U.S. patent application number 10/120602 was filed with the patent office on 2003-10-16 for variable tension exercising glove.
Invention is credited to White, Daryl C..
Application Number | 20030195093 10/120602 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 28790120 |
Filed Date | 2003-10-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030195093 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
White, Daryl C. |
October 16, 2003 |
Variable tension exercising glove
Abstract
A variable tension exercise glove construction (10) including a
glove member (20) having a glove section (21) and gauntlet section
(22) that covers a portion of a user's forearm and a tension unit
(12) that includes a fabric panel (42) provided on the gauntlet
section (22) and a plurality of elastic tension bands (30) secured
on one end to the end of the finger (25) and thumb portions (26) of
the glove section; wherein, the other end of the elastic tension
bands (30) are attached to a movable tension pad (34) that is
adapted to be releasably engaged with a selected portion of the
fabric panel (42) on the gauntlet section (22) of the glove member
(20).
Inventors: |
White, Daryl C.; (Tucson,
AZ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STURM & FIX LLP
206 SIXTH AVENUE
SUITE 1213
DES MOINES
IA
50309-4076
US
|
Family ID: |
28790120 |
Appl. No.: |
10/120602 |
Filed: |
April 11, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/124 ;
482/74 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 21/0442 20130101;
A63B 21/4025 20151001; A63B 21/0552 20130101; A63B 23/16 20130101;
A63B 21/0557 20130101; A63B 21/00069 20130101; A63B 21/4019
20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/124 ;
482/74 |
International
Class: |
A63B 071/00; A63B
021/02 |
Claims
1. A variable tension glove construction comprising a glove unit
including an elongated glove member having a glove section adapted
to cover the user's hand and a gauntlet section extending
rearwardly from the glove section and adapted to cover the user's
hand and a gauntlet section extending rearwardly from the glove
section and adapted to cover a portion of a user's forearm a
tension unit including a plurality of elastic tension bands having
one end fixedly secured at the distal ends of the finger and thumb
portions of the glove section and having another end fixedly
secured to a movable tension pad; and, means for releasably
engaging said tension pad at selected locations on the gauntlet
section of said glove member for varying the tension of said
elastic tension bands relative to the finger and thumb portions of
the glove section.
2. The construction as in claim 1; wherein, the finger and thumb
portions of the glove section are provided with a plurality of
exteriorly mounted discrete guide elements that are dimensioned to
slidably receive selected ones of said plurality of elastic tension
bands.
3. The construction as in claim 2; wherein, the glove section is
further provided with an elongated guide element that is spaced
rearwardly relative to said finger and thumb portions of the glove
section.
4. The construction as in claim 1; wherein, said means for
releasably engaging said tension pad at selected locations on the
gauntlet section includes a pair of cooperating hook and loop
fasteners disposed selectively on the bottom of the tension pad and
the top of the gauntlet section.
5. The construction as in claim 4; wherein, said means for
releasably engaging said tension pad at selected locations on the
gauntlet section further includes at least one strap element
adapted to overlie and frictionally engage the tension pad against
the gauntlet section.
6. The construction as in claim 1; wherein, the gauntlet section is
provided with a plurality of securing strap elements that are
adapted to overlie the elastic tension band and/or the tension
pad.
7. The construction as in claim 4; wherein, the gauntlet section is
provided with a plurality of securing strap elements that are
adapted to overlie the elastic tension band and/or the tension
pad.
8. The construction as in claim 1; wherein, the gauntlet section is
provided with an elongated opening and a plurality of securing
strap elements that are adapted to close said opening.
9. The construction as in claim 8; wherein, at least some of said
plurality of securing straps are adapted to captively engage the
plurality of elastic tension bands and/or the movable tension pad
against the gauntlet section.
10. The construction as in claim 3; wherein, the glove member is
further provided with an elasticized capture strap element that is
fixedly secured on one end to the elongated guide element and has a
free end adapted to overlie the movable tension pad and be
releasably engaged with selected portions of the gauntlet section
of the glove member.
11. The construction as in claim 5; wherein, the gauntlet section
is provided with an elongated fabric panel that comprises the loop
component of a hook and loop fastener.
12. The construction as in claim 11; wherein, the bottom of the
movable tension pad is provided with the hook component of a hook
and loop fastener.
13. The construction as in claim 12; wherein, the glove section is
provided with an elongated guide element that is attached to one
end of an elasticized securing strap element having a free end
adapted to overlie the tension pad and be releasably engaged with
the elongated fabric panel on the gauntlet section of the glove
member.
14. The construction as in claim 13; wherein, the free end of the
securing strap element is provided with the hook component of a
hook and loop fastener.
15. The construction as in claim 14; wherein, the top of the
movable tension pad is provided with the loop component of a hook
and loop fastener wherein the loop component is adapted to
releasably engage the hook component on the top of the movable
tension pad
16. The construction as in claim 1 further comprising means for
pre-positioning the back of the glove section at a variable angle
ranging from 0.degree. to 50.degree..
17. The construction as in claim 16; wherein, the means for
pre-positioning the back of the glove member comprises an elongated
elasticized strap member having one end associated with the back of
the glove section and having a free end adapted to releasably
engage a selected portion of the gauntlet section of the glove
member.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] The present invention relates to the field of
therapeutic/exercise gloves in general and in particular to a
variable tension exercising glove having a unique tensioning
arrangement.
[0006] 2. Description of Related Art
[0007] As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,527,244; 5,538,488; 3,944,220; and, 4,815,729, the prior art is
replete with myriad and diverse glove constructions having a
variety of different tensioning arrangements.
