Protective Glove

Abstract

A protective glove suitable for use in hazardous environments is provided. The glove may include multiple layers, each providing different aspects of protection to the wearer's hands. Multiple layers may include layers that improve grip, protect against cuts and impact, provide breathability, and/or provide waterproof and/or water resistant protection. Additional safety features may include reflective striping and impact disbursement pads and ridges. Further, the glove may be constructed to enhance user dexterity.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/323,304, filed Apr. 15, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to protective gloves, and more specifically, to protective gloves suitable for use in firefighting activities.

BACKGROUND

Traditional protective gloves for firefighters are constructed primarily of leather. While leather is a tough and durable material, it suffers from distinct drawbacks in the firefighting setting. Firefighters subject their equipment to harsh environments, including high heat, open flames, impacts, and water. Traditional firefighting gloves lose their efficacy and wear out quickly under the harsh conditions they are subject to by firefighters. For example, many gloves have a lifetime of less than three months before replacement is required. In addition, the leather of traditional gloves may expand and become slippery when wet, making it more difficult for a firefighter to retain a strong grip. When leather has been wet and then dried, it frequently becomes brittle and stiff. Further, the dark colors of traditional gloves may make it difficult for a firefighter and his or her team to see each other's hands in low light conditions. Traditional firefighting gloves also do not include significant impact protection or cut protection. These and other drawbacks are addressed by the embodiments of the invention consistent with the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

A glove according to some embodiments may be configured for protection of a wearer's hand. The glove may include a glove body having a proximal end and a distal end including a dorsal portion, a cuff portion, a palm portion, a thumb portion having a dorsal side and a palmar side, and finger portions each having a dorsal side, a palmar side, and a forchette, an inner liner including an interior liner and a waterproof membrane, reflective striping secured to finger portions of the outer shell, and a thumb-seam between the thumb portion and the palm portion, the seam having a curved length extending from a base of the thumb portion towards the finger portions, an apex portion describing an acute angle pointed at the finger portions, and a return length extending away from the finger portions, wherein the thumb-seam is configured to permit the inner layer of the glove body palm portion to lie flat against a palm of the wearer's hand when a thumb of the wearer's hand is rotated through a range of motion. At least one of the finger portions and thumb portion may include impact disbursement ridges on the dorsal side thereof, the impact disbursement ridges being elongated structures extending away from the dorsal side and configured to flex under impact.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a pair of human hands.

FIG. 2 illustrates a dorsal view of an exemplary glove body.

FIG. 3 illustrates a palmar view of an exemplary glove body.

FIG. 4 illustrates an inner liner of a glove consistent with the present disclosure.

FIGS. 5a-e illustrate impact disbursement ridges consistent with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary thumb seam consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary curved finger seam consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a view of exemplary layering of a glove body consistent with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to protective gloves. More specifically, this disclosure describes protective gloves suitable for use by a firefighter. Gloves consistent with the present disclosure may be fire retardant, impact resistant, water resistant, cut resistant, and otherwise strengthened and/or modified to protect the hands of a wearer from the rigors and dangers encountered during firefighting activities. Gloves consistent with the present disclosure may further include features to increase the dexterity and grip of a wearer with respect to conventional gloves. Gloves consistent with the present disclosure may further include aspects to enhance ease of use.

FIG. 1 illustrates a pair of human hands. Throughout the following description, the structure, fit, and function of gloves consistent with the present disclosure may be described with respect to and with reference to the anatomy of a wearer's hand or hands. FIG. 1 illustrates various aspects of a wearer's hand 100. Hands typically include fingers, index finger 104, middle finger 103, ring finger 102, pinky finger 101, and an opposable thumb 105. Each of the fingers includes three phalanges, a proximal phalange 123, an intermediate phalange 122, and a distal phalange 121. The thumb 105 includes only a proximal phalange 123 and a distal phalange 121. Each finger and the thumb 105 includes a nail 150. Hands further include a palm region 106, a dorsal region 107, and a wrist region 108. Each finger, and the thumb 105 also includes a palmar side 111 and a dorsal side 110. The palmar side 111 of the fingers and thumb 105 is contiguous with the palm region 106 of the hand and the dorsal side 110 of the fingers and thumb 105 is contiguous with the dorsal region 107 of the hand. Palm region 106 includes grip region 109 and grip saddle region 115. Grip region 109 is the upper-area of palm region 106 and forms an area that makes direct contact with an object when it is held by a close-gripped hand 100. Grip saddle region 115 is the palm region 106 area between the index finger 104 and the thumb 105 and forms an area that makes direct contact with an object when it is held by a close-gripped hand 100.

