US20150327599A1 - Apparatus for a wearable garment with embedded illumination device - Google Patents
Apparatus for a wearable garment with embedded illumination device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20150327599A1 US20150327599A1 US14/120,267 US201414120267A US2015327599A1 US 20150327599 A1 US20150327599 A1 US 20150327599A1 US 201414120267 A US201414120267 A US 201414120267A US 2015327599 A1 US2015327599 A1 US 2015327599A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- glove
- disposed
- illumination member
- flange
- actuator
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
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Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A41—WEARING APPAREL
- A41D—OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
- A41D1/00—Garments
- A41D1/002—Garments adapted to accommodate electronic equipment
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A41—WEARING APPAREL
- A41D—OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
- A41D19/00—Gloves
- A41D19/015—Protective gloves
- A41D19/0157—Protective gloves with luminous or reflective means
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A41—WEARING APPAREL
- A41D—OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
- A41D1/00—Garments
- A41D1/002—Garments adapted to accommodate electronic equipment
- A41D1/005—Garments adapted to accommodate electronic equipment with embedded cable or connector
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F21—LIGHTING
- F21L—LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF, BEING PORTABLE OR SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR TRANSPORTATION
- F21L4/00—Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
Definitions
- the embodiments described herein relate generally to wearable garments with embedded electrical devices and more particularly, to a glove with an embedded illumination device.
- Providing such illumination by holding a flashlight or other illumination device can be awkward.
- holding a bulky or cumbersome light can result in undue challenges in performing the task, which in some cases, cannot be overcome without the assistance of another person to hold the light.
- gloves with various illumination devices have been developed. Some such gloves include bulky or heavy light and/or power sources, which in some cases, can hinder the movement of a person's hand in tight working conditions or the like.
- some known gloves include illumination devices that are removably disposed on an exterior surface of the glove, which can lead to an inadvertent removal of the illumination device from the surface (e.g., by bumping the illumination device against a structure or the like).
- low profile illumination devices are embedded into the glove, however, such a profile can lead to a portion of the glove obstructing the illumination device and thus, not allowing the light to shine to a desired location.
- the illumination devices and/or the assembly of the illumination devices into or on a glove can result in an increase in manufacturing time and/or an increase in a number of manufacturing steps, which in turn, can increase the increase the cost of the glove.
- an apparatus includes a glove configured to be worn about a hand of a user, an illumination assembly, and an actuator.
- the glove includes a finger portion that defines an aperture and a thumb portion.
- the illumination assembly is partially disposed in the finger portion of the glove and includes an illumination member and a housing with a mounting portion coupled to the illumination member.
- the mounting portion is at least partially disposed within the aperture such that the illumination member is spaced apart a non-zero distance from an exterior surface of the glove.
- the housing includes a flange disposed within the glove such that a portion of the flange is disposed in a region between the finger portion and the thumb portion.
- the flange couples the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture.
- the actuator is removably disposed in a portion of the glove and is operably coupled to the illumination assembly.
- the actuator is configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic illustrations of a glove with an imbedded illumination device according to an embodiment.
- FIGS. 3 and 4 are a top view and a side view, respectively, of a glove with an embedded illumination device according to another embodiment.
- FIGS. 5 and 6 are a side view and a bottom view, respectively, of an illumination assembly included in the glove illustrated in FIG. 3 .
- FIGS. 7 and 8 are a top view and a side view, respectively, of at least a portion of an actuator included in the glove illustrated in FIG. 3 .
- FIG. 9 is a side view of the illumination assembly of FIG. 5 coupled to the actuator of FIG. 7 .
- FIGS. 10-12 are top views of an illumination assembly each according to a different embodiment.
- an apparatus in some embodiments, includes a glove configured to be worn about a hand of a user, an illumination assembly, and an actuator.
- the glove includes a finger portion that defines an aperture and a thumb portion.
- the illumination assembly is partially disposed in the finger portion of the glove and includes an illumination member and a housing with a mounting portion coupled to the illumination member.
- the mounting portion is at least partially disposed within the aperture such that the illumination member is spaced apart a non-zero distance from an exterior surface of the glove.
- the housing includes a flange disposed within the glove such that a portion of the flange is disposed in a region between the finger portion and the thumb portion. The flange couples the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture.
- the actuator is removably disposed in a portion of the glove and is operably coupled to the illumination assembly.
- the actuator is configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member.
- an apparatus in some embodiments, includes a glove, an illumination assembly and an actuator.
- the glove is configured to be worn about a hand of a user and includes a finger portion defining an aperture and a thumb portion.
- the illumination assembly is partially disposed in the finger portion of the glove and includes an illumination member and a housing.
- the housing has a flange disposed in the glove and a mounting portion disposed in the aperture. A portion of the flange is disposed in a region of the glove between the finger portion and the thumb portion to couple the housing to the glove.
- the mounting portion defines a cavity. At least a portion of the illumination member is disposed in the cavity to couple the illumination member to the mounting portion.
- the cavity has a longitudinal axis that forms an angle with a plane defined by a surface of the flange that is less than about 90°.
- the actuator is removably disposed in the glove and includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion being disposed in the cavity and operably coupled to the illumination member. The second portion is configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member, via the first portion.
- an apparatus in some embodiments, includes a glove, a housing, an illumination member, and an actuator.
- the housing is partially disposed in a finger portion of the glove and has a monolithic construction including a flange and a mounting portion.
- the flange is disposed in the glove and the mounting portion is disposed, at least in part, within an aperture defined by the finger portion.
- the flange couples the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture.
- the mounting portion defines a cavity having a longitudinal axis that forms an angle with a plane defined by a surface of the flange that is less than about 90°.
- the illumination member is coupled to the mounting portion of the housing and has a first electric power state and a second electric power state.
- At least a portion of the illumination member is disposed in the cavity defined by the mounting portion.
- the actuator is disposed in the glove and includes a first portion and a second portion.
- the first portion is disposed in the cavity defined by the mounting portion and is operably coupled to the illumination member.
- the second portion is configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which the illumination member is in the first electric power state and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member, via the first portion, to transition the illumination member to the second electric power state.
- a member is intended to mean a single member or a combination of members
- a material is intended to mean one or more materials, or a combination thereof.
- the terms “about” and “approximately” generally mean plus or minus 10% of the value stated. For example, about 0.5 would include 0.45 and 0.55, about 10 would include 9 to 11, about 1000 would include 900 to 1100.
- the term “substantially” when used in connection with a geometric structure or relationship is intended to convey that the structure or relationship so defined is nominally the stated value or relationship.
- a portion of a structure that is described as being “substantially linear” is intended to convey that, although linearity of the portion is desirable, some non-linearity can occur in a “substantially linear” portion. Such non-linearity can result from manufacturing tolerances, measurement tolerances, or other practical considerations.
- a geometric construction modified by the term “substantially” includes such geometric properties within a tolerance of, for example, plus or minus 10% of the stated geometric construction.
- a “substantially linear” portion of a structure can define an axis or centerline that is within plus or minus 10% of being linear.
- proximal and distal refer to a direction closer to and away from, respectively, a user wearing a garment such as those described herein.
- the end of the garment further away from a central portion of the user e.g., the user's wrist
- the end opposite the distal end would be the proximal end of the garment.
- an end portion of a glove that is adjacent to a wrist of the user about which the glove is disposed would be a proximal end portion and an end opposite the proximal end portion would be a distal end portion.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic illustrations of at least a portion of a wearable garment such as a glove, according to an embodiment.
- a glove 100 (or portion thereof) can be any suitable arrangement and is configured to be worn or otherwise disposed about a user's hand.
- the glove 100 includes a finger portion 110 and a thumb portion 115 .
- the glove 100 can have an overall shape and/or size that substantially corresponds with either a left hand or a right hand of the user.
- the glove 100 can include a portion that is associated with and/or that substantially corresponds with the palm of the user's hand.
- the finger portion 110 and the thumb portion 115 can extend in a distal direction from the portion associated with the palm in such a manner that is similar to the anatomy of the hand.
- the glove 100 can surround substantially the entire hand about which it is disposed.
- the finger portion 110 and the thumb portion 115 can be full length with an end portion that is substantially closed.
- the glove 100 can surround a portion of the hand about which it is disposed.
- the finger portion 110 and/or the thumb portion 115 can have an end portion that is open and can have a length that is shorter than the finger and/or thumb, respectively, about which it is disposed.
- a portion of the finger and/or thumb of the user's hand can extend beyond a distal surface of the finger portion 110 and/or the thumb portion 115 , respectively.
- the finger portion 110 can be associated with and/or otherwise configured to be disposed about an index finger of the hand (e.g., the finger adjacent to the thumb).
- the glove 100 can be associated with and/or configured to be disposed about the right hand of the user.
- the glove 100 can be included in a pair, with a similar but opposite glove associated with and/or configured to be disposed about the left hand of the user.
- the glove 100 includes and/or is otherwise coupled to an illumination assembly 150 and an actuator 180 .
- a portion of the illumination assembly 150 is disposed in the finger portion 110 of the glove 100 .
- the illumination assembly 150 includes a housing 155 and an illumination member 175 .
- the illumination member 175 can be any suitable illumination device such as, for example, a light emitting diode (LED) or the like.
- the illumination member 175 can be transitioned between a first electric state (e.g., an “off” configuration), a second electric state (e.g., an “on” configuration) and an optional third electric state (e.g., a “flashing” configuration).
- the housing 155 can be, for example, a monolithically constructed member that is formed from a relatively flexible material such as, for example, a thermoplastic or elastomeric material (e.g., rubber or the like).
- the housing 155 can be a single molded piece (e.g., injection molded and/or the like).
- the housing 155 includes a flange portion 160 and a mounting portion 165 .
- the flange 160 is disposed in the glove 100 and couples the housing 150 thereto.
- the glove 100 can include an inner layer and an outer layer.
- the flange 160 can be disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer of the glove 100 and coupled thereto via any suitable coupling (e.g., an adhesive, ultrasonic welding, a mechanical faster (e.g., screw, bolt, pin, rivet, etc.), sewn, and/or the like or combination thereof).