[0008] While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are
more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which
they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient
with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and
practical device to exercise a user's fingers and wrist as well as
the anterior and posterior forearm muscles, biceps and triceps.
[0009] Unfortunately the prior art constructions only extend as far
back on the user's arms as their wrist and as a consequence
thereof, these variable tension gloves are of only limited
utility.
[0010] Furthermore, the tensioning arrangements employed in the
prior art constructions are relatively crude in operation and
normally require that each of the finger tensioning bands be
adjusted on an individual basis which is rather time consuming and
inefficient to say the least.
[0011] As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has
existed a longstanding need for a new and improved variable tension
glove apparatus that not only extends half way up the user's
forearm to exert resistance that works against the user's anterior
and posterior muscles, as well as the biceps and triceps, but also
includes a unique simultaneous tension adjustment feature; and, the
provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the
present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Briefly stated, the variable tension exercise glove that
forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general a
glove unit, a tensioning unit, and a tensioning adjustment unit
both operatively associated with the glove member to vary the
resistance applied to the glove unit at a selected angle between 0
and 50.degree..
[0013] As will be explained in greater detail further on in the
specification, the glove unit includes a glove member having a
glove section and a gauntlet section. The tension unit in turn
includes a plurality of elastic tension bands affixed on one end to
the finger and thumb portions of the glove section, and a movable
tension pad affixed on the other end of the elastic tension bands
and adapted to be releasably engaged with a selected portion on the
gauntlet section of the glove member.
[0014] In addition, the tension adjustment unit includes: a fabric
panel disposed on the gauntlet section of the glove member which is
adapted to releasably engage the movable tension pad of the tension
unit; and, an elongated elasticized strap element affixed on one
end to a portion of the glove section wherein the other end of the
elasticized strap element is adapted to releasably engage a
selected portion of the fabric panel on the gauntlet panel to
preposition the back of a user's hand at an angle that varies
between 0.degree. and 50.degree..
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] These and other attributes of the invention will become more
clear upon a thorough study of the following description of the
best mode for carrying out the invention, particularly when
reviewed in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the variable tension glove
construction;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the glove construction
with the tension unit and the tension adjustment unit partially
disengaged therefrom;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the glove construction
with the tension unit and the tension adjustment unit engaged
therewith;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the glove construction with
the securing straps in their disengaged state; and,
[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the glove construction with
the securing straps engaged over the tension adjustment unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] As can be seen by reference to the drawings, and in
particularly to FIG. 1, the variable tension glove construction
that forms the basis of the present invention is designated
generally by the reference number 10. The construction 10 comprises
in general a glove unit 11, a tension unit 12, and a tension
adjustment unit 13. These units will now be described in seriatim
fashion.
[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the glove unit 11 comprises a
glove member 20 having a conventional glove section 21 and a
rearwardly extending split gauntlet section 22 provided with an
elongated opening 23 to facilitate the insertion of a user's hand,
wrist, and forearm into the glove member 20 in a well recognized
fashion.
[0023] In addition, the glove section 21 of the glove member 20 is
provided with a plurality of exteriorly mounted discrete curved
guide elements 24 disposed at spaced locations along the rear
surface of the finger 25 and thumb 26 portions of the glove section
21 and an elongated guide element 27 that extends laterally across
the back of the glove section 21 at a point spaced from the
juncture of the finger 25 and thumb 26 portions with the remainder
of the glove section 21 for reasons that will be explained
shortly.
[0024] Turning now to FIGS. 1 through 4, it can be seen that the
tension unit 12 comprises a plurality of elastic tension band
members 30 the distal ends 31 of which are fixedly secured to the
distal end of the finger 25 and thumb portions of the glove section
21 the intermediate portions of which 32 are threaded through the
plurality of discrete guide elements 24 and the elongated guide
element 27 and the proximal ends 33 of which are fixedly secured at
spaced locations to a movable tension pad 34 the upper and lower
surfaces of which are provided with both components of a hook 35
and loop 36 fastener.
[0025] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the tension
adjustment unit 13 comprises in general an anchor member 40 and a
capture member 41; wherein, the fabric panel 42 is adapted to be
selectively and releasably engaged with the hook component 35 on
the movable tension pad 34 of the tension unit 12 to vary the
resistance of the elastic tension bands 30 in proportion to the
distance of the tension pad 34 from the tips of the user's fingers
and thumb.
[0026] In addition, the capture member 41 includes an elongated
elasticized capture strap element 43 having one end captively
secured to the top of the elongated guide element 27 wherein, the
bottom surface of the free end of the capture strap element 43 is
provided with a hook component 46 that is adapted to releasably
engage both the fabric panel 42 of the anchor member 40 and the
loop component 36 on top of the movable tension pad 34 to retain
the movable tension pad 34 in place relative to the fabric panel
42.
[0027] It should also be noted at this juncture that the capture
strap element 43 can be employed independently of the movable
tension pad 34 to initially position the back of a user's hand at
an angle of from 0.degree. to 50.degree. relative to a horizontal
surface.
[0028] As can further be appreciated by reference to FIGS. 1
through 5, the gauntlet section 22 of the glove member 20 is
further provided with a plurality of securing strap elements 28
having free ends that have hook components 29 that are adapted to
releasably engage the fabric panel 42 to the user's forearm;
wherein, one or more of the securing strap elements 28 will overlie
portions of the tension unit 12 and the capture member 41.
[0029] Although only an exemplary embodiment of the invention has
been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will
readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without
materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of
this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to
be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the
following claims.
[0030] Having thereby described the subject matter of the present
invention, it should be apparent that many substitutions,
modifications, and variations of the invention are possible in
light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that
the invention as taught and described herein is only to be limited
to the extent of the breadth and scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *