U.S. patent application number 11/605889 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-29 for hand protector with friction inducing elements.
This patent application is currently assigned to Wind of Trade, LLC. Invention is credited to Jean-Camille Raymond.
Application Number | 20080120754 11/605889 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39016015 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080120754 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Raymond; Jean-Camille |
May 29, 2008 |
Hand protector with friction inducing elements
Abstract
A hand protector is provided that includes a body and friction
inducing elements affixed to the body. The hand protector may
equally accommodate either hand and therefore lack a handedness.
The body of the protector may be formed from a temperature
resistant material, such as aramid fiber, and by weaving the
temperature resistant material. The friction inducing elements may
be formed from a temperature resistant polymer, such as silicone,
and may be in the form of elongated stripes. The friction inducing
elements may be affixed on both sides of the protector so as to
enable increased friction at a palm side when worn by either hand.
At least some of the friction inducing stripes may run laterally
across the palm of the glove.
Inventors: |
Raymond; Jean-Camille;
(Villennes, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TOWNSEND AND TOWNSEND AND CREW, LLP
TWO EMBARCADERO CENTER, EIGHTH FLOOR
SAN FRANCISCO
CA
94111-3834
US
|
Assignee: |
Wind of Trade, LLC
Las Vegas
NV
|
Family ID: |
39016015 |
Appl. No.: |
11/605889 |
Filed: |
November 28, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/16 ; 2/164;
2/167 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 19/01529 20130101;
A41D 19/01558 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/16 ; 2/164;
2/167 |
International
Class: |
A41D 19/015 20060101
A41D019/015; A41D 19/00 20060101 A41D019/00 |
Claims
1. A hand protector comprising: a body having an exterior layer
comprising a woven aramid fiber temperature resistant material,
said body configured to individually accommodate fingers of a hand,
said body having first and second sides and configured to equally
accommodate either hand; and a plurality of friction inducing
elements substantially identically affixed to both the first and
second sides of said exterior layer of the body to create
substantially the same pattern of said elements on said first side
and said second side while leaving a portion of said so-affixed
exterior layer uncovered between said elements, to enable increased
friction at a palm side when used by either hand, wherein the
friction inducing elements are formed of a friction inducing
material different than the temperature resistant material.
2. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the friction inducing
elements comprise elongated stripes of the friction inducing
material.
3. The hand protector of claim 2, wherein at least some of the
stripes run laterally across the body substantially perpendicular
to finger projections on the body.
4. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the friction inducing
elements cover substantially the entire body.
5. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the friction inducing
elements are affixed to projections of the fingers on the body.
6. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the temperature resistant
material is heat resistant and flame resistant.
7. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the temperature resistant
material is heat resistant up to 540.degree. F.
8. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the temperature resistant
material is woven aramid fiber.
9. (canceled)
10. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the friction inducing
material is heat resistant.
11. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the friction inducing
material is silicon.
12. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the friction inducing
material is configured to provide greater friction than an exterior
material of the body.
13. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the temperature
resistant material is specifically configured to protect against
high temperatures.
14. The hand protector of claim 13, wherein the friction inducing
material is configured for contact with objects at high
temperatures.
15. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the temperature
resistant material is specifically configured to protect against
low temperatures.
16. The hand protector of claim 15, wherein the friction inducing
material is configured for contact with objects at low
temperatures.
17. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the body further
comprises an interior lining made of knit cotton.
18. (canceled)
19. A hand protector comprising: a body configured to receive a
hand, said body comprising an external layer of woven aramid fiber
temperature resistant material, said body having first and second
sides and configured to equally accommodate either hand; and
elongated stripes of friction inducing material substantially
identically affixed to both the first and second sides of the said
external layer of said body to create substantially the same
pattern of said elements on said first side and said second side
while leaving a portion of said so-affixed external layer uncovered
between said elements, to enable increased friction at a palm side
when used by either hand, wherein at least some of the stripes run
laterally across the body substantially perpendicular to a
direction of insertion of the hand, wherein the friction inducing
material is different than the temperature resistant material.
20. A hand protector comprising: a body configured to individually
accommodate fingers of a hand comprising an exterior layer of woven
aramid fiber heat resistant material and an interior lining within
the exterior layer, the body having first and second sides and
configured to equally accommodate either hand; and elongated
stripes of friction inducing material substantially identically
affixed to both the first and second sides of said exterior layer
of said body to create substantially the same pattern of said
elements on said first side and said second side while leaving a
portion of said so-affixed exterior layer uncovered between said
elements, to enable increased friction at a palm side when used by
either hand, wherein at least some of the stripes run laterally
across the body of the glove substantially perpendicular to finger
projections of the body, wherein the friction inducing material is
different than the temperature resistant material.
21. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the friction inducing
elements comprise dots of the friction inducing material.
22. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the friction inducing
elements comprise triangles of the friction inducing material.
23. The hand protector of claim 1, wherein the friction inducing
elements are arranged in an ornamental pattern to provide a
desirable appearance to the friction inducing elements.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] NOT APPLICABLE
STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED
RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] NOT APPLICABLE
REFERENCE TO A "SEQUENCE LISTING," A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM
LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISK
[0003] NOT APPLICABLE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention is generally related to hand
protectors. More particularly, the present invention relates to
hand protectors with friction inducing elements.
