ES2742803T3 - Device or disposable accessory to facilitate and improve the grip of a team or a ball while playing sports or while working - Google Patents

Abstract

An accessory to facilitate the grip of a tool, equipment or sports ball, comprising: - a sheet (1) formed with a first surface (1A), on which a pressure sensitive adhesive (A) is applied, suitable for adhering to the skin, and a second surface (1B), opposite the first surface (1A); wherein the sheet (1) forms a central portion (3) shaped and dimensioned approximately like a palm, and a plurality of appendices (5, 7, 9, 11, 11, 13, 15, 17A, 17B) that they extend from a perimeter edge of the central portion (3) and are configured to adhere, by means of said adhesive (A), to the back of a hand; - a removable protective film (PP) to protect the adhesive (A); characterized in that the protective film (PP) is subdivided into a plurality of segments (PP1-PP22) or portions in a number greater than two, which can be removed from the first surface (1A) of the sheet (1) formed independently of one and others.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Device or disposable accessory to facilitate and improve the grip of a team or a ball while playing sports or while working

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an accessory or device for facilitating and improving the grip of equipment of various types, in particular, but not limited to, sports equipment such as tennis rackets, golf clubs, baseball bats and the like, or for improving the Grab the ball in sports such as basketball, rugby, football and the like, while protecting the skin of the hands during these activities. The embodiments described in this document refer to a disposable accessory or device.

Background of the invention

Many sports require a firm grip. A correct grip is essential to control the equipment and, therefore, it is important, for example, in professional sports. Usually, a correct grip of the racket is essential in tennis to have maximum control over the ball. The same applies to other sports, such as golf, where the correct grip of the club affects the course of the golf ball, or sports where an optimal grip of the ball facilitates the accuracy of the throw.

At present, this is achieved by covering the surfaces of the equipment to be grasped, or of the ball to be thrown, with special films, where these surfaces are always in contact with human skin. However, this contact is not optimal, since human skin is not predisposed to this function. Especially in case of sweating, as usually happens when playing sports, the grip becomes insecure and not firm, with an increased risk of skin lesions.

In some sports gloves are worn; However, due to their thickness and movement in relation to the skin of the hand, they reduce sensitivity and, therefore, cannot be used in many sports or activities.

Tennis gives a clear example of the need for systems that improve grip firmness, where some players, especially professional players, apply dressings to their fingers to improve grip and protect the skin. However, these attempts have very poor results and the main reason is that they involve only the small surface of the fingers, and not the entire palm of the hand. In fact, the dressings or adhesive strips applied to partially cover the palm of the hand tend to quickly detach from the skin, both by the mechanical interaction between the end of the racket or other equipment and the perimeter edge of the dressing or band and the skin , and due to the sweating that enters between the dressing and the skin.

US 2011/01126336 discloses an internal coating system of protective gloves according to the preamble of claim 1.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a device or accessory that overcomes or limits the problems and disadvantages mentioned above.

Summary of the Invention

The accessory according to the invention is defined in claim 1. The dependent claims establish additional advantageous features of embodiments of the accessory according to the invention.

The accessory comprises a sheet of shaped material, for example synthetic, semi-synthetic or natural material, with a first surface, on which a pressure sensitive adhesive is applied, suitable for adhering to the skin, and a second surface, opposite the first surface and preferably having a high coefficient of friction. The accessory or device comprises a central portion shaped and sized approximately like a palm, and a plurality of appendages that extend from a perimeter edge of the central portion and are configured to adhere to the back of a hand by means of said adhesive . A protective film protects the adhesive; As the film is subdivided into a plurality of segments or portions, it allows the accessory or device to be easily applied to the hand, perfectly adapting to the complex shape of the human hand. That is, to apply it, each segment or portion of the protective film is removed individually, and the uncovered area of the adhesive film below is immediately pressed and joins the skin, before moving on to an adjacent segment or portion. The segments or portions are removed according to preferred sequences that allow progressive and gradual adhesion of the adhesive sheet. In this way, it is possible to avoid the accessory or device, while applying it to the hand, forming folds or wrinkles that cannot be flattened, which makes the device unusable, despite the complex shape of the same accessory or device and the Strong adhesive bond strength.

The device or accessory according to the invention may be a disposable accessory or device; It adapts anatomically to the human hand to completely cover the palm without interruptions, replacing it with a side the function of a glove, but avoiding the sliding movement in the skin that is typical of a glove; on the other hand, the device or accessory according to the invention also serves as a skin, that is, it has the same function as the skin in contact with the sport or work equipment, and therefore can be replaced by this . Essentially, the device is designed to facilitate and improve the grip of equipment of various types, functioning as a specifically designed "second skin" and covering the entire area of friction.

