U.S. patent application number 10/660684 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-11 for sport catching glove.
Invention is credited to Tremblay, Vincent.
Application Number | 20040045074 10/660684 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31994709 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040045074 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tremblay, Vincent |
March 11, 2004 |
Sport catching glove
Abstract
The present invention provides an improved sport catching glove.
The improved catching glove is formed with an inner compartment
shaped to dispose a hand of a player therein and arranged to permit
free movement of the hand. The sport catching glove comprises a
hand wrapper that encircles the hand of a catcher and allowing free
movements of all fingers and of wrist. The wrapper is fixed inside
the inner compartment and prevents the catching glove from escaping
from the grip of the hand while allowing a free movement along axis
of the wrist and of all fingers.
Inventors: |
Tremblay, Vincent; (Quebec,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OGILVY RENAULT
1981 MCGILL COLLEGE AVENUE
SUITE 1600
MONTREAL
QC
H3A2Y3
CA
|
Family ID: |
31994709 |
Appl. No.: |
10/660684 |
Filed: |
September 12, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10660684 |
Sep 12, 2003 |
|
|
|
09922984 |
Dec 10, 2001 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/161.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 71/143 20130101;
A63B 2102/24 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/161.1 |
International
Class: |
A63B 071/14; A41D
019/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. An improved sport glove adapted for catching a moving article,
said glove formed with an inner compartment shaped to dispose a
hand of a player therein and arranged to permit free movement of
said hand to manipulate said glove in various positions adapted to
achieve a catching operation, said sport glove comprising a tubular
hand wrapper formed to encircle said hand and extending past wrist
of said hand until reaching at least knuckles while making sure to
allow free movements of all fingers and of wrist, and means to fix
said tubular hand wrapper inside said inner compartment, so
constructed and arranged that when said sport glove in worn by said
player, said sport glove is prevented from escaping from grip of
said hand while allowing said free movement of said hand along axis
of said wrist and of all fingers.
2. Sport glove according to claim 1, wherein said sport catching
glove is a hockey goalie catching glove or a baseball catching
glove.
3. Sport glove according to claim 1, wherein said tubular hand
wrapper comprises a thumb sleeve allowing a thumb to slide therein
but extending short of the end of said thumb.
4. Sport catching glove according to claim 3, wherein said hand
wrapper wraps is a fingerless glove
5. Sport catching glove according to claim 1, wherein said means to
fix said hand wrapper is temporary fixing means.
6. Sport catching glove according to claim 5, wherein said
temporary fixing means is snap, clamp, zipper or Velcro.TM..
7. Sport catching glove according to claim 1, wherein said means to
fix said hand wrapper is permanent fixing means.
8. Sport catching glove according to claim 7, wherein said
permanent fixing means is lace, sewing, rivet or glue.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is a Continuation-in-part of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 9/922,984 filed on Dec. 10, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to an improved sport catching
glove adapted for catching a moving article comprising an internal
hand wrapper. The hand wrapper is designed to allow free movements
of all fingers and of wrist. The sport catching glove is
constructed and arranged to prevent it from escaping from grip of
the hand while allowing its free movement along wrist axis when
worn by a goalkeeper.
[0004] 2. Description of Prior Art
[0005] Hockey goalies use two types of gloves, namely a blocker
glove comprising a large padded section over the back side of the
hand and designed to maintain the hockey stick, and a catching
glove. The catching glove generally comprises a large flexible
surface defining a large pocket enabling the hockey goalie to catch
and entrap circulating pucks. As hockey pucks may travel over
hundred miles an hour (100 mph), construction of catching glove
must provide a structure that prevent pain sensation and potential
injuries and therefore comprises numerous paddings. However,
catching glove must be sufficiently flexible to entrap over a
moving puck or to be largely opened to cover a puck on the ice.
Development of new materials over last years allowed the production
of catching glove meeting these flexibility and resistance
requirements.
[0006] To provide a goalie with an optimal control over its
catching glove, mobility of the catching glove along the goalie's
wrist axis is also required and the actual design of catching
gloves makes it difficult to achieve. Indeed, means by which goalie
holds its catching glove comprises a catching glove cavity
harboring thumb and finger stalls, as well as thumb and smallest
finger straps that fit somewhat loosely around thumb and fingers.
