CONDUCTIVE GLOVE WITH CONDUCTIVE LINING AND CONDUCTIVE WATERPROOF BLADDER
A glove for use with a capacitive touchscreen includes a shell and a lining. The shell has a plurality of fingertips such that at least one of the fingertips includes a conductive embroidery on a distal portion of the fingertip. The lining includes a plurality of fingertips corresponding to the fingertips of the shell. At least one of the fingertips of the lining includes a conductive embroidery on a distal portion of the fingertip. The lining is positioned within the shell such that the conductive embroidery of the lining is adjacent to the conductive embroidery of the shell.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/711,515, filed Oct. 9, 2012, entitled “Conductive Glove with Conductive Lining and Conductive Waterproof Bladder,” and U.S. Nonprovisional Patent Application Ser. No. 12/869,827, filed Aug. 27, 2010, entitled “Glove with Conductive Fingertips,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/237,524, filed Aug. 27, 2009, entitled “Glove with Conductive Fingertips,” the disclosures of which are each incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUNDThis disclosure relates to a glove for operating an electronic device, particularly a device with a touchscreen. To operate capacitive touchscreens requires electric conductivity between the screen and a user's fingers. Thus, users of such electronic devices can find it difficult to operate the device while wearing gloves. To overcome this difficulty, gloves have been provided with conductive fingertips. Generally, conductive gloves allow current to travel from a user's hand (e.g., a user's finger, thumb, etc.) on the inside of the glove to the touchscreen on the outside of the glove. Such conductive gloves may be provided in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2011/0047672, entitled “Glove with Conductive Fingertips,” published Mar. 3, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Lined and waterproof gloves present additional challenges because they include additional materials between the conductive materials on the conductive glove shell and the user's hand. There have been attempts to address this problem. Some prior art linings for use within a conductive shell include a cut finger/thumb tip. The cut tips allow the wearer to access the backside of the shell conductive embroidery to complete the connection from the human body to the outside of the glove or touchscreen device. This is not the best solution for warmth, because the cut tips are not lined. In other prior art gloves, conductive fabric is pieced into the lining at the fingertips. This is insufficient to solve the problem because the conductive fabric is thin and does not allow for consistent lining fabric throughout the glove. For example, a plush lining would have flat conductive fabric tips, so fingertips will not have the same shape/loft/handfeel as the balance of the lining. Another attempt has been made using a lining with conductive yarn. Conductive yarn is knit into the fingertips of an otherwise non-conductive knitted lining. This is insufficient to solve the problem because this method works only on knitted linings and it is not always desirable to use a knitted lining.
SUMMARYA glove includes a lining with conductive embroidery that works together with an outer glove shell, which also has conductive embroidery. The electricity is passed from the hand through the conductive embroidery on the lining to the conductive embroidery on the shell to the touchscreen device. This conductive embroidered lining can be used in any glove types including knitted gloves, stretch gloves, leather sized gloves, mixed material gloves, waterproof gloves, suede gloves, etc. The present development further allows the use of cut and sew linings, which allow linings that are warm, plush, with a higher pile and/or fashion colors/textures.
While a variety of gloves have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventor(s) has made or used an invention as described herein.
While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention, it is believed the present invention will be better understood from the following description of certain examples taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify the same elements and in which:
The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the invention may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings, incorporated in and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe following description of certain examples of the invention should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention. Other examples, features, aspects, embodiments, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different and obvious aspects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
In this application, the word “finger” and “fingertip” apply equally to fingers/fingertips and thumbs/thumbtips. Similarly, the word “thumb” and “thumbtips” apply equally to thumbs/thumbtips and fingers/fingertips. “Glove” can also mean mitten. The words “yarn” and “thread” can be used interchangeably.
