WO1997020478A1

WO1997020478A1 - Goalkeeper's glove with enlarged catching area and grip-enhancing shape

Info

Publication number: WO1997020478A1
Application number: PCT/SE1996/001588
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Olsson
Original assignee: Peter Olsson
Priority date: 1995-12-06
Filing date: 1996-12-03
Publication date: 1997-06-12
Also published as: SE9600383D0; SE504706C2; SE9600383L

Abstract

Goalkeeper's glove, more particularly for football purposes, having a glove palm member (4), a glove back member and intermediate connecting members, the palm member (4) being made of a material having good gripping characteristics. The palm side (4) of the glove is continued into an extension member (2) running up the forearm, with a length of preferably about one hand's length, and a width preferably covering the inside of the arm, being covered by a grip-enhancing material (3) and being intended for, increasing the surface with/against which the ball may be caught and held. The extension member (2) has a cushioning padding (15), which may have a bowl-shaped catching surface and is strapped around the wrist and forearm with adjustable fasteners (6, 7, 8, 9). The palm side (4) of the glove member (1) may at the edges of the hand and fingers be provided with upstanding edges (30, 31, 32, 33) in order to enhance the gripping ability.

Description

Goalkeeper's glove with enlarged catching area and grip- enhancing shape

Technical area

The present invention relates to a goalkeeper's glove, more particularly for football purposes, having a glove palm member, a glove back member and separate or inte¬ grated connecting members connecting the palm member with the back member, the palm member and alternatively also the connecting members being made of a material having an external surface with good gripping characteristics, such as latex or PVC resin, and the back member being made of a material which enhances boxing of the ball and at the same time protects the back of the hand.

State of the art

The commonly used goalkeeper's glove of today was created about 20-25 years ago, and is well described in litera¬ ture. The use of latex rubber or a similar material for the inside of the glove (the palm member) is nowadays the normal method of increasing the goalkeeper's gripping ability. See DE-3811361, page 2, section 3, and DE-A- 2654578, page 1, section 1. A similar development has been made in order to improve the back side of the glove, to allow more precise boxing of the ball and to protect the hand better. See DE-A-2654578, page 3, section 2. Furthermore, there are a number of patents relating to the shaping and cutting out of gloves to achieve improved fit and pliability. On the other hand, very little has been done to increase the catching surface and the shape thereof, which comes into contact with the ball, on gloves of this kind. In the meantime, the goalkeeper's situation has been made more difficult through faster balls, special shoes allow¬ ing harder and more spun shots, etc. So called 'goalkeeper returns', where the goalkeeper has protected his goal from the first shot, but has not been able to keep the ball in his possession, are becoming more and more common as reasons for a goal being made in the second phase, where a forward reaches this return ball and manages to shoot it into the goal.

Consequently, there is a need for improving, along the same vein, the foremost accessory of the goalkeeper, his gloves, in order to facilitate his work of catching and holding on also to balls being shot hard and with a spin, balls that may be reached by the goalkeeper with one hand only, or may be hitting his arms instead of his hands.

Object of the invention

It is thus the object of this invention to provide a new type of goalkeeper's glove, which increases considerably the capability of catching and holding on to the ball, even if the goalkeeper only reaches the ball with one hand, or if it hits his forearms.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a glove according to the characteristics of the accompany- ing patent claims, of which the dependent claims describe preferred and further developed embodiments . Detailed description of the invention

Some embodiment examples of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a conventional goalkeeper's glove, for comparison,

Fig. 2 shows plan views of the palm and back sides of a goalkeeper's glove, according to a first embodi¬ ment of the present invention,

Fig. 3 shows a cross section through the extension mem¬ ber on the forearm inside, along the line A-A of Fig. 2, for a first preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 4 shows the same cross section as in Fig. 3, but for a second preferred embodiment of the inven¬ tion,

Fig. 5 shows the same cross section as in Fig. 3, as well as a longitudinal section along the line B-

B of Fig. 2, for a third preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 6 shows the same cross section as Figs. 3-5, for a goalkeeper's glove having the same geometric shape of the extension member as the embodiment of Fig. 5, but having another construction of said extension member, according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention,

Fig. 7 shows a plan view of the palm side of the glove and a cross section through the glove member 1, taken along the line C-C, for a fifth preferred embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 8 shows a partial plan view of the palm side of the glove and a cross section through the fin¬ gers of the glove member 1 along the line D-D, and a partial longitudinal section through a finger, along the line E-E, for a sixth pre¬ ferred embodiment of the present invention.

