Hand Garments Facilitating Mobile Device Operation
A hand facilitates interaction with a mobile touchscreen device. The hand garment has a base portion that covers the palm and fingers, and a thumb portion that covers a thumb of the wearer's hand. The thumb portion has a touch area that facilitates operation of a mobile touchscreen device with the thumb. In some examples, the touch area has an aperture that allows the tip of the thumb to emerge from the thumb portion, and a sealing mechanism that seals the aperture. In some examples, the hand garment also has a support mechanism, such as a pocket, a band, or a strap that holds, supports, and/or secures the mobile touchscreen device while a wearer operates the device.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 61/978,827, filed on Apr. 12, 2014 and titled “Hand Garment Facilitating Mobile Device Operation,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present technology generally relates to hand garments, such as gloves, mittens, or other articles for insulating, protecting, and/or covering the hand. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to thermally insulating hand garments that facilitate wearer operation of mobile touchscreen devices.
BACKGROUNDTouchscreen technology allows a user to operate electronic equipment without the use of mechanical or moving buttons. Many modern mobile devices, including cell phones, tablets, mp3 players, and other computing devices, use touchscreen technology to allow a user to operate and interact with the device.
Touchscreen or touch-operable devices can recognize the “touch” of an electrically conductive object by detecting a change in capacitance at the location of the “touch.” Because the human body is an electrical conductor, touchscreen devices can to detect the physical touch of a user's finger or thumb contacting the touchscreen surface.
Touchscreen devices may be unable to detect a touch, however, if the user is unable to make direct contact with the screen. For example, touchscreen technology may be ineffective if the operator is wearing gloves or other insulating apparel over the hands and/or fingers. This can be a particular problem for users trying to operate a mobile device in cold weather or in other environments that involve the use of gloves or other hand covering apparel.
Moreover, hand garments present other issues that make operation of touchscreen devices more difficult. For example, gloves often have a smooth surface that can make it difficult for a user to properly grip or hold a mobile device. And because mobile device operation often involves frequent adjustment of the fingers, thumb, and hand, it can be challenging to maintain a proper grip while wearing gloves. As a result, mobile devices can slip out of the hands of a glove wearer and damage or even ruin the device.
SUMMARYA hand garment facilitates interaction with a mobile touchscreen device (e.g., a cell phone, a tablet, an mp3 player, etc.). In one example, the hand garment includes a base portion shaped to cover the palm and fingers of a hand, and a thumb portion shaped to cover a thumb of the hand. In some examples, the thumb portion has an aperture of a size sufficient to allow a tip of the thumb to emerge from the thumb portion. The aperture can include a sealing mechanism that can seal the aperture when the thumb is within the thumb portion.
In other examples, the thumb portion has a touch area that to facilitates a wearer's operation of a touchscreen device with the thumb. By one approach, the hand garment also includes a support mechanism positioned along the base portion. The support mechanism can provide support for a mobile touchscreen device, for example, while the wearer operates the mobile touchscreen device.
Certain examples, present a glove that thermally insulates a hand while interaction with a mobile touchscreen device. In some examples, the glove includes a base portion that insulates the palm and fingers of a wearer's hand, and a thumb portion extending from the base portion that insulates the wearer's thumb. By one approach, the thumb portion has an aperture that allows a tip of the thumb to emerge from the thumb portion. The aperture can include a sealing mechanism that can seal the aperture when the thumb is within the thumb portion. In some examples, the glove also includes a support mechanism on the base portion that provides support for a mobile touchscreen device as a wearer operates the device.
In operation, the present disclosure facilitates operation of a mobile touchscreen device while wearing a hand garment. By one approach, the hand garment can support the mobile touchscreen device with a support mechanism that is located on the hand garment. For example, a mobile touchscreen device, such as a smart phone, can be placed in or on a support mechanism on the hand garment so that the wearer can more easily hold and operate the device without threat of dropping the device. In one example, the wearer can emerge a thumb or a tip of a thumb through an aperture located on a thumb portion of the hand garment. In some examples the wearer will be able to secure the thumb portion in a reclined position, for example, by reclining the thumb portion backwards, or to the side. In this manner the wearer will be able to operate the mobile touchscreen device by directly contacting a touchscreen interface of the mobile touchscreen device with the thumb. In some approaches, the wearer will be able to easily re-cover or re-insert the thumb within the thumb portion by retracting the thumb back through the aperture. In some examples, this act can be facilitated by a spring-like mechanism that exerts a force on the thumb portion that returns the thumb portion to an un-reclined position when not secured. In some examples, the wearer will be able to then seal the aperture with a sealing mechanism.
