Golf glove closure attachment and manufacturing method
An improved manufacturing method for golf gloves is presented that includes an improved process for manufacturing plastic latch connectors. The improved method uses less material and delays attachment of the golf glove closing latch until the last step of the process, improving flexibility for custom logo glove production.
This invention relates to golf glove manufacturing and the method of attaching the hook and loop closure means to the glove.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis novel manufacturing means is intended to allow the attachment of the hook and loop closure device, or “latch”, after the closure device has been imprinted with a custom logo. Conventional golf glove manufacturing attaches the latch at a relatively early stage of manufacture, and this limits the ability of the manufacturer to delay the attachment of custom-logo-bearing latches until the last possible moment.
There are other approaches to this problem. For example, in United States Patent Application US2002/0174478 by Litke, a method of forming a thermoplastic pad, printing a custom logo on the pad, and then adhering the thermoplastic pad to the glove on the back of the latch is taught. Other patents, for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,773 to Lowinger, use similar approaches to place logos on gloves. However, none of them delay attachment of the logo-bearing latch until the last minute, one of the main features of this invention.
This patent also presents a new method of manufacturing an alternative attachment method, involving a process similar to the attachment means used in U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,350 to Litke. That patent teaches a method of late attachment of logo-bearing latches by using injection-molded plastic pieces. The present method uses a very low cost plastic sheet with cutting and thermaforming over a simple metal boss. The need in the Litke patent for a liner underneath their attachment means to improve wearer comfort is eliminated because of the softness of the plastic used in the present invention.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of this invention to provide an attachment means for a golf-glove latch system that can be attached at the last minute during manufacturing.
It is a further goal of this invention that with this invention, gloves without latches can be stored after manufacture and custom logo latches be attached as late as just before delivery.
It is a further goal of this invention that an alternate method of attaching the latch be available to manufacturers that is an improvement over current injection molded latch attachment means.
It is a further goal of this invention to reduce manufacturing cost for golf gloves to the minimum by eliminating the need for expensive sewing steps to attach latches to gloves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is an improved method of golf glove manufacturing that combines ease of manufacture with the flexibility to attach logo-bearing golf glove closure latches at the last minute. There are two methods of latch attachment presented, one based on a quick sewing step and the other using a pre-formed plastic connector.
Golf gloves are an advertising item and can be made with custom logos on them, bearing for example the trademarked logos of the major golf equipment manufacturers. Delaying the attachment of the logo-bearing latches until the last practicable moment permits the gloves without latches to be sewn separately from the logo-bearing latches, stored, and then brought together with the appropriate logo-bearing latch just before delivery.
The savings of time and money are obvious. It is possible to create exactly the right number of logo-bearing golf gloves just before they are delivered. There is no worry about having too many of one particular logo on hand or of spoilage when a particular logo-ed golf glove is no longer desired. Inventory problems are minimized.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe features of this invention will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description.
The preferred embodiment of the invention can be seen best in
In
In the preferred embodiment, the process of assembling a golf glove with this closure system consists of manufacturing and sewing the golf glove 100 and latch bottom part 102 together such that the latch bottom part is placed as seen in
The separately manufactured latch upper part 101, with optional latch upper part logo shield 111, is then attached by sewing a few stitches to one end of the latch upper part 101 to connect it to the base 103, which makes a strong connection to one side of the closure slit 108. The golf glove can now be closed by the user by stretching the latch upper part 101 across the closure slit 108 and bringing the latch upper part lower surface 110 into contact with the latch bottom part upper surface 120.
In
At manufacturing time, the separately manufactured latch upper part 101, with or without an upper part logo shield 111, can be attached by inserting the plastic hooks 132 into the receiver slots 131. As in
While the foregoing describes a preferred embodiment, variation on this design and equivalent designs may be resorted to in the scope and spirit of the claimed invention.
Claims
1-4. (canceled)
5. What is claimed is a golf glove closure manufacturing method, The method comprised of the steps of
- manufacturing a golf glove, the golf glove comprised of a palm part, a back part, a base, and a latch lower part, the golf glove back part possessing a closure slit with a left side and a right side, the two sides of the closure slit being capable of being stretched across the back of a golfers hand when the golfer's hand is inserted into the golf glove, the base positioned alongside the edge of the left side of the closure slit during manufacture, the latch lower part sewn or glued onto the back part of the golf glove, positioned next to the golf glove closure slit right side, the upper surface of the latch lower part optionally possessing a logo shield, the logo shield smaller in area than the latch lower part upper surface, the latch lower part upper surface possessing loops that are a part of a hook-and-loop connection mechanism everywhere that the optional logo shield is not present,
- manufacturing a golf glove latch upper part, the upper surface of the latch upper part smooth and optionally possessing a logo shield, the lower surface of the latch upper part possessing hooks that are part of a hook-and-loop connection mechanism,
- delaying bringing the golf glove and the golf glove latch upper part together until an order for golf gloves arrives with a selection of a logo shield design,
- attaching the golf glove latch upper part with the selected logo shield to the golf glove base with a latch attachment means when said order is received.
6. The invention of claim 5 where the base is a roll of fabric that is as long as the edge of the latch upper part that is to be connected to the base,and the latch attachment means is sewing the latch upper part to the base.
7. The invention of claim 5 where the base is a plastic sheet possessing a plurality of raised slots, the latch upper part lower surface possesses the same number of plastic attachment hooks as there are raised slots on the base, and the attachment means is a process of inserting the plastic hooks on the latch upper part into the raised slots on the base such that the slots and hooks form a fixed attachment.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 23, 2005
Publication Date: Mar 29, 2007
Inventors: Stefan Schauffele (San Diego, CA), Vincent Chang (DongGuan City)
Application Number: 11/233,609
International Classification: A63B 71/14 (20060101);