Apparel – Guard or protector – Hand or arm
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-04
2001-04-24
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Guard or protector
Hand or arm
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219844
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in a baseball glove (hereinafter simply as glove) and a palm member used to manufacture the glove.
2. Description of the Background Art
A player cannot have a good feel when he/she puts on a conventional glove when the glove is new. Therefore, the player must bend the entire finger portion a number of times or repeat playing catch to form a pocket portion (space to hold a ball) until the glove comes to fit the hand well enough for the player to stably catch a ball.
An example of a pattern
2
a
used for manufacturing a conventional glove will be now described. In conventional pattern
2
a
, as shown in
FIG. 10
for example, the central line
81
of a thumb portion
31
a
and the central line
82
of an index finger portion
32
a
cross at an angle of not less than 90° and the crossing point is positioned on a ball receiving surface
4
a
, but out of the center and near the knuckle parts of thumb portion
31
a
and index finger portion
32
a.
The central line
81
of thumb portion
31
a
and the central line
82
of index finger portion
32
a
cross at an angle of not less than 90°, and therefore, the crossing angles of the central lines
82
to
85
between index finger portion
32
a
and a middle finger portion
33
a
, middle finger portion
33
a
and a third finger portion
34
a
, and third finger portion
34
a
and a little finger portion
35
a
are small. As a result, central lines
82
to
85
cross at positions apart from ball receiving surface
4
a.
A glove manufactured using this type of pattern
2
a
is adapted to hold a ball between the thumb portion and the other finger portions rather than capture it on the ball receiving surface. Such a glove does not enable good catching in the early stage of use as it is new, and therefore the glove is for example intentionally deformed as follows before use. More specifically, the glove is bend a number of times as if it holds a ball or catching is repeated with the glove in order to curve the glove inward. Thus, the pocket portion is created in the glove, which makes it easier to catch a ball.
FIGS. 11
to
13
are views of a conventional glove
1
after a pocket portion
7
is formed by way of illustration. As shown in
FIGS. 11 and 12
, pocket portion
7
is positioned on ball receiving surface
4
but near the web
6
provided between the thumb stall and the index finger stall. If glove
1
is used to catch a ball, the ball will be caught at a position near the web
6
rather than the center of ball receiving surface
4
. As shown in
FIG. 13
, when glove
1
is used to catch a grounder, the gap between the third finger stall or little finger stall and ground
9
will be large. This also causes a ball to be caught at a position near the web
6
.
Meanwhile, when a player is to catch a baseball with his/her bare hands, the most natural and balanced catching is performed when the ball is captured by the central part of the palm portion.
With conventional glove
1
as shown in
FIGS. 11
to
13
, however, pocket portion
7
is positioned near the web
6
, and it is difficult to catch a ball at the central portion of the palm. In other word, it is difficult to catch a ball in a stable and well-balanced manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a solution to the above described disadvantage, and it is an object of the present invention is to provide a glove in which a pocket portion is positioned in the center of the ball receiving surface and which enables a ball to be caught in a sure and stable manner by the center of the ball receiving surface as if it were captured by bare hands, and a palm member used to manufacture the glove.
A glove according to the present invention includes a palm member having a plurality of finger portions (thumb and finger portions), and a ball receiving surface. The central lines of all the thumb and finger portions cross on the ball receiving surface. Herein, the central line refers to the central line of a finger (thumb) portion in the lengthwise direction.
The inventors have devoted much energy to the study of how to position the pocket portion of a glove in the center of the ball receiving surface, and found that if the position of the crossing points of the central lines of the finger (thumb) portions were related to the position of the pocket portion. More specifically, the inventors found that the pocket portion could be formed in the center of the ball receiving surface by positioning the crossing points of the central lines of the finger (thumb) portions of the palm member on the ball receiving surface of the palm member. By thus positioning the pocket portion in the center of the ball receiving surface, a ball can be surely captured at the center of the palm as if it is caught by a bare hand. Furthermore, the glove can be smoothly moved to catch a ball in conformity with the natural movement of the hand as the player grasps a ball in a bare hand. More specifically, the natural movement of the hand to catch a ball and the movement of the glove can be integrated. Thus, well balanced, stable catching can be achieved. In addition, as shown in
FIG. 1
, pocket portion
7
can be larger than the conventional example. This could also contribute to stable catching.
The above-described central lines preferably cross at a single point on the ball receiving surface.
Since the central lines cross at a single point, a glove which can be moved more smoothly at the time of catching a ball is provided. Furthermore, the pocket portion could be formed in the center of the ball receiving surface with higher accuracy.
The central lines described above may cross near the center of the ball receiving surface.
Also in this case, the pocket portion can be positioned in the center of the ball receiving surface with higher accuracy. As a result, a ball can be surely captured in the central part of the palm portion, and the glove can more readily cope with a ball coming from various directions.
The palm member has a thumb portion, an index finger portion, a middle finger portion, a third finger portion and a little finger portion. The central line of the thumb portion and the central line of the index finger portion preferably cross at an angle in the range from 85° to 105°. The central lines of the index finger portion and the middle finger portion, the central lines of middle finger portion and third finger portion and the central lines of the third finger portion and little finger portion preferably cross at an angle in the range from 15° to 25°.
The inventors found that all the central lines could cross on the ball receiving surface by setting the crossing angles of the central lines of the finger (thumb) portions in the above-described ranges.
The angle at which the central lines of the index finger portion and middle finger portion cross and the angle at which the central lines of the middle finger portion and third finger portion cross is preferably smaller than the angle at which the central lines of the third finger portion and little finger portion cross.
Thus, the crossing points of the central lines of the thumb and finger portions can be positioned near the center of the ball receiving surface.
The angle at which the central lines of the thumb portion and index finger portion cross is preferably 90°. The angle at which the central lines of the index finger portion and middle finger portion cross and the angle at which the central lines of the middle finger portion and third finger portion cross are both preferably 20°. The angle at which the central lines of the third finger and little finger portion cross is preferably 25°.
If the central lines are set to cross at the above angles, the central lines of the thumb and finger portions can cross at a single point on the ball receiving surface.
The glove described above has a pocket portion to capture a ball. The pocket portion is preferably positioned substantially in the center of the ball receiving surface.
By thus providing
Kume Kazuhiro
Yamada Minoru
Calvert John J.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Mizuno Corporation
Welch Gary L.
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