US20040016042A1

US20040016042A1 - Apparatus for protecting golfer grip

Info

Publication number: US20040016042A1
Application number: US10/200,258
Authority: US
Inventors: Tae Kim
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-07-23
Filing date: 2002-07-23
Publication date: 2004-01-29

Abstract

This invention is a golf apparatus for protecting the golfer from increment weather. The golf apparatus combines the covering or shield with a detachable glove. The covering or shield includes an opening that is elastic for allowing the gloved hand to be revealed for adjusting the gloved hand to the club. After the gloved hand grips the club, the parallel slit allows the palm area of the ungloved hand to extent through the slit area to facilitate proper alignment of the hands.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to golf apparel for protecting the golfer from inclement weather conditions. Typically, golf gloves have been used to protect the skin of the hand grasping the grip of the golf club while providing an enhancement in gripping qualities, thereby allowing the golfer to stably and firmly grasp the grip of the golf club. One of ordinary skill realizes that when the glove of the golfer is expose to rain, the grip to the golf club diminishes, and possibly promoting to a poor swing result, such as slicing or hooking of the golf ball.

During winter or cold weather, golfers practice golf in golf ranges or equivalent facilities. Some golf range includes facilities such as heaters to warm the golfers during their practice. Heaters are usually above the golfer and provide nominal warmth to the golfer gloved and ungloved hands. Known golf gloves are mainly made of soft leather for providing relative firm grip on the golf club. However, the soft leather provides minimal warmth during cold conditions.

To protect the golfer from the cold, some golfers wear golf gloves in both hands. However, golf gloves are made for gripping golf clubs and not protection from the cold. Some Golfer possibly wears regular winter gloves on one hand and golf glove on the other hand to protect from the cold. However, the hand with the golf glove is not protected from the cold. Furthermore, when the golfer wears the golf glove with the winter glove, the grip facilitated by the winter glove lessen the “feel” of the swing. It is known, once the hands are exposed to the cold, the club becomes difficult to feel and grip, and the body becomes chilled for added discomfort.

To protect the golfer from inclement weather conditions, prior art golf apparel U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,956 discloses a combination golf glove and rain shield. Prior art FIG. 1, illustrates a combination comprises a conventional golf glove and a shield composed of an other bag or covering attached to the glove along the periphery of the wrist band of the glove that generally circumscribes the wrist of the wearer. The shield preferably includes an elongated side slot located on the side opposite to the hand of the glove and longitudinally extending from the upper wrist surrounding edge and extending toward in the same direction as the central axis of the opening for the golf club.

Golf apparel disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,956 has several deficiencies. Firstly, since outer covering surrounding the inner glove are end sewingly fixed, the wear of the inner glove tends to wear faster than the outer shield. Hence, when the inner glove is worn with rips or holes on the glove, the golf apparel must be thrown away even though the outer shield is usable. Secondly, once the golfer selects an appropriate golf club, the golfer manually extends the handle end through the aperture and grips the club handle with his/her gloved hand. Since the aperture is relatively small the inserting the handle end into the aperture is cumbersome. Thirdly, the slit on the shield is longitudinally in the same direction as the golf club, which is cumbersome when the golfer passes the ungloved hand into the slit.

Fourthly, since the covering is not transparent. The grip on the club is not visable to the eyes for proper grip adjustment.

Thus, a need for an improve apparatus for providing protection from inclement weather to golfers which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the first embodiment of the present invention includes an attaching/detaching means for attaching and detaching the conventional glove to the outer covering or shield. Preferably, the attaching/detaching means is located in the vicinity of the wrist area of the glove and the upper portion of the covering or shield where the glove enters. Hence, when he glove is worn from prolong use or damage, the user or golfer can detach the worn glove and attach a new glove with attaching means to the covering or shield.

The second embodiment of the invention includes the pulling means attached to the bottom of the aperture where the golf club enter the covering or shield. Preferable, the covering or shield is made of a flexible material such as a water resistant fabric treated with a water-proofing compound. When the golfer or user wears the glove and covering or shield combination, the pulling means attached to the bottom portion of the covering or shield pulls the covering or shield over the wrist over the golfer or user revealing the glove portion of the combination. With the glove portion revealed, the golfer can grip the golf club with ease and have visual sight to adjust the grip to the golf club.

