TECHNICAL FIELD
This patent application relates to protective handpads used, for example, for batting practice or other high-repetition activities that involve gripping an instrument such as a bat.
BACKGROUND
Activities involving a manual or hand grip may lead to problems such as blisters. Manual/hand grip issues as blisters may be caused by several factors, including but not limited to repetition of the activity or grip, strength of the grip, weight of the object being gripped, the material of the object being gripped and/or the shape of the gripped object in relation to the grip.
Some or all of these factors may be present in activities involving gripping and swinging an object. For example, batting practice for the sport of baseball may involve gripping and swinging a bat repetitively, often over a short period of time. Such repetitive swings of a baseball bat may cause blisters on the hands and/or fingers, or may exacerbate or re-injure existing blisters on the hands and/or fingers.
Baseball players may wear batting gloves to protect their hands while batting, but batting gloves alone may not reliably protect against blisters. Batting gloves may be loose enough to move during a swing, which will cause the glove to rub on the skin. If moisture is present (e.g., perspiration), the movement of the glove and the resulting rubbing may be exacerbated. Batting gloves may not limit exacerbation of existing blisters for the same reasons. In addition, batting gloves may not have sufficient shock absorption properties (e.g., thickness or padding) to protect the hands from the repetitive impacts during batting practice.
Techniques that may be employed by baseball players to prevent blisters or limit their exacerbation include applying adhesive bandages, athletic tape or a wrap to cover the affected area of the hand before putting on the batting glove. One problem with these solutions is that they may not be reusable. Once the bandage, tape or wrap is removed, it is generally discarded. Even if a wrap is reusable, it may not be easy to take off and/or put back on, as it must be re-wrapped each time, which can be time consuming and difficult to do with one hand.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a palm-facing side of a first illustrative handpad embodiment.
FIG. 2 shows the handpad of FIG. 1 before creation of the index-finger insertion section.
FIG. 3 shows an external side of the handpad of FIG. 1.
FIGS. 4-7 show the handpad of FIG. 1 when worn.
FIG. 8 shows a palm-facing side of a second illustrative handpad embodiment.
FIG. 9 shows an external side of the handpad of FIG. 8.
FIGS. 10-12 show the handpad of FIG. 8 when worn.
FIG. 13 shows a palm-facing side of a third illustrative handpad embodiment.
FIG. 14 shows an external side of the handpad of FIG. 8.
FIGS. 15 and 16 show the handpad of FIG. 13 when worn.
FIG. 17 shows handpad embodiments described herein when worn under a glove.
FIG. 18 shows a palm-facing side of a fourth illustrative handpad embodiment.
FIG. 19 shows an external side of the handpad of FIG. 8.
FIGS. 20 and 21 show the handpad of FIG. 18 when worn.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A detailed description of examples of preferred embodiments is provided below.
While several embodiments are described, the new subject matter described in this patent specification is not limited to any one embodiment or combination of embodiments described herein, but instead encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications, and equivalents. In addition, while numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding, some embodiments can be practiced without some of these details and even without all of the described details. Moreover, for clarity and conciseness, certain technical material that is known in the related technology have not been fully described in detail, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the new subject matter described herein. It should be clear that individual features of one or several of the specific embodiments described herein can be used in combination with features of other described embodiments or with other features. Further, like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. “Little finger” and “pinky finger” are used interchangeably herein to refer to the same finger.
FIGS. 1-7 show a first illustrative embodiment, handpad 10. FIG. 1 shows a palm-facing side 14 of handpad 10 to be worn on a left hand (e.g., hand 60 of FIG. 4). When worn on a hand (as shown, for example in FIGS. 4-7), palm-facing side 14 faces and may contact a palm of the hand. Handpad 10 has a little-finger insertion section 11 for receiving a little finger or pinky finger when worn. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, little-finger insertion section 11 is configured as a hole 9 cut into the handpad 10. Little-finger insertion section 11 may be, for example, a linear slit or removed made in handpad 10, or may instead result from a portion of material being removed from handpad 10. The portion of material removed from handpad 10 can be of any suitable shape or size.