- any suitable coupling e.g., an adhesive, ultrasonic welding, a mechanical faster (e.g., screw, bolt, pin, rivet, etc.), sewn, and/or the like or combination thereof).
- the flange 160 can be, for example, a base portion or the like that is relatively thin and/or flexible. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1 , when the portion of the illumination member 150 is disposed in the finger portion 110 of the glove 100 , a portion of the flange 160 extends beyond the finger portion 110 and into, for example, the thumb portion 115 and/or a region of the glove 100 between the finger portion 110 and the thumb portion 115 . Thus, the flange 160 can provide, at least in part, structural rigidity for the housing 155 that can facilitate the coupling of the housing 155 to the glove 100 .
- the mounting portion 165 of the housing 155 extends from the flange 160 and is coupled to the illumination member 175 . More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , when the portion of the illumination assembly 150 is disposed in the finger portion 110 of the glove 100 , the mounting portion 165 extends from the flange 160 and through an aperture 111 defined by the finger portion 110 .
- the mounting portion 165 can have a size and/or perimeter that is, for example, slightly smaller than a surface of the finger portion 110 defining the aperture 111 . In this manner, when the flange 160 couples the housing 150 to the glove 100 , a region of the mounting portion 165 is disposed in a relatively fixed position within the aperture 111 .
- the mounting portion 165 is coupled to the illumination member 175 .
- the illumination member 175 can be coupled to and/or otherwise disposed at or adjacent to a distal end portion of the mounting portion 165 .
- the mounting portion 165 can define a cavity or an inner volume within which a portion of the illumination member 175 can be disposed. In this manner, the illumination member 175 can be at least temporarily coupled to the mounting portion 165 via, for example, a friction fit, a press fit, an adhesive, a threaded coupling and/or the like.
- a portion of the illumination member 175 can extend in the distal direction from the distal surface of the mounting portion 165 .
- the illumination member 175 can be positioned relative to the mounting portion 165 such that an output of light from the illumination member 175 is substantially unobstructed by the mounting portion 165 .
- the arrangement of the mounting portion 165 is such that when the illumination member 175 is coupled thereto, the illumination member 175 is spaced apart a distance D 1 (i.e., a non-zero distance) from an exterior surface 105 of the glove 100 .
- the distance D 1 can be sufficiently large to limit and/or substantially prevent an output of light from the illumination member 175 from being obstructed by the exterior surface 105 of the glove 100 .
- the actuator 180 is disposed within the glove 100 and is operably coupled to the illumination member 175 of the illumination assembly 150 .
- the glove 100 can define a pouch (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ) or the like within which the actuator 180 can be at least temporarily disposed.
- the actuator 180 can be any suitable actuating device, mechanism, and/or assembly that can be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member 175 , and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination device.
- the actuator 180 can include a switch and/or the like and an electric circuit electrically connected to a power source.
- a user can engage the switch and/or the like, for example, to transition the actuator 180 between its first configuration in which the electric circuit is opened or shorted and its second configuration in which the electric circuit is closed, thereby allowing electric power to flow to the illumination member.
- the mounting portion 165 is shown as being substantially rectangular, in other embodiments, the mounting portion 165 can have any suitable shape, size, and/or configuration. For example, at least a portion of the mounting portion 165 can be rounded.
- the mounting portion 165 is shown in FIG. 2 as having a surface (e.g., a top surface) that is substantially parallel with the exterior surface 105 of the glove 100 and/or a surface of the flange 160 , in other embodiments, the mounting portion 165 can be arranged in a transverse orientation relative to the exterior surface 105 of the glove 100 .
- at least the top surface of the mounting portion 165 can be disposed at an angle relative to the surface of the flange 160 and/or the exterior surface 105 of the glove 100 .
- a cavity defined by the mounting portion 165 that can house at least a portion of the illumination member 175 can define a longitudinal axis or the like that can similarly define the angle with the surface of the flange 160 .
- the angle can be less than about 90°, about 80°, about 70°, about 60°, about 50°, about 40°, about 30°, or less. In at least one embodiment, the angle can be about 26°.
- the angle associated with the top surface of the mounting portion 165 and/or the longitudinal axis of the cavity can be such that the electrical conductors (e.g., wires) of the actuator 180 can be coupled to a corresponding portion of the illumination member 175 in such a manner that when a user dons the glove 100 , the position of the coupling between the electrical conductors and the illumination member 175 is spaced apart a non-zero distance from the user's hand.
- the angle associated with the longitudinal axis of the cavity can, for example, allow the illumination member 175 and the electrical conductors of the actuator 180 to be coupled at an angle less than about 90°.
- the angle associated with the longitudinal axis of the cavity can, for example, allow a portion of the electrical conductors of the actuator 180 to be bent at an angle less than about 90° relative to the flange 160 , which can, for example, align end portions thereof with a corresponding conductive portion of the illumination member 175 , thereby allowing the electrical conductors to be coupled to the illumination member 175 .
- the portion of the electrical conductors of the actuator 180 can be bent with a relatively large radius or the like (i.e., not sharp, abrupt, and/or perpendicular).
- FIGS. 3-9 illustrate a glove 200 including an embedded illumination assembly 250 , according to an embodiment.
- a glove 200 (or portion thereof) can be any suitable arrangement and is configured to be worn or otherwise disposed about a user's hand.
- the glove 210 includes a finger portion 210 and a thumb portion 215 .
- the glove 200 can surround substantially the entire hand about which it is disposed.
- the finger portion 210 and the thumb portion 215 can be full length with ends that are substantially closed.
- the glove 200 can surround a portion of the hand about which it is disposed (i.e., a portion less than the entire hand).
- the finger portion 210 and/or the thumb portion 215 can have an end portion that is open and can have a length that is shorter than the finger and/or thumb, respectively, about which it is disposed.
- a portion of the finger and/or thumb of the user's hand can extend beyond a distal surface of the finger portion 210 and/or the thumb portion 215 , respectively.
- the finger portion 210 can be associated with and/or otherwise configured to be disposed about an index finger of the hand (e.g., the finger adjacent to the thumb).
- the glove 200 can be associated with and/or configured to be disposed about the left hand of the user.
- the glove 200 can be included in a pair, with a similar but opposite glove associated with and/or configured to be disposed about the right hand of the user.
- the glove 200 includes and/or is otherwise coupled to the illumination assembly 250 and an actuator 280 .
- a portion of the illumination assembly 250 is disposed in the finger portion 210 of the glove 200 .
- the glove 200 includes an inner layer 225 and an outer layer 230 between which at least a portion of the illumination assembly 250 and/or the actuator 280 is disposed.
- such an arrangement can, for example, reduce or substantially eliminate discomfort that might otherwise result from the illumination assembly 250 and/or the actuator 280 being placed in contact with the skin of the user donning the glove.
- disposing at least a portion of the illumination assembly 250 and/or at least a portion of the actuator 280 between the inner layer 225 and the outer layer 230 can reduce and/or substantially prevent damage to the illumination assembly 250 and/or the actuator 280 that may otherwise occur.
- the illumination assembly 250 includes a housing 255 and an illumination member 275 .
- the illumination member 275 can be any suitable illumination device such as, for example, an incandescent light, a halogen light, a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), or the like.
- the illumination member 275 can be transitioned between a first electric state (e.g., an “off” configuration), a second electric state (e.g., an “on” configuration) to produce a visual light output (e.g., white light or a light with a frequency(ies) in the visible spectrum), and an optional third electric state (e.g., a “flashing” configuration) to produce a flashing or blinking (repeated or periodically repeated) of the visual light output.
- a first electric state e.g., an “off” configuration
- a second electric state e.g., an “on” configuration
- a third electric state e.g., a “flashing” configuration
- the housing 255 includes a flange portion 260 and a mounting portion 265 .
- the housing 255 can be, for example, a monolithically-constructed member that is formed from a relatively flexible material such as, for example, a thermoplastic or elastomeric material (e.g., rubber or the like).
- the housing 255 can be a single molded piece (e.g., injection molded and/or the like). More specifically, in some embodiments, the housing 255 can be, for example, an arrangement of walls with a substantially constant thickness, thereby forming a shell of a given shape (e.g., the walls form a hollow or non-solid shape).
- the flange 260 is disposed within the glove 200 between the inner layer 225 and the outer layer 230 and is configured to couple the housing 250 thereto.
- the flange 260 can be placed in a desired position and can be sewn to the inner layer 225 and/or the outer layer 230 .
- the flange 260 can be positioned such that at least a portion of the illumination assembly 250 is disposed in a distal position relative to a knuckle portion of the glove 200 associated with, for example, a region at which the finger portion 210 extends from, for example, a palm region of the glove 200 .
- the flange 260 is coupled to the glove 200 to maintain at least a portion of housing 255 in a substantially fixed position relative to the finger portion 210 , as described in further detail herein.
- the flange 260 can be, for example, a base portion or the like that is relatively thin and/or flexible. Moreover, with the arrangement of the housing 255 forming a shell (as described above), the flange 260 defines an opening 262 that extends therethrough (see e.g., FIG. 6 ). When the portion of the illumination member 250 is disposed in the finger portion 210 of the glove 200 , a portion of the flange 260 extends beyond the finger portion 210 and into, for example, the thumb portion 215 and/or a region 240 of the glove 200 between the finger portion 210 and the thumb portion 215 (see e.g., FIG. 3 ).
- the flange 260 can provide, at least in part, structural rigidity for the housing 255 that can facilitate the coupling of the housing 255 to the glove 200 .
- the flange 260 can have and/or can define a perimeter or footprint that is sufficiently large to, for example, reduce flexing, bending, deforming, and/or reconfiguration of at least a portion of the housing 255 relative to the glove 200 .
- the mounting portion 265 of the housing 255 extends from the flange 260 and includes a proximal end portion 266 and a distal end portion 267 , and defines a cavity 268 therebetween.