The size and shape of the central portion are advantageously such that the latter extends, once the accessory has been applied to the hand, from the bases of the fingers to the area of the palm of the wrist, and from one side on the other side of the hand. In this way, the entire palm is completely covered and protected, with the edge delimiting the sheet that forms the adhesive accessory disposed outside the contact area and grip between the hand and the equipment or tool, thus avoiding the detachment that usually occurs at along the edge of the adhesive film applied to the skin due to the movement of the equipment or tool held by the hand.

The underlying idea of the invention is to transfer the grip of the sports tool, equipment or ball directly to the human hand by means of a device that adapts anatomically to the shape of the hand and completely covers the palm, that is, the area of grip, attached to the palm as a "second skin", thus optimizing the grip and allowing the maximum power to be transferred to the sports equipment or tool while ensuring maximum sensitivity, thus guaranteeing the best result and, at the same time, protecting the skin.

Obviously, devices for the right hand and the left hand can be produced, as well as devices of different sizes to adapt to different hand sizes.

Other features and embodiments of the device according to the present invention are described below with reference to embodiments and in the appended claims, which form an integral part of the present description.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be better understood by following the description and the accompanying drawing, which shows practical non-limiting embodiments of the invention. More particularly, in the drawing:

Figure 1 is a rear view of an embodiment of the accessory or device according to the invention, configured to be applied to the right hand;

Figure 2 is a front view of the accessory or device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view of the palm of the hand with the accessory or device applied thereto;

Figure 4 is a view of the back of the hand with the accessory or device applied thereto;

Figures 5 and 6 show the rear surface and the front surface of a different embodiment of the accessory or device.

Detailed description of achievements

The detailed description below of the exemplary embodiments is made with reference to the attached drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements. In addition, the drawings are not necessarily to scale. The detailed description below does not limit the invention. The protective scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

In the description, the reference to "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" or "some embodiments" means that a particular feature, structure or element described with reference to one embodiment is comprised in at least one embodiment of the described object. Therefore, the terms "in one embodiment" or "in the embodiment" or "in some embodiments" in the description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or embodiments. The particular features, structures or elements may also be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

Figures 1-4 show a first embodiment of the device or accessory according to the invention, indicated as a whole with the number 1. The device or accessory 1 comprises a shaped sheet of suitable thickness, made for example of synthetic, semi-synthetic or natural. In some embodiments, the shaped sheet is made of cotton, or a mixture of cotton and synthetic fiber, for example nylon, or aromatic polyether polyurethane or other material. The shaped sheet has a thickness between 5 pm and 3000 pm, for example between 10 pm and 3000 | jm depending on the activity or sport for which the device is intended, to achieve optimal results. One of the two surfaces of the shaped sheet has a high coefficient of friction, established, for example, in accordance with the use for which the device or accessory is intended.

The sheet 1 comprises a first surface 1A, partially shown in Figure 1, and a second surface 1B shown in Figure 2.

An adhesive, indicated with A in Figure 1, is applied to surface 1A. More particularly, adhesive A can be a pressure adhesive, thus providing a self-adhesive sheet. Adhesive A is typically compatible with the skin, that is, it is suitable for remaining in contact with the skin for a long time. Typically, adhesive A is an adhesive like that used to glue dressings.

The sheet forming the device or accessory 1 has a shaped perimeter line indicated with P.

In practical embodiments, the sheet 1 has a shaped central portion 3. As is clearly evident in Figure 3, once applied to the user's hand M in the manner described below, the shaped central portion 3 substantially covers the entire palm of the hand M.

A plurality of appendices, indicated with 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15A, 15B, 17A, 17B in Figures 2, 3 and 4, extend from the central portion 3. The appendices may be different in shape and number from what is indicated in the drawing. The important thing is that the device or accessory has appendices that allow it to be firmly fixed on the back of the hand, as will be explained below. Preferably, at least one appendix is provided for each space between the fingers, that is, between adjacent fingers. As will be described below, in advantageous embodiments, the device has appendages that are configured to extend over the surface of the wrist palm and which allow the palm to be completely covered, in addition to the appendages that extend over the back of the hand to firm fixation

In the illustrated embodiments, the sheet forming the accessory or device 1 comprises four appendices 5, 7, 9, 11, indicated below as "appendages between the fingers", since they are intended to be inserted into the four spaces between the fingers. In particular, as shown in Figure 3, Appendix 5 between the fingers is applied between the little finger D1 and the ring finger D2 of the hand M. Appendix 7 between the fingers is applied between the ring finger D2 and the finger D3 medium. Appendix 9 between the fingers is applied between the middle finger D3 and the index D4. Appendix 11 between the fingers is applied between index D4 and thumb D5.

