GOLF GLOVE

Abstract

A golf glove includes a body panel forming an area including at least a portion of a palm portion to be in contact with the palm of the wearer, and fourchettes sewn up with the first panel at portions to be in contact with the fingers of the wearer. The body panel has a widened portion provided to widen a portion to be in contact with a portion other than a finger joint of the wearer on the palm side, and a recess provided to reduce the width of a portion to be in contact with the finger joint of the wearer on the palm side to be narrower than the widened portion. The fourchette has a protrusion formed to be complementary to the recess.

Description

This nonprovisional application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-098282 filed with the Japan Patent Office on Apr. 4, 2007, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a golf glove and, more specifically, to golf gloves worn by golfers.

2. Description of the Background Art

How one holds the grip of a golf club is characteristic in the following point. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 20A, when one holds the grips of a ski stock or a baseball bat, generally, the grip G of the stock or bat is arranged vertical to the direction of fingers (index finger to little finger) (up/down direction in FIG. 20A), and the grip is held with fingers aligned (FIG. 20B). In contrast, when one holds the grip of a golf club, the grip G of the golf club is arranged obliquely to the direction of fingers (index finger to little finger) (up/down direction of FIG. 21A) with the side of index finger positioned closer to the finger tip, as shown in FIG. 21A, and the grip is held rotated slightly to the back on the index finger side and to the palm on the little finger side (FIG. 21B).

Ski gloves and baseball gloves have been used conventionally and, golf gloves for golfers have also been widely used conventionally.

When one holds a ski stock or a baseball bat, what is primarily in contact with the grip is palm portion of the glove. In contrast, when one holds a golf club, not only the palm portion but also portions extending across the palm portion to the side surfaces of finger stalls also come into contact with the grip.

Generally, a finger stall of a golf glove is formed by sawing up a palm member, a back (dorsal) member and two fourchettes therebetween. Typically, four sides are sewn up so that the palm member, back member and the two fourchettes roughly form a rectangle.

As described above, when one holds the grip of a golf club, portions across the palm to the side surfaces of the finger stalls of the glove come to be in contact with the grip and, therefore, seams between the palm member and the fourchette tend to lie between the grip and the fingers of the golfer (portion “a” of FIG. 21B). The seam lying between the grip and the fingers of the golfer leads to a feel of foreign matter, resulting in poorer fit. When the palm member and fourchettes are sewn up inside in view of better appearance, seam margin protrudes inward in the finger stall, and the poor fit caused by the seam lying between the grip and the fingers of the golfer would be considerable. Golf gloves with no seam between the grip and the fingers of the golfer are desirable for better fit.

References describing conventional gloves include Japanese Patent Laying Open No. 2006-028676 (Patent Document 1), Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-281872 (Patent Document 2), Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 07-018765 (Patent Document 3), Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3054132 (Patent Document 4), Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-265306 (Patent Document 5), Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 06-052877 (Patent Document 6) and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2886 (Patent Document 7).

Patent Documents 1 to 5 disclose gloves in which palm portion other than the finger stalls and the finger stalls are formed by separate members.

Patent Document 6 describes a golf glove in which width of each finger part on a palm body is made wider than the finger part on the back body.

Further, Patent Document 7 describes provision of recesses and protrusions on the palm member and the fourchette such that the palm member is made wider at the joint portion of fingers of the wearer and the fourchette is made wider at other portions.

In gloves described in Patent Documents 1 to 5, the finger stalls and the palm portion other than the finger stalls are formed by separate members to eliminate seams between the palm portion and the side surface portion of the fingers, while seams lie at the root of finger stalls. Therefore, improved fit is not much expected.

In the glove described in Patent Document 6, seams are eliminated between the palm portion and the side surface portion of the fingers and at the root of finger stalls. In the glove described in Patent Document 6, however, the finger part of palm member comes to have a C-shape as the palm member is made wider at finger parts, and hence, one feels much resistance when bending his/her fingers. As it becomes difficult for the wearer to bend his/her fingers, improved fit is not much expected.

In the glove described in Patent Document 7, the member forming the palm portion is made wider at positions corresponding to joint portions of fingers of the wearer. Therefore, as in Patent Document 6, it becomes difficult for the wearer to bend his/her fingers, and improved fit is not much expected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a golf glove with good fit feeling.