To avoid the catching glove from escaping from hand, a strap
covering a part of hand and wrist that can be secured is also
provided. Securing the latter strap reduces the mobility of
goalie's wrist and goalie must therefore compromise its control
over the catching glove to avoid slippage. Alternatively, the
goalie may loose the strap to maintain a proper control, but
increases risks of loosing the catching glove.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,994 to Goldsmith reports a catching
glove offering a superior control and effectiveness over
conventional catching glove by providing a light weight stiffener
in the distal portion of fingers and an elastomeric retainer that
covers exclusively the back portion of the hand. The elastomeric
retainer is designed to provide goalie's hand with a better contact
with the stiffener and the palm portion of the catching glove.
However, a strap encompassing the wrist of the goalie is still
needed since the retainer is not designed to prevent inside-out
movement of the catching. Therefore, this improved catching glove
fails to provide wrist mobility while preventing glove
slippage.
[0008] U. S. Pat. No. 5,802,614 to Melone Jr. describes a glove
that supports and stabilizes the wrist and hand during sport. This
glove comprises a inner glove portion, an outer glove portion and a
strap arrangement that provide a wrist support while assembled.
This glove may be used for football, roller hockey, golf and other
sport, with or without other sport equipment, and is designed to
prevent injuries.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,444 to Hochmut describes a goalkeeper's
glove with palm portion that comprises padding layers having
thickenings portions. This palm portion of the goalkeeper's glove
is designed to improve the ball catching properties of The glove
since it provides a specific arrangement of padding made from
latex, which enhances ball gripping properties.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,639 to Aoki describes a protective glove
for ice hockey comprising a palm portion quickly removable. A humid
palm section can be replaced by a dry palm section to provide a ice
hockey player with a better hand sensitivity, which is decreased
moisture.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,544 to Capatosto reports a blocker glove
comprising a padding structure affixed to a removable close-fitting
glove.
[0012] Although background art reports multiple improvements for
hockey gloves, slippage problems encountered by hockey goalies
remain unresolved since any of the technologies available are
specifically designed to provide goalies with wrist mobility while
firmly holding catching glove. It would therefore be highly
desirable to be provided with a hockey glove adapted for catching a
moving article with a relatively free movement along the wrist axis
and reduced possibilities of loosing it.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] It is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved sport glove adapted for catching a moving article.
According to the present invention the sport glove is formed with
an inner compartment. The inner compartment is shaped to dispose a
hand of a player therein and is arranged to permit free movement of
the hand, and manipulation of the glove in various positions as
required, so as to achieve any catching operation. The sport glove
comprises a tubular hand wrapper formed to encircle the hand and
extending past the wrist until reaching at least knuckles while
making sure to allow free movements of all fingers and wrist. The
sport glove also comprises means to fix the tubular hand wrapper
inside the inner compartment. The sport glove is so constructed and
arranged that when it is worn by the player, it is prevented from
escaping from the grip of the hand while allowing the free movement
of the hand along the wrist axis and of all fingers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sport catching glove of
the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the sport catching glove of
the present invention with a cutaway portion showing the hand
wrapper;
[0016] FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the sport catching
glove of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the internal hand wrapper of
the present invention; and
[0018] FIG. 5 is another perspective view of he internal hand
wrapper opened position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Now referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 illustrate a
hockey goalie catching glove 1 adapted for catching hockey pucks
and so constructed and arranged that when it is worn by a
goalkeeper, it is prevented from escaping from the grip of the hand
while allowing free movement of the hand along the axis of the
wrist and, and of all fingers.
[0020] The hockey glove 1 of the present invention comprises an
internal hand wrapping glove 3, which will be fully described
hereinafter, that is affixed into an internal cavity 4 of catching
glove 1. The catching glove 1 comprises a known arrangement of an
outer facing 5, an inner facing 7, an outer blocking pad 9, an
inner blocking pad 11, a pocket 13 and a web 15. Also in known
manner, pocket 13 and web 15 are arranged to bend along a hand
articulation axis 17, which divides catching glove 1 into a thumb
portion 19 (FIG.3) and a finger portion 21 (FIG. 1).
