US20170173441A1 - Sports glove - Google Patents
Sports glove Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20170173441A1 US20170173441A1 US14/978,846 US201514978846A US2017173441A1 US 20170173441 A1 US20170173441 A1 US 20170173441A1 US 201514978846 A US201514978846 A US 201514978846A US 2017173441 A1 US2017173441 A1 US 2017173441A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- thumb
- wearer
- protective frame
- sports glove
- hand
- 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
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B71/00—Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00
- A63B71/08—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions
- A63B71/14—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the hands, e.g. baseball, boxing or golfing gloves
- A63B71/141—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the hands, e.g. baseball, boxing or golfing gloves in the form of gloves
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B71/00—Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00
- A63B71/08—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions
- A63B71/14—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the hands, e.g. baseball, boxing or golfing gloves
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B71/00—Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00
- A63B71/08—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions
- A63B71/14—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the hands, e.g. baseball, boxing or golfing gloves
- A63B71/141—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the hands, e.g. baseball, boxing or golfing gloves in the form of gloves
- A63B71/143—Baseball or hockey gloves
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B2102/00—Application of clubs, bats, rackets or the like to the sporting activity ; particular sports involving the use of balls and clubs, bats, rackets, or the like
- A63B2102/14—Lacrosse
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to sports gloves and, in particular, to sports gloves for lacrosse, hockey, and/or other sports.
- Protective sports gloves as used in many sports such as lacrosse and hockey amongst others, are designed for protecting a wearer's hands, notably protecting them from impacts or other contact which could otherwise cause pain or injury.
- Certain sports gloves such as those which may be used by lacrosse goalkeepers (i.e., goalies) or hockey players, may provide additional protection in their thumb portion to further protect a wearer's thumb, which may, for instance, be more exposed to impacts and/or hyperextension.
- a sports glove's thumb portion may sometimes include a protective frame of rigid plastic or other material. While this may help to better protect the wearer's thumb, in some cases, this may adversely affect mobility of the wearer's thumb (e.g., for gripping or otherwise handling a lacrosse or hockey stick).
- the protective frame of the glove's thumb portion may provide less than optimal protection in some situations.
- a sports glove for protecting a hand of a wearer comprising a palm portion for overlying a palm of the wearer's hand, a back portion for protecting a back of the wearer's hand, a plurality of finger portions for protecting fingers of the wearer's hand, and a thumb portion for protecting a thumb of the wearer's hand, the thumb portion comprising a cavity to receive the wearer's thumb and a protective frame disposed within the cavity and configured to engage the wearer's thumb.
- a sports glove for protecting a hand of a wearer comprising a palm portion for overlying a palm of the wearer's hand, a back portion for protecting a back of the wearer's hand, a plurality of finger portions for protecting fingers of the wearer's hand, and a thumb portion for protecting a thumb of the wearer's hand, the thumb portion comprising a cavity to receive the wearer's thumb and a protective frame disposed within the cavity
- the sports glove further comprises an internal lining for contacting the wearer's hand, the internal lining comprising an opening leading to the cavity of the thumb portion and configured to allow the wearer's thumb to pass in the opening to be received in the cavity.
- a sports glove for protecting a hand of a wearer comprising a palm portion for overlying a palm of the wearer's hand, a back portion for protecting a back of the wearer's hand, a plurality of finger portions for protecting fingers of the wearer's hand, and a thumb portion for protecting a thumb of the wearer's hand, the thumb portion comprising a cavity to receive the wearer's thumb and a protective frame disposed within the cavity and comprising a plurality of sections pivotable relative to one another in response to the wearer's thumb flexing, and a pivot between adjacent ones of the sections of the protective frame and unexposed to the wearer's thumb when the wearer's thumb is received in the cavity of the thumb portion.
- a sports glove for protecting a hand of a wearer comprising a palm portion for overlying a palm of the wearer's hand, a back portion for protecting a back of the wearer's hand, a plurality of finger portions for protecting fingers of the wearer's hand, and a thumb portion for protecting a thumb of the wearer's hand, the thumb portion comprising a protective frame comprising, a plurality of sections pivotable relative to one another in response to the wearer's thumb flexing, and a pivot between a first one of the sections of the protective frame and a second one of the sections of the protective frame, the pivot comprising a pin integrally formed with the first one of the sections of the protective frame.
- FIGS. 1 to 3 are respective back, side and front views of a sports glove in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the invention
- FIGS. 4 and 5 are respective back and front views of a wearer's hand
- FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional side view of a thumb portion of a sports glove comprising a protective frame in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 6B is the view of FIG. 6A wherein the protective frame encloses a thumb
- FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional side view of the protective frame of FIG. 6B in isolation;
- FIG. 7 is a side view of a non-limiting embodiment of a protective frame in an unflexed position.
- FIG. 8 is a side view of the embodiment of the protective frame of FIG. 7 in a flexed position.
- FIGS. 1 to 3 show an example of a sports glove 10 for protecting a wearer's hand 11 (shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 ), in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
- the glove 10 is a lacrosse glove and the wearer is a lacrosse player playing lacrosse. More particularly, in this embodiment, the glove 10 is a lacrosse goalie glove and the lacrosse player is a lacrosse goalie (i.e., goalkeeper) defending a lacrosse goal.
- the glove 10 comprises a hand covering 12 for protecting the wearer's hand 11 .
- the glove 10 provides enhanced protection to a thumb 60 of the wearer while maintaining mobility of the wearer's thumb 60 , which may help to grip or otherwise handle a lacrosse stick used by the wearer.
- the glove 10 provides additional protection to the wearer's thumb 60 against impacts (e.g., from another player's lacrosse stick, a lacrosse ball, etc.) and against hyperextension upon a collision or physical play where contact with the wearer's hand 11 is made.
- the hand covering 12 comprises a palm portion 16 for overlying a palm 17 of the wearer's hand 11 , a back portion 18 for protecting a back 19 of the wearer's hand 11 , finger portions 20 1 - 20 4 for protecting fingers 40 1 - 40 4 (namely an index finger, a middle finger, a third finger, and a little finger) of the wearer's hand 11 , and a thumb portion 22 for protecting the wearer's thumb 60 .
- Each of the wearer's fingers 40 1 - 40 4 has a palm surface 41 , a dorsal surface 42 , a lateral surface 43 , a medial surface 44 , a proximal articulation 46 , a proximal phalanx 47 , a middle articulation 48 , a middle phalanx 49 , a distal articulation 50 , and a distal phalanx 51 .
- the wearer's thumb 60 comprises a metacarpal section 64 , a middle articulation 65 , a proximal phalanx 66 , a distal articulation 67 , and a distal phalanx 68 .
- the wearer's thumb 60 further comprises a palmar surface 61 , defined by the surface of the wearer's thumb extending from a tip 69 of the distal phalanx 68 towards the palm 17 of the hand 11 , and a dorsal surface 62 , defined by the surface of the wearer's thumb extending from the tip 69 of the distal phalanx 68 towards the back 19 of the hand 11 .
- a lateral side 54 of the wearer's hand 11 has a C-shaped edge 56 extending between the thumb 60 and the index finger 40 1 .
