Multi-purpose glove

Abstract

The present invention is a multiple purpose glove for wearing on an individual's hand. The glove may be used in a variety of tasks where it is desirable to cover the skin from direct contact with materials being handled. In one embodiment of the invention, a collar extends around an opening on the glove to assist in everting the glove to an inside-out condition as the glove is removed from an individual's hand. The collar has one or more fasteners that permit the everted glove to be closed around objects, waste or other materials that are grabbed with the glove. The glove has an enlarged body to display a variety of indicia, including written information pertinent to the task being performed with the glove.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This non-provisional application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/389,749, filed Jun. 18, 2002, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to gloves, and more specifically to a disposable glove that bears indicia on the glove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention is a multiple purpose glove for wearing on an individual's hand. The glove may be used in a variety of tasks where it is desirable to cover the skin from direct contact with materials being handled. For example, the glove may be used to dispose of garbage, trash and other waste. A collar may be attached around an opening on the glove to assist in everting the glove to an inside-out condition as the glove is removed from an individual's hand. The collar may also have one or more fasteners that permit the everted glove to be closed around objects, waste or other materials that are grabbed with the glove. In one embodiment of the invention, the collar has a pair of straps that may be tied together to close the opening of the everted glove and form an enclosure around materials in the glove. In a second embodiment of the invention, the collar is provided with one or more resealable fasteners, such as hook and loop fastener strips, that can be fastened to enclose material in the everted glove. In a third embodiment, the collar has bilateral extensions that can be tied together to enclose material in the everted glove.

[0004] The glove has an enlarged body that may be used to display a variety of indicia. For example, the body of the glove may contain a large volume of text that may be read by the individual wearing the glove. The text may be presented in a variety of font styles and relate to different subjects. For example, the glove may contain newspaper style print and pertain to current events. Political campaign ads, commercial advertising or web site information may be printed on the glove. Alternatively, the glove may contain instructional material, such as a recipe for cooking. Symbols or text may also be printed on the glove to attract the user's attention or remind the user of important task-related information. For example, the body of the glove may contain safety warnings for employees who use the gloves near dangerous equipment. Hand written messages, such as reminder notes, may also be inscribed on the glove for the benefit of the individual wearing the glove. In another application, the indicia may convey text relating to entertainment, philosophy, history, dogs, gardening, wine chemistry, astronomy, or other subject matter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The foregoing summary as well as the following description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the drawing figures in which:

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a glove in accordance with the present invention having indicia and a pair of straps for use in disposing of the glove.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a glove in accordance with the present invention having indicia and a pair of hook and loop fastener strips for use in disposing of the glove.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a glove in accordance with the present invention having indicia and a pair of bilateral extensions for use in disposing of the glove.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Referring now to FIG. 1, a glove in accordance with the present invention is shown and designated generally as 10. The glove 10 has a body section 20 and five protruding sections 30 that extend from the body. The body 20 and protruding sections 30 are configured to conform to a human hand. The glove 10 may be formed of any material with or without permeability, depending on the intended use of the glove. For example, the glove 10 may be formed out of latex rubber or nitrile if chemicals are handled. Alternatively, the glove 10 may be formed of polyethylene, nylon, neoprene or a number of other synthetic materials, including materials used to form conventional garbage bags and kitchen trash bags. The glove may be used for any task where it is desired to protect or cover one's hands. For example, the glove may be used in pet waste disposal, gardening, cooking, food preparation, finger painting, pottery molding, dish washing, pot scrubbing, trash removal, medical or veterinary work, forensics, laboratory procedures and general housekeeping.

[0010] The glove 10 generally forms a bag or sack-like enclosure that fits around a hand. The body section 20 has a proximal end into which an individuals's hand may be inserted. The body section 20 also has a distal end from which the protruding sections 30 extend. The proximal end of the body 20 has an enlarged peripheral collar 40 that extends outwardly from the body as shown in FIG. 1. The enlarged collar 40 surrounds an opening 50 adapted to receive an individual's hand. The body 20 is configured to receive a palm portion of a hand, and the five protruding sections 30 are configured to receive the digits on a hand.

