Protective glove

Abstract

The invention relates to a protective glove (1) for protecting certain regions of a user's hand (2) against foreign bodies impacting with it such as bullets and/or stabbing or cutting devices, with a lining (4) made from a material that is not or not very resistant to stabs, cuts or incisions and is not bullet-proof, for example a textile fabric, a leather, a laminate or similar, comprising several glove fingers (10 to 14), and a glove top face (17) extends on an external surface (3) of the lining (4) in the region of finger top sides (19) and in a top hand region (15), and a bullet-proof and/or cut or stab inhibiting protective padding (20) is built up on or placed on certain regions of the glove top face (17) starting from a padding bottom face (21) and is attached to the lining (4) at joining points (22), and the protective padding (20) prevents penetration by foreign bodies impacting with it to a glove interior lying underneath it.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a national phase application of PCT Patent Application No. PCT/AT2005/000349, filed Aug. 31, 2005 which claims priority from Austrian Application No. A 1520/2004, filed Sep. 13, 2004. The disclosure of each such application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety where appropriate for teachings of additional or alternative details, features, anchor technical background, and priority is asserted from each.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a protective glove for protecting a user's hand from foreign bodies, such as projectile objects or stabbing or cutting devices, of the type described in the introductory part of claim 1.

Items of clothing designed to project against stabbing and shooting injuries are already known from the prior art. The linings of these items of clothing are usually made up of several layers of material and individual layers are made from a bulletproof material or a material resistant to incisions, cutting or piercing. Bullet-proof clothing in particular is known, for example in the form of protective vests and similar, which protect a user against injuries caused by bullets.

Patent specification EP 0 773 869 B1 discloses an item of protective clothing specifically designed to protect against injuries by stabbing devices, cutting devices, bullets or shrapnel, which is made from layers of fabrics placed one above the other, which are also stitched to one another or bonded to one another in a dotted pattern. At least one of the layers is provided with a ceramic coating applied to at least one side by means of a plasma spray coating process.

Patent specification EP 0 972 169 B1 discloses a material resistant to stabbing, which is made film a base material incorporating solid particles and a fabric packet. The stab-resistant material contains a base material coated with solid particles of a diameter of between 0.1 and 3 mm and which is disposed on the fabric packet, the fabric packet being thicker than 1.5 mm.

With items of clothing of this structure, even though the lining incorporating the protective material may be relatively thin, a user's sense of touch or feeling is restricted by these items of protective clothing compared with a conventional item of clothing that does not incorporate bullet-proof or stab-resistant protective material. Such items of clothing are also relatively expensive to produce and because of their thin-layered structure, reliable protection against bullets can be guaranteed to only a certain degree. Although bullets impacting with the known protective clothing may be prevented from penetrating the interior of the known protective clothing, the thin-layered material structure of the known clothing does not decelerate bullets sufficiently and the kinetic energy of ballistic missiles can not be sufficiently absorbed by this material structure to prevent a trauma effect and impact injuries to a user caused by the forces released on impact.

It should be pointed out that when it comes to protective clothing known from the prior art, protective gloves in particular are not satisfactory in practical applications because a user's sense of touch and feeling and the freedom of movement of the fingers, which is crucial to some activities, is too severely restricted due to the protective material in these regions since it is not readily deformable.

In the glove-making industry, therefore, there is a need for a protective glove which on the one hand does not restrict the sense of touch and feeling and the freedom of movement of a user's hand, in particular the palm of a hand, unlike the gloves known from the prior art, and on the other hand is resistant to foreign bodies in a defined region and is capable of damping or absorbing their impact energy to a high degree. There is a need for gloves meeting these requirements for military personnel and police officers, etc., in particular.

These requirements are satisfied by a glove of the type proposed by the invention, and it is the objective of the invention to propose a protective glove which affords improved resistance to foreign bodies in some regions, such as ballistic missiles and/or piercing or cutting devices for example, and which do not or barely restrict the sense of touch and feeling and the freedom of movement of a user's hand, especially in the region of the palm of the hand and in the finger region.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the invention is directed to a protective glove for protecting certain regions of a user's hand against foreign bodies impacting with it, comprising a lining made from a material covering several glove fingers and a glove top face on an external surface of the lining extending into the region of finger top sides and a top hand region; and an impact protective padding which is built or placed on at least certain regions of a glove top face starting from a padding bottom face and attached to the lining at joining points, where at least one free zone on the glove top face has no joining points between the protective padding and the lining, said free zone extending at least into a partial section of a peripheral contour which encloses the padding bottom side at least in a peripheral edge or frontal or terminal end region of the protective padding.

The resultant advantage primarily resides in the fact that, by providing one or more free zone(s) starting from the edge or side regions of the protective padding in which the protective padding and lining are not joined, a user is able to move parts of his hand, in particular his fingers, in the free zone without there being a significantly increased mechanical resistance, thereby requiring less force to be expended. Accordingly, a protective padding with a particularly high protective effect can be used which is significantly more dimensionally stable and bending-resistant than the flexible lining but does not or barely restricts the freedom of movement of a user's hand because the protective padding extends in the free zone independently of and standing free from the lining of the protective glove surrounding a user's band. The advantage of a glove based on this type of design is that it affords greater and better protection against foreign bodies in the most important protective zones and the required freedom of movement and sense of touch and feeling in the regions outside the protective zone, such as the palm of the hand for example, is not restricted.

