ILLUMINATED GLOVE DEVICE
An illuminated glove device for safety and recreational use is provided. The device preferably includes a first layer of glove material, a second layer of laminate material on which a circuit is provided, and a third layer bonded to the second layer for providing a protective coating of the circuit. The circuit may include one or more light sources positioned along a perimeter of the glove so as to form an outline of a human hand. A switch on the glove allows a user to turn the glove on and off or switch colors, for example, from amber, to red to green. The circuit may be battery powered and the switch may be adapted to allow the glove to alternate between a variety of modes. The device is suitable for various applications recreational, safety, emergency and other low-light applications.
This application claims the benefit of copending application U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/995,299 filed on Sep. 26, 2007, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe subject invention is related to an illuminated glove device. More particularly, the subject invention is related to an illuminated glove device for use in traffic control, military, roadside assistance, emergency personnel, recreational, and other illumination purposes for low-light, night vision, signaling and/or safety applications. The illumination device preferably includes a contact switch capable of controlling operation of the device in various modes, where the contact switch can be activated by pressing the switch at the base of the glove.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIt has long been known that individuals participating in recreational outdoor activities, traffic control, military, roadside assistance, emergency assistance, and other activities particularly in low light or dark conditions may require the assistance of illumination. In addition, construction, road crews, police officers, firefighters, emergency personnel, first responders, joggers, or even pedestrians can be exposed to injury when not seen. This, of course, is particularly true in low light conditions or at night, but can be true even in inclement weather conditions, such as snow storms and the like. Further, individuals participating in recreational activities and sports, such as biking, skiing, snowboarding, sledding or the like may also be exposed to injury in inclement weather when vision is impaired.
While attempts have been made to provide means for making an individual more visible in such low light or dark conditions, they are less than satisfactory. For example, individuals participating in outdoor activities have placed reflective tapes on their clothing, worn bright-colored clothing, utilized reflective holograms, surface-mounted beams of light and/or reflective or transmitting devices but, as will be appreciated, unless a motorist's lights strike the reflective material precisely or the motorist can recognize or see a beam of light, the individuals remain at risk. Warning materials have even been incorporated into articles of clothing, such as reflective tape on gloves, vests, shoes etc. Gloves have also been provided with illuminating substances having phosphorescent or florescent properties.
The subject invention provides a device for optimally illuminating the hand of an individual participating in various activities under low light, no light or inclement weather conditions and overcomes the shortcomings in prior art systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe subject invention is directed to an illuminated glove device for use in recreational and safety applications. The illuminated glove device preferably includes at least a first layer in contact with a user's hand, a second layer made of a laminate material on which a circuit is provided, and a third layer operably connected to the second layer for providing a protective coating of the circuit contained in the second layer. The circuit preferably includes one or more light sources, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) for illuminating the hand of a user while in use. The first layer is typically a fleece material, but can also be leather, rubber, polyvinyl, microfiber, knit, polyester, nylon, spandex, or any other natural or synthetic material or composite material suitable for a given application. The second and third layers can be laminate textiles, and are preferably flexible thermoplastic or thermo-fusible materials including but not limited to: ethylene vinyl acetate, polyethylene, polyester and polyamide.
The circuit can be adapted and configured to include a number of different colored light emitting sources such as red, green and amber. In addition, the circuit can be configured to enable selective and alternate illumination of these light sources so that light sources of a single color or a combination of colors can be illuminated if desired.
The illuminated glove device of the subject invention can also be adapted and configured to operate in a plurality of modes such as all on, all off, strobe, and blinking. These modes are accessed by a user by engaging a switch positioned on the illuminated glove which serves to control which mode of operation the illuminated glove device is maintained. The circuitry also includes a replaceable battery for powering the circuit. Because the battery is replaceable, this allows for lower manufacturing costs.
The subject invention can be used in a variety of applications such as recreational activities, traffic control, military, roadside assistance, and by persons such as emergency construction road crews, police officers, firefighters, emergency personnel, first responders, joggers, bikers or even pedestrians. These and other aspects and advantages of the subject invention will become more readily apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and desired objects of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein:
The subject invention relates to an illuminated glove device for safety and recreational use. The illuminated glove device (also referred to herein as “glove”) may be fabricated from a full length glove covering each of the fingers, or a partial glove, where a portion of one or more of the fingers is exposed. The illuminated glove device includes an electrical circuit in which one or more light emitting components, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), are connected by a wire in a closed circuit. The circuit may be present on one or both sides of the glove; in other words, only a single circuit may be used to illuminate light emitting components on one or both sides of the glove, or alternatively, multiple circuits may be used to illuminate one or both sides of the glove. A tactile switching mechanism preferably is provided on the glove which allows a user to turn the glove on and off or switch colors, for example, between amber, red, and green. The circuit and switch may also be adapted to allow the glove to alternate between a variety of modes. These modes include on, off, blinking and strobe, and encompass the ability to selectively and alternately illuminate different colors or groups of light sources. The circuitry is preferably battery powered, with a battery housed within a battery pack positioned on the glove, typically on the back portion of the glove. This device is suitable for various applications including use in traffic control, military, roadside assistance, emergency, recreational, warning, night vision, signaling and safety illumination applications.
