Adjustable Hand Covering
This invention relates generally to a hand covering. More specifically, this invention relates to a hand covering that can be adjusted to vary the conditions inside the hand covering.
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This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/074,665, filed Jun. 22, 2008, Attorney Docket No. 0100.0128P, entitled “Adjustable Hand Covering,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to a hand covering. More specifically, this invention relates to a hand covering that can be adjusted to vary the conditions inside the hand covering.
Conventional hand coverings typically include one or more layers of material, depending on their intended use. Often hand coverings are intended for use in cool or cold environments and accordingly, such hand coverings include one or more layers of insulation to keep the user's hands warm.
However, sometimes multiple layers of material cause the hands of a user to be too warm and keep the moisture in the interior region of the hand covering. Conventional hand coverings provide poor ventilation and poor ventilation results in the hand covering becoming uncomfortable. Such hand coverings typically do not allow for a user to control the environmental conditions in the hand covering. As a result, a user's hand may become warm and/or moist, thereby making the user uncomfortable.
A need exists for an adjustable hand covering that is configured to allow a user to vary the conditions therein to achieve comfortable environment in the hand covering. Also, a need exists for a hand covering with a vent that can be adjusted by a user as desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA hand covering according to the present invention includes a shell that defines an interior region or area into which a user can insert a hand. In one embodiment, the shell includes several finger receptacles and a thumb receptacle. In an alternative embodiment, the shell includes a finger receptacle configured to receive all of the fingers of a user and a thumb receptacle. In one embodiment, the hand covering can include an adjustment mechanism that can be manipulated by a user to tighten or loosen the hand covering relative to the user's hand. One type of adjustment mechanism may include a strap and several buckles through which the strap is inserted.
In one embodiment, a hand covering according to the present invention includes a shell or body with a vent or opening through which air and moisture can flow out from an interior region of the hand covering. In addition, air may flow into the interior region through the opening. The opening provides for ventilation of the hand covering and in particular, the interior region. In one embodiment, the hand covering can include an air permeable sheet, such as a mesh-like material, that has a shape substantially the same as the opening in the shell. The air permeable sheet may be formed of a perforated material.
In one embodiment, a hand covering according to the present invention can include a cover or panel that can be moved relative to the opening and the shell. The cover or panel can be made of a material that prohibits or limits the flow of air therethrough. The cover can be placed in a closed position in which it is proximate to the opening and air flow through the opening is prevented or substantially reduced. The cover can also be placed in an opened position in which it is moved away from the opening and air can flow freely through the opening. The cover can be retained in its closed position or in its opened position as desired.
In one embodiment, a hand covering according to the present invention can include one or more closure mechanisms that can be used to open and/or close the cover. Each closure mechanism can be used to secure the cover in a closed position and prevent cold air or moisture external to the shell from entering through the opening. The closure mechanism or mechanisms can be moved so that the cover can be opened and the opening in the shell of the hand covering exposed to external elements.
In one embodiment, a portion of the cover of the hand covering can be coupled to the shell. For example, the portion of the cover can be fixedly coupled to the shell such as by sewing. Alternatively, the portion can be integrally formed with the shell. In another embodiment, the cover can be removably coupled to the shell in that the cover can be completely detached or decoupled from the shell and subsequently coupled thereto, such as by a releasable fastening structure like a combination of a hook and loop type material.
Like reference numerals are used herein to refer to like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONA hand covering according to the present invention includes a shell that defines an interior region or area into which a user can insert a hand of the user. In one embodiment, the shell includes several finger receptacles and a thumb receptacle. In an alternative embodiment, the shell includes a finger receptacle configured to receive all of the fingers of a user and a thumb receptacle. In one embodiment, the hand covering can include an adjustment mechanism that can be manipulated by a user to tighten or loosen the hand covering relative to the user's hand. One type of adjustment mechanism may include a strap and several buckles through which the strap is inserted. The term “hand covering” is used to include any type of covering that can be worn on a person's hand, such as a glove or a mitten. The terms “cover,” “panel” or “flap” are used interchangeably to refer to any type or piece of material that can be used to cover a vent or opening in the shell or body of a hand covering.
An embodiment of a hand covering according to the present invention is illustrated in
When the air outside of the shell 12 is cooler than the air in the interior region 14, the warmer air can flow out through the vent 16 from the interior region 14, thereby cooling the interior region 14. In addition, if the user's hands are moist due to moisture in the shell 12, moisture can pass through the vent 16 to the external environment of the shell 12, thereby drying the user's hand and improving the comfort in the interior region 14. Accordingly, the vent 16 of the hand covering 10 can be used to make the interior region 14 of the shell 12 comfortable for the user.
