U.S. patent application number 13/253757 was filed with the patent office on 2013-04-11 for cycling glove.
This patent application is currently assigned to SPECIALIZED BICYCLE COMPONENTS, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is Carl Darius Bird, John Cordoba, John Wilkening. Invention is credited to Carl Darius Bird, John Cordoba, John Wilkening.
Application Number | 20130086730 13/253757 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48041088 |
Filed Date | 2013-04-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130086730 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wilkening; John ; et
al. |
April 11, 2013 |
CYCLING GLOVE
Abstract
A glove, such as a cycling glove, for use with a capacitive
touchscreen device has a back side and a palm side. The glove has
an outer shell substantially forming an outer surface of the glove
on the back side and the palm side of the glove. An inner liner
substantially forms an inner surface of the glove. A waterproof
layer can be positioned between the outer shell and the inner
liner. A conductive strip can be positioned within the glove with a
first end extending from the glove at a fingertip. A second end can
contact a user's skin when the glove is on the user's hand.
Inventors: |
Wilkening; John;
(Watsonville, CA) ; Bird; Carl Darius; (Aptos,
CA) ; Cordoba; John; (Morgan Hill, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Wilkening; John
Bird; Carl Darius
Cordoba; John |
Watsonville
Aptos
Morgan Hill |
CA
CA
CA |
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
SPECIALIZED BICYCLE COMPONENTS,
INC.
Morgan Hill
CA
|
Family ID: |
48041088 |
Appl. No.: |
13/253757 |
Filed: |
October 5, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/161.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 19/0024
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/161.1 |
International
Class: |
A63B 71/14 20060101
A63B071/14; A41D 19/00 20060101 A41D019/00 |
Claims
1. A cycling glove for use with a capacitive touchscreen device,
the glove having a back side and a palm side comprising: an outer
shell substantially forming an outer surface of the glove on the
back side and the palm side of the glove; an inner liner
substantially forming an inner surface of the glove on the back
side and the palm side of the glove; a waterproof layer positioned
between the outer shell and the inner liner on the back side and
the palm side of the glove; and a conductive strip having a first
end, a second end, and a connecting section extending between the
first and second ends, the first end passing through the outer
shell to form a segment of the outer surface of the glove at a
fingertip portion of a finger portion of the glove, the connecting
section of the strip extending from the index finger portion to a
wrist portion of the glove and positioned between the outer shell
and the waterproof layer, the second end at the wrist portion and
extending therefrom such that the second end will contact skin of
the user when the glove is on the user's hand.
2. The cycling glove of claim 1, wherein the second end passes
through a seam at the wrist portion and extends therefrom such that
the second end will contact skin of the user when the glove is on
the user's hand.
3. The cycling glove of claim 1, wherein the glove further
comprises a cuff portion extending from the wrist portion.
4. The cycling glove of claim 1, wherein the conductive strip
comprises at least one of metallic plated fabric, metallic fibers
and metallic yarn.
5. The cycling glove of claim 1, wherein second end of the
conductive strip is configured to contact skin on the palm side of
the wrist when the glove is on the user's hand.
6. The cycling glove of claim 1, wherein the finger portion
comprises at least one of an index finger portion, a middle finger
portion and a thumb portion.
7. The cycling glove of claim 1, wherein the segment of the outer
surface of the glove at a fingertip portion is on the palm side of
the glove.
8. The cycling glove of claim 1, wherein further comprising an
insulation layer positioned between the waterproof layer and the
inner liner on the back side and the palm side of the glove.
9. The cycling glove of claim 8, wherein the insulation layer
comprises heavier insulation on the back side of the glove as
compared to the palm side.
10. The cycling glove of claim 1, wherein the inner liner comprises
a fleece liner.
11. The cycling glove of claim 1, wherein the outer shell comprises
at least one of padding, protective plating, leather, a microfiber
wipe, a terry cloth wipe, and a pull tab.
12. A cycling glove comprising: a hand portion and a cuff portion
extending from the hand portion, the glove having a back side and a
palm side; an outer shell substantially forming an outer surface of
the glove on the back side and the palm side of the glove; an inner
liner substantially defining an interior cavity at the hand portion
of the glove and forming an inner surface of the interior cavity on
the back side and the palm side of the hand portion of the glove; a
waterproof layer positioned between the outer shell and the inner
liner on the back side and the palm side of the hand portion of the
glove; and a metallic ribbon having a first end positioned at a
fingertip of the hand portion and forming a part of the outer
surface at the fingertip, the ribbon positioned between the outer
shell and the waterproof layer from the fingertip to the cuff
portion and a second end of the ribbon passing through a seam on
the palm side of the glove and extending into the interior
cavity.