- the hand covering 12 is padded to protect the wearer's hand 11 . That is, the hand covering 12 comprises protective padding. More particularly, in this embodiment, the protective padding comprises protective padding 26 B in the back portion 18 , protective padding 26 F in a back side of each of the finger portions 20 1 - 20 4 , and protective padding 26 T in a back side of the thumb portion 22 (collectively referred to as the “protective padding 26 ”).
- each of the protective padding 26 B , the protective padding 26 F , and the protective padding 26 T includes a plurality of pad members 34 that are movable relative to one another to facilitate flexion of the wearer's hand, including flexion of each of the wearer's fingers and thumb. Flex lines 45 (e.g., seams) extend between respective ones of the pad members 34 to facilitate flexion of the glove 10 .
- the protective padding 26 may comprise any suitable impact-absorbing material.
- the protective padding 26 comprises foam.
- the foam may be ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam, expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam (e.g., low-density polyethylene (LDPE) foam), vinyl nitrile (VN) foam, polyurethane foam, or any other suitable foam.
- EVA ethylene vinyl acetate
- EPP expanded polypropylene
- EPE expanded polyethylene
- VN vinyl nitrile
- the protective padding 26 may comprise a gel.
- the hand covering 12 comprises an internal lining and an outer cover between which the protective padding 26 is disposed.
- the internal lining comprises an internal lining 32 B in the back portion 18 , an internal lining 32 F (not shown) in each of the finger portions 20 , and an internal lining 32 T in the thumb portion 22 (collectively referred to as the “internal lining 32 ”).
- the internal lining 32 B in the back portion 18 comprises an opening 24 leading to a cavity 70 of the thumb portion 22 configured to allow the wearer's thumb 60 to pass in the opening 24 . In this way, the wearer's thumb 60 is received in the cavity 70 of the thumb portion 22 .
- the internal lining 32 may comprise a plurality of layers through which the opening 24 extends.
- the internal lining 32 B may extend partially into the thumb portion 22 opposite the internal lining 32 T in a thickness direction 96 (see FIG. 6 B) of the thumb portion 22 to provide an additional layer of padding on a palmar side 31 of the thumb portion 22 .
- the thickness direction 96 is the direction normal to a plane defined by a thumbnail of the thumb 60 when the thumb 60 is received in the cavity 70 .
- the internal lining 32 in the hand covering 12 may comprise a woven fabric material.
- the fabric material of the internal lining 32 may comprise a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, synthetic microfibers, a synthetic woven knit, a polyurethane laminate, or any other suitable fabric.
- the fabric material of the internal lining 32 may include only one type of fabric. In other cases, the fabric material of the internal lining may include different types of fabric in different areas of the hand covering 12 .
- the internal lining may comprise a plurality of layers wherein a first one of the layers of the internal lining is a base and a second one of the layers of the internal lining is a liner disposed over the base to contact the wearer's hand 11 .
- the liner may comprise a fabric such as any other suitable fabric.
- the base may comprise any other suitable foam.
- either or both of the base and the liner may comprise materials other than fabric or foam.
- the outer cover comprises a back outer cover 36 B in the back portion 18 , a finger outer cover 36 F in each of the finger portions 20 , and a thumb outer cover 36 T in the thumb portion 22 (collectively referred to as the “outer cover 36 ”).
- the back outer cover 36 B and finger outer covers 36 F are disposed between pad members 34 of the protective padding 26 and may comprise any suitable material.
- the back outer cover 36 B and finger outer covers 36 F comprise elastic non-foam polymeric material.
- the elastic non-foam polymeric material of the back outer cover 36 B and finger outer covers 36 F may comprise polyurethane or spandex.
- the back outer cover 36 B and finger outer covers 36 F may comprise an elastic material with a modulus of elasticity in some cases of at least 10,000 psi, in some cases at least 50,000 psi, or in some cases at least 100,000 psi. Other values and ranges for the modulus of elasticity of the back outer cover 36 B and finger outer covers 36 F are possible.
- the back outer cover 36 B and finger outer covers 36 F may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments.
- the palm portion 16 of the hand covering 12 may comprise any suitable material.
- the palm portion 16 may comprise leather (e.g., natural or synthetic leather), suede (e.g., natural or synthetic suede), mesh, and/or any other suitable material.
- the hand covering 12 may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments (e.g., may comprise any suitable materials arranged in any suitable manner).
- the thumb portion 22 of the glove 10 comprises the cavity 70 to receive the wearer's thumb 60 and provides protection to the wearer's thumb 60 .
- the thumb portion 22 in addition to comprising the protective padding 26 T , the thumb portion 22 comprises a protective frame 72 to protect the wearer's thumb 60 disposed within the cavity 70 of the thumb portion 22 between the internal lining 32 T and the thumb outer cover 36 T .
- the protective frame 72 which may also be referred to as a skeleton or rigid insert of the thumb portion 22 , is a rigid protector to protect the wearer's thumb 60 .
- the protective frame 72 is configured to protect the wearer's thumb 60 against hyperextension (e.g., when impacting or otherwise contacting a stick, another player, etc.).
- the protective frame 72 is “rigid” in that it is more rigid than the thumb outer cover 36 T .
- the protective frame 72 may comprise a rigid material having a thickness sufficient to protect the wearer's thumb 60 against injuries resulting from blows or other impacts.
- the rigid material of the protective frame 72 may comprise in some cases a thermoplastic, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or in some cases, a plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or any other suitable material.
- the protective frame 72 comprises a rigid material having a modulus of elasticity in some cases of at least 150,000 psi, in some cases at least 400,000 psi, or in some cases at least 600,000 psi.
- the protective frame 72 further comprises a rigid material having a hardness in some cases of at least Shore 40D, in some cases at least Shore 60D, or in some cases at least Shore 80D. Other values and ranges for the modulus of elasticity and the hardness of the protective frame 72 are possible.
- the thumb outer cover 36 T is disposed over the protective frame 72 and may comprise any suitable material.
- the thumb outer cover 36 T comprises elastic and flexible non-foam polymeric material.
- the elastic and flexible non-foam polymeric material of the thumb outer cover 36 T may comprise polyurethane or spandex.
- the thumb outer cover 36 T may comprise an elastic material with a modulus of elasticity which in some cases may be at least 10,000 psi, in some cases at least 50,000 psi, or in some cases at least 100,000 psi. Other values and ranges for the modulus of elasticity of the thumb outer cover 36 T are possible.
- the thumb outer cover 36 T may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments.
- FIGS. 6C, 7 and 8 illustrate the protective frame 72 shown in FIG. 6A without the thumb outer cover 36 T or internal linings 32 T , 32 B .
- the protective frame 72 comprises a plurality of sections covering at least partially the dorsal surface 62 of the wearer's thumb 60 .
- the protective frame 72 may comprise two sections.
- the protective frame 72 may comprise three sections.
- the protective frame 72 may comprise more than three sections.
- the protective frame 72 comprises a first section 80 for overlying a distal phalanx 68 of the wearer's thumb 60 and a second section 82 for overlying a proximal phalanx 66 of the wearer's thumb 60 .
