US20090199319A1

US20090199319A1 - Insulated handwear with increased flexion and method of making

Info

Publication number: US20090199319A1
Application number: US12/369,609
Authority: US
Inventors: Nathan J.T. Jenkin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Outdoor Research LLC
Priority date: 2008-02-12
Filing date: 2009-02-11
Publication date: 2009-08-13

Abstract

Handwear and a method of making are provided in which a glove system includes a glove and a liner, the liner including an insulated dorsal panel, an insulated palmar panel, and a seam coupling the dorsal panel to the palmar panel, the seam having an uninsulated seam segment that facilitates flexion while maintaining the insulative properties of the liner.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is directed to handwear, such as gloves, mittens, gauntlets, and the like, and, more particularly, to an insulated glove system having a removable liner with a unique seam design that increases flexion, and to a method of construction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Garments for the hand have a variety of purposes, including utility, protection, warmth, ornamentation, and fashion. Such handwear can be found in various forms. Examples include, without limitation, mittens (a single enclosure for all four fingers and a separate contiguous enclosure for the thumb), gloves (in which each finger has its own enclosure extending from a hand portion), and gauntlets (in which a glove has a cuff that extends over at least a portion of forearm).
Fingerless handwear has also been designed in which a portion of the fingers is exposed to facilitate gripping and full tactile sensation with the fingers while providing protection and comfort for the rest of the hand. However, fingerless gloves provide no protection for the fingers from injury and the elements. In contrast, full-fingered gloves made of thin material allow for limited tactile sensation, although they can in some cases inhibit dexterity. Thick, protective or insulated gloves, such as gloves having a removable or nonremovable liner are bulky and inhibit tactile sensation, flexion, and dexterity.
Extreme cold environments in which temperatures are near or below freezing (0° C.) require sufficient insulation in the glove to maintain warmth. Gloves present a challenge in that the fingers of the hand are individually encased in the finger portions of the glove, isolating them from the warmth of the other fingers. Utilizing more insulation in the finger portion restricts the ability to bend the fingers, thus reducing dexterity. Where manipulation of small objects by the fingers is mission critical, such as in scientific and military applications, there is a need for gloves that provide enhanced flexure while maintaining thermal insulation.
Attempts have been made to provide increased flexibility and to reduce hand and finger fatigue of a wearer. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,378, modified fourchettes are used on the sides of the fingers, i.e., side panels between the top and bottom panels of each finger in which tucks are formed therein. In other words, the fourchette forms the sidewalls of the fingers and thumb of the glove and tucks are sewn in the fourchettes as well as on a back portion of the gloves to provide a bend point about which the material can be bent as the fingers are curled or flexed. The construction of this design requires the use of rectangular-shaped protrusions that aid in forming the tucks, thus complicating the sewing of the glove.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,736 describes a curved, Clute-cut glove construction in which the gloves are sewn so that the fingers of the glove are pre-curved, i.e., they are curved inward toward the palm so that the glove can be moved to a clasping position without crumpling, creasing, or folding of the finger and palm sections of the glove. In order to achieve the curvature, the back and bottom pieces are each stretched on a compound feed sewing machine so that a longer length of each back piece relative to its associated bottom piece imparts a curved configuration along each finger of the glove.
While the foregoing designs may be suitable for their various purposes, they do not address the needs of users in environments of extreme temperatures, such as extreme cold temperatures, where dexterity and flexion need to be enhanced while maintaining thermal protection.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to handwear and to a method of making the same. In accordance with one embodiment, a glove system is provided that includes a glove with at least one finger and a liner. The liner includes an insulated dorsal panel, an insulated palmar panel, and a seam panel, the seam panel having an uninsulated segment that attaches the insulated dorsal panel and the insulated palmar panel.
In accordance with another aspect of the foregoing embodiment, the seam includes an insulated segment having a layer of insulating material attached to an inside surface of an outer layer of the seam panel. Ideally, the uninsulated seam segment is sized to bring the insulated seam segment into contact with an adjacent the dorsal and palmar panels. More preferably, the uninsulated segment is sized and shaped to permit relative movement of the insulated segment with the adjacent dorsal and palmar panels to provide enhanced flexure of the at least one finger of the liner. In addition, the insulated segment of the seam panel attaches to a first edge of the uninsulated segment and to an intermediate location on the uninsulated segment that is spaced from a second edge of the uninsulated outer layer of the seam panel. The first edge of the uninsulated segment is attached to the dorsal panel, and the second edge of the uninsulated outer layer is attached to the palmar panel.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a glove liner with enhanced finger flexure is provided, the liner including at least one finger, the at least one finger having an outer layer and an insulating layer, the insulating layer having at least one gap at a seam that forms at least one uninsulated seam segment along a side of the at least one finger that is adjacent a top and bottom of the at least one finger. Ideally, the at least one uninsulated segment is sized and shaped to allow contact between the insulating layer on each side of the at least one uninsulated segment to maintain insulation in the glove liner while allowing relative movement between the insulating layers on each side of the at least one uninsulated segment to provide enhanced flexure of the glove liner.