Advantageous embodiments are defined by the fact that a gap or an open region is provided means that the free zone can be made in a design using simple means. In particular, the joining points may bound the gap underneath the protective padding so that the extent of the free zone formed by the gap when the protective padding is attached to the lining can be easily defined by the contour of the joining points.

An embodiment provides a special advantage because a protective padding covering the region of the finger joints enables all regions of the top of the hand which might be the target of an attack by means of a foreign body to be protected. In particular, a glove of this design is of advantage when using or operating firearms because when holding a firearm, the top of the hand lies free and constitutes a target for attack by foreign firearms, and this top side of the hand, including the back of the hand lying in the same plane as the top sides of the fingers, is protected against foreign missiles by the protective padding. Deployment troops or military units in particular, who are forced to engage in armed combat, can be reliably protected against shooting injuries or cutting or stabbing injuries in the region of the hand, but their ability to handle devices or tools is not restricted because tactility is preserved in the region of the palm of the hand by means of the glove. In particular, one or more fingers of the glove, at least the inner or proximal finger region of which is covered by the protective padding, can be bent without a significantly higher resistance. This is achieved due to the fact that the relatively dimensionally stable and bending-resistant protective padding is not attached to the finger top sides and a gap is provided between the finger top sides and the bottom face of the protective padding. The fingers can therefore be bent or clenched into a first position, which is necessary in particular when using firearms in order to hold the firing device and fire a shot, and there is therefore virtually no restriction.

The geometric shape of the protective padding has proved to be particularly functional and efficient in practice from a structural point of view.

Another preferred embodiment of the protective glove has proved to be of particular advantage because the freedom of movement of the protective glove is further improved on the one hand, but optimum protection is afforded against piercing foreign bodies such as projectile objects or cutting or stabbing devices on the other hand, thereby fulfilling the bullet-proofing and stab-resistant and cut-inhibiting function.

Claim 12 defines a layout of the joining, points making it easy to join the protective padding and the lining and ensuring that the protective padding is reliably attached to the lining.

As a result of the features wherein two of the joining points are disposed between the protective padding and the lining in lateral finger-side regions of two glove fingers, preferably an index finger and a little finger, a compact unit with the fingers lying underneath is achieved in a longitudinal portion of the protective padding in which the free zone is provided, so that the protective padding is always disposed in the region of the fingers and any flapping or bending of the protective padding in the direction away from the fingers can be ruled out. This reduces the risk of the protective gloves being unintentionally caught or snagged on an object during use.

The advantage of the glove is provided by the feature that a protective padding of the specified dimensions protects the hand of a user particularly reliably against injuries by foreign bodies. The rectangular extension of the protective padding protects the entire outer hand region against contact by foreign bodies on the one hand. On the other hand, the specified thickness dimensions of the protective padding largely protect a user's hand against injuries because with a protective material of the specified thickness, foreign bodies, in particular bullets and shrapnel, with a particularly high kinetic energy can be stopped and the relatively thick design of the protective padding compared with the lining of the glove is able to absorb the forces released by the foreign body on impact due to the protective material and damping and speed-decelerating protective layers in the protective padding. Due to a protective padding of this type, a user can be protected against open wounds caused by foreign bodies and against blunt injuries and traumatic effects generated by the forces released on impact.

Another embodiment of the glove is of advantage because the protective glove can be made very inexpensively due to a non-detachable and dotted or linear shaped attachment of the lining to the protective padding, but the protective glove is nevertheless of a very compact and highly resistant design. The extension of the free zone can be readily defined by the joining points.

Another advantageous embodiment of the protective glove is provided by an interchangeable protective padding of the glove advantageously enables the glove to be adapted to different types of protection required in different applications and a protective padding which might have been damaged can be replaced by an intact protective padding.

Another advantageous embodiment provides practical joining means for attaching the protective padding to the lining of the glove. Joining means may comprise various known attaching or adhesion devices.

A design of the protective glove wherein the protective padding comprises one or more protective layer(s) made from a speed-inhibiting or kinetic energy absorbing protective material, in particular a bullet-proof material is of advantage due to the tried and tested structure known from the prior art and the protective function which can be achieved as a result.

Another advantageous embodiment of the protective glove is provided, whereby the accessible pocket increases the functionality of the glove and one or more protective layers of the protective padding may be changed and/or implements of a user may be placed in the protective padding, thereby providing a usable stowage space in the protective padding.

As a result of the embodiment, foreign bodies can be reliably prevented from unintentionally penetrating an interior of the pocket of the protective padding or objects prevented from falling out.

As a result of the preferred embodiment of the protective glove, the layer or layered packet of the protective padding can be easily attached to the lining, and the externally lying top layer which does not have to fulfill a protective function can be used to impart to the glove a design that is pleasant to the touch and or visually attractive or suitable for a specific purpose, for example by using a camouflage design.