FIG. 2 illustrates a dorsal view of a glove body 200 of a protective glove 250 consistent with the present disclosure. Glove 250 may include glove body 200 and an liner 400. Inner liner 400 cannot be seen in FIG. 2, as it is inside and covered by glove body 200. Inner liner 400 is described in more detail with respect to FIG. 4.

Glove body 200 has a proximal end 290 closer to the arm of the wearer when the glove 250 is properly worn and a distal end 280 further from the arm of the wearer when the glove 250 is properly worn. Glove body 200 may include a cuff portion 217, dorsal portion 215, and finger portions 205. Finger portions 205 may include an index finger portion 204, a middle finger portion 203, a ring finger portion 202, and a pinky finger portion 201. Each finger portion 205 may include a dorsal side 207, a palmar side 225 (not shown in FIG. 2), and two forchettes 208 joining the dorsal side 207 and the palmar side 225. Cuff portion 217 generally corresponds to a wrist region 108 of the hand 100 of a wearer, dorsal portion 215 generally corresponds to a dorsal region of hand 100 hand of a wearer, and finger portions 205 generally correspond to the fingers of the hand 100. FIG. 2 also illustrates some of the protective safety aspects consistent with some embodiments of glove 250, including reflective stripes 206 and impact disbursement ridges 209. These features are described in greater detail below.

FIG. 3. illustrates a palmar view of a glove body 200 of a protective glove 250 consistent with the present disclosure. Further to FIG. 2, FIG. 3 illustrates a thumb portion 255 of glove body 200 and a palm portion 220 of glove body 200. FIG. 3 further illustrates the palmar sides 225 of finger portions 205 as well as the palmar side of cuff portion 217. Pull-on ring 260 may further be included in glove 250. Glove body 200 may further include a grip region 285 and a grip saddle region 295, corresponding to grip region 109 and grip saddle region 115 of hand 200 of the glove wearer.

FIG. 4 illustrates portions of exemplary inner liner 300 consistent with the present disclosure. Inner liner 300 may include an interior liner 301, a membrane 302, and cuff 303. Inner liner 300 may be configured to fit inside glove body 200, and may include portions corresponding to each of the portions of glove body 200. The interior liner 301 and membrane 302 may extend throughout inner liner 300. For example, inner liner 300 may include a cuff portion 307, a palm portion 320, a dorsal portion 315 (not shown), finger portions 305, and thumb portion 355. Finger portions 305 and thumb portion 355 may include palmar sides 325, dorsal sides 307 (not shown), and forchettes 308. Finger portions 305 may include an index finger portion 304, a middle finger portion 303, a ring finger portion 302, and a pinky finger portion 301. Inner liner 300 may further include a grip region 385 and a grip saddle region 395.

Interior liner 301 may form an innermost layer of glove 250, and, therefore, may directly contact hand 100 of the wearer. Interior liner 301 may be made from a material chosen to have favorable characteristics under conditions in which the hand 100 of the wearer is sweating. For example, interior liner 301 may include a moisture absorbent material or a moisture wicking material. These features serve to keep the hand 100 of a wearer comfortable during use. Interior liner 301 may include a material that does not stick to the skin when the skin sweats. This feature permits a wearer's hand to be easily removed from glove 250 and prevents inner liner 300 from pulling out of glove body 200 when the glove 250 is removed from hand 100. In some conventional protective gloves, an inner liner may stick to a sweaty wearer's hand and pull out of the glove when the hand is removed. Returning the liner to its original position can be a difficult and time-consuming task, creating a dangerous situation for a firefighter that must work quickly. In some embodiments, inner liner 300 may include a Kevlar knit material.

