GLOVE RETAINING CLIP

Abstract

A glove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to a pocket of an article, comprising a clip for gripping a lip of the pocket, a substantially planar surface attached to the clip, and a component of a hook-and-loop fastener adhered to the substantially planar surface for removable engagement with the opposite component of the hook-and-loop fastener of the glove.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Applicant claims priority based on provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/803,585 filed May 31, 2006, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to gloves that are secured about hands by hook-and-loop fasteners, and more particularly to clips for removably retaining gloves on the outside of pockets of articles of apparel such as pants or shirts.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is well known that many types of gloves, specifically gloves used in various sports, such as golf gloves and baseball batting gloves, are secured about the hands via hook-and-loop fasteners.

Glove users often store their cloves in pockets of articles of apparel when the gloves are not being used. For example, golfers will commonly remove their golf gloves when putting in order to gain better feel of the putter. At those moments golfers will often put the golf gloves in the pockets of their pants. One problem golfers then encounter is that it is difficult to remove the gloves from their pockets. Another problem is that the gloves can become misshapen by being stuffed in pockets.

The present invention addresses the foregoing problems. In accordance with its narrower aspects, the invention comprises a clip for retaining a glove outside the pocket of an article of apparel. In accordance with its broader aspects, in one embodiment of the invention the clip is attached about the lip of the pocket of an article of apparel such as pants. Attached to a clip is a substantially planar surface. The substantially planar surface is positioned on the clip so as to be accessible from outside the pocket. Adhered to the substantially planar surface is one component of a hook-and-loop fastener.

As is well known in the prior art, hook-and-loop fasteners are comprised generally of two components, one component comprising a surface having thereon, a series of hooks and the other component comprising a surface having thereon a series of loops, wherein the two surfaces are fastened together by engaging the hooks of one surface with the loops of the other surface. The component that is adhered to the substantially planar surface can be either the surface having hooks or the surface having loops. The component adhered to the substantially planar surface engages the opposite component of the hook-and-loop fastener of the glove that one desires to retain outside the pocket. Thus, this embodiment of the invention allows one to retain gloves outside of pockets securely as well as removably.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had by reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in connection with the accompanying Drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of the invention in use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view further illustrating the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a third embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a glove retaining clip 10 comprising the present invention. The glove retaining clip 10 is shown attached about the lip 12 of the pocket 14 of a pair of pants 16 being worn by an individual 18. The glove retaining clip 10 comprises a clip 20, a substantially planar surface 22 attached to the clip 20, and one component 24 of a hook-and-loop fastener adhered to the substantially planar surface 22. FIG. 1 illustrates the glove retaining clip 10 retaining a glove 26 on the outside 28 of the pocket 14.

The glove 26 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is a golf glove having a hook-and-loop fastener which secures the glove 26 about the hand 30 of the individual 18. As shown most clearly in FIG. 2 the glove 26 comprises a flange 32 that further comprises one component 34 of the hook-and-loop fastener of the glove 26 and that closes over the top side of the hand 30 to engage the other mating component (unseen) of the hook-and-loop fastener positioned on the top side of the glove 26.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 the glove 26 is not secured about the hand 30 but rather is open such that the component 34 of the flange 32 is removably engaged with the component 24 of the glove retaining clip 10. Either component of the hook-and-loop fastener of the glove 26 may be used to engage the glove 26 with the glove retaining clip as long as the component of the hook-and-loop fastener adhered to the substantially planar surface 22 is the opposite or mating component thereto.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention. Most of the component parts of the second embodiment are identical to those of the first embodiment, and will therefore be referred to as a prime (′) number. The second embodiment differs from the first in that instead of having just one component 24′ of a hook-and-loop fastener adhered to the substantially planar surface 22′, strips of hooks 36 and strips of loops 38 are alternately adhered to the substantially planar surface 22′ longitudinally. Thus, the user is assured of retaining the glove 26′ prime thereto regardless of which component of the hook-and-loop fastener is engaged therewith.

FIG. 4 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention. Therein the retaining clip 10 is illustrated as secured to the belt 14 of the individual 18 as opposed to securing the clip 10 to a pocket as illustrated in FIG. 1.

The clip and substantially planar surface discussed herein can be constructed of any suitable material, such as metal or plastic, etc. The clip and substantially planar surface discussed herein can be constructed of the same material or of different materials.

Further, the clip can be attached to the substantially planar surface at any point on the clip and at any point on the substantially planar surface, so long as the point of attachment does not otherwise interfere with the retaining of a glove as discussed herein. It is envisioned that numerous alternate clip means could be employed to perform the clipping function of the invention.

It is understood that this invention is utilized to retain other types of gloves having hook-and-loop fasteners, to retain gloves to other articles of apparel such as shirts, jackets, and the like, and to retain the gloves to other articles having pockets or other apparatus about which the glove retaining clip may be secured.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it will be understood that the Invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A glove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel, comprising:

a clip for gripping an article of apparel;

a substantially planar surface attached to the clip, said substantially planar surface positioned so as to be accessible on the outside of the article of apparel; and

a component of a hook-and-loop fastener adhered to the substantially planar surface for removably retaining the glove thereto by engagement with the opposite component of the hook-and-loop fastener of the glove.

2. The glove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 1 wherein the clip for gripping an article of apparel attaches to a lip of a pocket of an article of apparel.

3. The glove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 1 wherein the clip for gripping an article of apparel attaches to a belt of an individual.

4. The glove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 1 wherein the component of a hook-and-loop fastener adhered to the substantially planar surface for removably retaining the glove thereto by engagement with the opposite component of the hook-and-loop fastener of the glove comprises the hook component of a hook-and-loop fastener.

5. The glove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 1 wherein the component of a hook-and-loop fastener adhered to the substantially planar surface for removably retaining the glove thereto by engagement with the opposite component of the hook-and-loop fastener of the glove comprises the loop component of a hook-and-loop fastener.

6. The glove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 1 wherein the glove retained is a golf glove.

7. The glove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 1 wherein the glove retained is other than a golf glove.

8. A glove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loon fastener to an article of apparel, comprising:

a clip for gripping an article of apparel;

a substantially planar surface attached to the clip, said substantially planar surface positioned so as to be accessible on the outside of the article of apparel; and

at least one hook component of a hook-and-loop fastener and at least one loop component of a hook-and-loop fastener adhered to the substantially planar surface for removably retaining the clove thereto by engagement with an opposite component of the hook-and-loop fastener of the glove.

9. The glove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 8 wherein the clip for gripping an article of apparel attaches to a lip of a pocket of an article of apparel.

10. The clove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 8 wherein the clip for gripping an article of apparel attaches to a belt of an individual.

11. The glove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 8 wherein the glove retained is a golf glove.

12. The glove retaining clip for removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 8 wherein the glove retained is other than a golf glove.

13. A method of removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel, comprising:

providing a clip for gripping an article of apparel, the clip having a substantially planar surface attached thereto, said substantially planar surface positioned so as to be accessible on the outside of the article of apparel, and having at least one component of a hook-and-loop fastener adhered to the substantially planar surface for removably retaining the glove thereto by engagement with an opposite component of the hook-and-loop fastener of the glove; and

attaching the glove to the substantially planar surface of the clip.

14. The method of removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 13 wherein the clip for gripping an article of apparel attaches to a lip of a pocket of an article of apparel.

15. The method of removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 13 wherein the clip for gripping an article of apparel attaches to a belt of an individual.

16. The method of removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 13 wherein the glove retained is a golf glove.

17. The method of removably retaining a glove having a hook-and-loop fastener to an article of apparel of claim 13 wherein the glove retained is other than a golf glove.