[0021] Now referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, internal hand wrapping glove
3 which will now be described in detail, comprises a generally
rectangular hand covering sheet 47, which when fully assembled as
shown in FIG. 4 has somewhat the structure of a fingerless glove
leaving the thumb and all fingers free to move. Covering sheet 47
of the present invention is designed as a wrapper that in closed
position as illustrated in FIG. 4 covers the metacarpus portion
only of the hand. It additionally comprises a truncated thumb
sleeve 49 that projects therefrom as shown. All in all, the
wrapper, when fixed to a hand, allows the thumb and all fingers to
emerge free from internal glove. Hand covering sheet 47 is
preferably made from leather, however any suitable material, such
as fabric and the like could be used as will be appreciated by one
skilled in the art.
[0022] With particular reference to FIG. 5 and more details
concerning the internal glove, it will be noted that the transverse
ends of covering sheet 47 are referred to by reference numerals 53a
and 53b. In addition, a lower hand strap 57 and an upper hand strap
55, that are in the shape of longitudinal bands, are both fixed at
one end thereof against the outer face of covering sheet 47 as
shown. In the illustrated embodiment, end 57a of hand strap 57 is
fixed in the outer end portion 56 of covering sheet 47
corresponding to transverse end 53a while end 55a of hand strap 55
is fixed in the same end portion. Hand strap 55 is aligned with
upper longitudinal edge 58 of covering sheet 47 and hand strap 57
is aligned with lower longitudinal edge 60 of covering sheet 47.
Fixation of hand straps 55 and 57 against the outer face of
covering sheet 47 may be carried out by any means known to those
skilled in the art, such as by glueing, sewing and the like. To
complete the hand strap arrangement, it will be noted that the free
ends of both hand straps 55, 57 are provided with Velcro.TM.
sections 62, 63 although any other mode of fixation may be used
with the straps.
[0023] Referring again to FIG. 4, it will be seen that in the end
portion 64 adjoining transverse end 53b, there are provided a pair
of fixing bands 66, 68, glued or otherwise fixed to the outer face
of covering sheet 47, and respectively aligned with transverse edge
58, 60 to mesh with the free ends of hand straps 55, 57 when
closing covering sheet 47 in the manner shown in FIG. 4. In the
illustrated embodiment, both bands 66, 68 are provided with
Velcro.TM. sections 70, 72 to engage the corresponding Velcro.TM.
sections 62, 63 of hand straps 55, 57
[0024] Covering sheet 47 is fully assembled by contacting straps
55, 57 and band 66,68, respectively, where Velcro.TM. sections 70,
72 and corresponding Velcro.TM. sections 62, 63 provide a proper
stretching of covering sheet 47 over the hand of a user. A person
skilled in the art will understand that internal glove 3 could be
designed differently while maintaining its functionality. As
example, internal glove 3 could be made from a continuous covering
sheet 47, made from an elastic material. This alternative design
would allow straps 55, 57 and fixing bands 66, 68 to be removed
while maintaining a proper stretching of sheet 47 over the
hand.
[0025] As holding glove 3 is preferably affixed permanently to
inner facing 7 and hockey glove 1 provides user with an access to
internal cavity 4, the assembly of covering sheet 47 takes place
within internal cavity 4. However, use of a temporary fixation
device to affix internal glove 3 to inner facing 7 would also
provide a user with the possibility of assembling covering sheet 47
over its hand prior fixing internal glove 3 into internal cavity
4.
[0026] The internal hand holding glove 3 is affixed to the internal
face 45 of inner facing 7 by sewing lines 48. Alternatively, lace,
sewing, rivet or glue could be used to fix holding glove 3 to the
internal face 45. A person skilled in the art could also replace
these permanent fixing means by temporary fixation devices such as
snaps, Velcro.TM. or zippers.
[0027] While the invention has been described with particular
reference to the illustrated embodiment, it will be understood that
numerous modifications thereto will appear to those skilled in the
art. Accordingly, the above description and accompanying drawings
should be taken as illustrative of the invention and not in a
limiting sense.
* * * * *