- the first and second sections 80 , 82 may additionally extend laterally on either side of the thumb 60 to at least partially cover and protect one or both of the lateral sides of the thumb 60 .
- the protective frame 72 further comprises a third section 84 overlying the metacarpal section 64 of the wearer's hand 11 .
- adjacent ones of the sections may be pivotally connected and movable relative to one another in response to the wearer's thumb 60 flexing. This may allow for increased mobility of the thumb 60 and therefore improved movement when handling a lacrosse stick or other sport implement.
- pivots may be used to interconnect adjacent pairs of sections from among the plurality of sections 80 , 82 and 84 .
- the three sections 80 , 82 and 84 are interconnected by a first pivot 81 and a second pivot 83 , which allow relative movement during flexion of the thumb 60 .
- the first pivot 81 connects the first and second sections 80 and 82 such that the first section 80 is movable relative to the second section 82 between a first extended position (shown in FIG. 7 ), and a second bent position (shown in FIG. 8 ). Coupling of the first and second sections 80 and 82 via the first pivot 81 occurs at a point on the protective frame 72 which approximately overlies the thumb's distal articulation 67 when the thumb is engaged in the protective frame.
- the second pivot 83 connects the second and third sections 82 and 84 such that the second section 82 is movable relative to the third section 84 between a first extended position and a second bent position.
- Coupling of the second and third sections 82 and 84 via the second pivot 83 occurs at a point on the protective frame 72 which approximately overlies the thumb's middle articulation 65 .
- adjacent coupled sections of the protective frame 72 may partially overlap such that during inward bending of the thumb, when one coupled section is caused to move relative to another, the dorsal surface 62 of the thumb 60 may remain unexposed and/or protected from impact.
- additional pivots may be provided, which may allow the thumb 60 to bend further inwardly to further facilitate handling of the lacrosse stick or other sport implement.
- Each of the pivots 81 , 83 may be created by a respective pin or plurality of pins. Such pins may be disposed on approximately opposite lateral ends of sections 80 , 82 and 84 .
- pivot 81 comprises first pins 92 and pivot 83 comprises second pins 94 .
- One or more of the pins 92 and 94 may be integrally formed with one or more of the sections 80 , 82 and 84 .
- the pins 92 , 94 may be configured in an outwardly direction extending from an inner surface of the sections 80 , 82 and 84 to an outer surface of the first section 80 , 82 and 84 , thus allowing them to be unexposed to the wearer's thumb 60 when the wearer's thumb 60 is received in the cavity 70 of the thumb portion 22 .
- the pins 92 and 94 may be integrally formed with the second section 82 .
- the first pins 92 may be integrally formed with the first section 80
- the second pins 94 may be integrally formed with the third section 84 .
- the fact that the wearer's thumb 60 is not exposed to the pins 92 and 94 in the cavity 70 of the thumb portion 22 may have the potential to increase comfort. Similarly, the fact that the internal lining 32 T is not exposed to pins 92 and 94 in the cavity 70 may prevent wear of the internal lining 32 T due to friction caused by relative displacement of the internal lining 32 T and the pins 92 and 94 during usage.
- the first pins 92 and the second pins 94 may be molded with the second section 82 .
- the pins may be injection molded with one or more of the sections 80 , 82 and 84 .
- the pins 92 , 94 may be press fitted into one or more of the sections 80 , 82 and 84 .
- the pins 92 , 94 may be 3D-printed with one or more of the sections 80 , 82 and 84 .
- one or more of the pins 92 , 94 and one or more of sections 80 , 82 and 84 may be machined as one piece.
- the pins 92 , 94 may be implemented in other ways.
- adjacent ones of the sections 80 , 82 , 84 may be coupled by pivots that do not employ pins.
- the protective frame 72 further comprises a first stopper 75 and a second stopper 76 to restrict movement of the sections 80 , 82 and 84 relative to one another. This may protect against hyperextension of the wearer's thumb 60 .
- the first stopper 75 comprises a first underhanging portion 85 on a distal end 98 of the second section 82 which underlies at least partially an inner surface 87 of a proximal end 90 of the first section 80 .
- the second stopper 76 comprises a second underhanging portion 86 on a proximal end 99 of the second section 82 which underlies at least partially an inner surface 91 of a distal end 93 of the third section 84 .
- the first underhanging portion 85 of the first stopper 75 comprises an outer surface 77 .
- the outer surface 77 makes contact with the inner surface 87 of the proximal end 90 of the first section 80 , thereby limiting the range of motion of the first section 80 .
- the second underhanging portion 86 of the second stopper 76 comprises an outer surface 78 .
- the outer surface 78 makes contact with the inner surface 91 of the distal end 93 of the third section 84 , thereby limiting the range of motion of the second section 82 .
- the underhanging portions 85 and 86 provide a surface against which the inner surfaces of the first and third sections 80 and 84 will interact during extension of the thumb 60 , thus limiting the range of motion of the first and second sections 80 and 82 and preventing hyperextension of the wearer's thumb 60 . It should be appreciated that limiting the range of motion of the first and second sections 80 , 82 as described above may prevent hyperextension of the thumb 60 .
- the first section 80 may follow a profile that goes from a level above the dorsal surface 62 of the distal phalanx 68 in the thickness direction 96 of the thumb portion 22 to at least a level of a dorsal surface 62 of the wearer's thumb 60 in the thickness direction 96 of the thumb portion 22 when the wearer's thumb 60 is unflexed.
- the first section 80 may extend across the tip 69 of the distal phalanx 68 in the thickness direction 96 of the thumb portion 22 when the wearer's thumb 60 is unflexed.
- the first section 80 may also be configured as an enclosure to at least partially surround the distal phalanx 68 of the thumb 60 .
- the first section 80 curves around the tip 69 of the distal phalanx 68 in the thickness direction 96 of the thumb portion 22 , thereby at least partially covering and providing protection to the palmar surface 61 of the distal phalanx 68 .
- the protective frame 72 creates an enclosure 97 configured to contain at least partially the distal phalanx 68 .
- the enclosure 97 has an opening into which the wearer's thumb 60 is inserted after passing through the opening 24 in the internal lining 32 T .
- the first section 80 may comprise an upper part 88 configured to be disposed above the distal phalanx 68 and lower part 89 configured to be disposed below the tip 69 of the distal phalanx 68 .
- the lower part 89 may extend to face the palmar surface 61 of the distal phalanx 68 .
- the lower part 89 may have a dimension D 1 in a longitudinal direction of the thumb portion 22 which occupies, in some cases at least 5%, in other cases at least 10%, or in still other cases at least 15%, of a dimension D 2 of the protective frame 72 in the longitudinal direction of the thumb portion 22 .
- the lower part 89 may have the dimension D 1 in the longitudinal direction of the thumb portion 22 which occupies, in some cases at least 20%, in other cases at least 30%, and in some other cases at least 40%, of the dimension D 3 of the first section 80 of the protective frame 72 in the longitudinal direction of the thumb portion 22 .
