Sports Glove

Abstract

Here is disclosed a sports glove having a glove housing with four finger portions, a thumb portion, and a palm portion. The finger portions, thumb portion and palm portions of the glove housing each have an anterior surface with a series of flexible shock absorbing blocks formed thereon. The shock absorbing blocks are separated by gaps of less than 5 mm in width. The flexible shock absorbing blocks on the finger portions are divided by parallel upper and lower grooves formed along the anterior surface of the finger portions, the upper and lower grooves having a width of greater than 5 mm, the upper and lower grooves extending across each of the finger portions. An elongated palm groove is provided which extends across the anterior surface of the palm portion roughly parallel to the upper and lower grooves, the palm groove having a width of greater than 5 mm.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to gloves which are worn in games like ice hockey or lacrosse.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The game of ice hockey and lacrosse are very rough and physically demanding games. Injuries are often a result of game play. To mitigated against injuries, players generally don protective clothing such as helmets, shoulder pads and gloves. Hockey gloves in particular are made to protect the wearer's hand by providing shock absorbing padding along a posterior surface (i.e. covering the back of the hand) covered by rigid shock absorbing blocks. These shock absorbing blocks protect the hand from impacts. To ensure that the hockey gloves are comfortable and that the player can comfortably manipulate a hockey stick while wearing the gloves, the anterior surface of the glove (i.e. the surface covering the inside or palm surface of the hand) is made of a relatively thin and flexible layer of cloth or leather. While this thin flexible layer of cloth/leather ensures the wearer can maintain dexterous use of his/her fingers and hand, it does leave the palm of the hand susceptible to injury. Placing rigid shock absorbing blocks on the anterior surface of the glove would render the glove unusable; therefore, previous hockey glove designs provided little or no protection to the anterior surfaces of the gloves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sports glove which is configured to protect the anterior (palm side) of the hand with protection from injury while maintaining dexterity and flexibility. The glove made in accordance with the present invention includes a glove housing having four finger portions, a thumb portion, and a palm portion. The glove housing is made sufficiently flexible to permit the finger portions, thumb portion and palm portion to articulate in response to the user's hand when the glove is worn. The finger portions, thumb portion and palm portions of the glove housing each have an anterior surface. The anterior surfaces of the thumb portion, palm portions and finger portions have a series of flexible shock absorbing blocks formed thereon, the shock absorbing blocks being separated from one another by gaps of less than 5 mm in width. The plurality of flexible shock absorbing blocks formed on the anterior surface of the finger portions are divided by parallel upper and lower grooves formed along the anterior surface of the finger portions, the upper and lower grooves having a width of greater than 5 mm, the upper and lower grooves extending across each of the finger portions. An elongated palm groove is provided which extends across the anterior surface of the palm portion roughly parallel to the upper and lower grooves, the palm groove having a width of greater than 5 mm.

With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an anterior side of a hockey glove made in accordance with the present invention.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a sports glove made in accordance with the present invention is shown generally as item 10 and includes a glove housing 12 having an anterior side 14 and a posterior side 16. Glove housing 12 is constructed in substantially the same was as a traditional hockey glove is constructed. Posterior side 16 will be provided with tough, resilient and generally inflexible padded blocks 43. Anterior side 14 is formed from a tough yet pliable webbing 42, preferably made of natural or artificial leather. Similar “leather like” webbings such as suede, nylon, vinyl, and other natural or synthetic alternatives may be used to form webbing 42. As in a traditional hockey glove, webbing 42 is made highly pliable so that it may be folded and creased by the user wearing the glove without webbing offering significant resistance. Webbing 42 is relatively thin, generally in the order of 1 to 2 mm or so, and therefore does not provide much shock absorption do to its lack of thickness and highly flexible nature.

Glove housing 12 has finger portions 18, 20, 22, and 24, thumb portion 26, wrist portion 28 and palm portion 30, all of which have anterior surfaces opposite posterior side 16. Anterior side 14 has a plurality of flexible shock absorbing blocks 32 which are arranged together in a “brickwork” pattern where each shock absorbing block is separated from its adjacent shock absorbing blocks by a small gap 34 which is less than 5 mm in width and preferably about 1 to 2 mm in width. An Upper groove 36 is formed along the anterior sides of finger portions 18, 20, 22 and 24 and is formed from groove segments 36a, 36b, 36c and 36d on the respective finger portions. Groove segments 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d and 36d are much wider than gaps 34. The width of groove segments 36a to 36d is at least greater than 5 mm and preferably about 10 mm in width. Below upper groove 36, and parallel thereto, is formed lower groove 38 which extends at the junction of finger portions 18, 20, 22 and 24 and palm portion 30. Groove 38 is substantially parallel to upper groove 36 and is formed across all four of the finger portions. As with groove 36, lower groove 38 has a width of at least greater than 5 mm and preferably about 10 mm.

