloth, sheet or pad, for
sanding down a target surface or applying or working in a treatment
fluid to a target surface or for any number of other uses where
application pressure and reach is important. Such uses include, for
example, for sanding, polishing, waxing or otherwise finishing
wooden furniture or other items or sanding or otherwise treating
items of metalwork or again in domestic surface care, wet trade and
food surface care, hospital surface care, janitorial care,
automotive care and boat care et cetera. Our existing interfaces
when used for some of these tasks, and most notably those that
require application of substantial pressure to the target surface,
such as when sanding or seeking to abrade away ingrained grime,
have limitations in adequately reaching some areas. Zones of the
target surface that fall within enclosed areas/corners between
walls or other structures or formations of a target surface can be
difficult to penetrate effectively with the hand utility
interfaces. It is accordingly a further general object of the
present invention to address this limitation of the existing hand
utility interfaces. Furthermore, the existing hand utility
interfaces are generally limited to use with abrasive media that is
compact and/or which needs to be cut to size.
[0009] A fourth problem area concerns tasks that involve applying a
toxic or messy treatment fluid such as wood-stain to surfaces. Here
again the interface incorporates media, or serves as a means to
engage the hand with media, such as, for example, a foam pad or
cloth, for applying the treatment fluid to the target surface. Such
hand utility interfaces may be for many purposes such as listed
earlier. For the tasks involving use of treatment fluids such as
dyes or stains, eg wood-stain, or caustic or allergenic treatment
fluids such as aggressive disinfectants and cleaning fluids, the
treatment fluid is generally held in a foam pad or other media on
the underside of the hand utility interface body and to dispense
and apply this fluid generally entails pressing down on the body
compressing the foam pad or other media against the target work
surface. This compression can, however, cause the fluid to rise up
over the hand utility interface body and so use of additional thin
gloves of rubber, or other flexible impermeable material, within
the hand utility interface may still be preferred by some in order
to substantially obviate risk of hand contact with those fluids.
Use of such additional hand protection compromises some of the main
benefits of use of the hand utility interface, including reducing
target object handling sensitivity and dexterity and is
undesirable.
[0010] It is a further general object of the present invention to
enhance the barrier effectiveness of the hand utility interface
against treatment fluids to be applied by the hand utility
interface but to do so in a cost effective manner and which does
not significantly compromise the flexure of the interface and
undermine target object handling sensitivity and dexterity when
using the interface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention there
is provided a hand utility interface comprising a body having a
plurality of finger members or channels each sized and shaped to
receive one finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is
releasably gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers
of the hand are inserted into the members or channels, the
interface having a finger tip-receiving recess formed therein in
the upper surface thereof at a location that is proximate a front
edge/distal end of the hand utility interface substantially forward
of at least one of the finger members or channels whereby the user
may insert a finger tip into the recess to press the hand utility
interface down firmly against a target surface at the front/distal
end of the hand utility interface.
[0012] Preferably the recess is located in a region that is to the
right or to the left of the hand utility interface and suitably at
or near a right or left front corner of the hand utility interface.
In a particularly preferred embodiment the hand utility interface
has at least two finger-tip receiving recesses, one to the left and
one to the right of the hand utility interface.
[0013] Preferably the recess has a front wall/face and a rear
wall/face whereby when a fingertip is inserted into the recess the
hand utility interface may be pressed and moved back and forth by
the fingertip.
[0014] Advantageously the recess is substantially circular as
viewed in plan whereby the recess may securely accommodate a
fingertip to enable the hand utility interface to be readily
pressed and moved back and forth by a fingertip inserted into the
recess.
[0015] Preferably the hand utility interface has at least one, and
suitably two, medial finger channels or members and two lateral
finger channels or members and the at least one finger
tip-receiving recess is located directly forward of the tip of one
of the lateral finger channels or members. Preferably the outer
sidewalls of the lateral finger channels are substantially absent
to assist moving of the index finger from the channels to insert
the index finger into the finger tip-receiving recess when
required. The outer side walls being removed also means that this
format can drive a narrower standard abrasive width (eg 115 mm) and
without risk of the interface's hook substrate coming in to contact
with the target surface.
[0016] Suitably the hand utility interface body has a raised/domed
palm portion extending proximally beyond the proximal end of the
finger channels to underlie the user's palm which assists in
keeping the interface properly located under the user's hand and
facilitates pressing the palm down on the body to apply maximum
pressure when moving the device back-and-forth to sand or otherwise
treat a target surface.
[0017] In use the hand utility interface body has utility media
such as, for example, an abrasive cloth, sheet or pad mounted to
its underside and, by virtue of the provision of the front
corner-located finger-tip receiving recess, the hand utility
interface can be manipulated to press the abrasive cloth, sheet or
pad hard down into a corner of a target work object where otherwise
only indirect or relatively lighter pressure could be applied. The
utility media substrate is suitably demountably mounted to the
underside of the hand utility interface body and preferably by use
of a mounting substrate layer that is provided on, and suitably
bonded to, the underside of the hand utility interface body.
