FITTED WRIST PROTECTIVE GLOVE

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a fitted wrist-protective glove adapted to be worn under a hockey or lacrosse glove, the fitted wrist-protective glove comprising (a) a hand portion, the hand portion comprising an impact resistant material near the base of the dorsal side thereof; (b) a wrist joint portion comprising an impact resistant material along the posterior side thereof; (c) a forearm portion, wherein the forearm portion extends at least 1.5 inches from the wrist joint portion, and wherein the forearm portion comprises (i) an impact resistant material along the posterior, medial and lateral sides thereof; and (ii) a flap comprising an elastic material, the flap extending from the medial side and capable of extending to the lateral side or extending from the lateral side and capable of extending to the medial side; and (d) means for securing the forearm portion tightly around an individual's forearm.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to fitted wrist-protective gloves that may be worn under a hockey glove or lacrosse glove for providing impact protection the wearer's metatarsal bones, wrist joint, and radius and ulna bones.

2. Description of Related Art

Various protective sporting gloves have been developed over the years of hockey, lacrosse, and other similar sporting activities requiring protection against forceful impact with hard objects such as hockey pucks, hockey sticks and lacrosse sticks. These gloves must offer substantial protection to the wearer's hand and wrist while offering the best possible degree of flexibility for the wearer's fingers for holding and handling a stick and executing rapid and precise maneuvers of the stick during play. Protective sporting gloves for such sports are therefore heavily padded to provide the required protection and this padding often impairs the freedom of movement of the hand.

Canadian patent application 2035717 describes a hockey glove including a glove portion provided with a cushion on each finger and a femal Velcro® strap at a hem thereof and a cuff provided with a male Velcro strap at an inner surface. The glove protects the user's hands from being hurt and allows the user to replace the glove portion or the cuff portion as desired. The described glove is not a fitted glove and is not designed to be work underneath a hockey glove.

Canadian patent application 2137027 describes a hockey glove having a hand protective section and a wrist protective section. The hand protective section has a palm portion, a thumb portion and finger portions interconnected by an inner fabric. An outer hand protective fabric structure is connected to the inner fabric and has a plurality of outer protective padded formations disposed over the hand portion, thumb portion and finger portions. The described glove is not a fitted glove and is not designed to be work underneath a hockey glove.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,057 describes a protective sporting glove having a hand receiving portion and a cuff portion cooperating t protect the entire hand of the wearer, the wrist, the thumb and the four fingers. The hand receiving portion includes finger sheath means for receiving and enclosing the four fingers of a hand placed in the glove. Each of the finger sheath means includes an elongated protective padding element extending along the dorsal side f the finger sheath means. The hand receiving portion further includes a thumb receiving portion enclosing the thumb from an area proximate the base of the thumb to the tip of the thumb and including a rigid thumb shell covering the dorsal side of the thumb receiving portion. The described glove is not a fitted glove and is not designed to be work underneath a hockey glove.

Thus, there exists a continuing need for a fitted glove that may be worn under a traditional hockey or lacrosse glove and that is well suited for protecting a player's hand and forearm from impacts, such as those from hockey pucks, hockey sticks and lacrosse sticks. The present invention substantially fulfills this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a fitted wrist-protective glove adapted to be worn under a hockey or lacrosse glove, the fitted wrist-protective glove comprising (a) a hand portion, the hand portion comprising (i) a palm portion, the palm portion comprising an impact resistant material near the base of the dorsal side thereof; (ii) a plurality of finger portions; and (iii) a thumb portion; (b) a wrist joint portion, the wrist joint portion comprising an impact resistant material along the posterior side thereof; (c) a forearm portion, wherein the forearm portion extends at least 1.5 inches from the wrist joint portion, and wherein the forearm portion comprises (i) an impact resistant material along the posterior, medial and lateral sides thereof; and (ii) a flap comprising an elastic material, the flap extending from the medial side and capable of extending to the lateral side or extending from the lateral side and capable of extending to the medial side; and (d) means for securing the forearm portion tightly around an individual's forearm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a dorsal side view of a glove of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a palmar side view of a glove of the present invention.

In the following description of the invention similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS

FIG. 1 shows a dorsal side view of fitted wrist-protective glove 100 of the present invention. Wrist-protective glove 100 includes hand portion 200, wrist joint portion 300 and forearm portion 400. Hand portion 200 includes palm portion 220, fingers 240 and thumb 250. The dorsal side of palm portion 220 includes impact resistant material 230 near the base of palm portion 220 to provide impact protection to the wearer's metatarsal bones. Wrist joint portion 300 joins palm portion 220 to forearm portion 400, and comprises elastic material to provide flexibility to the wrist joint area as well as an impact resistant material to provide impact protection to the wearer's wrist joint. Forearm portion 400 includes posterior side 420, medial side 430A, lateral side 430B and flap 440. Posterior side 420, medial side 430A and lateral side 430B are comprised of an impact resistant material thereby providing impact protection to the wearer's radius and ulna bones. Flap 440 extends from medial side 430A to lateral side 430B or vice versa, thereby fitting over the anterior side of the individual's forearm.

FIG. 2 shows a palmar view of fitted wrist-protective glove 100 of the present invention. Wrist-protective glove 100 includes hand portion 200, wrist joint portion 300 and forearm portion 400. Forearm portion 400 includes flap 440 and ring loop 470. Flap 440 includes hook and loop fastener 460. As illustrated, flap 440 extends from medial side 430A to lateral side 430B, thereby fitting over the anterior side of the individual's forearm. Flap 440 then passes through ring loop 470 and folds back over onto itself, being secured by hook and loop fastener 460.