- the distal end portion 267 is coupled to the illumination member 275 , as described in further detail herein.
- the finger portion 210 of the glove 200 can be, for example, substantially symmetric about a plane extending the length of the finger portion 210 that substantially bisects the aperture 211 .
- at least the mounting portion 265 of the housing 255 can be symmetric about a plane extending the length of the mounting portion 265 .
- the plane of symmetry associated with at least the mounting portion 265 of the housing 255 can be substantially aligned and/or coplanar with the plane of symmetry associated with the finger portion 210 of the glove 200 .
- the arrangement of the finger portion 210 and/or the housing 255 can be such that the plane of symmetry associated with the mounting portion 265 and the plane of symmetry associated with the finger portion 210 are offset by a distance (e.g., parallel, yet spaced apart by the distance).
- a distance e.g., parallel, yet spaced apart by the distance.
- the mounting portion 265 can have a size and/or perimeter that is, for example, slightly smaller than a surface of the finger portion 210 defining the aperture 211 . In this manner, when the flange 260 couples the housing 250 to the glove 200 , a region of the mounting portion 265 is disposed in a relatively fixed position within the aperture 211 . Similarly, the arrangement of the mounting portion 265 and the flange 260 can be such that when the flange 260 is coupled to the outer layer 230 (e.g., sewn thereto), at least a portion of the mounting portion 265 is maintained in a substantially fixed position relative to an exterior surface 205 of the glove 200 .
- the flange 260 can provide structural rigidity for the housing 255 that can reduce or substantially prevent undesirable bending, flexing, deforming, and/or reconfiguring of the illumination assembly 250 relative to the glove 200 .
- the illumination assembly 250 when the illumination assembly 250 is actuated (e.g., placed in an on-position), the illumination member 275 can produce an output of light that remains in a substantially consistent orientation relative to at least a portion of the glove 200 .
- the mounting portion 265 of the housing 255 can extend through the aperture 211 defined by the finger portion 210 in such a manner that when a user flexes or bends his or her finger disposed in the finger portion 210 , the illumination assembly 250 is maintained in a substantially fixed orientation relative to the glove 200 .
- the illumination assembly 250 can be positioned relative to the finger portion 210 such that as the finger portion 210 is bent (e.g., in response to the user donning the glove 200 making a first or flexing at least the finger portion 210 ), the orientation of at least the mounting portion 265 relative to, for example, a portion of the glove 200 other than the finger portion 210 is substantially limited.
- the illumination assembly 250 can be positioned relative to remaining portions of the glove 200 such that as the glove 200 is rotated such as when turning a key in a lock, the position of the illumination assembly 250 and the corresponding output light remains substantially fixed.
- the illumination assembly 250 can be positioned relative to remaining portions of the glove 200 such that the position (or range of positions) of the illumination assembly 250 and the corresponding output light remains within a range of positions appropriate for a given activity such as an outdoor performance activity (e.g., running, snow skiing, biking, etc. with the output light positioned in front of the wearer during the activity).
- the illumination member 275 can produce a light output with an orientation that is relatively stable relative to the glove 200 .
- the mounting portion 265 can be any suitable shape, size, and/or configuration.
- the mounting portion 265 can be substantially cylindrical and can extend from a surface 261 of the flange 260 in a transverse direction. More particularly, as shown in FIG. 5 , a top surface of the mounting portion 265 disposed at or near the proximal end portion 266 is spaced apart from the surface 261 of the flange 260 by a first distance D 2 , and the top surface of the mounting portion 265 disposed at or near the distal end portion 267 is spaced apart from the surface 261 of the flange 260 by a second distance D 3 , greater than the first distance D 2 .
- the mounting portion 265 defines the cavity 268 with a shape, size, and/or configuration that is associated with an outer surface of the mounting portion 265 . That is to say, the mounting portion 265 is formed from a set of walls that can be, for example, at least partially annular and that have a substantially constant thickness.
- the cavity 268 has a size, shape, and orientation that is associated with the size, shape, and orientation of the mounting portion 265 . For example, as shown in FIG.
- the cavity 268 can define a longitudinal axis A (e.g., that passes through the center of the illumination member 275 when the illumination member 275 is coupled to the distal end portion 267 of the mounting portion 265 ) that forms an angle ⁇ with the surface 261 of the flange 260 .
- the angle ⁇ can be less than about 90°, about 80°, about 70°, about 60°, about 50°, about 40°, about 30°, or less. More specifically, in this embodiment, the angle ⁇ is about 26°.
- the distal end portion 267 of the mounting portion 265 is coupled to the illumination member 275 .
- a portion of the illumination member 275 can be disposed within the cavity 268 and coupled to the mounting portion 265 via, for example, a friction fit, a press fit, an adhesive, a threaded coupling and/or the like.
- a distal end portion of the illumination member such as a lens or the like can extend in the distal direction through the distal end portion 267 of the mounting portion 265 to be disposed substantially outside of the cavity 268 .
- the illumination member 275 can be positioned relative to the mounting portion 265 such that an output of light from the illumination member 275 is substantially unobstructed by the mounting portion 265 .
- the arrangement of the mounting portion 265 is such that when the illumination member 275 is coupled thereto, the illumination member 275 is spaced apart a distance D 4 (i.e., a non-zero distance) from an exterior surface 205 of the glove 200 .
- the distance D 4 can be sufficiently large to limit and/or substantially prevent an output of light from the illumination member 275 from being obstructed by the exterior surface 205 of the glove 200 .
- the distance D 4 can be greater than the first distance D 2 associated with the proximal end portion 266 of the mounting portion 265 , but less than the second distance D 3 associated with the distal end portion 267 of the mounting portion 265 .
- the first distance D 2 is shown in FIG.
- the first distance D 2 can be substantially equal to zero.
- the mounting portion 265 is described above as being formed from a set of at least partially annular walls, in other embodiments, the mounting portion 265 can be any suitable configuration including, for example, a configuration in which the mounting portion 265 is substantially solid (e.g., does not define the cavity 268 and/or defines the cavity 268 with a small volume that is, for example, sufficient to allow a portion of the actuator 280 to be embedded therein).
- the actuator 280 is disposed within the glove 200 and is operably coupled to the illumination member 275 of the illumination assembly 250 (see e.g., FIGS. 3 and 4 ).
- the glove 200 can define a resealable pouch 220 or the like within which the actuator 280 can be at least temporarily disposed.
- the resealable pouch defined by the glove 200 can include a first surface with, for example, a set of small hooks and a second surface with, for example, a set of small loops that collectively form a hook-and-loop closure (e.g., Velcro®).
- the resealable pouch 220 can be transitioned between a closed configuration in which the hooks of the first surface engage the loops of the second surface, and an open configuration in which the hooks of the first surface are spaced apart from the loops of the second surface.
- the actuator 280 can be at least temporarily stored within the resealable pouch and can be accessible, for example, in the event of a malfunction or the like.
- the actuator 280 can be any suitable actuating device, mechanism, and/or assembly that can be transitioned between a first configuration and a second configuration.
- the actuator 280 includes a first portion 281 and a second portion 282 .
- the first portion 281 of the actuator 280 can be, for example, a push button or the like that can be engaged by a user to transition the actuator 280 between its first configuration and its second configuration.
- the actuator 280 includes an electric circuit that is selectively placed in electric communication with a power source (e.g., one or more batteries such as a coin battery, and/or the like (not shown)).
- a power source e.g., one or more batteries such as a coin battery, and/or the like (not shown)
- a user can exert a force F (see e.g., FIG. 8 ) on the actuator 280 (e.g., on the push button or the like of the actuator 280 ) to transition the actuator 280 between its first configuration in which at least a portion of the electric circuit is electrically isolated from the power source and its second configuration in which the electric circuit is electrically connected to the power source.
- the power source can provide a flow of electric power that can pass through the electric circuit of the actuator 280 to be delivered to, for example, an electric circuit outside of the first portion 281 of the actuator 280 .
- the second portion 282 of the actuator 280 can include one or more electrical conductors such as wires or the like that can electrically connect the illumination member 275 to the actuator 280 . More specifically, the mounting portion 265 and the actuator 280 are arranged in such a manner that the second portion 282 of the actuator 280 passes through the opening 262 defined by the flange 260 to dispose an end of the second portion 282 in the cavity 268 . In this manner, the second portion 282 can be coupled to the illumination member 275 in such a way that the position of the coupling between the second portion 282 of the actuator 280 and the illumination member 275 is spaced apart a non-zero distance from the user's hand.
- the angle ⁇ associated with the longitudinal axis A of the cavity 268 can, for example, allow the illumination member 275 and the second portion 282 of the actuator 280 to be coupled at an angle less than about 90°.
- the illumination member 275 can include substantially rigid conductors (e.g., wires, terminals etc.) that extend within the cavity 268 towards the first end portion 266 (e.g., towards the flange 260 ).
- the second portion 282 of the actuator 280 can be coupled to the substantially rigid conductors or the like of the illumination member 275 .
- the arrangement of cavity 268 (e.g., the angle ⁇ defined by the longitudinal axis A of the cavity 268 ) can, for example, allow the rigid conductors of the illumination member 275 to be disposed in the cavity 268 when the illumination member 275 is coupled to the distal end portion 267 of the mounting portion 265 .
- at least an end region of the second portion 282 of the actuator 280 can be disposed in the opening 262 defined by the flange 260 and coupled to the substantially rigid conductors or the like of the illumination member 275 .
- the angle ⁇ associated with the longitudinal axis A of the cavity 268 can, for example, allow a region of the second portion 282 of the actuator 280 to be bent at an angle less than about 90° relative to the flange 260 , which can, for example, align the end of the second portion 282 with a corresponding conductive portion of the illumination member 275 , thereby allowing the end of the second portion 282 of the actuator 280 to be coupled to the illumination member 275 .
- the region of the second portion 282 of the actuator 280 can be bent with a relatively large radius or the like (i.e., not sharp, abrupt, and/or perpendicular).
