Patent Application
20240139609
This invention relates to baseball gloves, devices for forming and maintaining the pocket of baseball gloves, and devices for containing and protecting baseball gloves.
A properly shaped baseball or softball glove provides optimum performance by allowing the glove to securely catch a baseball or softball in the pocket, To ensure maximum effectiveness of a baseball glove, the glove fingers should remain in a curled or cupped position around the pocket. New gloves are generally very stiff and do not have a proper pocket formed. It is necessary for the player to create a desired pocket shape by repeatedly catching a ball in the pocket or simulating a ball being received. Typically, after use, the baseball glove is placed into storage in a folded and flat position, thus losing the achieved cupped position and ideal pocket shape. Additionally, when stored uncovered, the glove may become damaged.
There are various known devices which are used to help form and shape a baseball and softball glove.
The need for proper shaping of a glove is, for example disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,215, to Plymell, which is incorporated by reference herein, which states: “ . . . the fingers thereof should normally be in a curled or cupped position around the pocket to facilitate catching a baseball.” (U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,215, col. 1, Ins. 10-12). However, in a new glove the fingers are not properly oriented, and even in an old glove, the fingers can stretch or move out of proper orientation. The patent to Plymell provides a ball or ball member 41, and a strap 21, wherein the strap 21 has two loops, and the strap 21 is fitted around a glove to shape a glove. (Plymell, FIGS. 1-3).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,677, to Nash discloses a bulbous member 20 which is placed in a pocket area, and a restraint strap assembly 60 which is positioned around a glove. (Nash, col. 6, Ins. 3-5; Ins. 33-38).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,519 to Groves discloses a ball like object 6 attached to a strap 7. The ball like object is insert into a center of a baseball glove 5 and ends of the strap 7 are pulled around the glove 5 and connected by Velcro means 9. (Groves, col. 3, Ins. 8-20;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,317 to Cich discloses a hollow plastic ball having a slit through which a strap passes, and wherein the strap is used with a buckle to extend around a baseball or softball glove. (Cich, col, Ins. 44-61).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,729 to Wright (hereinafter Wright '729 patent) provides a large overly complicated bag, in which a glove is placed with a bottom wall 16 to which fastening straps 32 and 34 are secured; and further discloses a separate oil applicator ball 38 of foam material. (Wright '729 patent, col. 2, Ins. 30-39). The straps extend around the glove while the ball 38 is in the pocket of the glove, and while the glove is in the bag. (Id.)
U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,162 to McGinley discloses a glove shaping device 10 with three arms 34, 36, and 38, each of which can be inserted or held by laces in a baseball or softball glove. (McGinley, col. 2, Ins. 27-30; col. 3, Ins. 29-36).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,849 to Santa, provides a molded plastic clam shell former 10 into which a glove 1 is inserted, while a ball 22 is inserted in a pocket of the glove 1. (Santa, col. 2, Ins. 30-37). The molded clam shell former 10 does not provide enough flexibility for proper glove formation and is large and unwieldy.
Most, if not all, of known devices use straps, which is not optimal, because the straps only effect part of the baseball or softball glove, do not cover and protect the glove, and also may dig into or create undesirable creases in parts of the glove.
Thus, there still exists a need for a better baseball glove protector and pocket shaper device that can be used to protect and properly create a desired glove pocket in new gloves or retain the ideal pocket shape in used gloves.
An object of the present invention in at least one embodiment is to provide a device which helps create and/or maintain a baseball or softball glove's proper pocket shape and provide protection to the glove when the glove is not in use.
Specifically, in one or more embodiments, the present invention provides a new type of product which can be inserted into the pocket of a baseball or softball glove and tightly wrap around the exterior of the glove, exerting pressure to maintain the pocket in the proper shape, depth and form during storage.
An object of the present invention is to further provide a method to cover and protect the glove from damage and/or wear and tear during storage and transportation.
One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a baseball glove protector and pocket shaping device which significantly improves over prior art devices. In at least one embodiment, the baseball glove protector and pocket shaping device comprises a lightweight stretchable fabric cover attached to a designated ball or ball member for breaking in a new glove or maintaining and retaining a used glove in a position such that its fingers or gripping portions will preferably always have and/or most typically have the desired curled or cupped position. One or more embodiments of present invention are particularly well adapted for forming and maintaining a desired pocket area in the glove.
One or more embodiments of the present invention additionally provides protection of the baseball glove from wear and tear and deterioration.
In at least one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a ball or ball member appropriately sized to fit in the pocket of a baseball glove with the fingers or ball gripping portions wrapped around the ball or ball member and a flexible stretchable fabric portion that comes out of the top portion of the baseball glove such that it may be stretched inside out around the outer side of the glove including the fingers or ball gripping portions. Said ball or ball member remains inside the baseball glove against the pocket to maintain the fingers or ball gripping portions of the glove curled around the ball member. In one embodiment, the ball member is a spherical ball of regulation softball size.