- the lower part 89 may have the dimension D 1 in the longitudinal direction of the thumb portion 22 being in some cases at least 5 mm, in other cases at least 10 mm, and in still other cases at least 15 mm. Other values and ranges for the dimension D 1 in the longitudinal direction of the thumb portion 22 are possible.
- the protective frame 72 may extend over at least a majority of a dimension of the cavity 70 of the thumb portion 22 in the thickness direction 96 of the thumb portion 22 , this majority being in some cases at least two-thirds, and in other cases at least three-quarters.
- This ratio i.e. the quotient of the dimension of the cavity 70 occupied by the protective frame 72 in the thickness direction 96 of the thumb portion 22 divided by the dimension of the cavity 70 in the thickness direction 96 of the thumb portion 22 ) may have any other suitable values in other embodiments.
- the ratio of (i) a distance between the protective frame 72 and the wearer's thumb 60 when the wearer's thumb 60 is received in the cavity 70 of the thumb portion 22 and is unflexed to (ii) the dimension of the cavity 70 occupied by the protective frame 72 in the thickness direction 96 of the thumb portion 22 may be, in some cases, no more than 10%, in some cases, no more than 20%, and in still other cases, no more than 30%. This ratio may have any other suitable values in other embodiments.
- the lower part 89 of the first section 80 may face the palmar surface 61 of the thumb 60 thereby allowing engagement of the protective frame 72 by the thumb 60 and relative movement between the sections during flexion of the wearer's hand 11 and the pressing of the wearer's thumb 60 against the protective frame 72 .
- configuring the protective frame 72 to contain at least partially the distal phalanx 68 additionally reduces a distance D 4 in the thickness direction 96 between an axis 150 of the thumb's distal articulation 67 and an axis 160 of the first pivot 81 . This may facilitate flexion of the wearer's thumb 60 , thus providing a less restrictive glove 10 .
- the extension of the first section 80 onto the palmar surface 61 of the distal phalanx 68 may further allow for increased protection of the distal phalanx 68 .
- the glove 10 including the thumb portion 22 and its protective frame 72 , may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments.
- the glove 10 additionally comprises a cuff 100 which extends rearwardly from the hand covering 12 to overly the wearer's wrist 13 .
- the cuff 100 also overlies a distal region of a forearm 15 of the wearer adjacent to the wearer's wrist 13 .
- the cuff 100 comprises protective padding 102 to protect the wearer's wrist 13 and forearm 15 .
- the protective padding 102 may comprise any suitable impact-absorbing material.
- the protective padding 102 comprises foam.
- the foam may be ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam, expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam (e.g., low-density polyethylene (LDPE) foam), vinyl nitrile (VN) foam, polyurethane foam, or any other suitable foam.
- EVA ethylene vinyl acetate
- EPP expanded polypropylene
- EPE expanded polyethylene
- VN vinyl nitrile
- the protective padding 102 may comprise material other than foam.
- the cuff 100 comprises an inner liner 104 and an outer cover 106 between which the protective padding 102 is disposed.
- the inner liner 104 faces the wearer's wrist and forearm and may comprise any suitable material.
- the inner liner 104 comprises fabric.
- the fabric of the inner liner 104 may comprise a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, or any other suitable fabric.
- the inner liner 104 may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments.
- the outer cover 106 faces away from the wearer's wrist 13 and forearm 15 and may comprise any suitable material.
- the outer cover 106 comprises flexible non-foam polymeric material.
- the flexible non-foam polymeric material of the outer cover 106 may comprise polyurethane.
- the outer cover 106 may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments.
- the cuff 100 comprises a plurality of cuff members 108 1 - 108 5 movable relative to one another. This may sometimes be referred to as a “split cuff” design. This may provide flexibility and facilitate adjustment of the cuff 100 , as further discussed later.
- the protective padding 102 comprises protective padding 110 1 of the cuff member 108 1 , protective padding 110 2 of the cuff member 108 2 , protective padding 110 3 of the cuff member 108 3 , protective padding 110 4 of the cuff member 108 4 and protective padding 110 5 of the cuff member 108 5 .
- the glove 10 also comprises a sub-cuff 120 disposed under the cuff 100 , attachable to at least one of the wearer's wrist 13 and forearm 15 , and movable relative to the cuff 100 when the wearer's wrist 13 is flexed.
- This may provide additional protection to the wearer's wrist 13 and/or forearm 15 (e.g., if the wearer's wrist 13 is flexed so much that the cuff 100 is moved sufficiently far to expose part of the wearer's wrist 13 and/or forearm 15 that the cuff 110 usually covers).
- the sub-cuff 120 comprises a band 122 configured to be wrapped about the wearer's wrist 13 and/or forearm 15 .
- the band 122 has a first longitudinal end 124 and a second longitudinal end 126 that are movable relative to one another to wrap and unwrap the band 122 about the wearer's wrist 13 and/or forearm 15 .
- the sub-cuff 120 comprises a fastener 128 operable to secure the sub-cuff 120 to the wearer's wrist 13 and/or forearm 15 .
- the fastener 128 comprises fastening elements 129 1 , 129 2 respectively disposed adjacent ones of the longitudinal ends 124 , 126 of the band 122 .
- the fastener 128 comprises a hook-and-loop fastener, wherein a hook connector is disposed adjacent the longitudinal end 124 and a loop connector is disposed adjacent the longitudinal end 126 .
- the fastener 128 may be affixed to the band 122 in any suitable way, such as for example stitching, an adhesive, or ultrasonic welding amongst others.
- the band 122 of the sub-cuff 120 comprises protective padding disposed between an inner liner and an outer cover.
- these components may include materials such as those respectively described above in respect of the protective padding 102 , the inner liner 104 and the outer cover 106 of the cuff 100 .
- the sub-cuff 120 may be attached to a remainder of the glove 10 in any suitable way.
- the sub-cuff 120 is attached to the hand covering 12 by elastic members 130 1 , 130 2 that allow the sub-cuff 120 to move relative to the hand covering 12 when the wearer's wrist bends.
- a sports glove constructed using principles described herein in respect of the glove 10 may be another type of sports glove for a player playing another type of contact sport (sometimes referred to as “full-contact sport” or “collision sport”) in which there are significant impact forces on the player due to player-to-player and/or player-to-object contact.
- a sports glove constructed using principles described herein in respect of the glove 10 may be a hockey glove for a hockey player playing hockey.
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Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates generally to sports gloves and, in particular, to sports gloves for lacrosse, hockey, and/or other sports.
- Protective sports gloves, as used in many sports such as lacrosse and hockey amongst others, are designed for protecting a wearer's hands, notably protecting them from impacts or other contact which could otherwise cause pain or injury.
- Certain sports gloves, such as those which may be used by lacrosse goalkeepers (i.e., goalies) or hockey players, may provide additional protection in their thumb portion to further protect a wearer's thumb, which may, for instance, be more exposed to impacts and/or hyperextension. For example, a sports glove's thumb portion may sometimes include a protective frame of rigid plastic or other material. While this may help to better protect the wearer's thumb, in some cases, this may adversely affect mobility of the wearer's thumb (e.g., for gripping or otherwise handling a lacrosse or hockey stick). Furthermore, the protective frame of the glove's thumb portion may provide less than optimal protection in some situations.
