US20170165557A1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US20170165557A1
Application number: US14/992,566
Authority: US
Inventors: Matthew W. McPhail; Adam D. Paquette
Original assignee: Warrior Sports Inc
Current assignee: Warrior Sports Inc
Priority date: 2015-12-15
Filing date: 2016-01-11
Publication date: 2017-06-15

Abstract

A protective glove including a cable joined with a spool that is joined with the glove. At least one protective pad can be joined with the hand portion to protect the cable and a wearer's hand. The spool can include a rotatable dial to wind and/or unwind the cable onto or off from the spool to increase and/or decrease the tension applied to the cable. In turn, this adjusts at least one of a lateral dimension and a longitudinal dimension of the hand portion of the glove to custom fit the wearer's hand.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a protective glove and, more particularly, to a protective sports glove having a glove tightening system that adjusts one or more dimensions of the glove to fit different hand sizes.

In many contact sports, such as lacrosse or hockey, sticks are elements of the game. A player's hands, wrists, and lower arms are especially vulnerable to injury when being checked by another player's stick. For this reason, players typically wear padded gloves to protect their hands, wrists and lower arms during play.

Typical gloves for such contact sports generally include a hand portion joined with finger portions and a thumb portion. The hand portion, finger portions, and thumb portion each have a respective palm portion and a dorsal portion which is usually covered with multiple protective pads. The protective pads typically protect the dorsal side of the hand from forceful impacts. The gloves also can include a protective cuff that is elastically joined with a lower edge of the hand portion. This usually extends up the wearer's wrist and forearm. The protective pads that protect the dorsal side of the hand usually are formed in such a way so as to allow the wearer to grasp a game stick, yet still provide protection against impact.

Many times, such gloves are manufactured in only one or two selected sizes and configurations. Thus, some players who do not have corresponding hand sizes and configurations might not be able to comfortably and consistently wear such gloves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A protective glove is provided so that its size and configuration is selectively variable to accommodate the hands of a variety of different users in a custom manner.

In one embodiment, the protective glove is a protective sports glove including a hand portion, a cuff joined with and extending from the hand, at least one pair of retaining members joined with an exterior surface of the hand portion, a spool joined with at least one of the hand portion and the cuff, where the spool includes a rotatable dial to wind and/or unwind a cable onto the spool. The cable can be constrained by at least one pair of retaining members and operably joined with the spool. At least one protective pad can be joined with the hand portion and can at least partially cover the cable to protect the cable and the wearer's hand from blows. The dial can be rotatable to increase and/or decrease the tension applied to the cable, which can, in turn, increase and/or decrease a distance between the retaining members. With such movement, the lateral dimension and/or longitudinal dimension of the hand dorsal portion can be adjusted to fit a wearer's hand.

In another embodiment, the protective sports glove can include a hand portion including a hand palmar portion and an opposing hand dorsal portion defining an interior space for receiving a wearer's hand, a cuff joined with and extending from the hand portion opposite the finger portion, and a protective pad disposed over the hand dorsal portion. The protective pad can be located above a base layer of the hand dorsal portion that is disposed closer to the interior space than the protective pad, with the protective pad and the base layer forming a cavity therebetween. One or more retaining members can be joined with the hand dorsal portion on opposing lateral sides of the hand dorsal portion, each retaining member having an aperture. At least one of the retaining members can be disposed in the cavity. A cable can be threaded through the at least one retaining member and movably disposed at least partially within the cavity. The cable can be received by a spool joined with at least one of the cuff and the hand portion. The spool can include a rotatable dial to wind and/or unwind the cable onto or off from the spool. The dial is rotatable to increase and/or decrease the tension applied to the cable to increase and/or decrease a distance between one or more retaining members to adjust at least one of a lateral dimension and a longitudinal dimension of the hand dorsal portion to fit a wearer's hand.

In another embodiment, the protective sports glove can include a floating sub-cuff joined with one of the cuff or the hand portion, and positioned underneath and protected by the cuff. The spool can be joined with at least one of the floating sub-cuff, the cuff, and the hand portion.

In yet another embodiment, the protective sports glove can include a hand portion and one or more protective pads disposed above a base layer. The one or more protective pads can include one or more elongated pads joined with a hand dorsal portion on opposing lateral sides, and a central pad joined with the hand dorsal portion. The central pad can extend longitudinally across a center portion of the hand dorsal portion. Optionally, the central pad can be a “Y” shaped pad. When viewed with respect to the hand dorsal portion, the one or more protective pads can be disposed above the base layer, farther away from the interior space of the glove than the base layer, and a cavity can be defined between the one or more protective pads and the base layer. The cavity can be disposed closer to the interior space of the glove than the one or more protective pads, but farther from the interior space than the base layer. One or more retaining members can be joined with the base layer of the hand dorsal portion and extend into the cavity and can include at least one pair of opposing retaining members on opposing lateral sides of the hand dorsal portion and at least one additional retaining member longitudinally offset from the at least one pair of opposing retaining members. A cable can be threaded through the plurality of retaining members. The cable can be movably disposed at least partially within the cavity and joined with a spool. The spool can include a rotatable dial to wind and/or unwind the cable onto the spool.

