Reduced seam protective sports glove

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a protective sports glove having a novel combination of liner sections, breathable mesh sections, stretch joints, and shock absorbing cushions to provide maximum protection to the user's fingers, hands, wrists, and lower forearms while maintaining as much flexibility within the glove and tactile feel on both palmar and dorsal sides of the glove as possible. A novel 2-panel palmar section construction eliminates the presence of seams, stitching or excess material in a critical area on the palmar side of a wearer's hand to further improve tactile feel and grip.

Claims

1. A method of making a palmar section for a protective sports glove comprising the steps of: cutting a digit panel from a material blank in a cut pattern having a plurality of parallel-protruding finger sections protruding from a main section and a thumb section protruding from said main section and the thumb section protruding away from said finger sections at an obtuse angle, and a notch across said main section entering between two notch points along a periphery of said digit panel and traversing below said plurality of said finger sections to a third notch point; cutting a palm panel from a material blank in a cut pattern having three contiguous corner points; contorting said digit panel to rotate said thumb section toward said plurality of finger sections to reduce said obtuse angle to an acute angle and open said notch; overlying said palm panel and said digit panel with the three corner points of said palm panel each aligned with a corresponding one of the three notch points, respectively; and sewing a seam through the three contiguous corner points of said palm panel and the three notch points of said digit panel and connecting said palm panel to said digit panel along said seam thereby leaving said palmar section seamless in an area configured to cover a crease between said a user's index finger and thumb.

2. The method of making the palmar section for the protective sports glove according to claim 1, wherein said step of cutting the digit panel from the material blank comprises cutting said digit panel with the plurality of finger sections wherein one finger section of the plurality of finger sections is configured to cover both an index finger and a middle finger of the user's hand.

3. The method of making the palmar section for the protective sports glove according to claim 1, wherein said step of cutting the digit panel from the material blank comprises cutting said digit panel wherein said main section is an unbroken crescent-shape joining all of said plurality of finger sections and said thumb section.

4. The method of making the palmar section for the protective sports glove according to claim 1, wherein said step of sewing said palm panel to said digit panel along said seam leaves said palmar section seamless in an area configured to be adjacent the proximal phalanges of the user's hand.

5. The method of making the palmar section for the protective sports glove according to claim 1, wherein said seam is a crescent-shaped seam joining the palm panel to said digit panel.

6. A method of making a palmar section for a protective sports glove comprising the steps of: cutting a digit panel from a material blank in a cut pattern having a plurality of parallel-protruding finger sections protruding from a main section and a thumb section protruding from said main section and the thumb section protruding away from said finger sections at an obtuse angle, and a notch extending across said main section, entering between two notch points along a periphery of said digit panel and traversing beneath said plurality of said finger sections to a third notch point; cutting a palm panel from a material blank in a four-sided cut pattern having four contiguous corner points; sewing a seam connecting said palm panel to said digit panel by the substeps of, contorting said digit panel to rotate said thumb section toward said plurality of finger sections, open said notch, and reduce said obtuse angle to an acute angle, overlying said palm panel and said digit panel with three of said four contiguous corner points of said palm panel each aligned with one of said three notch points of said digit panel, respectively, and sewing the seam connecting each of the three contiguous corner points of said palm panel to one of said three notch points of said digit panel, respectively, thereby leaving said palmar section seamless in an unbroken area configured to cover a crease between a user's index finger and thumb.

7. The method of making the palmar section for the protective sports glove according to claim 6, wherein said step of cutting the digit panel from the material blank comprises cutting said digit panel with an oversized finger section configured to cover two fingers of the user's hand.

8. The method of making the palmar section for the protective sports glove according to claim 6, wherein said step of cutting the digit panel from the material blank comprises cutting said digit panel wherein said main section is an unbroken crescent-shape joining all of said plurality of finger sections and said thumb section.

9. The method of making the palmar section for the protective sports glove according to claim 6, wherein said step of sewing said palm panel to said digit panel along said seam leaves said palmar section seamless in an unbroken area configured to be adjacent the proximal phalanges of the user's hand.

10. The method of making the palmar section for the protective sports glove according to claim 6, wherein said seam is a crescent-shaped seam joining the palm panel to said digit panel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and certain modifications thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1A is a perspective illustration of the palmar side of a prior art protective sports glove.

(3) FIG. 1B is an exploded view of the fabric patterns making up the palmar side of the prior art protective sports glove of FIG. 1A.

(4) FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the fabric patterns making up the palmar side of the protective sports glove according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of the palmar side of the protective sports glove according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the fabric patterns making up the palmar side of the protective sports glove according to another embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 5 is a perspective illustration of the palmar side of the protective sports glove according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

(8) FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the fabric patterns making up the palmar side of the protective sports glove according to another embodiment of the present invention.