The adhesive sheet further comprises a lateral appendix 13, which will be applied to the side of the hand between the thumb D5 and the wrist PL. In advantageous embodiments, a pair of appendices 15A, 15B are provided, which are applied to the side of the hand between the little finger D1 and the wrist PL. Appendices 17A, 17B are also provided, which can be advantageously applied to partially surround the PL wrist or reach the palm portion, or the surface of the palm, of the wrist, that is, the surface that is on the side of the palm, thus ensuring that the palm is completely covered.

Figure 4 shows the positions taken by Appendices 5-17B described above once the accessory or device 1 has been applied to the hand M. The appendices are of sufficient length so that they can extend at least partially on the back of the hand M until they overlap at least partially with each other, as shown in the central area of the back DS of the hand in Figure 4.

The partial overlap between the appendages, in particular between the appendages 5, 7, 9, 11 between the fingers and the lateral appendages 13, 15A, 15B, allows the device 1 to be more firmly attached to the hand. In an advantageous embodiment, the appendages 5, 7, 9 between the fingers extend to the wrist, where they can also be fixed by a strip of film equal to that of the accessory or device 1 or simply by a wrist strap, often used in sports.

As is evident from Figures 3 and 4, where the device 1 is shown applied to the user's hand M, the central portion 3 of the sheet that forms the device or accessory 1 covers the palm almost completely. That is, the sheet has an extension such that, when the user holds a tool or equipment, for example a tennis racket, the perimeter edge P that delimits the central portion 3 is placed in areas where there is no pressure contact with the tool or the team In this way, the self-adhesive sheet does not come off the palm of the hand, since this detachment is usually caused by the mechanical action exerted by the tool or the equipment on the line between the perimeter edge of the device and the skin and by the sweating that enters between the self-adhesive sheet and the skin.

The accessory or device is firmly fixed to the hand M by means of Appendices 5-17B, folded and fixed to the back of the hand and / or the wrist, in areas where there is no contact with the tool or equipment, it is that is, in areas where the sheet that forms the device or accessory 1 is not subjected to the mechanical tension of the tool or equipment that would tend to release the self-adhesive sheet P from the skin, starting from the perimeter edge.

Several tests performed for different sports have shown that a sheet with such a shape, that is, a sheet that, after being applied, has no edges on the palm of the hand, which is in the area under friction during use , it remains firmly attached to the hand also during long periods of physical training, for example, during a tennis match, despite the strong friction exerted by the tool or equipment, for example, for the handle of the racket, in the whole palm. With the exception of particular cases of hyperhidrosis, sweating is deficient in the palm of the hand; therefore, a firm fixation by means of the adhesive A between the central portion 3 of the sheet forming the device or accessory 1 and the skin of the palm of the hand is ensured. The back of the hand, to which the lateral appendages 5-17B are attached, is not subject to the mechanical tensions caused by the grip of the tool or equipment, and therefore a firm fixation is also ensured in case of sweating.

The adhesive layer A applied to the back surface of the self-adhesive sheet 1 is protected by means of a removable protective film. The protective film may be made of paper, cardboard, cloth or other material, including a synthetic material, which is suitably treated, for example, but not limited to silicone, so that it can be easily peeled off the adhesive layer A.

To facilitate the application of the device or accessory 1 to the hand M, due to the complex shape and the wide surface thereof, in some embodiments, the protective film, instead of being made of a single piece or of two portions, is subdivided in a number of portions greater than two, delimited by lines of separation or cut that are shown in particular in Figure 1, which allow the user to apply the self-adhesive sheet to the hand one portion after the other where the protective film has been removed , without the risk that the various parts or appendages of the self-adhesive film stick together and cause wrinkles that cannot be flattened and would leave the device unusable.

Figure 1 illustrates, by way of example only, a possible subdivision of the protective film, which is indicated as a whole with PP and covers the adhesive A on the surface 1A of the sheet forming the device or accessory 1 before use . PP1, PP2, .... PP15 respectively indicate fifteen segments or portions of protective film, each of which can be removed separately and independently from each other.