- the illumination member 275 when the actuator 280 is in its first configuration and at least a portion of the electric circuit included in the first portion 282 is electrically isolated from the power source, the illumination member 275 is electrically isolated from the power source; when the actuator is transitioned to its second configuration and the electric circuit of the first portion 281 of the actuator 280 is electrically connected to the power source, the illumination member 275 can receive a flow of electric power from the power source, via the electric circuit and the second portion 282 of the actuator 280 (e.g., the wires), and in response produce an output (i.e., light).
- the electric circuit and the second portion 282 of the actuator 280 e.g., the wires
- FIG. 10 illustrates an illumination assembly 350 according to another embodiment.
- the illumination assembly 350 includes a housing 355 and an illumination member 375 .
- the illumination member 375 can be, for example, substantially similar to or the same as the illumination member 275 described above.
- the housing 355 has a flange 360 configured to be disposed within a portion of a glove (as described above) and a mounting portion 365 coupled to the illumination member 375 (as described above).
- the illumination assembly 350 can function in the same manner as the illumination manner 250 described above.
- the illumination assembly 350 can differ from the illumination assembly 250 , however, in that the housing 355 and more specifically, the flange 360 and the mounting portion 365 have a substantially elliptical shape.
- FIG. 11 illustrates an illumination assembly 450 according to another embodiment.
- the illumination assembly 450 includes a housing 455 and an illumination member 475 .
- the illumination member 475 can be, for example, substantially similar to or the same as the illumination member 275 described above.
- the housing 455 has a flange 460 configured to be disposed within a portion of a glove (as described above) and a mounting portion 465 coupled to the illumination member 475 (as described above).
- the illumination assembly 450 can function in the same manner as the illumination manner 250 described above.
- the illumination assembly 450 can differ from the illumination assembly 250 , however, in that the housing 455 and more specifically, the flange 460 and the mounting portion 465 have a substantially rectangular shape.
- FIG. 12 illustrates an illumination assembly 550 according to another embodiment.
- the illumination assembly 550 includes a housing 555 and an illumination member 575 .
- the illumination member 575 can be, for example, substantially similar to or the same as the illumination member 275 described above.
- the housing 555 has a flange 560 configured to be disposed within a portion of a glove (as described above) and a mounting portion 565 coupled to the illumination member 575 (as described above).
- the illumination assembly 550 can function in the same manner as the illumination manner 250 described above.
- the illumination assembly 550 can differ from the illumination assembly 250 , however, in that the housing 555 and more specifically, the flange 560 has an asymmetric shape. For example, as shown in FIG.
- the flange 560 can include a portion 563 that has a substantially irregular shape.
- the portion 563 of the flange 560 can, for example, extend into a region of the glove defined between a thumb portion and a finger portion (as described above) when the flange 560 is disposed therein.
- the portion 563 of the flange 560 can extend into the thumb portion of the glove when the flange 560 is disposed therein.
- the arrangement of the flange 560 can increase a structural rigidity of the housing 555 .
- the arrangement of the portion 563 of the flange 560 can be such that a perimeter and/or footprint of the flange 560 is increased that can reduce or substantially prevent undesirable bending, flexing, deforming, and/or reconfiguring of the illumination assembly 550 relative to the glove (e.g., when coupled thereto).
- the illumination assembly 550 when the illumination assembly 550 is actuated (e.g., placed in an on-position), the illumination member 575 can produce an output of light that remains in a substantially consistent orientation relative to at least a portion of the glove 500 .
- the mounting portion 565 of the housing 555 can be positioned relative to the finger portion of the glove in such a manner that when a user flexes or bends his or her finger disposed in the finger portion, the illumination assembly 550 is maintained in a substantially fixed orientation relative to the glove (as described above with reference to the illumination assembly 250 ).
- the gloves 100 and 200 described herein can be any suitable type of glove that can, in some instances, have an intended purpose.
- a glove can be intended to provide warmth in relatively cold weather, and as such can include an insulating material and/or multiple layers.
- the glove can be intended to provide protection, for example, for mechanics, landscapers, construction workers, plumbers, and/or the like and thus, can include one or more protective inserts and/or can be formed from a material that can provide protection against injury such as, for example, leather, nylon, etc., while maintaining a desired level of dexterity.
- the glove can be intended to fluidically isolate the hand of the wearer from a volume outside of the glove such as, for example, when used in a medical procedure or the like and as such, the glove can be relatively thin and formed from a materially that is substantially impermeable to fluids. In yet other embodiments, the glove can be intended for use in outdoor performance activities such as running, snow skiing, biking, etc.
- a glove 200 is shown as including full length and/or enclosed fingers, in other embodiments, a glove can include finger portions that are less than full length and that have ends that are open. Thus, when a user dons the glove, a portion of the user's fingers can extend through the ends of the finger portions.
- any of the illumination assemblies 350 , 450 , and/or 550 can be disposed in, for example, the glove 200 in a substantially similar manner as described above with the illumination assembly 250 .
Abstract
An apparatus includes a glove, an illumination assembly partially disposed in a finger portion of the glove, and an actuator removably disposed in a portion of the glove. A housing of the illumination assembly includes a flange with a portion disposed in a region of the glove between the finger portion and a thumb portion and a mounting portion at least partially disposed within an aperture defined by the finger portion and coupled to an illumination member of the illumination assembly. The flange coupling the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture and to space the illumination member a non-zero distance from an exterior surface of the glove. The actuator transitionable between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member.
Description
- The embodiments described herein relate generally to wearable garments with embedded electrical devices and more particularly, to a glove with an embedded illumination device.
- In some instances, it is desirable to provide illumination to facilitate the performing of a task in low light situations. Providing such illumination by holding a flashlight or other illumination device, however, can be awkward. For example, in situations in which the person performing the task is using his or her hands, holding a bulky or cumbersome light can result in undue challenges in performing the task, which in some cases, cannot be overcome without the assistance of another person to hold the light. To mitigate this challenge, gloves with various illumination devices have been developed. Some such gloves include bulky or heavy light and/or power sources, which in some cases, can hinder the movement of a person's hand in tight working conditions or the like. In addition, some known gloves include illumination devices that are removably disposed on an exterior surface of the glove, which can lead to an inadvertent removal of the illumination device from the surface (e.g., by bumping the illumination device against a structure or the like). In some instances, low profile illumination devices are embedded into the glove, however, such a profile can lead to a portion of the glove obstructing the illumination device and thus, not allowing the light to shine to a desired location. Moreover, in some instances, the illumination devices and/or the assembly of the illumination devices into or on a glove can result in an increase in manufacturing time and/or an increase in a number of manufacturing steps, which in turn, can increase the increase the cost of the glove.
- Thus, a need exists for improved apparatus and methods for gloves with embedded illumination devices.
- Apparatus and methods for a wearable garment with an embedded illumination device are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a glove configured to be worn about a hand of a user, an illumination assembly, and an actuator. The glove includes a finger portion that defines an aperture and a thumb portion. The illumination assembly is partially disposed in the finger portion of the glove and includes an illumination member and a housing with a mounting portion coupled to the illumination member. The mounting portion is at least partially disposed within the aperture such that the illumination member is spaced apart a non-zero distance from an exterior surface of the glove. The housing includes a flange disposed within the glove such that a portion of the flange is disposed in a region between the finger portion and the thumb portion. The flange couples the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture. The actuator is removably disposed in a portion of the glove and is operably coupled to the illumination assembly. The actuator is configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member.
-
FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic illustrations of a glove with an imbedded illumination device according to an embodiment. -
FIGS. 3 and 4 are a top view and a side view, respectively, of a glove with an embedded illumination device according to another embodiment. -
FIGS. 5 and 6 are a side view and a bottom view, respectively, of an illumination assembly included in the glove illustrated inFIG. 3 . -
FIGS. 7 and 8 are a top view and a side view, respectively, of at least a portion of an actuator included in the glove illustrated inFIG. 3 . -
FIG. 9 is a side view of the illumination assembly ofFIG. 5 coupled to the actuator ofFIG. 7 . -
FIGS. 10-12 are top views of an illumination assembly each according to a different embodiment. - In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a glove configured to be worn about a hand of a user, an illumination assembly, and an actuator. The glove includes a finger portion that defines an aperture and a thumb portion. The illumination assembly is partially disposed in the finger portion of the glove and includes an illumination member and a housing with a mounting portion coupled to the illumination member. The mounting portion is at least partially disposed within the aperture such that the illumination member is spaced apart a non-zero distance from an exterior surface of the glove. The housing includes a flange disposed within the glove such that a portion of the flange is disposed in a region between the finger portion and the thumb portion. The flange couples the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture. The actuator is removably disposed in a portion of the glove and is operably coupled to the illumination assembly. The actuator is configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member.
- In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a glove, an illumination assembly and an actuator. The glove is configured to be worn about a hand of a user and includes a finger portion defining an aperture and a thumb portion. The illumination assembly is partially disposed in the finger portion of the glove and includes an illumination member and a housing. The housing has a flange disposed in the glove and a mounting portion disposed in the aperture. A portion of the flange is disposed in a region of the glove between the finger portion and the thumb portion to couple the housing to the glove. The mounting portion defines a cavity. At least a portion of the illumination member is disposed in the cavity to couple the illumination member to the mounting portion. The cavity has a longitudinal axis that forms an angle with a plane defined by a surface of the flange that is less than about 90°. The actuator is removably disposed in the glove and includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion being disposed in the cavity and operably coupled to the illumination member. The second portion is configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member, via the first portion.
- In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a glove, a housing, an illumination member, and an actuator. The housing is partially disposed in a finger portion of the glove and has a monolithic construction including a flange and a mounting portion. The flange is disposed in the glove and the mounting portion is disposed, at least in part, within an aperture defined by the finger portion. The flange couples the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture. The mounting portion defines a cavity having a longitudinal axis that forms an angle with a plane defined by a surface of the flange that is less than about 90°. The illumination member is coupled to the mounting portion of the housing and has a first electric power state and a second electric power state. At least a portion of the illumination member is disposed in the cavity defined by the mounting portion. The actuator is disposed in the glove and includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is disposed in the cavity defined by the mounting portion and is operably coupled to the illumination member. The second portion is configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which the illumination member is in the first electric power state and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member, via the first portion, to transition the illumination member to the second electric power state.