[0018] A preferred mounting substrate for mounting the utility
media substrate to the hand utility interface body comprises a
sheet that has a plurality of minute hooks and particularly
preferably minute lugs with heads (approximately mushroom-shaped
lugs) to co-operatively engage with the backing of common abrasive
utility media substrates--which variously have a fibrous, woven or
non-woven backing or open cell foam backing. Where the mounting
substrate is of the latter type it is suitably formed as an
extruded sheet with raised spikes that are then formed into minute
mushroom forms.
[0019] According to a second aspect of the present invention there
is provided a hand utility interface comprising a body having a
plurality of finger members or channels each sized and shaped to
receive one finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is
releasably gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers
of the hand are inserted into the members or channels, the
interface further having a reservoir for a treatment fluid, the
reservoir being separable from the hand utility interface and
formed as a vessel with a compressible concertina-form perimeter
wall, wherein the vessel is open-topped and capped by a demountable
lid that has apertures to dispense the treatment fluid contents of
the vessel.
[0020] Preferably the demountable lid is formed with first
co-operative engagement means to securely engage with complementary
second co-operative engagement means provided on the upper rim of
the concertina wall of the vessel. Suitably the first and second
co-operative engagement means comprise mating screw threads.
[0021] Particularly preferably the upper face of the lid provides a
docking receptacle into which the hand utility interface body may
dock and be held against lateral displacement. This arrangement
assists greatly in ensuring that the hand utility interface body
remains securely positioned directly over the dispensing apertures
as the body is pressed down on the vessel to compress the
compressible concertina-form circumferential wall for dispensing
the treatment fluid. Without this arrangement the body can slip
from the top of the vessel, risking damage and spillage of the
fluid contents. Furthermore, the docking receptacle provides a safe
and convenient station for the hand utility interface's body to sit
between bouts of use.
[0022] The docking receptacle suitably comprises a recess into the
vessel top and or an upstanding perimeter wall or substantially
opposing wall sections or flanges on the top that constrain the
hand utility interface body against lateral displacement.
Preferably the hand utility interface has media, eg a foam pad, on
the underside to receive the treatment fluid and the docking
receptacle comprises a recess into the lid and or an upstanding
perimeter wall that surrounds and substantially encloses the media
and suitably the thickness of the body's interface base layer to
which it is bonded, when the hand utility interface is docked into
it. This has the substantial benefit that evaporation of the fluid
from the media and from the vessel between bouts of use is
minimised.
[0023] Preferably the concertina-form perimeter wall of the vessel
comprises less than four concertina elements and suitably two such
elements (ie two groups of adjoining pairs of mutually collapsing
sections of wall). Furthermore, preferably the angle between the
pair of wall sections of each concertina element is greater than
20.degree. when the concertina-form perimeter wall is in its rest
(un-compressed) state. Indeed, the angle is suitably of the order
of 30.degree. or more. This arrangement greatly enhances
manufacturability of the vessel.
[0024] In a variant of the second aspect of the present invention
there is provided a hand utility interface comprising a body having
a plurality of finger members or channels each sized and shaped to
receive one finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is
releasably gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers
of the hand are inserted into the members or channels, the
interface further having a reservoir for a treatment fluid, the
reservoir being separable from the hand utility interface body and
formed as a vessel with a compressible concertina-form perimeter
wall, the vessel having a top with apertures to dispense the
treatment fluid contents of the vessel, wherein the top is further
provided with a docking receptacle into which the hand utility
interface body may dock and be held against lateral
displacement.
[0025] Preferably the top is a demountable lid to the vessel. As
such, it is readily formable, for example in a thermo-setting
plastics material, to define the docking receptacle.
[0026] According to a third aspect of the present invention there
is provided a hand utility interface comprising a body having a
plurality of finger members or channels each sized and shaped to
receive one finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is
releasably gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers
of the hand are inserted into the members or channels, the
interface body having a front that is angled tapering towards a
forward-most point whereby the front of the body is wedge-shaped as
viewed in plan, the interface body further having a utility media
on the underside thereof in use, wherein the utility media extends
beyond the front of the body whereby the media may ride up the
walls of the tapering front. This enables the hand utility
interface to more effectively access awkward corner zones of a
target/work object, with the front of the body butting up closely
to sidewalls of the object and with the media, whether
sander/polisher or other, riding on the front cutting tightly into
the corner.
[0027] The utility media substrate is preferably a circular disc
and whereby it has frontal segments that extend beyond the body at
the zones where the front of the body tapers.
[0028] Preferably the utility media substrate is a sanding or
polishing sheet or pad and particularly preferably is a circular
sanding or polishing disc, suitably of the type that is widely
commercially available for use with powered rotary head tools such
as rotary sanders/disc sanders. Such discs are often formed as thin
pads in standard forms and sizes such, as for example, with a 5
inch or 6 inch (12.7 cm or 15.2 cm) diameter and may commonly be
velour-backed or have open-cell foam backing. Preferably the front
of the hand utility interface body tapers to a forward-most point
that is substantially central transversely across the body.