In accordance with yet a further embodiment of the present disclosure, handwear with enhanced flexibility is provided. The handwear includes an insulated panel having an outer layer and an inner insulating layer, the handwear further having an uninsulated seam section of the outer layer, ideally between a top portion and a bottom portion of the handwear, to provide enhanced flexion for bending of the handwear.
In accordance with another aspect of the foregoing embodiment, the uninsulated section is bounded by the inner insulated layer on a top boundary and the inner insulated layer on a bottom boundary, the uninsulated section sized to bring the inner insulated layers on the top and bottom boundaries into contact to maintain insulation in the handwear while facilitating relative movement between the inner insulated layers on the top and bottom boundaries.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a glove liner is provided that includes at least one finger, each at least one finger having a dorsal outer layer, a dorsal inner layer, a palmar outer layer, a palmar inner layer, an outer seam panel attaching the inner and outer dorsal layers to the inner and outer palmer layers, and an inner seam panel attached to the outer seam panel, the outer seam panel having a larger size than the inner seam panel so that a portion of the outer seam panel is not covered by the inner seam panel.
In accordance with further aspects of the foregoing embodiment, the uncovered portion of the outer seam panel is attached to the palmar outer layer and the palmar inner layer so that the palmer outer layer is positioned between the outer seam panel and the palmar inner layer. In addition or alternatively, a portion of the outer seam panel covered by the inner seam panel is attached to the dorsal outer layer and the dorsal inner layer so that the dorsal outer layer and the outer seam panel are positioned between the dorsal inner layer and the inner seam panel. Ideally, the outer seam panel is sized and shaped to bring the dorsal inner layer and the planar inner layer into contact to maintain insulation in the liner while facilitating relative movement between the dorsal and palmar layers.
In accordance with another embodiment, a liner for a glove is provided that includes at least one finger, the at least one finger having a first panel having a first outer layer and a first inner layer of equal widths, a second panel having a second outer layer and a second inner layer, the second outer layer having a size greater than the second inner layer to form at least one area of the second outer layer that is uncovered by the second inner layer, the first and second panels attached together to form a seam, with the at least one uncovered area of the second outer layer adjacent the seam.
In accordance with another aspect of the foregoing embodiment, the second panel is sized and shaped to bring the first inner layer and the second inner layer into contact to maintain insulation in the liner while facilitating relative movement between the first and second outer layers.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, the foregoing embodiments can be applied to the seams of gloves, mittens, gauntlets, and other handwear, including all types of construction, such as Clute, Gunn cut, and others, in which any seam can be formed using the techniques and architectures described herein.
As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing, the handwear and method of making the same as provided in the present disclosure maintains the integrity of the insulation at the seam while permitting relative movement therein to facilitate flexure of the handwear, including the fingers, the thumb, the hand, and the wrist. The glove system of the present disclosure also enhances tactile sensation because the user's fingers can utilize the uninsulated seam portion for grasping or manipulating objects without compromising the thermal insulation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more readily appreciated as the same become better understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric illustration of a glove system having a glove and liner formed in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional side view of the assembled glove system of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2B is an enlarged isometric sectional view of a portion of the liner shown in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional illustration of a glove liner finger formed in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional illustration of an alternative embodiment of a mitten liner formed in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an exploded isometric illustration of the glove liner components of FIG. 1 prior to assembly; and

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating one method of constructing a liner formed in accordance with the present disclosure.

