GB2281020A - Goalkeeper's glove - Google Patents

Abstract

A goalkeeper's glove, having an inner hand part (11) and an outer hand part (10) attached thereto, has at least one element (13 (figure 1), 19, 10a, 10b, 23, 24 (other figures)) textile material, which is elastic in extension in the transverse direction (peripheral direction), in the rear region of the glove, starting from the wrist-band (12) and extending forwards into the region of the heel of the thumb (14). This element may be combined with a strap-like fastening system (17, (figure 1), 25, 28, 25a, 30 - 33 (other figures)) and/or a system of laces (34 to 38, 42, 139, 139a, 139b (other figures)). A goalkeeper's glove fashioned in this manner ensures anatomical adaptation in the middle hand region and thereby ensures that the glove is securely seated, without restricting mobility by stiffening the glove, without requiring increased effort when pulling on and pulling off the glove, and whilst maintaining the padding and damping functions of the glove. <IMAGE>

Description

GOALKEEPER'S GLOVE This invention relates to a goalkeeper's glove according to the precharacterising clause of Claim 1.

In order to optimise the principal function of a glove for football goalkeepers, namely the catching or fending off of balls, the inner hand part is generally cut flat and is attached to the remaining parts of the glove by external seams. This results in a substantially flat inner hand, with a catching area which is considerably larger than the actual hand area.

However, this mode of construction for goalkeeper's gloves is an obstacle to the glove having a good fit. In particular, the flat cut of the inner hand opposes an anatomical fit. Nevertheless, various attempts have already been made to achieve a good fit of the glove, because it is essential for the ball-catching function that the glove is seated securely without slipping. For example, anatomical shaping inside the glove could be achieved by incorporating raised foam pads in the glove. This measure has not proved to be very advantageous as regards hand and finger mobility, however.

For ski gloves, and for gloves in general, it is known that the glove, once it has been put on, can be tightened by a zip on the back of the hand or on the outer face of the side of the hand for the purpose of obtaining a better seating over the hand. However in this connection there is no adaptation to hands of different widths, because it is only possible to from a manufacturing point of view are to be found in claims 3 and 4.

Claims 5 to 9 comprise other advantageous embodiments of the invention.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, where: Figures 1 to 11 are perspective illustrations of various embodiments of a goalkeeper's glove.

Reference numeral 10 denotes an outer hand part and reference numeral 11 denotes an inner hand part of the goalkeeper's glove concerned. The two parts are sewn to each other at their edges in the usual manner, which will therefore not be described in detail. In addition, lateral transition pieces may be sewn in, in the region of the fingers and also in the side regions of the glove, as is also generally known.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 an elastic element 13 made of textile material, which is elastic in extension in the transverse or peripheral direction, is disposed in the region of the wrist-band denoted by 12. The elastic element 13 is of an encircling construction and extends forwards from the wrist-band 12 into the region of the heel of the thumb 14 of the glove. Reference numeral 15 denotes the seam location at the front end of the elastic element 13, where it is firmly attached to the outer hand part 10 and the inner hand part 11.

On the hand upper side the elastic element 13 is covered by a flap-like extension 16 which is formed in one piece with the upper material of the outer hand part 10. The flap-like extension 16 is advantageously of padded construction, as is the remaining material of the outer hand part 10 also, so that the protective function (damping effect) of the goalkeeper's glove and its qualities as regards clenching the fists are by no means diminished by the elastic element 13.

A fastening strap 17 is attached to the flap-like extension 16 on the left-hand side (i.e. on the outside of the glove). A guide loop 18 for the fastening strap 17 is attached on the right-hand side. The fastening strap 17 may be designed as a Velcro fastener in the known manner.

Since - in contrast to the conventional elastic cuffs of conventional gloves - the encircling elastic element 13 extends in the present case into the region of the heel of the thumb, it should be more elastic and softer than conventional elastic cuffs so that it does not have a restricting effect.

Due to this particular elasticity and softness of the elastic element 13, its combination with the additional fastening system 17 (Velcro fastener) in the embodiment shown in Figure 1 proves to be particularly advantageous and practicallyoriented.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 3 the anatomical fit of the glove to the hand of its wearer is achieved by means of an elastic insert 19 made of textile material, which is inserted in the outer hand part 10 of the glove material in the region of the back of the hand. The elastic insert 19 is again constructed so that it is elastic in extension in the transverse direction. As in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the system of adaptation to the width of the hand is also combined here with a fastening system comprising a Velcro strip (fastening strap 17), which is known in principle and which is customary.

