Soccer goalkeeper's glove

Details Soccer goalkeeper's glove Soccer goalkeeper's glove

2001-06-26

2003-12-02

Welch, Gary L. (Department: 3765)

Apparel

Hand or arm coverings

Gloves

C002S169000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06654964

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a protective glove for receiving the hand of a wearer for use in athletics. More particularly, the invention relates to a soccer goalkeeper's glove.
2. Description of Background Art
The protective gloves used by soccer goalkeepers, otherwise known as goalies, typically include a dorsal element and a palmar element, both being fashioned from a latex foam, and an element for securing the glove to the goalkeeper's wrist. Although goalkeeper gloves are similar in these respects, there are various modes of goalkeeper glove design that vary with respect to durability, flexibility, and seam placement, thereby affecting the goalkeeper's ability to control the ball when catching, handling, or throwing.
Goalkeeper glove characteristics are most affected by the pattern from which the dorsal and palmar elements are cut. Unlike traditional gloves fashioned from leather, cloth, or a knitted yarn, latex foam is the material of choice among goalkeeper glove designers because of its flexible and protective qualities. The use of latex foam, although having desirable characteristics, affects glove design by necessitating a dorsal and palmar element with multiple seams that may interfere with ball control or reduce durability.
As noted, the pattern from which the dorsal and palmar elements are cut affects glove characteristics. The majority of goalkeeper gloves employ one of three patterns for the dorsal and palmar elements: the traditional cut, the gunn cut, or the rifle cut pattern.
In a traditional cut glove
10
, shown in
FIGS. 1-2
, a dorsal element
11
and a palmar element
12
are each fashioned from a single section of latex foam material, with only palmar element
12
, shown separately in
FIG. 3
, having an attached thumb region. Supplemental elements (not shown), formed from a flexible material, connect dorsal and palmar elements
11
and
12
in the second through fifth digit regions, thereby creating an interior space for each digit. In addition, the union of dorsal and palmar elements
11
and
12
with the supplemental elements creates a dorsal seam
13
and a palmar seam
14
on the periphery of dorsal and palmar elements
11
and
12
, respectively. The dorsal thumb region includes a separate, flexible supplemental element
15
sewn to the edge of the thumb area of palmar element
12
and to dorsal element
11
. This combination of elements gives traditional cut glove
10
a relatively flat, paddle-like configuration and palmar seam
14
limits the goalkeeper's control of the ball and reduces glove durability.
A gunn cut glove
20
, shown in
FIGS. 4-5
, includes a dorsal element
21
and a palmar element
22
that are each fashioned from a single section of latex foam material, with palmar element
22
, shown separately in
FIG. 6
, including regions for the first, second, and fifth digits and dorsal element
21
including regions for the second through fifth digits. The second and fifth digit regions of palmar element
22
have a greater width than corresponding regions of dorsal element
21
. To form the glove regions for the second and fifth digits, the wider palmar regions are flexed to meet the edges of the second and fifth digit regions of dorsal element
21
and then sewn, the flexed material defining a recess for the goalkeeper's digits. A single, separate section
23
, formed of latex foam material and shown separately in
FIG. 7
, is used to form the third and fourth digit regions of palmar element
22
. Section
23
is flexed and sewn to corresponding regions on dorsal element
21
and at the base of the third and fourth digits, the flexing again forming recesses for the goalkeeper's digits. The dorsal thumb region is formed from of a separate, flexible supplemental element
24
sewn to the edge of the thumb region of palmar element
22
and to dorsal element
21
.
Unlike traditional cut glove
10
, gunn cut glove
20
contains only one seam
25
joining dorsal and palmar elements
21
and
22
in the digit regions due to the lack of supplemental elements. The flexing of the second and fifth digit regions of palmar element
22
and the resulting smooth palmar surface embodies the primary advantage of the gunn cut pattern over the traditional cut pattern. The digit regions of gunn cut glove
20
are rounded and lack seams on the palmar surface that may interfere with ball control. However, the gunn cut glove is more complex and costly to manufacture. Moreover, seam
26
at the base of the third and fourth digits may be uncomfortable and lack durability.
In a rifle cut glove
30
, shown in,
FIGS. 8-9
, a dorsal element
31
and a palmar element
32
are each formed from a single section of foam material, with palmar element
32
, shown separately in
FIG. 10
, including only the first, second, fourth, and fifth digit regions and dorsal element
31
including the second through fifth digit regions. The second digit region of palmar element
32
has a greater width than the corresponding region of dorsal element
31
. A single, separate section
33
of latex foam material, also shown in
FIG. 10
, forms the third digit region of palmar element
31
and is sewn to palmar element
31
at the base of the third digit region. Supplemental elements (not shown), formed from a flexible material, connect edges of the dorsal and palmar elements in the third, fourth, and fifth digit regions, thereby creating an interior space for each digit. The union of dorsal and palmar elements
31
and
32
with the supplemental elements creates seams
34
and
35
on the periphery of the dorsal and palmar elements, respectively. To form the glove regions for the second digit, the wider palmar region is flexed to meet the edges of the second digit region of dorsal element
31
and then sewn, the flexed material thereby defining a recess for the goalkeeper's second digit. The dorsal thumb region includes a separate, flexible supplemental element
36
sewn to the edge of the thumb region of palmar element
32
and to dorsal element
31
.
The primary advantage of rifle cut glove
30
lies in the rounded palmar surface of the second digit. Like gunn cut glove
20
, rifle cut glove
30
is more complex and costly to manufacture than traditional cut glove
10
. In addition, seam
37
at the base of the third digit may cause discomfort and represent an area of low durability.
Although gloves fashioned on the traditional cut, gunn cut, and rifle cut patterns are common among goalkeeper's gloves, other variations have emerged in recent years, including the variations disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,896 to Hochmuth, U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,985 to Hochmuth, U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,842 to Hochmuth, U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,473 to Hochmuth, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,830 to Chen.
Based on the above discussion, soccer goalkeepers have a variety of glove designs to choose among. However, many of the existing designs include seams that interfere with ball control or generate regions of low durability. In addition, many of the designs that attempt to reduce seams often use multiple palmar elements that increase the difficulty, and thereby cost, of manufacturing. The present invention utilizes a unique goalkeeper's glove pattern that reduces the disadvantages of the prior art by removing seams that interfere with ball control, while providing a glove with high durability and low cost.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an athletic glove for protecting and receiving a hand of a wearer. The glove includes a base portion connected to a protective portion, the protective portion having a palmar element and a dorsal element. The palmar element is formed of a first shock-absorbing material and is located to substantially cover a palmar metacarpal area of the wearer's hand and a palmar side of a first digit, a second digit, a third digit, a fourth digit, and a fifth digit of the wearer's hand. The palmar element also has at least one additional section that wraps around

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