- As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, the term “a member” is intended to mean a single member or a combination of members, “a material” is intended to mean one or more materials, or a combination thereof.
- As used herein, the terms “about” and “approximately” generally mean plus or minus 10% of the value stated. For example, about 0.5 would include 0.45 and 0.55, about 10 would include 9 to 11, about 1000 would include 900 to 1100. Similarly, the term “substantially” when used in connection with a geometric structure or relationship is intended to convey that the structure or relationship so defined is nominally the stated value or relationship. As one example, a portion of a structure that is described as being “substantially linear” is intended to convey that, although linearity of the portion is desirable, some non-linearity can occur in a “substantially linear” portion. Such non-linearity can result from manufacturing tolerances, measurement tolerances, or other practical considerations. Thus, a geometric construction modified by the term “substantially” includes such geometric properties within a tolerance of, for example, plus or minus 10% of the stated geometric construction. For example, a “substantially linear” portion of a structure can define an axis or centerline that is within plus or minus 10% of being linear.
- As used herein, the words “proximal” and “distal” refer to a direction closer to and away from, respectively, a user wearing a garment such as those described herein. Thus, for example, the end of the garment further away from a central portion of the user (e.g., the user's wrist) would be the distal end of the garment, while the end opposite the distal end would be the proximal end of the garment. Specifically, as described herein, an end portion of a glove that is adjacent to a wrist of the user about which the glove is disposed would be a proximal end portion and an end opposite the proximal end portion would be a distal end portion.
- Referring now to the figures,
FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic illustrations of at least a portion of a wearable garment such as a glove, according to an embodiment. A glove 100 (or portion thereof) can be any suitable arrangement and is configured to be worn or otherwise disposed about a user's hand. Theglove 100 includes afinger portion 110 and athumb portion 115. Although not shown inFIG. 1 , theglove 100 can have an overall shape and/or size that substantially corresponds with either a left hand or a right hand of the user. For example, theglove 100 can include a portion that is associated with and/or that substantially corresponds with the palm of the user's hand. As such, thefinger portion 110 and thethumb portion 115 can extend in a distal direction from the portion associated with the palm in such a manner that is similar to the anatomy of the hand. - In some embodiments, the
glove 100 can surround substantially the entire hand about which it is disposed. Similarly stated, thefinger portion 110 and thethumb portion 115 can be full length with an end portion that is substantially closed. In other embodiments, theglove 100 can surround a portion of the hand about which it is disposed. For example, thefinger portion 110 and/or thethumb portion 115 can have an end portion that is open and can have a length that is shorter than the finger and/or thumb, respectively, about which it is disposed. Thus, a portion of the finger and/or thumb of the user's hand can extend beyond a distal surface of thefinger portion 110 and/or thethumb portion 115, respectively. In some embodiments, thefinger portion 110 can be associated with and/or otherwise configured to be disposed about an index finger of the hand (e.g., the finger adjacent to the thumb). Thus, as shown inFIG. 1 , with thefinger portion 110 disposed to the right of thethumb portion 115, theglove 100 can be associated with and/or configured to be disposed about the right hand of the user. Although not shown, theglove 100 can be included in a pair, with a similar but opposite glove associated with and/or configured to be disposed about the left hand of the user. - As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 , theglove 100 includes and/or is otherwise coupled to anillumination assembly 150 and anactuator 180. For example, a portion of theillumination assembly 150 is disposed in thefinger portion 110 of theglove 100. Theillumination assembly 150 includes ahousing 155 and anillumination member 175. Theillumination member 175 can be any suitable illumination device such as, for example, a light emitting diode (LED) or the like. As described in further detail herein, theillumination member 175 can be transitioned between a first electric state (e.g., an “off” configuration), a second electric state (e.g., an “on” configuration) and an optional third electric state (e.g., a “flashing” configuration). - The
housing 155 can be, for example, a monolithically constructed member that is formed from a relatively flexible material such as, for example, a thermoplastic or elastomeric material (e.g., rubber or the like). For example, in some embodiments, thehousing 155 can be a single molded piece (e.g., injection molded and/or the like). Thehousing 155 includes aflange portion 160 and a mountingportion 165. Theflange 160 is disposed in theglove 100 and couples thehousing 150 thereto. For example, although not shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 , theglove 100 can include an inner layer and an outer layer. As such, theflange 160 can be disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer of theglove 100 and coupled thereto via any suitable coupling (e.g., an adhesive, ultrasonic welding, a mechanical faster (e.g., screw, bolt, pin, rivet, etc.), sewn, and/or the like or combination thereof). - The
flange 160 can be, for example, a base portion or the like that is relatively thin and/or flexible. Moreover, as shown inFIG. 1 , when the portion of theillumination member 150 is disposed in thefinger portion 110 of theglove 100, a portion of theflange 160 extends beyond thefinger portion 110 and into, for example, thethumb portion 115 and/or a region of theglove 100 between thefinger portion 110 and thethumb portion 115. Thus, theflange 160 can provide, at least in part, structural rigidity for thehousing 155 that can facilitate the coupling of thehousing 155 to theglove 100. - The mounting
portion 165 of thehousing 155 extends from theflange 160 and is coupled to theillumination member 175. More specifically, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 , when the portion of theillumination assembly 150 is disposed in thefinger portion 110 of theglove 100, the mountingportion 165 extends from theflange 160 and through anaperture 111 defined by thefinger portion 110. In some embodiments, the mountingportion 165 can have a size and/or perimeter that is, for example, slightly smaller than a surface of thefinger portion 110 defining theaperture 111. In this manner, when theflange 160 couples thehousing 150 to theglove 100, a region of the mountingportion 165 is disposed in a relatively fixed position within theaperture 111. - As described above, the mounting
portion 165 is coupled to theillumination member 175. For example, in some embodiments, theillumination member 175 can be coupled to and/or otherwise disposed at or adjacent to a distal end portion of the mountingportion 165. In some embodiments, the mountingportion 165 can define a cavity or an inner volume within which a portion of theillumination member 175 can be disposed. In this manner, theillumination member 175 can be at least temporarily coupled to the mountingportion 165 via, for example, a friction fit, a press fit, an adhesive, a threaded coupling and/or the like. Although theillumination member 175 is shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 as including a distal surface that is flush with a distal surface of the mountingportion 165, in other embodiments, a portion of the illumination member 175 (e.g., a lens or the like) can extend in the distal direction from the distal surface of the mountingportion 165. Thus, theillumination member 175 can be positioned relative to the mountingportion 165 such that an output of light from theillumination member 175 is substantially unobstructed by the mountingportion 165. Similarly, as shown inFIG. 2 , the arrangement of the mountingportion 165 is such that when theillumination member 175 is coupled thereto, theillumination member 175 is spaced apart a distance D1 (i.e., a non-zero distance) from anexterior surface 105 of theglove 100. The distance D1 can be sufficiently large to limit and/or substantially prevent an output of light from theillumination member 175 from being obstructed by theexterior surface 105 of theglove 100. - The
actuator 180 is disposed within theglove 100 and is operably coupled to theillumination member 175 of theillumination assembly 150. For example, in some embodiments, theglove 100 can define a pouch (not shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 ) or the like within which theactuator 180 can be at least temporarily disposed. Theactuator 180 can be any suitable actuating device, mechanism, and/or assembly that can be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from theillumination member 175, and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination device. More specifically, in some embodiments, theactuator 180 can include a switch and/or the like and an electric circuit electrically connected to a power source. Thus, a user can engage the switch and/or the like, for example, to transition theactuator 180 between its first configuration in which the electric circuit is opened or shorted and its second configuration in which the electric circuit is closed, thereby allowing electric power to flow to the illumination member. - Although the mounting
portion 165 is shown as being substantially rectangular, in other embodiments, the mountingportion 165 can have any suitable shape, size, and/or configuration. For example, at least a portion of the mountingportion 165 can be rounded. Furthermore, while the mountingportion 165 is shown inFIG. 2 as having a surface (e.g., a top surface) that is substantially parallel with theexterior surface 105 of theglove 100 and/or a surface of theflange 160, in other embodiments, the mountingportion 165 can be arranged in a transverse orientation relative to theexterior surface 105 of theglove 100. Similarly stated, at least the top surface of the mountingportion 165 can be disposed at an angle relative to the surface of theflange 160 and/or theexterior surface 105 of theglove 100. Moreover, with the top surface disposed at the angle relative to the surface of theflange 160, a cavity defined by the mounting portion 165 (as described above) that can house at least a portion of theillumination member 175 can define a longitudinal axis or the like that can similarly define the angle with the surface of theflange 160. In some embodiments, the angle can be less than about 90°, about 80°, about 70°, about 60°, about 50°, about 40°, about 30°, or less. In at least one embodiment, the angle can be about 26°. - In some embodiments, the angle associated with the top surface of the mounting
portion 165 and/or the longitudinal axis of the cavity can be such that the electrical conductors (e.g., wires) of theactuator 180 can be coupled to a corresponding portion of theillumination member 175 in such a manner that when a user dons theglove 100, the position of the coupling between the electrical conductors and theillumination member 175 is spaced apart a non-zero distance from the user's hand. In some embodiments, the angle associated with the longitudinal axis of the cavity can, for example, allow theillumination member 175 and the electrical conductors of theactuator 180 to be coupled at an angle less than about 90°. In some embodiments, the angle associated with the longitudinal axis of the cavity can, for example, allow a portion of the electrical conductors of theactuator 180 to be bent at an angle less than about 90° relative to theflange 160, which can, for example, align end portions thereof with a corresponding conductive portion of theillumination member 175, thereby allowing the electrical conductors to be coupled to theillumination member 175. Moreover, the portion of the electrical conductors of theactuator 180 can be bent with a relatively large radius or the like (i.e., not sharp, abrupt, and/or perpendicular). Thus, discomfort associated with the coupling of the electrical conductors of theactuator 180 to theillumination member 175 and/or the bend of the electrical conductors, and/or the risk of damage to the coupling is reduced or substantially avoided. -