In another embodiment, at least one guide wedge can be joined with the hand dorsal portion to guide the cable within the cavity, the at least one guide wedge including at least one side wall disposed at an angle with respect to the lateral sides of the hand dorsal portion and parallel with an adjacent section of the cable.

In still another embodiment, an aperture can be provided in at least one of the cuff and the hand dorsal portion through which the cable passes to the spool and a recess can be provided in an interior surface of the cuff and configured to receive the spool at least partially therein. The cable can be routed through the at least one pair of opposing retaining members and the at least one additional retaining member to form a triangular shape within the cavity. The dial can be rotatable to increase and/or decrease the tension applied to the cable to increase and/or decrease a distance between the one or more retaining members to adjust at least one of a lateral dimension and a longitudinal dimension of the hand dorsal portion to fit a wearer's hand.

The protective glove of the current embodiments can easily be adjusted to fit the dimensions of many wearers' hands, regardless of age, stature, or skill.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention, when viewed in accordance with the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

Before the embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be implemented in various other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the invention to any specific order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of the invention any additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top schematic view of a current embodiment of the glove;

FIG. 2 is a top schematic view of the glove with protective padding shadowed to illustrate an adjustment system for dimensionally adjusting fitment of the glove;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the glove illustrating use of the adjustment system with the glove ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the glove ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top schematic view of a first alternative embodiment of the glove illustrating a use of another adjustment system;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a wearer's hand;

FIG. 7 is a top schematic view of a current embodiment of the glove;

FIG. 8 is a top schematic view of the glove with protective padding shadowed to illustrate an adjustment system for dimensionally adjusting fitment of the glove.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENT

A protective sports glove in accordance with a current embodiment is illustrated inFIGS. 1-4 and generally designated10. While the drawing is illustrative of a right hand glove, the embodiments herein can be embodied in a left hand glove, which is generally a mirrored version of the right hand glove. Additionally, theglove10 shown is designed for use in the game of lacrosse; however, it can be used in a variety of other sports or activities, such as hockey, or any activity where a user may move their hand about their wrist, optionally in the process of manipulating a game stick or other grasped item.

The description of theglove10 can be aided by a brief discussion of hand anatomy, which is schematically illustrated inFIG. 6. In particular, a wearer'shand320 generally includes awrist322,fingers324 and athumb326. The hand further includes different “sides,” in particular, adorsal side330, apalmar side332, anulnar side334 and aradial side336. The hand further includes alateral dimension340 extending between theulnar side334 andradial side336 and alongitudinal dimension342 extending from thewrist322 to thefingers324.

Returning toFIGS. 1-4, and utilizing the above anatomical references, the protective glove can include ahand portion12 including a back ordorsal portion14 and apalmar portion16, between which an interior space adapted to receive a wearer's hand is defined. Thedorsal portion14 can be configured so that it generally is adjacent the dorsal side330 (FIG. 6) of the hand, while thepalmar portion16 can be adjacent thepalmar side332 of the hand.

Theglove10 can include acuff portion18 joined at one end of thehand portion12 and a plurality offinger portions20 extending from an opposite end of thehand portion12, and athumb portion22 extending from a side of thehand portion12. An optional floatingsub-cuff portion24 can be disposed under thecuff portion16. Awrist guard26 can be positioned over ajunction30 between thehand portion12 and thecuff portion18.

As shown inFIG. 1, thehand portion12 generally extends between thecuff portion18 and thefinger portions20 and has alongitudinal dimension36 defined between thecuff portion18 and thefinger portions20 and alateral dimension38 defined between opposing ulnar and radial side edges of thehand portion12. Thehand portion12 can include a handdorsal portion40 and an opposinghand palmar portion42. The handdorsal portion40 optionally can include multiple protective portions,44, such as padded portions, secured thereto to provide protection to a wearer's hand. Theprotective portions44 can be constructed of foam, polyurethane, polymers or other suitable materials.

Theprotective portions44 can terminate generally at ajunction46 located generally between thehand portion12 and thefinger portions20. Thejunction46 can allow thefinger portions20 to move with respect to the adjacentprotective portions44 as thejunction46 is generally disposed over a wearer's knuckle area, allowing thefinger portions20 to move as a wearer's fingers flex.

