Cooking Gloves
A heat protective glove or mitt for children to enable them to safely handle hot items taken from ovens, microwaves, toaster ovens and the like, enhancing the protection of children in the kitchen and reducing burns. The gloves are heat resistant and designed longer than normal, below the wrist, and are fitted to the contour of the hands and arms of children. The gloves are made of a material that is heat resistant up to about 350 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, which increases and encourages safe handling of hot items, relatively thin, and does not restrict the natural movement of the child's hand, allowing for easier maneuvering and independent movement of the pinky finger.
This application relates to and claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application 60/862,278 filed on Oct. 20, 2006, and United States Design Applications 29/278,712 and 29/718,718, both filed Apr. 6, 2007, in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the disclosures of which are all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a heat protective glove or mitt that enables a variety of wearers to handle hot items taken from ovens, microwaves, toaster ovens, mass produced mini-ovens for children (e.g., Easy Bake Ovens®), and the like or for use when operating outdoor grills. More particularly, the present invention relates to a glove or mitt that is heat resistant with a longer than normal sleeve and designed slightly fitted to the contour of a hand and arm.
Heat protective hand covering devices such as oven mitts and potholders are well-known in the art. They are used to handle hot items in the kitchen or when handling a hot item taken from an oven, stove, microwave, toaster or outdoor grill. Traditionally, these devices prove too bulky and inflexible for use by wearers who have smaller hands and less dexterity than adults. In addition to being too large and inflexible, traditional oven mitts do not provide sufficient grip for small hands and those who have limited dexterity and range of movement.
Over the years there has been an increase in the marketing to children of products that require heating in microwaves, toaster ovens and the like. As a result, children will and sometimes get their toast and waffle out of the toaster or pull their oatmeal or macaroni and cheese from the microwave. Many children want to make hot chocolate by heating water in a microwave. Although it may be best for children to refrain from handling such hot items, in some instances they are required to or insist upon doing it themselves and with the increased need for safety and protection of children in the kitchen comes a need for a vast improvement of the traditional oven mitt. According to a study at the University of Chicago Burn Center, removing hot food from microwaves is one of the most frequent ways in which children under the age of five burn themselves. Child Magazine reported: “Opening a microwave and removing hot food is one of the most frequent ways children under the age of five burned themselves, according to a study at the University of Chicago Burn Center.” Also, just recently this year, a major toy manufacturer recalled over 1,000,000 toy ovens after dozens of children burned their hands.
Presently, there is no type of cooking glove or mitt suitable for children to handle such hot items. Although there are the traditional oven mitts and potholders, they prove ineffective for young children. For instance, the traditional oven mitts are too large, bulky and roomy inside. They cover essentially the hand and only a very small portion of the arm. Their design prevents children from being able to carefully handle hot items in the kitchen and from being able to maneuver safely as one must in a kitchen.
Moreover, current oven mitts and potholders are extremely outdated and are manufactured for adults who cook. Oven mitts get their name because the original intent was for them to be used inside of a traditional oven. Potholders were to be used for pots that are on top of a stove and to assist with the holding of a hot handle or simmering lid. With newer inventions/appliances including the toaster, toaster oven, microwave and greater use of these appliances by children, teenagers and the disabled, no other invention or design of the oven mitt/potholder has addressed these current and updated ways of food preparation.
Because parents are short on time and buy numerous variations of convenience foods that their children usually prepare for themselves, including hot cereals, microwaveable foods, frozen foods, pizzas and popcorn that are heated in the microwave, and hot beverages and because so many of these items are marketed to children, there is a special need for cooking mitts/gloves designed for use by children. Also, because children are cooking and heating foods at an age that is becoming even younger, the risks are becoming even greater.
In addition to the proliferation of convenience food offerings in the past three decades, which are prepared by children, there are numerous cooking classes, chef-in-training courses and cooking vacations/camps geared toward children. This demonstrates the increased need for appropriate protection for children working in and around the kitchen.
Recently, The Wall Street Journal Online reported that “the selection overall [of oven mitts] is growing. Retailer Cooking.com carries 57 oven mitts, up from 3 in 2000.”In a review of these gloves, none was designed to be used by children. There is thus a real need in the marketplace for cooking gloves/mitts designed especially for use by children.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a heat-resistant cooking glove for handling hot items in the kitchen and elsewhere, to prevent burns and which is otherwise free of the above-mentioned problems and disadvantages.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a glove or mitt with separation of the pinky finger/smallest digit for independent movement which aids in the grasping, holding or handling of hot food items and heavier food dishes, containers, larger pots, pans or casserole dishes.
The above and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a heat-resistant protective glove suitable for handling hot items. The glove includes a heat-resistant hand covering member for accommodating a hand, and having a length “L” to cover at least the palm and wrist; a first, second and third covering members, the first covering member being a thumb covering member for accommodating a thumb, the second covering member accommodating the ring, middle and index fingers, and the third covering member accommodating the pinky finger. The hand covering member and the first, second and third covering members are formed to the contour of the hand and made of at least an outer, middle and inner material, which are heat resistant up to about at least 350 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The glove further includes gripping elements positioned on a front and back of the hand covering member and the first, second and third covering members. The gripping elements being heat resistant and aiding in gripping items with the glove.