I. Exemplary ShellFabrics (16, 18, 19, 21, 22) are generally non-conductive fabrics. Such examples of non-conductive fabrics include spandex (77% nylon, 23% Spandex) that is laminated to 100% polyester fleece to form shell (12). In some versions shell (12) is made of stretch fleece (94% polyester, 6% Spandex), or shell (12) is made of stretch fleece and jersey sides with gripper silicone printing (142) on palm fabric (16). In other versions, shell (12) includes textured stretch material (60% Tactel, 30% Coolmax, 10% Lycra Spandex) laminated to 100% polyester fleece for use in backhand fabric (18). Another version includes stretch ottoman (96% polyester, 4% spandex) in the backhand fabric (18). In other versions, textured water resistant or water repellant microfiber fabric is laminated to 100% polyester fleece. Still in other versions, shell (12) is made of textured knit (100% polyester) laminated to 100% polyester fleece. Leather, either hairsheep or goatskin, can be used in the backhand fabric (18) of glove (10) in some versions. The cuffs, palm, and fourchettes of gloves (10) can be made of a blend of 80% nylon and 20% Lycra Spandex, or a blend of 79% nylon and 21% Lycra Spandex, or a stretch fleece material (94% polyester, 6% Lycra Spandex) that can also be used for sidewall fabric. Synthetic suede (60% polyurethane, 40% nylon) can be used as appliqués or tabs. Gloves (10), in some versions, include palm patches made of pigsplit or embossed polyurethane. In view of the teachings herein, other materials of construction for gloves (10) will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
As shown in
Any well-known embroidery technique may be used to apply conductive embroidery (24, 26) to shell (12). Embroideries (24, 26) can be done before the fabrics (21, 22) are assembled to form shell (12) or after the fabrics (21, 22) have been assembled to form shell (12). In either approach, embroideries (24, 26) pass from the inner surface of shell (12) to the outer surface of shell (12). Any conductive thread can be used in making embroideries (24, 26) so long as there is sufficient conductivity to conduct an electrical impulse from the user's finger to the touchscreen. For example, the thread may be configured to conduct 82 ohms/foot to 114 ohms/foot, or the thread can be comprised of a finer thread with four ends that conducts 90 ohms/foot to 95 ohms/foot. Such conductive thread can be a 100% nylon thread with silver coating, with a thickness before coating of 280D and 340D after coating. In some versions, embroideries (24, 26) have about a 100% density, while in other versions, embroideries (24, 26) have about a 75% density. In view of the teachings herein, other types of conductive thread or configurations for use in making embroideries (24, 26) will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
As shown in
Patch (30) further comprises a seam allowance portion (32) and tabs (34) extending outwardly from patch (30), as shown in
Patch (36) further comprises a seam allowance portion (38) extending outwardly from patch (36), as shown in
While index finger fabric (21) and thumb fabric (22) are conductive in the present example, it should be noted that the conductive embroidery and/or patches may be applied to all finger/thumb tips or any varying number of finger/thumb tips. While the illustrated version in
For instance,
In some instances, it may be desirable to include a lining within a shell (12, 112, 212) of a glove (10, 110, 210) to provide more warmth.
This may allow the use of cut and sew linings. In the present example, embroideries (46, 48) are applied to index finger portion (41) and thumb portion (48) in a line extending transversely across index finger portion (41) and thumb portion (48). Of course, embroideries (46, 48) may be applied to one or any number of index finger portion (41), thumb portion (44) and/or other finger portions (42). Embroideries (46, 48) may also be applied to lining (40) in other configurations that maximize contact with the conductive materials on the inside of glove shell (12, 112, 212) while minimizing the amount of conductive thread needed.
For instance,
Another exemplary lining (340) is shown in
In some versions, conductive threading is used to mimic rivets (346, 348).
For instance,
In some instances it may be desirable to waterproof gloves (10, 110, 210).
Bladder (50) further comprises tabs (52). In the present example, a tab (52) is positioned on the distal end of thumb portion (54), index finger portion (51), and each of the other finger portions (53). Part of tab (52) extends outside of bladder (50) and part of tab (52) extends on the inside of each finger of bladder (50). Tabs (52) are tacked in place inside to secure and prevent bladder (50) from shifting inside the glove. Each tab (52) on the inside of bladder (50) is tacked to lining (40, 340, 440, 540, 640) and each tab (52) on the outside of bladder (50) is tacked to glove shell (12, 112, 212).
To allow for a waterproof conductive glove (10, 110, 210), tabs (52) positioned on thumb portion (54) and index finger portion (51) may be made from a conductive material. Tabs (52) positioned on the middle, ring, and pinky finger portions (53) may be made from a nonconductive material. However, one could use more or fewer conductive tabs (52), depending on the number of fingers one wished to be conductive in the finished glove (10, 110, 210). Conductive bladder (50) is inserted between embroidered lining (40, 340, 440, 540, 640) and embroidered outer shell (12, 112, 212). Tabs (52) are coupled to this conductive embroidery thread, so the conductive tab (52) on the outside of bladder (50) is connected to the conductive embroidery thread in glove shell (12, 112, 212) and the conductive tab (52) on the inside of bladder (50) is connected to the conductive embroidery thread in lining (40, 340, 440, 540, 640). These connections can be made in the same ways that a bladder (50) is connected to glove (10, 110, 210) and lining (40, 340, 440, 540, 640) in a non-conductive glove. Conductive bladder (50) provides a waterproof glove with the ability to ensure a conductive current to pass through all layers from the wearer's fingers to the touchscreen of the electronic device.