In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1, theprotective portions44 can be in the form of a pair of opposing elongatedprotective pads50 disposed on opposite sides of thehand portion12 and a centerprotective pad52, generally having a “Y” shape, disposed across a center portion of the handdorsal portion40. One of the elongatedprotective pads50 can extend longitudinally along the ulnar side of the handdorsal portion40 and the other of the elongatedprotective pads50 can extend longitudinally along the radial side of the handdorsal portion40 with the centerprotective pad52 generally disposed between the pair of elongatedprotective pads50. The elongatedprotective pads50 and centerprotective pad52 can be joined with the handdorsal portion40 adjacent thejunction30 between thehand portion12 and thecuff portion18 and thejunction46 between thehand portion12 and thefinger portions20 and extend over the handdorsal portion40, generally defining a cavity therebetween.

Still referring toFIG. 1, thecuff portion18 optionally can be divided into multiple or split cuff portions, such as afirst cuff portion60 and asecond cuff portion62 to increase flexibility of thecuff portion18. The first and

second cuff portions

60,62 are joined with thehand portion12 along thejunction30. The

cuff portions

60,62 can be designed to cover and protect substantial portions of a wearer's wrist and forearm. The split configuration of the

cuff portions

60,62 can provide protection to a wearer's wrist and forearm, and because the

cuff portions

60,62 can move with respect to one another, they can provide increased flexibility for a wearer's wrist as the wrist moves during play. Optionally, a split cuff portion that includes overlapping side edges can also be employed. The

cuff portions

60,62 can be secured to thehand portion12 by an elastic sheet or strip (not shown) along thejunction30 between thecuff portion18 and thehand portion12 that allows thecuff portion18 and thehand portion12 to move and stretch with respect to one another. Optionally, instead of elastic, other stretchable or deformable materials, such as neoprene, can be utilized to connect thecuff portion18 to thehand portion12.

While thecuff portion18 is illustrated as having split

cuff portions

60,62 that extend only partially around a wearer's wrist, alternative configurations of thecuff portion18 can also be used depending on the application. For example, thecuff portion18 can include multiple overlapping and/or non-overlapping portions that extend around the entire wrist of the wearer. Additional components, such as a lace that connects the multiple cuff portions can also be utilized.

The optional floatingsub-cuff portion24 can be joined with either or both thecuff portion18 and thehand portion12 generally adjacent thejunction30 between the between thecuff portion18 and thehand portion12 and is disposed interiorly of thecuff portion18, i.e. closer to the wearer's wrist than thecuff portion18. Thesub-cuff portion24 can optionally include a fastener on opposing ends, such as a hook-and-loop type fastener or a snap. In one example, the floatingsub-cuff portion24 can be joined with thecuff portion18 by a flexible and/or stretchable strip of material. Additionally, or alternatively, the floatingsub-cuff portion24 can be joined with a liner disposed in the interior of theglove10 that is joined with thehand portion12. In yet another example, anoptional sub-cuff portion24 that can be used with theprotective sports glove10 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,636,951, issued Dec. 29, 2009, and entitled “Protective Sports Glove with Floating Cuff Portion,” which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

Still referring toFIG. 1, the one ormore finger portions20 can extend generally from thejunction46 to arespective tip66 of eachfinger portion20. Thefinger portions20 can include one or moreprotective portions68 that are sewn into a durable cover material as desired. Thethumb portion22 can also include a plurality ofprotective portions70 that extend to a tip portion72 of thethumb portion22. Optionally, each

protective portion

68,70 can be separated by a generally horizontal and/or vertical flex lines. The number of protective portions and corresponding horizontal and vertical flex lines on the finger and

thumb portions

20,22 can take on a variety of different configurations as desired.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a portion of theglove10 shown with the elongatedprotective pads50 and centerprotective pad52 shown in a lighter line for the purposes of discussing components of theglove10 disposed interiorly (beneath) the

protective pads

50,52. The handdorsal portion40 can include abase layer78 defining an exterior surface of the handdorsal portion40. Thebase layer78 can be a single layer of material or multiple layers that at least partially defines the interior of theglove10.

One or more retaining members80-84 can be joined with thebase layer78 of the handdorsal portion40 for guiding acable86 across the handdorsal portion40 within the cavity defined between the handdorsal portion40 and the

protective pads

50,52. Thecable86 can be in the form of a cord, rope, strand, flexible wire, or lace made from natural or synthetic material, or combinations thereof. Thecable86 can be a single length of material or multiple lengths of material woven together. In one example, thecable86 can be in the form of polyethylene fibers or other synthetic fibers, multiple lengths of which can optionally be woven together to form thecable86. In another example, thecable86 can be made from woven steel with or without a polymeric coating.

