Apparel – Hand or arm coverings – Gloves
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-23
2001-04-03
Hale, Gloria M. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Hand or arm coverings
Gloves
C002S167000, C002S161300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209138
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an athletic glove and, more particularly, to an anti-slip glove having a palm portion for gripping and a back portion made of an elastic material for an improved overall fit, especially for use in conjunction with various athletic activities which require both good fit and an anti-slip function.
2. Description of Related Art
Athletic gloves are widely used for various kinds of sports, including golf, baseball (batting), American football, tennis and racquetball, to cover and thereby protect the human hand from injury, cold weather, etc. Athletic gloves used in these various sports are typically made of a very thin, supple material, such as natural leather or polyurethane artificial leather. Though often worn for protection only, these gloves if properly designed are believed to be essential to enhance athletic performance, with one of the most essential characteristics of an athletic glove being gripping ability.
Basically, athletic gloves offer hand protection along with an enhancement of athletic performance through increased gripping ability. Increased gripping is the intended main effect of any athletic glove. However, increased gripping ability at the cost (trade off) of reduced sensitivity and/or flexibility due to a poor fit is undesirable. Therefore, a better fit, one which retains high flexibility and sensitivity while providing increased gripping ability, is necessary for an improved athletic glove.
A contemporary athletic glove provided with an anti-slip function is wholly made out of a natural or artificial leather. Such material imparts an improved gripping ability, i.e., a high friction coefficient, to the palm side of the glove.
During an act of gripping a golf club, baseball bat or the like using such an athletic glove, the palm side of the glove, being largely comprised of the palm portion but possibly including a thumb portion or related gussets, is gathered in the palm when gripping. In doing so, the back side of the glove, being largely comprised of the back portion but possibly including fourchettes or related gussets, is stretched conversely with respect to the gathering on the palm side and is thereby forced to cover a greater distance along the outer circumference of the backs of the knuckles. That is, in an anti-slip glove exercising its gripping ability, the outer circumferential distance, extending over and lengthwise along the knuckles of the back of the hand, is increased such that the glove back material is drawn taut over the entire back side of the hand and the glove becomes uncomfortable due to a poor fit. Moreover, the tautness of the material of the back side, resulting from the total lack of elasticity in the material, interferes with the gripping action of the glove on the palm side and destroys sensitivity, by exerting unnatural pressure on the hand and distorting the natural gripping action.
To improve the fit, there have been attempts to make the leather material very thin, for example, less than 0.4 mm, in order to restore some degree of flexibility to the glove. Thinner leathers also serve to reduce weight and thereby improve sensitivity. In doing so, however, the glove becomes too weak and lacks the necessary durability. Moreover, leather is not a breathable material; and while holes may be provided to relieve this problem somewhat, the achieved effect is poor and the other problems remain.
Therefore, spandex (i.e., an elastic fiber made of, for example, a synthetic polymer of polyurethane) has been suggested as a solution to the above-described problems of fit in athletic gloves. Spandex, however, provides no anti-slip characteristics. In fact, gloves made of such material provide even less gripping ability than the bare hand.
In essence, mutually exclusive characteristics exist between the spandex material, which cannot provide adequate gripping ability, and the leather material, which cannot provide adequate flexibility. Therefore, there is a substantial need for an athletic glove having an improved fit together with anti-slip characteristics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, in order to overcome the above drawbacks of conventional athletic gloves, it is the object of the present invention to provide an anti-slip glove exhibiting improved fit characteristics, including snugness and good comfort, over long periods of repeated usage.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an anti-slip glove exhibiting high flexibility characteristics to allow freedom of movement of the wearer's hand and a good fit.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an anti-slip glove which is lightweight and durable.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an anti-slip glove exhibiting high breathability characteristics, to allow for moisture absorption and a cool, dry feel even with prolonged wear.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide an anti-slip glove in which an enhanced, suede-like appearance and feel can be attained.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an anti-slip glove which promotes good gripping ability with a high degree of sensitivity.
Therefore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an athletic glove comprising a back portion and a palm portion combined with the back portion, to fit the human hand snugly by being joined along edges of each portion in a substantially continuous manner, the palm portion providing an anti-slip function, wherein the back portion consists essentially of a composite elastic material.
The palm portion and back portion are made of different materials, the palm portion being made essentially of natural or artificial leather.
The composite elastic material is comprised of a blend of a synthetic fiber and spandex, wherein the synthetic fiber comprises 85% to 95% by weight of the composite elastic material, and preferably 91% to 92%, and wherein the spandex comprises 5% to 15% by weight of the composite elastic material, and preferably 8% to 9%.
For the purposes of the technical description herein, the properties of an anti-slip glove described in terms of natural leather can be assumed to coincide with the properties of an anti-slip glove described in terms of artificial leather. Therefore, the term leather material used herein should be taken to mean either a “natural leather for use in an athletic glove” or an “artificial leather for use in an athletic glove in lieu of natural leather.”
REFERENCES:
patent: 3597765 (1971-08-01), Stanton
patent: 4359783 (1982-11-01), Andrews
patent: 4864660 (1989-09-01), Sawyer
patent: 5117509 (1992-06-01), Bowers
patent: 5511248 (1996-04-01), Widdemer
patent: 5682613 (1997-11-01), Dinatale
patent: 6044493 (2000-04-01), Post
patent: 6044494 (2000-04-01), Kang
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Hale Gloria M.
Hanyoung Kangaroo Co., Ltd.
Patel Tejash
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