Importance

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Abstract

Hand grips for the handles of devices such as motorcycles, tennis rackets, and guns can be custom-molded to fit exactly the contours of the user's hand. The grip has an inner layer that is thermoplastic and moldable at molding temperatures reached by heating with hot water or a hair dryer. An adherent outer, resilient, vibration-resistant layer is stable at these molding temperatures. The user heats the grip to molding temperature and then rapidly cools the outer surface to a comfortable temperature. The grip is then grasped by the hand while the inner layer is still at molding temperature. The hot inner layer conforms to the hand, becoming thinner under the fingers and thicker between fingers. The grip is cooled to ambient temperature and the inner layer retains its hand-conforming shape. The outer layer maintains its original thickness providing a fixed resilient cushioning layer over the custom formed inner layer. Optionally, the layers of the grip may be light transmitting and the inner formable layer may be colored so that the molded handle will have a distinctive color pattern, deeper between fingers and lighter at finger depressions. Identifying material may be applied to the undersurface of the grip to show through the layers.

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First Claim