13. The cycling glove of claim 12, wherein the seam is located
where the cuff portion extends from the hand portion.
14. The cycling glove of claim 13, further comprising an elastic
band positioned at the seam.
15. The cycling glove of claim 12, wherein the metallic ribbon
comprises at least one of metallic plated fabric, metallic fibers
and metallic yarn.
16. The cycling glove of claim 12, wherein the outer shell
comprises a fabric material having non-slip or durable material on
the palm side and a microfiber wipe on a thumb portion.
17. The cycling glove of claim 16, wherein the outer shell further
comprises padding on the palm side.
18. The cycling glove of claim 12, further comprising an insulation
layer.
19. The cycling glove of claim 18, wherein the insulation layer
comprises heavier insulation on the back side of the glove as
compared to the palm side.
20. The cycling glove of claim 12, wherein the inner liner
comprises a fleece liner.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to
hand coverings that can be used with touchscreen devices. In
particular, cycling gloves for use with capacitive touchscreen
devices.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A capacitive touchscreen device 2 includes a touchscreen
panel generally made of an insulator, such as glass, coated with a
transparent conductor, such as indium tin oxide. As the human body
3 is also an electrical conductor, touching the surface of the
screen, as in FIG. 1, results in a distortion of the screen's
electrostatic field, measurable as a change in capacitance.
Different technologies may be used to determine the location of the
touch. The location is then sent to the controller for processing.
Unlike other types of touchscreen technologies (e.g. resistive
touchscreen), one cannot use a capacitive touchscreen device 2
through most types of electrically insulating material, such as
gloves. This aspect of capacitive touchscreen devices 2 becomes
very apparent in cool, cold, or wet weather and can be a great
disadvantage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Capacitive touchscreen technology is used in many popular
consumer electronics. This can be problematic for cyclists and
others when wearing gloves while engaging in a sport. For example,
a capacitive touchscreen cyclocomputer, watch, GPS, or phone can be
difficult to use while the cyclist is wearing full fingered gloves.
Thus, there is a general need for improvement in gloves, such as
cycling gloves, which can be utilized with capacitive touchscreen
devices.
[0006] According to some embodiments, a glove, preferably a cycling
glove, can include a plurality of fabric layers including a
waterproof layer and a conductive strip that runs from a finger tip
of the glove to the cuff, contacting the user's skin at the cuff
without compromising the waterproof layer.
[0007] According to some embodiments, a glove can include a
plurality of fabric layers including a waterproof layer and a
conductive strip that runs from a finger tip to the bottom extent
of the waterproof layer and passes around the waterproof layer into
the interior of the glove, contacting the user's skin without
compromising the waterproof layer.
[0008] Some embodiments of a glove, such as a cycling glove have a
back side and a palm side. The glove can comprise an outer shell,
an inner liner, a waterproof layer, and a conductive strip. The
outer shell can substantially form an outer surface of the glove on
the back side and the palm side of the glove. The inner liner can
substantially form an inner surface of the glove on the back side
and the palm side of the glove. The waterproof layer can be
positioned between the outer shell and the inner liner on the back
side and the palm side of the glove. The conductive strip can have
a first end, a second end, and a connecting section extending
between the first and second ends. The first end can pass through
the outer shell to form a segment of the outer surface of the glove
at a fingertip portion of a finger portion of the glove. The
connecting section of the strip can extend from the index finger
portion to a wrist portion of the glove while positioned between
the outer shell and the waterproof layer. The second end can be at
the wrist portion and can extend therefrom such that the second end
will contact skin of the user when the glove is on the user's
hand.
[0009] This second end may pass through a seam at the wrist portion
and extend therefrom such that the second end will contact skin of
the user when the glove is on the user's hand. The second end of
the conductive strip can also be configured to contact skin on the
palm side of the wrist when the glove is on the user's hand. Also,
the glove may include a cuff portion extending from the wrist
portion. The conductive strip can be made in many different ways
and may comprise at least one of metallic plated fabric, metallic
fibers and metallic yarn. The glove may also include an insulation
layer positioned between the waterproof layer and the inner liner
on the back side and the palm side of the glove.
