Voluntary temporary hand restraint glove to reduce a wearers ability to effectively hold or use a weapon

Abstract

A hand restraint of flexible, high tensile strength material forming three separate cavities for slidably receiving and isolating the thumb, index finger, and remaining third, fourth, and fifth fingers in a closed fist-like configuration, respectively is provided. The material and cavities prevents wearers from gripping, manipulating and using weapons or other articles, yet providing them the ability to pinch the index finger and thumb together to grip smaller articles, such as forms of identifications and writing implements. Along a peripheral portion, the hand restraint may provide webbing at the junction of the index finger and thumb portions for further restraining manipulation of weapons. The hand restraint provides securing devices along its wrist portion for enabling the wearer to remove their own hand restraint upon conclusion of the need for the device.

Claims

1. A device, comprising: a main body providing a thumb cavity, an index cavity, and a first cavity; the thumb cavity dimensioned to receive an extended thumb of a human wearer; the index cavity dimensioned to receive an extended index finger of the human wearer; the first cavity dimensioned to receive a third finger, a fourth finger and a fifth finger of the human wearer in a first configuration; the first cavity extending from a wrist opening to an opposing distal boundary, wherein the first cavity is enclosed at said distal boundary; the index cavity extends beyond said distal boundary and a distal end of the thumb cavity, wherein only the index cavity extends from said distal boundary; and a webbing extending between the index cavity and the thumb cavity.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a securing device provided along the wrist opening for securing said wrist opening about the human wearer's wrist.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a marking dye provided along an inside portion of the main body, the index cavity, or the thumb cavity.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the main body is transparent.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use;

(2) FIG. 2 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 3 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1; and

(4) FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

(6) Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a hand restraint of flexible, high tensile strength, but flexible material forming three separate adjacent cavities for receiving and isolating the thumb, index finger, and remaining fingers, three, four and five, when fingers three, four and five are folded into the palm of the proposed wearer, respectively. Thereby, preventing the gripping, holding or manipulation and use of weapons or articles by the wearer of the hand restraint, yet providing them the ability to pinch the index finger and thumb together to grip smaller articles, such as forms of identifications and writing implements. The hand restraint may optionally provide webbing at the junction of the index finger and thumb portions which further prevents the ability of the wearer to effectively wrap their index finger and thumb around the handle of a weapon and hold it effectively, by obstructing the potential space between the thumb and first finger where the weapon or article would be held, such as the grip of a handgun. The hand restraint provides permanently securable but removable securing devices along its wrist portion, such as, but not limited to, a zip strip or peel and stick wrist surrounding retention band to retain the position of the glove during its wearing, yet is removable, via destructive disruption, or breaking of the permanent securing device by the wearer, allowing them the ability to remove the restraining gloves without required assistance by another individual.

(7) Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, the present invention provides a hand restraint 10 and 20 made of flexible yet having high tensile strength, such as, but not limited to nylon, various plasticized materials or the like. This material may be permanent or disposable. This material may be opaque or various levels of transparency. The material of the hand restraint 10 or 20 can be made of re-usable or disposable materials, and can be colored in various colors to allow for improved security; for example, where the police would have unique colors that could not be easily copied by imposters. In certain embodiments, the material may be transparent or various levels of opacity enabling visualization of the wearer's hands within the hand restraint 10/20.

(8) Such material forms a glove-like shape having three (3) spaced apart cavities for separately housing, respectively, (1) a wearer's thumb, (2) index (second) finger, and (3) the third, fourth, and fifth fingers: a first cavity may be dimensioned and adapted to slidably receive the thumb of the wearer 36; a second cavity may be dimensioned and adapted to slidably receive the index finger of the wearer 36; and a third cavity may be dimensioned and adapted to slidably receive the third, fourth and fifth fingers of the wearer 36 in a curled up fist configuration, wherein the fist configuration requires the third through the fifth fingers to be folded into the palm of the wearer 36, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The depth 60 of and the space provided by the third cavity may be dimensioned and adapted so that a wearer 36 cannot properly or fully wear the hand restraint 10/20 if their third, fourth and fifth fingers are not in the fist configuration prior to full reception into the third cavity. The hand restraint 10/20 may be provided in multiple sizes and can be ambidextrous, designed to be used on the right or the left hand of a wearer 36, or can be designed to be uniquely right and left handed.