The third embodiment of the invention includes the location of the slit means on the covering or shield. The location of the slit means is located near where the wrist of the golfer or user and approximately parallel with the top portion of the covering or shield. The entrance to the slit is flexible and contractive. When the exposed hand enters the flexible and contractive slit, the slit expand to allow the circumference of the largest portion of the exposed hand to enter the inner of the covering or shield with ease while the contractiveness of the slit contracts at the wrist of the exposed hand to facilitate further protection from the rain or cold. Since, the entrance of the slit means is approximately parallel to the opening of the top portion of the covering of shield, golfer or user can insert the exposed hand with ease to facilitate a proper grip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following disclosure and description, including as a part thereof the accompanying drawing, in which: [0011]
FIG. 1 illustrates prior art combination of the outer covering sewing fixed with the inner glove. [0012]
FIG. 2 illustrates conventional glove with an attachment on the upper wrist portion of the glove. [0013]
FIG. 3 illustrates the first embodiment of the invention. [0014]
FIG. 4 illustrates the second and third embodiment of the invention. [0015]
FIG. 5 illustrates the combination of the detachable glove and the outer covering. [0016]
FIG. 6 illustrates when the covering is pulled over the wrist area so the golfer or user can visually see the grip for possible adjustment to the grip. [0017]
FIG. 7 illustrates a operation of a proper grip on the club. [0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 3 illustrates the detachable glove with at least two attaching/detaching means [0019] 4, 4.1, 1, and 1.1. The attaching/detaching means are snap-on buttons located in the circumference of the wrist area of the glove. These snap-on buttons are used to attach and detach the glove to the outer covering. The extra snap-on button also serves as an extra ball marker when the glove is used without the outer covering.
FIG. 4 illustrates the outer covering of the invention. The [0020] outer covering 12 should be sufficiently large and loose to permit the golfer to comfortably grip the handle of the club with both hands. The outer covering preferably is made from water resistant or wind resistant material such as thin vinyl or nylon. The inner covering layer 9 is sewed to the outer covering 12 with a thin lining of fleece or any equivalent warming material. Velcro brand 5, 5.1 are provided for interlocking firmly to the wrist area of the golfer. The outer covering also holes 1.2 and 4.2. These holes provide means for attaching the glove of FIG. 3 to the outer covering. For instance, when the golfer desires to attach the glove to the covering, the golfer aligns holes to the snap-on buttons of either the glove of FIG. 3 or conventional glove of FIG. 2 with already existing single snap-on button. Since, the location of the snap is different for different brands of commercially available gloves. The location of the holes can be tailored to accommodated for all existing and commercially available golf gloves such as Nike, FootJoy Titlelest, etc., branded gloves. This combination is illustrated in FIG. 5. On one or both side of the covering, depending on whether golfer or user is left or right handed, a slit 7 is located near opening 6 where the hand enters the glove but below the Velcro area.
FIG. 7 illustrates a proper grip on the club. When the golfer or user wears the inventive combination. The golfer wears the left-handed or right-handed glove with the attached covering or shield initially covering the glove. To grip the club, the golfer or user pulls the pulling means [0021] 10 to reveal the gloved portion of the hand to visually adjust the back of the left hand 8.3 to be parallel with clubface and the thumb slightly right of the shaft center. Afterworth, the golfer or user pull back the covering or shield over the adjusted grip to the club. Then, golfer or user inserts the ungloved hand into the slit area of the covering or shield.
For proper hand positioning on the club, the palm of the right hand [0022] 8.2 should be parallel to the backside of the left hand 8.1, as illustrated in FIG. 7. Since, the entrance slit 7 is parallel with the opening 6, the golfer can easily align the right hand over the left for a proper grip. Hence, with a proper grip on the gloved hand, the golfer aligns ungloved hand parallelly with wrist area of gloved left hand before entering the slit, and extends the right hand into the slit to align the palm of the right hand parallelly with the back side of the left hand. The entrance of the slit 7 is sewed with elastic material so as to comfortablely closed on the wrist are when the ungloved hand enters to slit to protect from rain, wind, and the cold.
The bottom of the covering includes an [0023] opening 8 for allowing the club to enter the covering. The opening 8 is also sewed with an elastic material. Preferably, the elasticity of 8.1 allows the covering 12 to be pulled by a pulling means 10 over the gloved hand to expose the gloved hand to allow adjustment of the grip and also close on the club 11 after the grip adjustment. The closing to the club 11 should substantially stop cold, air entering the covering.
While a specific embodiment of the invention have been illustrated. It is apparent that variations may be made therefrom without departing from the inventive concept. According, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims. [0024]

Claims

What is claimed:

1. An apparatus comprising:

a glove with at least one attaching means wherein said attaching means is used to attach and detach said glove to a covering or shield portion;

said covering or shield comprises an opening which is substantially elastic for allowing said covering or shield to be pulled over to reveal a gloved hand to facilitate visually adjusting a grip to a club.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said covering or shield includes a slit that is substantially parallel with another opening.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said slit is elastic.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said covering or shield includes at least one hole for attaching and detaching said glove.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said covering or shield includes a pulling means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said covering or shield include a inner and outer portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said inner portion provides warmth and said outer portion provides protection with wind and water.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said covering or shield includes a Velcro or locking means.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said another opening is where said glove is attached.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said attaching means includes a snap on button.