- For these and/or other reasons, there is a need for improvements directed to sports gloves.
- According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a sports glove for protecting a hand of a wearer, the sports glove comprising a palm portion for overlying a palm of the wearer's hand, a back portion for protecting a back of the wearer's hand, a plurality of finger portions for protecting fingers of the wearer's hand, and a thumb portion for protecting a thumb of the wearer's hand, the thumb portion comprising a cavity to receive the wearer's thumb and a protective frame disposed within the cavity and configured to engage the wearer's thumb.
- According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a sports glove for protecting a hand of a wearer, the sports glove comprising a palm portion for overlying a palm of the wearer's hand, a back portion for protecting a back of the wearer's hand, a plurality of finger portions for protecting fingers of the wearer's hand, and a thumb portion for protecting a thumb of the wearer's hand, the thumb portion comprising a cavity to receive the wearer's thumb and a protective frame disposed within the cavity, wherein the sports glove further comprises an internal lining for contacting the wearer's hand, the internal lining comprising an opening leading to the cavity of the thumb portion and configured to allow the wearer's thumb to pass in the opening to be received in the cavity.
- According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a sports glove for protecting a hand of a wearer, the sports glove comprising a palm portion for overlying a palm of the wearer's hand, a back portion for protecting a back of the wearer's hand, a plurality of finger portions for protecting fingers of the wearer's hand, and a thumb portion for protecting a thumb of the wearer's hand, the thumb portion comprising a cavity to receive the wearer's thumb and a protective frame disposed within the cavity and comprising a plurality of sections pivotable relative to one another in response to the wearer's thumb flexing, and a pivot between adjacent ones of the sections of the protective frame and unexposed to the wearer's thumb when the wearer's thumb is received in the cavity of the thumb portion.
- According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a sports glove for protecting a hand of a wearer, the sports glove comprising a palm portion for overlying a palm of the wearer's hand, a back portion for protecting a back of the wearer's hand, a plurality of finger portions for protecting fingers of the wearer's hand, and a thumb portion for protecting a thumb of the wearer's hand, the thumb portion comprising a protective frame comprising, a plurality of sections pivotable relative to one another in response to the wearer's thumb flexing, and a pivot between a first one of the sections of the protective frame and a second one of the sections of the protective frame, the pivot comprising a pin integrally formed with the first one of the sections of the protective frame.
- These and other aspects of the invention will now become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description of embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
- A detailed description of embodiments of the invention is provided below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIGS. 1 to 3 are respective back, side and front views of a sports glove in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the invention; -
FIGS. 4 and 5 are respective back and front views of a wearer's hand; -
FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional side view of a thumb portion of a sports glove comprising a protective frame in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 6B is the view ofFIG. 6A wherein the protective frame encloses a thumb; -
FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional side view of the protective frame ofFIG. 6B in isolation; -
FIG. 7 is a side view of a non-limiting embodiment of a protective frame in an unflexed position; and -
FIG. 8 is a side view of the embodiment of the protective frame ofFIG. 7 in a flexed position. - It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments of the invention and are an aid for understanding. They are not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention.
-
FIGS. 1 to 3 show an example of asports glove 10 for protecting a wearer's hand 11 (shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 ), in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, theglove 10 is a lacrosse glove and the wearer is a lacrosse player playing lacrosse. More particularly, in this embodiment, theglove 10 is a lacrosse goalie glove and the lacrosse player is a lacrosse goalie (i.e., goalkeeper) defending a lacrosse goal. - The
glove 10 comprises a hand covering 12 for protecting the wearer'shand 11. As further discussed later, theglove 10 provides enhanced protection to athumb 60 of the wearer while maintaining mobility of the wearer'sthumb 60, which may help to grip or otherwise handle a lacrosse stick used by the wearer. Notably, in this embodiment, theglove 10 provides additional protection to the wearer'sthumb 60 against impacts (e.g., from another player's lacrosse stick, a lacrosse ball, etc.) and against hyperextension upon a collision or physical play where contact with the wearer'shand 11 is made. - With reference to
FIGS. 1 to 5 , the hand covering 12 comprises apalm portion 16 for overlying apalm 17 of the wearer'shand 11, aback portion 18 for protecting aback 19 of the wearer'shand 11, finger portions 20 1-20 4 for protecting fingers 40 1-40 4 (namely an index finger, a middle finger, a third finger, and a little finger) of the wearer'shand 11, and athumb portion 22 for protecting the wearer'sthumb 60. Each of the wearer's fingers 40 1-40 4 has apalm surface 41, adorsal surface 42, alateral surface 43, amedial surface 44, aproximal articulation 46, aproximal phalanx 47, amiddle articulation 48, amiddle phalanx 49, adistal articulation 50, and adistal phalanx 51. Similarly, the wearer'sthumb 60 comprises ametacarpal section 64, amiddle articulation 65, aproximal phalanx 66, adistal articulation 67, and adistal phalanx 68. The wearer'sthumb 60 further comprises apalmar surface 61, defined by the surface of the wearer's thumb extending from atip 69 of thedistal phalanx 68 towards thepalm 17 of thehand 11, and adorsal surface 62, defined by the surface of the wearer's thumb extending from thetip 69 of thedistal phalanx 68 towards theback 19 of thehand 11. Alateral side 54 of the wearer'shand 11 has a C-shaped edge 56 extending between thethumb 60 and the index finger 40 1. - The hand covering 12 is padded to protect the wearer's
hand 11. That is, the hand covering 12 comprises protective padding. More particularly, in this embodiment, the protective padding comprisesprotective padding 26 B in theback portion 18,protective padding 26 F in a back side of each of the finger portions 20 1-20 4, andprotective padding 26 T in a back side of the thumb portion 22 (collectively referred to as the “protective padding 26”). In this example, each of theprotective padding 26 B, theprotective padding 26 F, and theprotective padding 26 T includes a plurality ofpad members 34 that are movable relative to one another to facilitate flexion of the wearer's hand, including flexion of each of the wearer's fingers and thumb. Flex lines 45 (e.g., seams) extend between respective ones of thepad members 34 to facilitate flexion of theglove 10. - The
protective padding 26 may comprise any suitable impact-absorbing material. For example, in this embodiment, theprotective padding 26 comprises foam. For instance, in some examples of implementation, the foam may be ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam, expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam (e.g., low-density polyethylene (LDPE) foam), vinyl nitrile (VN) foam, polyurethane foam, or any other suitable foam. Also, in some embodiment, theprotective padding 26 may comprise a gel. - In addition to the