According to an aspect, the present invention provides a golf glove having an index finger stall, a middle finger stall, a ring finger stall and a little finger stall respectively receiving index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger of a wearer, including: a first panel forming an area including at least a portion of a palm portion to be in contact with the palm of the wearer; and a second panel sewn up with parts of the palm portion to be in contact with fingers of the wearer.

The first panel may form the palm portion only, or it may form the palm portion to be in contact with the palm of the wearer and the back portion to be in contact with the back of the wearer's hand.

According to an aspect, in the golf glove in accordance with the present invention, the first panel has, at the finger part corresponding to at least one of the index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall, a widened portion provided to widen a portion to be in contact with a portion other than a finger joint of the wearer on the palm side, and a recess provided to reduce the width of a portion to be in contact with the finger joint of the wearer on the palm side to be narrower than the widened portion; and the second panel has a protrusion protruding to neighboring first panel to be complementary to the recess.

Because of the configuration described above, the seam between the first and second panels comes to be positioned away from the boundary between the palm and finger side surface toward the finger side surface. Therefore, when the golfer wears the golf glove and holds the grip of the golf club, seams do not lie between the hand of the golfer and the grip of the golf club, at portions other than the joint portions. Further, as the recess is provided in the first panel at the joint portion, the wearer can easily bend his/her finger. Further, as the protrusion complementary to the recess is provided in the second panel, the perimeter of the finger stall can be made uniform at the joint portions and portions other than the joint portions. Therefore, perimeter necessary for the finger stall can surely be attained at the joint portion, while at portions other than the joint portion, it is possible to prevent excessive increase of the perimeter and resulting rough fit of the finger stall. As a result, good fit can be attained in the golf glove.

In the present specification, the “joint portion of the finger” refers to the first joint and second joint of the finger. The “first joint” means the joint closer to the tip end of the finger, and the “second joint” means the joint positioned between the “first joint” and the root of the finger.

In the golf glove described above, the “recess” and the “protrusion” are typically formed both at the first and second joint portions. However, the “recess” and the “protrusion” may be formed at only one of the first and second joint portions.

According to an aspect, in the golf glove, the widened portion and the recess are provided on at least one side of all finger parts corresponding to the index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall.

According to another aspect, in the golf glove, the widened portion and the recess are formed only on thumb side of each finger part corresponding to at least one of the index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall.

According to a further aspect, in the golf glove, the widened portion and the recess are formed on both sides of each finger part corresponding to at least one of the index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall.

Preferably, in the golf glove, at the finger part corresponding to at least one of the index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall, the widened portion includes a first widened portion to be in contact with a portion between tip end and first joint of the wearer's finger, a second widened portion to be in contact with a portion between the first and second joints of the wearer's finger, and a third widened portion to be in contact with a portion between the second joint and the root of the wearer's finger, the second widened portion is wider than the first widened portion, and the third widened portion is wider than the second widened portion.

Because of the configuration described above, it is possible to more reliably prevent any seam from lying between the grip and the finger when one holds the grip.

According to a further aspect of the golf glove of the present invention, the first panel is formed such that, at a finger part corresponding to at least one of the index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall, width of the first panel is made narrower at a portion to be in contact with a finger joint of the wearer on the palm side of each finger stall relative to the width of other portions of the finger part of said first panel; and the second panel has a protruded portion formed to protrude toward neighboring first panel and to supplement perimeter of the finger stall at the joint portion.

Accordingly, the seam between the first and second panels comes to be positioned away from the boundary between the palm and finger side surface toward the finger side surface. Therefore, when the golfer wears the golf glove and holds the grip of the golf club, seams do not lie between the hand of the golfer and the grip of the golf club, at portions other than the joint portions. On the other hand, at the joint portion, the first panel forming the palm portion is set narrower, allowing the wearer to bend his/her finger easily. Further, as the protrusion supplementing the width of the portion to be in contact with the joint portion of the first panel is provided, the perimeter of the finger stall can be made uniform at the joint portion and portions other than the joint portion. Therefore, perimeter necessary for the finger stall can surely be attained at the joint portion, while at portions other than the joint portion, it is possible to prevent excessive increase of the perimeter and resulting rough fit of the finger stall. As a result, good fit can be attained in the golf glove.