Other advantageous embodiments of the protective glove may include straps or tape, and in spite of the fact that protective padding is provided, the adjusting mechanism, in particular the strap, enables the protective glove to be reliably affixed to a user's hand, thereby preventing the glove from being undesirably pulled off. This is rendered possible in particular by the tunnel provided in the protective padding, through which the strap extends, and the shaft can be secured around a wide circumference in the wrist region of a user's hand.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the appended schematic drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a plan view illustrating one possible embodiment of the protective glove proposed by the invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a side view showing the protective glove illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts a side view of the protective glove illustrated in FIG. 1 with angled fingers;

FIG. 4 depicts a side view of the glove illustrated in FIG. 1 and a detail in section; and

FIG. 5 shows a front view of the glove illustrated in FIG. 1 with angled fingers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Firstly, it should be pointed out that the same parts described in the different embodiments are denoted by the same reference numbers and the same component names and the disclosures made throughout the description can be transposed in terms of meaning to same parts bearing the same reference numbers or same component names. Furthermore, the positions chosen for the purposes of the description, such as top, bottom, side, etc, relate to the drawing specifically being described and can be transposed in terms of meaning to a new position when another position is being described. Individual features or combinations of features from the different embodiments illustrated and described may be construed as independent inventive solutions or solutions proposed by the invention in their own right.

FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate one possible embodiment of a protective glove 1. The protective glove 1 is designed to protect certain regions of a user's hand 2 against foreign bodies hitting the protective glove 1. In particular, the intention is to protect a user's hand 2 against foreign bodies in the form of ballistic missiles, for example projectile objects, bullets, shrapnel, etc., and/or against cutting or stabbing devices. The protected region of the user's hand 2 does not extend across an entire external surface 3 of a lining 4 from which the protective glove 1 is made but to protect a user's hand 2 from said foreign bodies exclusively in a protection zone 5 extending across a part of the external surface 3 of the protective glove 1.

In the embodiment illustrated as an example, the lining 4 from which the glove 1 is made comprises several deformable or flexible material blanks 6 which are joined by seams 7, in particular stitched seams. In another example of an embodiment, although this is not illustrated, the lining 4 may be of an integral design and comprise only one material blank 6.

Furthermore, the lining 4 is made from an individual material layer or a layered structure comprising several layers of material placed one above the other. The one or more material layers 8 of the lining 4 may be a textile fabric, in particular a woven or braided textile material, a layer of leather, a synthetic layer, a foil, a membrane, or functional layers designed for a specific purpose, etc. If a functional layer is provided, it may be liquid-proof, for example, in particular in the form of a semi-permeable membrane which is waterproof and permeable to vapour and gas. The lining 4 may be made up of loose layers or composite layers placed one above the other or laminates, etc. The lining 4 preferably has an outer covering layer, for example made from leather, a semi-permeable functional layer lying underneath it and optionally an inner padding, and the lining 4 is preferably of a type which actively breathes in order to dispel transpiration of the user's hand 2. The protective glove 1 may also have a thumb base, reinforcing elements or damping inserts made from a preferably deformable and flexible material, for example a foam, gel or similar, in one or more regions and in particular in the region of the palm of the hand.

Further details of the materials used and the types of joins and possible structures of the lining 4 will not be given at this point because these aspects are part of the knowledge of a person skilled in the field of glove making.

The only thing necessary as far as the design of the lining 4 proposed by the invention is concerned is that the lining 4 is made from a material which is not or is less resistant to cuts, stabs and/or bullets. In connection with this invention, this should be understood as meaning that the lining 4 affords less protection against impacting foreign bodies than a protective padding of the protective glove 1 disposed on the protection zone 5, which will be described below. The region lying outside the protection zone 5 in which the external surface 3 of the lining 4 is exposed offers less protection against foreign bodies hitting the external surface 3 than is the case in the protection zone 5, in which case the lining 4 may be made from a conventional material known from the prior art which does not protect against said foreign bodies or does so to a lesser degree, so that the sense of touch and feeling of a user's hand 2 is not significantly restricted. The lining 4 does not reduce the tactility and freedom to move of the protective glove 1, especially in the region of an inner hand 9, thereby largely preserving the sense of touch and feeling of a user's hand 2 due to an appropriate choice of the material used for the lining 4.

This is made possible by the invention due to the fact that a protective material with high resistance to stabbing and bullets is provided exclusively in the protection zone 5 where the protective glove 1 is intended to be bullet-proof and/or resistant to cuts and stabs, whereas regions of the external surface 3 of the glove 1 lying outside the protection zone 5, in particular a region on the inner hand 9, is made from a tactile or thin-layered material, for example a natural or synthetic leather or a textile fabric made from natural or synthetic organic fibres.

In the embodiment illustrated as an example, the protective glove 1 is of a design with five fingers, although the protective glove 1 could naturally also be in the form of a three-fingered design or a mitten. It is preferable to provide at least an index finger 11, thereby enabling use of the glove 1 for ballistic purposes, enabling a shot to be discharged from firearms.