Membrane 302 may include a water-resistant or waterproof material. In some embodiments, membrane 302 may further include a breathable waterproof material. Breathable waterproof materials permit the passage of water vapor while denying the passage of liquid water. Such materials permit sweat to exit the glove vaporous form while preventing liquid water from reaching a hand 100 of the wearer. Breathability in the membrane allows a wearer's hands 100 to remain comfortable inside the gloves when they start to sweat. The water resistant or waterproof aspects of the membrane 302 promote comfort for the user and also reduce the possibility of heat conduction through a wet material, because wet materials more readily conduct heat. Membrane 302 may include a multilayer microporous material. The multiple layers of such a multilayer material may include a first layer with pores small enough to prevent the passage of water, for example, less than half a micron in diameter. A second layer may include moisture absorbing layer to absorb moisture for slow release through the pores of the first layer. The second layer may have a honeycomb structure to facilitate moisture absorption. A third layer may include an additional dense layer for added protection against water incursion and located for skin contact. Exemplary multilayer microporous materials include Hipora. Membrane 302 may include any other waterproof and breathable material, such as Gore-Tex and others.

Interior liner 301 and membrane 302 may be joined at a cuff region 307 by cuff 303. Cuff 303 may be joined to both interior liner 301 and membrane 302. When liner 300 is inserted into glove body 200, cuff 303 may further be attached to liner 300.

The foregoing description of the inner liner includes a non-limiting description of exemplary materials and their properties. Other materials exhibiting similar properties may be employed without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

FIGS. 5a-5e illustrate exemplary impact disbursement ridges 209. FIG. 5a illustrates a dorsal view of exemplary impact disbursement ridges 209. FIG. 5b illustrates a schematic profile view of exemplary impact disbursement ridges 209. FIG. 5c is a profile view of exemplary impact disbursement ridges 209. FIG. 5d illustrates a schematic profile view of exemplary impact disbursement ridges 209 when finger portions 205 are flexed. FIG. 5e is a profile view of exemplary impact disbursement ridges 209 when finger portions 205 are flexed. Conventional firefighting gloves may rely only on thick glove material to protect the hands, and commonly lack any additional impact protection. This is a significant drawback for firefighters and other workers that are frequently using their hands in uncertain and hazardous situations. Impact disbursement ridges 209 may be located on the dorsal side of one or more of the finger portions 205 and thumb portion 255. Impact disbursement ridges 209 may also be included in the dorsal region 215 of glove body 200. When positioned on the finger portions 205 and/or thumb portion 255, impact disbursement ridges 209 may extend from the dorsal region 215 to the distal end of finger portions 205 and/or thumb portion 255. In some embodiments, impact disbursement ridges 209 may extend a portion of the distance from dorsal region 215 to the distal end of finger portions 205. For example, impact disbursement ridges 209 may extend a distance along finger portions 205 corresponding to the proximal phalanges 123 and intermediate phalanges 122 of a wearer's hand, thus offering impact protection to the corresponding part of the wearer's hand 100. In some embodiments, impact disbursement ridges 209 may extend a portion of the distance from dorsal region 215 to the distal end of thumb portion 255. For example, impact disbursement ridges 209 may extend a distance along thumb portion 255 corresponding to the proximal phalange 123 of thumb 105 of a wearer's hand 100.

Impact disbursement ridge structure 401 may include an impact ridge base 402, at least one impact disbursement ridge 209, and at least one impact disbursement end cap 403. Impact ridge base 402 may be an elongated structure extending along at least a portion of a length of a finger portion 205 or thumb portion 255. Impact disbursement ridge structure 401 may include as many as twenty or more impact disbursement ridges 209. In a particular embodiment, impact disbursement ridge structure 401 may include between seven and fifteen impact disbursement ridges 209. In some embodiments, a number of impact disbursement ridges 209 may be determined by a length of a finger portion 205 or thumb portion 255 that is protected by impact disbursement ridge structure 401. Impact ridge base 402 may include a flexible material, such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or thermoplastic rubber (TPR), and may be flexible so as to permit the finger portions 205 and thumb portions 255 to bend and flex with relative ease. Impact disbursement ridges 209 may also include a flexible material, such as TPE or TPR. In some embodiments, the various aspects of each impact ridge structure 401 may be molded as a single piece.