Below groove 38 is elongated palm grooves 40 and 41 formed on the anterior surface of palm portion 30. Elongated palm grooves 40 and 41 extend across the surface of palm portion 30 roughly parallel to grooves 36 and 38. Like the other grooves, grooves 40 and 41 have a width of greater than 5 mm and preferably about 10 mm. The four grooves, 36, 38, 40 and 41 essentially divide the anterior surface of the glove into multiple sections which can be moved relative to each other by flexing along one or more of the four grooves. Thumb portion 26 likewise has a plurality of flexible shock absorbing blocks 32.

Flexible shock absorbing blocks 32 preferably consist of a thick resilient shock absorbing material. While a foam rubber material can be used for shock absorbing blocks 32, the material must be fairly firm and fairly thick—in the order of 0.5 to 1 cm in thickness. Many resilient yet fine materials can be used to form blocks 32, including natural latex, polyurethane, and EVA based polymers. Regardless of the chemical composition of the material forming blocks 32, said material must be made fairly dense so as to provide significant shock absorbing properties.

Blocks 32 are adhered onto the surface of webbing 42 by means known generally in the art, such as bonding or sewing. It is preferable to form blocks 32 on a separate flexible sheet 44 made of firm foam rubber, which is molded or otherwise formed with the blocks and grooves in place. Sheet 44 may be adhered or fixed to webbing 42 again by means known generally in the art such as bonding or sewing.

Glove 10 functions by allowing the user to flex the finger and palm portion of the glove housing along the upper, lower and palm grooves. These grooves act to permit the shock absorbing blocks 32 adjacent the grooves to move towards each other and thereby allow the finger and palm portions of the glove housing to move in conformity with the user's hand. The grooves are not particularly flexible in themselves—they are not acting as hinges; rather, it is the fact that the grooves consist of empty space which permit intrusion into the grooves by the surrounding shock absorbing blocks which in turn permits the anterior surface of the glove to articulate freely.

The pattern of shock absorbing blocks 32 is illustrated as rectangular and arranged in a brick like pattern; however, it will be appreciated that the shock absorbing blocks can be formed in other shapes. What is required is the presence of the parallel elongated grooves extending across the anterior surfaces of the finger and palm portions of the glove housing.

A specific embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed; however, several variations of the disclosed embodiment could be envisioned as within the scope of this invention. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims

Claims

1. A sports glove for wearing on a user's hand to cover the hand's fingers, palm and wrist, the glove comprising:

a. A glove housing having four finger portions, a thumb portion, and a palm portion, the glove housing being sufficiently flexible to permit the finger portions, thumb portion and palm portion to articulate in response to the user's hand when the glove is worn;

b. The finger portions, thumb portion and palm portions of the glove housing each having an anterior surface formed from a flexible webbing;

c. The anterior surface of the thumb portion, palm portions and finger portions having a series of shock absorbing blocks formed thereon, the shock absorbing blocks being separated from one another by gaps of less than 5 mm in width;

d. The plurality of shock absorbing blocks formed on the anterior surface of the finger portions being divided by parallel upper and lower grooves formed along the anterior surface of the finger portions, the upper and lower grooves having a width of greater than 5 mm, the upper and lower grooves extending across each of the finger portions;

e. An elongated palm groove extending across the anterior surface of the palm portion roughly parallel to the upper and lower grooves, the palm groove having a width of greater than 5 mm.

2. A sports glove as defined in claim 1 wherein the lower groove is formed at an intersection between each of the finger portions of the glove housing and the palm portion of the glove housing.

3. A sports glove as defined in claim 2 wherein the shock absorbing blocks formed on the anterior surface of the palm portion are arranged in a brick work pattern.

4. A sports glove for wearing on a user's hand to cover the hand's fingers, palm and wrist, the glove comprising:

a. A glove housing having four finger portions, a thumb portion, and a palm portion;

b. The finger portions, thumb portion and palm portions of the glove housing each having an anterior surface formed from a flexible webbing;

c. The flexible webbing being sufficiently pliable to permit the finger portions, thumb portion and palm portion to articulate in response to the user's hand when the glove is worn;

d. A series of shock absorbing blocks adhered to the flexible webbing forming the anterior surface of four finger portions, palm portion and thumb portion, the shock absorbing blocks being separated from one another by gaps of less than 5 mm in width;

e. The plurality of shock absorbing blocks formed on the anterior surface of the finger portions being divided by parallel upper and lower grooves formed along the anterior surface of the finger portions, the upper and lower grooves having a width of greater than 5 mm, the upper and lower grooves extending across each of the finger portions;

f. An elongated palm groove extending across the anterior surface of the palm portion roughly parallel to the upper and lower grooves, the palm groove having a width of greater than 5 mm.

5. The sports glove of claim 4 wherein the plurality of shock absorbing blocks and the upper, lower and palm grooves are formed on a separate sheet, said separate sheet being firmly adhered to the flexible webbing.