The above and other objects of the invention are further accomplished by a heat-resistant protective glove suitable for handling hot items. The heat-resistant hand covering member for accommodating a hand, and having a length “L” to cover at least the palm and wrist; a thumb covering member for accommodating and covering a thumb; finger covering members designed to cover each of the four fingers of the hand. The hand covering member, thumb covering member, and the finger covering members are formed to the contour of the hand and made of at least an outer, middle and inner material, which are heat resistant up to about at least 350 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The glove also includes gripping elements positioned on a front and back of the hand covering member, thumb covering members, and the finger covering members. The gripping elements being heat resistant and aiding in gripping items with the glove.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The advantages and nature of the invention will appear more fully upon consideration of the illustrative embodiment of the invention that is set forth in the figures, in which:
The present invention relates to a heat resistant hand covering glove or mitt, designated generally as 1 for a first embodiment illustrated in
The glove 1 is formed of a material 25, 26, 27 that are heat resistant up to about at least 350 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, and be able to withstand temperatures routinely encountered in handling items in a kitchen, such as the oven, microwave, stovetop, toaster, toaster oven, etc. By way of example, materials used for the preferred embodiments have included on the outer portion of the glove 26 an interlocking weft knit of different yarns. The middle layer 27 (
Finally, the glove 1 may incorporate gripping elements 24 to the glove 1. As seen in
Here, as seen in
The glove 10 includes a heat-resistant hand-covering member 12 that forms the main body of the glove including the palm section of the hand. A combined covering member 20 for the index, middle and ring fingers is formed integral to the hand-covering member 12. The glove 10 also includes a covering member 22 for the smallest (pinky) finger and a thumb portion 18, both of which are formed integral with the covering member 12. As with the first embodiment, the glove 10 is formed to the contour of a hand and arm such that it is not bulky or loose, and provides the user with substantially more dexterity and agility when used as compared to what is conventional in the art.
Similar to the first embodiment, the glove 10 may be constructed of the same type of materials for both the outer portion 26 of the glove, middle layer 27 and the inner lining 25. The glove 10 may also incorporate gripping elements 24 to assist in gripping of items and improve the heat resistance of the glove.
The gloves 1, 10 will contribute to the increased safety for children and/or adults with limited hand mobility and/or dexterity when cooking in the kitchen. The glove 1, 10 are especially designed for use by those with small hands, with the glove 1, 10 extending about three inches past the wrist of the wearer (
Claims
1. A heat-resistant protective glove suitable for handling hot items, the glove comprising:
- a heat-resistant hand covering member for accommodating a hand, and having a length “L” to cover at least the palm and wrist;
- a first, second and third covering members, the first covering member being a thumb covering member for accommodating a thumb, the second covering member accommodating the ring, middle and index fingers, and the third covering member accommodating the pinky finger; wherein the hand covering member and the first, second and third covering members being formed to the contour of a hand and made of at least an outer, middle and inner material, the middle and inner materials being heat resistant up to about at least 350 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit; and
- gripping elements positioned on a front and back of the hand covering member and the first, second and third covering members; the gripping elements being heat resistant and aiding in gripping items with the glove.
2. The glove according to claim 1, wherein the gripping elements are made of silicone-based material.
3. The glove according to claim 1, wherein front and back sides of the hand covering member and the first, second and third covering members of the glove are similarly designed such the glove is reversible for wear on both the right and left hands.
4. The glove according to claim 2, wherein front and back sides of the hand covering member and the first, second and third covering members of the glove are similarly designed such the glove is reversible for wear on both the right and left hands.
5. The glove according to claim 2, wherein the gripping elements run vertically from the tips of the fingers down towards the palm of a hand.
6. The glove according to claim 1, wherein the gripping elements are comprised of strips of a silicone based material running from finger tip towards the palm of the hand.
7. The glove according to claim 1, wherein the length “L” covers the palm, wrist and halfway towards the elbow.
8. A heat-resistant protective glove suitable for handling hot items, the glove comprising:
- a heat-resistant hand covering member for accommodating a hand, and having a length “L” to cover at least the palm and wrist;
- a thumb covering member for accommodating and covering a thumb;
- finger covering members designed to cover each of the four fingers of the hand; wherein the hand covering member, thumb covering member, and the finger covering members being formed to the contour of the hand and made of at least an outer, middle and inner material, the middle and inner materials being heat resistant up to about at least 350 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit; and
- gripping elements positioned on a front and back of the hand covering member, thumb covering members, and the finger covering members; the gripping elements being heat resistant and aiding in gripping items with the glove.
9. The glove according to claim 8, wherein the gripping elements are made of silicone-based material.
10. The glove according to claim 8, wherein front and back sides of the hand covering member and the first, second and third covering members of the glove are similarly designed such said glove is reversible for wear on both the right and left hands.
11. The glove according to claim 9, wherein front and back sides of the hand covering member, thumb covering member, and the finger covering members of the glove are similarly designed such said glove is reversible for wear on both the right and left hands.
12. The glove according to claim 9, wherein the gripping elements run vertically from the tips of the fingers down towards the palm of a hand.
13. The glove according to claim 8, wherein the gripping elements are comprised of strips of a silicone based material running from finger tip towards the palm of the hand.
14. The glove according to claim 8, wherein said length “L” covers the palm, wrist and halfway towards the elbow.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 22, 2007
Publication Date: Apr 24, 2008
Inventor: Alesa James Carr (West Bloomfield, MI)
Application Number: 11/876,329
International Classification: A41D 19/015 (20060101); A41D 19/00 (20060101);