In the golf glove described above, typically, the width of the first panel is made “relatively narrower” both at the first and second joint portions than the width of other portions. However, the width of the first panel may be made “relatively narrower” at only one of the first and second joint portions than the width of other portions.

According to another aspect, the protrusion is provided on at least one side of all finger parts corresponding to the index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall.

According to a further aspect, the protrusion is formed only on thumb side of each finger part corresponding to at least one of the index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall.

According to a still further aspect the protrusion is formed on both sides of each finger part corresponding to at least one of the index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall.

Preferably, the first panel forming the palm portion is formed such that central space of parts to be in contact with the index finger to little finger of the wearer becomes wider to the tip end side in the state before sewing up. Here, after the first and second panels are sewn up, finger stalls are formed approximately parallel to each other.

Preferably, the first and second panels are sewn up by lapped seam.

Accordingly, as the first and second panels are sewn up in lapped seam, even when the seam happens to lie between the hand of the golfer and the grip of the golf club, rough feel can be lessened.

According to the present invention, a golf glove that softens feel of foreign matter and attains better fit can be provided.

The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the golf glove in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention viewed from the back side of the hand.

FIG. 2 shows a body panel of the golf glove shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a modification of the body panel of the golf glove shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4. shows another modification of the body panel of the golf glove shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows a comparative example of the body panel shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 6 shows a comparative example of the body panel shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 shows, in enlargement, a portion where the palm portion and the side surface portion are sewn up, at the finger stall (middle finger) of the golf glove shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 schematically shows a cross-section of the finger stall corresponding to portion A of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 schematically shows a cross-section of the finger stall corresponding to portion B of FIG. 7.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are illustrations related to easiness/difficulty in bending the finger.

FIG. 11 schematically shows a cross-section of a modification of the finger stall corresponding to portion A of FIG. 7.

FIGS. 12A and 12B are illustrations related to difference in rough feel dependent on the manner of sewing.

FIG. 13 schematically shows a cross-section of another modification of the finger stall corresponding to portion A of FIG. 7.

FIGS. 14 to 19 show modifications of respective finger parts of the body panel.

FIGS. 20A to 21B are illustrations showing relations between the grip and the direction of fingers holding the grip.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The same or corresponding portions will be denoted by the same reference characters and description thereof may not be repeated.

It is noted that, numbers, amounts and the like mentioned in the description of the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the invention unless specified otherwise. Further, each of the components of the embodiments are not always necessary to the present invention, unless specified otherwise. Further, when there are a plurality of embodiments, it is initially expected that characteristic portions of the plurality of embodiments may be combined appropriately, unless specified otherwise.

FIG. 1 shows the golf glove in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention viewed from the back side of the hand. Referring to FIG. 1, a golf club 1 in accordance with the present embodiment has a back portion 2 to be in contact with the back of wearer's hand and a palm portion 3 (see FIGS. 2 to 6) to be in contact with the wearer's palm. Here, “palm” means the inner surface up from the wrist (including fingers), and “back of the hand” refers to the side opposite to the palm.

Golf glove 1 has a thumb stall 10, index finger stall 20, middle finger stall 30, ring finger stall 40 and little finger stall 50 to receive the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger of the wearer, respectively.

FIG. 2 shows a body panel 1A forming palm portion 2 and back portion 3 of golf glove 1. Referring to FIG. 2, body panel 1 constitutes the main panel of palm portion 2 and back portion 3 of golf glove 1. Back portion 2 includes an index finger part 220, middle finger part 230, ring finger part 240 and little finger part 250, while palm portion 3 includes an index finger part 320, middle finger part 330, ring finger part 340 and little finger part 350. As shown in FIG. 2, index finger part 220 on the palm portion 2 and index finger part 320 of back portion 3 of body panel 1 are continuous.