[0011] The flexible material of the glove 10 permits the glove to be everted to enclose the material being handled in the glove. The glove may be everted as the glove is removed from a hand. This may be desired where the exterior of the glove 10 contains residues, and the person wearing the glove wishes to avoid transferring the residue onto their skin or other objects. The collar 40 is configured to assist eversion and removal of the glove 10. Preferably, the collar 40 extends or flares outwardly from the body 20 of the glove 10. In this way, the individual wearing the glove 10 may grasp the outward peripheral edge of the collar 40 with the opposite hand and easily fold back the body 20 of the glove to the everted position. The body 20 and projecting sections 30 may be oversized such that the glove 10 is loosely fitted over a hand. In this way, the glove 10 may be everted and have an everted capacity sufficient to contain a large amount of material.

[0012] The glove 10 may be used to display a variety of indicia for the benefit of the person wearing the glove, or individuals who observe the glove in use. As stated above, the body 20 of the glove may be oversized. The large size of the glove 10 provides a large surface area for displaying indicia. The back of the body section 20 and collar 40 covering the hand may contain indicia to be viewed by the person wearing the glove. For example, the back of the glove 10 may contain interesting text, such as poetry, trivia, thoughts, ideas, public service information, current events, general or basic knowledge, or web site information. The back of the glove 10 may also contain artwork or entertaining subject matter, such as riddles, jokes, crossword puzzles, cryptograms or comic strips. The indicia may be handwritten or printed in various fonts, such as newspaper style print.

[0013] The indicia may be printed on one or more sides of the body 20 of the glove 10, or on one or more sections of the collar 40, so that the indicia can be seen from different angles. FIG. 1 shows a glove 10 bearing a printed literary quotation 12 on the peripheral collar 40 of the glove. The quotation 12 is printed at two locations on opposite sides of the collar 40. Indicia may also be printed on opposite sides of the body section 20. In this way, indicia is visible across the back of a person's hand when the glove is placed on either hand.

[0014] The glove may contain instructional materials or information pertinent to a task being performed while the glove is donned. Referring now to FIG. 2, a second embodiment of the invention is shown and designated generally as 110. The glove 110 has a body section 120 containing a written recipe 112 to be followed while an individual wears the glove to bake the recipe. The recipe 112 is printed indicia on the back of the body section 120 and extends across the back of the hand when the glove is in use. The recipe 112 may be repeated on the opposite side of the body section 120 so that it is visible across the back of the glove when the glove is placed on either hand. Since the recipe 112 appears on the glove, the user can easily refer to the recipe as they move about a kitchen without having to carry or repeatedly refer to a recipe book. The glove 110 may be sold with baking products, such as cake mixes, or sold individually. The present invention is intended to convey virtually any kind of visual subject matter, and is not limited to the specific examples cited herein.

[0015] As stated earlier, the glove may become soiled or covered with garbage, chemicals or other residues during use. In such cases, it may be desirable for the user to remove the glove without transferring any of the residue onto the user's skin or other objects. It may be further desirable to fully enclose the residue once the glove is discarded. This may be desirable in cases where an individual could come in contact with the residue on the discarded glove, such as when a waste receptacle is emptied. It may also be desirable to enclose the residue if the residue contains chemical pollutants that could leach from trash and contaminate the environment.

[0016] Referring again to FIG. 1, the glove 10 may include a fastener 60 for securing the glove 10 in a closed and everted position to enclose and contain residues in the everted glove. The fastener 60 may comprise one of a variety of components, such as snaps, drawstrings, zippers, resealable closures, bilateral extensions, or hook and loop strips (such as VELCRO® brand fastener strips). Referring to FIG. 1, a glove 10 is shown with a fastener 60 that includes a pair of elongate straps 62 connected to the proximal end of the glove 10. The straps 62 are disposed on opposite sides of the opening and may be pulled together and tied so that the edge of the opening converges to a generally closed position. The straps 62 may be formed from the same material used to form the body 20 of the glove 10, or may be formed separately from an alternate material and subsequently attached to the body 20 of the glove using an adhesive or other connecting means.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 2, the glove 110 is shown with cooperating hook and loop strips 164 and 166 that extend along the exterior periphery of a collar 140. When the glove 110 is everted and removed from the user's hand, the hook and loop strips 164 and 166 are disposed along the interior of the collar 140 in substantial alignment so that the strips face one another. In the everted position, the strips 164 and 166 may be pressed together so that the strips adhere with each other and hold the opening of the glove in a substantially closed position to enclose and contain materials remaining on the glove.