In some embodiments, the accessory or device 1 is produced from a continuous or discontinuous composite web, formed by a base sheet, an adhesive layer A and a continuous protective film applied to protect the adhesive. By punching, laser cutting or similar, of the continuous web, the individual devices or accessories 1 are cut with their subsequent protective PP film, which can be subdivided, at the same time or later, into individual PP1-PP15 portions by means of laser cutting, die cutting or the like.

Thus, to apply the accessory or device 1 to the hand M, the user removes a portion of the protective film and causes the adhesive surface portion below, no longer protected by the protective film, to adhere to the skin; then he / she does the same with an adjacent portion, according to precise advantageous sequences, one of which is indicated numerically in Figure 5. This type of application allows the accessory or device to be used as a "hand garment", which It adapts perfectly without causing imperfections or wrinkles, that could not be avoided if the areas of adhesive film to be applied were too wide.

Once applied, the accessory or device 1 allows the user a more effective and precise grip of the tool or equipment or ball, where the grip is also completely dry, thus allowing maximum and powerful athletic movement, ensuring great sensitivity and optimal skin protection. The adhesion of the accessory or device 1 lasts a long time, also during the entire sports match, thanks to the particular shape described above, which prevents gradual detachment in the area where the hand presses the tool firmly.

To improve the effectiveness of the device or accessory 1, the surface 1B in contact with the tool or equipment can be treated in a known manner to increase the coefficient of friction thereof, or the synthetic base material from which the device is made can have a sufficient coefficient of friction per se.

Figures 5 and 6 show a further embodiment of an accessory or device 1 according to the present invention. The same reference numbers indicate the same or equivalent parts to those described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The accessory or device of Figures 5 and 6 are intended for the right hand. Figure 5 shows the back surface that will adhere to the hand, and illustrates an advantageous sequence for removing portions of protective film and for making adjacent areas of the adhesive sheet progressively adhere to the skin one after the other. Figure 6 shows the front surface, with a high coefficient of friction, that remains exposed.

In this second embodiment again, the device or accessory 1 comprises a shaped sheet of suitable thickness made of a suitable material, for example a synthetic, natural or semi-synthetic material, wherein the sheet is formed along a perimeter line P. The sheet 1 comprises a first surface 1A, partially shown in Figure 5, and a second surface 1B, shown in Figure 6. An adhesive A is applied to surface 1A.

The sheet 1 has a shaped central portion 3 intended to cover substantially the entire palm of the user's hand. A plurality of appendices, indicated with 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17A, 17B in Figure 6, extend from the central portion 3. More particularly, in this embodiment, the sheet forming the accessory or device 1 comprises four appendices 5, 7, 9, 11, indicated below as "appendages between the fingers", since they are intended to be inserted in the four spaces between the fingers. In particular, Appendix 5 between the fingers is applied between the Pinky and ring finger. Appendix 7 between the fingers is inserted between the ring finger and the middle finger. Appendix 9 between the fingers is inserted between the middle finger and the index finger. Appendix 11 between the fingers is inserted between the index finger and the thumb.

The adhesive sheet further comprises a lateral appendix 13 that will be applied to the side of the hand between the thumb and the wrist. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, a long appendix 15 is also provided, which will be applied to the side of the hand between the wrist and the little finger to the back of the hand and then around the wrist.

Similar to the previous embodiment, additional appendices 17A, 17B are provided, which can be applied to partially surround the wrist or to reach the palm portion or the surface of the wrist palm, that is, the surface next to it. of the palm of the hand, completely covering the surface of the palm of the hand. The length of Appendix 15 is sufficient to at least partially surround the wrist, overlapping Appendices 17A and 17B and thus keeping them fixed.

As in the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1-4, the central portion 3 of the sheet forming the device or accessory 1 almost completely covers the palm; in particular, the extension of the central portion is such that, when the user grabs the tool or equipment, for example a tennis racket, a golf club or other tool or equipment, the perimeter edge P delimiting the central portion 3 is placed in areas where there is no pressure contact with said tool or equipment. In this way, the self-adhesive sheet does not come off the palm of the hand, since this detachment is usually caused by the mechanical action exerted by the tool or the equipment on the line between the perimeter edge of the device and the skin and by the sweat that enters between the self-adhesive sheet and the skin.

In this case again, the accessory or device is firmly fixed to the hand by means of Appendices 5-17B, folded and fixed to the back of the hand and / or wrist, in areas where there is no contact with the tool or equipment, that is, in areas where the sheet that forms the device or accessory 1 is not subjected to the mechanical tension of the tool or equipment that would tend to release the self-adhesive sheet P from the skin, starting from the perimeter edge.