Index finger part 320, middle finger part 330, ring finger part 340 and little finger part 350 of palm portion 3 have widened portions 321, 331, 341 and 351 as well as recesses 322, 332, 342 and 352, respectively. Widened portions 321, 331, 341 and 351 are formed at positions corresponding to portions other than the finger joints of the wearer, while recesses 322, 332, 342 and 352 are formed at portions corresponding to the finger joints of the wearer. Therefore, at the finger part of body panel 1A, the width (A1) of palm portion 3 to be in contact with a portion other than the joint is wider than the width (B1) of palm portion to be in contact with the joint.

FIG. 3 shows a modification of body panel 1A shown in FIG. 2. In the example of FIG. 2 above, widened portions 331, 341 and recesses 332, 342 are formed on opposite sides (left and right sides in FIG. 2) of middle finger part 330 and ring finger part 340, while in the present modification, widened portions 331, 341 and recesses 332, 342 are formed only on the thumb side (only on the right side in FIG. 3) of middle finger part 330 and ring finger part 340.

FIG. 4 shows another modification of body panel 1A shown in FIG. 2. In the examples shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 above, body panel 1A forms back portion 2 and palm portion 3, while in the present modification, body panel 1A forms only the palm portion 3 and another body panel (not shown) forms the back portion 2.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show body panels 1A of comparative examples. FIG. 5 shows an example in which body panel 1A forms back portion 2 and palm portion 3, and FIG. 6 shows an example in which body panel 1A forms only the palm portion 3.

In the examples of FIGS. 5 and 6, the widened portions and recesses shown in the examples of FIGS. 2 to 4 are not formed at each finger part. Therefore, in the examples of FIGS. 5 and 6, when portions to be respective finger parts are formed approximately parallel to each other in the state before sewing, it is possible to ensure sufficient width of the portions to be respective finger parts of body panel 1A.

However, if the widened portions and recesses are formed at respective finger parts as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and the portions to be respective finger parts are formed approximately parallel to each other in the state before sewing, the width of the portion corresponding to each finger part of body panel 1A would be insufficient at the joint portion.

In this regard, in the golf glove 1 of the present embodiment, panel 1A forming palm portion 3 is formed such that central space of portions constituting respective finger parts becomes wider to the tip end side in the state before sewing up. Thus, sufficient width of portions corresponding to respective finger parts of body panel 1A can be ensured.

FIG. 7 shows, in enlargement, a portion where body panel 1A on the palm side and fourchette 4 forming a side surface portion are sewn up, at the middle finger stall 30. Referring to FIG. 7, palm portion 3 provided by body panel 1A is sewn up with fourchette 4. Fourchette 4 has a protruded portion 431 formed complementary to recess 332. As the protruded portion 431 as such is provided, the perimeter of middle finger stall 30 reduced by the recess 332 is supplemented, and the perimeter of middle finger stall 30 at portion A corresponding to portions other than the finger joint of the wearer and the perimeter of middle finger stall 30 at portion B corresponding to the finger joint of the wearer can be made uniform.

Though middle finger stall 30 has been described as an example with reference to FIG. 7, similar structure may be adopted at index finger stall 20, ring finger stall 40 and little finger stall 50.

Next, the method of sewing up members at finger stalls will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 schematically showing cross-sections of a finger stall (index finger stall 20 to little finger stall 50) of golf glove 1. In FIGS. 8 and 9, two-dotted lines represent the wearer's finger.

FIG. 8 shows a cross section corresponding to portion A (other then the joint portion) of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 shows a cross section corresponding to portion B (joint portion) of FIG. 7. Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the finger stall (index finger stall 20 to little finger stall 50) receiving the wearer's finger is formed to have a cylindrical shape by sewing up body panel 1A and two fourchettes 4. In the example shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, body panel 1A on palm side 3 and fourchette 4 are both bent inward and sewn up together at portion α of FIGS. 8 and 9 (in the specification, such manner of sewing will be referred to as “in-seam”), while on the back side 2, body panel 1A and fourchette 4 are sewn up together at portion 13 of FIGS. 8 and 9 with body panel 1A positioned overlapped on fourchette 4 (in the present specification, such manner of sewing will be referred to as “lapped seam”).