The present disclosure also provides examples of a hand garment that enable or help a wearer emerge the thumb from the aperture without assistance from another hand. For example, the aperture can be configured to enable a wearer to emerge the thumb while holding a mobile device with the same hand.
The present disclosure uses the phrase “hand garment” to refer apparel that insulates, protects, and/or covers a wearer's hand and/or fingers such as gloves and mittens, for example.
Operating touchscreen devices in cold weather can be particularly challenging, especially when the operator is wearing hand garments, such as gloves or mittens, to insulate the hands. That is because mobile devices can be difficult to hold and manipulate with hand garments. Further, it is typically not possible to operate touchscreen functionality through the insulating material of hand garments.
One way to facilitate interaction with a touchscreen device while wearing gloves is allow the wearer to temporarily expose the thumb or fingers and allow direct finger/thumb contact with the touchscreen device. For example, a glove may have an opening through which a wearer can temporarily emerge a thumb and/or finger to operate a touchscreen device. Using such an opening, however, can reduce the thermal or protective qualities of the glove. For example, an unsealed opening can allow heat to escape the glove, and moisture from snow, ice, can penetrate the glove, thereby limiting the ability of the glove to keep the wearer's hands warm and dry as desired. Moreover, gloves that provide for the thumb and fingers to be exposed may involve inconvenient manipulation of the gloves. For example, to remove and re-insert a thumb or finger from an opening in the glove, a wearer may need to pull back (or forward) a thumb or finger portion of the glove with the opposite hand. This two-handed approach can be burdensome and problematic, particularly if the wearer is holding a phone.
Another way to facilitate interaction with a mobile touchscreen device involves use of conductive material in the tips of the thumb and finger portions of the gloves. Using a conductive instead of an insulating material in the tips of the gloves can help the touchscreen device detect the presence of a wearer's finger on the touchscreen device. However, a conductive material layer is by nature less insulating than a typical insulating material, and thus will allow more heat to escape the glove. Accordingly, gloves employing conductive material layers may not be suitable for use in colder environments. Further, operating a touchscreen device through a conductive material adds an additional layer between the operator and the touchscreen device. This added layer limits the accuracy and precision to which the wearer can operate a touchscreen device. A user wearing such conductive material gloves may thus have difficulty executing touchscreen tasks that involve a high degree of touch precision and touch accuracy, such as typing, writing, drawing, or navigating through an electronic file.
Gloves can also make it difficult for a wearer to hold and secure a mobile device. Gloves limit the wearer's tactile sensations, and thereby limit the reliability of a wearer's grip on a device. This is particularly so in colder environments, when a wearer's tactile senses are further limited by the colder temperatures. Moreover, the outer surfaces of gloves do not typically provide a high degree of friction against the smooth, glass-like surfaces of many mobile touchscreen devices. As a result, such mobile devices are prone to slipping out of a wearer's hand during mobile device operation. This is even more likely if the wearer is attempting to manipulate or operate the phone while holding it with a single hand.
The present disclosure provides hand garments (e.g., gloves and mittens), that allow a wearer to operate and control a touchscreen device via direct contact with a finger or thumb. The hand garments allow a wearer to expose a portion of a thumb or finger, for example, via a sealable opening to operate the touchscreen device.
In some embodiments, the opening is sealable so that the wearer can reduce, limit, or eliminate the amount of heat that can be lost through the opening, thereby increasing the thermal efficiency of the article. In some aspects, this sealable opening is configured to enable a wearer to emerge the thumb and/or finger while holding the mobile device, without the use of the opposite hand.