In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elements or acts. The sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. Further, the particular shapes of the elements as drawn, are not intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements, and have been solely selected for ease of recognition in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed embodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures associated with different types of handwear, methods of construction, and material selection have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, such as “including, but not limited to.”
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further more, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
The headings and Abstract of the Disclosure provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the embodiments.
While the glove system will be described in the context of a glove having a thumb and four fingers, it is to be understood that the present disclosure can apply to mittens, gauntlets, and other forms of handwear in which flexibility of bulky, insulated layered material is desired.
Referring initially to FIG. 1, shown therein is a glove system 10 formed in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure that utilizes an outer glove 12 and a liner 14 sized and shaped to be removably insertable into the outer glove 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the glove 12 includes a thumb 16 and four fingers 18 attached to a hand portion 20 that has a cuff 22 extending therefrom in a direction opposite to that of the fingers 18.
The glove 12 is of a conventional constructional and will not be described in detail herein. Briefly, the extended cuff 22 includes a wrist section 24 that is gathered and formed with elastic to expand as a user's hand is placed into the glove and then to contract around the user's wrist to maintain thermal insulation and prevent or resist the entry of snow and other materials into the interior of the glove 12. A lining 26 is attached to an exterior layer 28 and lines the interior of the glove 12 to provide insulation. The exterior layer 28 can be formed of water proof, water resistant, fire proof, fire resistant, or other material suitable for the environment in which the glove 12 will be used.
The liner 14 matches the size and shape of the glove to the extent it has a thumb 30 and four fingers 32 as well as a hand section 34 and forearm section 36, all of which is sized to be received inside the glove 12. In addition, the liner 14 has a gauntlet cuff 35 style that matches the length of the extended cuff 22 of the glove 12. Matching hook-and- loop fasteners 38, 40 are positioned on the top and bottom of the liner 14 exterior and glove 12 interior, respectively, to releaseably fasten the liner 14 in the interior of the glove 12.
The liner 14, in a preferred embodiment, has a fourchette-style construction, i.e., a sidewall fourchette area 45 between a top 44 and bottom 46 of the glove fingers is formed from additional material that is attached to the top and bottom 44,46 of the finger. In one embodiment, the fingers 32 and thumb 30 are all formed with the fourchette-style of construction.
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional illustration taken along the entire length of a ring finger 42, the hand section 34, and the forearm section 36 of the liner 14 when inserted into the glove 12. In this view, the glove 12 can be seen to include the outer layer 28 and insulating layer 26 side-by-side throughout the entire length of the glove 12. The liner 14 includes an outer layer 48 and an internal insulating layer 50. Because these multiple layers restrict the flexion and dexterity of a user's fingers, this embodiment of the present disclosure utilizes a unique seam construction in the fourchette area 45. As seen in FIG. 2A, the insulating layer 50 of the liner 14 terminates adjacent to or on the fourchette area 45 to create an uninsulated seam portion 52. This uninsulated seam portion 52 preferably extends the entire length of the fourchette area 45 and around the tip of the finger, although it can be constructed to extend only a portion or have multiple portions of the seam of the fourchette area 45 uninsulated. As shown in FIG. 2A, the uninsulated seam portion 52 extends the entire length of the fourchette area 45 to facilitate bending of the finger 42 and corresponding glove finger 18. It is to be understood that the cross-sectional illustration of FIG. 2A is a general drawing that is not to scale and numerous details have been omitted. For example, the method of attaching the layers together, such as stitching or adhesive, is not shown.