At portions other than the finger joint of the wearer, the width of body panel 1A on the palm side 3 is set wide. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the portion where body panel 1A and fourchette 4 are sewn together (portion α) is positioned away from the palm portion 3 to the side surface of the finger. When one holds the grip of a golf club, a portion positioned away from the palm portion 3 to the side surface of the finger tends to be in contact with the grip. Therefore, as the portion where body panel 1A and fourchette 4 are sewn together is displaced from the boundary between the palm portion 3 and the side surface of the finger to the side of the finger, it becomes less likely that the seam lies between the finger and the grip when one holds the grip, whereby better fit is attained.

On the other hand, at the finger joint portion of the wearer, body panel 1A forming palm portion 3 is formed as a flat panel, as shown in FIG. 9. If the structure shown in FIG. 8 is applied to the joint portion, body panel 1A forming palm portion 3 comes to have C-shape at the joint portion as shown in FIG. 10A. Therefore one feels much resistance when bending his/her fingers and it becomes difficult for the wearer to bend his/her fingers, resulting in poorer fit. In contrast, when the structure of FIG. 9 is applied to the joint portion, body panel 1A forming palm portion 3 at the joint portion is formed as a flat panel as shown in FIG. 10B. Therefore, one feels relatively small resistance when bending his/her fingers and it becomes easier for the wearer to bend his/her fingers, resulting in better fit. With the cross section shown in FIG. 9, the in-seam (portion α) comes to lie between the finger and the grip when one holds the grip. At the joint portion, however, there is not much direct contact between the finger and the grip, and hence, the well-fit feeling is not much affected.

In the example of body panel 1A shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the widened portion and recess described above are not provided on thumb side of index finger part 320. The reason for this is that in the example of FIGS. 2 and 3, in the first place, there is no seam line between body panel 1A and fourchette 4 on the thumb side of index finger part 320 and, hence, there is no problem of poor fit caused by the seam lying between the wearer's hand and the grip.

Further, in the example of body panel 1A shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 described above, the widened portion and recess described above are not provided on the side opposite to the thumb of little finger part 350. The reason for this is that the side opposite to the thumb of little finger part 350 hardly comes into contact with the grip of the golf club when one holds the grip, and hence, the problem of poor fit caused by the seam lying between the wearer's hand and the grip hardly occurs.

In the golf glove of the present embodiment, body panel 1A is formed of natural leather such as sheep leather, goat skin and cowhide, artificial leather mainly using unwoven fabric as a ground fabric, or synthetic leather mainly using woven fabric as a ground fabric. When the back portion 2 and palm portion 3 are formed by separate members/materials, it is preferred to use highly stretchable material on the back side 2 and highly wear-resistant material on the palm side 3. Further, fourchette 4 may be formed of the same material as body panel 1A or it may be formed of a different material. For instance, if highly stretchable knit material is adopted for fourchette 4, improved fit can be attained when one wears the golf glove.

FIG. 11 shows a cross section of a modification of the finger stall corresponding to a portion other than the joint portion. In the example of FIG. 11, body panel 1A on the palm side 3 and fourchette 4 are sewn up by lapped seam (see portion α), and body panel 1A on the back side 2 and fourchette 4 are sewn up by in-seam (see portion β). Assuming that palm portion 3 and fourchette 4 are sewn up by in-seam and the seam between body panel 1A on palm side 3 and fourchette 4 lies between the finger and the grip when one holds the grip, three layers would be overlapped partially in the finger stall as shown in FIG. 12A, resulting in significant rough feel. In contrast, when palm portion 3 and fourchette 4 are sewn up by lapped seam and the seam between body panel 1A on palm side 3 and fourchette 4 lies between the finger and the grip when one holds the grip, at most two layers would be overlapped in the finger stall. Therefore, as compared with in-seam sewing of palm portion 3 and fourchette 4, roughness can be reduced and hence, fit feeling is not much degraded.

FIG. 13 shows a cross-section of another modification of the finger stall corresponding to a portion other than the joint portion. In the example of FIG. 13, only on the thumb side of the finger stall, the sew-up portion (portion α) between body panel 1A and fourchette 4 is formed at a position away from palm portion 3 and closer to the side surface of the finger. Here, it becomes necessary to make widths of left and right fourchettes 4 different from each other.