The protective glove 1 can be sub-divided into the following essential regions: the glove fingers 10 to 14, a top hand region 15 covering the back of a user's hand 2, the inner hand region 9 covering the hand surface of a user's hand 2 and a shaft 16 extending in the direction of the wrist of the user's hand 2. A glove top face 17 extends along an external surface 3 of the lining 4 in the region of finger top sides 19 and the top hand region 15.

As proposed by the invention, a bullet-proof and/or cut or stab resistant protective padding 20 is disposed or positioned on the lining 4 in the region of the glove top face 17 starting from a padding bottom face 21 and attached or joined at joining points 22 to the lining 4, which prevents penetration to an interior of the glove 1 surrounded by the lining 4 by foreign bodies hitting it. Compared with the largely flexible lining 4, the protective padding 20 is relatively stiff or less deformable and essentially dimensionally stable, due to the protective materials used.

Due to the protective padding 20 disposed in the region of the back of a user's hand, that region of the user's hand which in most situations is a possible target for a damaging attack by foreign bodies is reliably protected against injuries by foreign bodies. This being the case, two zones are provided on the protective glove 1, namely on the glove external face 17, which are functionally separate from one another, and by providing a single- or multi-layered lining 4 in a first, tactile zone, the usual functions of a glove can be obtained, such as protection against water, dirt, cold, etc., whilst preserving a high degree of comfort during wearing with an anatomically very exact and flexible shape, so that the ability of the fingers to move and the accuracy of the finger and hand movements of a user are not impaired and the protective gloves 1 proposed by the invention are comfortable and pleasant to use.

A bullet-proofing and/or protective function inhibiting cuts or stabs can be achieved due to the protective padding 20 in the other protection zone. Since the protective padding 20 is provided on the glove top face 17 only, the tactile properties of the protective glove 1 in the regions lying around the protective padding 20, in particular the region of the inner hand, are not impaired. This results in a protective glove 1 which on the one hand has excellent tactile properties in the region of the inner hand, which is vital for forces sent on armed deployments who have to operate firearms, and on the other hand affords reliable and safe protection against foreign bodies in the main surfaces in the region of a top of the hand which are susceptible to attack.

On the glove top face 17, extending underneath the protective padding 20 in at least certain regions is a free zone 23 in which there are no joining points 22 between the protective padding 20 and the lining 4, and this free zone 23 extends in at least a part-portion 24 of a peripheral contour 25 surrounding the padding bottom face 21, at least in a peripheral or terminal end region 26 of the protective padding 20. The joining points 22 are disposed along the peripheral contour 25 surrounding the padding bottom face 21, at least in the part-portion or partial section 24 outside of a peripheral or terminal end region 26 of the protective padding 20.

A preferably continuous gap 27 or open region may expediently be provided in the free zone 23 between the non-joined protective padding 20 and glove top face 17 of the lining 4. The gap 27 or open region may extend from a terminal end 20a of the protective padding 20 lying in the pulling on and off direction 28 of a user's hand in the direction of an oppositely lying terminal end 29b of the protective padding 20 in a gusset shape across a gap depth 30. The gusset-shaped gap 27 extends underneath the protective padding 20 in an approximately rectangular shape, triangular shape or in the shape of a circle segment or ellipsis segment in particular, for example. The gap depth 30 of the gusset-shaped gap 27 may be 0.5 cm to 15 cm, in particular 2 cm to 6 cm, for example, and the gap 27 may also optionally extend continuously or in a tunnel shape between the oppositely lying terminal ends 29a, 29b of the protective padding 20.

In one example of an embodiment, the protective padding 20 on the glove top face 17 extends across at least a proximal finger knuckle region 31, at least a portion 32 of a finger length 33 or the entire finger length 33 of one or more of the glove fingers 10 to 14 and optionally a middle hand region 34. As may be seen from the embodiment illustrated, the protective padding 20 on the glove top face 17 may extend from the middle hand region 34 in the direction of the glove fingers 11 to 14, in which case the protective padding 20 covers the proximal finger knuckle region 31 of the lining 4 and the protective padding 20 preferably extends beyond the finger knuckle region 31 by an extra amount which preferably more or less corresponds to the gap depth 30. To this end, one of the joining points 22 for joining the protective padding 20 and the lining 4 is disposed in the proximal finger knuckle region 31 and this joining point 22 extends in a linear shape transversely to the pulling on and off direction 28 of a user's hand across the width 41 or a part of the width 41 of the protective padding 20.

The protective padding 20 may extend in the longitudinal direction or the pulling on and off direction 28 along a proximal or inner finger portion 36 of the glove fingers 11 to 14, essentially lying between the finger knuckle region 31 and a middle joint region 37 of the glove fingers 11 to 14, so that the protective padding 20 covers the inner finger portion 36 on the glove top face 17 when the fingers 11 to 14 are outstretched. The middle joint region 37 is therefore disposed in the region of a middle finger joint of the finger of a user's hand 2. The protective padding 20 may optionally extend along only one or only some of the glove fingers 11 to 14 and/or the protective padding 20 may be staggered one or more times across its width 41.