[0018] Referring now to FIG. 3, a third embodiment of the invention is shown and designated generally as 210. Glove 210 has an elongated body section 220 with a quotation 212 from a well known philosopher. A collar 240 extends from the body 220 and features a pair of bilateral extensions 260 that extend outwardly from the body. When the glove 210 is everted and removed from the user's hand, the bilateral extensions 260 may be tied together to enclose and contain materials remaining in the glove.

[0019] The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation. There is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof. It is recognized, therefore, that various modifications are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention incorporates variations that fall within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A multi-purpose glove comprising a hollow body having a plurality of tubular projections, said body and projections having visible indicia for view while the glove is in use, said body further comprising an opening through which a person's hand can be inserted so as to extend into the glove, wherein the glove is configured to be everted to an inside-out condition as the glove is removed from the hand after use, and wherein the body comprises a fastener configured to secure the opening in a generally closed position.

2. The multi-purpose glove of claim 1, wherein said glove opening comprises a peripheral collar that extends outwardly from the opening and is configured for grasping during removal of the glove to assist in everting the glove to an inside-out condition.

3. The multi-purpose glove of claim 1, wherein the indicia comprises any one of a design, a symbol, instructional text, a recipe, an advertisement, and a literary quotation.

4. The multi-purpose glove of claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises one of a plurality of straps and a plurality of hook and loop strips.

5. The multi-purpose glove of claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises a pair of bilateral extensions that are configured for tying together to secure the opening in the generally closed position.

6. A glove configured for use in the completion of a task comprising a hollow body having a plurality of tubular projections, said glove having visible indicia pertinent to the performance of said task, said body further comprising an opening through which a person's hand can be inserted so as to extend into the glove, wherein the glove is configured to be everted to an inside-out condition as the glove is removed from the hand after use, and wherein the body comprises a fastener configured to secure the opening in a generally closed position.

7. The glove of claim 6, wherein the indicia comprises a cautionary statement or a safety warning pertinent to the performance of the task.

8. The glove of claim 6, wherein the task involves food preparation, and the indicia comprises a written recipe.

9. The glove of claim 6, wherein said glove opening comprises a peripheral collar that extends outwardly from the opening and is configured for grasping during removal of the glove to assist in everting the glove to an inside-out condition.

10. The glove of claim 6, wherein the fastener comprises one of a plurality of straps and a plurality of hook and loop strips.

11. The glove of claim 6, wherein the fastener comprises a pair of bilateral extensions that are configured for tying together to secure the opening in the generally closed position.

12. A multi-purpose glove comprising a hollow body having a plurality of tubular projections, said body and projections having an exterior surface bearing visible indicia for view while the glove is in use, said body further comprising an opening through which a person's hand can be inserted so as to extend into the glove, wherein the glove is configured to be everted to an inside-out condition as the glove is removed from the hand after use, said body comprising a pair of hook and loop fastener strips on said exterior surface that are configured to substantially align and engage with one another when the glove is everted to the inside-out condition to secure the opening in a generally closed condition.

13. A glove configured for use in the completion of a task comprising a hollow body having a plurality of tubular projections, said glove having visible indicia pertinent to the performance of said task, said body further comprising an opening through which a person's hand can be inserted so as to extend into the glove, wherein the glove is configured to be everted to an inside-out condition as the glove is removed from the hand after use, and wherein the body comprises a pair of hook and loop fastener strips on said exterior surface that are configured to substantially align and engage with one another when the glove is everted to the inside-out condition to secure the opening in a generally closed condition.

14. The glove of claim 13, wherein said glove opening comprises a peripheral collar that extends outwardly from the opening and is configured for grasping during removal of the glove to assist in everting the glove to an inside-out condition.

15. The glove of claim 14, wherein said indicia is disposed on the body of the glove.

16. The glove of claim 14, wherein said indicia is disposed on the peripheral collar.

17. The glove of claim 13, wherein said indicia is disposed on opposite sides of the glove.