Figure 2 shows the fastening system 17 in its fastened state; Figure 3 shows it in its unfastened state.

The embodiment shown in Figure 4 differs from that shown in Figures 2 and 3 in that the elastic insert denoted by 19a in Figure 4 is extended on the side of the thumb by a side region 20. In the variant shown in Figure 5 an extension is formed on both sides of the elastic insert, which is denoted here by 19b (side regions 20, 21).

The aforementioned measures illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 advantageously permit the range of fit of the glove to be extended to the hand of the respective player. The inclusion of the side areas 22 of the glove in the elastically adaptable region can be utilised, for example, in order to make the elastic region wider at the wrist-band 12.

Figure 6 shows a modification in which - due to the incorporation of two elastic side inserts 23, 24 - only the side areas 22 of the glove have been fashioned so that they are elastic in extension. This variant has the advantage that a conventionally padded upper hand 10 known in the art can be used with an unrestricted damping function. Since the side areas 22 of the glove are relatively narrow, this solution results in a range of fit which is quite smaller. It is therefore advisable to extend the side areas 22 into the region of the upper hand 10.

Since it is generally desirable to retain the padded upper hand of the conventional goalkeeper's glove, the embodiments described above and shown in Figures 2 to 6 can or should be provided with a covering of padded material, which is not itself elastic in extension however, similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 1.

Figure 7 shows a preferred solution in which the padded covering denoted by 25 is sewn down at one end - at 26 - to the edge of the upper hand 10. A guide loop 27, through which a fastening strap 28 is pulled, is incorporated at the other (free) end of the covering 25. The fastening strap 28 can be attached at 29 to the inner hand material 11 of the glove and - after being guided through the loop 27 - can also be fastened again by its Velcro strip to the lower side of the glove.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 8 the covering (shown in its unfastened state), which is denoted here by 25a, is itself provided with a fastening strap 30. The (detachable) fastening of the covering is again effected by means of a Velcro fastener 32. The fastening strap 30 is fastened to the lower side of the glove by means of Velcro fastener 33.

The variant shown in Figure 8 has additional special features compared with the other embodiments described above, however. It is distinguished in particular by an extended form of anatomical fit, in which the glove is not solely formed and therefore fitted to the shape of the hand by way of the tension of an insert which is elastic in extension (which is of similar form to that shown in Figures 2 and 3 and is therefore also denoted by 19 here), but which makes it possible for the force of embedment of the hand to be selected according to individual requirements, and even more tightly than in the embodiments described above.This is made possible by a lace 34, which is attached (sewn down) at one end to the upper hand (outer hand part 10) in the region of the finger projection - at 35, which is passed through guide loops 36, 37 towards the wrist-band 12 of the glove, and which has a Velcro fastener 38 at its free end. The lace 34 can easily be tensioned with one hand and can be fixed to a fleece strip (not shown) which is sewn on in the region of the wristband 12. (The fleece strip may be identical to that which is employed for securing the fastening strap 30 or its Velcro fastener 33).

Based on the measures described above, a modification of the embodiment shown in Figure 8 is conceivable in which the fastening strap 30 is dispensed with completely. However, the fastening strap 30 should be retained if it is desired to select the fastening (the width in the wrist region) irrespective of the degree of fit with which the middle hand is embedded. As stated above, the elastic element 19 should be a textile material which is elastic in extension. However, it may be of thinner and softer form than in the embodiments described above. This is because it does not itself have to produce the tension in order to provide a matched fit, but in practice only has to be comfortable to the hand. It is also possible to manufacture the elastic element 19 from very soft leather or artificial leather material, which can be tightened during the fitting procedure.

Figures 9 to 11 show another system for an anatomical fit by way of a tension strip 139. Two functional modifications or additions are provided simultaneously compared with the embodiment shown in Figure 8: 1. The upper end 40 of the tension strip 139 is not sewn directly on to the upper hand material 41, but instead fans out into four to six further strips 42, which are attached in the region of the finger projections 43 in such a way that the fingers are pulled towards the wrist 44 when the tension strip is tightened.

2. The free end 45 of the tension strip 139 is fastened by means of a Velcro strip 46, not to the glove itself but to a fastening strap 47 (see Figures 10 and 11), to which a longer fleece strip is attached for this purpose. This Velcro fastening can be attached in different positions to the fastening strap 47 depending on the desired fit. When the fastening strap 47 is fastened the tension strip 139 is then tensioned automatically and the anatomical fit is achieved.