The retaining members80-84 can be joined with thebase layer78 to guide thecable86 in a desired route across thebase layer78. As illustrated inFIG. 2, a first pair of retaining

members

80,81 can be joined with thebase layer78 on the radial side of the handdorsal portion40 and a second pair of opposing retaining

members

83,84 can be joined with thebase layer78 on the ulnar side of the handdorsal portion40, in a bottom portion of the handdorsal portion40 nearer to thecuff portion18 than to thefinger portions20. Each of the pairs of opposing retaining

members

80,81 and83,84 can be disposed in the cavity beneath the pair of opposing elongatedprotective pads50. A third retainingmember82 can be joined with thebase layer78 laterally centered, but longitudinally offset with respect to the first and second pairs of opposing retaining

members

80,81 and83,84. The third retainingmember82 can be longitudinally offset from the first and second pairs opposing retaining

members

80,81 and83,84 in a direction closer to thefinger portion20 of theglove10. The third retainingmember82 can be disposed within the cavity beneath the centerprotective pad52. Thecable86 can be threaded through the first pair of opposing retaining

members

80,81, through the third retainingmember82 and through the second pair of opposing retaining

members

83,84 to form a triangular shape on thebase layer78.

Theglove10 can optionally include one ormore guide wedges92 joined with thebase layer78 adjacent portions of thecable86 routed through the retaining members80-84. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 2, a pair of opposingguide wedges92 is disposed between each of the first and second pairs of opposing retaining

members

80,81 and83,84 and the third retainingmember82. Eachguide wedge92 includes at least afirst side94 that is disposed generally parallel with the path that thecable86 traverses between the first pair of opposing retaining

members

80,81 and the third retainingmember82 and between the second pair of opposing retaining

members

83,84 and the third retainingmember82.

As illustrated inFIG. 2, eachguide wedge92 has a triangular shape in which thefirst side94 intersects at an angle with asecond side96 to form atip98 that is disposed adjacent the third retainingmember82. Theguide wedge92 is not limited to the shape illustrated, but can have any desired geometric shape while still including thefirst side94 that is disposed generally parallel with the path that thecable86 traverses between the first pair of opposing retaining

members

83,84 and the third retainingmember82. Theguide wedges92 can project upward, away from thebase layer78, and into the cavity between thebase layer78 and theprotective portions44. Theguide wedges92 can optionally be disposed at least partially underneath theprotective portions44 or any other protective padding provided on thehand portion12. Theguide wedges92 can optionally be made from material similar to theprotective portions44 to provide additional protection to the wearer's hand and to guide thecable86.

Additional orfewer guide wedges92 are also contemplated. For example, alternatively, or in addition, to theguide wedges92 disposed outside the triangular shaped route defined by thecable86, a guide wedge can be disposed inside the route defined by thecable86, the guide wedge having a triangular shape that reflects the cable route.

While the first and second pairs of opposing retaining

members

80,81 and83,84 are illustrated as including two retaining members each, each pair of retaining members can be replaced with fewer or greater retaining members as desired. For example, a single retaining member can be provided on the radial and ulnar side of the handdorsal portion40 in place of the first and second pairs of opposing retaining

members

80,81 and83,84. Similarly, the third retainingmember82 can be replaced with fewer or greater retaining members. Regardless of the number of retaining members used at each position, the retaining members will generally be configured to guide thecable86 to form a triangular shape on thebase layer78.

Referring now toFIG. 3, thecable86 is operably joined with aspool100 that includes arotatable dial102 to wind and unwind portions of thecable86 onto thespool100. Thespool100 andcable86 can be part of a cable tightening system, such as the reel based lacing systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,138,030, issued Sep. 22, 2015, entitled “Reel Based Lacing System,” U.S. Pat. No. 9,101,181, issued Aug. 11, 2015, entitled “Reel-Based Lacing System,” U.S. Pat. No. 8,516,662, issued Aug. 27, 2013, entitled “Reel Based Lacing System,” WO 2007/081822, filed Jan. 8, 2007, entitled “Rough and Fine Adjustment Closure System,” and U.S. Pub. No. 2015/0007422, filed Jul. 2, 2014, entitled “Tension Limiting Mechanisms for Closure Devices and Methods Therefor,” all assigned to Boa Technology, Inc., and all of which are incorporated herein by reference in full. Thespool100 can be joined with thefirst cuff portion60 on aninterior surface110 thereof, as illustrated. Alternatively, thespool100 can be joined with thehand portion12 or the optional floatingsub-cuff portion24, when present.

