GB2407960A

GB2407960A - A glove for a disabled person

Info

Publication number: GB2407960A
Application number: GB0326307A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Audrey Dodd; Colin Dodd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-11-11
Filing date: 2003-11-11
Publication date: 2005-05-18
Also published as: GB0326307D0

Abstract

A glove for a disabled wearer whose hands are malformed where the thumb is held in a set position via releasable fasteners that are attached to the end of the thumb and the body of the glove respectively and where the palm section of the glove is open. Preferably the thumb has a hook 3 on the end that may be secured to holding compartments (4, Fig 1) on the back of the glove into which the thumb hook. Preferably the glove may have a detachable attached palm section that may be held in place by removable fasteners such as press-studs 6 and/or zips 9. The wrist section of the glove preferably has large wrist flaps 1 that can open out and when secured together with Velcro (RTM) cover the bottom of the wearer's palm. The finger compartments may have splits 8 to allow easy access.

Description

GLOVES FOR THE DISABLED

This invention relates to a pair of gloves to be worn by people with malformed hands and hands which are fixed, especially in a fist position where the thumb is permanently enclosed in the fist.

Disabled people who drive powered-wheelchairs, usually have some form of hand deformity, which in many cases prevent tl;'em from wearing conventional gloves.

Usually mittens are available, but these tend to be expensive, illfitting and further limit the already limited use of the fingers. These gloves are more appropriate for adults and will enable them to have much needed hand protection in cold weather and still be able to use their fingers to the best of their ability, e.g. to operate a poweredwheelchair or press a button at a pedestrian crossing.

These gloves can vary in size and are designed with an open palm and fastening hook attached to the thumb of the glove to be pulled beneath the fingers of a fist and fastened using holding compartments along the back of the glove, while the rest of the glove i.e., the wrist section, is fastened using a hook and loop self-adhesive fastening system, e.g., Velcro. An elasticated detachable palm cover can also be attached to the main glove body by press-studs, or a combination of a zip and press-studs. These gloves are meant to be worn by a disabled person but would need to be placed on the hands by another party, such as a caret.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I shows the glove from the back-of-hand plan view.

Figure 2 shows the glove from the palm-of-hand plan view.

Figure 3 shows the detachable palm cover and fastening positions.

As shown in fig. I the gloves are opened out with the wrist-flaps 1, which are large enough to cover the bottom of the palm when fastened. The wrist-flaps are secured using hook 2 and loop 2a self-adhesive fabric panels. The position of hook fabric panel 2 is shown.

The thumb well would be useable, but is meant to be pulled beneath the fingers and against the palm of a fixed fist and fastened using thumb hook 3 to the holding compartments 4. Holding compartments 4 are strips of strong non-elasticated fabric which are stitched intermittently m such a way as the stitching creates compartments where thumb hook 3 can be held in place. This mirrors the 'hook and bar' fastening system.

Thumb hook 3 is mounted on elasticated fabric 5, which Is in turn attached permanently to the end of the thumb of the glove.

Also shown on fig. I are the fastening 'male' press-stud positions 6 for the detachable palm cover (fig. 3). Overlock stitch 7 is shown on fig. I and would be applied to all open edges.

As shown in fig. 2 the finger compartments have splits 8 up the middle for easy access. The position of thumb hook 3 can be seen mounted on elasticated fabric 5.

The position of loop fabric panel 2a is also shown in fig.2.

Figure 3 shows the detachable palm cover and the position of the 'female' press-stud fasteners 6a. The three press-studs along one side of the palm cover may be replaced with zip 9 to be attached to zip 9a (fig. I). Fig. 3 also shows the optional fastening attached to the palm cover by plastic rivet 10, which would fasten between the knuckles of the second and ring fingers shown by the press-stud at that position in fig. 1.

Claims

1. Opened out gloves, where the thumb hook is mounted onto elasticated fabric, permanently attached to the thumb of the glove and pulled beneath the fingers and along the palm of a fixed closed fist and held in place by a thumb fastener based on the hook and bar system on the back of the glove.

2. An opened out pair of gloves as claimed in Claim I where the wrist flaps of the glove are held in place by hook and loop self adhesive fabric panels which cover the bottom of the palm when closed.

3. An opened out pair of gloves as claimed in preceding claims where the fingers of the gloves are adjusted via slits on the palm-side of the glove for easy access and the palm of the wearer can be covered with a detachable palm cover which can be attached to the main glove body by press studs or a combination of a zip and press studs.

4. An opened out pair of gloves as claimed in preceding claims, which can be made from lined fleece fabric or multiple fabrics hides in various sizes and the detachable palm cover is made from elasticated fabric.

5. An opened out pair of gloves as claimed in preceding claims where strips of non-elasticated fabric are attached to the pinky-finger side of the back of the gloves in such a way as to create a fastening system based on 'hooks and bars'.