EP0919166A1 - Hand protector usable while opening oysters or similar shell fish - Google Patents

Abstract

The hand protector (2) consists of a sheet or panel of a supple or semi-supple material, especially rubber, designed to cover the palm of the hand and the base of the fingers. It has at least two slits (4) through it, two of which lie perpendicular to one another and parallel to the edges of the protector. When in use the slits enable the panel to take on a concave shape, forming curved tongues (5) which allow the oyster shell to be gripped firmly while being opened.

Description

The present invention relates to a hand guard usable when opening oysters or shellfish similar.

The opening of oysters is a rather difficult, causing numerous hand injuries when the knife allowing this opening slips.

In addition, the shells are relatively offensive and can irritate the hand of the person responsible for opening them, when many shells should be opened, for example in a restaurant.

There isn’t on the market right now, of hand guard giving satisfaction.

A simple folded cloth is frequently used, but is not very effective.

French Patent No. 1,461,667 describes a hand guard comprising a flat sheet capable of covering widely the palm and base of the fingers of one hand, this sheet being provided with a strap behind which the palm can be engaged and an elongated hole or passer intended to receive the thumb.

This hand guard has the disadvantage of not ensure perfect retention of the shell, so that the risk of slipping of the latter, and therefore of injury, is not perfectly eliminated. In addition, this hand guard has a complex structure, requiring assembly of several rooms, which would very significantly strain his cost price if it was operated, until making this unacceptable price for items like this.

The invention aims to remedy these drawbacks essentials.

The hand guard it relates to includes, in known manner, a plate or sheet of material flexible or semi-flexible, especially of rubber.

According to the invention, this plate has at least two slits running through it, two of which are perpendicular to each other.

These slots allow the plate to take a substantially concave shape when this plate is placed in the palm of the hand and that the hand is partially closed to grab the shell, and delimit bending tabs when a shell is pressed against the plate, at the level of these slots. These tabs ensure perfect immobilization of the shell, avoiding any risk exhaust of the latter and, therefore, everything skid the knife which is used to open this shell.

The hand guard according to the invention is simple, quick and inexpensive to manufacture, so its price of cost remains entirely suitable for articles of this kind.

Preferably, the plate has a shape square. It can thus be cut without falling into a large material plate, this cutout can be automated and performed simultaneously with the arrangement of the above-mentioned slots.

The plate can then include, in a form of preferred embodiment, two perpendicular slots, each arranged parallel to one of the edges of the plate, these two slots intersecting substantially in the middle of this plate.

La figure 1 en est une vue à plat ;

la figure 2 en est une vue en cours d'utilisation alors qu'il est placé dans une main, et

la figure 3 en est une vue tel qu'il se présente lorsqu'il est placé dans cette main.

For a good understanding, the invention is again described below with reference to the appended diagrammatic drawing representing, by way of nonlimiting example, a preferred embodiment of the hand guard it relates to.

Figure 1 is a flat view;

FIG. 2 is a view of it in use while it is placed in one hand, and

Figure 3 is a view as it appears when placed in this hand.

The figures represent, from different angles, a hand guard 2 usable when opening oysters or similar shells.

This hand guard 2 is constituted by a plate 3 of flexible or semi-flexible material, in particular of rubber.

This plate 3 is square in shape and has two slots 4 which pass through it, arranged perpendicular to each other and, arranged, to each of them, parallel to one of the edges of the plate 3, these two slots 4 intersecting substantially at center of this plate 3.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, these slots 4 allow the plate 3 to take a shape substantially concave when placed in the palm with one hand and that hand is partially closed to grab the shell. These slots 4 delimit tabs 5 which bend when a shell is pressed against the plate 3, opposite these slots 4, these tabs 5 thus making it possible to delimit a housing suitable for perfectly immobilizing the shell, and avoid any risk of it escaping.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above as example but that it embraces, on the contrary, all variant embodiments. So the plate could include more than two slots, if this turns out necessary for perfect support of the shell, and materials other than rubber can be considered, the main thing being obtaining a good protection against any risk of piercing this plate with a knife.

Claims (3)

Hand guard usable during opening oysters or similar shellfish, including a plate (3) or sheet of flexible or semi-flexible material, especially made of rubber, capable of covering the palm and base of fingers with one hand, hand guard (2) characterized in that the plate (3) has at least two slots (4) running through it, two of which are perpendicular to each other. Hand guard according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate (3) has a shape square. Hand guard according to claim 2, characterized in that the plate (3) comprises two slots (4) perpendicular, each arranged parallel to one of the edges of this plate (3), these two slots (4) are substantially crossing in the middle of this plate (3).

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