Handpad 10 also has an index-finger insertion section 12 for receiving an index finger when worn. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the index-finger insertion section 12 is configured as a loop created by rolling, bending or folding a radial corner 17 (FIG. 2) of handpad 10 toward the palm-facing side 14 and securing the radial corner 17 (FIG. 2) to an attachment area 18 (FIG. 2). FIG. 2 shows the handpad 10 of FIG. 1 before the radial corner 17 is rolled, bent or folded and secured to the attachment area 18. The radial corner 17 may be secured to attachment area 18 in any suitable manner, including but not limited to stitching (e.g., stitching 13 of FIGS. 1, 4 and 5) or an adhesive.
FIG. 3 shows an external or instrument-facing side 16 of handpad 10. External side 16 is opposite of palm-facing side 14. When handpad 10 is worn, external side 16 will contact the instrument being gripped (for example, a bat). As shown in FIG. 3, the hole 9 forming little finger-insertion section 11 extends through the entirety of handpad 10, from the palm-facing side 14 to the external side 16.
FIGS. 4-7 show handpad 10 when worn on a left hand 60, and show an index finger 61 inserted through the index-finger insertion section 12 and little finger 62 inserted through the little-finger insertion section 11. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the palmar side of the hand 60 and external side 16 of handpad 10. FIG. 6 shows a view from the dorsal side of the hand 60. FIG. 7 shows a side view of index-finger insertion section 12 of handpad 10 in FIGS. 1-6 when worn on left hand 60.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-6, handpad 10 includes a wrapping portion 15, which may be wrapped around the ulnar side of the hand to the dorsal or back side of the hand, as shown in FIG. 5. Wrapping portion 15 may provide protection on the hypothenar and/or lower portions of the palm, the ulnar side of the hand and/or any other portions of the hand or wrist. Wrapping portion 15 may be held in place when wrapped in any suitable manner, for example, by a glove worn over the handpad 10 (as shown in FIG. 17).
FIGS. 8-12 show another illustrative embodiment, handpad 70. FIG. 8 shows a palm-facing side 14 of handpad 70 and FIG. 9 shows an external side 16. Handpad 70 is similar to handpad 10 of FIGS. 1-7 except that, for example, little-finger insertion section 71 of handpad 70 is configured as a loop in a similar manner as index-finger insertion section 12. In particular, little-finger insertion section 71 is configured as a loop by connecting an ulnar corner of handpad 70 to an attachment area (not shown) by any suitable means, for example, stitching 74. Index-finger insertion section 12, stitching 13 and wrapping portion 15 of handpad 70 are all similar to the corresponding features of handpad 10.
FIGS. 10-12 show handpad 70 when worn on a left hand 60, and show an index finger 61 inserted through the index-finger insertion section 12 and little finger 62 inserted through the little-finger insertion section 71. FIG. 11 shows the palmar side of the hand 60 and external side 16 of handpad 70. FIG. 12 shows a side view of little-finger insertion section 71 of handpad 70 when worn on left hand 60.
As shown in FIGS. 8-12, handpad 70 includes wrapping portion 15, which may be wrapped around the ulnar side of the hand to the dorsal or back side of the hand, as shown in FIG. 5 with respect to handpad 10. The wrapping portion 15 may provide protection on the hypothenar and/or lower portions of the palm, as well as the ulnar side of the hand. Wrapping portion 15 may be held in place when wrapped in any suitable manner, for example by a glove worn over the handpad 70 (as shown in FIG. 17).
FIGS. 13-16 show another illustrative embodiment, handpad 90. FIG. 13 shows a palm-facing side 14 of handpad 90 and FIG. 14 shows an external side 16. Handpad 90 is similar to handpad 10 of FIGS. 1-7 except that, for example, index-finger insertion section 92 of handpad 90 is configured as a hole 91 cut into the handpad 90.