Referring now toFIG. 4, thespool100 can be joined with thefirst cuff portion60 in arecess112 to decrease the extent to which thespool100 projects from thefirst cuff portion60. As illustrated inFIG. 4, therecess112 can be formed by opposingsidewalls113 extending away from theinterior surface110 into an interior of thefirst cuff portion60. Thespool100 can be joined with abottom wall115 of therecess112 by a suitable mechanical and/or non-mechanical fastener, non-limiting examples of which include an adhesive, rivet, and sewing. A height of thesidewalls113 can be selected based on the dimensions of thespool100 such that thespool100 does not project out of therecess112 beyond aplane117 defined by theinterior surface110 of thefirst cuff portion60. In this manner, therecess112 can facilitate thefirst cuff portion60 lying generally flat against the adjacent floatingsub-cuff portion24 or the wearer's wrist, if the glove does not include a floatingsub-cuff portion24. Therecess112 can encompass both thespool100 and the portions of thecable86 passing over theinterior surface110, as illustrated. Alternatively, therecess112 can encompass only thespool100. The optional floatingsub-cuff portion24 can also include arecess114 provided in anexterior surface116 thereof (seeFIG. 1) opposite thespool100 to further facilitate thefirst cuff portion60 lying flat against the floatingsub-cuff portion24.

Therecess112 can be partially or fully enclosed by thesidewalls113. As can best be seen inFIG. 3, therecess112 can be open on one side for receipt of thecable86 such that thecable86 does not project beyond theplane117 defined by theinterior surface110 of thefirst cuff portion60. Partially enclosing therecess112 can also facilitate access to thedial102. The dimensions of thebottom wall115 of therecess112 can also be configured to provide the desired access to thedial102 for winding and unwinding thecable86.

Optionally, at least a portion of thespool100 and/or thecable86 can be disposed outside therecess112, above theplane117. For example, at least a portion of thedial102 can project beyond theinterior surface110 to facilitate access to thedial102 for winding and unwinding thecable86.

While thespool100 is described as being joined with thefirst cuff portion60, it will be understood that thespool100 can alternatively be joined with the floatingsub-cuff portion24. In this alternative embodiment, the floatingsub-cuff portion24 can be provided with a recess which receives thespool100 and theinterior surface110 of thefirst cuff portion60 opposite thespool100 can also optionally include a recess. In yet another alternative, thespool100 can be joined with thehand portion12, which may or may not include a recess for receiving thespool100.

Thecable86 can pass from the exterior side of the handdorsal portion40 to the interior side of thecuff portion18 through an aperture disposed in a connecting material (not shown) joining the handdorsal portion40 and thecuff portion18 at thejunction30. Alternatively, an aperture can be disposed directly in thefirst cuff portion60 for passing thecable86 through to the interior side of thecuff portion18. The aperture can also be used to pass thecable86 in the alternative embodiment in which thespool100 is joined with the floatingsub-cuff portion24. In the alternative embodiment in which thespool100 is joined with thehand portion12, when thespool100 is joined with an exterior surface of thehand portion12, theglove10 need not include an aperture for passing thecable86.

Operation

Referring again toFIG. 3, thedial102 can be rotated to wind or unwind thecable86 onto thespool100 to increase or decrease the tension applied to thecable86 to increase or decrease a distance between the retaining members to adjust both a lateral dimension and longitudinal dimension of the hand dorsal portion to fit a wearer's hand. In this manner, theprotective glove10 can be customized to the size of each wearer's hand or to the size of the wearer as the wearer grows, which can be particularly useful if theprotective glove10 is bought for a younger wearer who continues to play the sport as he/she grows.

For example, as illustrated inFIG. 3, thedial102 can be rotated, as indicated byarrow130, to wind thecable86 onto thespool100 to increase the tension applied to thecable86. Increasing the tension applied to thecable86 draws the third retainingmember82 toward thecuff portion18, as illustrated by arrow132. Because the third retainingmember82 is joined with thebase layer78 of the handdorsal portion40, drawing the third retainingmember82 toward thecuff portion18 decreases thelongitudinal dimension36 of the handdorsal portion40. Increasing the tension applied to thecable86 also draws the first pair of retaining

members

80,81 toward the second pair of retaining

members

83,84, as illustrated byarrows134, which decreases thelateral dimension38 of the handdorsal portion40. Increasing the tension on thecable86 can also draw retaining

members

80 and81 toward each other and draw retaining

members

83 and84 toward each other to facilitate decreasing thelongitudinal dimension36 of the handdorsal portion40. In this manner, the size of thehand portion12 of theprotective glove10 can be decreased to decrease the interior space of theprotective glove10 to accommodate a wearer having a smaller hand, such as a younger child.