(9) FIG. 7 is a perspective illustration of the palmar side of the protective sports glove according to the embodiment of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(10) Reference will now be made in detail to preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

(11) Described herein is a protective sports glove that provides an unbroken, single-layer, seamless, stitchless crescent-shaped palmar area that runs beneath all the proximal phalanges of the hand, circling below the index finger proximate the thumb joint and arching inward to the center of the base of the palm. For purposes of the instant description, the term palmar crescent is herein defined as that crescent-shaped portion of the user's hand running from beneath the little finger across all the proximal phalanges of the fingers (pinky, ring, middle and index) of the hand, circling below the index finger and around by the thumb joint, and arching inward to the center of the base of the palm. The absence of seams, stitching and/or undue thickness in this crescent area optimizes the wearer's feel for the stick, and improves stick handling.

(12) With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a first embodiment of the seamless palmar construction for the palmar section 2 of a protective sports glove according to the present embodiment is shown. The palmar section 2 of the glove is constructed essentially from two panels of particular shape: 1) a digit panel 101; and 2) a palm panel 102.

(13) Digit panel 101 includes an upper portion 101B designed to simultaneously cover the palmar side of four of the wearer's digits, including pinky, ring, middle and index fingers. Digit panel 101 also includes a lower portion 101A designed to cover the base of the hand including, as will be described, a portion of the palmar side of the thumb. The entire digit panel 101 inclusive of the upper portion 101B bridged to lower portion 101A consists of a unitary unbroken seamless layer of leather or synthetic leather or mesh, preferably cut from a singular fabric blank. The upper portion 101B of digit panel 101 is separated from the lower portion 101A by a bulbous notch 105 with ingress beginning at the base of the little finger and projecting laterally across the digit panel 101 to approximately midway, leaving an unbroken bridge of material under the purlicue (the space between the thumb and index finger on the wearer's hand) and joining the upper and lower portions 101B, 101A.

(14) Palm panel 102 likewise consists of a unitary unbroken seamless layer of leather or synthetic leather or mesh, preferably cut from a singular fabric blank in an irregular but generally four-sided shape. Palm panel 102 is designed to cover the base of the hand inclusive of the hypothenar muscles and common flexor sheath (ulnar bursa).

(15) FIG. 3 shows the palmar section 2 of the glove assembled from the two panels 101 and 102 illustrated in FIG. 2. The two panels comprises a digit panel 101 and palm panel 102 and both may be cut from material blank(s) in the cut patterns shown in FIG. 2. The upper portion 101B of the digit panel 101 has a plurality of parallel-protruding finger sections 107, 108, 109, 110 protruding from a main section 112, and the lower portion 101A comprises a thumb section 111 protruding from the main section 112 away from the finger sections 107, 108, 109, 110 at an obtuse angle. The cut pattern includes a notch 105 cut across the main section 112 of the digit panel 101 entering between two notch points B, C along a periphery of the digit panel 101 and traversing below the finger sections 107, 108, 109, 110 to a third notch point A. The palm panel 102 is cut in a three-or-four-sided cut pattern having three contiguous corner points A, B and C as shown.

(16) As indicated by the location of reference points A, B and C on the assembled palmar section shown in FIG. 3, during assembly of digit panel 101 and palm panel 102, the digit panel 101 is contorted by rotating the lower portion 101A including thumb section 111 clockwise about the notch terminus A toward the finger sections 101B to reduce the obtuse angle of the lower portion 101A and thumb section 111 to an acute angle, until reference point C is rotated from its unassembled position as shown in FIG. 2, clockwise down towards the user's wrist to cover an area roughly corresponding to the hypothenar group of muscles at the base of the user's thumb, and to open notch 105, thereby creating a fold in digit panel 101 in the area indicated by reference character 103, which corresponds to the purlicue (the space between the thumb and index finger) on the wearer's hand. The notched thumb section 111 of lower portion 101A rotates clockwise upwards towards the index finger-covering portion 110 of upper portion 101B as shown in FIG. 3, such that its outer edge can meet an outer edge of a dorsal portion of the glove upon final assembly (not shown). Rotation of lower portion 101A including thumb section 111 opens notch 105 to allow the three points of palm panel 102 (indicated by reference points A, B and C) to meet the corresponding A, B and C points on digit panel 101 for assembly.