FIG. 2B shows an enlarged isometric sectional view of an internal portion 41 of the liner 14 of FIG. 2A, and in particular of the ring finger 42 showing in more detail the construction thereof. In one area, stitching 60 connects the outer layer 48 and internal insulating layer 39 to a second outer layer 49 and internal insulating layer 50 to form a first seam. Stitching 60 is a double line of stitching, however, other stitching patterns may be utilized. In addition, in this embodiment a second seam is formed with the stitching 64 in which the second outer layer 49 and the uninsulated seam portion 52 are attached to a third outer layer 55 and lining material 51, creating the fourchette construction. Stitching 64 is a single line of stitching, however, as with stitching 60 other suitable stitching patterns are acceptable.
The second outer layer 49 is larger than the insulating layer 50 attached thereto to create the uninsulated seam portion 52. The insulating layer 50 attaches to the second outer layer 49 at an intermediate location spaced from an edge of the second outer layer 49 with stitching 61, which is a double line of stitching. More particularly, the insulation layer 50 terminates at the intermediate location and leaves the uninsulated seam portion 52 exposed to the interior of the liner 14. In one embodiment, the lining material 51, the insulating material 39, and the insulating material 50 are the same material. However, the lining material 51 can be of a different type of material, for example rubber, that provides a tactile surface.
Turning next to FIG. 3, shown therein in greater detail is a transverse cross-sectional front view of the ring finger 42 formed as part of the liner 14. Here, the fourchette area 45 can be seen in detail including the stitching 60 used to hold the various layers together.
More particularly, a top panel 54 of the finger 42 is shown. In some cases this top panel 54 can be formed as part of a dorsal panel. Also shown is a bottom panel 56, which could likewise be formed as part of a palmar panel. A side panel 58 attaches the top and bottom panels 54, 56, respectively. Each panel 54, 56, 58 has an outer layer 48, ideally formed of a ripstop material although other materials may be used as suitable for a particular application. The insulating layer 50 is preferably a lofted insulation that is readily commercially available and will not be described in detail herein.
The interior of the finger 42 is insulated by the insulating layer 50 that is attached to the top, bottom, and side panels 54, 56, 58, respectively. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the insulating layer 50 is attached to the outer layer 48 by means of stitching 60. The type of stitching will be selected to accommodate the materials. For example, a single needle lock stitch or chain stitch can be used. In the side panels 58 of the fourchette area 45, the insulating layer 50 is attached to the outer layer 58 by means of a single line of stitching 64 whereas the terminating portion of the insulating layer 50 adjacent the bottom panel 56 is attached with two lines of stitching 60. It is to be understood that other means of attachment may be used instead of or in addition to stitching, including heat bonding and adhesive.
As will be readily appreciated, a seam allowance for the outer layer 48 and insulating layer 50 is selected to be as small as possible yet of sufficient length to accommodate the method of construction and the purpose of the glove 12, as described in more detail below.
FIG. 3 shows the uninsulated seam portion 52 formed by the termination of the insulating layer 50 prior to the bottom panel 56. This uninsulated seam portion 52 is attached to the bottom panel by a single line of stitching 64. Where the side panel 58 is attached to the top panel 54, the single line of stitching 64 extends through all four layers. Ideally these lines of stitching 64 are exterior to the lines of stitching 60 that attach the insulating layer 50 to the outer layer 48.
The resulting seam allowance 62 on the interior of the side panels 58 adjacent the uninsulated seam portion 52 is formed to lie adjacent to the seam allowance 66 formed in the bottom panel 56 to maintain integrity of the insulation inside the finger 42 while the uninsulated seam portion 52 flexes to permit relative movement between these two segments of insulated layers. In addition, because the uninsulated portion 52 extends around the tip of the finger in this embodiment, the gap formed by the uninsulated seam portion 52 provides for improved tactile sensation by the finger in this area while eliminating a cold spot because of the interaction of the insulating layers on either side of the uninsulated seam portion 52.