Thedial102 can similarly be rotated to unwind thecable86 from thespool100 to decrease the tension applied to thecable86, which allows thebase layer78 of the handdorsal portion40 to be stretched to increase the longitudinal and

later dimensions

36,38 of the hand dorsal portion to increase the interior space of theprotective glove10 to accommodate a wearer having a larger hand, such as an older child. In this manner, thecable86 can be wound and unwound to decrease and increase, respectively, the size of theprotective glove10 as a wearer grows.

While theprotective glove10 is suitable for the sports of hockey and lacrosse, theprotective glove10 optionally can be utilized in a wide variety of sports, or occupational activities, in which protection to the hand or wrist is desired.

ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT

A first alternative embodiment of the protective glove is shown inFIG. 5 and generally designated410. This embodiment is similar in structure, function, and operation to the other embodiments described herein with several exceptions. For example, the configuration of the retaining members and the route of the cable across the hand dorsal portion differ. Therefore, elements of theglove410 similar to those of theglove10 are labeled with a prefix increased by 400.

As illustrated inFIG. 5, four pairs of retaining members150-157 are joined with thebase layer478 generally at opposite corners of the hand dorsal portion440. The retaining members150-157 can be similar to those described above with respect to the first embodiment ofFIGS. 1-4. A first pair of retaining

members

150,151 and a second pair of retaining

members

152,153 are joined with thebase layer478 on the radial side of the hand dorsal portion440 adjacent thecuff portion418 and thefinger portion420, respectively. A third pair of retaining

members

154,155 and a fourth pair of retaining

members

156,157 are joined with thebase layer478 on the ulnar side of the hand dorsal portion440 adjacent thefinger portion420 and thecuff portion418, respectively.

Thecable486 can be routed through the first pair of retaining

members

150,151 and cross over a central portion of the hand dorsal portion440, between thetips498 of theguide wedges492, to the third pair of retaining

members

154,155. Thecable486 is threaded through the third pair of retaining

members

154,155 and passes back across an upper portion of the hand dorsal portion440 to the second pair of retaining

members

152,153 before being routed back between thetips498 of theguide wedges492 to the fourth pair of retaining

members

156,157 to form a criss-cross shape across the hand dorsal portion440. Thecable486 can cross over itself as it passes between thetips498 of theguide wedges492 to form the criss-cross shape.

While the first, second, third, and fourth pairs of retaining members150-157 are illustrated as including two retaining members each, each pair of retaining members can be replaced by fewer or greater retaining members as desired. For example, a single retaining member can be provided on the radial and ulnar side of the hand dorsal portion440 in place of all or only a portion of the first, second, third, and fourth pairs of retaining members150-157. In one example, the second and third pairs of retaining

members

152,153 and154,155 can be replaced by a single retaining member. Additionally, or alternatively, the first and fourth pairs of retaining

members

150,151 and156,157 can be replaced with a single retaining member. Regardless of the number of retaining members used at each position, the retaining members will generally be configured to guide thecable486 to form a criss-cross shape on thebase layer478. In another example, an additional retaining member can be disposed on thebase layer478 between thetips498 of theguide wedges492 for receipt of thecable486 as thecable486 crosses over itself in the formation of the criss-cross shape.

Thedial502 can be rotated to wind and unwind thecable486 onto the spool500 to increase or decrease the tension on thecable486 in a manner similar to that describe above for the first embodiment inFIG. 3. For example, thedial502 can be rotated, as indicated byarrow140 to increase the tension on thecable486, which draws each member of the first, second, third, and fourth pairs of retaining members150-157 toward its adjacent member to decrease thelongitudinal dimension436 of the hand dorsal portion440, as illustrated byarrows160. Increasing the tension on thecable486 also draws the second pair of retaining

members

152,153 toward the first pair of retaining

members

150,151 and the third pair of retaining

members

154,155 toward the fourth pair of retaining

members

156,157 to decrease thelongitudinal dimension436 of the hand dorsal portion440. Increasing the tension on thecable486 also draws each of the first, second, third, and fourth pairs of retaining members150-157 toward the center portion of the hand dorsal portion440, as illustrated byarrows162, to decrease thelateral dimension438 of the hand dorsal portion440. In this manner, the size of thehand portion412 of theprotective glove410 can be decreased to decrease the interior space of theprotective glove410 to accommodate a wearer having a smaller hand, such as a younger child. The size of the interior space of theprotective glove410 can be increased, such as to accommodate the hand of the wearer as the wearer grows, in a similar manner to that described above with respect to the first embodiment ofFIG. 3 by rotating thedial502 to decrease the tension on thecable486. Decreasing the tension on thecable486 allows the first, second, third, and fourth pairs of retaining members150-157 to be moved away from another as thebase layer478 is expanded to accommodate different hand sizes.