(17) To assemble the palmar section 2, digit panel 101 may (optionally) be sewn to an underlying liner or scrim along the seamlines shown in dotted lines in FIGS. 2 and 3. Palm panel 102 is then attached to the digit panel 101 along its seamlines (likewise shown dotted), with reference points A, B and C aligned and connecting as shown in FIG. 3. The joinder of palm panel 102 to digit panel 101 keeps digit panel 101 in the open position, i.e., with notch 105 opened and thumb tower T rotated upwards towards an outer edge of the index finger-covering portion of upper portion 101B, which then holds the thumb tower T up and creates a fold between the thumb and forefinger at area 103. The unique and specifically designed teardrop shape of notch 105 in digit panel 101 allows for the above-described fold and rotation movement of digit panel 101 for assembly of palmar section 2 by joinder of digit panel 101 and palm panel 102, and for the desired area of palm coverage (along the palmar crescent as herein defined) without interference by stitching or overlapping pads or sheets of material. The unique shape of notch 105 also allows for the use of palm panel 102 to hold thumb tower T of digit panel 101 in the desired position to join with an exterior edge of a dorsal portion of the fully assembled glove.

(18) Thus, as described, the notch 105 of digit panel 101 overlies the palm panel 102 leaving the entire palmar crescent of the user's hand covered by a seamless unbroken single layer from beneath the little finger and all the proximal phalanges of the hand, circling below the index finger and around by the thumb joint, and arching inward to the center of the base of the palm. This optimizes the wearer's feel for the stick, and improves stick handling.

(19) The only overlap of panels 101 and 102 occurs under and/or over (depending on order of layering during assembly, as may be varied) palm panel 102 outside of notch 105 along the base of the hand inclusive of the hypothenar muscles and common flexor sheath (ulnar bursa), where more padding and protection is advantageous. This particular pattern including shape and complementary attachment of digit panel 101 and palm panel 102 provides maximum tactile feel and the minimum amount of interference between the hand of a player and the stick, so that he or she can obtain the greatest tactile feel and muscle control over the stick, while still providing protection for the wearer's hands.

(20) FIG. 3 further shows that the central portion of the palmar section 102 is covered by palm panel 102 and only a single continuous seam 104 runs along this surface. Unlike seams present on the palmar side of prior art sports gloves, however, seam 104 does not appear in a critical area of the wearer's hand (e.g., the palmar crescent) such that his or her ability to properly grip and control the stick could be compromised by excess material and/or thick or rough seams. Instead, the wearer of the present inventive glove comprising palmar section 2 is able to, with greater precision, feel the position of the stick with his or her thumb and index finger and flex the muscles at the base of his or her thumb and index finger to maneuver the stick within his or her purlicue. As can be seen by comparing FIG. 3 to FIG. 1B, the novel two-panel construction of the palmar section 2 as compared with that in the prior art also prevents redundant patterns and saves material in the construction of the actual glove.

(21) An additional embodiment of the inventive palmar construction herein described is illustrated with respect to FIGS. 4-5. FIGS. 4 and 5 show, respectively, the exploded view and the complete construction of a two-panel palmar section 21 of the glove further comprising a finger roll gusset 106 on digit panel 101 that provides an additional layer of padding and reinforcement at the inner edge of the wearer's hand along the second and third metacarpals of the index finger where the stick (lacrosse, hockey, etc.) is typically held. Finger roll gusset 106 protects against abrasion in this critical area of the palmar side of glove. Allowing at least a portion of the outer edge of the index finger-covering portion of digit panel 101 to wrap around the outer edge of the glove between the palmar side and the dorsal side also provides a smooth, seamless contact surface against the stick that the wearer can use to obtain better control of and grip on the stick.

(22) Additional embodiments of a palmar section 22 are possible, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, which show digit panel 101 having the shape designed to individually cover the wearer's thumb and ring and pinky fingers, and to cover with one continuous stretch of material the wearer's index and middle fingers. The upper section 101A of digit panel 101 may resemble a four-finger cutout, three-finger cutout, or two-finger cutout.

(23) One skilled in the art will appreciate that the palmar section 2 of the glove may be attached along its edges to a dorsal section with dorsal padding to protect the wearer's hand when worn. One such dorsal portion is shown and described in applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/080,097, filed 14 Nov. 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

(24) It should now be apparent that the above-described protective sports glove having a palmar section comprising any of the embodiments 2, 21 or 22 allows a user to flex the hand in all directions freely, to grip a lacrosse, hockey or other type of sports stick, and to maintain accurate tactile feel in the palmar side of the glove and at every necessary wrist inclination, all while maintaining a suitable level of protection. The palmar section 2, 21, 22 allows freer flexion and extension, as well as radial and ulnar deviation, and dorsiflexion.

(25) The foregoing disclosure of embodiments of the embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention or its embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure. The scope of the embodiments described here is to be defined only by the claims, and by their equivalents.