As used throughout this application, the term “seal” (or “sealed,” “sealing,” or “sealable”) refer to an opening that is closed and secured. A “seal” as used throughout this application does not necessarily have to be air-tight, or hermetically sealed, though such an air-tight or hermetically sealed opening is certainly within the scope of the described technology. Likewise, a “seal” need not be applied about the entire opening, such that a “sealed” opening can still include unsealed portions or segments (e.g., as with seals formed by buttons, snaps, or the like). In some examples, a “sealed” opening provides a securement such that the opening should not open without a particular force being applied to or about the seal. In some embodiments, this particular force can be designed so that the seal will only open when desired by the wearer. In some examples, the “seal” can form automatically, for example, by way of a spring-like mechanism returning to its natural position. In other examples, the “seal” may involve an application force applied by a wearer or other user, for example, by way of pressing two sealing strips together.
The present disclosure also provides hand garments that help a wearer to hold and support a mobile device during operation. Some embodiments provide a support mechanism attached to the hand garment, such as pocket, a corner, a strap, a band, or a ledge, for example, that help secure or support a mobile device with respect to the hand garment. In this manner, a wearer of such a hand garment can hold and operate a mobile device with a single hand using a touch area while reducing the risk of fumbling, mishandling, or dropping the mobile device.
Exemplary embodiments of hand garments that facilitate operation of mobile touchscreen devices are provided in
The touch area 130 can include an aperture 150 configured to allow the wearer's thumb to emerge, for example, so that the wearer can operate a mobile touchscreen device with the thumb. The aperture 150 can be, for example, a horizontal or vertical slot (e.g., a slit) in the hand garment 100. The aperture 150 can include a sealing mechanism 160 that is capable of sealing the aperture 150 when the thumb is within the thumb portion 140, That is, the sealing mechanism 160 can seal the aperture 150 so that the aperture 150 does not contribute to added heat loss, thereby allowing the hand garment 100 to maintain a relatively high level of thermal efficiency. In some embodiments, the sealing mechanism 160 can be configured to provide an insulation barrier for the hand garment 100 when the sealing mechanism 160 is in a sealed position. In certain examples, the hand garment thumb portion 140 can also include a conductive barrier at the touch area, so that when a wearer emerges a thumb 50 through the aperture 150, the conductive barrier still covers the emerged thumb 50. The conductive barrier can be formed of a material that enables a wearer to operate a touchscreen mobile device 10 through the barrier. In this manner, the wearer's thumb can still be thermally insulated, while maintaining the ability to accurately control and operate the mobile touchscreen device 10. Upon retraction of the thumb 50 back into the thumb portion 140, the conductive barrier can also retract into the thumb portion 140, thereby allowing the sealing mechanism 160 to seal the aperture 150. In some examples, the conductive barrier can be formed of a flexible and/or stretchable material, which can facilitate the retraction of the barrier back into the thumb portion 140.
In some examples, the aperture 150 and the sealing mechanism 160 are positioned on the thumb portion 140 so that they do not interfere with the tactile sensibilities of the thumb. For example, the aperture 150 and sealing mechanism 160 can be positioned to the side of the thumb, or below the tip of the thumb (e.g., below the first joint or knuckle of the thumb) so that the tip of the thumb otherwise presses against normal hand garment material, without a rigid or semi-rigid object in between. In this manner, the tactile capabilities of the thumb would not be significantly inhibited by the existence of the sealing mechanism 160. In other examples, the sealing mechanism 160 can be formed from a thin material such that the sealing mechanism can still be positioned in the center of the thumb portion 140 that covers the tip of the thumb, but otherwise does not significantly inhibit or impair the thumbs ability to feel or function beyond that of a typical hand garment.
Because the hand garment 100 allows a wearer to emerge a thumb and/or fingers and operate a touchscreen device with direct thumb/finger contact, the exterior surface of the thumb can comprise a non-conductive material that increases the protective properties of the hand garment 100. For example, the exterior surface can include materials that would otherwise limit the wearer's ability to operate a touchscreen device, such as a thermally insulating material, a waterproof material, a moisture wicking material, and/or a grip-enhancing material such as rubber or plastic. In this manner, the presently described hand garment 100 can provide durability, warmth, functionality, and protection (e.g., from water and moisture), that cannot otherwise be provided a touchscreen operable glove.