Because the illuminated glove device 10 is configured to be used in wet conditions or may otherwise come into contact with moisture, oil or dirt from the hand of the user, the subject invention provides for waterproof protection of the circuit 40.
The flexible layer 60 is typically a laminated textile material that is configured to be connected to the glove material 50. For example, the laminated textile material can be a thermoplastic or thermo-fusible material such as ethylene vinyl acetate, polyethylene, polyester, or polyamide. The flexible layer 60 must be suitably elastic to allow the user to perform hand signals, gripping or other manual functions while the illuminated glove device 10 is in use. As shown, the circuit 40 is adhered to the flexible layer 60 using thermofusion, epoxy, glue, or another adhesive or connecting element for securing the circuit 40 to the flexible layer 60.
A surface layer 70 preferably is connected to the flexible layer 60 to shield the circuit 40 from the atmosphere, thereby providing a partial or complete seal against moisture. The surface layer 70 can be a clear laminate and may be the same material as the flexible layer 60, namely thermoplastic or thermo-fusible materials such as ethylene vinyl acetate, polyethylene, polyester, and polyamide, or optionally may be a different material. The connection between the flexible layer 60 and the surface layer 70 is preferably achieved by using a lamination process. During the process, an adhesive such as a reactive laminate powder can be used to bond the surface layer 70 to the flexible layer 60. The powder or other adhesive, for example, can be activated by heat in a heated press which bonds the layers 60, 70 together. The lamination process is used to seal the circuit 40, providing waterproof protection from outside moisture and contamination.
A front portion of the glove material 50 preferably is connected to a back portion of the glove material 50 by a woven or stitched flexible cord 80. A cross-sectional view of the flexible cord 80 connecting the front and back portions of the glove material 50 is shown in
The present invention has been described in detail, including preferred embodiments. However, it should be recognized that those skilled in the art, upon considering this disclosure, may make modifications and improvements within the spirit and scope of this invention.
Claims
1. An illuminated glove device, comprising:
- a first layer for contacting a user's hand;
- a circuit provided on a second layer, wherein the second layer comprises a thermoplastic laminate material and the circuit includes a plurality of light sources; and
- a third layer connected to the second layer for providing a protective coating of the circuit.
2. The illuminated glove device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a material of the first layer is selected from the group consisting of: fleece, leather, rubber, polyvinyl, microfiber, knit, polyester, nylon and spandex.
3. The illuminated glove device of claim 1, wherein a material of the second layer is selected from the group consisting of: ethylene vinyl acetate, polyethylene, polyester and polyamide.
4. The illuminated glove device of claim 1, wherein a material of the third layer is selected from the group consisting of: ethylene vinyl acetate, polyethylene, polyester and polyamide.
5. The illuminated glove device of claim 1, wherein the light sources are light emitting diodes.
6. The illuminated glove device of claim 5, wherein the circuit is configured to selectively illuminate the light sources of different colors.
7. The illuminated glove device of claim 6, wherein the circuit is configured to operate in a plurality of modes.
8. The illuminated glove device of claim 7, wherein the modes are selected from the group consisting of an on mode, an off mode, a blinking mode, and an alternating color mode.
9. The illuminated glove device of claim 7, further comprising a control switch configured to alternate between the modes.
10. The illuminated glove device of claim 7, further comprising a replaceable battery for powering the circuit.
11. The illuminated glove device of claim 1, wherein the light sources are positioned along a perimeter of the illuminated glove device so as to form an outline of a human hand.
12. The illuminated glove device of claim 1, wherein the second layer is connected to the third layer by a laminate.
13. An illuminated glove device configured to be worn by a user, comprising:
- at least one layer including a plurality of light sources arranged in a circuit, the circuit being encased in a laminated textile material.
14. The illuminated glove device of claim 13, wherein the laminated textile material is selected from the group consisting of: ethylene vinyl acetate, polyethylene, polyester and polyamide.
15. The illuminated glove device of claim 13, further comprising at least one additional layer for contacting a user's hand.
16. The illuminated glove device of claim 13, further comprising at least an outer layer for protecting the laminated textile layer from the atmosphere.
17. The illuminated glove device of claim 13, wherein the circuit is operable in a plurality of modes, including at least one of an on/off mode, a blinking mode, and an alternating color mode.
18. The illuminated glove device of claim 13, wherein the light sources arranged in the circuit include light emitting diodes of a plurality of different colors, the light sources being arranged in a predetermined pattern.
19. The illuminated glove device of claim 13, wherein the light sources are positioned along a perimeter of the illuminated glove device so as to form an outline of a human hand.
20. An illuminated glove device configured to be worn by a user, comprising:
- a first layer for contacting the user's hand;
- a circuit provided on a second layer, wherein the second layer comprises a thermoplastic laminate material and the circuit includes a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a predetermined pattern of a plurality of colors, and operable in a plurality of modes; and
- a third layer connected to the second layer for providing a protective coating of the circuit.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 26, 2008
Publication Date: Jan 13, 2011
Inventor: Mark W. Fortuna (Topsfield, MA)
Application Number: 12/733,777
International Classification: A41D 19/00 (20060101);