protective padding 26, in this embodiment, the hand covering 12 comprises an internal lining and an outer cover between which theprotective padding 26 is disposed. More particularly, in this embodiment, the internal lining comprises an internal lining 32 B in theback portion 18, an internal lining 32 F (not shown) in each of thefinger portions 20, and an internal lining 32 T in the thumb portion 22 (collectively referred to as the “internal lining 32”). With reference toFIG. 6B , the internal lining 32 B in theback portion 18 comprises anopening 24 leading to acavity 70 of thethumb portion 22 configured to allow the wearer'sthumb 60 to pass in theopening 24. In this way, the wearer'sthumb 60 is received in thecavity 70 of thethumb portion 22. In certain embodiments, the internal lining 32 may comprise a plurality of layers through which theopening 24 extends. - As shown in
FIG. 6A , the internal lining 32 B may extend partially into thethumb portion 22 opposite the internal lining 32 T in a thickness direction 96 (see FIG. 6B) of thethumb portion 22 to provide an additional layer of padding on apalmar side 31 of thethumb portion 22. In this embodiment, thethickness direction 96 is the direction normal to a plane defined by a thumbnail of thethumb 60 when thethumb 60 is received in thecavity 70. - In this embodiment, the internal lining 32 in the hand covering 12 may comprise a woven fabric material. For instance, in some examples of implementation, the fabric material of the internal lining 32 may comprise a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, synthetic microfibers, a synthetic woven knit, a polyurethane laminate, or any other suitable fabric. In some cases, the fabric material of the internal lining 32 may include only one type of fabric. In other cases, the fabric material of the internal lining may include different types of fabric in different areas of the hand covering 12. In another embodiment (not shown), the internal lining may comprise a plurality of layers wherein a first one of the layers of the internal lining is a base and a second one of the layers of the internal lining is a liner disposed over the base to contact the wearer's
hand 11. For example, the liner may comprise a fabric such as any other suitable fabric. Similarly, the base may comprise any other suitable foam. In other embodiments, either or both of the base and the liner may comprise materials other than fabric or foam. - The outer cover comprises a back
outer cover 36 B in theback portion 18, a fingerouter cover 36 F in each of thefinger portions 20, and a thumbouter cover 36 T in the thumb portion 22 (collectively referred to as the “outer cover 36”). The backouter cover 36 B and finger outer covers 36 F are disposed betweenpad members 34 of theprotective padding 26 and may comprise any suitable material. For example, in this embodiment, the backouter cover 36 B and finger outer covers 36 F comprise elastic non-foam polymeric material. For instance, in some cases, the elastic non-foam polymeric material of the backouter cover 36 B and finger outer covers 36 F may comprise polyurethane or spandex. The backouter cover 36 B and finger outer covers 36 F may comprise an elastic material with a modulus of elasticity in some cases of at least 10,000 psi, in some cases at least 50,000 psi, or in some cases at least 100,000 psi. Other values and ranges for the modulus of elasticity of the backouter cover 36 B and finger outer covers 36 F are possible. The backouter cover 36 B and finger outer covers 36 F may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments. - The
palm portion 16 of the hand covering 12 may comprise any suitable material. For instance, in some embodiments, thepalm portion 16 may comprise leather (e.g., natural or synthetic leather), suede (e.g., natural or synthetic suede), mesh, and/or any other suitable material. - The hand covering 12 may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments (e.g., may comprise any suitable materials arranged in any suitable manner).
- The
thumb portion 22 of theglove 10 comprises thecavity 70 to receive the wearer'sthumb 60 and provides protection to the wearer'sthumb 60. To that end, in this embodiment, in addition to comprising theprotective padding 26 T, thethumb portion 22 comprises aprotective frame 72 to protect the wearer'sthumb 60 disposed within thecavity 70 of thethumb portion 22 between the internal lining 32 T and the thumbouter cover 36 T. Theprotective frame 72, which may also be referred to as a skeleton or rigid insert of thethumb portion 22, is a rigid protector to protect the wearer'sthumb 60. Notably, in this embodiment, in addition to providing protection to the wearer'sthumb 60 against impacts (e.g., from a lacrosse stick, lacrosse ball, or other object), as further discussed later, theprotective frame 72 is configured to protect the wearer'sthumb 60 against hyperextension (e.g., when impacting or otherwise contacting a stick, another player, etc.). Theprotective frame 72 is “rigid” in that it is more rigid than the thumbouter cover 36 T. In particular, theprotective frame 72 may comprise a rigid material having a thickness sufficient to protect the wearer'sthumb 60 against injuries resulting from blows or other impacts. For instance, the rigid material of theprotective frame 72 may comprise in some cases a thermoplastic, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or in some cases, a plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or any other suitable material. In certain embodiments, theprotective frame 72 comprises a rigid material having a modulus of elasticity in some cases of at least 150,000 psi, in some cases at least 400,000 psi, or in some cases at least 600,000 psi. Theprotective frame 72 further comprises a rigid material having a hardness in some cases of at least Shore 40D, in some cases at least Shore 60D, or in some cases at least Shore 80D. Other values and ranges for the modulus of elasticity and the hardness of theprotective frame 72 are possible. - The thumb
outer cover 36 T is disposed over theprotective frame 72 and may comprise any suitable material. For example, in this embodiment, the thumbouter cover 36 T comprises elastic and flexible non-foam polymeric material. For instance, in some cases, the elastic and flexible non-foam polymeric material of the thumbouter cover 36 T may comprise polyurethane or spandex. The thumbouter cover 36 T may comprise an elastic material with a modulus of elasticity which in some cases may be at least 10,000 psi, in some cases at least 50,000 psi, or in some cases at least 100,000 psi. Other values and ranges for the modulus of elasticity of the thumbouter cover 36 T are possible. Moreover, the thumbouter cover 36 T may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments. -
FIGS. 6C, 7 and 8 illustrate theprotective frame 72 shown inFIG. 6A without the thumbouter cover 36 T or internal linings 32 T, 32 B. Theprotective frame 72 comprises a plurality of sections covering at least partially thedorsal surface 62 of the wearer'sthumb 60. In some embodiments, theprotective frame 72 may comprise two sections. In other embodiments, theprotective frame 72 may comprise three sections. In yet other embodiments, theprotective frame 72 may comprise more than three sections. - For example, in the embodiment illustrated in
FIGS. 7 and 8 , theprotective frame 72 comprises afirst section 80 for overlying adistal phalanx 68 of the wearer'sthumb 60 and asecond section 82 for overlying aproximal phalanx 66 of the wearer'sthumb 60. In certain embodiments, the first andsecond sections thumb 60 to at least partially cover and protect one or both of the lateral sides of thethumb 60. In this example, theprotective frame 72 further comprises athird section 84 overlying themetacarpal section 64 of the wearer'shand 11. - In certain non-limiting embodiments, adjacent ones of the sections may be pivotally connected and movable relative to one another in response to the wearer's