In examples where the aperture 150 and sealing mechanism 160 are positioned on a side of the thumb portion 140, the attachment mechanisms 170 and 175 can be positioned on or around the thumb portion in a location on the opposite side of the aperture.
With the tip of the thumb 50 emerged from the hand garment 100 as shown in
In some aspects, the hand garment 100 includes a support mechanism 200 as shown in
In
In some embodiments, the support mechanism 200 can include two structures (e.g., two pocket corners 210) positioned along the base portion of the hand garment 100, where each structure is configured to help support a mobile device. For example, the support mechanism 200 can include two pocket corners configured to support a mobile device via the bottom right and bottom left corners of the device.
In some embodiments the support mechanism 200 can also be a band or a strap that can be wrapped around a mobile device (e.g., at the base). For example, the support mechanism 200 can be a band made of a stretchable material such as rubber or elastic that extends from one location (e.g., the tip of the pinky finger) on the hand garment 100 to another location (e.g., a lower portion of the palm area) and allows for a mobile device to be placed underneath. In this way the band can press the mobile device into the hand garment 100 to prevent the phone from moving or sliding downward while the wearer operates the mobile touchscreen device. In some embodiments, a band or strap support mechanism 200 can apply tension or pressure to the surface of the hand garment 100, thereby serving to press the mobile device into the hand garment, while also providing an upwards support, for example, in the form of stitching formed on a lower edge of the support mechanism 200.
The support mechanism 200 can vary in length, width, and/or depth depending on the intended use, and the mobile devices that the hand garment 100 is intended to be used with. For example, the support mechanism can be configured so that it is wide and/or deep enough to provide sufficient support of the mobile device, but narrow and/or shallow enough so that it does not significantly obstruct the wearer's ability to view the screen or otherwise operate the mobile device. In some examples, the support mechanism can be formed from a thin and/or conductive material that allows the mobile touchscreen device to maintain touch sensitivity through the support mechanism. In this manner, the support mechanism can be wide and/or deep enough that it covers a portion of the touchscreen of the mobile device 10, while still allowing an operator to operate the touchscreen portion of the mobile device 10 through the support mechanism 200. For example, the support mechanism can be formed of a thin polymer or plastic that enables the touchscreen of the mobile touchscreen device 10 to detect an operator's touch through the polymer or plastic. Additionally and/or alternatively, the support mechanism 200 can comprise metallic or other conductive threaded material so that the support mechanism 200 does not inhibit the mobile touchscreen device 10 from detecting the operator's touch through the material. By allowing the support mechanism to be deep enough to cover a portion of the touchscreen while still maintaining operability of the covered portion of the touchscreen, the support mechanism 200 can provided added support and security to the mobile touchscreen device 10, which can be particularly useful in situations where the wearer may be prone to dropping the device 10.
The support mechanism 200 is used in connection with a touch area 130 on the hand garment 100. For example, as shown in
The support mechanism 200 can be configured to correspond to specific mobile touchscreen devices. For example, in some embodiments, the support mechanism 200 can be a pocket of a width sufficient to securely hold an iPhone, or a competitive mobile device. In certain aspects, the size of the support mechanism 200 can be adjustable so that the hand garment 100 can operate in connection with a variety of mobile touchscreen devices.
The position of the support mechanism 200 along the base portion 120 of the hand garment 100 can vary depending on the size and shape of the hand garment 100, the size and shape of the mobile touchscreen device intended to be operated, and/or a wearer's preference and comfort. For example, as shown in
In some embodiments, the hand garment 100 can include more than one touch areas. For example, in addition to the thumb portion 140, the finger covers 122 can also include touch areas that allow a wearer to operate a mobile device with the fingers. As shown in
In
In
In certain embodiments, the spring-like mechanism can be the sealing mechanism 160 itself. For example, the sealing mechanism 160 can have a spring-like flexibility that exerts a tendency to remain straight. In this manner, when the thumb portion 140 is in the reclined position, the sealing mechanism 160 can exert a tendency to straighten out, thereby exerting a slight force on the thumb portion to return to the original un-reclined position. In other embodiments, the spring-like mechanism can include an additional mechanism (e.g., a flexible rod or pole), placed in the thumb portion (e.g., on a front or rear side of the thumb portion, or on one or both sides of the sealing mechanism 160).
