Apparel – Guard or protector – Hand or arm
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-08
2001-10-30
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Guard or protector
Hand or arm
C002S161100, C473S458000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308331
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to baseball gloves and mitts, and more specifically to an inflatable baseball glove for use in catching foul balls and the like while attending a baseball game.
2. Description of the Related Art
Baseball is truly the great American pastime, drawing both active participation at a variety of levels and serving as entertainment for audiences across the globe. When viewing a major league baseball game in person, one of the greatest thrills that can befall a baseball lover is to catch a foul ball or, better yet, a home run. While these souvenirs are distributed routinely during every game, the odds that one will be sent the way of a single fan out of the thousands in attendance maintains this occurrence as a rarity. As a result, when one gets a chance to catch a foul ball or home run, he or she had better make the best of it as second chances do not come easy. Accordingly, many fans choose to bring along a baseball glove when attending a game just in case such an opportunity arises. Furthermore, being struck by these hard, fast moving projectiles can cause serious injuries, and the baseball glove can serve as protection therefrom. Many people, however, do not own baseball gloves and the price of a new one is extremely prohibitive. As a culmination of these contributing notions, the need has arisen for a means by which baseball fans can effectively catch foul and home run balls while protecting themselves from injuries in being struck by the same, that is inexpensive and easy to use. The present invention fulfills this need by providing an inflatable baseball glove that is lightweight and easily transported, yet effective in providing a means by which to catch a baseball or the like.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, several references to conventional baseball gloves designs and other similar devices and improvements thereto were discovered. These devices neither anticipate nor disclose any embodiment that would preclude the novelty and the utilitarian functionality of the features of the present invention.
The following patents describe conventional baseball gloves that are fit with variably inflatable pneumatic bladders that serve to enhance the cushioning capacity of the glove, providing a more comfortable feel:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,088, issued in the name of Walker et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,866, issued in the name of Walker et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,865, issued in the name of Walker et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,864, issued in the name of Walker et al.; and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,530, issued in the name of Smith.
Several other related patents include:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,704, issued in the name of Greenhalgh;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,369, issued in the name of Stern;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,202, issued in the name of Stern;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,827, issued in the name of Stern;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,418, issued in the name of Jaskiewicz;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,975, issued in the name of Harreld et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,217,333, issued in the name of Sweet et al.; and
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 310,255, issued in the name of Gammon.
While several features exhibited within these references may be incorporated into this invention, alone and in combination with other elements, the present invention is sufficiently different so as to make it distinguishable over the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention consists of an inflatable baseball glove that allows the user to catch foul or home run balls in a safe and effective manner. Taking the form of a conventional baseball glove, the inflatable glove has an interior hand compartment contoured to receive the shape of the users hand and forms an enlarged outer surface having a padded, webbed design that creates a ball receiving or catching pocket. Constructed of a plastic or rubber material similar to that used to construct inflatable beach balls, water toys and the like, the inflatable glove is inexpensive to produce, nevertheless having the durability to withstand repeated use. An inflation valve located on the back of the wrist portion of the glove allows for manual inflation using one's mouth. The rubber/plastic construction of the glove is conducive to the printing of team colors or logos thereon as a promotional, souvenir-type item.
In an alternate embodiment, an otherwise conventional leather outer glove is provided with an inflatable interior hand compartment contoured to receive the shape of the users hand and forms an enlarged outer surface having a padded, webbed design that provides both additional fit as well as additional cushioning to a ball receiving or catching pocket. An inflation valve allows for manual inflation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an inflatable baseball glove that allows a user to safely and effectively catch foul or home run balls.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an inflatable baseball glove that creates an enlarged, webbed outer shell that forms a ball receiving or catching cavity.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an inflatable baseball glove in which an air pocket is formed between the users hand and the outer surface of the glove, thereby providing a padded layer for catching a baseball or the like.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an inflatable baseball glove that will fit the hands of a variety of users, in a one-size-fits-all manner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an inflatable baseball glove that is constructed of a rubber or plastic material that is lightweight, strong and durable to withstand the rigors of repeated use.
Finally, It is an object of the present invention to provide an inflatable baseball glove that displays a variety of team colors and logos, creating a promotional or souvenir-type item.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5113530 (1992-05-01), Smith
patent: 5398342 (1995-03-01), Kinnee et al.
patent: 5423088 (1995-06-01), Walker et al.
patent: 5603118 (1997-02-01), Solomon
Calvert John J.
Gugliotta John D.
Moran Katherine
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