As can be seen from the drawings, the goalkeeper' s glove according to the invention generally comprises a glove member 1 on the hand, the construction of which is gener¬ ally the same as for the conventional goalkeeper's glove of the fingered type according to Fig. 1. Differences occur only at the edges of the palm/fingers in the fifth and sixth preferred embodiments of the invention. As the design of the glove member 1, regarding cut-out and sew¬ ing, generally does not differ from any other fingered glove, the design of this glove member will only be described herein to an extent necessary for understanding the difference in construction between the glove accord¬ ing to the invention and a conventional glove.

From further studies of Figs. 2 and 3 it will be evident, that contrary to the conventional glove according to Fig . 1, this glove has, for the first object of the invention, i.e. to increase the catching surface, an extension mem¬ ber 2, reaching up against the elbow on the inside of the forearm, and preferably being about as long as that part of the glove covering the hand. The exterior surface 3 of this glove member, or the contact surface against the ball to be caught, is preferably integrated with and made of the same grip-enhancing material, with a latex or PVC surface, as the palm side 4 of the glove member 1, and its width is preferably adapted to cover the full width of the inside of the forearm, even if other widths are conceivable. The inside surface of the extension member, against the forearm, is preferably covered with a surface layer 5 of some suitable textile material, or with the same latex material as its exterior surface . The exten¬ sion member is suitably provided with a padding or uphol¬ stery 15, in the first preferred embodiment according to Fig. 3 being of constant thickness, the purpose of which is to make the extension member shape-resistant and at the same time cushioning. The material of this padding 15 may be any one fulfilling the requirement of shape-resis¬ tance, elasticity, cushioning, etc., for example a suit¬ able type of foam plastic, such as polyurethane or simi- lar.

This extension member 2 is intended for increasing the catching surface 3, 4, that can be used for catching the ball, by covering also the forearms of the goalkeeper with a grip-enhancing material that will, to a higher degree than before, prevent the ball from sliding past the forearms.

The extension member 2 is fastened, as can be seen from Figs. 2 and 3, around the forearm by at least two sets of so called Velcro fasteners, one, 6, 7, at the wrist, and one, 8, 9, at the elbow side end of the extension member 2. The adhesive sections of the Velcro strips are desig¬ nated 10, 11.

Fig. 4 shows a further developed, second embodiment form of the invention, where the extension member 2 still has the same latex material in the contact surface 3 , but where the padding 15 has been designed in such a fashion that its surface 16, carrying the surface layer 5 against the forearm, has been designed with a concave cross section which approximately follows the shape of the forearm, while the surface 17 of the padding 15 carrying the contact surface layer 3, has been designed with a concave cross section which approximately follows the shape of the ball, causing the ball, when caught, to tend to be held in a groove in the extension member instead of slipping off the forearm along its convexly rounded pro¬ file.

Fig. 5 shows two sections through a still further devel¬ oped, third preferred embodiment of the invention, where the extension member 2, besides being shaped with a double-concave cross section (A-A) according to Fig. 4, also has a padding 15 which increases in thickness from the wrist towards the elbow, so as to give a concave shape also to the outside of its longitudinal section (B- B in Fig. 2) in the embodiment according to Fig. 5. This will make the surface 17 of the padding 15, and conse- quently the contact surface 3 of the extension member 2, look like a shallow bowl, sloping towards the wrist, increasing the possibilities of catching and holding on to a ball with one hand, by bending the fingers and the palm inwards, in the direction of the bowl-shaped exten- sion member 2 which is sloping towards the wrist. At the same time, the possibilities of catching a ball that does not hit precisely onto the palm, by means of one hand and a forearm, or even with two forearms, is increased.

Fig. 6 shows a fourth preferred embodiment of a construc¬ tively further developed extension member 2 of the goal¬ keeper's glove according to the invention. The external shape of the extension member 2 is the same as in the embodiment according to Fig. 5. The padding material 15 has in this case been replaced by a relatively resilient, but shape-resistant external cover 20, having internal reinforcements 21 to maintain the concave shape, prefera¬ bly manufactured from a injection moulded rubber or plas¬ tic material, which is subsequently filled with pressur- ised air, in such a way that the stiffness, and thereby the catching properties, of the air-filled extension mem¬ ber 2 may be varied by varying the air pressure. The air pressure is obtained and regulated by means of a minia¬ ture air pump 22 of the type known from certain types of athletics shoes, where it is used for pumping up air cushions in soles, heels, etc., said pump being located at a suitable place on the extension member 2, and being only sketchily shown in Fig . 6.