Next, modifications of widened portion 331 and recess 332 of middle finger part will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 19. Though description will be given in connection with middle finger part 330 in FIGS. 14 to 19, it is naturally possible to apply similar modifications to index finger part 320, ring finger part 340 and little finger part 350.

In the example above, the width of widened portion 331 is approximately uniform over the entire length of the finger part. However, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the width of widened portion 331 may be varied along the length of middle finger part 330. In the example shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the width (C1) of a first widened portion 331A between the tip end and the first joint of the finger, the width (C2) of a second widened portion 331B between the first and the second joints, and the width (C3) of a third widened portion between the second joint and the root of the finger are made different from each other. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the width (C2) of the second widened portion is made wider than the width (C1) of the first widened portion, and the width (C3) of the third widened portion is made wider than the width (C2) of the second widened portion. In the example shown in FIG. 15, the width (C2) of the second widened portion is made narrower than the width (C1) of the first widened portion, and the width (C3) of the third widened portion is made wider than the width (C1) of the first widened portion and the width (C2) of the second widened portion.

When the shape shown in FIG. 14 is adopted, the following effects could be attained. As described above, when one holds the golf club grip, the grip of the golf club is arranged obliquely to the direction of index finger to little finger, and the grip is held rotated slightly to the back on the index finger side and to the palm on the little finger side. Therefore, positions across the palm to the side surface of fingers come to be in contact with the grip of the golf club. Such state is more notable on the root side of the finger, and on the tip end side of fingers, mainly the palm side of fingers are in contact with the grip as one firmly holds the grip (in other words, at the time of gripping, golfer's fingers are twisted). Therefore, the necessity of extending the body panel 1A from the palm portion 3 to the side surface of the finger, in order to prevent the seam from lying between the finger and the grip when one holds the grip, becomes higher from the tip end side to the root side of the finger. By the shape shown in FIG. 14, such a demand is satisfied and the seam can more reliably be avoided between the finger and the grip when one holds the grip.

The shape of recess 332 may be modified variously, as shown in FIGS. 16 to 19. Specifically, recess 332 may have a semicircular shape as shown in FIG. 16, V-shape as shown in FIG. 17, or a V- and curved shape combined as shown in FIG. 18. Alternatively, it may have a shape defined by a relatively moderate curve.

As shown in FIG. 19, when the shape of recess 332 is defined by a relatively moderate curve, sewing of body panel 1A and fourchette 4 becomes easier. On the other hand, such shape reduces the range of widened portion 331, and hence, possibility of seam lying between the finger and the grip at the time of holding the grip increases to some extent. When the range of recess 332 is made wider, however, it becomes possible to provide a golf glove that better accommodates golfer-by-golfer difference in joint positions.