Impact disbursement ridges 209 may be elongated structures extending away from impact ridge base 402. Impact disbursement ridges may include a height 410 and depth 412, as illustrated in FIG. 5b, as well as a width 411, illustrated in FIG. 5a. In some embodiments, impact disbursement ridges 209 may have a height 410 greater than a depth 412. For example, impact disbursement ridges 209, may have a height 410 between two and twenty times as great as a depth 412. Impact disbursement ridges 209 may additionally have gaps 420 between them. Gaps 420 may have a gap depth 422 of between approximately one half to three times as great as depth 412 of impact disbursement ridges 209. The specific structure of impact disbursement ridges 209, as described above, is exemplary only. Alternative structures, utilizing the same techniques described above may also be employed by a person of skill in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

The structure and material of impact disbursement ridges 209 provide several functional advantages over conventional protective gloves, particularly for those used in the dangerous environments that firefighters may encounter. Dangers encountered by a firefighter may include high heat as well as frequent risk of impact from debris, tools, and structures. Impact disbursement ridges 209 are each connected to impact ridge base 402 along a relatively narrow depth 412. As illustrated in FIGS. 5c and 5d, when hand 100 of a glove wearer flexes and bends finger portions 205, impact ridge base 402 flexes and bends with the movement of finger portions 205. The wearer must use force to bend impact ridge base 402 from its natural position. Due to gaps 420 between impact disbursement ridges 209 and the relatively narrow depth 412 of the connection between impact disbursement ridges 209 and impact ridge base 402, however, impact disbursement ridges 209 may not experience significant bending when finger portions 205 are flexed. As can be seen in FIG. 5d, impact ridge base 402 is has a relatively short profile, and is thus easy to bend. Impact disbursement ridges 209 may extend perpendicularly from an arc of impact ridge base 402 when finger portions 205 are flexed and are not required to bend with impact ridge base 402. This feature permits greater flexibility of finger portions 205 while still granting significant impact protection.

The fin-like structure of impact disbursement ridges 209 also provides additional impact protection. When the dorsal sides of the finger portions 205 are subject to an impact, impact disbursement ridges 209 serve to dissipate the energy of the impact before it reaches the hands 100 of the glove wearer. A solid impact protection structure may absorb some energy as the material itself compresses, but after the material has compressed, remaining energy may be transmitted to the hands 100 of the wearer, potentially resulting in injury. In contrast, the ridged design of impact ridge structure 401 may dissipate additional energy as impact disbursement ridges 209 bend and buckle as a result of impact. Thus, impact ridge structure 401 may dissipate impact energy not only through material compression, but through structural deformation. This feature grants additional impact protection to the hands 100 of a glove wearer.

Impact disbursement ridges 209 may comprise a TPE or TPR material. Conventional materials used in protective gloves for impact protection may include, for example, rubbers. Conventional rubbers, under high heat conditions common in a firefighting situation, may easily scorch, burn, melt, and/or otherwise lose their integrity. Even if the rubber is not melted or burned, high heat may alter the properties of vulcanized rubber, making it unsuitable for reuse. In contrast, TPE and TPR materials exhibit thermoplastic behavior under high heat conditions, and are less prone to suffering integrity loss in firefighting situations.