Suitably the hand utility interface body is axi-symmetric (ie with
mirror symmetry about a longitudinal, front-to-rear, axis), the
forward--most point being substantially coincident with the axis of
symmetry of the hand utility interface body and the wedge shaped
front being axi-symmetrical also
[0029] Suitably the body is generally circular in foot-print, ie in
shape as viewed in plan, corresponding to the circular shape of the
utility media circular disc and is of substantially the same
diameter. A rear extension of the body is suitably provided that
preferably extends from the rear circumferential edge of the body
to serve as a support surface for the heel of the user's hand in
use. This rear extension preferably is substantially co-planar or
plane parallel with a base or base-line of the body and suitably
has an arcuate shape as viewed in plan. Suitably the extension
conforms to the mirror symmetry of the hand utility interface body,
being symmetric about the same axis of symmetry.
[0030] For this aspect of the invention the utility media substrate
is suitably again demountably mounted to the underside of the hand
utility interface body and preferably by use of a mounting
substrate layer that is provided on, and suitably bonded to, the
underside of the hand utility interface body. A preferred mounting
substrate for mounting the utility media substrate to the hand
utility interface body comprises a sheet that has a plurality of
minute hooks to engage velour-backed/loose woven-backed utility
media substrate/discs or minute lugs with heads (approximately
mushroom-shaped lugs) to co-operatively engage with loose
woven-backed or open cell foam-backed utility media
substrate/discs. Where the mounting substrate is of the latter type
it is suitably formed as an extruded sheet with raised spikes that
are then formed into minute mushroom forms.
[0031] According to a variant of the third aspect of the present
invention there is provided a hand utility interface comprising a
body having a plurality of finger members or channels each sized
and shaped to receive one finger of the user's hand, wherein the
user's hand is releasably gripped by the hand utility interface
when the fingers of the hand are inserted into the members or
channels, the interface body having or being adapted to have
releasably mounted thereto a utility media on the underside
thereof, wherein the utility media is a circular sanding or
polishing disc of the type that is widely commercially available
for use with powered rotary head tools such as rotary sanders/disc
sanders, the body suitably having an approximately circular shape
as viewed in plan and having a diameter to substantially fit to a
said disc.
[0032] According to a further variant of the third aspect of the
present invention there is provided a hand utility interface
comprising a body having a plurality of finger members or channels
each sized and shaped to receive one finger of the user's hand,
wherein the user's hand is releasably gripped by the hand utility
interface when the fingers of the hand are inserted into the
members or channels, the interface body having a utility media on
the underside thereof, wherein the utility media is demountably
mounted to the underside by a mounting substrate on the underside,
the mounting substrate comprising a sheet that has a plurality of
minute hooks to engage velour-backed/loose woven-backed utility
media substrate/discs or minute lugs with heads (approximately
mushroom-shaped lugs) to co-operatively engage with loose
woven-backed or open cell foam-backed utility media
substrate/discs.
[0033] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there
is provided a hand utility interface comprising a body having a
plurality of finger members or channels each sized and shaped to
receive one finger of the user's hand, wherein the user's hand is
releasably gripped by the hand utility interface when the fingers
of the hand are inserted into the members or channels, the
interface body having in use on the underside thereof a foam pad or
other media for applying, or working in, a treatment fluid to a
target object, wherein the interface body is provided with a skirt
extending from a perimeter of the body to shield the hand of the
user from treatment fluid carried by the foam pad or other
media.
[0034] Preferably the skirt extends downwardly to a level that at
least partially covers the sides of the foam pad or other
media.
[0035] Preferably the skirt is formed from the interface body by a
perimeter flange that extends outwardly from the interface body
beyond the perimeter of the foam pad or other media. This may
simply extend substantially horizontally/plane parallel or
co-planar to the base/base-line of the body, but if so extends a
sufficient amount to effectively shield the user's hand. Suitably
the perimeter flange extends outwardly and then turns upwardly or
downwardly. The perimeter flange preferably turns downwardly and
preferably in an arc or curve but less preferably in a straight
line descending from the perimeter of the interface body at an
angle downwardly. The angle of the turn is suitably substantially
less than 90.degree. and preferably at about 45.degree. or at least
nearer to 45.degree. than to 90.degree., ie less than 70.degree.,
thereby defining a bevelled edge to the body.
[0036] Suitably the perimeter flange extends outwardly from the
interface body beyond the perimeter of the foam pad or other media
for a distance of at least about 2 mm therebeyond and preferably of
the order of 5 mm therebeyond. Preferably the skirt extends
downwardly for a distance of at least about 2 mm and preferably of
the order of 5 mm. Suitably the skirt extends downwardly from the
perimeter of the body to a level that is below the level of the
whole of the rest of the body and preferably can substantially
fully cover the sides of the foam pad or other media when the foam
pad or other media is compressed hard against a target object in
use.
[0037] The skirt might be any combination of angles from the point
at which it begins to extend beyond the pad. For example, it might
extend on the same plane as the palm element at the rear of the
interface body but forwards of there it might be at an angle rising
upward from the perimeter.