The extension member 2 is fastened, as was mentioned ear¬ lier in connection with Figs. 2 and 3, around the forearm with at least two sets of fasteners that can be tightened around the arm. These preferably consist of so called Velcro fasteners, one, 6, 7, at the wrist, and another, 8 , 9 , at the elbow side end of the extension member 2. Such fasteners are easy to adjust and to fasten without complicated finger manipulations .

The other object of the invention is to improve the grip on the ball of the glove member 1 itself. Fig. 7 shows a plan view of the glove and a cross section through the glove member 1 for a fifth preferred embodiment of the glove according to the invention. The upstanding edges 30 and 31 of the extension member 2 do not end at the wrist in this embodiment, but are allowed to continue onto the glove member 1 and taper off into nothing only at the tip of the thumb and little finger, respectively. This embodiment gives the hand a more pronounced bowl shape, in order further to aid in catching the ball. Fig. 8, finally, shows a plan view of the glove and a cross section through the fingers of the glove member 1, along with a longitudinal section through a glove finger, for a sixth preferred embodiment of the glove according to the invention. In order to increase the gripping sur¬ face of each individual finger against the ball to be caught, each glove finger is, as can be seen from section D-D, provided with upstanding edges 32, 33, in a corre¬ sponding manner as the hand edges 30, 31 of the fifth embodiment, which generally compensate for the rounded cross section of the human finger, so as to give the palm side of each finger an approximately flat or somewhat concave cross section shape, which further increases the effective gripping surface against the ball to be caught. From section E-E it may be seen that also the tips of the fingers are provided with upstanding edges that fill out the rounded shape of the fingertip and extend the gener¬ ally flat area of the finger against the ball to be caught .

The edges 32, 33 which are built-up between the fingers are, for practical reasons, (mobility of the individual fingers) preferably made somewhat smaller than the edges 30, 31 running along the palm edge and onto the little finger, as well as those along the outer edge of the thumb and possibly also the index finger. This embodiment gives the hand a still more pronounced bowl shape, to facilitate the catching of the ball still further.

The built-up edges 30, 31, 32, 33 of Figs. 7 and 8 are hereby preferably shaped with notches 34 at the wrist and the finger joints, or alternatively, made from a quite flexible material, so as to facilitate bending of the fingers. These upstanding edges 30, 31, 32, 33 may, like the extension member 2, be constructed either from a padding material 15 or from relative shape-resistant but jointed, sealed, air-filled external covers that may, but do not have to, be connected to the air-filled interior of the extension member 2, and may be manufactured according to the same design principles as said extension member. If the build-up is made with a padding material, it may also here be achieved by injection moulding as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 7, but an alternative is also conceivable, using sewn-on "strips" of padding material, which in this case would preferably be sewn into the seams between the palm side 4 of the glove member 1 and its fingers, and their side members, i.e. along the out¬ side edge "corners" of the fingers on the palm side 4, as shown in Fig. 8, sections D-D and E-E, or in some other suitable way.

Another way of simplifying the build-up and the manufac¬ ture of the glove according to the invention is to mould, glue or sew paddings 15, 30, 31, 32, 33 onto a glove shell, made of e.g. a textile material, in the same way as was described above, the paddings in this case not being laminated with any grip-enhancing surface layer material. The finished, padded glove is then dipped into a suitable melted latex or PVC material and will in this way receive its external grip-enhancing surface layer.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but may be varied within the scope of the accompa¬ nying patent claims. For example, this type of glove could be adapted for goalkeepers in other sports than football, e.g. handball and bandy. The length, the width, the form and sloping angle of the bowl shape of the extension member 2, towards, and also onto, the palm may be varied according to individual preferences, and so may the radius of the bowl shape, depending on the size of the ball used in the relevant boll sports. The construc¬ tion of the edges 30, 31, 32, 33 running along the borders of the glove member 1 and its fingers can be made pliable in other ways than by notches . Padded edges may be fastened to the glove member 1 by other methods than sewing them into edge seams as described above. They may e.g. be sewn on with separate seams or even be glued or moulded on. The extension member 2 and the edges 30, 31, 32, 33 may of course also be constructed from combina- tions of padding an air-filled cavities. It is also con¬ ceivable, as was touched upon earlier, in the case of air-filled edges 30, 31, 32, 33 and extension member 2, to divide the air system into two or more sub-systems, each having one miniature air pump, for individual varia- tion of the air pressure.

Other materials than PVC and latex, having a correspond¬ ing grip-enhancing ability, may be used for the palm side 4 and the catching surface 3 of the extension member. The glove member 1 may be varied freely regarding the rest of its construction, sewing technique, adhesive technique, choice of materials, etc. The Velcro fasteners may of course be replaced by straps having other adjustment devices, such as belt buckles, etc.