In some embodiments, the touch areas 131 and 132 do not comprise apertures, but instead include other structure to facilitate interaction with a touchscreen device through the hand garment 100, such as a portion of conductive material portion, for example.
The interlocking strips 164 and 165 of the sealing mechanism 160 can be made of a flexible material, such as rubber or plastic, for example, so that the strips are capable of flexing or deforming to form a sealing engagement. When pressed together, the interlocking strips 164 and 165 form a seal that can thermally insulate the thumb portion so that heat loss through the aperture is minimized, reduced, limited and/or eliminated, for example. Force or pressure applied to the interlocking strips 164 and 165, when engaged, can cause the flexible material to flex or deform such that the interlocking strips 164 and 165 separate, or “pop” open, thereby allowing a thumb 50 to emerge from the aperture 150.
The slide fastening device 167 can be, for example, a rubber zipper or similar apparatus that can be operated with a thumb 50 from inside the thumb portion 140 of the hand garment. The slide fastening device 167 can include interlocking strips that engage in a manner similar to that described with respect to the sealing mechanism of
In some embodiments, slider 168 slide fastening device is configured to be operated by a thumb from inside the thumb portion of the hand garment as depicted in
The touch area 130 can include sealing mechanisms that operate differently from those described with respect to the figures. For example, in some embodiments, the touch area can include an aperture with a sealing mechanism that includes a button and a slot. In some aspects, the sealing mechanism can include a snap fastening system, a hook and loop fastening system, or a magnetic fastening system.
In some embodiments, the sealing mechanism includes a self-closing flexible seal that provides an opening when compressed in a longitudinal direction. For example, the sealing mechanism can include a pair of flexible strips that engage in a straight configuration when the strips are not compressed. Upon application of a compression force in a longitudinal direction, the flexible strips can bow outwards from one another, establishing an opening therebetween through which a thumb or finger can emerge. When the thumb or finger has been re-inserted into the hand garment and the compression force is removed, the flexible strips can revert back to their initial position, engaged with one another, thereby sealing the aperture. In this way the sealing mechanism can operate in a similar fashion to a coin purse with a flex frame closure.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide sealing engagements that can be operated with a single hand. In some embodiments, the sealing engagements can be used by a hand while also holding a mobile device. For example, the sealing engagement can be configured so that a wearer can un-seal an aperture and emerge a thumb or finger through the aperture without assistance from another hand, while also holding a mobile device. In some aspects, this task can be facilitated with a support mechanism as described herein, which can support and secure the mobile and reduce the likelihood that the mobile device will be fumbled, mishandled, or dropped. In some aspects, the sealing mechanism can also be configured to allow a wearer to reinsert the thumb or finger into the hand garment, and reseal the aperture with a single hand while holding a mobile device. In some embodiments, however, the touch area can include an aperture or opening without a sealing mechanism.
In some embodiments, the touch area can include a sheath or protector coupled to or within an aperture that allows the thumb or finger to emerge from the hand garment and still be protected while operating a touchscreen device. For example, the sheath or protector can comprise a conductive material so that the thumb or finger is capable of operating a mobile touchscreen device through the sheath. In this manner, the hand garment can provide added warmth and protection even while the wearer's thumb is emerged from the thumb portion to operate a touchscreen device.
The touch areas shown in
The present disclosure also provides embodiments of methods for operating a mobile touchscreen device while wearing a hand garment or hand protector.
At step 920 the wearer emerges the thumb and/or finger through an aperture in the hand garment. In some embodiments, the emerging step 920 involves penetrating a sealing mechanism that sealed and/or closed the aperture with a thumb or finger. In some aspects, step 920 may involve emerging the thumb or finger without assistance from another hand. For example, step 920 can involve using only the thumb, index finger and middle finger of one hand to emerge a thumb from an aperture in the hand garment. In certain aspects, 920 involves emerging the thumb or finger while the wearer is holding a mobile touchscreen device.