[0038] The arrangement of the skirt is such that the hand utility
interface can, for example, be used to apply wood-stain without
necessarily requiring use of any additional rubber glove or
disposable glove to protect the hand of the user from staining by
the wood-stain and is nonetheless economic to implement and such
that the flexibility and sensitivity are not substantially
compromised.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0039] A preferred embodiment of each aspect of the present
invention will now be more particularly described with reference to
the following drawings, wherein:
[0040] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the first aspect of hand
utility interface body (having a step-forward recess); and
[0041] FIG. 2 is a sectional view through that hand utility
interface body taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1.
[0042] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the preferred embodiment
of hand utility interface of the second aspect hand utility
interface (which has a separable reservoir) in its assembled state,
with the hand utility interface body docked to the lid of the
reservoir vessel, ready to be charged with treatment fluid from the
reservoir vessel;
[0043] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the assembled hand utility
interface of FIG. 3;
[0044] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the hand utility interface
body;
[0045] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the lid from above (but at a larger
scale than the preceding images);
[0046] FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the hand utility
interface body;
[0047] FIG. 8 is a sectional view through the lid;
[0048] FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the reservoir vessel;
and
[0049] FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, showing the
components assembled together, the lid being shown in section and
one side of the reservoir vessel being also shown in section.
[0050] FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the hand utility interface
body of the third (sanding disc) aspect of the invention, with a
six inch circular rotary sander disc mounted to the under-side
thereof shown by a hatched line;
[0051] FIG. 12 is a part rear/part left side view of the hand
utility interface body
[0052] FIG. 13 is a left side elevation view of the hand utility
interface body in exploded assembly state, showing a mounting sheet
and a rotary sanding disc just prior to their mounting to the
underside of the hand utility interface body (the mounting sheet
shown here is a thin layer Aplix.TM. sheet);
[0053] FIG. 14 is a sectional view through the hand utility
interface body taken along the line A-A in FIG. 11 and showing the
hand utility interface body in use, being advanced into a corner
and with the overhanging part of the disc that extends beyond the
body's tapered front edges/sides riding up those front edges/sides
to better access the parts of the target object/work surface
within/surrounded by the corner; and
[0054] FIGS. 15 to 18 are views corresponding to FIGS. 11 to 14 but
of a variant of the hand utility interface.
[0055] FIGS. 19 and 20 are a plan view from above of the hand
utility interface fourth aspect of the invention (which has a
skirt) and a side elevation view thereof; and
[0056] FIG. 21 is a longitudinal section of this fourth hand
utility interface, taken along the line B-B in FIG. 19 and FIG. 22
is a transverse section of the hand utility interface, taken along
the line A-A in FIG. 19.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0057] (A) Hand Utility Interface with Step-Forward Recesses (FIGS.
1 & 2)
[0058] In FIGS. 1 and 2, the illustrated hand utility interface
comprises a hand utility interface body 10 that suitably has the
form of any of the hand utility interface bodies described in the
present applicant's afore-mentioned PCT applications.
[0059] Most preferably the body 10 is constructed in accordance
with the teachings of WO 2008/003979. The illustrated hand utility
interface comprises a medially symmetric body 10 formed of a self
supporting membrane, the body 10 having finger channels 11a-d with
sidewalls that deform elastically to grip the user's fingers when
the fingers are pressed down into them, thereby attaching the body
10 to the hand for use.
[0060] An abrasive sheet such as a sanding pad 12 with a fibrous
flock backing or open cell foam backing is provided on the
under-side of the hand utility interface body 10 to serve as the
utility media for treating the target work surface. For other
purposes the sand pad 12 may be replaced by any other desired
utility media, whether it be a scouring foam pad for cleaning or a
cloth for waxing or polishing, for example. The sanding pad 12 is
demountably mounted to the under-side of the hand utility interface
body 10 by a mounting substrate 17 bonded to the underside of the
body 10. The mounting substrate 17 suitably comprises an extruded
sheet with a plurality of minute lugs with heads (approximately
mushroom-shaped lugs) that co-operatively engage/hook into the
backing of the common abrasive utility media substrates/sandpaper
12. Such form of hooks are greatly preferred because they are less
likely to cause damage to a target surface if they accidentally
come into contact with it.
[0061] The body 10 has a raised/domed palm part/portion 10a
extending proximally beyond the proximal end of the finger channels
11 to underlie the user's palm. The palm portion 10a assists in
keeping the interface properly located under the user's hand and
facilitates pressing the palm down on the body 10 to apply maximum
pressure when moving the device back-and-forth to sand a target
surface.
[0062] The illustrated body 10 has four finger channels 11a-d, the
two equal length medial channels 11b, 11c being the longest to
accommodate the user's index and middle fingers, respectively and
the two lateral channels 11a, 11c being shorter and of equal length
to each other whereby the body 10 is medially symmetric to fit
equally well to a user's right or left hand. The sidewalls 14 of
the finger channels 11 taper, narrowing from their open proximal
end toward their distal/finger tip end up to and including the
expected location of the user's distal interphalangeal joint in
order for the sidewalls 14 to grip that joint. In the medial
channels 11b, 11c the channel then widens beyond that location up
to and including the tip 15 to avoid pinching of the fingers where
the sidewalls converge to join. While the sidewalls 14 for the
majority of each channel 11b, 11c are arranged to hug the sides of
the fingers, the tip area 15 needs to be widened, because the
sidewalls 14 are joined together ahead of the finger-tip and would
otherwise pinch the finger tip.