[0010] In some embodiments, a cycling glove comprises a hand
portion and a cuff portion extending from the hand portion, the
glove having a back side and a palm side. The glove may also
include an outer shell, an inner liner, a waterproof layer
positioned between the outer shell and the inner liner, and a
metallic ribbon. The outer shell can substantially form an outer
surface of the glove on the back side and the palm side of the
glove. The inner liner can substantially define an interior cavity
at the hand portion of the glove and form an inner surface of the
interior cavity on the back side and the palm side of the hand
portion of the glove. The metallic ribbon can have a first end
positioned at a fingertip of the hand portion and forming a part of
the outer surface at the fingertip. The ribbon can be positioned
between the outer shell and the waterproof layer from the fingertip
to the cuff portion and a second end of the ribbon can pass through
a seam on the palm side of the glove and extend into the interior
cavity.
[0011] Some embodiments of the glove can have the seam located
where the cuff portion extends from the hand portion. An elastic
band may be positioned at the seam. The metallic ribbon can
comprise at least one of metallic plated fabric, metallic fibers
and metallic yarn.
[0012] The cycling glove can further include an insulation layer.
The insulation layer can have heavier insulation on the back side
of the glove as compared to the palm side. The inner liner can be a
fleece liner or other type of material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] Various embodiments are depicted in the accompanying
drawings for illustrative purposes, and should in no way be
interpreted as limiting the scope of the inventions, in which like
reference characters denote corresponding features consistently
throughout similar embodiments.
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a user interfacing with a touchscreen
device.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a back side view of a glove.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a palm side view of the glove of FIG. 2.
[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic cross-section of the glove
taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.
[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic cross-section of part of the
glove taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] A glove is a garment designed generally for covering the
hand of a user. Gloves generally have separate sheaths or openings
for each finger and the thumb, though as used herein, the term
"glove" can include any type of hand covering including a mitten, a
lobster claw, muff, etc. In addition, the term glove can also
include coats, jackets, sweaters, and long sleeve shirts that
include a hand covering at the end of or attached to the
sleeve.
[0020] Gloves are generally intended to protect and comfort hands
against cold or heat, damage by friction, abrasion or chemicals,
and disease. Gloves are made of all different types of materials
including cloth, knitted or felted wool, leather, rubber, latex,
neoprene, and KEVLAR.RTM..
[0021] Cycling gloves are gloves designed for cycling. They
generally fulfill three functions: warmth, comfort and protection.
The design of most modern bicycles is such that the rider's hands
remain on the handlebars while cycling, a position that leaves them
exposed to weather. The hands are also relatively inactive, and do
not have a great deal of muscle mass, which also contributes to the
possibility of chill. Cycling also places a good deal of stress on
the hands, in the form of prolonged pressure against handlebars and
transmission of sudden road shocks through handlebars to the hands.
Padded gloves can be useful to combat these stresses. Finally, as
putting a hand out to break a fall is a natural reaction; many
cyclists choose to wear gloves all year round to help avoid skin
damage from a fall. These same or similar issues arise in many
other sports besides cycling, such as skating, skiing, motocross,
baseball, football, golf, etc. In addition, the gloves described
herein can be any type of glove including: general purpose gloves,
work gloves, sport gloves, recreational gloves, gardening gloves,
etc.
[0022] Generally, when a person wants to use their capacitive
touchscreen device and they have gloves on, they will need to use a
stylus, or they will have to take their gloves off. This can be
problematic for cyclists due to the demands of riding.
[0023] It is undesirable to use conductive thread piercing the
glove fabric for winter gloves with a water resistance/proof liner.
This is because piercing the glove fabric requires compromising the
water resistance/proof liner which would then provide an access
channel for water to enter the glove.
[0024] Looking now at FIGS. 2-3, an improved glove 10 will be
described which addresses some of the problems above. It will be
understood that the gloves described herein can be used with
devices other than capacitive touchscreen devices, and can be used
to address problems other than those discussed herein.
[0025] FIGS. 2-3 show respectively, a back side and a palm side of
the glove 10. The glove 10 as shown includes a hand portion 12 and
a cuff portion 14 extending from the hand portion 14. The cuff
portion 14 is generally attached to the hand portion 12 at or near
a wrist area 16. It will be understood that the glove 10 may or may
not include a cuff portion 14 and that the cuff portion 14 can be a
fairly long or a fairly short length. For example, the cuff portion
14 can be tucked into the jacket of the user to avoid the wrists
being chilled.
[0026] The glove 10 can also include a thumb 18, and fingers,
including an index finger 20, a middle finger 22, a ring finger 24
and a pinky finger 26. As has been mentioned, one or more of the
fingers may be combined to form a lobster claw, a mitten, or other
design.
[0027] The glove 10 shown is the left side of a pair of cycling
gloves, designed generally for use on the user's left hand. The
right side is not shown but can be essentially a mirror image of
the left side, the main exception being the configuration of the
buckle or clip 28. The left side glove 10 is shown with a female
side release buckle. The right side glove can have a corresponding
male side release buckle. The buckles can allow the gloves to be
connected together when desired.