It is to be understood that the uninsulated seam portion can be formed without the use of fourchettes. For example, FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a mitten 70 in which a hand enclosure portion 72 is illustrated in cross-section. Here, a dorsal panel 74 is attached to a palmar panel 76 via an uninsulated seam panel 78. As shown in FIG. 4, the dorsal panel 74, palmar panel 76, and seam panel 78 are attached together with stitching 90. Ideally, the seam panel 78 is integrally formed from a single piece of outer layer material 80, such as ripstop nylon. An inner layer 82 is formed of insulating material, such as lofted insulation, wherein there is a gap 84 formed in the insulated material 82 adjacent the uninsulated seam panel 78 on both sides of the mitten 70. This gap 84 thus creates the uninsulated seam panel 78 that provides the enhanced flexure while maintaining the integrity of the insulation inasmuch as seam allowances 86, 88 on the dorsal and palmar panels 74, 76, respectively are configured to maintain contact while permitting relative movement between them to enhance flexure. Stitching 92 holds the insulating layer 82 to the outer layer 80 on the dorsal panel 74.
Turning next to FIG. 5, shown therein are the disassembled components of a right-hand glove liner 100 formed in accordance with the present disclosure. It is to be understood that these components are not shown in exact detail or in exact proportions, although they illustrate the disassembled glove liner 100 in accordance with the embodiment illustrated and described in conjunction with FIGS. 1-3.
As shown in FIG. 5, a right back liner 102 is illustrated in plan view form adjacent a right front liner 104. Below them are corresponding right back cuff liner and right front cuff liner 106, 108.
To the right are a right thumb wall liner 110, a right sidewall liner 112 for the number four finger (the little finger) that forms a fourchette, a right sidewall liner 114 for the number three (ring) finger that forms a fourchette, and a right sidewall liner 116 for the number two (middle) finger that forms a fourchette. These are followed by a right back thumb liner 118 and right sidewall liner 120 for the number one (index) finger, which forms a fourchette.
The right thumb wall liner 110 is formed of insulation, preferably lofted insulation, as is the right back thumb liner 118. The other liners 112, 114, 116, and 120 form the outer layer, and are preferably constructed from ripstop material, although other material may be used as desired for particular applications.
Also shown in FIG. 5 are a right sidewall liner 122 for the number four (little) finger, a right sidewall liner 124 for the number three finger (ring finger), a right sidewall liner 126 for the number two (middle) finger and a right sidewall liner 128 for the number one (index) finger, all of which form fourchettes and are constructed of insulating material. Right front thumb liner 130 is used to form an outer layer, and hence would be constructed of ripstop material.
The interior lines on each of the foregoing components 102-130, illustrates a recommended seam allowance. The seam allowance is used to form the seam of the present disclosure as described above.
Turning next to FIG. 6, illustrated therein are steps for constructing one embodiment of the present disclosure.
The following steps of assembly are with reference to the glove removable liner components illustrated in FIG. 5. Ideally, a Federal Stitch Type 301 is used to construct the liner, although it is to be understood that other stitch types may be used to accommodate different fabrics and application of use. Initially, the right sidewall liner 122 for the little finger is attached to the right sidewall liner 112 for the little finger. Similarly, the right sidewall liner 124 insulating material for the ring finger is attached to the outer material forming the right sidewall liner 114 for the ring finger; the right sidewall liner 126 insulation for the middle finger is attached to the outer layer material forming the right sidewall liner 116 for the middle finger; and the right sidewall liner 128 insulating material for the index finger is attached to the outer layer material for the right sidewall liner 120 for the index finger.
Next, the right thumb wall liner 110 insulating material is attached to the outer layer right front thumb liner 130, and this assembly is then attached by stitching to the outer layer for the right back thumb liner 118. This entire assembly is then attached to the right front liner 104.
Following this, the sidewall units 122/112, 124/114, 126/116, and 128/120 are attached to the right back liner 102 that is then attached to the right back cuff liner 106. The right front liner 104 is attached to the right front cuff liner 108.
This 122/112, 124/114, 126/116, 128/120, and 102 assembly is then attached to the assembly formed from the components 110/130/118, and 104/108 to form the completed liner, which is inside out. The liner is then reversed to be right side out for insertion into the outer glove.
The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet, are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments.
These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.