A second alternative embodiment of the protective glove is shown inFIGS. 7-8 and generally designated610. This embodiment is similar in structure, function, and operation to the other embodiments described herein with several exceptions. For example, the configuration of the cuff portion and floating sub-cuff portion of this embodiment can differ from other embodiments. Therefore, elements of theglove610 similar to those of theglove10 are labeled with a prefix increased by 600.

As illustrated inFIG. 7, theglove610 can be similar to that of theglove10 ofFIG. 1 except that thecuff portion618 is configured as a tri-cuff having first, second, and

third cuff portions

660,661, and662, respectively, instead of the dual-cuff configuration ofFIG. 1. Thesecond cuff portion661 can be disposed closer to the interior of theglove610, with the first and

third cuff portions

660 and662 disposed exteriorly of thesecond cuff portion661 and overlapping at least partially with thesecond cuff portion661. Optionally, each of the first, second, and

third cuff portions

660,661, and662 can be disposed within the same plane and/or may not overlap. As described above with the

gloves

10 and410, the floatingsub-cuff portion624 of theglove610 is also optional.

Referring now toFIG. 8, the configuration of the retaining members680-684, theguide wedges692, and the route of thecable686 across the handdorsal portion640 can be similar to that of theglove10 ofFIG. 1 and configured to operate in the same manner. Thecable686 can be operably joined with thespool700, which can be joined with any of the first, second, or third cuff portions660-662. In the example illustrated inFIG. 8, thespool700 is joined with and/or extend from theinterior surface710 of thesecond cuff portion661.

Thespool700 can be joined with thesecond cuff portion661 in therecess712 provided in theinterior surface710 of thesecond cuff portion661 to decrease the extent to which thespool700 projects from thesecond cuff portion661. In this manner, therecess712 can facilitate thesecond cuff portion661 lying generally flat against the adjacent floatingsub-cuff portion624 or the wearer's wrist, if the glove does not include a floatingsub-cuff portion624. Additionally, or alternatively, the optional floatingsub-cuff portion624 can include arecess714 provided in an exterior surface716 thereof (seeFIG. 7) opposite thespool700 to further facilitate thesecond cuff portion661 lying flat against the floatingsub-cuff portion624. Optionally, thesecond cuff portion661 and the optional floatingsub-cuff portion624 can be void of a recess for receiving thespool700.

Thedial702 can be rotated to wind and unwind thecable686 onto thespool700 to increase or decrease the tension on thecable686 in a manner similar to that describe above for the first embodiment inFIG. 3 in order to selectively adjust the lateral and/or longitudinal dimensions of the handdorsal portion614 to fit a wearer's hand.

While thetri-cuff glove610 is described in the context of having a configuration of retaining members, guide wedges, and route of the cable across the hand dorsal portion similar to that of theglove10 ofFIG. 1, thetri-cuff glove610 can also be configured to include the retaining members, guide wedges, and route of the cable across the hand dorsal portion similar to that described in connection with theglove410 ofFIG. 5.

All patents, patent applications, and literature references cited in this specification are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In case of conflict, the present description, including definitions, will control.

The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any individual element(s) of the described invention may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that are described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular. Any reference to claim elements as “at least one of X, Y and Z” is meant to include any one of X, Y or Z individually, and any combination of X, Y and Z, for example, X, Y, Z; X, Y; X, Z; and Y, Z.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A protective sports glove, comprising:

a hand portion including a hand palmar portion and an opposing hand dorsal portion defining an interior space for receiving a wearer's hand;

a finger portion joined with and extending from the hand portion;

a thumb portion joined with and extending from the hand portion;

a cuff joined with and extending from the hand portion opposite the finger portion;

at least one pair of retaining members joined with an exterior surface of the hand dorsal portion on opposing lateral sides of the hand dorsal portion, each retaining member having an aperture;

a spool joined with at least one of the hand portion and the cuff, the spool including a rotatable dial to wind and unwind a cable onto the spool;

a cable threaded through the aperture of the at least one pair of retaining members and operably joined with the spool; and

at least one protective pad joined with the hand portion and at least partially covering the cable and the at least one pair of retaining members to protect the cable and the wearer's hand from blows;

wherein the dial is rotatable to increase or decrease the tension applied to the cable to increase or decrease a distance between the retaining members to adjust both a lateral dimension and longitudinal dimension of the hand dorsal portion to fit a wearer's hand.

2. The protective sports glove ofclaim 1,

wherein the at least one pair of retaining members comprises a first pair of retaining members on opposing lateral sides of the hand dorsal portion in an upper portion thereof, adjacent the finger portion, and a second pair of retaining members disposed on opposing lateral sides of the hand dorsal portion in a lower portion thereof, adjacent the cuff,

wherein the cable is routed through the first and second pairs of retaining members to form a criss-cross shape across the exterior surface of the hand dorsal portion.