As illustrated in the drawings, the free zone 23 extends between the glove top face 17 of the lining 4 and the padding bottom face 21 of the protective padding 20 at least in the proximal finger knuckle region 31 and preferably along an inner finger portion 36 of at least one of the glove fingers 10 to 14, i.e. the gap 30 of the free zone 23 may extend in the pulling on and off direction 28 of a user's hand between the finger top face 19 of at least one glove finger 10 to 14 and the padding bottom face 21 of the protective padding 20.

For the purpose of the invention, the protective padding 20 is therefore largely non-joined or free-standing in the overlapping region above the finger top sides 19 and/or the glove top face 17 in the wrist region 38 to at least one of the glove fingers 10 to 14 and/or the shaft 16. The at least one non-joined glove finger 10 to 14 is not joined at the finger top face 19 to the bottom face 28 of the protective padding 20, as a result of which these glove fingers 10 to 14 can be bent without causing the protective padding 20 in the free zone 23 to effect a detrimental forced movement similar to the bending movement of the fingers 10 to 14. Consequently, the freely positioned glove fingers 10 to 14 can be bent without a high resistance to movement or clenched to a first, even though the relatively dimensionally stable protective padding 20 covers at least the inner finger portions 36 when the glove fingers 11 to 14 are in the outstretched position. This results in a reliable protection for a user's hand 2 at the glove top face 17, which is also effective in the finger knuckle region 31 and in the direction from the tips of the glove fingers 11 to 14 outwards.

The protective padding 20 on the glove top face 17 may also cover at least a wrist region 38, and the free zone 23 between the glove top face 17 of the lining 4 in the region of the shaft 16 and the padding bottom face 21 of the protective padding 20 on the glove top face 17 extends in at least certain regions of the wrist region 38. This enables the wrist of a user's arm to bend without the protective padding 20 increasing resistance to the movement being and the protective glove 1 may be of the design described above in the free zone 23.

The joining points 22 between the protective padding 20 and the lining 4 may be disposed on at least oppositely lying side regions 39, 40 of the protective padding 20 extending in the pulling on and off direction 28 of a user's hand.

In the embodiment illustrated as an example, the protective padding 20 is of an essentially quadratic shape although the protective padding 20 may also be of other three-dimensional shapes, for example cylindrical or prismatic in shape. Furthermore, separate protective padding 20 may be provided in several respective non-joined protection zones 5, in which case a protective padding 20 may be provided respectively for a glove finger 10 constituting a thumb and/or the glove fingers 11 to 14 and/or the wrist region 38 on the glove top face 17.

The protective padding 20 may be of a single piece, in which case overstitching or quilting is provided in the surface of the protective padding, forming segments in the protective padding 20.

If the segments are separate from one another, i.e. the protective padding 20 is made from more than one piece, they must be bridged or overlap in at least certain regions in order to preserve the bullet-proofing and/or cut or stab inhibiting protective function across the entire region to be protected.

The segments of the protective padding 20 may all be produced from the same material or alternatively may be made from different materials.

The free zone 23 illustrated in the drawings in the region of the glove fingers 11 to 14 will be described in more detail below.

The gap 27 forming the free zone 23 may extend across the width 41 of the protective padding 20 in the region of the terminal end 29 lying in the pulling on and off direction 28 of a user's hand. In the embodiment illustrated as an example, the gap 27 extends in the free zone 23 between two joining points 22 lying on lateral side regions 39, 40 of the glove fingers 11 and 14 and a joining point 22 offset from the terminal end 29 of the protective padding 20 by the gap depth 30 in the pulling on and off direction 28. In the portion of the protective padding 20 covering the finger top sides 19, the joining points 22 are therefore essentially spaced apart from one another by the width 41 of the protective padding 20 and are attached at oppositely lying side regions 39, 40 on the outer glove fingers 11 and 14, in particular the index finger and a little finger. The protective padding 20 is fixed in order to define the free zone 23, in particular in the region of the span 24 across the fingers 10 to 14, and this is preferably achieved by means of a joining line 42 along seams 7, provided as a means of attaching the lining 4 to the protective padding 20. In another embodiment, it is also possible for the protective padding 20 to be attached to the lining 4 by means of several joining lines 33 or by means of an intermittent or full-surface join such as a layer of adhesive, for example.

The protective padding 20 extends across the glove top face 16 essentially in a rectangle, and the protective padding 20 extends between oppositely lying side faces 43, 44 of the glove 1, a terminal end region 45 at the pull-on end of the shaft 16 and the fingers 10 to 14, in particular the finger knuckle region 31 and middle joint region 37.

The protective padding 20 preferably has a thickness 46 of approximately 1 mm to 100 mm, in particular 5 mm to 30 mm, preferably 10 mm to 20 mm. With such a relatively thick structure of the protective padding 20 compared with the lining 4, sufficient protective material can be provided in the protective padding 20 in order to achieve a very high resistance to foreign bodies and enable the protective glove 1 to withstand higher impact energy generated on impact of the foreign body with the protective padding 20 than is the case with the prior art. In addition to preventing the foreign body from coming into contact with a user's hand 2, forces can also be better absorbed or dispersed due to the higher or stronger intrinsic protection properties of the protective padding 20. In addition to open cut injuries and wounds on a user's hand 2, blunt injuries and the effects of trauma which occur when high impact energies are generated and the resultant forces can be reduced or prevented.