(9) The hand restraint 10/20 may include a main body 16/26 joined to the wrist portion 38 extending to an opening 50 thereof, wherein the opening 50 is adapted to allow a user's hand to be inserted into the main body 16/26 and a thumb-receiving portion 12/22 and an index-receiving portion 14/24. The thumb-receiving portion 12/22 defines the first cavity, the index-receiving portion 14/24 defines the second cavity, and the main body 16/26 defines the third cavity mentioned above.

(10) The hand restraint 10/20 may be maintained on the wearer's hand by a securing device 30 and/or 32 along a wrist portion 38 of the hand restraint 10/20, for securing the wrist portion 38 about the wearer's wrist. The securing device 30/32 may include, but not be limited to, a zip strip, a cinching mechanism, hook and loop fasteners, peel and stick straps that stick and seal the cinching mechanism or the like. The securing device 30/32 may be adapted to prevent quick removal, though not prevent overall removal by the wearer 36 (in other words, the wearer 36 can remove the hand restraint 10/20 by themselves without keys or other locking devices, just not quickly.)

(11) In certain embodiments, dye or powder 34, such as, but not limited to, a fluorescent dye, powder or other suitable marking material, can be inside one or more of the cavities of the hand restraint 10/20 that would mark the hands of a wearer, which would be visible by authorities (law enforcement, coroner, medical examiner) using an appropriate UV light or other visualizing illumination or detection method in order to demonstrate that the hand restraint 10/20 had been worn.

(12) The present invention may provide a webbing 18/28 extending between the index-receiving portion 14/24 and the thumb-receiving portion 12/22, as illustrated in the Figures. The webbing 18/28 fills space associated with the gap between the index finger and the thumb, thereby preventing such space from being filled by the handle of a weapon, such as a butt of a hand gun, yet continuing to enable the wearer 36 limited grip ability through using the tips of their index finger and thumb to pinch (pincer-like) to seize documents and smaller articles, such as their identification card from their wallet, or operatively handle smaller objects, such as pens to sign documents.

(13) A method of using the present invention may include the following. The hand restraint 10/20 disclosed above may be provided. The hand restraint 10/20 can be given to, and worn on each hand or just one hand of, all individuals in contact with law enforcement. Thereby, helping minimize the potential tension of a police-citizen interaction by reducing the potential for effective use of a firearm or other weapon or article, wherein the hand restraint 10/20 can be removed by the wearer without keys, where it does not bind the hands together, and does not have a social stigma attached thereto. Application of the device on the hands can be by the individual or by a third party.

(14) Referring to FIG. 4, in certain steps embodied in the method of using the present invention, the hand restraint 10/20 may be worn by a citizen/wearer 36 voluntarily. Typically, the hand restraint 10/20 are applied and worn in clear sight of the law enforcement officer without assistance, allowing the officer to maintain a safe distance and control of the situation, while their firearm is holstered or held safely. The hand restraint 10/20 may then subsequently be fastened securely either by the officer or the individual via the securing devices 30/32. In certain embodiments, the wearer 36 can be instructed/asked to wear the hand restraint 10/20, helping an officer feel more secure in knowing that the use of a firearm or weapon by any individual is dramatically reduced or eliminated, while at the same time allowing the individual to cooperate with the law official through the limited use of their hands for the purpose of obtaining identification for presentation to law enforcement or even retrieval of a weapon from their person with very reduced ability to use that weapon effectively in an offensive manner.

(15) The hand restraints 10/20 can be easily unfastened by cutting, for example, the securing device 30/32 by an officer using a scissors or other implement.

(16) It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.