3. The protective sports glove ofclaim 2, comprising:

a third pair of retaining members adjacent the first pair and a fourth pair of retaining members adjacent the second pair,

wherein the cable is routed through the first, second, third, and fourth pairs of retaining members to form a criss-cross shape across the exterior surface of the hand dorsal portion.

4. The protective sports glove ofclaim 1,

wherein the at least one pair of retaining members comprises at least one pair of opposing retaining members on opposing lateral sides of the hand dorsal portion, adjacent the cuff,

comprising at least one additional retaining member longitudinally offset from the at least one pair of opposing retaining members,

wherein the cable is routed through the at least one pair of opposing retaining members and the at least one additional retaining member to form a triangular shape across the exterior surface of the hand dorsal portion.

5. The protective sports glove ofclaim 1, comprising at least one guide wedge joined with the hand dorsal portion to guide the cable across the exterior surface of the hand dorsal portion.

6. The protective sports glove ofclaim 5,

wherein the at least one guide wedge comprises two sides that intersect at an angle to form a tip, the two sides of the guide wedge parallel with adjacent sections of the cable,

wherein additional sections of the cable cross over each other beyond the tip of the guide wedge.

7. The protective sports glove ofclaim 1, wherein the cuff defines a recess in an interior surface of the cuff configured to receive the spool at least partially therein.

8. The protective sports glove ofclaim 7,

comprising a floating sub-cuff joined with at least one of the cuff and the hand portion and positioned underneath and protected by the cuff,

wherein the floating sub-cuff includes a recess on the exterior surface opposite the spool on the cuff, and the spool is received in the recess between the cuff and the floating sub-cuff.

9. The protective sports glove ofclaim 1,

wherein the at least one protective pad is configured to define an open space disposed under the at least one protective pad and over an exterior surface of the hand dorsal portion,

wherein at least a portion of the cable extends over the exterior surface of the hand dorsal portion between the exterior surface and the at least one protective pad.

10. A protective sports glove, comprising:

a finger portion joined with and extending from the hand portion;

a thumb portion joined with and extending from the hand portion;

a protective pad disposed over the hand dorsal portion, the protective pad located above a base layer of the hand dorsal portion that is disposed closer to the interior space than the protective pad, the protective pad and the base layer forming a cavity therebetween;

a plurality of retaining members joined with the hand dorsal portion on opposing lateral sides of the hand dorsal portion, each retaining member defining an aperture, at least one of the plurality of retaining members disposed in the cavity;

a cable threaded through the at least one retaining member, the cable movably disposed at least partially within the cavity; and

a spool joined with at least one of the cuff and the hand portion for receipt of the cable, the spool including a rotatable dial to wind and unwind the cable onto the spool;

11. The protective sports glove ofclaim 10,

wherein the plurality of retaining members comprises a first pair of retaining members on opposing lateral sides of the hand dorsal portion in an upper portion thereof, adjacent the finger portion, and a second pair of retaining members disposed on opposing lateral sides of the hand dorsal portion in a lower portion thereof, adjacent the cuff,

wherein the cable is routed through the first and second pairs of retaining members to form a criss-cross shape within the cavity.

12. The protective sports glove ofclaim 11, comprising:

wherein the cable is routed through the first, second, third, and fourth pairs of retaining members to form a criss-cross shape within the cavity.

13. The protective sports glove ofclaim 10,

wherein the plurality of retaining members comprises at least one pair of opposing retaining members on opposing lateral sides of the hand dorsal portion, adjacent the cuff, and

wherein the cable is routed through the at least one pair of opposing retaining members and the at least one additional retaining member to form a triangular shape within the cavity.

14. The protective sports glove ofclaim 10, comprising at least one guide wedge joined with the hand dorsal portion to guide the cable within the cavity.

15. The protective sports glove ofclaim 14,

16. The protective sports glove ofclaim 10, wherein the cuff defines a recess in an interior surface of the cuff configured to receive the spool at least partially therein.

17. The protective sports glove ofclaim 16,

18. The protective sports glove ofclaim 10,

wherein at least a portion of the cable extends over the exterior surface of the hand dorsal portion, between the exterior surface and the at least one protection pad.

19. A protective sports glove, comprising:

a finger portion joined with and extending from the hand portion;

a thumb portion joined with and extending from the hand portion;

a floating sub-cuff joined with one of the cuff or the hand portion, and positioned underneath and protected by the cuff;

a spool joined with at least one of the floating sub-cuff, the cuff, and the hand portion, the spool including a rotatable dial to wind and unwind a cable onto the spool;