FIGS. 3-9 illustrate aglove 200 including an embeddedillumination assembly 250, according to an embodiment. A glove 200 (or portion thereof) can be any suitable arrangement and is configured to be worn or otherwise disposed about a user's hand. Theglove 210 includes afinger portion 210 and athumb portion 215. As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 , theglove 200 can surround substantially the entire hand about which it is disposed. Similarly stated, thefinger portion 210 and thethumb portion 215 can be full length with ends that are substantially closed. In other embodiments, theglove 200 can surround a portion of the hand about which it is disposed (i.e., a portion less than the entire hand). For example, thefinger portion 210 and/or thethumb portion 215 can have an end portion that is open and can have a length that is shorter than the finger and/or thumb, respectively, about which it is disposed. Thus, a portion of the finger and/or thumb of the user's hand can extend beyond a distal surface of thefinger portion 210 and/or thethumb portion 215, respectively. Thefinger portion 210 can be associated with and/or otherwise configured to be disposed about an index finger of the hand (e.g., the finger adjacent to the thumb). Thus, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 , with thefinger portion 210 disposed to the left of thethumb portion 215, theglove 200 can be associated with and/or configured to be disposed about the left hand of the user. Although not shown, theglove 200 can be included in a pair, with a similar but opposite glove associated with and/or configured to be disposed about the right hand of the user. - The
glove 200 includes and/or is otherwise coupled to theillumination assembly 250 and anactuator 280. For example, a portion of theillumination assembly 250 is disposed in thefinger portion 210 of theglove 200. More specifically, as shown inFIG. 4 , theglove 200 includes aninner layer 225 and anouter layer 230 between which at least a portion of theillumination assembly 250 and/or theactuator 280 is disposed. In some instances, such an arrangement can, for example, reduce or substantially eliminate discomfort that might otherwise result from theillumination assembly 250 and/or theactuator 280 being placed in contact with the skin of the user donning the glove. Furthermore, in some instances, disposing at least a portion of theillumination assembly 250 and/or at least a portion of theactuator 280 between theinner layer 225 and theouter layer 230 can reduce and/or substantially prevent damage to theillumination assembly 250 and/or theactuator 280 that may otherwise occur. - The
illumination assembly 250 includes ahousing 255 and anillumination member 275. Theillumination member 275 can be any suitable illumination device such as, for example, an incandescent light, a halogen light, a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), or the like. As described in further detail herein, theillumination member 275 can be transitioned between a first electric state (e.g., an “off” configuration), a second electric state (e.g., an “on” configuration) to produce a visual light output (e.g., white light or a light with a frequency(ies) in the visible spectrum), and an optional third electric state (e.g., a “flashing” configuration) to produce a flashing or blinking (repeated or periodically repeated) of the visual light output. - The
housing 255 includes aflange portion 260 and a mountingportion 265. Thehousing 255 can be, for example, a monolithically-constructed member that is formed from a relatively flexible material such as, for example, a thermoplastic or elastomeric material (e.g., rubber or the like). For example, in some embodiments, thehousing 255 can be a single molded piece (e.g., injection molded and/or the like). More specifically, in some embodiments, thehousing 255 can be, for example, an arrangement of walls with a substantially constant thickness, thereby forming a shell of a given shape (e.g., the walls form a hollow or non-solid shape). Theflange 260 is disposed within theglove 200 between theinner layer 225 and theouter layer 230 and is configured to couple thehousing 250 thereto. For example, in some embodiments, theflange 260 can be placed in a desired position and can be sewn to theinner layer 225 and/or theouter layer 230. In some embodiments, theflange 260 can be positioned such that at least a portion of theillumination assembly 250 is disposed in a distal position relative to a knuckle portion of theglove 200 associated with, for example, a region at which thefinger portion 210 extends from, for example, a palm region of theglove 200. As such, theflange 260 is coupled to theglove 200 to maintain at least a portion ofhousing 255 in a substantially fixed position relative to thefinger portion 210, as described in further detail herein. - As shown in
FIGS. 3-6 , theflange 260 can be, for example, a base portion or the like that is relatively thin and/or flexible. Moreover, with the arrangement of thehousing 255 forming a shell (as described above), theflange 260 defines anopening 262 that extends therethrough (see e.g.,FIG. 6 ). When the portion of theillumination member 250 is disposed in thefinger portion 210 of theglove 200, a portion of theflange 260 extends beyond thefinger portion 210 and into, for example, thethumb portion 215 and/or aregion 240 of theglove 200 between thefinger portion 210 and the thumb portion 215 (see e.g.,FIG. 3 ). Thus, theflange 260 can provide, at least in part, structural rigidity for thehousing 255 that can facilitate the coupling of thehousing 255 to theglove 200. Expanding further, in some embodiments, theflange 260 can have and/or can define a perimeter or footprint that is sufficiently large to, for example, reduce flexing, bending, deforming, and/or reconfiguration of at least a portion of thehousing 255 relative to theglove 200. - As shown in
FIG. 5 , the mountingportion 265 of thehousing 255 extends from theflange 260 and includes aproximal end portion 266 and adistal end portion 267, and defines acavity 268 therebetween. Thedistal end portion 267 is coupled to theillumination member 275, as described in further detail herein. With the mountingportion 265 extending from theflange 260 and with theflange 260 disposed between theinner layer 225 and theouter layer 230 of theglove 200, a portion of the mountingportion 265 is disposed in theglove 200 and can extend through anaperture 211 defined by thefinger portion 210 such that at least thedistal end portion 267 of the mountingportion 265 is outside of theglove 200. In some embodiments, thefinger portion 210 of theglove 200 can be, for example, substantially symmetric about a plane extending the length of thefinger portion 210 that substantially bisects theaperture 211. Similarly, at least the mountingportion 265 of thehousing 255 can be symmetric about a plane extending the length of the mountingportion 265. Thus, in such embodiments, when the mountingportion 265 is disposed in theaperture 211 defined by thefinger portion 210 of theglove 200, the plane of symmetry associated with at least the mountingportion 265 of thehousing 255 can be substantially aligned and/or coplanar with the plane of symmetry associated with thefinger portion 210 of theglove 200. In other embodiments, the arrangement of thefinger portion 210 and/or thehousing 255 can be such that the plane of symmetry associated with the mountingportion 265 and the plane of symmetry associated with thefinger portion 210 are offset by a distance (e.g., parallel, yet spaced apart by the distance). As such, although the mountingportion 265 of thehousing 255 is shown inFIG. 3 as being substantially aligned with thefinger portion 210, the mountingportion 265 can be positioned and/or oriented relative to thefinger portion 210 of theglove 200 in any suitable manner. - In some embodiments, the mounting
portion 265 can have a size and/or perimeter that is, for example, slightly smaller than a surface of thefinger portion 210 defining theaperture 211. In this manner, when theflange 260 couples thehousing 250 to theglove 200, a region of the mountingportion 265 is disposed in a relatively fixed position within theaperture 211. Similarly, the arrangement of the mountingportion 265 and theflange 260 can be such that when theflange 260 is coupled to the outer layer 230 (e.g., sewn thereto), at least a portion of the mountingportion 265 is maintained in a substantially fixed position relative to anexterior surface 205 of theglove 200. Moreover, in some embodiments, by increasing the perimeter and/or footprint of the flange 260 (as described above) such that a portion extends into theregion 240 of theglove 200 between thefinger portion 210 andthumb portion 215 and/or extends into thethumb portion 215, theflange 260 can provide structural rigidity for thehousing 255 that can reduce or substantially prevent undesirable bending, flexing, deforming, and/or reconfiguring of theillumination assembly 250 relative to theglove 200. As such, when theillumination assembly 250 is actuated (e.g., placed in an on-position), theillumination member 275 can produce an output of light that remains in a substantially consistent orientation relative to at least a portion of theglove 200. In addition, the mountingportion 265 of thehousing 255 can extend through theaperture 211 defined by thefinger portion 210 in such a manner that when a user flexes or bends his or her finger disposed in thefinger portion 210, theillumination assembly 250 is maintained in a substantially fixed orientation relative to theglove 200. For example, in some embodiments, theillumination assembly 250 can be positioned relative to thefinger portion 210 such that as thefinger portion 210 is bent (e.g., in response to the user donning theglove 200 making a first or flexing at least the finger portion 210), the orientation of at least the mountingportion 265 relative to, for example, a portion of theglove 200 other than thefinger portion 210 is substantially limited. For another example, in some embodiments, theillumination assembly 250 can be positioned relative to remaining portions of theglove 200 such that as theglove 200 is rotated such as when turning a key in a lock, the position of theillumination assembly 250 and the corresponding output light remains substantially fixed. For yet other examples, theillumination assembly 250 can be positioned relative to remaining portions of theglove 200 such that the position (or range of positions) of theillumination assembly 250 and the corresponding output light remains within a range of positions appropriate for a given activity such as an outdoor performance activity (e.g., running, snow skiing, biking, etc. with the output light positioned in front of the wearer during the activity). Thus, when theillumination assembly 250 is actuated, theillumination member 275 can produce a light output with an orientation that is relatively stable relative to theglove 200. - The mounting
portion 265 can be any suitable shape, size, and/or configuration. For example, in some embodiments, the mountingportion 265 can be substantially cylindrical and can extend from asurface 261 of theflange 260 in a transverse direction. More particularly, as shown inFIG. 5 , a top surface of the mountingportion 265 disposed at or near theproximal end portion 266 is spaced apart from thesurface 261 of theflange 260 by a first distance D2, and the top surface of the mountingportion 265 disposed at or near thedistal end portion 267 is spaced apart from thesurface 261 of theflange 260 by a second distance D3, greater than the first distance D2. Furthermore, with the arrangement of thehousing 255 forming a shell (as described above), the mountingportion 265 defines thecavity 268 with a shape, size, and/or configuration that is associated with an outer surface of the mountingportion 265. That is to say, the mountingportion 265 is formed from a set of walls that can be, for example, at least partially annular and that have a substantially constant thickness. Thus, thecavity 268 has a size, shape, and orientation that is associated with the size, shape, and orientation of the mountingportion 265. For example, as shown inFIG. 5 , thecavity 268 can define a longitudinal axis A (e.g., that passes through the center of theillumination member 275 when theillumination member 275 is coupled to thedistal end portion 267 of the mounting portion 265) that forms an angle α with thesurface 261 of theflange 260. In some embodiments, the angle α can be less than about 90°, about 80°, about 70°, about 60°, about 50°, about 40°, about 30°, or less. More specifically, in this embodiment, the angle α is about 26°. - As described above, the
distal end portion 267 of the mountingportion 265 is coupled to theillumination member 275. For example, a portion of theillumination member 275 can be disposed within thecavity 268 and coupled to the mountingportion 265 via, for example, a friction fit, a press fit, an adhesive, a threaded coupling and/or the like. As shown inFIG. 5 a distal end portion of the illumination member such as a lens or the like can extend in the distal direction through thedistal end portion 267 of the mountingportion 265 to be disposed substantially outside of thecavity 268. Thus, theillumination member 275 can be positioned relative to the mountingportion 265 such that an output of light from theillumination member 275 is substantially unobstructed by the mountingportion 265. - Similarly, as shown in
