Apparel – Hand or arm coverings – Gloves
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-20
2001-03-13
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Hand or arm coverings
Gloves
C002S016000, C002S162000, C128S878000, C602S021000, C602S064000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199211
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a supporter for the hand, wrist and forearm of a person for use in preventing injuries due to repetitive industrial motions while handling equipment and products of manufacture, agriculture and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Supporters for hands and wrist are known in the art. However, most are designed for limited non-industrial purposes such as for sports. For example, batting gloves for baseball, bowling gloves, and golfing gloves. Many are designed with the primary purposes of enabling a better grip on the bat, ball, or club, thereby minimizing slippage when manipulating an object or implement such as a bat, handle or trigger assembly. Gloves used in industrial settings are primarily designed to avoid blisters, protect the hands from getting wet or getting contaminated such as when handling hazardous waste.
Known related art includes a glove with partial fingers and a padded palm area as depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,963 to Overton, a carpal tunnel prevention padded glove as depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,799 to Fabry, a sports glove as depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,501,773 to Stansberry et al., a bowling padded glove as depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,160 to Domenico, a specialty partial finger glove as depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,100 to De Marco, a general support glove as depicted in U.S. Design Pat. No. D335,368 to Houston, a grip enhancer as depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,459,883 and 5,826,276 to Garceau-Verbeck, and a wrist and partial palm shock absorbing glove as depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,389 to Li.
None of the devices in the above references solve the problems related to strain on the wrist and palms due to repetitive motions in an industrial setting, for example, when twisting, pulling and rolling high pressure hoses and when using triggered water and air nozzles. An object of the present invention would provide a glove which will, when operating industrial devices, prevent the weakening of the wrists and prevent tendon strains and soreness, including the development of tendonitis, in the inner palm and lower forearm. In addition, the current gloves on the market simply do not adequately protect or address the specific needs or physical issues caused by industrial repetitive motions. Even combining some of the features of the above-identified patents does not solve the problem adequately as the resultant glove would still not offer the freedom of movement, lightness, support and protection that the present invention provides.
Examples of industrial applications for the use of the present invention are line hand packing, construction, assembly line manufacturing, cable layers, commercial fishing, landscaping, gardening and agricultural work, that is, almost any industrial application involving wrist and hand movements, especially long term repetitive motions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a one piece fingerless glove with a wrist extension and support brace area, designed with ergonomic principles in mind. The middle finger and index finger are centered through a central opening to prevent misalignment of tendons due to wandering of individual fingers connected to the main tendons of the hand. The palm is ribbed with nylon or thermoplastic stays to protect the inner palm from excessive pressure contact points. The heel of the palm also has a preferred leather pad overlay sewn externally similar to a preferred leather guard sewn externally to the inner wrist and lower forearm area. This protects the inner fleshy part at the heel of the palm as well as protects the inner wrist and lower forearm area from scraping or impact injuries. Tension and securing of the glove is done by an overflap and an elastic band that wraps around, both securing with hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro™. Also included is an open area on the backside top of the glove body for venting or air breathing.
More specifically, the present invention is an ergonomic hand, wrist and forearm supporter useful for prevention of injuries caused by repetitive motions while handling implements, such as high pressure hoses, nozzles, tools and the like, comprising a flexible glove body which has a palm portion and a back portion that defines an open space for receiving a hand. The glove body has a distal end and a proximal end.
The palm portion and back portion are joined together at the distal end of the glove body so as to define a first opening for receiving a forefinger, a second opening for receiving a little finger, and a generally central third opening for simultaneously receiving a middle finger and an index finger. The palm portion and back portion further define a fourth opening for receiving a thumb.
The palm portion includes a protective padded overlay secured over an area corresponding to a palm's heel area. The protective padded overlay is typically made from a durable and flexible material, for example, leather, synthetics thereof and combinations thereof.
A plurality of durable protective stays, such as a ribbed strip of thermoplastic or nylon material, each of a predetermined width and length, and substantially parallel to each other and spaced apart a predetermined distance, are transversely secured to the palm portion generally between the palm's heel area and the distal end of the glove body. The stays are capable of flexing for accommodating a hand grabbing an implement such as a handle, hose, tool, nozzle and the like.
A wrist and forearm protective portion extends from the proximal end of the glove body and is of sufficient length to extend a predetermined distance from the wrist along the forearm. The wrist and forearm protective portion has loosening means for allowing a hand to be slipped into the glove body as well as means for adjusting the wrist and forearm protective portion to accommodate a size and shape of the wrist and forearm and to secure and apply tension around the wrist and forearm.
The distal end of the glove body defines a snug fit between the first opening and the third opening to separate the forefinger and the middle and index fingers, and between the second opening and the third opening to separate the middle and index fingers and the little finger. The snug fit is at a base of the fingers. The glove is fingerless, therefore the supporter ends at the distal end of the glove body.
In a preferred embodiment, the protective padded overlay is made of two separate sections, each secured so as to overlay each of the two defined heel portions of the hand. This feature provides protection to the fleshy lower palm portion or heel of the palm.
The plurality of durable protective stays may be arranged in width and length so as to accommodate any multiple of stays. Although a preferred practical application is 3 or 4 stays, as few as 1 or 2 may be used and as many as 5-10 relatively thin stays may be used. The plurality of durable protective stays are typically made from polymeric materials, plastic materials, nylon materials, or combinations thereof.
The back portion of the glove body further includes vent means, which can be perforations, but is typically an opening or cut away section, which may be shaped as an oval, a circle, or any other more ornamental shape.
The ergonomic supporter glove body can be made from a variety of materials; however, a preferred application of the invention would use nylon material, rayon material, polyester material, synthetics thereof, or combinations thereof. These materials are lightweight, non-restrictive, and washable for addressing hygienic and environmental concerns.
The loosening means for allowing the hand to be slipped into the glove body and the means for adjusting the wrist and forearm protective portion to accommodate the size of the wrist and forearm and to secure and apply tension around said wrist and forearm, includes an overflap portion, wherein the wrist and forearm protective portion may be opened and separated for inserting a hand in the glove body and for initial tightening of the wrist and
Calvert John J.
LaPointe Dennis G.
Mason & Associates, PA
Moran Katherine
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