It is therefore sufficient to adjust the tension strip 139 once. In all the subsequent fastening operations the same form of anatomical fit is then obtained again automatically.

A further special feature is that the fitting system described above is mounted on a light, thin inner glove 41, which is preferably manufactured from cotton which is permeable to air.

The inner glove 41 is sewn to the outer material 10, 11 at the positions 48 - 56 indicated. The tension strip 139 is led outwards underneath the stitching of the fastening strap 47 through a slit 57 (see Figure 11) in the upper material (outer hand part 10).

The two functional modifications or additions (variants 1 and 2) compared with Figure 8 are illustrated jointly in Figures 9 - 11. However, forms of construction are conceivable in which only variant 1 or variant 2 is realised.

It should also be remarked in relation to Figure 10 that this illustrates the finished glove into which the inner glove 41 shown in Figure 8 is sewn.

Figure 11 shows an embodiment of a glove as a socalled "see-through" illustration. An inner glove 41a (which in reality is hidden) can be seen, as can a tension strip 139a. The construction of the tension strip is somewhat different from that shown in Figure 9. Fitting to the middle hand is effected by way of the tension strip 139a, which is guided exactly as is that shown in Figure 8. However, the anatomical fit in the finger region is effected via a second tension strip 139b, which is not attached to the first tension strip 139a until the final deflection of the latter (at 58).

If the fanned-out tension strips (reference numeral 42 in Figure 9) are wrapped once round the finger projection of the inner glove 41 or 41a for the finger region, as illustrated in Figures 9 and 11 for the little finger and the ring finger, respectively, the first phalanx of the finger is accurately embedded during the fitting operation.

Claims (17)

1. A goalkeeper's glove, having an inner hand part (11) and an outer hand part (10) attached thereto, characterised in that at least one element (13, 19, 19a, 19b, 23, 24) made of textile material, which is elastic in extension in the transverse direction (peripheral direction), is incorporated in the rear region of the glove, starting from the wrist-band (12) and extending forwards into the region of the heel of the thumb (14).

2. A goalkeeper's glove according to claim 1, characterised in that the elastic element (13, 19, 19a, l9b, 23, 24) is combined with a strap-like fastening system (17, 25, 28, 25a, 30 - 33) and/or a system of laces (34 to 38, 42, 139, 139a, 139b).

3. A goalkeeper's glove according to claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the elastic element (13) is of an encircling construction and in the middle hand region is fastened at its front end (at 15) to the remaining glove material (Figure 1).

4. A goalkeeper's glove according to claims 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the outer hand part (10) has a flap like extension (16) covering the encircling elastic element (13) in the upper hand region, to one side of which extension a fastening strap (17) is attached and to the other side of which a guide loop (10) for the fastening strap (17) is attached (Figure 1).

5. A goalkeeper's glove according to claims 1 or 2, characterised in that an elastic insert (19) is incorporated as an elastic element in the outer hand part (10) of the glove material in the region of the back of the hand (Figures 2 and 3).

6. A goalkeeper's glove according to claim 5, characterised in that the elastic insert (19a) extends at its rear end at least on one side (at 20), and preferably on both sides (at 20, 21) into the side parts (22) of the glove material (Figures 4 and 5).

7. A goalkeeper's glove according to claims 1 or 2, characterised in that an elastic insert (23, 24) is incorporated as an elastic element in each of the side regions (22) of the glove material, preferably extending into the region of the upper hand (10) (Figure 6).

8. A goalkeeper's glove according to claims 5, 6 or 7, characterised in that the elastic element or elements (13, 19) in the upper hand region can be covered by a padded covering (16, 25, 25a) which is not itself elastic in extension, by means of a fastening strap (17, 28, 30) (Figures 7 and 8).

9. A goalkeeper's glove according to claim 2, characterised in that guide loops (36, 37) are incorporated in the upper hand material (10) on both sides of the elastic element (19), through which guide loops a lace (34) attached to the upper hand material in the vicinity of the finger projection (at 35) is passed towards the wrist-band (12) and can be secured there by its free end (38) (Figure 8).

10. A goalkeeper's glove substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A goalkeeper's glove substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A goalkeeper's glove substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A goalkeeper's glove substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A goalkeeper's glove substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A goalkeeper's glove substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings

16. A goalkeeper's glove substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A goalkeeper's glove substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 9 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.