At step 930 the thumb or finger portion is folded back and secured to the hand garment. For example, after emerging the thumb or finger from the hand garment, the wearer can bend or fold an upper area of the thumb portion of the hand garment back onto a lower area, and attach or secure the upper area so that it does not interfere or obstruct the thumb or finger from operating a mobile touchscreen device. The attaching or securement can occur, for example, by using an attaching device such as a snap, a magnet, or a hook and loop fastener.
At step 940 the wearer operates a mobile touchscreen device with a thumb or finger emerged from the hand garment. For example, the wearer may operate a mobile touchscreen device by directly contacting a touchscreen interface with the skin of the wearer's emerged thumb and/or finger.
At step 950 the wearer re-covers or re-inserts the emerged thumb or finger. For example, at step 950 the wearer can re-insert the thumb or finger into the thumb/finger portion of the hand garment through a hand garment. In some embodiments the hand garment can be configured such step 950 can be accomplished without assistance from another hand. Further, in some aspects, step 950 can be accomplished while the wearer is holding a mobile touchscreen device.
At step 960 the wearer seals the aperture via a sealing mechanism installed about the aperture. For example, at step 960 the wearer can press two strips of a sealing mechanism together to establish a seal, thereby limiting the amount of heat that can be lost through the aperture. For further example, step 960 can involve closing a slide fastening device by sliding a slider up or down along a the track of the slide fastening device using a thumb within the thumb portion of the hand garment. Step 960 can involve sealing any of the sealing mechanisms described herein with respect to
The present disclosure provides hand garments that can provide thick, highly insulating materials. Such hand garments can be particularly useful, for example, in particularly cold environments where the use of thinner and/or conductive materials do not provide adequate warmth or protection.
The presently disclosed hand garments can also include exterior materials or surfaces that offer a variety of textures, or that can assist the wearer in handling objects or performing certain tasks. For example, the presently disclosed hand garments can be work gloves with a rubber or plastic gripping surface disposed on the exterior of the glove.
The presently disclosed hand garments can be useful, for example, as ski gloves or mittens. For example, the presently disclosed hand garments can provide thicker insulating materials, and a waterproof and/or a grip facilitating exterior surface that can be useful on ski gloves. In this manner the wearer can maintain warm, dry hands while being able to comfortably grip and hold ski poles or other objects, and still be able to operate a mobile touchscreen device without having to remove the glove. The presently disclosed hand garments also facilitate access to mobile touchscreen devices in situations that would otherwise be difficult, cumbersome, or risky for a skier to manipulate a mobile touchscreen device, for example, while riding on a chairlift.
As previously noted, the present disclosure uses the phrase “hand garment” to refer to a broad category of apparel that insulates, protects, and/or covers a wearer's hand and/or fingers such as gloves and mittens. For example, as used throughout this application, the term “hand garment” can include gloves, mittens, muffs, wraps, pogies, covers, mitts, and the like. Some exemplary descriptions of embodiments of the present technology may make reference to specific hand garments, such as gloves or mittens. Such specific references are not intended to limit the scope of the present technology specifically to gloves or mittens unless the context dictates otherwise. Accordingly, it should be understood that any references to a specific type of hand garment, such as a glove, can reasonably substitute a reference to another specific type of hand garment, such as a mitten, without departing from the spirit of the present technology.
The present disclosure describes embodiments and examples of a hand garment and related methods for using hand garments to operate mobile touchscreen devices. Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The embodiments shown in the drawings, if any, and as described above are merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Moreover, those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment. All references cited in the present disclosure are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Claims
1. A hand garment facilitating interaction with a mobile touchscreen device, the hand garment comprising:
- a base portion shaped to cover fingers and a palm of a hand; and
- a thumb portion shaped to cover a thumb of the hand, the thumb portion comprising a touch area that facilitates operation of a mobile touchscreen device with the thumb, the touch area comprising an aperture of a size sufficient for a tip of the thumb to emerge from the thumb portion,
- wherein the aperture comprises a sealing mechanism that seals the aperture.