The protective padding 20 may comprise one or more layers 47 and at least one, preferably several layers 47 incorporate(s) a protective material which inhibits speed or absorbs kinetic energy. In particular, the protective material is a bullet-proof material which resists penetration by bullets or shrapnel and significantly decelerate the speed of bullets and shrapnel on impact with these materials. The protective material may also be a material which inhibits cuts or stabs and is resistant to sharp-edged objects or decelerates their speed, optionally producing a mechanical blunting effect on contact.

The protective material may be made from high-strength synthetic fibres, in particular an aramide fibre or para-aramide fibre, such as Kevlar® for example. The protective material may also be a high-strength polyethylene fibre, for example Dyneema®. The protective material may also be provided in the form of a ceramic material, in particular applied as a coating. Furthermore, the protective material may comprise a film of adhesive with embedded high-strength particles, for example ground particles, applied to a substrate material, for example a textile fabric. The protective material may also be made from stainless steel, in particular steel yarns.

The at least one protective layer 47 may be provided in the form of a textile fabric, for example a woven fabric, knitted fabric or non-woven fabric made from fibres or yarns, and the protective material or different protective materials is or are integrated in the textile fabric. The protective layer may also be a composite or laminate, in which case the protective material may be laminated on or applied as a facing in the form of a coating, adhesive film, foil, etc.

In the embodiment illustrated as an example, several layers 47 of the protective padding 20, at least one of which layers 47 incorporates the protective material, are assembled to form a layered packet 48. The layered packet 48 preferably comprises several layers 47 incorporating one or more of the protective materials.

In one example of an embodiment, although this is not illustrated, the protective padding 20 may incorporate a vibration-damping material, made up of loose particles, in particular a granulate or powder, or by a filler material, in particular foam, gel or similar, for example. This effectively enables impact energy of a foreign body hitting the protective padding 20 to be absorbed by the protective padding 20.

With respect to the structure of the protective padding 20, it should be pointed out in principle that it is not restricted to the materials and combinations of materials described above or to the layouts or dispositions described above, and any combination of materials and layered structures may be used, provided they guarantee sufficient bullet-proofing strength and/or resistance to cuts and stabs through the protective padding 20.

In one possible embodiment of the protective glove 1, the protective padding 20 at the joining points 22 is permanently or non-detachably attached to the glove top face 17. A joining means 49 is provided at the joining points 22 for this purpose and may be provided in particular in the form of the seam 7, which may be a stitched seam in particular. By means of the joining means 49, at least an outer material of the protective padding 20, in particular an externally lying covering layer 50 of the protective padding 20 covering the layer 47 or the layered packet 48 is joined to the lining 4. This being the case, the joining points 22 disposed in a dotted pattern or linear pattern define or bound the free zone(s) 23 outside of the peripheral or terminal end region 26 of the protective padding 20.

In another embodiment, although this is not illustrated, the protective padding 20 may be detachably or interchangeably attached to the glove top face 17 by the joining means 49. To this end, the joining means 49 may be provided in the form of a mechanical coupling mechanism with a first coupling element on the lining 4 and another coupling element on the protective padding 20 co-operating with it. The coupling mechanism may be a mechanism known from the prior art used as a means of releasably connecting two parts, for example a cling-type fastener, a zip fastener, a button, catch, clip or plug-in connection or similar.

In the embodiment illustrated as an example, a pocket 51 is provided in the protective padding 20 of the glove 1, which is essentially completely surrounded by the covering layer 50 of the protective padding 20 and the external surface 3 of the lining 4 and in which the layered packet 48 is accommodated so that the pocket 51 is not accessible.

In another embodiment of the glove 1, although this is not illustrated, the at least one pocket 51 in the protective padding 20 may be accessible via an opening provided in the covering layer 50 of the protective padding 20 or in the lining 4 of the glove 1. For example, the opening is formed by a slit, through which an interior in the protective padding 20 formed by the pocket 51 can be accessed as and when required or on a permanent basis.

A pocket 51 accessible via the opening may be used as a means of interchangeably accommodating one or more of the protective or bullet-proof layers 47 for example. This offers the possibility of adapting the protective padding 20 to different applications and uses, for example by inserting in or removing from the protective padding 20 special bullet-proof or special layers 47 resistant to stabs, cuts or incisions, or other types of inserts, for example an additional stiffening or reinforcing element.

This also offers the option of being able to stow other implements—not illustrated—which do not fulfil a protective function in the at least one accessible pocket 51, for example documents, functional implements or similar. Accordingly, an additional stowage space can be provided in the protective padding 20 on the glove top face 17, which is easy to access and expediently enables rapid access of an article such as an identification document, in particular in cheque card format, a functional implement, such as a knife, a pocket lamp or similar, for example, the article depending on the application or use of the protective glove 1.