Returning now to FIG. 2, reflective striping 206 is illustrated. Firefighters are often forced to work in low-light situations. Under these stressful conditions, it may be difficult for firefighters to see not only their own hands, but also the hands of their colleagues. As firefighters use tools, such as axes and crowbars, the lack of hand visibility may lead to significant injury if their hands are struck by these tools. Reflective striping 206 may be applied to finger portions 205 as well as dorsal region 215 of glove body 200, permitting a wearer to quickly and easily distinguish the visual locations of their hands, including the terminal or near-terminal portions of the hands and/or fingers. Reflective striping 206 may be applied to any portion of finger portions 205. In a particular embodiment, reflective striping 206 may be secured to a dorsal side of finger portions 205 at a position corresponding to the distal phalanges of a wearer's hand 100. This positioning may permit the wearer to visually distinguish the location of the tips of their fingers, while still permitting room on the glove body 200 to accommodate impact disbursement ridges 209. Additionally, because the fingers are the most frequently injured portion of the hand, visually highlighting the tips of the fingers can provide a firefighter with additional awareness. Alternative placement of reflective striping 206 may be employed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates thumb seam 500 of protective glove 250. As illustrated in FIG. 6, thumb seam 500 is located between thumb portion 255 and palm portion 220, and secures thumb portion 255 to glove body 200. Thumb seam 500 includes a curved length 501 extending from a base 510 of the thumb portion towards a distal end 280 of glove body 200, an apex portion 502 describing an acute peak pointed towards the distal end 280 of glove body 200, and a return length 503 extending towards a proximal end 290 of glove body 200. As used herein, the acute peak of apex portion 502 may be a sharp angle, e.g., less than 90 degrees, in the stitching of thumb seam 500. However, due to the nature of stitching, apex portion 502 may form a sharp angle with a rounded vertex, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The stitching pattern of thumb seam 500 prevents the glove material in grip saddle region 295 from bunching when the wearer flexes thumb 105 to grasp an object. This feature provides additional grip strength when the wearer grasps an object. As discussed below, glove 250 may include multiple layers of material. A conventional thumb seam in such a multi-layered glove can result in a significant amount of material bunching in the grip saddle region, which compromises the strength of the wearer's grip on an object. Thumb seam 500, however, may prevent such material bunching, and thus provide the wearer with additional grip strength. Thumb seam 500 permits all or some layers of the of glove body 200 and interior liner 300 to lie flat against a palm 106 of the wearer's hand 100 when a thumb 105 of the wearer's hand 100 is rotated through a range of motion. The thumb seam 500 design described above is configured to improve a wearer's grip by preventing material bunching in the grip saddle region 295 and permitting layers of glove body 200 and interior liner 300 to remain flat against the wearer's palm when thumb 105 is rotated. The invention, however, is not limited to the exact design illustrated in FIG. 6, as the specific design of thumb seam 500 may be slightly altered from the exemplary pattern shown herein while still retaining the described functionality.

FIG. 7 illustrates curved finger seams 601. Finger portions 205 of glove body 200, as discussed above, may include a palmar side 225 and a dorsal side 207. Forchettes 208 may connect the palmar side 225 and dorsal side 207 of the finger portions 205. In some embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, curved finger seams 601 may be located between forchettes 208 and at least one of the palmar side 225 and dorsal side 207 of any or all of finger portions 205 and/or thumb portion 255. Such curved finger seams may be configured to permit finger portions 205 to maintain a curved aspect when glove 250 is not on the wearer's hand 100. When held in a neutral position, the hand 100 typically exhibits finger curvature. Closing the fingers to a gripping position or opening them to a flat position requires flexing of muscles in the hand. Curved finger seams 601 may cause finger portions 205 and/or thumb portion 255 to exhibit a curved aspect corresponding to a neutral position of a wearer's fingers, thus making glove 250 both more comfortable and easier to use. In some embodiments, curved finger seams 601 may describe a radius of curvature of between 80 centimeters and 120 centimeters. A larger or smaller radius of curvature may be used for curved finger seams 601 to accommodate hands of different sizes and shapes without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Curved seams such as those disclosed herein require additional care and effort during the manufacturing process to prevent material from bunching and gathering at the site of the seams. The advantages discussed above provide specific benefits to a wearer in a glove including multiple layers that may otherwise be difficult to flex and unflex.

Returning now FIG. 3, additional features of glove 250 are illustrated. Pull-on ring 260 may be included in some embodiments. Pull-on ring 260 enables a wearer to more easily and quickly pull on glove 250. In particular, pull-on ring 260 may have a diameter larger than a finger portion 205 of glove 250, which permits a wearer to use a first gloved hand to pull a glove 250 on to the second ungloved hand and with greater use. Pull-on ring 260 may have a diameter larger than an index finger portion 201 of glove 250, as the index finger may be the most common finger used for pulling on a glove. Elasticized connection 270 is located at a location between cuff portion 217 and palm and dorsal portions 220 and 215. Elasticized connection 270 is configured to cinch glove 250 against wrist 108 of the wearer's hand 100. Elasticized connection 270 prevents debris from entering the glove from the wrist end.

FIG. 8 illustrates a layered structure of protective glove body 200. Glove body 200 includes at least one layer, and as illustrated, may include several layers. Glove body 200 may include an inner layer 703, an outer layer 701, and a secondary inner layer 702.