Accordingly, a conductive patch (30, 26, 130, 136, 230, 236) extends from an outer surface of shell (12, 112, 212) to an embroidery (24, 26) of shell (12, 112, 212). Embroidery (24, 26) of shell (12, 112, 212) then extends to a tab (52) of bladder (50). Tab (52) of bladder (50) then extends to an embroidery (46, 48, 146, 246, 446, 448, 546, 548, 646, 648) and/or a metal rivet (346, 348) of lining (40, 340, 440, 540, 640), which extends to an inner surface of lining (40, 340, 440, 540, 640) to create a conductive pathway from a user's finger, which contacts the inner surface of glove (10), to a touchscreen, which contacts the outer surface of glove (10).
Having shown and described various embodiments of the present invention, further adaptations of the methods and systems described herein may be accomplished by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Several of such potential modifications have been mentioned, and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, the examples, embodiments, geometrics, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps, and the like discussed above are illustrative and are not required. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be considered in terms of the following claims and is understood not to be limited to the details of structure and operation shown and described in the specification and drawings.
Claims
1. A glove comprising:
- (a) a shell comprising a plurality of fingertips, wherein at least one of the fingertips comprises a conductive embroidery on a distal portion of the fingertip; and
- (b) a lining comprising a plurality of fingertips corresponding to the fingertips of the shell, wherein at least one of the fingertips of the lining comprises a conductive embroidery on a distal portion of the fingertip, wherein the lining is positioned within the shell such that the conductive embroidery of the lining is adjacent to the conductive embroidery of the shell.
2. The glove of claim 1, wherein the shell further comprises a conductive patch covering the conductive embroidery of the shell.
3. The glove of claim 2, wherein the conductive patch defines a tapered proximal end.
4. The glove of claim 2, wherein the conductive patch comprises a tab extending outwardly from the conductive patch.
5. The glove of claim 2, wherein the conductive patch has an ovular shape.
6. The glove of claim 2, wherein the conductive patch is configured to wrap around a distal tip of the at least one fingertip of the shell.
7. The glove of claim 1, wherein the conductive embroidery of the lining is positioned transversely across the at least one fingertip of the lining.
8. The glove of claim 1, wherein the conductive embroidery of the lining is positioned longitudinally along the at least one fingertip of the lining.
9. The glove of claim 1, wherein the conductive embroidery of the lining defines a “t” shape.
10. The glove of claim 1, wherein the conductive embroidery of the lining defines a “y” shape.
11. The glove of claim 1, wherein the conductive embroidery of the lining comprises a circular portion and a line portion extending from the circular portion.
12. The glove of claim 1, wherein the conductive embroideries of the shell and the lining are positioned on an index finger portion of the glove.
13. The glove of claim 12, wherein the conductive embroideries of the shell and the lining are substantially centered on a palm side of the index finger portion of the glove.
14. The glove of claim 1, wherein the conductive embroideries of the shell and the lining are positioned on a thumb portion of the glove.
15. The glove of claim 14, wherein the conductive embroideries of the shell and the lining are positioned off-center on a palm side of the thumb portion of the glove.
16. The glove of claim 1 further comprising a bladder, wherein the bladder comprises at least one conductive tab, wherein the bladder is positioned between the shell and the lining such that the at least one conductive tab is positioned between the conductive embroidery of the shell and the lining.
17. The glove of claim 16, wherein the bladder is tacked within the gloves.
18. The glove of claim 1, wherein the conductive embroidery comprises a nylon thread having a silver coating.
19. A glove comprising: wherein the lining is positioned within the shell such that at least a portion of the conductive embroidery of the lining is adjacent to at least a portion of the conductive embroidery of the shell to thereby create a conductive pathway from an inner surface of the glove to an outer surface of the glove.
- (a) a shell comprising a plurality of fingertips, wherein at least one of the fingertips comprises a conductive embroidery extending from an inner surface of the shell to an outer surface of the shell; and
- (b) a lining comprising a plurality of fingertips corresponding to the fingertips of the shell, wherein at least one of the fingertips of the lining comprises a conductive extending from an inner surface of the shell to an outer surface of the shell;
20. A glove comprising: wherein the conductive embroidery of the shell, the conductive tab of the bladder, and the conductive embroidery of the lining create a conductive pathway from an inner surface of the glove and an outer surface of the glove.
- (a) a shell comprising a conductive embroidery;
- (b) a bladder comprising at least one conductive tab adjacent to the conductive embroidery of the shell; and
- (c) a lining comprising at least one conductive embroidery adjacent to the conductive tab of the bladder;
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 9, 2013
Publication Date: Feb 6, 2014
Inventors: Michelle Renee Hatfield (Fort Wright, KY), Tina Bartman Cornish (Liberty Township, OH), Megan Markell Mays (Cincinnati, OH), Doug Flatt (Fairfield, OH), Marian Ihlenfeldt (Florence, KY), Kelly Falkenstein (Cincinnati, OH), Eva Lutz (Cincinnati, OH), Allan Cheung (New Territories)
Application Number: 14/049,541