[0028] The glove 10 can include elastic 25 in one or more locations
to help secure the glove 10 to the user's hand. For example,
elastic 25 can be located internally at the wrist area 16. The
elastic 25 can extend all the way around the glove 10 or around
only a portion of the glove 10.
[0029] Moving now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the construction of a glove 10
including a waterproof layer will be described. It will be
understood that the glove 10 can be constructed in ways other than
those described. In particular, the number of layers and whether
the particular layer extends all the way around or only partially
around the glove can vary greatly.
[0030] FIGS. 4 and 5 show that the glove 10 includes four primary
layers. The glove 10 has an outer shell 32, a waterproof layer 34,
an insulation layer 36 and an inner liner 38. In some embodiments,
the glove does not include a separate insulation layer, or includes
additional insulation layers. In addition, the position of the
insulation layer 36 within the glove and between the various layers
can vary.
[0031] The glove 10 has an outer shell 32. The outer shell 32 can
form an outer surface of the glove on the back side and the palm
side of the glove as shown. The outer shell 32 can be made of a
single material or multiple materials. For example, the palm side
of the outer shell 32 may be a different material from the back
side of the outer shell 32. The palm side may be made of or treated
to provide non-slip characteristics. The outer shell 32 can include
various features depending on the desired use of the glove. The
outer shell 32 can be made of or treated to provide a waterproof
exterior. The outer shell 32 can include padding, such as foam or
gel padding, protective plating, such as carbon fiber protective
plating, full grained leather palms, a microfiber or terry cloth
wipe 27 near the thumb for absorbing/wiping perspiration from the
user's brow, a pull tab 29 to help with putting the glove on, etc.
Some of these features may be incorporated into other layers, as
well as, or instead of being part of the outer shell 32. For
example, padding may be part of the inner liner 38.
[0032] The glove 10 may include a waterproof layer 34. The
waterproof layer 34 can be positioned between the outer shell 34
and the inner liner 38 on both the back side and the palm side of
the glove 10. It is generally desirable that the waterproof layer
34 cover the entire hand of the user such that water does not
contact the user's hand, even where the outer shell has become wet.
Thus, the waterproof layer 34 should desirably be impermeable to
water and should not be compromised by making holes in the layer
that could provide access paths through the waterproof layer 34 for
water to pass through to the user's hand. Thus, the waterproof
layer can be a bag or waterproof membrane liner.
[0033] Though the waterproof layer 34 preferably covers the entire
hand of the user, the waterproof layer may extend over the fingers
to the top of the palm, the middle of the palm, or below the palm.
It may also extend to 2/3 or 1/3 of the way to the bottom of the
palm. The waterproof layer 34 may cover more than just the hand and
may also cover the wrist, and/or the forearm or a portion of the
forearm of the user.
[0034] The glove 10 can include an inner liner 38. The inner liner
38 can substantially form an inner surface of the glove on the back
side and the palm side of the glove 10. In some embodiments, the
inner liner 38 can be fixed to or removable from the glove 10, for
example, removable and washable. In some embodiments, the inner
liner 38 comprises a fleece liner.
[0035] The glove 10 may also include an insulation layer 36. The
insulation layer 36 may provide insulation in addition to that
provided by the other layers. For example, the inner liner 38 can
provide a layer of insulation and the insulation layer 36 can
provide additional insulation on top of the insulation from the
inner liner 38. In some embodiments, the insulation layer 36
comprises heavier insulation on the back side of the glove 10 as
compared to the palm side.
[0036] The various layers generally extend throughout at least the
hand portion 12 of the glove 10. For example, as shown, the
waterproof layer 34, and the insulation layer 36 extend only in the
hand portion 12, while the outer shell 32 extends through both the
hand portion 12 and the cuff portion 14. Other configurations are
also possible.
[0037] A conductive material 30 can also be provided within the
glove 10. The conductive material 30 can be used to provide an
electrical conduit from the skin of the user to a portion of the
glove 10 for use with a capacitive touchscreen device. This can
allow the user to use a capacitive touchscreen device with the
glove still on.
[0038] As shown in FIGS. 2-5, the conductive material 30 extends
from a fingertip region 40 to the wrist area 16. From the wrist
area 16, the conductive material 30 can extend into the glove 10,
such as into the hand cavity formed in the glove for receiving the
user's hand. The conductive material 30 can then contact skin at
the hand, wrist, and/or another part of the user's body. This skin
contact can ensure that the electricity can be conducted between
the fingertip portion 40 and the user. It will be understood that
the first end 44 of conductive material 30 at the fingertip portion
40 can located anywhere on the glove 10. It will also be understood
that the second end 46 of the conductive material 30 can extend
into the hand cavity at any location within the glove including
within the hand portion 12 and/or within the cuff portion 14.