FIG. 5 , the arrangement of the mountingportion 265 is such that when theillumination member 275 is coupled thereto, theillumination member 275 is spaced apart a distance D4 (i.e., a non-zero distance) from anexterior surface 205 of theglove 200. The distance D4 can be sufficiently large to limit and/or substantially prevent an output of light from theillumination member 275 from being obstructed by theexterior surface 205 of theglove 200. Moreover, as shown, the distance D4 can be greater than the first distance D2 associated with theproximal end portion 266 of the mountingportion 265, but less than the second distance D3 associated with thedistal end portion 267 of the mountingportion 265. Although the first distance D2 is shown inFIG. 5 as being greater than zero, in other embodiments, the first distance D2 can be substantially equal to zero. Moreover, although the mountingportion 265 is described above as being formed from a set of at least partially annular walls, in other embodiments, the mountingportion 265 can be any suitable configuration including, for example, a configuration in which the mountingportion 265 is substantially solid (e.g., does not define thecavity 268 and/or defines thecavity 268 with a small volume that is, for example, sufficient to allow a portion of theactuator 280 to be embedded therein). - The
actuator 280 is disposed within theglove 200 and is operably coupled to theillumination member 275 of the illumination assembly 250 (see e.g.,FIGS. 3 and 4 ). For example, in some embodiments, theglove 200 can define aresealable pouch 220 or the like within which theactuator 280 can be at least temporarily disposed. Expanding further, in some embodiments, the resealable pouch defined by theglove 200 can include a first surface with, for example, a set of small hooks and a second surface with, for example, a set of small loops that collectively form a hook-and-loop closure (e.g., Velcro®). Thus, theresealable pouch 220 can be transitioned between a closed configuration in which the hooks of the first surface engage the loops of the second surface, and an open configuration in which the hooks of the first surface are spaced apart from the loops of the second surface. In this manner, theactuator 280 can be at least temporarily stored within the resealable pouch and can be accessible, for example, in the event of a malfunction or the like. - The
actuator 280 can be any suitable actuating device, mechanism, and/or assembly that can be transitioned between a first configuration and a second configuration. For example, as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8 , theactuator 280 includes afirst portion 281 and asecond portion 282. Thefirst portion 281 of theactuator 280 can be, for example, a push button or the like that can be engaged by a user to transition theactuator 280 between its first configuration and its second configuration. Although not shown inFIGS. 7 and 8 , theactuator 280 includes an electric circuit that is selectively placed in electric communication with a power source (e.g., one or more batteries such as a coin battery, and/or the like (not shown)). Expanding further, in some embodiments, a user can exert a force F (see e.g.,FIG. 8 ) on the actuator 280 (e.g., on the push button or the like of the actuator 280) to transition theactuator 280 between its first configuration in which at least a portion of the electric circuit is electrically isolated from the power source and its second configuration in which the electric circuit is electrically connected to the power source. Thus, when theactuator 280 is placed in its second configuration the power source can provide a flow of electric power that can pass through the electric circuit of theactuator 280 to be delivered to, for example, an electric circuit outside of thefirst portion 281 of theactuator 280. - The
second portion 282 of theactuator 280 can include one or more electrical conductors such as wires or the like that can electrically connect theillumination member 275 to theactuator 280. More specifically, the mountingportion 265 and theactuator 280 are arranged in such a manner that thesecond portion 282 of the actuator 280 passes through theopening 262 defined by theflange 260 to dispose an end of thesecond portion 282 in thecavity 268. In this manner, thesecond portion 282 can be coupled to theillumination member 275 in such a way that the position of the coupling between thesecond portion 282 of theactuator 280 and theillumination member 275 is spaced apart a non-zero distance from the user's hand. In some embodiments, the angle α associated with the longitudinal axis A of the cavity 268 (see e.g.,FIG. 5 ) can, for example, allow theillumination member 275 and thesecond portion 282 of theactuator 280 to be coupled at an angle less than about 90°. By way of example, in some embodiments, theillumination member 275 can include substantially rigid conductors (e.g., wires, terminals etc.) that extend within thecavity 268 towards the first end portion 266 (e.g., towards the flange 260). In such embodiments, thesecond portion 282 of theactuator 280 can be coupled to the substantially rigid conductors or the like of theillumination member 275. Thus, the arrangement of cavity 268 (e.g., the angle α defined by the longitudinal axis A of the cavity 268) can, for example, allow the rigid conductors of theillumination member 275 to be disposed in thecavity 268 when theillumination member 275 is coupled to thedistal end portion 267 of the mountingportion 265. In this manner, at least an end region of thesecond portion 282 of theactuator 280 can be disposed in theopening 262 defined by theflange 260 and coupled to the substantially rigid conductors or the like of theillumination member 275. - In some embodiments, the angle α associated with the longitudinal axis A of the
cavity 268 can, for example, allow a region of thesecond portion 282 of theactuator 280 to be bent at an angle less than about 90° relative to theflange 260, which can, for example, align the end of thesecond portion 282 with a corresponding conductive portion of theillumination member 275, thereby allowing the end of thesecond portion 282 of theactuator 280 to be coupled to theillumination member 275. Moreover, the region of thesecond portion 282 of theactuator 280 can be bent with a relatively large radius or the like (i.e., not sharp, abrupt, and/or perpendicular). Thus, discomfort associated with the coupling of thesecond portion 282 of theactuator 280 to theillumination member 275 and/or the bend of the region of thesecond portion 282, and/or the risk of damage to the coupling is reduced or substantially avoided. In this manner, when theactuator 280 is in its first configuration and at least a portion of the electric circuit included in thefirst portion 282 is electrically isolated from the power source, theillumination member 275 is electrically isolated from the power source; when the actuator is transitioned to its second configuration and the electric circuit of thefirst portion 281 of theactuator 280 is electrically connected to the power source, theillumination member 275 can receive a flow of electric power from the power source, via the electric circuit and thesecond portion 282 of the actuator 280 (e.g., the wires), and in response produce an output (i.e., light). - Although the
illumination assembly 250 was particularly shown and described above with reference toFIGS. 3-9 , in other embodiments, an illumination assembly can have any suitable shape, size, and/or configuration and can function similarly to theillumination assembly 250. For example,FIG. 10 illustrates anillumination assembly 350 according to another embodiment. Theillumination assembly 350 includes ahousing 355 and anillumination member 375. Theillumination member 375 can be, for example, substantially similar to or the same as theillumination member 275 described above. Thehousing 355 has aflange 360 configured to be disposed within a portion of a glove (as described above) and a mountingportion 365 coupled to the illumination member 375 (as described above). Thus, theillumination assembly 350 can function in the same manner as theillumination manner 250 described above. Theillumination assembly 350 can differ from theillumination assembly 250, however, in that thehousing 355 and more specifically, theflange 360 and the mountingportion 365 have a substantially elliptical shape. -
FIG. 11 illustrates anillumination assembly 450 according to another embodiment. Theillumination assembly 450 includes ahousing 455 and anillumination member 475. Theillumination member 475 can be, for example, substantially similar to or the same as theillumination member 275 described above. Thehousing 455 has aflange 460 configured to be disposed within a portion of a glove (as described above) and a mountingportion 465 coupled to the illumination member 475 (as described above). Thus, theillumination assembly 450 can function in the same manner as theillumination manner 250 described above. Theillumination assembly 450 can differ from theillumination assembly 250, however, in that thehousing 455 and more specifically, theflange 460 and the mountingportion 465 have a substantially rectangular shape. -
FIG. 12 illustrates anillumination assembly 550 according to another embodiment. Theillumination assembly 550 includes ahousing 555 and anillumination member 575. Theillumination member 575 can be, for example, substantially similar to or the same as theillumination member 275 described above. Thehousing 555 has aflange 560 configured to be disposed within a portion of a glove (as described above) and a mountingportion 565 coupled to the illumination member 575 (as described above). Thus, theillumination assembly 550 can function in the same manner as theillumination manner 250 described above. Theillumination assembly 550 can differ from theillumination assembly 250, however, in that thehousing 555 and more specifically, theflange 560 has an asymmetric shape. For example, as shown inFIG. 12 , theflange 560 can include aportion 563 that has a substantially irregular shape. In some embodiments, theportion 563 of theflange 560 can, for example, extend into a region of the glove defined between a thumb portion and a finger portion (as described above) when theflange 560 is disposed therein. In such embodiments, theportion 563 of theflange 560 can extend into the thumb portion of the glove when theflange 560 is disposed therein. In some embodiments, the arrangement of theflange 560 can increase a structural rigidity of thehousing 555. More specifically, the arrangement of theportion 563 of theflange 560 can be such that a perimeter and/or footprint of theflange 560 is increased that can reduce or substantially prevent undesirable bending, flexing, deforming, and/or reconfiguring of theillumination assembly 550 relative to the glove (e.g., when coupled thereto). As such, when theillumination assembly 550 is actuated (e.g., placed in an on-position), theillumination member 575 can produce an output of light that remains in a substantially consistent orientation relative to at least a portion of the glove 500. In addition, the mountingportion 565 of thehousing 555 can be positioned relative to the finger portion of the glove in such a manner that when a user flexes or bends his or her finger disposed in the finger portion, theillumination assembly 550 is maintained in a substantially fixed orientation relative to the glove (as described above with reference to the illumination assembly 250). - The
gloves - While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Where schematics and/or embodiments described above indicate certain components arranged in certain orientations or positions, the arrangement of components may be modified. While the embodiments have been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made. For example, while the
glove 200 is shown as including full length and/or enclosed fingers, in other embodiments, a glove can include finger portions that are less than full length and that have ends that are open. Thus, when a user dons the glove, a portion of the user's fingers can extend through the ends of the finger portions. - Although various embodiments have been described as having particular features and/or combinations of components, other embodiments are possible having a combination of any features and/or components from any of embodiments as discussed above. For example, any of the
illumination assemblies glove 200 in a substantially similar manner as described above with theillumination assembly 250. - Where methods and/or events described above indicate certain events and/or procedures occurring in certain order, the ordering of certain events and/or procedures may be modified. Additionally, certain events and/or procedures may be performed concurrently in a parallel process when possible, as well as performed sequentially as described above.