Securing means 460 may be any mechanical fastener that facilitates securing forearm portion 400 tightly around an individual's forearm. Such mechanical fasteners include, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener, a snap, a clip, a button or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, securing means 460 is a hook-and-loop fastener located on flap 440. In one such embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, flap 440 extends across the anterior side of an individual's forearm, passes through a ring loop 470, and folds back over onto itself.

In another embodiment, securing means 460 is a hook-and-loop fastener located on flap 440 and forearm portion posterior side 420. In one such embodiment, flap 440 extends across the anterior side of an individual's forearm, wraps around the individual's forearm and is secured to forearm portion posterior side 420. Of course, in other embodiments flap 440 may extend from forearm portion medial side 430A and be secured to forearm portion lateral side 430B. Alternatively, flap 440 may extend from forearm portion lateral side 430B and be secured to forearm portion medial side 430A.

The fitted wrist-protective glove of the present invention is comprised of a plurality of materials. Portions of the glove that require greater elasticity or flexibility are comprised of elastic or flexible materials, such as nylon or leather. These sections include, for example, the hand portion, the wrist portion and the flap. In certain embodiments the palmar and dorsal sides of the hand portion comprise a nylon material. Similarly, in certain embodiments a plurality of the finger portions and the thumb portion each comprise nylon material along the palmar and dorsal sides thereof. In one such embodiment a plurality of the finger portions and the thumb portion each comprise leather material along the lateral sides thereof. In one such embodiment the leather material is suede.

Certain portions of the glove, such as the dorsal side of the hand portion near the base of the hand, the wrist joint portion, and the dorsal, medial and lateral sides of the forearm portion, comprise an impact resistant material in order to provide impact protection to the underlying bones of an individual. Thus, the impact resistant material located near the base of palm portion provides impact protection to the wearer's metatarsal bones, the impact resistant material of the wrist joint portion provides impact protect to the wearer's wrist joint, and the dorsal, medial and lateral sides of the forearm portion comprise an impact resistant material that provides impact protection to the wearer's radius and ulna bones.

The impact resistant material may be any material that provides suitable impact protection for an individual's hand and forearm. Suitable materials include, for example, aromatic polyamide fiber and ballistic nylon. Suitable polyamide fibers include, for example, para-aramid fiber and meta-aramid fiber.

The forearm portion of the fitted wrist-protective glove of the present invention extends at least 1.5 inches from the wrist joint portion. In certain embodiments the forearm portion extends at least 2 inches from the wrist joint portion. In other embodiments the forearm portion extends at least 2.25 inches from the wrist joint portion. In still other embodiments the forearm portion extends at least 2.5 inches from the wrist joint portion. In yet other embodiments the forearm portion extends at least 2.75 inches from the wrist joint portion. In one such embodiment the forearm portion extends at least 2 inches from the wrist joint portion.

In order to provide additional comfort and protection from forceful impacts, the fitted wrist-protective glove of the present invention also may include in certain portions, a layer of a foam material underneath the outer-layer material. For example, in one embodiment posterior side 420, medial side 430A and lateral side 430B are comprised of an outer layer impact resistant material as described above, and an inner layer comprised of a foam padding material that provides additional comfort and protection to the wearer's forearm area. Typically the inner layer is comprised of a foam padding material of the type commonly used in hockey goalie throat and neck guards.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Modifications may be made by persons skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings, without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

All of the U.S. patents and published U.S. patent applications referred to in this specification are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety to the extent not inconsistent with the present description.

Claims

1. A fitted wrist-protective glove adapted to be worn under a hockey or lacrosse glove, said fitted wrist-protective glove comprising (a) a hand portion, said hand portion comprising (i) a palm portion, said palm portion comprising an impact resistant material near the base of the dorsal side thereof; (ii) a plurality of finger portions; and (iii) a thumb portion; (b) a wrist joint portion, said wrist joint portion comprising an impact resistant material along the posterior side thereof; (c) a forearm portion, wherein said forearm portion extends at least 1.5 inches from said wrist joint portion, and wherein said forearm portion comprises (i) an impact resistant material along the posterior, medial and lateral sides thereof; and (ii) a flap comprising an elastic material, said flap extending from said medial side and capable of extending to said lateral side or extending from said lateral side and capable of extending to said lateral side; and (d) means for securing said forearm portion tightly around an individual's forearm.

2. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein each of said impact resistant materials independently comprises aromatic polyamide fiber or ballistic nylon.

3. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein said aromatic polyamide fiber is a para-aramid fiber.

4. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein said aromatic polyamide fiber is a meta-aramid fiber.

5. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein said forearm portion extends at least 2 inches from said wrist joint portion.

6. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein said forearm portion extends at least 2.25 inches from said wrist joint portion.

7. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein said forearm portion extends at least 2.5 inches from said wrist joint portion.

8. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein said forearm portion extends at least 2.75 inches from said wrist joint portion.

9. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein said forearm portion extends at least 3 inches from said wrist joint portion.

10. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein said palm portion comprises nylon material.

11. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein said dorsal side of said palm portion comprises nylon material.

12. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein one or more of said finger portions comprises nylon material along the palmar and dorsal sections thereof.

13. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 12, wherein one or more of said finger portions further comprises leather material along the lateral sections thereof.

14. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 13, wherein said leather material is suede.

15. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein said thumb portion comprises nylon material along the palmar and dorsal sides thereof.

16. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 15, wherein said thumb portion further comprises leather material along the lateral section thereof.

17. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 16, wherein said leather material is suede.

18. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 1, wherein said means for securing said forearm portion to an individual's forearm comprises a hook and loop fastener.

19. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 18, wherein said hook and loop fastener secures said flap to said posterior side of said forearm portion.

20. A fitted wrist-protective glove according to claim 18, wherein said forearm portion further comprises a buckle at said lateral side thereof, said buckle adapted to allow said flap to pass through said buckle and fold back onto itself.