Sanitary gripping device

Abstract

A gripping device defined by flexible sheet of material for use to be temporarily wrapped about a handle of a device, such that a person's hand grips the sheet instead of directly gripping the handle, for sanitary purposes, preventing transfer to the person's hand or hands of microbes or bacteria that are possibly disposed on the handle. The sheet temporarily self-secures to the handle but is removable therefrom. At least the handle-engaging surface of the sheet is slip resistant. The sheets may be dispensed from a coil thereof that is conveniently located, and may be disposable.

1 . A gripping device to be removably placed about a handle of a device to be manually gripped serving as a barrier between a user's hand and the handle, for sanitary purposes, comprising:
 a thin flexible sheet easily formable about a handle and having a hand-engaging surface and a handle-engaging surface, wherein the handle-engaging surface is slip resistant and having the property of at least temporarily self-retaining on the handle upon application.   
     
     
         2 . The gripping device of  claim 1  wherein the handle-engaging surface of the sheet is tacky or sticky. 
     
     
         3 . The gripping device of  claim 2  wherein the sheet leaves no residue upon removal from the handle. 
     
     
         4 . The gripping device of  claim 1  wherein the sheet is sufficiently large for one hand of a person to grip the hand-adjacent surface without touching the handle. 
     
     
         5 . The gripping device of  claim 4  wherein the sheet is sufficiently large for both hands of a person to grip the hand-adjacent surface without touching the handle. 
     
     
         6 . The gripping device of  claim 1  wherein the sheet is rectangular. 
     
     
         7 . The gripping device of  claim 1  wherein the hand-adjacent surface is soft and of a gel material. 
     
     
         8 . The gripping device of  claim 1  wherein the sheet is of a soft open-celled foam material. 
     
     
         9 . The gripping device of  claim 1  wherein the sheet is mitt-shaped having a finger region and a thumb region, wherein the finger region includes a finger-securing strap and the thumb region includes a thumb-securing strap, such that the sheet is adapted to be temporarily worn on a person's hand. 
     
     
         10 . The gripping device of  claim 1  further comprising a wrist strap secured to the flexible sheet. 
     
     
         11 . The gripping device of  claim 10  wherein the wrist strap is made from an elastic band. 
     
     
         12 . The gripping device of  claim 1  comprising shaping members which pre-shape the flexible sheet into a concave configuration wherein the hand-engaging surface is the outer surface and the handle-engaging surface is the inner surface. 
     
     
         13 . The gripping device of  claim 12  wherein the shaping members include stitching. 
     
     
         14 . The gripping device of  claim 13  wherein the shaping members include pre-shaped wires. 
     
     
         15 . A continuous roll of gripping devices as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the flexible sheets of adjacent gripping devices are separated by perforation areas facilitating removal of a sheet from the roll.