thumb 60 flexing. This may allow for increased mobility of thethumb 60 and therefore improved movement when handling a lacrosse stick or other sport implement. To this end, pivots may be used to interconnect adjacent pairs of sections from among the plurality ofsections sections first pivot 81 and asecond pivot 83, which allow relative movement during flexion of thethumb 60. Specifically, in this example, thefirst pivot 81 connects the first andsecond sections first section 80 is movable relative to thesecond section 82 between a first extended position (shown inFIG. 7 ), and a second bent position (shown inFIG. 8 ). Coupling of the first andsecond sections first pivot 81 occurs at a point on theprotective frame 72 which approximately overlies the thumb'sdistal articulation 67 when the thumb is engaged in the protective frame. Thesecond pivot 83 connects the second andthird sections second section 82 is movable relative to thethird section 84 between a first extended position and a second bent position. Coupling of the second andthird sections second pivot 83 occurs at a point on theprotective frame 72 which approximately overlies the thumb'smiddle articulation 65. In certain embodiments, adjacent coupled sections of theprotective frame 72 may partially overlap such that during inward bending of the thumb, when one coupled section is caused to move relative to another, thedorsal surface 62 of thethumb 60 may remain unexposed and/or protected from impact. In some embodiments, additional pivots may be provided, which may allow thethumb 60 to bend further inwardly to further facilitate handling of the lacrosse stick or other sport implement. - Each of the
pivots sections pivot 81 comprises first pins 92 andpivot 83 comprises second pins 94. One or more of thepins sections pins sections first section thumb 60 when the wearer'sthumb 60 is received in thecavity 70 of thethumb portion 22. In this example, thepins second section 82. In another embodiment, thefirst pins 92 may be integrally formed with thefirst section 80, and the second pins 94 may be integrally formed with thethird section 84. - The fact that the wearer's
thumb 60 is not exposed to thepins cavity 70 of thethumb portion 22 may have the potential to increase comfort. Similarly, the fact that the internal lining 32 T is not exposed topins cavity 70 may prevent wear of the internal lining 32 T due to friction caused by relative displacement of the internal lining 32 T and thepins - In some embodiments, the
first pins 92 and the second pins 94 may be molded with thesecond section 82. For example, the pins may be injection molded with one or more of thesections pins sections pins sections pins sections pins sections - In this embodiment, the
protective frame 72 further comprises afirst stopper 75 and asecond stopper 76 to restrict movement of thesections thumb 60. In this example, thefirst stopper 75 comprises afirst underhanging portion 85 on adistal end 98 of thesecond section 82 which underlies at least partially aninner surface 87 of aproximal end 90 of thefirst section 80. Similarly, thesecond stopper 76 comprises asecond underhanging portion 86 on aproximal end 99 of thesecond section 82 which underlies at least partially aninner surface 91 of adistal end 93 of thethird section 84. Thefirst underhanging portion 85 of thefirst stopper 75 comprises anouter surface 77. During extension of thethumb 60, theouter surface 77 makes contact with theinner surface 87 of theproximal end 90 of thefirst section 80, thereby limiting the range of motion of thefirst section 80. Similarly, thesecond underhanging portion 86 of thesecond stopper 76 comprises anouter surface 78. During extension of thethumb 60, theouter surface 78 makes contact with theinner surface 91 of thedistal end 93 of thethird section 84, thereby limiting the range of motion of thesecond section 82. Theunderhanging portions third sections thumb 60, thus limiting the range of motion of the first andsecond sections thumb 60. It should be appreciated that limiting the range of motion of the first andsecond sections thumb 60. - Over the
dorsal surface 62 of thethumb 60, thefirst section 80 may follow a profile that goes from a level above thedorsal surface 62 of thedistal phalanx 68 in thethickness direction 96 of thethumb portion 22 to at least a level of adorsal surface 62 of the wearer'sthumb 60 in thethickness direction 96 of thethumb portion 22 when the wearer'sthumb 60 is unflexed. In other instances, thefirst section 80 may extend across thetip 69 of thedistal phalanx 68 in thethickness direction 96 of thethumb portion 22 when the wearer'sthumb 60 is unflexed. - As shown in
FIG. 7 , thefirst section 80 may also be configured as an enclosure to at least partially surround thedistal phalanx 68 of thethumb 60. In this example, thefirst section 80 curves around thetip 69 of thedistal phalanx 68 in thethickness direction 96 of thethumb portion 22, thereby at least partially covering and providing protection to thepalmar surface 61 of thedistal phalanx 68. In doing so, theprotective frame 72 creates anenclosure 97 configured to contain at least partially thedistal phalanx 68. Theenclosure 97 has an opening into which the wearer'sthumb 60 is inserted after passing through theopening 24 in the internal lining 32 T. - As shown in
FIG. 6C , thefirst section 80 may comprise anupper part 88 configured to be disposed above thedistal phalanx 68 andlower part 89 configured to be disposed below thetip 69 of thedistal phalanx 68. Thelower part 89 may extend to face thepalmar surface 61 of thedistal phalanx 68. In some embodiments, thelower part 89 may have a dimension D1 in a longitudinal direction of thethumb portion 22 which occupies, in some cases at least 5%, in other cases at least 10%, or in still other cases at least 15%, of a dimension D2 of theprotective frame 72 in the longitudinal direction of thethumb portion 22. In other embodiments, thelower part 89 may have the dimension D1 in the longitudinal direction of thethumb portion 22 which occupies, in some cases at least 20%, in other cases at least 30%, and in some other cases at least 40%, of the dimension D3 of thefirst section 80 of theprotective frame 72 in the longitudinal direction of thethumb portion 22. In some embodiments, thelower part 89 may have the dimension D1 in the longitudinal direction of thethumb portion 22 being in some cases at least 5 mm, in other cases at least 10 mm, and in still other cases at least 15 mm. Other values and ranges for the dimension D1 in the longitudinal direction of thethumb portion 22 are possible. - The
protective frame 72 may extend over at least a majority of a dimension of thecavity 70 of thethumb portion 22 in thethickness direction 96 of thethumb portion 22, this majority being in some cases at least two-thirds, and in other cases at least three-quarters. This ratio (i.e. the quotient of the dimension of thecavity 70 occupied by theprotective frame 72 in thethickness direction 96 of thethumb portion 22 divided by the dimension of thecavity 70 in thethickness direction 96 of the thumb portion 22) may have any other suitable values in other embodiments. - The ratio of (i) a distance between the
protective frame 72 and the wearer'sthumb 60 when the wearer'sthumb 60 is received in thecavity 70 of thethumb portion 22 and is unflexed to (ii) the dimension of thecavity 70 occupied by theprotective frame 72 in thethickness direction 96 of thethumb portion 22 may be, in some cases, no more than 10%, in some cases, no more than 20%, and in still other cases, no more than 30%. This ratio may have any other suitable values in other embodiments. - The
lower part 89 of thefirst section 80 may face thepalmar surface 61 of thethumb 60 thereby allowing engagement of theprotective frame 72 by thethumb 60 and relative movement between the sections during flexion of the wearer'shand 11 and the pressing of the wearer'sthumb 60 against theprotective frame 72. As shown inFIG. 6B , configuring theprotective frame 72 to contain at least partially thedistal phalanx 68 additionally reduces a distance D4 in thethickness direction 96 between anaxis 150 of the thumb'sdistal articulation 67 and anaxis 160 of thefirst pivot 81. This may facilitate flexion of the wearer'sthumb 60, thus providing a lessrestrictive glove 10. The extension of thefirst section 80 onto thepalmar surface 61 of thedistal phalanx 68 may further allow for increased protection of thedistal phalanx 68. - The