The inventor of the present invention measured joint positions of respective fingers of a plurality of golfers who wear gloves of 23 cm size (measured around one's hand). The results are as shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1
Golfer name	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
index finger	index finger length	77	76	69	75	72	66	70	70
	distance to 1st joint	29	26	25	27	26	23	26	26
	ratio of 1st joint	37.7%	34.2%	36.2%	36.0%	36.1%	34.8%	37.1%	37.1%
	distance to 2nd joint	50	50	43	46	47	45	46	47
	ratio of 2nd joint	64.9%	65.8%	62.3%	61.3%	65.3%	68.2%	65.7%	67.1%
middle finger	middle finger length	86	83	76	87	78	73	83	76
	distance to 1st joint	29	25	25	27	28	24	27	26
	ratio of 1st joint	33.7%	30.1%	32.9%	31.0%	35.9%	32.9%	32.5%	34.2%
	distance to 2nd joint	54	53	48	50	51	49	52	50
	ratio of 2nd joint	62.8%	63.9%	63.2%	57.5%	65.4%	67.1%	62.7%	65.8%
ring finger	ring finger length	81	82	71	75	74	73	79	71
	distance to 1st joint	29	26	25	27	28	24	27	26
	ratio of 1st joint	35.8%	31.7%	35.2%	36.0%	37.8%	32.9%	34.2%	36.6%
	distance to 2nd joint	54	52	48	49	51	48	52	49
	ratio of 2nd joint	66.7%	63.4%	67.6%	65.3%	68.9%	65.8%	65.8%	69.0%
little finger	little finger length	64	68	58	62	61	59	64	60
	distance to 1st joint	25	24	24	25	26	23	26	24
	ratio of 1st joint	39.1%	35.3%	41.4%	40.3%	42.6%	39.0%	40.6%	40.0%
	distance to 2nd joint	43	45	40	43	43	39	46	40
	ratio of 2nd joint	67.2%	66.2%	69.0%	69.4%	70.5%	66.1%	71.9%	66.7%
					standard	range of joint
	Golfer name	I	J	average	deviation σ	position
	index finger	index finger length	73	71	71.9
		distance to 1st joint	26	26	26
		ratio of 1st joint	35.6%	36.6%	36.2%	1.1%	36.2 ± 2.2%
		distance to 2nd joint	46	46	46.6
		ratio of 2nd joint	63.0%	64.8%	64.8%	2.1%	64.8 ± 4.2%
	middle finger	middle finger length	79	78	79.9
		distance to 1st joint	27	25	26.3
		ratio of 1st joint	34.2%	32.1%	33.0%	1.7%	33.0 ± 3.4%
		distance to 2nd joint	50	50	50.7
		ratio of 2nd joint	63.3%	64.1%	63.6%	2.6%	63.6 ± 5.2%
	ring finger	ring finger length	75	79	76
		distance to 1st joint	27	27	26.6
		ratio of 1st joint	36.0%	34.2%	35.0%	1.8%	35.0 ± 3.6%
		distance to 2nd joint	49	51	50.3
		ratio of 2nd joint	65.3%	64.6%	66.2%	1.8%	66.2 ± 3.6%
	little finger	little finger length	60	62	61.8
		distance to 1st joint	25	26	24.8
		ratio of 1st joint	41.7%	41.9%	40.2%	2.1%	40.2 ± 4.2%
		distance to 2nd joint	40	44	42.3
		ratio of 2nd joint	66.7%	71.0%	68.4%	2.2%	68.4 ± 4.4%
	(Length of each finger and distance to joint: mm)

In Table 1,

• 1. “index finger length,” “middle finger length,” “ring finger length,” and “little finger length” denote the length on the center line of the projection of each finger (from the tip end to the wrinkle at the root);
• 2. “distance to 1st joint” and “distance to 2nd joint” denote the length from tip end to the first and the second joints (center of the wrinkle), respectively, on the center line of the projection of each finger;
• 3. “ratio of 1st joint” and “ratio of 2nd joint” denotes the ratio of distance from the tip end to the first joint and to the second joint of each finger with respect to the “length” of each finger; and
• 4. “range of joint position” denotes a value of average ±2σ of 10 golfers A to J, that is, the range in which joint positions of about 97% of all golfers fall within.

By providing the joint portion of the glove at the portion corresponding to the “range of joint position” of Table 1, a glove appropriate for most golfers can be provided. The range of joint portion, however, is not necessarily limited to the range of joint position shown in Table 1, and it may be changed appropriately in accordance with the glove specification.

The contents described above will be summarized as follows. Specifically, golf glove 1 in accordance with the present embodiment includes body panel 1A as the “first panel” forming an area including at least a part of palm portion 3 to be in contact with the palm of the wearer, and fourchettes 4 as the “second panel” to be sewn up with body panel 1A at portions in contact with the fingers of the wearer.

Body panel 1A has widened portions 321, 331, 341 and 351 provided to widen portions (portion A of FIG. 7) to be in contact with the wearer's fingers at portions other than the joints on the palm side 3, and recesses 322, 332, 342 and 352 provided to reduce the width of portions (portion B of FIG. 7) to be in contact with the joints of wearer's fingers on the palm side 3 to be narrower than widened portions 321, 331, 341 and 351. Fourchettes 4 have protrusions (for example, protrusion 431 of middle finger part 30 of FIG. 7) protruded to body panel 1A to be complementary to recesses 322, 332, 342 and 352.