[0063] Ease of flexure of the hand utility interface is aided by
the provision of transverse grooves 13 in the bases of the channels
11a-d and extending part-way up the channels' sidewalls. These
grooves 13 are located fore and aft of the expected location of the
user's proximal and distal interphalangeal joints and not only aid
flexure but also provide lateral strengthening of the
sidewalls.
[0064] Just forward of each lateral finger channel 11a, 11d close
to the front edge 10a of the hand utility interface body 10 is a
respective circular recess 16a, 16b, each of which is adapted to be
able to securely receive the fingertip of the user's index finger.
One of the finger-tip receiving recesses 16a is positioned in the
front left corner of the body 10 while the other finger-tip
receiving recess 16b is positioned in the front right corner of the
body 10. In these extreme frontal left and right positions the
finger-tip receiving recesses 16a, 16b are optimally placed to
enable the index finger of the left or right hand to work the body
10 in those positions into otherwise hard to reach corner locations
of the target objects.
[0065] Each fingertip receiving recess 16a, 16b is of a similar
depth to the depth of the finger channels 11, but being circular in
plan has a circumferential perimeter wall that provides constraint
to the finger tip in all planar directions. A front portion of the
recess perimeter wall and a rear portion of the recess perimeter
wall respectively constrain the finger-tip so that the finger-tip
when engaged in the recess may be used not only to press the body
10 downwardly hard against the target surface but also to move the
body 10 backwardly and forwardly across the target surface. The
circumferential perimeter wall of the recess 16a, 16b serves also
to constrain the finger-tip in lateral directions so that the body
10 may be moved from side-to-side by the finger-tip.
[0066] In general use for open flat target surfaces the left or
right hand is applied to the interface so that the hand is
substantially flat against the body 10 and able to press the
attached abrasive 12 to the target surface and apply the desired
sanding action. However, when approaching a confined corner of the
target surface, the index finger can be lifted out of its lateral
finger channel 11a or 11d and "step forward" into the circular
fingertip receiving recess 16a, 16b immediately forward of that
channel. All other finger-tips can stay in their respective
finger-tip locations in the finger channels 11 and also assist to
drive the body 10.
[0067] Ease of moving the fingers of the users hand from the finger
channels 11 to insert a finger such as the index finger into one or
other of the respective circular recesses 16a, 16b is aided by
omission of much, if not all, of the outer sidewalls of the lateral
finger channels 11a, 11d. The outer side walls being removed also
means that this format can drive a narrower standard abrasive width
(eg 115 mm) and without risk of the hooks of the interface's
mounting substrate 17 coming in to contact with the target surface
(which is very important in fine automotive finishing work.
[0068] (B) Hand Utility Interface with Reservoir (FIGS. 3 to
10)
[0069] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 10, the illustrated hand utility
interface here comprises a hand utility interface body 10 in
combination with a reservoir vessel 20 and a lid 30 for the
reservoir vessel 20. The lid 30 provides on its upper face a
docking receptacle for the body 10.
[0070] The hand utility interface body 10 suitably has the form of
any of the hand utility interface bodies described in the present
applicant's afore-mentioned PCT applications but it is very
compact. Most preferably the body 10 is constructed in accordance
with the teachings of WO 2008/003979. The illustrated hand utility
interface comprises a medially symmetric body 10 formed of a self
supporting membrane, the body 10 having finger channels 11a-c with
sidewalls that deform elastically to grip the user's fingers when
the fingers are pressed down into them, thereby attaching the body
10 to the hand for use. A sponge-action foam pad 12 is provided on
the under-side of the hand utility interface body 10 to serve as
the utility media for applying and working in the treatment fluid
into the target surface, whether the fluid be a cosmetic to be
applied to the skin of the user or a polish or wax to be applied to
an object.
[0071] Detailed features of the body 10 that are apparent from
FIGS. 3 to 5 include that the sidewalls of the finger channels
11a-c taper, narrowing from their open proximal end toward their
distal/finger tip end up to and including the expected location of
the user's distal interphalangeal joint in order for the sidewalls
to grip that joint. In the medial channel 11b the channel then
widens beyond that location up to and including the tip in order to
avoid pinching the fingers. While the walls for the majority of
each channel 11a-c are arranged to hug the sides of the fingers,
the tip area cannot, because the walls are joined together there
ahead of the finger-tip and hence the need to specially widen this
region.
[0072] Flexure is also aided by the provision of transverse grooves
13 in the bases of the channels 11a-c and extending part-way up the
channels' sidewalls. These grooves 13 are located fore and aft of
the expected location of the user's proximal and distal
interphalangeal joints and not only aid flexure but also provide
lateral strengthening of the sidewalls.