The adhesive layer A applied to the back surface of the self-adhesive sheet 1 is protected by means of a removable film. To facilitate the application of the device or accessory 1 by hand, due to the complex shape and the large surface thereof, also in the embodiment of Figures 5 and 6, the protective film, instead of being made of a single piece or of two portions, it is subdivided into a number of portions greater than two, delimited by lines of separation or cut, shown in particular in Figure 5, which allow the user to apply the self-adhesive sheet to the hand one portion after another in accordance with the Preferred sequences, one of which is shown in Figure 5 (the order corresponds to the sequence of the reference number), without the risk that the various parts or appendages of the self-adhesive film stick together before being completely applied to the hand. Figure 1 illustrates, by way of example only, a possible subdivision of the protective film, which is indicated as a whole with PP and covers the adhesive A on the surface 1A of the sheet forming the device or accessory 1 before use . PP1, PP2, .... PP22 indicate, respectively, twenty-two segments or portions of protective film, which can be removed separately and independently from each other. That is, the user must advantageously remove a portion of the protective film at the same time, make the adhesive portion below is no longer protected by the protective film, immediately adhere to the skin and then do the same with the subsequent portion.

Although the particular embodiments of the invention described above have been shown in the drawing and have been fully described in the above description with features and characteristics related to different example embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that modifications, changes and omissions are possible. however, without departing from innovative learning, the principles and concepts described above and the advantages of the object described in the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the described improvements will be determined solely on the basis of the broader interpretation of the appended claims, to include all modifications, changes and omissions. The scope of the invention also includes any combination of the features claimed in one or more of the dependent claims and the features of any of the independent claims.

Claims (13)

1. An accessory to facilitate the grip of a tool, a team or a sports ball, comprising: - a sheet (1) formed with a first surface (1A), on which a pressure sensitive adhesive (A), suitable for adhering to the skin, and a second surface (1B), opposite the first surface is applied (1A); wherein the sheet (1) forms a central portion (3) shaped and sized approximately like a palm, and a plurality of appendages (5, 7, 9, 11, 11, 13, 15, 17A, 17B) that they extend from a perimeter edge of the central portion (3) and are configured to adhere, by means of said adhesive (A), to the back of one hand; - a removable protective film (PP) to protect the adhesive (A); characterized in that the protective film (PP) is subdivided into a plurality of segments (PP1-PP22) or portions in a number greater than two, which can be removed from the first surface (1A) of the sheet (1) formed independently of ones and others. 2. Accessory according to claim 1, wherein the protective film (PP) is subdivided into a plurality of segments or portions (PP7-PP11) in the central portion (3) and a plurality of segments or portions (PP1- PP6) in the appendices (5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17A, 17B) that extend from the perimeter edge of the central portion (3). 3. Accessory according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the central portion (3) has a dimension and is provided with appendages (5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17A, 17B) such as to completely cover the palm of the hand, so that, once it has been applied to the hand, the edge of the sheet is outside the surface of the palm. 4. Accessory according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that said second surface (1B) has a high coefficient of friction. 5. Accessory according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second surface (1B) has a surface treatment that increases the coefficient of friction thereof. 6. Accessory according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said plurality of appendices (5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17A, 17B) comprises one or more appendages (5, 7, 9, 11 ) between the fingers, configured to be arranged in respective spaces between the adjacent fingers when the accessory is applied to one hand, the size of said appendages (5, 7, 9, 11) between the fingers is sufficient to adhere to the back of the hand. 7. Accessory according to claim 6, comprising four appendages (5, 7, 9, 11) between the fingers, configured to be arranged respectively: between the little finger (D1) and the ring finger (D2); between the ring finger (D2) and the middle finger (D3); between the middle finger (D3) and the first finger (D4); between the first finger (D4) and the thumb (D5). 8. Accessory according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least a first lateral appendix (13) configured and arranged to adhere to the back of the hand, which extends between the thumb (D5) and the wrist ( PL). 9. Accessory according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising at least one additional lateral appendix (15A, 15B; 15) configured and arranged to adhere to the back of the hand extending between the little finger (D1) and the doll (PL). 10. Accessory according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising a lateral appendix (17A, 17B) configured and arranged to adhere to the back of the hand and at least partially surround the wrist (PL). 11. Accessory according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising appendages configured to reach the surface of the wrist palm (PL). 12. Accessory according to claim 11 when it depends on claim 10, wherein the lateral appendix is configured and arranged to at least partially overlap the appendages configured to reach the surface of the wrist palm (PL). 13. Accessory according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least some of said appendices (5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 15A, 15B, 17A, 17B) are long enough to overlap each other on the back of the hand.