Index-finger insertion section 92 and little-finger insertion section 11 may each be, for example, a linear slit or removed made in handpad 90, or may instead result from a portion of material being removed from handpad 90. The portion of material removed from handpad 90 can be of any suitable shape or size. Hole 91 of index-finger insertion section 92 and hole 9 of little-finger insertion section 11 need not be created by identical means. For example, hole 91 may be configured as a slit in handpad 90 while hole 9 may be the result of a portion of material removed from handpad 90.
FIGS. 15 and 16 show handpad 90 when worn on a left hand 60, and show an index finger 61 inserted through the index-finger insertion section 92 and little finger 62 inserted through the little-finger insertion section 11. Handpad 90 includes wrapping portion 15, which may be wrapped around the ulnar side of the hand to the dorsal or back side of the hand, as shown in FIG. 5 with respect to handpad 10. The wrapping portion 15 may provide protection on the hypothenar and/or lower portions of the palm, as well as the ulnar side of the hand. Wrapping portion 15 may be held in place when wrapped in any suitable manner, for example by a glove worn over the handpad 90 (as shown in FIG. 17).
FIG. 17 shows wrapping portion 15 of a handpad, for example handpads 10, 70, 90, when worn under a batting glove. As can be seen from these figures, the batting glove helps to keep wrapping portion 15 wrapped around the lower palm and ulnar side of the hand. As shown in FIG. 17, wrapping portion 15, or any other portion of the handpad, may extend below the palm and onto the wrist to protect the hand and/or wrist from a lower portion of the glove (e.g., a batting glove strap).
The handpads described herein may also include a means for securing the proximal or bottom end of the handpad to the wrist. For example, a proximal end of the handpad may include a hole or slit through which the hand is inserted when worn. The portion of the handpad below or proximal to the hole or slit would be on a dorsal side of the wrist when worn. Alternatively, the handpad may include a wrist strap that is secured to the handpad, and is configured to be wrapped around the wrist and secured by any suitable means, for example secured to a portion of the handpad using a buckle or Velcro. In another embodiment, the wrapping portion 15 may be of sufficient shape and length to wrap around the wrist, and may be secured to itself or another portion of the handpad after wrapping around the wrist by Velcro or any other suitable means.
FIGS. 18-21 show another illustrative embodiment, handpad 170, that has a wrist strap 179 with two ends 176, 177. Wrist strap 179 may be used to help secure a proximal or bottom end of the handpad 170 to the wrist. FIG. 18 shows a palm-facing side 175 of handpad 170 to be worn on a right or left hand. When worn on a hand (as shown, for example in FIGS. 20 and 21), palm-facing side 175 faces and contacts a palm of the hand. FIG. 19 shows an external or instrument-facing side 178 of handpad 170. External side 178 is opposite of palm-facing side 175. When handpad 170 is worn, external side 178 will contact the instrument being gripped (for example, a bat).
Handpad 170 has a little-finger insertion section 171 for receiving a little finger or pinky finger when worn and an index-finger insertion section 172 for receiving an index finger when worn. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the little-finger insertion 171 and index-finger insertion section 172 are each configured as a loop created by rolling, bending or folding a radial corner of the handpad material toward the palm-facing side 175 and securing the respective corner of the material to an attachment area (not shown), as similarly described with respect to index-finger insertion section 12 in FIGS. 1-7. The material may be secured to the attachment area in any suitable manner, including but not limited to stitching or an adhesive. In the illustrative embodiment shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, stitching 173 and 174 are used to secure the material to the attachment area.
As show in FIG. 19, a distal end of handpad 170 may include a notched area 169 between the little-finger insertion section 171 and then index-finger insertion section 172 where the handpad 170 extends distally less than the little-finger insertion section 171 and then index-finger insertion by an distance D. Notched area 169 may, for example, allow for improved flexibility in the middle two fingers. Notched area 169 can be any suitable shape, and the distance D may vary or may be constant across the length of notched area 169.
FIGS. 20 and 21 show handpad 170 when worn on a left hand 60. FIG. 20 shows the palmar side of the hand 60 and external side 178 of handpad 170. FIG. 21 shows a view from the dorsal side of the hand 60. As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, when handpad 170 is worn, index finger 61 is inserted through the index-finger insertion section 172 and little finger 62 is inserted through the little-finger insertion section 171. Ends 176 and 177 of wrist strap 179 are wrapped around the wrist and secured to one another in any suitable manner, for example velcro or other fastener.