[0073] Unusually the body 10 has only three finger channels 11a-c,
the single medial channel 11b being the longest to accommodate the
user's middle finger and the two lateral channels 11a, 11c being of
equal length whereby the body 10 is medially symmetric to fit
equally well to a user's right or left hand. Even more unusually,
the body 10 has no significant palm part/portion extending
proximally beyond the proximal end of the finger channels to
overlie the user's palm. The body 10 generally begins beyond the
user's palm at a point just before the user's proximal
interphalangeal joint. In consequence the body is very compact and
this compactness assists in docking of the body 10 into the docking
receptacle 31 of the vessel lid 30.
[0074] The body 10 has a compact tapered footprint as viewed in
plan (see FIG. 5), the perimeter of the body 10 having opposing
sidewalls 14 the outer faces of which are substantially
straight/planar and which converge towards each other and towards
the medial axis of the body in the direction of the proximal end of
the body 10. This tapering of the straight sides of the body 10
facilitates docking of the body 10 with the docking receptacle 31
of the vessel lid 30 since the latter has a pair of corresponding
opposing upstanding walls or flanges 32 the inner faces of which
are substantially straight/planar and converge towards each other
These upstanding walls or flanges 32 serve to constrain the body 10
against lateral or rotational movement relative to the vessel 20
when the body 10 is docked in use.
[0075] The lid 30 is a substantially rigid injection moulding of
polypropylene, or other suitable plastics, and it has a very
distinctive shape and configuration. The lid 30 has a plate 33 to
cap closed the open-topped reservoir vessel 20. This plate 33 is
perforated with a plurality of fluid dispensing apertures 34. A
peel-off adhesive-secured sealing foil 35 is provided on the lid
30, suitably on the underside of the plate 33, to seal off the
apertures 34 in the lid 30 for transit and storage until the
reservoir 20 is ready for use.
[0076] The lid 30 further has a pair of concentric walls 36, 37 on
its underside. The inner circular cylindrical wall 37 is provided
on its circumferential inner face with screw threads 38 here shown
as four short screw thread lengths whereby the lid 30 serves as a
four point locking screw top to the reservoir vessel 20.The outer
circular cylindrical wall 36 is linked to the inner wall 37 by a
bridging wall 39 and the outer wall 36 presents a prominent ribbed
outer circumferential surface for ease of grip when screwing and
un-screwing the lid 30.
[0077] The lid 30 is, furthermore, provided on its upper face with
features forming the docking receptacle 31 for the hand utility
interface body 10. As noted above, the upper face has a pair of
opposing upstanding walls or flanges 32, one extending upwardly
from each side thereof. The bridging wall 39 is stepped to rise up
above the level of the apertured top plate 33 and in doing so forms
an upstanding circular perimeter wall 39a which bounds a
void/recess 40 in which the foam pad 12 of the hand utility
interface body 10 may sit. The diameter of the recess 40 suitably
closely matches the diameter of the foam pad 12 and the upstanding
circular perimeter wall 39a augments the lateral constraint
provided by the pair of opposing upstanding walls or flanges 32.
The latter walls or flanges 32 extend upwardly from the upstanding
circular perimeter wall 39a.
[0078] The receptacle 31 presents a convenient and reliable place
to station the hand utility interface body 10 between bouts of use.
A notable benefit of the seating of the foam pad 12 into the
void/recess 40 of the lid's receptacle 31 surrounded by the
upstanding circular perimeter wall 39a is that the fluid dispensed
from the reservoir vessel 20 into the foam pad 12 will be
substantially kept from drying out while the hand utility interface
body 10 remains docked and the fluid contents of the reservoir
vessel 20 will also be less liable to suffer evaporation.
[0079] In a further embodiment the base/base line thickness of the
fabric of the body 10, adjacent to the bond between the body 10 and
the foam pad 12, is accommodated within the receptacle 31, so as to
form a good seal against evaporation from the pad 12 or the
reservoir 20.
[0080] The reservoir vessel 20 is an open-topped, closed-bottomed
vessel with a compressible concertina-form perimeter wall 21. It is
suitably injection stretch blow-moulded in PET. The concertina-form
perimeter wall 21 is, in the illustrated embodiment, circular in
plan and extends upwardly from circular bottom wall 22 in two
concertina elements (ie two groups of adjoining pairs of mutually
collapsing sections of wall) 23, 24. The lower concertina element
24 begins at a point lower than the bottom wall 22 and is joined to
the bottom wall by a bridging wall 25. The bottom 22 of the vessel
20 is thus raised from the table-top or other surface on which the
reservoir vessel 20 is stood and which assists to ensure that
substantially all of the reservoir vessel's contents may be
expelled. The lower concertina element 24 stands on the table top
or other surface with its narrower/lesser diameter part lowermost
and tapering radially outwardly in the upward direction. The
open-topped upper end of the reservoir vessel 20 has a tall neck
portion 26 that is thicker than the concertina-form perimeter wall
21 and bears mating screw thread sections 27 to co-operatively
engage with the screw thread sections 38 of the lid 30.
[0081] The overall shape and configuration of the reservoir vessel
20 as described facilitates its manufacture, not least because the
fewer concertina elements and the much reduced angle at which those
elements travel, goes a long way towards elimination of the
thickness differentials described earlier in relation to WO
2006/000762. The present vessel is much better basis for reliable
mass production.
