They Invented What? (No. 184)

U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,007: Thumb guard novelty device.

 

What is claimed as being new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A thumb guard novelty device, comprising,
         a flexible thumb receiving sheath having an entrance opening end spaced from a forward end, with the entrance opening end directed into a sheath cavity, and
         a sheath strap having a sheath strap first end and a sheath strap second end, the sheath strap first end fixedly secured to the entrance opening end, and
          a mounting band, with the sheath strap second end fixedly secured to the mounting band spaced from the sheath, the mounting band having a mounting band first end and a mounting band second end, the mounting band first end including a first fastener, the mounting band second end including a second fastener, with the first fastener arranged for securement to the second fastener around an individual’s thumb spaced from the sheath, and
          a plurality of informative tab plates, the tab plates arranged in an overlapping relationship relative to one another, with each tab plate including a tab plate end mounted to a top surface of the sheath, and a tab plate lower end spaced from the tab plate upper end permitting flexure and pivotment of the lower end relative to the upper end upon flexure of the sheath and the sheath strap, and
          including a fiber optic cable, the fiber optic cable including a fiber optic cable first end and a fiber optic cable second end, the fiber optic cable first end mounted within a positioning block, the positioning block fixedly mounted to an outer surface of the sheath adjacent the sheath forward end, the fiber optic cable directed through the sheath strap, and wherein the fiber optic cable second end is arranged in a spaced relationship relative to the sheath strap and the mounting band, and an illumination housing, with the fiber optic cable second end directed into the illumination housing, the illumination housing including an illumination bulb contained therewithin, the illumination housing including a wrist strap, with the illumination housing mounted to an exterior surface of the wrist strap, and at least one resilient loop positioned adjacent the illumination housing and a battery member positioned within the resilient loop, and an illumination bulb contained within the illumination housing positioned in adjacency relative to the fiber optic cable second end, and the battery member arranged in electrical communication with the illumination bulb to direct illumination through the fiber optic cable and to project illumination through the fiber optic cable first end.

2. A thumb guard novelty device, comprising,
           a flexible thumb receiving sheath having an entrance opening end spaced from a forward end, with the entrance opening end directed into a sheath cavity, and
          a sheath strap having a sheath strap first end and a sheath strap second end, the sheath strap first end fixedly secured to the entrance opening end, and
          a mounting band, with the sheath strap second end fixedly secured to the mounting band spaced from the sheath, the mounting band having a mounting band first end and a mounting band second end, the mounting band first end including a first fastener, the mounting band second end including a second fastener, with the first fastener arranged for securement to the second fastener around an individual’s thumb spaced from the sheath, and
          a plurality of informative tab plates, the tab plates arranged in an overlapping relationship relative to one another, with each tab plate including a tab plate upper end mounted to a top surface of the sheath, and a tab plate lower end spaced from the tab plate upper end permitting flexure and pivotment of the lower end relative to the upper end upon flexure of the sheath and the sheath strap.