[0005] Hand protectors, such gloves and mitts, are useful for
protecting a wearer's hand while performing many tasks. For
example, temperature resistant gloves or mitts may offer protection
to a wearer required to manipulate objects that are at extreme
temperatures. Such tasks may range from everyday household tasks,
such as cooking, removing hot items from the oven, handling frozen
items, to industrial tasks, such as handling metal pipes that are
at high temperatures.
[0006] A common problem with hand protectors, and especially
temperature resistant hand protectors, is that the protective
material of the glove may be bulky and cause the wearer to lose a
certain amount of dexterity in the protected hand. Another common
problem is that the protective material of the glove may not offer
a good grip to the wearer. That is, the material of the hand
protector fails to induce sufficient friction with the items being
gripped by the wearer to give the wearer a secure grip on the item.
In combination, the loss of dexterity and lack of sufficient grip
can be a substantial and dangerous problem for the wearer, who, in
the case of temperature resistant gloves, may be handling
dangerously hot or cold objects while wearing the glove (e.g.,
steaming hot food in a kitchen, liquid nitrogen in a
laboratory).
[0007] In light of the above, an improved hand protector that
enhances a wearer's grip is desired.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Aspects of the present invention are directed to a hand
protector with friction inducing elements attached to the exterior
of the protector. The hand protector may, for example, be in the
form of a five-finger glove or a mitt and may equally accommodate
either hand (i.e., lack handedness). The hand protector may be a
temperature resistant hand protector and may be formed from
temperature resistant materials. In particular, the hand protector
may be formed from heat resistant and flame resistant materials.
The hand protector may include an interior lining and an exterior
body, one or both of which may be formed from temperature resistant
materials. In one example, the hand protector may include aramid
fiber. In another example, a combination of Dupont Nomex.RTM. and
Dupont Kevlar.RTM. may be used in the hand protector.
[0009] The friction inducing elements attached to the hand
protector may provide greater friction when contacting a gripped
object than otherwise provided by an outer material of the hand
protector. The friction inducing elements may be formed from a
temperature resistant material, particularly a heat resistant
material. The friction inducing elements may be identically affixed
on both sides of the protector to enable increased friction in a
palm side of the protector when worn on either hand. The friction
inducing elements may take the form of elongated stripes of
material that run, at least in part, laterally across the palm of
the hand protector (i.e., substantially perpendicular to the
direction of fingers inserted into the hand protector). In one
example, the friction inducing elements may be formed from
silicon.
[0010] One aspect of the present invention is directed to a hand
protector including a body with temperature resistant material that
is configured to individually accommodate fingers of a hand. The
body has first and second sides and is configured to equally
accommodate either hand. Friction inducing elements affixed to both
the first and second sides of the body enable increased friction at
a palm side when used by either hand.
[0011] In related aspects, the friction inducing elements may
comprise elongated stripes of friction inducing material, at least
some of which may run laterally across the body substantially
perpendicular to finger projections of the body. The friction
inducing elements may cover substantially the entire body and may
be affixed to the finger projections of the body. The temperature
resistant material may be heat resistant and flame resistant. The
temperature resistant material may be heat resistant up to
540.degree. F. The temperature resistant material may be an aramid
fiber and may be at least one of Dupont Nomex.RTM. and Dupont
Kevlar.RTM..
[0012] In other related aspects, the friction inducing material may
be configured to provide greater friction than an exterior material
of the body. The friction inducing material may be heat resistant.
The friction inducing material may be silicon. The temperature
resistant material may be specifically configured to protect
against high temperatures and the friction inducing material may be
configured for contact with objects at high temperatures. The
temperature resistant material may be specifically configured to
protect against low temperatures and the friction inducing material
may be configured for contact with objects at low temperatures. The
body of the hand protector may comprise an interior lining made of
knit cotton. The body may comprise woven temperature resistant
material.
[0013] Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a
hand protector that includes a body comprising temperature
resistant material. The body has first and second sides and is
configured to equally accommodate either hand. Elongated stripes of
friction inducing material are affixed to both the first and second
sides of the body to enable increased friction at a palm side when
used by either hand. At least some of the stripes run laterally
across the body substantially perpendicular to a direction of
insertion of the hand.
[0014] Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a
hand protector that includes a body configured to individually
accommodate fingers of a hand comprising an exterior layer of woven
heat resistant material and an interior lining within the exterior
layer. The body has first and second sides and is configured to
equally accommodate either hand. Elongated stripes of friction
inducing material are affixed to both the first and second sides of
the body to enable increased friction at a palm side when used by
either hand. At least some of the stripes run laterally across the
body of the glove substantially perpendicular to projections of the
fingers.
[0015] Further aspects and detailed embodiments of the invention
are described below with reference to the figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a first side of a hand protector in accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 shows a second side of a hand protector in accordance
with the embodiment of FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the hand protector in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The present invention generally provides a temperature
resistant hand protector with friction inducing elements attached
to an exterior thereof for improving a wearer's grip.