[0082] In use, the reservoir vessel 20 contains a treatment fluid
that may, for example, be a cleaning and/or disinfecting liquid or
gel or a lubricant, polish or wax, a cosmetic or cleansing fluid or
any other treatment fluid to be applied to the surface of a target
object or person. To initiate use the sealing foil 35 on the
underside of the lid is first removed. The hand-utility interface
body 10 is taken and the foam pad 12 (or other underside media
surface of the interface) is moistened under a tap with warm
water.
[0083] The hand utility interface body 10 is then moved down into
docking engagement with the docking receptacle of the reservoir
vessel's lid 30 in the position as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 10. Here
it is then safely pressed down firmly on the lid 30. This pressing
down action causes the concertina body of the reservoir vessel 20
to compress without risk of the body 10 slipping sideways off the
reservoir vessel 20. The treatment fluid content of the reservoir
vessel 20 is forced upwards through the apertures and onto the pad
on the underside of the hand-utility interface body 10. The greater
the downward pressure, the greater the volume of gel applied to the
interface. With the interface suitably loaded with fluid the
cleaning, cleansing, polishing or other work can commence.
[0084] If used for cleaning, the interface is periodically returned
under warm running water, compressed by clenching the hand to expel
excess water, and again docked and pressed onto the lid 30 of the
reservoir vessel 20 to pick up more cleaning agent or gel. This
process may be repeated again and again, taking full advantage of
the high capacity of the reservoir vessel 20 and the ability to
securely station the hand utility interface body 10 on the lid 30
of the vessel 20 between bouts of use.
[0085] (C) Hand Utility Interface with Sanding Disc (FIGS. 11 to
18)
[0086] Referring to FIGS. 11 to 18, the illustrated hand utility
interface comprises a hand utility interface body 10 that suitably
has the form of any of the hand utility interface bodies described
in the present applicant's afore-mentioned PCT applications.
[0087] Most preferably the body 10 is constructed in accordance
with the teachings of WO 2008/003979. The illustrated hand utility
interface comprises a medially symmetric body 10 formed of a self
supporting membrane, the body 10 having finger channels 11a-d with
sidewalls that deform elastically to grip the user's fingers when
the fingers are pressed down into them, thereby attaching the body
10 to the hand for use. An abrasive sanding disc 12 is provided on
the under-side of the hand utility interface body 10 to serve as
the utility media for treating the target work surface. For other
purposes the sand paper 12 may be replaced by any other desired
utility media, whether it be a scouring foam pad for cleaning or a
polishing/buffing rotary disc.
[0088] The body 10 has a raised/domed palm part/portion 10a
extending proximally (rearwardly) beyond the proximal end of the
finger channels 11 to underlie the user's palm. The palm portion
10a assists in maintaining the interface correctly located under
the user's hand and pressing the palm down on the body 10 to apply
maximum pressure when moving the device back-and-forth to sand a
target surface.
[0089] The illustrated body 10 has four finger channels 11a-d, the
two equal length medial channels 11b, 11c being the longest to
accommodate the user's index and middle fingers, respectively and
the two lateral channels 11a, 11c being shorter and of equal length
to each other whereby the body 10 is medially symmetric to fit
equally well to a user's right or left hand. The sidewalls 14 of
the finger channels 11 taper, narrowing from their open proximal
end toward their distal/finger tip end up to and including the
expected location of the user's distal interphalangeal joint in
order for the sidewalls 14 to grip that joint. The side walls 14
also grip the proximal interphalangeal joints. In the medial
channels 11b, 11c the channel then widens beyond that location up
to and including the tip 15. While the sidewalls 14 for the
majority of each channel 11b, 11c are arranged to hug the sides of
the fingers, the tip area 15 cannot, because the sidewalls 14 are
joined together ahead of the finger-tip.
[0090] Ease of flexure of the hand utility interface is aided by
the provision of transverse grooves 13 in the bases of the channels
11a-d and extending part-way up the channels' sidewalls. These
grooves 13 are located fore and aft of the expected location of the
user's proximal and distal interphalangeal joints and not only aid
flexure but also provide lateral strengthening of the
sidewalls.
[0091] Unlike prior hand utility interfaces, the hand utility
interface body 10 has a generally circular foot-print (shape as
viewed in plan). The foot-print of the hand utility interface body
10 has this circular shape and is of a diameter to match to a
standard off-the-shelf 6 inch (15.24 cm) diameter sanding disc for
a rotary sander. The foot-print of the hand utility interface body
10 is not, however, entirely circular. The front end 10b of the
hand utility interface body 10 has a shape in plan that tapers
towards a forward-most point whereby the front of the body 10 is
wedge-shaped as viewed in plan. Additionally, the palm part/portion
10a is augmented by a rear extension panel 10c extending rearwardly
in an arc co-planar with the base/base-line of the body 10 to serve
as a support surface for the heel of the user's hand in use.