Claims

Patent claims :

1. Goalkeeper's glove, comprising a glove inner member or palm side (4) in the palm of the hand, being connected to a glove back side, the palm side (4) being made of a material having good gripping characteristics and the back side being made of a material enhancing boxing of the ball and at the same time protecting the back of the hand, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the palm side (4) of the glove continues into an extension member (2) running up the forearm, towards the elbow, said extension member (2) preferably having about the same length as that part of the glove covering the hand, and a width to preferably cover the inside of the forearm, said exten¬ sion being covered by a grip-enhancing material (3) and being intended for, in comparison to just the palm side (4), increasing the surface (4+3) with/against which the ball may be caught and held, whereby the extension member (2) has a cushioning padding (15) and is strapped around the wrist and forearm with adjustable fasteners (6, 7, 8, 9) .

2. Goalkeeper's glove according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the extension member (2) of the palm side (4), running up the forearm, has a padding (15) designed so that one side of it (5, 16) has a concave conical cross section narrowing towards the wrist, that fits against the convexly conical shape of the inside of the forearm, while its other side (17), being covered by a grip-enhancing material, also has a concave cross section so as to form a groove-shaped catching surface (3) , having a groove bottom radius which approximately corresponds to the radius of the ball.

3. Goalkeeper's glove according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the thickness of the padding (15) of said extension member (2) increases gradually in the direction of the elbow, the extension member (2) thus also being concavely wedge-shaped in the longitudinal direction of the forearm, with the tip of the wedge at the wrist, causing that side of it (17) which is covered by the grip-enhancing material to form a somewhat raised, i.e. somewhat inclined towards the wrist, wedge- and bowl-shaped, catching and holding sur¬ face (3), against which the ball can be caught and held, even with the same hand carrying the goalkeeper's glove, by bending the hand inwards, in the direction of the forearm.

4. Goalkeeper's glove according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the raised outer edges (30, 31) of the extension member (2), are extended onto the glove member (1) and, tapering off, run towards the tip of the thumb and little finger, respectively, of said glove member (1), in order to increase the bowl shape of the hand, said extended outer edges (30, 31) being provided with means for facilitating bending of the wrist and fingers.

5. Goalkeeper's glove according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that each finger has, on the palm side (4) of the glove member (1), built-up edges (32, 33) designed to give the internal side of the glove a concave cross section fitting against the rounded shape of the palm side of the finger, while its other side, being covered with a grip-enhancing material, i. e. its outside, has a generally flat or, seen from the exterior, somewhat groove- shaped (concave) cross section in order to further increase the gripping surface (4) of the glove member (1) against the ball, said built-up edges (32, 33) being provided with means for facilitating bending of the fingers .

6. Goalkeeper's glove according to any one of claims 1 to 5, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the shape of said extension member (2) and its extended outer edges (30, 31), onto the glove palm side (4), if any, and the built-up edges (32, 33) on the fingers, if any, are obtained through arrangement of a form-adapted padding (15) of a suitable, cushioning filling material.

7. Goalkeeper's glove according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the glove member (1) and the extension member (2) with their adherent paddings is provided with a grip-enhancing top layer by coating the finished, joined glove with a suitable latex or PVC material .

8. Goalkeeper's glove according to one of the claims 4 or 5, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that said outer edges (30, 31, 32, 33) consist of a sandwich material, with a grip-enhancing material laminated to a padding material of suitable thickness, which is folded/bent to a loop-shaped cross section and sewn into suitably located edge seams, joining the outer edges of the gripping sur¬ faces (4) of the glove member (1) and its fingers with the back side of the of the glove, or with connecting members joined therewith.

9. Goalkeeper's glove according to any one of claims 1 to 5, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the shape and the cushioning properties of said extension member (2) and its extended outer edges (30, 31) , onto the glove member (1), if any, and the built-up edges (32, 33) on the fingers, if any, are obtained through said members (2 and 30, 31, 32, 33, if fitted) are made of an airtight external cover (20), having such a shape and such inter¬ nal reinforcements (21) , that the required shape is cre- ated when the interior of said members (2, 30, 31, 32, 33) is filled with air of adjustable pressure, by means of at least one air pump (22) .

10. Goalkeeper's glove according to claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that said air pump (22) is integrated in the glove member (1) and/or in its extension member (2) .

11. Goalkeeper's glove according to any one of claims 1 to 5, c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n that the adjustable fastening devices (6, 7, 8, 9) consist of so called Velcro fasteners.