Preferably the conductive material 30 passes around the waterproof
layer 34 and does not comprise the waterproof layer 34 in any
way.
[0039] In some embodiments, the conductive material 30 extends into
the interior of the glove 10 at the bottom extent of the waterproof
layer 34. Thus, if the waterproof layer 30 covers the entire hand
of the user, the conductive material 30 may extend into the glove
interior at or below the bottom of the hand. In other
configurations, where the waterproof layer 34 covers more or less
than the entire hand, such as the fingers, portions of the palm,
the wrist, etc. as discussed above, the conductive material 30 may
extend into the glove interior at or below this same point. It
should also be understood that the conductive material 30 may wrap
around the waterproof layer 34 and may extend into the glove
interior at a point other than where the conductive material 30
wraps around the waterproof layer 34.
[0040] It should also be understood that though the conductive
material 30 may extend into the glove interior at or below a
certain point in the glove, the conductive material may be directed
in one or more directions from that point. Thus, the conductive
material 30 may extend into the glove interior below a certain
point, but be directed upwards and may extend back past that same
point.
[0041] The first end 44 of the conductive material 30 can form a
part of the outer surface of the glove 10. As can be seen in FIG.
5, part of the first end 44 can pass through a hole 42 in the outer
shell 32. The first end 44 may be flush with or protrude out from
the surface of the outer shell 32. The first end 44 can include a
point, groove, rib, strut, tread, bump, texture, and/or other
feature to help ensure the conductive material 30 will contact the
capacitive touchscreen in the desired manner.
[0042] The second end 46 can extend into the hand cavity of the
glove through a seam 48. The seam 48 can be located at any location
within the glove 10 and is preferably located at the wrist area 16
where the hand portion 12 and cuff portion 14 meet. The second end
46 can for a tab or extension that extends past the seam 48. The
second end 46 can be loose or secured within the glove. As shown,
the second end 46 is substantially loose after passing through the
seam 48 and can therefore extend into either or both of the hand
portion 12 and the cuff portion 14 of the glove 10.
[0043] Elastic, buttons, and/or VELCRO.RTM. can be used to help
ensure that the second end 46 contacts the skin of the user. For
example, elastic 25 can be used to secure and/or hold the second
end 46 to the skin. A jacket or coat, for example, with elastic,
buttons, and/or VELCRO.RTM. may also help serve this purpose.
[0044] The conductive material 30 is preferably provided in the
form of a conductive band, strip, or ribbon, but can also take
other forms. The conductive material 30 can be metallic plated
fabric, metallic fibers and/or metallic yarn. The conductive
material 30 can further be fibers composed of metal, plastic-coated
metal, metal-coated plastic, or a core completely covered by
metal.
[0045] The glove 10 can provide a minimally exposed conductive
material 30 to beneficially protect the conductive material 30 from
damage. For example, if the conductive material is exposed, on an
outside surface of the glove, it will be subject to wear and tear,
tarnishing, breaking of fibers, and other things that could reduce
the conductivity of the conductive material 30. The glove 10
beneficially protects the conductive material and extends the life
of the conductive material and the glove as a tool for using with a
capacitive touchscreen.
[0046] The glove 10 is can be compatible with a variety of
touchscreen devices. The glove 10 can have conductive material
running between the outer layer at the palm and the inner liner of
the glove. The conductive material can run all the way to the cuff,
and touches the skin of the rider at the cuff, sending an
electrical charge to the capacitive touchscreen. The glove 10 can
have a conductive strip expending from outside the finger to the
wrist or cuff area. The glove 10 can route conductive material
around the water-proof layer so that the conductive material can
touch the rider's skin.
[0047] Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of
certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood
by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends
beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative
embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications
and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of variations
of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other
modifications, which are within the scope of this invention, will
be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this
disclosure. It is also contemplated that various combinations or
sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the
embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the
invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various
features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined
with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes
of the disclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of
the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the
particular disclosed embodiments described above, but should be
determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow.
[0048] Similarly, this method of disclosure, is not to be
interpreted as reflecting an intention that any claim require more
features than are expressly recited in that claim. Rather, as the
following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in a combination of
fewer than all features of any single foregoing disclosed
embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description are
hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with
each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
* * * * *