Glove body 200 may further include impact absorbing pads 705 located between layers. In some embodiments, impact absorbing pads 705 may be located in dorsal portion 215 between the glove body outer layer 701 and the glove body inner layer 703. More particularly, impact absorbing pads 705 may be located between secondary inner layer 702 and outer layer 701. Impact absorbing pads 705 may be positioned so as to extend across the knuckles of a wearer's hand 100, as illustrated in FIG. 7 and FIG. 2. Impact absorbing pads 705 provide additional impact protection to the knuckles of a glove wearer and serve to dissipate the energy of an impact to the back of the gloved hand 100. Impact absorbing pads 705 may include, but are not limited to, open cell and closed cell foams, rubber, and any other suitable material.

Inner layer 703 may include a breathable membrane. Such a breathable membrane material may include, for example, oxypan. A breathable membrane permits airflow to the inner liner 300, which serves to keep a wearer's hands 100 comfortable.

Outer layer 701 may include a cut resistant material such as aramid fibers, including meta aramid fibers such as Nomex and para aramid fibers such as Kevlar. In a particular embodiment, outer layer 701 in a cuff portion 217 may include a meta aramid fiber and an outer layer of dorsal portion 215, palm portion 220, thumb portion 255, and finger portions 205 may include a para aramid fiber. Aramid fibers, such as Kevlar and Nomex are extremely resistant to cutting and tearing, and when employed in glove body 200, serve to maintain the integrity of glove 250. Additionally, cut resistant outer layer 701 serves to protect the hands of the wearer against many hazards that might be encountered in a firefighting situation, such as wooden splinters, shattered glass, sheared metal, and others. Additional and different cut resistant materials may be employed for outer layer 701 without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

In some embodiments, dorsal portion 215 of the glove body 200 may further include a secondary inner layer 702 comprising an aramid fiber located between the outer layer 701 and the inner layer 703. Secondary inner layer 702 provides additional cut resistance to the areas of glove body 200 in which it is employed. Although illustrated in FIG. 8 as being employed in dorsal portion 215 of glove body 200, secondary inner layer 702 may be used in any portion of glove body 200.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of outer layer 701 may include a silicone coating 350, described in greater detail below. In some embodiments, a least a portion of outer layer 701 may include a waterproof breathable coating, for example, a coating of Hipora or Gore-Tex. A waterproof breathable coating may be employed in any area of glove body outer layer 701 where silicone coating 350 is not employed. The waterproof breathable coating over outer layer 701 provides significant advantages over conventional, non-waterproof gloves. Firefighters frequently work in a wet environment, as water is an important weapon against fire. Wet gloves, however, more readily conduct heat, decrease dexterity, and can become very uncomfortable and unwieldy. The waterproof coating over outer layer 701 serves to diminish or eliminate these disadvantages.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 8, in some embodiments, the multiple layers of glove body 200 may each be constructed in a similar fashion. Thus, for example, thumb-seam 500 may be included in any or all of outer layer 701, inner layer 702, and secondary inner layer 703. Likewise, curved finger seams 601 may be included in any or all of outer layer 701, inner layer 702, and secondary inner layer 703. In some embodiments, layers of liner 300 may be constructed with a different seam pattern than glove body 200. Liner 300 may be constructed and configured so as not to cause material bunching when located inside glove body 200.

Returning again to FIG. 3, silicone grip coating 350 is illustrated. Silicone grip coating 350 may be provided on palm portion 220 as well as palmar sides 225 of finger portions 205 and thumb portion 255. Additionally, silicone grip coating 350 may be provided on a distal end of thumb portion 255. Silicone grip coating 350 may further be provided on a dorsal portion 215 of glove body 200 and on forchettes 208. Silicone grip coating 350 provides a glove wearer with increased friction in the grip, permitting the wearer to grasp objects more easily and thus reduce grip fatigue. Silicone grip coating 350 may be adhered to outer layer 701 of glove body 200. Outer layer 701 may comprise an aramid fiber, and, more particularly, a para aramid fiber such as Kevlar. Thus, silicone grip coating 350 may be adhered directly to an aramid fiber outer layer 701. Direct adherence of silicone grip coating 350 to outer layer 701, i.e., instead of attachment via seams or stitching, may ensure that silicone grip coating 350 moves continuously with outer layer 701 with no relative movement between the two. Such relative movement would compromise a user's ability to grip and grasp objects. Thus, the combination of an aramid fiber outer layer 701 and silicone coating 350 may provide both cut protection and increased gripping ability. In some embodiments, silicone coating 350 may include abrasive material to provide additional friction to a user's grip. In some embodiments, silicone grip coating 350 may be fire retardant. The various material layers of glove body 200 discussed above are exemplary only, and the invention is not limited to these. Various combinations of the layers discussed above may be employed without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and additional or different materials providing similar properties may be used.