While not shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, ends 176 and 177 may be secured to one another before the handpad 170 is worn. For example, ends 176 and 177 may be secured to one another using stitching or adhesive. Where ends 176 and 177 are secured before the handpad 170 is worn, the hand may need to be inserted through the wriststrap 179 in order to position the handpad 170 on the hand.
The handpads described herein and shown in the figures are only examples of inventive embodiments, and features shown in one drawing may be used in another drawing. Little-finger insertion section 171 and index-finger insertion section 172 of FIGS. 18 and 19 may be configured differently than shown in the figures. For example, either or both of little-finger insertion section 171 and index-finger insertion section 172 may be configured as a loop and index-finger insertion section 12 may be configured as a hole. Or both may be configured as a hole, similar to hole 9 of FIG. 1.
Any handpad described herein, including handpad 170, may be configured with a wrapping portion 15. Any handpad described herein, including handpads 10, 70 and 90, may be configured with wrist straps similar to wrist strap 179 of FIGS. 18 and 19. Any handpad described herein, including handpads 10, 70 and 90, may be configured with notches similar to notch 169 of FIG. 19, and similar notches are evident in drawings for some of these embodiments (e.g., FIG. 8).
While stitching may be shown in some figures on one or both sides of the handpad, stitching need not be visible. In addition, the stitching need not resemble the stitching pattern shown in the figures, and may have any suitable stitching pattern.
The inventive handpads described herein may be worn on either hand. While the handpads shown in the figures are all intended to be worn on the left hand, the description and figures are sufficient to allow one of ordinary skill in the art to make any embodiment for a right hand. Provisional Application No. 63/281,423, incorporated by reference herein, includes figures showing embodiments for the right hand.
The handpads described herein may be made from any suitable material. The material may be of any desired thickness. In one embodiment, the handpads are made from Neoprene or a similar material. A padded material like Neoprene may act as a shock absorber, protecting the hand from repetitive impacts caused, for example, by repetitively hitting baseballs during batting practice. An absorbent material like Neoprene may absorb moisture such as perspiration, and may protect the skin from the adverse effects of perspiration on the skin, such as increased rubbing. Neoprene is also durable, which may allow the handpad to be effective over a longer period of time than those made from non-durable materials. Neoprene is also elastic, which may allow it to conform to the contour of the hand and be worn comfortably under a batting glove. A handpad made from a material like Neoprene may also deflect some of the friction that would otherwise transfer from the bat to the glove and to the skin. For each of these reasons, alone or in some combination, an inventive handpad described herein made from a material like Neoprene may provide protection against blisters. Some of these advantages, however, may be realized with a handpad made from a different material. The handpads may comprise one or more pieces of material.
The embodiments described herein may be used in any activity, and particularly those involving repetitive gripping and impact. For example, the handpads described herein may be used for baseball, golf, weight lifting, cutting wood with an ax or digging with a shovel.
At least some of the above-described embodiments are an improvement over known apparatus and methods for reducing blisters or limiting the exacerbation of blisters. For example, embodiments of handpads described herein may be easily taken on and off, whereas tape, Band-Aids or wraps may generally be disposed after removal, or it may be less convenient or difficult to reuse them. Embodiments of the handpads described herein may provide increased coverage of any existing or potential blister area or “hot spot,” including but not limited to the upper palm, hypothenar region and lower index finger.
While different configurations are disclosed herein, the arrangement of the little-finger insertion section and index-finger insertion section at the top corners of the pad provide stability to the pad and reduce movement of the pad even if the bottom of the pad is not secured to the hand or wrist. In some embodiments, however, the handpad may have only an index-finger insertion section or a little-finger insertion section, but not both. Alternatively, the handpad may have an insertion section for one or more other fingers and/or the thumb in addition to or in place of the index-finger insertion section and/or little-finger insertion section.
Patent Application
20240269535