Referring to
The cover 18 can be moved relative to the shell 12 and to the vent 16. The cover 18 can be disposed in different positions by the user relative to the vent 16 to vary the flow of air through the vent 16. For example, the cover 18 can be disposed in a closed position so that it is substantially coextensive with the vent 16 so that the vent 16 is covered. In this position, the cover 18 prevents the flow of air through the vent 16 and seals the vent 16. In addition, the cover 18 can be positioned so that the vent 16 is exposed to the external elements and air can flow through the vent 16. The opened position of the cover 18 allows for moisture to get out of the interior region 14 through the vent 16. Without breatheability in the hand covering, moisture cannot get out and the user's hand cannot get warm. Thus, a user can control the extent to which the vent 16 is exposed and as a result, adjust the conditions in the interior region 14 of the shell 12. The cover or flap 18 provides on demand venting to the hand covering 10.
Referring to
In this embodiment, the hand covering 20 includes a closure mechanism 30 that is coupled to the shell 22 and to the cover 28. The closure mechanism 30 can be manipulated by the user to move and retain the cover 28 in different positions relative to the vent 26. In one embodiment, the closure mechanism 30 can be a zipper. In another embodiment, the closure mechanism 30 can include multiple zippers that can be moved simultaneously with each other or separately from each other. In yet another embodiment, the closure mechanism can be another closure mechanism, such as hook and loop type materials, snaps, and/or magnets, such as magnetic strips.
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The hand covering 100 can include a cuff portion or region 130 that is located near the proximal end 112 of the body 110. The cuff portion 130 extends from the proximal end 112 and terminates at an edge 134. Two stitching portions 136 are provided that define an area between them in which the edge 134 is not connected to the shell 110. The function of this area will be described in greater detail below.
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The cover 180 can be moved relative to the shell 110 and disposed in several different positions. For example, the cover 180 can be moved to a closed position 186 as illustrated in
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In one embodiment, receptacles or cavities 196 and 198 are formed in the shell 110. The receptacles 196 and 198 are located proximate to the knuckle area of the hand covering 100. Each of the receptacles 196 and 198 is configured to receive one of the closure mechanisms or zippers 192. When the zippers 192 are moved to their closed positions (see
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In this embodiment, the hand covering 100 includes an air permeable material 195 that is coupled to the shell 110 and that covers the opening and forms part of the vent 162. The air permeable material 195 can be a mesh material that permits the flow of air therethrough. In one embodiment, the air permeable material 195 can have a water resistant treatment applied thereto to enhance the properties of the material. In one embodiment, the material 195 can be a spacer mesh with a tightly woven face. In one implementation, the mesh can have a thickness of approximately 4 millimeters.
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The extent to which the free end 181B of the cover 180 can be moved away from the vent or opening 162 is determined in part by the distance that the closure mechanisms or zippers 192 are moved from their closed positions. If the user wants to expose as much of the vent 162 as possible to the environment, then each zipper 192 can be moved toward the proximal end 112 of the hand covering as much as possible, thereby allowing the cover 180 to be pulled back and a substantial portion of the cover 180 inserted into the receptacle 140 or otherwise retained in its opened position.
In one embodiment, the hand covering 100 can include an insert that is disposed in the interior region 156 of the hand covering 100. Referring to
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The body 210 also includes a cuff portion 230 and a palm portion 250. The palm portion 250 has an outer surface 252 and an inner surface 254 that defines an interior region 256. The palm portion 250 also has a palm side 258 and a back side 260 opposite the palm side 258. The back side 260 includes a vent or ventilation structure 262 that is defined by an edge 264. In one embodiment, the vent 262 includes an opening and the edge 264 includes several edge portions 266, 268, and 270. The quantity and configuration of edge portions 264, 266, 268, and 270 can vary in different embodiments. The opening can be a hole that is die cut in the insert 200. The vent 262 as a full opening facilitates maximum venting from the interior region of the insert 200.
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A hand covering according to the present invention can vary in different embodiments. For example, the quantity of layers of material in the hand covering can vary. Similarly, the structure of the cover for a hand covering can vary. In addition, the size and configuration of a vent or ventilation opening in the hand covering can vary. Alternatively, the quantity and shape of the finger receptacles can vary for a hand covering depending on whether the hand covering resembles a glove or a mitten, for example. The various hand coverings and inserts illustrated in
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In this embodiment, an insert or inner layer 330 having an opening 332 defined therein can be disposed in the interior region of the shell 310. Only a portion of the insert 330 is illustrated in
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In this embodiment, an insert or inner layer 430 having an opening 432 defined therein can be disposed in the interior region of the shell 410. Similar to the previous embodiment, the opening 432 in the insert 430 can be aligned with opening 412 in the shell 410. The different between hand covering 400 and hand covering 300 is the quantity of layers of material in the respective cover 400 or 300.
An alternative embodiment of a hand covering according to the present invention is illustrated in
In this embodiment, hand covering 500 includes an additional material layer 540 that can be disposed inside of the insert 530. The layer 540 can be included to increase the warmth of the user's hand. The layer 540 can be formed of a material that allows air to flow therethrough to allow the user's hand to cool and dry as desired.