While this disclosure provides examples of various protective gloves including various combinations of the disclosed inventive features, the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The disclosure of embodiments of the invention of protective gloves are to be considered exemplary only. In its broadest sense, the invention may be used in for the protection of a wearer's hand under any conditions. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. The scope of the present invention is further defined by the following claims in addition to the foregoing description.

Claims

1. A glove for the protection of a wearer's hand comprising:

a glove body having a proximal end and a distal end including a dorsal portion, a cuff portion, a palm portion, a thumb portion having a dorsal side and a palmar side, and finger portions each having a dorsal side, a palmar side, and a forchette;

an inner liner including an interior liner and a waterproof membrane;

reflective striping secured to finger portions of the outer shell; and

a thumb-seam between the thumb portion and the palm portion, the seam having a curved length extending from a base of the thumb portion towards the finger portions, an apex portion describing an acute angle pointed at the finger portions, and a return length extending away from the finger portions, wherein the thumb-seam is configured to permit the inner layer of the glove body palm portion to lie flat against a palm of the wearer's hand when a thumb of the wearer's hand is rotated through a range of motion;

wherein at least one of the finger portions and thumb portion includes impact disbursement ridges on the dorsal side thereof, the impact disbursement ridges being elongated structures extending away from the dorsal side and configured to flex under impact.

2. The glove of paragraph 1, wherein the waterproof membrane is waterproof and breathable.

3. The glove of paragraph 1, wherein the interior liner is moisture absorbent.

4. The glove of paragraph 1, wherein the interior liner is moisture wicking.

5. The glove of paragraph 1, wherein the reflective striping is secured to the finger portion at a position covering distal phalanges of the wearer's hand.

6. The glove of paragraph 1, wherein the glove body includes at least one layer, the at least one layer including at least an inner layer comprising a breathable membrane and an outer layer comprising an aramid fiber.

7. The glove of paragraph 6, wherein the glove body outer layer of the cuff portion comprises a meta aramid fiber.

8. The glove of paragraph 6, wherein the glove body outer layer of the dorsal portion, the palm portion, the thumb portion, and the finger portions comprise a para aramid fiber.

9. The glove of paragraph 6, wherein at least a portion of the glove body outer layer includes a silicone coating.

10. The glove of paragraph 9, wherein the para aramid fiber of the dorsal portion, the palm portion, the palmar side of the thumb portion, the palmar side of the finger portions, and the forchette of the finger portions includes the silicone coating.

11. The glove of paragraph 6, wherein the dorsal portion of the glove body further includes a secondary inner layer aramid fiber located between the outer layer and the inner layer.

12. The glove of paragraph 1, wherein the cuff portion includes an elasticized connection with the dorsal portion and the palm portion of the glove body, the elasticized connection configured to cinch against a wrist of the wearer's hand.

13. The glove of paragraph 1, wherein the ridges comprise a thermoplastic elastomer material.

14. The glove of paragraph 6, wherein the dorsal portion includes at least one impact absorbing pad located between the glove body outer layer and the glove body inner layer.

15. The glove of paragraph 1, wherein at least one of the finger portions includes curved finger seams between the forchette portion and the palmar side and between the forchette portion and the dorsal side.

16. The glove of paragraph 15, wherein the curved finger seams are configured to permit the at least one of the finger portions to maintain a curved aspect when the glove is not on the wearer's hand.

17. The glove of paragraph 15, wherein the curved finger seams describe a radius of curvature of between 80 centimeters and 120 centimeters.