In at least one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is provided comprising: a ball member or ball; and a protector. The protector may have a first end and a second end opposite the first end; wherein the protector is connected to the ball member at the first end; wherein the protector has an opening at the second end; wherein the protector has an inner chamber extending from the second end to the first end; and wherein the protector has a peripheral wall which surrounds the inner chamber.
In at least one embodiment, the peripheral wall of the protector may be made of fabric, such as preferably a stretchable fabric. A stitching band preferably surrounds a portion of the inner chamber of the protector nearer the second end of the protector than the first end of the protector.
In at least one embodiment, the ball member is configured to sit within a pocket of a padded glove which is configured to catch a ball; and wherein the protector is configured to be turned inside out while the ball member is sitting with the pocket of the padded glove to thereby at least partially simultaneously cover a webbing section, a thumb section, and a four fingers section of the padded glove. The padded glove may be, for example, a baseball glove or a softball glove.
In at least one embodiment, the ball member is configured to sit within a pocket of a padded glove which is configured to catch a ball; and wherein the protector is configured to be turned inside out while the ball member is sitting with the pocket of the padded glove to thereby at least partially simultaneously cover a webbing section, a thumb section, and a four fingers section of the padded glove, and to thereby pull the thumb section towards the four fingers section.
In at least one embodiment, the protector is preferably configured to cover the entire padded glove, when the protector is turned inside out and the ball member is within the pocket of the padded glove. In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the protector is configured to cover the entire pocket in which the ball member sits, when the protector is turned inside out and the ball member is within the pocket of the padded glove.
A method is also provided which includes inserting a ball member into a pocket of a padded glove, wherein the ball member is attached to a first end of a protector; turning the protector inside out starting at a second end of the protector which is opposite the first end of the protector; and covering simultaneously at least portions of a thumb section, a webbing section, and a four fingers section of the padded glove with the protector when the protector is at least partially inside out, and when the ball member is in the pocket of the padded glove.
The protector, ball member, and padded glove used for one or more embodiments of a method of the present invention, may be configured and/or constructed as previously described.
These and other advantages of the invention, as well as the invention itself, will be best understood in reference to the appended drawings, a brief description of which follows.
Referring to
In at least one embodiment, it is critical and preferred that the protector 2 be, or be substantially comprised of, a stretchable and durable fabric, such as neoprene or polyester spandex. The protector 2 has a top or first end 2a and a bottom or second end 2b which is attached to or comes out of the top region 4a of the ball 4. The protector 2 has an inner chamber 2c. The protector 2 has an outer surface 2d and an inner surface 2e.
In at least one embodiment, the cover or protector 2 may have two inner reinforcing stitching bands 2f and 2g, which can be seen in
The ball or ball member 4 may be described as having a bottom region 4b which is opposite the top region 4a. The ball 4 may be formed of a suitable plastic, rubber, polyurethane or foam material with an opening at 4a, formed through an outer peripheral or spherical wall 4c of the ball 4 to attach to the protector 2. The ball 4 and the protector 2 may be formed separately and joined together with mechanical fasteners, adhesive or other methods. The ball 4 may be a known regulation softball size or known regulation baseball size ball, which has been modified to attach the protector 2 at protector end 2b to the top region 4a; and the ball 4 may have stitching which is not shown.
In operation, the ball 4 is inserted into the pocket 108 of the glove 100 as shown in
With the ball or ball member 4 inserted as in
The process of pulling the protector 2 over the glove 100 continues until the protector 2 fully or nearly fully wraps over and covers the glove 100 as shown in
The ball 4 may be an adult regulation size softball having a diameter of approximately twelve inches. Although the ball 4 may be an actual softball or actual baseball, it is preferred that the ball 4 not be an actual baseball or actual softball, but outer wall 4c should preferably have an outer shell for wall 4c which is approximately the same in diameter as the outer shell of a regulation adult softball disregarding the stitching of an actual softball. The ball 4 may be hollow or may be solid. Balls of other diameters and materials can be used for the ball 4.
In the present application, the baseball glove 100 may be, or may be replaced by any glove used for either the game of baseball or the game of softball. In at least one embodiment, the baseball glove protector and pocket shaper apparatus 1 is configured to be used to break in and shape new gloves and/or maintain or restore proper shape of used gloves.
In at least one embodiment, the apparatus 1, helps create a deeper glove pocket 108 for better glove performance; helps shape and maintain a glove pocket 108 for longer lasting performance when not in use; and prevents glove 100 wear and tear during storage and travel.
In at least one embodiment, the cover 2 of the device 1, preferably completely covers or nearly completely covers the glove 100, in the state shown in
In at least one embodiment, a brand or logo can be printed on the surface 2e of the cover 2. The device 1 takes up very little space, since when stored, the cover 2 can be wrapped around the ball 4 and/or compressed tightly against the ball 4.
In at least one embodiment, the protector 2 provides substantially uniform inward force on the entire glove 100, when in the state of
Although the invention has been described by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of the present invention's contribution to the art.
