Gyroscopic wrist exerciser

Abstract

A gyroscopic wrist exerciser having a rotor on a shaft having two shaft ends; a guide ring accepting shaft ends in diametrically spaced notches formed within the inner periphery of the rotor, a housing made of a plastic upper shell and a plastic lower shell. The upper shell has an upper stepped joint engagable with a lower stepped joint of a lower shell to form a stepped joint union that forms an internal circumferential groove upon the internal periphery of the housing and an external circumferential groove upon the external equatorial periphery of the housing. The internal circumferential groove receives a guide ring. A rubber annular grip has an inner protrusion that is smaller than the external circumferential groove to allow a clearance. The rubber annular grip protects a stepped joint union located along the internal circumferential groove and the external circumferential groove from external impact. The rubber annular grip protects a user's hand.

1 ) Apparatus for gripping a gyroscopic wrist exerciser, comprising: a rigid housing and a gripping band mounted circumferentially on the housing and formed to provide a gripping surface that enables a user to hold the housing securely.  
     
     
         2 ) The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the gripping band is formed of a closed rubber loop.  
     
     
         3 ) The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the housing has a circumferential groove formed therein and the gripping band has an inwardly extending projection arranging to fit within the circumferential groove to retain the gripping band in a selected position on the housing.  
     
     
         4 ) The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the gripping band is formed of a closed rubber loop.  
     
     
         5 ) the apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a magnetized rotor is mounted in the housing:  
     
     
         6 ) A gyroscopic wrist exerciser comprising: 
 a) a rotor secured to a shaft capable of spinning about a first axis;    b) said rotor secured to a straight shaft extending diametrically across said rotor, said straight shaft having two shaft ends;    c) a guide ring accepting shaft ends in diametrically spaced notches formed within the inner periphery of said rotor, said rotor secured to a shaft with its ends received in the race said guide ring fitting around said rotor and maintaining said shaft ends in a race;    d) a housing made from a plastic upper shell and a plastic lower shell, said housing enclosing said rotor, said upper shell having an opening allowing a user to provide an initial spin to said rotor, said lower shell having a flat bottom to allow it to remain stable when placed on a table;    e) said upper shell having an upper stepped joint engagable with a lower stepped joint of a lower shell to form a stepped joint union that forms an internal circumferential groove upon the internal periphery of the housing and an external circumferential groove upon the external equatorial periphery of the housing, wherein said internal circumferential groove receives and retains said guide ring allowing rotable motion of said guide ring, wherein an axis of rotation of said guide ring comprises a second axis of rotation perpendicular and intersecting the first axis about which the rotor spins, whereby said second axis is vertical when said gyroscopic wrist exerciser is placed on a table resting upon said flat bottom of said lower shell, and whereby said first axis is horizontal when said gyroscopic wrist exerciser is placed on a table resting upon said flat bottom of said lower shell,    f) a rubber annular grip having an inner protrusion, said inner protrusion smaller than said external circumferential groove to allow a clearance on the top or bottom side of the external circumferential groove when said rubber annular grip is mounted upon an exterior surface of the housing, wherein said rubber annular grip protects said stepped joint union located along said internal circumferential groove and said external circumferential groove from external impact, and wherein said rubber annular grip protects a user's hand,    whereby a user grasping a rubber annular grip can provide the rotor an initial spin and then holding its housing in the hand and manually applying a torque to the support at a third axis at right angles to both the first spin axis and the second axes can cause the rotor to precess about the second axis and by manually gyrating the axis of the applied torque about the second axis at the same rate and in the same direction as the precession of the rotor, wherein the opposite ends of the rotor shaft are continuously pressed against the opposite sides of the internal circumferential groove, whereby the precession is continuous and causes the ends of the rotor shaft to roll on the upper and lower surfaces of the internal circumferential groove in a manner which increases or decreases the rate of rotor spin in proportion to the amount of torque applied by a user, whereby a skillful user can cause the rotor to attain high speeds of rotation about its first spin axis.    
     
     
         7 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 6 , wherein an interface formed at the stepped joint union between the upper shell and the lower shell can be hidden in the external circumferential groove, wherein flashing or malformed plastic created during plastic molding and sonic welding can be hidden in said external circumferential groove and covered with a rubber annular grip to protect a user's hand.  
     
     
         8 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 6 , wherein said plastic upper shell and said plastic lower shell are made of metal instead of plastic.  
     
     
         9 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 6 , wherein said rubber annular grip is made of a silicone rubber.  
     
     
         10 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 6 , wherein said rubber annular grip is translucent.  
     
     
         11 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 6 , wherein said rubber annular grip is made of a silicone rubber composition that can be printed upon.  
     
     
         12 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 6 , wherein said rubber annular grip is made of a rubber composition that can be printed upon.  
     
     
         13 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 6 , wherein printing upon a translucent silicone rubber annular grip can be illuminated from a light source mounted inside the shell on the rotor, whereby advertising printed upon the annular grip is illuminated and can be seen in dim light.  
     
     
         14 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 6 , wherein said rubber annular grip having an inner protrusion smaller than said external circumferential groove to allow a clearance on the top or bottom side of the external circumferential groove when said rubber annular grip is mounted upon an exterior surface of the housing, can move slightly with successive motions of a user's hand to allow more comfortable custom fit.  
     
     
         15 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 6 , wherein said rubber annular grip is composed of a silicone shock and vibration absorbing material that can absorb shock and vibration emanating from the equatorial portion along the internal circumferential groove, whereby the dampened shock and vibration allow a more comfortable user experience.  
     
     
         16 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 6 , wherein said rubber annular grip is composed of a heat insulative material that can insulate a user's hand from heat emanating from the equatorial portion along the internal circumferential groove, whereby decreased heat concentration allows a more comfortable user experience.  
     
     
         17 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 6 , wherein said rubber annular grip has a cross sectional profile that is thicker in the middle and tapering at the top and bottom edges.  
     
     
         18 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 17 , wherein said rubber annular grip has a plurality of protrusions to improve gripping surface.  
     
     
         19 ) The gyroscopic wrist exerciser of  claim 17 , wherein said rubber annular grip has a cross sectional profile calculated to allow uniform heat distribution emanating from an equatorial portion of said gyroscopic wrist exerciser.