Apparel – Guard or protector – Hand or arm
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-20
2001-03-13
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Guard or protector
Hand or arm
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199209
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a glove or a mitt used for baseball, softball, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the above glove, there are gloves of an opening type having a large opening on a hand insertion opening portion side of an outer skin on a side corresponding to a back of the hand when viewed from behind and a totally-closed type in which the outer skin extends from a side corresponding to fingertips to a side corresponding to a wrist without having an opening. In use of these gloves, many users use them with their forefingers placed on an outside of the outer skin.
This is because placing the forefinger that is the most suitable to exact motions in respective fingers on the outside of the outer skin improves a balance of the glove to enable the user to easily catch a ball and allows a shock in catching the ball to be absorbed in the glove.
Incidentally, the glove of the opening type is used with the forefinger passed through the opening portion in the outer skin to the outside of the outer skin while the glove of the totally-closed type is used with the forefinger inserted through a forefinger insertion hole formed in the outer skin (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,819, for example).
Conventionally, the above glove of the opening type simply has a structure in which the forefinger can be passed through the opening portion to be placed on the outside of the outer skin as means for enabling the forefinger to be placed on the outside of the outer skin such that the forefinger can move freely in a width direction of the hand on the outside of the outer skin.
On the other hand, the glove of the totally-closed type is simply formedwith the forefinger insertion hole in the outer skin such that the forefinger is positioned in a fixed position on the outside of the outer skin as disclosed in the above U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,819.
According to the above conventional glove of the opening type, because the forefinger can move freely on the outside of the outer skin, the forefinger may be displaced from a position where the forefinger was placed before catching the ball by a shock of the catching motion to degrade ease of use of the glove.
A position of the forefinger (on the outside of the outer skin) that makes the glove easy to use is different for each user. For example, a user feels it easy to use the glove with his or her forefinger placed close to his or her middle finger while another feels it easy to use the glove with his or her forefinger placed close to his or her thumb.
According to a structure of the conventional glove of the totally-closed type, because the forefinger is positioned in a fixed position on the outside of the outer skin, some users feel that the gloveis difficult to use even if their forefingers are placed on the outside of the outer skin in use of the glove.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished with the existing condition of the above prior art in view, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a glove in which differences in ease of use of the glove among users are suppressed and more users feel it easy to use the glove by enabling each user to choose an appropriate condition of use of the glove according to his or her habit, liking, and the like.
The above object is achieved by inventions stated in claims. In other words, in a characteristic structure of the invention, a forefinger can be placed on an outside of an outer skin corresponding to a back side of a hand and a forefinger support body for positioning and supporting the forefinger on the outside of the outer skin is provided to the outer skin such that a position of the forefinger support body can be adjusted in a direction corresponding to a width direction of the hand.
With this structure, the glove with the above structure is used in a state in which the forefinger is placed on the outside of the outer skin and positioned and supported on the forefinger support body. Thus, displacement of the forefinger in a catching motion can be prevented.
Because the position of the forefinger support body can be adjusted in the width direction of the hand, a user who feels that the glove is easier to use with his or her forefinger positioned close to his or her middle finger can use the glove with the above structure after adjusting the position of the forefinger support body such that his or her forefinger is placed close to his or her middle finger, for example.
A user who feels that the glove is easier to use with his or her forefinger positioned close to his or her thumb can use the glove after adjusting the forefinger support body such that his or her forefinger is placed close to his or her thumb. In other words, the forefinger that is the most suitable to exact motions in respective fingers can be placed in a desired position on the outside of the outer skin.
Therefore, according to this invention, it is possible to prevent displacement of the forefinger in the catching motion and to position the forefinger in the desired position on the outside of the outer skin, thereby providing the glove in which differences in ease of use of the glove among users can be suppressed and more users feel it easy to use the glove.
It is preferable that the forefinger support body is formed by forming a forefinger insertion hole through which the forefinger is passed on a forefinger support member.
With this structure, because the forefinger support body is formed by forming the forefinger insertion hole through which the forefinger is passed on the forefinger support member, it is possible to avoid complication of the structure of the forefinger support body, thereby further simplifying the structure.
Furthermore, it is preferable that a finger cover into which the forefinger passed through the forefinger insertion hole is inserted is provided to the forefinger support member.
With this structure, because the finger cover is provided to the forefinger support member, the forefinger can be supported more reliably and can be positioned easily. Moreover, an effect of protecting the forefinger in catching a ball that has flown to the vicinity of a fence of a ballpark can be obtained.
It is preferable that a size of the hand insertion opening on a side opposite to a side corresponding to fingertips can be adjusted by enlarging/reducing adjusting means and that the enlarging/reducing adjusting means is also used as position adjusting means of the forefinger support body in the width direction of the hand.
With this structure, because the size of the hand insertion opening can be adjusted by the enlarging/reducing adjusting means, it is advantageously easy to bring the glove with the above structure into close contact with the hand by reducing a diameter of the opening portion after inserting the hand into the hand insertion opening portion.
Because the enlarging/reducing adjusting means is also used as the position adjusting means of the forefinger support body in the width direction of the hand, it is possible to avoid increase in the number of parts and it is easy to carry out the enlarging/reducing adjustment and the position adjustment as compared with a case in which the enlarging/reducing adjusting means and the position adjusting means are formed separately.
Therefore, according to this invention, the glove is easier to use with the further simplified structure and it is possible to save the user time and trouble in putting on the glove.
Furthermore, it is preferable that the forefinger support body is formed by attaching a portion of the forefinger support body on the side corresponding to the fingertips to the outer skin and that a portion of the outer skin on the side of the hand insertion opening portion is split into two parts along a direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the hand.
Moreover, it is preferable that the enlarging/reducing adjusting means comprising a band material first insertion portion which is formed on one split part of the outer skin and into which band material
Calvert John J.
Trion Corporation
Webb Ziesenheim & Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
Welch Gary L.
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