The opening of the pocket 51 may also have a closing element, although this is not illustrated, such as a flap or tab or a closing mechanism for example a zip fastener or a button connection. In view of the numerous design options, a detailed description of the variant of the glove 1 with an accessible pocket 51 in the protective padding 20 will not be given here.

In the embodiment illustrated as an example, the at least one layer 47 or the layered packet 48 of the protective padding 20 is enclosed by the outer covering layer 50. The covering layer 50 is essentially provided in the form of a top part 52 lying essentially parallel with the glove top face 17 and a side part 53 disposed essentially perpendicular to the glove top face 17. The top part 52 and the side part 53 may be provided in the form of material blanks which are joined to one another and to the lining 4 by seams 7. The materials used for the top part 52 and the side part 53 may correspond to the materials described above in connection with the lining 4 or the protective padding 20.

The top part 52 is preferably made from a more resistant material than that used for the side part 53 and the lining 4 and/or the top part 52 is provided with a profiling or structure on a top face 54, in particular fluting 54, to add strength.

The protective glove 1 may have an adjustable adjusting mechanism 55 in the wrist region 38 for determining an opening width 56 of the shaft 16. The adjusting mechanism 55 is preferably provided in the form of a tape or strip-type strap 57 extending round at least a part of a circumference of the shaft 16. In the embodiment illustrated as an example, the strap 57 can be manually and steplessly adjusted and secured in position by means of a fixing means, for example a buckle, a clinging-type fastener, a catch or plug-in connection for example, although this is not illustrated. To enable a uniform adjustment of the strap 57 around the circumference of the shaft 16, a tunnel 58 is provided in the protective padding 20 in the wrist region 38, disposed transversely to the pulling on and off direction of a user's hand 2, indicated by arrow 28, through which the strap 57 extends.

Consequently, the glove 1 can be very exactly adapted to the anatomical circumstances of the user's band 2 in the region of the shaft 16, as a result of which the manual adjustability enables the shaft 16 to be positioned or set comfortably and to individual taste on the body part of a user. Naturally, the adjusting mechanism 55 may also be of an automatically rebounding design in the form of a rubber pull or similar, for example. The glove 1 can therefore be securely attached to the user's hand 2, thereby preventing the glove 1 from being unintentionally pulled off.

It should be pointed out that the protective glove 1 of any of the designs described above is of particular advantage for use when operating a firearm, in particular a handgun, and such a use may be construed as an independent solution proposed by the invention. The protective glove offers particularly reliable protection for a user's hand against foreign bodies for this particular purpose and simultaneously permits unrestricted manipulation and operation of firearms, as described above.

The embodiments illustrated as examples represent possible design variants of the protective glove 1 and it should be pointed out at this stage that the invention is not specifically limited to the design variants specifically illustrated, and instead the individual design variants may be used in different combinations with one another and these possible variations lie within the reach of the person skilled in this technical field given the disclosed technical teaching. Accordingly, all conceivable design variants which can be obtained by combining individual details of the design variants described and illustrated are possible and fall within the scope of the invention.

For the sake of good order, finally, it should be pointed out that, in order to provide a clearer understanding of the structure of the protective glove 1, it and its constituent parts are illustrated to a certain extent out of scale and/or on an enlarged scale and/or on a reduced scale.

The individual embodiments of the subject matter illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 constitute independent solutions proposed by the invention in their own right. The objectives and associated solutions proposed by the invention may be found in the detailed descriptions of these drawings.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

• 1 Protective glove
• 2 User's hand
• 3 External surface
• 4 Lining
• 5 Protection zone
• 6 Material blank
• 7 Seam
• 8 Material layer
• 9 Inner hand region
• 10 Glove finger
• 11 Glove finger
• 12 Glove finger
• 13 Glove finger
• 14 Glove finger
• 15 Top hand region
• 16 Shaft
• 17 Glove top face
• 18
• 19 Finger top face
• 20 Protective padding
• 21 Padding bottom face
• 22 Joining point
• 23 Free zone
• 24 Part-portion or partial section
• 25 Peripheral contour
• 26 Peripheral or terminal end region
• 27 Gap
• 28 Pulling on and off direction
• 29 Terminal end
• 30 Gap depth
• 31 Finger knuckle region
• 32 Portion
• 33 Finger length
• 34 Middle hand region
• 35
• 36 Inner finger portion
• 37 Middle joint region
• 38 Wrist region
• 39 Side region
• 40 Side region
• 41 Width
• 42 Joining line
• 43 Side face
• 44 Side face
• 45 Terminal end region
• 46 Thickness
• 47 Layer
• 48 Layered packet
• 49 Joining means
• 50 Covering layer
• 51 Pocket
• 52 Top part
• 53 Side part
• 54 Top face
• 55 Adjusting mechanism
• 56 Opening width
• 57 Strap
• 58 Tunnel

Claims

1. A protective glove for protecting certain regions of a user's hand against foreign bodies impacting with it, comprising:

a lining made from a material covering several glove fingers and a glove top face on an external surface of the lining extending into the region of finger top sides and a top hand region; and

an impact protective padding which is built or placed on at least certain regions of a glove top face starting from a padding bottom face and attached to the lining at joining points, where at least one free zone on the glove top face has no joining points between the protective padding and the lining, said free zone extending at least into a partial section of a peripheral contour which encloses the padding bottom side at least in a peripheral edge or frontal or terminal end region of the protective padding.

2. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1 wherein the foreign bodies comprise bullets and/or stabbing or cutting devices.

3. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lining comprising a textile fabric, a laminate or similar, is not, or not very, bullet-proof or resistant to stabs, cuts and/or incisions.

4. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protective padding prevents penetration by impacting foreign bodies to a glove interior lying underneath it.

5. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein a preferably continuous gap or open region is disposed in the free zone between the non-joined protective padding and the glove top face of the lining.

6. The protective glove as claimed in claim 5, wherein the gap or open region in the free zone extends from a terminal end of the protective padding lying in the pulling on and off direction of a user's hand towards an oppositely lying terminal end of the protective padding in a gusset shape across a gap depth.

7. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective padding at the glove top face extends over at least a proximal finger knuckle region a section of a finger length or the entire finger length of at least one of the glove fingers and optionally a middle hand region.

8. The protective glove as claimed in claim 7, wherein the protective padding extends from the proximal finger knuckle region to a middle joint region of at least one of the glove fingers and further over an inner finger portion in which a proximal glove finger member of a user's hand is disposed when the glove fingers are outstretched.

9. The protective glove as claimed in claim 7, wherein the free zone between the glove top face of the lining and the padding bottom face of the protective padding extends at least in the proximal finger knuckle region and preferably along an inner finger portion of at least one of the glove fingers.

10. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective padding at the glove top face covers at least a wrist region and the free zone between the glove top face of the lining and the padding bottom face of the protective padding on the glove top face in at least certain parts of the wrist region.

11. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective padding is of an essentially rectilinear paralleliped or cylindrical shape.

12. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective padding (20) is formed by at least one segment.

13. The protective glove as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one segment is formed by applying overstitching or quilting.

14. The protective glove as claimed in claim 12, wherein the segments are laid one over the other and overlap in certain regions.

15. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joining points between the protective padding and the lining are disposed in at least oppositely lying side regions of the protective padding running in the pulling on and off direction of a user's hand.

16. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein two of the joining points are disposed between the protective padding and the lining in lateral finger-side regions of two glove fingers, preferably an index finger and a little finger.

17. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective padding extends essentially in a rectangle on the glove top face between oppositely lying side faces of the glove, a terminal end region at the pull-on end of a shaft and the glove fingers.

18. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective padding has a thickness in the range of 1 mm to 100 mm, in particular 5 mm to 30 mm, preferably 10 mm to 20 mm.

19. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective padding is permanently attached to the glove top face at the joining points.

20. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joining points extend in a dotted or linear pattern and a joining means in the form of a seam, in particular a stitched seam, is provided at the joining points.

21. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dotted pattern or linear pattern joining points bound or define for example the rectangular or circle segment or ellipsis segment shaped extension of the free zone(s) outside the peripheral or terminal end region of the protective padding.

22. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective padding at the joining points is disposed on the glove top face so that it can be released or replaced by means of the joining means.

23. The protective glove as claimed in claim 19, wherein said joining means is provided in the form of a mechanical coupling mechanism, comprising a first coupling element on the lining and another coupling element on the protective padding cooperating with it.

24. The protective glove as claimed in claim 23, wherein the coupling mechanism may be provided in the form of a clinging-type fastener, a zip fastener, a catch, clip or plug-in connection or similar.

25. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective padding comprises one or more protective layer(s) made from a speed-inhibiting or kinetic energy absorbing protective material, in particular a bullet-proof material.

26. The protective glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one pocket is disposed in the protective padding, which is accessible through an opening on a padding surface of the protective padding or external surface of the lining.

27. The protective glove as claimed in claim 25, wherein said one or more protective or bullet-proof layer(s) are interchangeably disposed in the pocket or an additional stiffening or reinforcing element can be interchangeably disposed in it.

28. Protective glove as claimed in claim 26, wherein other implements of a user which do not fulfil a protective function, comprising documents or other functional implements, may be placed in the at least one pocket.

29. The protective glove as claimed in claim 26, wherein the opening of the pocket can be closed by means of a closure element comprising a flap, tab, or a closure device comprising a zip fastener or a button connection.

30. The protective glove as claimed in claim 25, wherein the layer(s) or a layered packet of the protective padding is enclosed by an outer covering layer which comprises a top part lying essentially parallel with the external surface of the lining and one or more side pairs disposed perpendicular to the external surface of the lining.

31. The protective glove as claimed in claim 10, wherein an adjustable adjusting mechanism is disposed in particular in the wrist region for defining an opening width of the shaft.

32. Protective glove as claimed in claim 31, wherein the adjusting mechanism is provided in the form of a tape or strip-type strap which can be continuously or steplessly adjusted and secured in a position.

33. Protective glove as claimed in claim 32, wherein a tunnel is disposed in the protective padding in the wrist region extending transversely to a pulling on and off direction of a user's hand through which the strap extends.