In other words, body panel 1A is formed such that the portion (portion B of FIG. 7) to be in contact with the wearer's joint on the palm side of each finger part has a width (B1 of FIGS. 2 to 4) narrower than the width (A1 of FIGS. 2 to 4) of other portion (portion A of FIG. 7) of the finger part. Further, fourchette 4 has a protrusion (for example, protrusion 431 of middle finger part 30 of FIG. 7) formed to supplement the perimeter of the finger stall at the joint portion of the wearer.

In the present embodiment, examples have been described in which index finger stall 20, middle finger stall 30, ring finger stall 40 and little finger stall 50 all have widened portions 321, 331, 341 and 351 and recesses 322, 332, 342 and 352 provided on at least one side. The widened portion and the recess may be formed on at least one of the finger stalls.

Further, shapes of widened portions 321, 331, 341 and 351 and recesses 322, 332, 342 and 352 are not limited to those shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, and the width of body panel 1A may be varied more moderately at each finger part.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the scope of the present invention being interpreted by the terms of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A golf glove having an index finger stall, a middle finger stall, a ring finger stall and a little finger stall respectively receiving index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger of a wearer, comprising:

a first panel forming an area including at least a portion of a palm portion to be in contact with a palm of the wearer; and

a second panel sewn up with parts of said palm portion to be in contact with the fingers of the wearer,

said first panel including, at the finger part corresponding to at least one of said index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall,

a widened portion provided to widen a portion to be in contact with a portion other than a finger joint of said wearer on said palm side, and

a recess provided to reduce the width of a portion to be in contact with the finger joint of said wearer on the palm side to be narrower than said widened portion, and

said second panel including a protrusion protruding to neighboring said first panel to be complementary to said recess.

2. The golf glove according to claim 1, wherein

the first panel forming said palm portion is formed such that central space of parts to be in contact with the index finger to little finger of the wearer becomes wider to the tip end side in the state before sewing up.

3. The golf glove according to claim 1, wherein

said first and second panels are sewn up by lapped seam.

4. The golf glove according to claim 1, wherein

said widened portion and said recess are provided on at least one side of all finger parts corresponding to said index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall.

5. The golf glove according to claim 1, wherein

said widened portion and said recess are formed only on thumb side of each finger part corresponding to at least one of said index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall.

6. The golf glove according to claim 1, wherein

said widened portion and said recess are formed on both sides of each finger part corresponding to at least one of said index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall.

7. The golf glove according to claim 1, wherein

at the finger part corresponding to at least one of said index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall,

said widened portion includes a first widened portion to be in contact with a portion between tip end and first joint of the wearer's finger, a second widened portion to be in contact with a portion between the first and second joints of the wearer's finger, and a third widened portion to be in contact with a portion between the second joint and the root of the wearer's finger, and

said second widened portion is wider than said first widened portion, and said third widened portion is wider than said second widened portion.

8. A golf glove having an index finger stall, a middle finger stall, a ring finger stall and a little finger stall respectively receiving index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger of a wearer, comprising:

a first panel forming an area including at least a portion of a palm portion to be in contact with a palm of the wearer; and

a second panel sewn up with parts of said palm portion to be in contact with the fingers of the wearer,

said first panel being formed such that, at the finger part corresponding to at least one of said index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall, width of said first panel is made narrower at a portion to be in contact with a finger joint of said wearer on said palm side of each finger stall relative to the width of other portions of the finger part of said first panel, and

said second panel including a protruded portion formed to protrude toward neighboring said first panel and to supplement perimeter of the finger stall at the joint portion.

9. The golf glove according to claim 8, wherein

the first panel forming said palm portion is formed such that central space of parts to be in contact with the index finger to little finger of the wearer becomes wider to the tip end side in the state before sewing up.

10. The golf glove according to claim 8, wherein

said first and second panels are sewn up by lapped seam.

11. The golf glove according to claim 8, wherein

said protrusion is provided on at least one side of all finger parts corresponding to said index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall.

12. The golf glove according to claim 8, wherein

said protrusion is formed only on thumb side of each finger part corresponding to at least one of said index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall.

13. The golf glove according to claim 8, wherein

said protrusion is formed on both sides of each finger part corresponding to at least one of said index finger stall, middle finger stall, ring finger stall and little finger stall.