glove 10, including thethumb portion 22 and itsprotective frame 72, may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments. - Optionally, the
glove 10 additionally comprises acuff 100 which extends rearwardly from the hand covering 12 to overly the wearer'swrist 13. In this example, thecuff 100 also overlies a distal region of aforearm 15 of the wearer adjacent to the wearer'swrist 13. - In this embodiment, the
cuff 100 comprisesprotective padding 102 to protect the wearer'swrist 13 andforearm 15. Theprotective padding 102 may comprise any suitable impact-absorbing material. For example, in this embodiment, theprotective padding 102 comprises foam. For instance, in some examples of implementation, the foam may be ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam, expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam (e.g., low-density polyethylene (LDPE) foam), vinyl nitrile (VN) foam, polyurethane foam, or any other suitable foam. In other embodiments, theprotective padding 102 may comprise material other than foam. - Also, in this example, the
cuff 100 comprises aninner liner 104 and anouter cover 106 between which theprotective padding 102 is disposed. Theinner liner 104 faces the wearer's wrist and forearm and may comprise any suitable material. For example, in this embodiment, theinner liner 104 comprises fabric. For instance, in some examples of implementation, the fabric of theinner liner 104 may comprise a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, or any other suitable fabric. Theinner liner 104 may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments. Theouter cover 106 faces away from the wearer'swrist 13 andforearm 15 and may comprise any suitable material. For example, in this embodiment, theouter cover 106 comprises flexible non-foam polymeric material. For instance, in some cases, the flexible non-foam polymeric material of theouter cover 106 may comprise polyurethane. Theouter cover 106 may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments. - In this embodiment, the
cuff 100 comprises a plurality of cuff members 108 1-108 5 movable relative to one another. This may sometimes be referred to as a “split cuff” design. This may provide flexibility and facilitate adjustment of thecuff 100, as further discussed later. Theprotective padding 102 comprisesprotective padding 110 1 of thecuff member 108 1,protective padding 110 2 of thecuff member 108 2,protective padding 110 3 of thecuff member 108 3,protective padding 110 4 of thecuff member 108 4 andprotective padding 110 5 of thecuff member 108 5. - In this embodiment, the
glove 10 also comprises a sub-cuff 120 disposed under thecuff 100, attachable to at least one of the wearer'swrist 13 andforearm 15, and movable relative to thecuff 100 when the wearer'swrist 13 is flexed. This may provide additional protection to the wearer'swrist 13 and/or forearm 15 (e.g., if the wearer'swrist 13 is flexed so much that thecuff 100 is moved sufficiently far to expose part of the wearer'swrist 13 and/orforearm 15 that thecuff 110 usually covers). - More particularly, in this embodiment, the
sub-cuff 120 comprises aband 122 configured to be wrapped about the wearer'swrist 13 and/orforearm 15. Theband 122 has a firstlongitudinal end 124 and a secondlongitudinal end 126 that are movable relative to one another to wrap and unwrap theband 122 about the wearer'swrist 13 and/orforearm 15. Thesub-cuff 120 comprises afastener 128 operable to secure the sub-cuff 120 to the wearer'swrist 13 and/orforearm 15. In this example, thefastener 128 comprisesfastening elements band 122. For instance, in this example of implementation, thefastener 128 comprises a hook-and-loop fastener, wherein a hook connector is disposed adjacent thelongitudinal end 124 and a loop connector is disposed adjacent thelongitudinal end 126. Thefastener 128 may be affixed to theband 122 in any suitable way, such as for example stitching, an adhesive, or ultrasonic welding amongst others. - In this embodiment, the
band 122 of the sub-cuff 120 comprises protective padding disposed between an inner liner and an outer cover. For example, in some embodiments, these components may include materials such as those respectively described above in respect of theprotective padding 102, theinner liner 104 and theouter cover 106 of thecuff 100. - The sub-cuff 120 may be attached to a remainder of the
glove 10 in any suitable way. In this embodiment, thesub-cuff 120 is attached to the hand covering 12 byelastic members - While in this embodiment the
glove 10 is a lacrosse glove, in other embodiments, a sports glove constructed using principles described herein in respect of theglove 10 may be another type of sports glove for a player playing another type of contact sport (sometimes referred to as “full-contact sport” or “collision sport”) in which there are significant impact forces on the player due to player-to-player and/or player-to-object contact. For example, in other embodiments, a sports glove constructed using principles described herein in respect of theglove 10 may be a hockey glove for a hockey player playing hockey. - Any feature of any embodiment discussed herein may be combined with any feature of any other embodiment discussed herein in some examples of implementation.
- Certain additional elements that may be needed for operation of certain embodiments have not been described or illustrated as they are assumed to be within the purview of those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, certain embodiments may be free of, may lack and/or may function without any element that is not specifically disclosed herein.
- Although various embodiments and examples have been presented, this was for the purpose of describing, but not limiting, the invention. Various modifications and enhancements will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and are within the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.
Claims (67)
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US20180317578A1 (en) * | 2017-05-04 | 2018-11-08 | Michael Amano Furukawa | Protective Sport Glove |
CN108936899A (en) * | 2018-09-30 | 2018-12-07 | 湖南华曙高科技有限责任公司 | A kind of gloves, gloves, which refer to, to be buckled and preparation method thereof |
USD838415S1 (en) * | 2017-07-14 | 2019-01-15 | G-Form, LLC | Protective glove |
US11825894B1 (en) * | 2018-10-21 | 2023-11-28 | William H. Atkins | Reinforced hand protector |
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US7802315B2 (en) * | 2007-12-27 | 2010-09-28 | Bauer Hockey, Inc. | Hockey glove |
US8955166B1 (en) * | 2013-02-12 | 2015-02-17 | James R. Madden, Jr. | Astronaut glove with finger extensions |
-
2015
- 2015-12-22 US US14/978,846 patent/US20170173441A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2016
- 2016-01-19 CA CA2918301A patent/CA2918301A1/en not_active Abandoned
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US7784110B2 (en) * | 2007-03-15 | 2010-08-31 | Sport Maska Inc. | Protective glove with anatomical thumb |
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US7802315B2 (en) * | 2007-12-27 | 2010-09-28 | Bauer Hockey, Inc. | Hockey glove |
US20100071114A1 (en) * | 2008-09-19 | 2010-03-25 | Ironclad Performance Wear Corp. | Glove for use in the oil and natural gas extraction industries |
US8955166B1 (en) * | 2013-02-12 | 2015-02-17 | James R. Madden, Jr. | Astronaut glove with finger extensions |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20180317578A1 (en) * | 2017-05-04 | 2018-11-08 | Michael Amano Furukawa | Protective Sport Glove |
USD838415S1 (en) * | 2017-07-14 | 2019-01-15 | G-Form, LLC | Protective glove |
CN108936899A (en) * | 2018-09-30 | 2018-12-07 | 湖南华曙高科技有限责任公司 | A kind of gloves, gloves, which refer to, to be buckled and preparation method thereof |
US11825894B1 (en) * | 2018-10-21 | 2023-11-28 | William H. Atkins | Reinforced hand protector |
US20240156191A1 (en) * | 2018-10-21 | 2024-05-16 | William H. Atkins | Reinforced hand protector |
Also Published As
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CA2918301A1 (en) | 2017-06-22 |
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