Claims (20)
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a glove configured to be worn about a hand of a user, the glove including a finger portion and a thumb portion, the finger portion defining an aperture;
an illumination assembly partially disposed in the finger portion of the glove, the illumination assembly including an illumination member and a housing having a mounting portion coupled to the illumination member, the mounting portion at least partially disposed within the aperture such that the illumination member is spaced apart a non-zero distance from an exterior surface of the glove, the housing including a flange disposed within the glove and including a portion disposed in a region between the finger portion and the thumb portion, the flange coupling the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture; and
an actuator removably disposed in a portion of the glove and operably coupled to the illumination assembly, the actuator configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion defines a cavity, at least a portion of the illumination member being disposed in the cavity, at least a portion of the actuator being disposed in the cavity and coupled to the illumination member.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion defines a cavity, the cavity defining a longitudinal axis that forms an angle with a plane defined by a surface of the flange, the angle being less than about 90°.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the illumination member and the exterior surface of the glove is a first distance, the mounting portion including a first end and a second end, the second end being coupled to the illumination member,
the first end disposed a second distance from a surface of the flange, the second distance being less than the first distance, the second end disposed a third distance from the surface of the flange, the third distance being greater than the first distance.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the glove defines a resealable pocket, at least a portion of the actuator being removably disposed in the resealable pocket.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the finger portion of the glove includes a knuckle region, at least a portion of the illumination assembly being disposed in a distal position relative to the knuckle region.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the glove includes an inner layer having an external surface and an internal surface, and an outer layer having an external surface and an internal surface, at least a portion of the illumination assembly and at least a portion of the actuator being disposed between the internal surface of the outer layer and the internal surface of the inner layer, the external surface of the outer layer forming an external surface of the glove.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the finger portion of the glove is substantially symmetric about a first plane and the mounting portion of the housing is substantially symmetric about a second plane, the housing being coupled to the glove such that the first plane and the second plane are substantially coplanar.
9. An apparatus, comprising:
a glove configured to be worn about a hand of a user, the glove including a finger portion and a thumb portion, the finger portion defining an aperture;
an illumination assembly partially disposed in the finger portion of the glove, the illumination assembly including an illumination member and a housing having a flange disposed in the glove and a mounting portion disposed in the aperture, a portion of the flange disposed in a region of the glove between the finger portion and the thumb portion, the flange coupling the housing to the glove, the mounting portion defining a cavity, at least a portion of the illumination member being disposed in the cavity to couple the illumination member to the mounting portion, the cavity having a longitudinal axis that forms an angle with a plane defined by a surface of the flange, the angle being less than about 90°; and
an actuator removably disposed in the glove, the actuator including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being disposed in the cavity defined by the mounting portion and operably coupled to the illumination member, the second portion of the actuator configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member, via the first portion.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the flange couples the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the angle is between about 15° and about 35°.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the angle is about 26°.
13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the first portion of the actuator forms a set of conductive wires, the second portion of the actuator being physically and electrically coupled to a first end portion of the set of conductive wires, the illumination member being physically and electrically coupled to a second end portion of the set of conductive wires, the actuator including a power source,
the second portion of the actuator closing an electric circuit when in the second configuration, the power source delivering electric power to the illumination member via the set of conductive wires when the electric circuit is closed.
14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the housing is monolithically formed.
15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the mounting portion of the housing includes a first end disposed a first distance from the plane defined by the surface of the flange and a second end disposed a second distance from the plane, the second distance being greater than the first distance, the angle formed between the longitudinal axis of the cavity and the plane being defined by a difference between the first distance and the second distance, the illumination member being coupled to the second end.
16. An apparatus, comprising:
a glove;
a housing partially disposed in a finger portion of the glove, the housing having a monolithic construction including a flange disposed in the glove and a mounting portion disposed, at least in part, within an aperture defined by the finger portion, the flange coupling the housing to the glove to retain the mounting portion in a substantially fixed orientation within the aperture, the mounting portion defining a cavity having a longitudinal axis that forms an angle with a plane defined by a surface of the flange, the angle being less than about 90°;
an illumination member coupled to the mounting portion of the housing and having a first electric power state and a second electric power state, at least a portion of the illumination member being disposed in the cavity defined by the mounting portion; and
an actuator disposed in the glove, the actuator including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being disposed in the cavity defined by the mounting portion and operably coupled to the illumination member, the second portion of the actuator configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which the illumination member is in the first electric power state and a second configuration in which electric power is delivered to the illumination member, via the first portion, to transition the illumination member to the second electric power state.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the flange defines an opening, the actuator being partially disposed within the opening to dispose the first portion in the cavity.
18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a first portion of the flange is disposed in the finger portion and a second portion of the flange is disposed within a portion of the glove substantially outside of the finger portion.
19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein substantially the entire flange is disposed in the finger portion of the glove.
20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first portion of the actuator includes a set of conductive wires at least partially disposed in the cavity and electrically coupled to the illumination member,
the second portion of the actuator includes a switch, the switch configured to be transitioned between a first configuration in which electric power is withheld from the illumination member and a second configuration in which the electric power is delivered to the illumination member via the first portion.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US14/120,267 US20150327599A1 (en) | 2014-05-14 | 2014-05-14 | Apparatus for a wearable garment with embedded illumination device |
PCT/US2015/030744 WO2015175762A1 (en) | 2014-05-14 | 2015-05-14 | Apparatus for a wearable garment with embedded illumination device |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US14/120,267 US20150327599A1 (en) | 2014-05-14 | 2014-05-14 | Apparatus for a wearable garment with embedded illumination device |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20150327599A1 true US20150327599A1 (en) | 2015-11-19 |
Family
ID=54480668
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US14/120,267 Abandoned US20150327599A1 (en) | 2014-05-14 | 2014-05-14 | Apparatus for a wearable garment with embedded illumination device |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20150327599A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2015175762A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20170086521A1 (en) * | 2015-09-25 | 2017-03-30 | Justin Corbett Sterner | Poly Encased utility knuckle flashlight gloves |
US10245492B1 (en) | 2018-09-14 | 2019-04-02 | OnlyNet LLC | Basketball shooting training device |
US11786127B2 (en) | 2019-09-20 | 2023-10-17 | Stanley Medical Designs, Inc. | Disposable thumb light |
Family Cites Families (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3638011A (en) * | 1970-06-01 | 1972-01-25 | Merril H Bain | Hand glove and light signal attachment therefor |
US6592235B1 (en) * | 2002-02-22 | 2003-07-15 | Gary Mayo | Light emitting glove |
US6709142B2 (en) * | 2002-06-25 | 2004-03-23 | Csaba Gyori | Nighttime glove |
US6892397B2 (en) * | 2003-01-03 | 2005-05-17 | Anza Sport Group, Inc. | Glove with integrated light |
US6902289B1 (en) * | 2003-06-04 | 2005-06-07 | 4Th Day Enterprises, L.L.C. | Illuminated hand cover assembly |
US20060007669A1 (en) * | 2004-07-09 | 2006-01-12 | Blackburn Paul C | Ergonomic hand-mounted illumination device |
US7503667B2 (en) * | 2004-12-24 | 2009-03-17 | Troy Wilkings | Lighted glove |
US7891831B2 (en) * | 2008-03-03 | 2011-02-22 | Hui Lin Chen | Self-illumination glove |
-
2014
- 2014-05-14 US US14/120,267 patent/US20150327599A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2015
- 2015-05-14 WO PCT/US2015/030744 patent/WO2015175762A1/en active Application Filing
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20170086521A1 (en) * | 2015-09-25 | 2017-03-30 | Justin Corbett Sterner | Poly Encased utility knuckle flashlight gloves |
US10245492B1 (en) | 2018-09-14 | 2019-04-02 | OnlyNet LLC | Basketball shooting training device |
US11786127B2 (en) | 2019-09-20 | 2023-10-17 | Stanley Medical Designs, Inc. | Disposable thumb light |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2015175762A1 (en) | 2015-11-19 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: 180S IP HOLDINGS LLC, PENNSYLVANIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:180S, LLC;180S, INC.;REEL/FRAME:065657/0332 Effective date: 20230622 Owner name: 180S USA LLC, PENNSYLVANIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:180S, LLC;180S, INC.;REEL/FRAME:065657/0332 Effective date: 20230622 |