[0092] The tapering/convergence of the front 10b of the body 10
gives rise to the effect that the underlying utility media
substrate/sanding disc 12 has two forward segments 12a, 12b that
extend beyond the body 10. These segments 12a, 12b are not
supported by the body 10 and are thus free to fold and ride up the
converging front faces of the body 10 and thus cut neatly into a
corner of any target object as illustrated in FIG. 14.
[0093] As can be seen in FIG. 12, the underlying utility media
substrate/sanding disc 12 is demountably mounted to the underside
of the body 10 by releasable fastening to a mounting substrate 16.
The mounting substrate 16 is a sheet that is bonded to the
underside of the body 10. For most commercially available sanding
or polishing discs 12 the disk 12 may have an open cell foam
backing pad or loose woven flock backing which lends itself well to
being releasably attached by use of a mounting substrate 16
comprising an extruded sheet that has a plurality of minute lugs
with heads (approximately mushroom-shaped lugs) to co-operatively
engage with the loose woven or open cell foam of the pad.
[0094] FIGS. 15 to 18 show plan, side and sectional views of an
alternative embodiment that differs from the first embodiment in
having the addition of a thick sponge/foam pad 16' between the
interface body 10 and the mounting substrate 16, which provides
support for any vertically rising part 12a of the abrasive
substrate 12 so that it can be driven more efficiently against the
vertically rising facet of the target surface.
[0095] D) Hand Utility Interface with Skirt (FIGS. 19 to 22)
[0096] Referring to FIGS. 19 to 22, the hand utility interface here
comprises a body 10 that has four finger channels 11a-d. The hand
utility interface body 10 may be fabricated from a block foam
structure but is here shown as fabricated from a self-supporting
resilient membrane. The finger channels 11a-d are open-topped
finger channels and each is sized and shaped to receive one finger
of the user's hand. The user's hand is releasably gripped by the
walls of the finger channels 11a-d when the fingers of the hand are
pressed into the finger channels 11a-d.
[0097] The two medial ones 11b, 11c of the finger channels are the
longest channels and of equal length so that either may accommodate
the user's middle or index fingers and the two flanking lateral
finger channels 11a, 11c are shorter and of equal length whereby
the body 10 is medially symmetric to fit equally well to a user's
right or left hand
[0098] The sidewalls of at least the medial finger channels 11b,
11c taper from near their open proximal end toward their
distal/finger tip end from before the expected location of the
user's proximal interphalangeal joint up to and including the
expected location of the user's distal interphalangeal joint in
order for the sidewalls to grip that joint. In the two medial
channels 11b, 11c the channel then widens beyond that location up
to and including the tip in order to prevent pinching of the finger
tip where the sidewalls join.
[0099] Flexure is also aided by the provision of transverse grooves
13 in the bases of the channels 11a-d and extending part-way up the
channels' sidewalls. These grooves 13 are located fore and aft of
the expected location of the user's proximal and distal
interphalangeal joints and not only aid flexure but also provide
lateral strengthening of the sidewalls.
[0100] As can best be seen in FIGS. 21 and 22, the hand utility
interface body 10 has a foam applicator pad or other suitable
treatment fluid application media 14 fastened to its underside. The
foam pad 14 is suitably about 6 mm to 20 mm thick and of
compressible plastics foam construction suitable for holding and
applying the wood-stain or other treatment fluid. The illustrated
pad is approximately the same shape as the hand utility interface
body 10 but is of smaller footprint area than the area of the body
10. The body 10 has a substantially flat/planar flange extension 15
around its perimeter extending outwardly from the zone occupied by
the finger channels 11a-d to be substantially plane parallel to any
planar target surface or work top on which the body 10 may be
rested. The foam pad 14 extends to underlie this flange extension
15 so that the underside of the body 10 and top face 14a of the
foam pad 14 have close face-to face contact for a substantial area
around the perimeter of the body 10. The pad 14 may be securely
adhered or otherwise fastened to the body 10 over this area.
Optionally the pad 14 may be releasably fastened by VELCRO.TM. tabs
or other releasable fasteners to allow replacement.
[0101] At the outer perimeter of the flange extension 15 it turns
downwardly in an arc and subtends an angle that is approximately
45.degree. to the plane of the flange extension 15, whereby the
edge of the body 10 has a bevelled form and the downward extension
forms a skirt 16 that surrounds the foam pad 14 at the upper edges
of its sides 14b. The skirt 16 does not extend fully to the base
14c of the foam pad 14 but suitably extends sufficiently far down
to come close to but not abut the plane of the target work surface
when the hand utility interface is in use and it functions to
substantially prevent the fluid, eg wood stain, held in the foam
pad 14 from rising to the upper face of the body 10 as it is
squeezed from the foam pad 14. In alternative embodiments the
flange extension 15 may extend even further out from the central
part of the body 10 with its finger channels. Increasing the spread
of the flange extension 15 allows for larger area foam pads 14 to
be used. In further refinements the apparatus of this aspect may be
used in conjunction with a reservoir for treatment fluid such as
for example the concertina-walled reservoir of the second aspect of
the invention. Treatment fluid from such a reservoir is transferred
to and absorbed into the foam pad.
* * * * *