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention. In particular, FIG. 1 shows a first side of a hand
protector 100. Hand protector 100 may equally accommodate use by
either hand. That is, protector 100 may not possess any features of
left or right handedness that would make it difficult or
uncomfortable to interchangeably wear the protector on either hand.
Therefore, the view of protector 100 in FIG. 1 is that of a
wearer's right palm or the back of the wearer's left hand.
Similarly, the view of protector 100 in FIG. 2 is that of a
wearer's left palm or the back of the wearer's right hand. FIG. 2
is substantially a mirror image of FIG. 1.
[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, exemplary protector 100 is a glove with
five fingers. However, it should be understood that protector 100
may also take the shape of a mitt with less than five finger
projections (e.g., a mitt with two projections, one for the thumb
and another for the four fingers). Protector 100 has a body 20,
which may include a temperature resistant material for protecting
the wearer's hand against extreme heat or cold. As illustrated in
FIG. 3, the body 20 may have an exterior shell 22, which may
include a temperature resistant material. For example, a heat
resistant and flame resistant material may be used for shell 22. In
addition, support materials that increase a durability or toughness
of the shell 22 may also be incorporated. In one embodiment, the
shell 22 may include a combination of Dupont Nomex.RTM. and Dupont
Kevlar.RTM.. The heat resistance of the shell 22 may protect a
wearer's hand from temperatures of 540.degree. F. or higher. Aramid
fiber or other materials specifically configured to protect against
extreme heat or, alternatively, against extreme cold may also be
used in shell 22. The body 20 may also include an interior lining
24, which may be double-knit cotton in one embodiment.
Alternatively, lining 24 may be any of the aforementioned
temperature resistant materials or support materials, or a
combination thereof.
[0022] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, friction inducing elements
26 are affixed to both the first and second sides of the body 20 to
enable increased friction at a palm side of the body when either
hand is inserted into the protector 100. In the illustrated
embodiment, the friction inducing elements 26 are substantially
identically applied to both sides of the body 20 so as to create
substantially the same pattern and effect on both sides. In the
illustrated embodiment, the friction inducing elements 26 are
elongated stripes of friction inducing material, such as a heat
resistant polymer like silicon. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, stripes
26 may run laterally across the body 20 substantially perpendicular
to finger projections 28 of the body. It should be understood that
although the illustrated embodiment shows the friction inducing
elements 26 as latitudinal stripes, other patterns or shapes may be
easily substituted. For example, patterns of friction inducing dots
or triangles, elongated stripes that run substantially parallel
with the finger projections, and friction patches at the contact
points of a wearer's hand, such as the heel of the thumb, the four
callous points of the palm, and the tips of the fingers, may all be
used. Moreover, ornamental patterns or text may also be formed
using the friction inducing material to provide a desirable
appearance to the friction inducing elements of the glove.
[0023] The friction inducing elements 26 may cover substantially
the entire body 20 and may also be affixed to the finger
projections 28 to improve grip at the fingers. The material used
for the friction inducing elements 26 may provide greater friction
than an exterior material of the body 20 (e.g., the material of
shell 22). The friction inducing material 26 may be matched with
the temperature resistant material of the body 20. For example, if
the body 20 is specifically configured to be flame resistant and
heat resistant, then friction inducing elements 26 may be formed
from a material suited for contact with high temperatures (e.g., a
material that will not melt under high heat). Accordingly, if the
body 20 is specifically configured to resist extremely low
temperatures, then friction inducing elements 26 may be formed from
a material suited for contact with low temperatures (e.g., a
material that will not become overly rigid or crack under low
temperatures).
[0024] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, friction inducing elements
26A may also be affixed to the fingertips of the finger projections
28. Friction inducing elements 26A may be formed from the same
material as elements 26, or may be formed from a different
material. Elements 26A may be applied to body 20 in a different
pattern or shape than elements 26. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1
and 2, each element 26A is a three-part pattern forming a
hemisphere, rather than the elongated stripes of elements 26.
Elements 26A may provide increased friction at the fingertip areas
of projection 28 by covering more of that area with friction
inducing material than the other areas of the body, or by using a
material with higher frictional properties, or both.
[0025] Accordingly, aspects of an improved hand protector with
friction inducing elements are provided. In one preferred
embodiment, the protector 100 is a five-finger glove that includes
an outer shell 22 made of a combination of Dupont Nomex.RTM. and
Dupont Kevlar.RTM. and an inner lining 24 made of double-knit
cotton. The outer shell is both flame resistant and heat resistant
and protects a wearer from a temperature of 540.degree. F. Silicon
stripes 26 are affixed to the outer shell 22 and run laterally
across the palm and the fingers of the glove. Fingertip friction
elements 26A are also provided.
[0026] While exemplary embodiments of the present invention have
been described in detail for clarity of understanding and by way of
example, a variety of changes, modifications, and adaptations are
obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art and are encompassed by
the spirit of the invention. Hence, the scope of the present
invention is limited solely by the appended claims.
* * * * *