Claims

1. A liner for a glove, the glove having at least one finger, the liner comprising:

at least one finger, each at least one finger comprising:

an insulated dorsal panel;

an insulated palmar panel; and

a seam panel comprising an uninsulated segment that attaches the insulated dorsal panel and the insulated palmar panel.

2. The liner of claim 1 wherein the seam panel includes an insulated segment, the insulated segment of the seam panel comprising a layer of insulating material attached to an inside surface of an outer layer of the seam panel.

3. The liner of claim 2 wherein the uninsulated segment of the seam panel is sized and shaped to bring the insulated segment into contact with an adjacent insulating material on the dorsal and palmar panels.

4. The liner of claim 3 wherein the uninsulated segment of the seam panel is sized and shaped to permit relative movement of the insulated segment with the adjacent other of the dorsal and palmar panels to provide enhanced flexure of the at least one finger of the liner.

5. The liner of claim 2 wherein the insulated segment of the seam panel attaches to a first edge of the uninsulated segment and to an intermediate location on the uninsulated segment that is spaced from a second edge of the uninsulated outer layer of the seam panel.

6. The liner of claim 5 wherein the first edge of the uninsulated segment is attached to the dorsal panel, and the second edge of the uninsulated outer layer is attached to the palmar panel.

7. A glove liner with enhanced finger flexure, the liner comprising:

at least one finger, the at least one finger comprising an outer layer and an insulating layer, the insulating layer having at least one gap that forms at least one uninsulated seam segment along a side of the at least one finger that is adjacent a top and bottom of the at least one finger.

8. The glove liner of claim 7 wherein the at least one uninsulated segment is sized and shaped to allow contact between the insulating layer on each side of the at least one uninsulated segment to maintain insulation in the glove liner while allowing relative movement between the insulating layers on each side of the at least one uninsulated segment to provide enhanced flexure of the glove liner.

9. Handwear with enhanced flexibility, comprising:

an insulated panel comprising an outer layer and an inner insulating layer, the handwear configured to include an uninsulated seam section of the outer layer between a top portion and a bottom portion to provide flexion for bending of the handwear.

10. The handwear of claim 9 wherein the uninsulated section is bounded by the inner insulated layer on a top boundary and the inner insulated layer on a bottom boundary, the uninsulated section sized to bring the inner insulated layers on the top and bottom boundaries into contact to maintain insulation in the handwear while facilitating relative movement between the inner insulated layers on the top and bottom boundaries.

11. The handwear of claim 10 wherein the handwear comprises one from among a mitten, a glove, and a gauntlet.

12. A glove liner, comprising:

at least one finger, each at least one finger comprising:

a dorsal outer layer;

a dorsal inner layer;

a palmar outer layer;

a palmar inner layer;

an outer seam panel attaching the inner and outer dorsal layers to the inner and outer palmer layers; and

an inner seam panel attached to the outer seam panel, the outer seam panel having a larger size than the inner seam panel so that a portion of the outer seam panel is not covered by the inner seam panel.

13. The liner of claim 12 wherein the uncovered portion of the outer seam panel is attached to the palmar outer layer and the palmar inner layer so that the palmer outer layer is positioned between the outer seam panel and the palmar inner layer.

14. The liner of claim 12 wherein a portion of the outer seam panel covered by the inner seam panel is attached to the dorsal outer layer and the dorsal inner layer so that the dorsal outer layer and the outer seam panel are positioned between the dorsal inner layer and the inner seam panel.

15. The liner of claim 14 wherein the outer seam panel is sized and shaped to bring the dorsal inner layer and the planar inner layer into contact to maintain insulation in the liner while facilitating relative movement between the dorsal and palmar layers.

16. A liner for a glove, comprising:

at least one finger, the at least one finger comprising:

a first panel having a first outer layer and a first inner layer of equal widths;

a second panel having a second outer layer and a second inner layer, the second outer layer having a size greater than the second inner layer to form at least one area of the second outer layer that is uncovered by the second inner layer, the first and second panels attached together to form a seam, with the at least one uncovered area of the second outer layer adjacent the seam.

17. The liner of claim 16 wherein the second panel is sized and shaped to bring the first inner layer and the second inner layer into contact to maintain insulation in the liner while facilitating relative movement between the first and second outer layers.