Glove

Details Glove Glove

2002-05-23

2004-07-13

Moran, Katherine (Department: 3765)

Apparel

Hand or arm coverings

Gloves

C002S163000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06760924

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to a glove. It more particularly refers to a glove that is specifically designed for use by a shooter, that is a person who will use the glove as an adjunct to handling and firing of a firearm, such as for example a hand gun, a rifle or a shotgun. It is also related to the handling of other equipment, such as offensive or defensive equipment, such as: munitions, targeting devices, radio equipment, and the like. Especially such equipment as is used by armed forces or law enforcement personnel
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
Professional shooters, such as for example members of SWAT teams and military personnel, often wear gloves as part of the equipment associated with the firearm that they are called upon to handle. It is common for such gloves to be made of an antiballistic material in order to offer protection to the shooter's hand(s) while they are exposed. It is also common for the shooter to modify a newly acquired glove by removing a portion of the glove's trigger finger. This enables the shooter to have a better “feel” for the pull of the trigger and therefore the shot can be more accurate. While the removal of the distal portion of the glove's trigger finger may be important to insure a good trigger feel, it is also disadvantageous in that the removal of this portion of the glove's trigger finger is often accomplished by the shooter simply cutting off the distal end of the finger portion of the glove with a knife or scissors. This action cuts the threads of the woven or knitted material from which the glove has been made, and it will likely cause the fabric of the remainder of the glove/finger body to unravel. In a very short time, the glove fabric unravels sufficiently so that at least the trigger finger, and possibly the whole glove, becomes relatively useless.
It is also common for professional shooters to use shooting gloves made of materials that are flame and powder flash resistant. Gloves made of these same materials are often worn by aviators as well. One specific material that has been used for making shooter's gloves is NOMEX. This material has excellent fire resistance, but is less resistant to penetration by a knife or other cutting threat than would be desirable. NOMEX is less resistant to being cut by flying glass or metal particles than is desirable.
It has been usual for conventional shooter's gloves to fit with about the same snugness and in the same manner as conventional gloves that are used to protect the hands against cold. That is, they are made to somewhat loosely fit the hand of the wearer. This loose fit can cause slip between the weapon and the hand of the shooter. Such slippage can detract from the accuracy of a shot.
Loose fitting of a glove is advantageous where warmth is the reason for wearing the glove. However, it can be a disadvantage where the glove covers the hand of a shooter whose accuracy of shot is of paramount importance. The extra material that is used to make a glove body fit loosely, and to thereby increase its warmth retention characteristics, can be an obstruction to accuracy in the case of a shooting glove. It is well known that shooting gloves should have as snug a fit as possible, suitably a skin tight fit.
OBJECTS AND BROAD STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a novel shooter's glove.
It is another object of this invention to provide a shooter's glove that has less slip between the glove and the weapon.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a glove that has adequate resistant to powder burn and increased resistance to cutting, as by a knife, glass or the like.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a shooter's glove in which the distal portion of the trigger finger is removable at the option of the wearer without the disadvantage of the glove unraveling.
Other and additional objects of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of this entire specification including the drawing that is an integral part thereof.
In accord with and fulfilling these objects, one aspect of the instant invention lies in a novel glove construction that is particularly well suited to use by professional shooters, such as a SWAT team member or a member of a police force or the military.
The novel glove construction of this invention comprises a body portion that is commensurate in size and shape of, and is intended to cover, at least the palm portion of a human hand. The glove may also be tailored to cover the back of the shooting hand and/or it may cover some or all of the shooters' fingers other than the trigger finger. The glove may be left or right handed depending on the specific shooter that it is made for. A most preferred aspect of this invention, each glove is tailored to the specific hand that it is intended to cover so that a snug fit is ensured. One adjunct aspect of this invention provides that the glove is insulated without departing from the snug fit provision.
The body portion of the instant glove suitably has attached to its proximal end a gauntlet that is of a size and shape that can cover at least a portion of the forearm of the wearer. At or near the attachment of the gauntlet to the body portion, there is provided circumferential elastic means that serves to hold the proximal portion of the body portion of the glove relatively tightly about the wrist of the wearer. In some cases, the gauntlet portion is integral with the body portion. In some cases, the elastic portion is built into the structure of the glove/gauntlet. In some situations, these two elements, the glove and the gauntlet, can be separately constructed and then joined together to construct the total glove/gauntlet assembly. The purpose of the circumferential elastic wrist band is to pull the glove body toward the wearer's wrist so as to enforce a snug fit about the trigger finger and the palm. If the back of the hand and/or other fingers are covered by the glove, they too will be pulled tight toward the forearm by the elastic band about the wrist area. Thus this structure maintains the glove in a snug fit and in close proximity to the covered portions of the hand at all times. The glove does not tend to slip away from the wrist and off the fingertips.
In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the gauntlet is terminated, at its proximal end, with an additional circumferential elastic means sufficiently sized, and with enough elasticity, to hold the gauntlet against the wearer's forearm, preferably over the forearm muscle at or near the elbow. This forearm circumferential elastic band substantially isolates the wearer's hand and forearm from the intrusion of foreign objects between the glove and the hand and therefore prevents foreign objects from coming into proximity with the wearer's skin. Of particular importance in this regard is the exclusion of the bullet casings and/or broken glass of other frangible objects that could cause cutting of the shooter's skin or other damage.
Except for the circumferential elastic bands about the proximal end of the gauntlet, and at or near the juncture of the gauntlet and the glove body, the gauntlet can be either tight fitting or loosely draped about the wearer's forearm. In an embodiment of this invention, the material from which the gauntlet is made is preferably an antiballistic material. Literally dozens of antiballistic materials are available in woven or knitted form and are quite suitable for use in making the glove of this invention. In a most preferred embodiment, the gauntlet, and other elements of the glove of this invention, are made from a woven or knitted (especially knitted) fabric that comprises high tenacity aramide fibers/filaments, such as the material sold commercially under the trademark KEVLAR®. Other antiballistic filamentary material, such as poly(1,4-phenylene-2,6-benzbisoxazole), sometimes referred to as PBO and sold under the trademark ZYLON®, in yarn or monofilament form is also appropriate for this use.
Yarn is preferr

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