2. The hand garment of claim 1, wherein the aperture is at least one of a horizontal or vertical slot.
3. The hand garment of claim 2, wherein the aperture is a vertical slot that spreads open and facilitates the thumb emerging from the thumb portion, wherein the vertical slot spreads open in response to at least one of internal pressure being applied to the slot from inside the thumb portion, and a rearward force applied on an upper area of the thumb portion.
4. The hand garment of claim 1, wherein the sealing mechanism comprises two strips that press together to form a seal, wherein the seal establishes a hand garment with improved insulating properties over a hand garment without a formed seal.
5. The hand garment of claim 1, wherein the sealing mechanism comprises a slide fastening device operable by a thumb from inside the thumb portion of the hand garment.
6. The hand garment of claim 1, wherein the sealing mechanism comprises a self-closing flexible seal that provides an opening when compressed in a longitudinal direction.
7. The hand garment of claim 1, wherein the hand garment further comprises an attachment mechanism on a back side of the thumb portion, the attachment mechanism configured to hold the thumb portion in a reclined position.
8. The hand garment of claim 7, wherein the thumb portion further comprises a spring-like mechanism that facilitates returning a reclined thumb portion to an un-reclined position.
9. The hand garment of claim 7, wherein the spring-like mechanism is the sealing mechanism or a component of the sealing mechanism.
10. The hand garment of claim 1, further comprising a support mechanism extending along the base portion of the hand garment, the support mechanism configured to support the mobile touchscreen device.
11. The hand garment of claim 10, wherein the support mechanism comprises a stretchable material.
12. The hand garment of claim 10, wherein the support mechanism is removably attachable from the hand garment so that the support mechanism can be positioned at one or more different desired positions along the base portion of the hand garment.
13. A hand garment facilitating interaction with a mobile touchscreen device, the hand garment comprising:
- a base portion shaped to cover fingers and a palm of a hand; and
- a thumb portion shaped to cover a thumb of the hand, the thumb portion comprising a touch area that facilitates operation of a mobile touchscreen device with the thumb; and
- a support mechanism positioned along the base portion, the support mechanism configured to provide support for a mobile touchscreen device.
14. The hand garment of claim 13, wherein the touch area comprises an aperture of a size sufficient for a tip of the thumb to emerge from the thumb portion and a sealing mechanism that seals the aperture.
15. The hand garment of claim 13, wherein the touch area comprises a conductive material configured to enable the thumb to operate a touchscreen device through the touch area.
16. The hand garment of claim 13, wherein the support mechanism is removably attachable from the hand garment so that a wearer can position the pocket at a desired location along the base portion.
17. The hand garment of claim 13, wherein the support mechanism comprises at least one of a pocket and a pocket corner.
18. The hand garment of claim 13, wherein the support mechanism comprises a strap or band formed from a stretchable material.
19. The hand garment of claim 13, wherein the hand garment is a glove, wherein the base portion comprises a plurality of finger covers, each finger cover shaped to cover at least a portion of one finger of the hand, wherein at least one finger cover comprises a touch area that facilitates operation of a mobile touchscreen device with a finger of the hand.
20. A glove thermally that insulates a hand and facilitates interaction of a mobile touchscreen device, the glove comprising:
- a base portion shaped to cover and insulate fingers and a palm of the hand;
- a thumb portion extending from the base portion, the thumb portion shaped to cover and insulate a thumb of the hand, the thumb portion comprising a touch area that facilitates operation of a mobile touchscreen device with the thumb, the touch area comprising an aperture of a size sufficient for a tip of the thumb to emerge from the thumb portion, the aperture having a sealing mechanism comprising two strips that press together to seal the aperture; and
- a support mechanism extending along the base portion, the support mechanism positioned to support a mobile touchscreen device as a wearer operates the mobile touchscreen device with the thumb;
- wherein the seal formed by the sealing mechanism improves the insulating properties of the glove.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 12, 2015
Publication Date: Oct 15, 2015
Inventor: Michael John Krautner (Chicago, IL)
Application Number: 14/684,409