An alternative embodiment of a hand covering according to the present invention is illustrated in
The free end 622 of the cover 620 can be inserted along the direction of arrow “F” into a receptacle 642 (shown in dashed lines) formed in the cuff portion 640. When the free end 622 is moved from its closed position, the opening 612 is exposed to the external environment and air can flow through the opening 612 out of the interior region of the shell 610.
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In this embodiment, the hand covering 900 includes a cover or panel 940 that is formed separate from the shell 910 and can be removably coupled thereto. In one embodiment, the cover 940 can include a first layer or portion 942 and a second layer or portion 944 that is coupled to the first layer or portion 942. The second layer 944 is configured to be substantially the same size as the vent or opening 920. The cover 940 has a first end 946 and a second end 948. On the underside of ends 946 and 948 are coupling mechanisms 950 and 952, such as one of a hook-type material and a loop-type material. Each of the coupling mechanisms 950 and 952 is configured to be engaged with a corresponding and cooperating coupling mechanism 930 and 932 located on the outer surface of the shell 910. Thus, a user can couple the panel 940 to the shell 910 by attaching coupling mechanisms 950 and 952 to coupling mechanisms 930 and 932. When the user wants to expose the vent 920, the user can remove the panel 940.
In addition, in another embodiment, the panel 940 can be coupled to the shell 910 by an elongate member 960 that can prevent the panel 940 from being separated from or lost relative to the hand covering 900. Each of the shell 910 and the panel 940 can include a loop or coupler 962 or 964 to which the elongate member 960, such as a string or cord, can be attached.
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In other embodiments, a coupling mechanism such as a hook-type material or a loop-type material can be provided as an attachment location to which the free end 1022 can be releaseably attached to hold the flap 1020 in its opened position.
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In various embodiments of a hand covering according to the present invention, the types of materials and the treatments applied to the materials can vary. For example, a material can be made from or treated to be a waterproof material. Additionally, a material can be a breathable material. Moreover, a material can be a material that is waterproof and is breathable. Different combinations of such materials can be used in a hand covering according to the present invention.
For example, a hand covering according to the present invention can have any combination of top and bottom layers of material with the top and bottom layers being identified with respect to the outside and inside of the hand covering. For example, the top layer can be the cover or flap and the bottom layer can be an inner layer, such as a air permeable layer or mesh material identified above. In one combination, the top layer and the bottom layer can both be waterproof and breathable. In another combination, the top layer and the bottom layer can both be waterproof. In another combination, the top layer can be waterproof and the bottom layer can be waterproof and breathable. In yet another combination, the top layer can be water proof and the bottom layer can be breathable. Accordingly, the combinations of properties of the materials can vary depending on the desired functionality of the layers. The waterproof property prevents water from entering the hand covering, but breatheability allows moisture inside of the hand covering to escape outside the hand covering.
While the vent or opening in the hand coverings previously described have been located on a back side of the palm portion or region of the shell of the hand covering, in other embodiments, the vent or opening can be located in a different location on the hand covering, such as on the palm side, a side region, and/or in the finger region. In other embodiments, a hand covering according to the present invention can include more than one vent or opening. For example, the hand covering may include two or more vents or openings spaced apart in the body or shell of the hand covering. In addition, the vents can be located on the same side of the hand covering in some embodiments and on different sides of the hand covering in other embodiments. Alternatively, the vents can be formed in different portions or regions of the hand covering in some embodiments and formed in the same portions or regions of the hand covering in other embodiments.
While the invention has been described in detail and with references to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention.
Claims
1. A hand covering comprising:
- a shell including a palm region, a cuff region, and a finger region, the shell including a vent; and
- a panel, the panel being coupled to the shell, the panel being movable between an opened position and a closed position, the panel being configured to cover the vent in the closed position and to be spaced from the vent in the opened position.
2. The hand covering of claim 1, wherein the shell includes a back portion and the vent is located in the back portion.
3. The hand covering of claim 1, further comprising:
- a closure mechanism coupled to the panel and to the shell, the closure mechanism being movable by a user to secure the panel in its closed position and to allow the panel to move to its opened position.
4. The hand covering of claim 3, wherein the closure mechanism is a first closure mechanism and the hand covering further comprises a second closure mechanism coupled to the panel and to the shell, the second closure mechanism being movable by the user to secure the panel in its closed position and to allow the panel to move to its opened position.
5. The hand covering of claim 4, wherein the first and second closure mechanisms are zippers.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 22, 2009
Publication Date: Mar 11, 2010
Applicant: 180s, Inc. (Baltimore, MD)
Inventors: Lonnie Drosihn (Monkton, MD), Greg Meyer (Bozeman, MT)
Application Number: 12/489,206