GLOVE ADAPTED FOR THE ATTACHMENT OF ONE OR MORE ACCESSORIES

Abstract

An apparatus for being worn on a hand of a user is disclosed. The apparatus includes a glove adapted for the attachment of one or more accessories. The glove includes a plurality of finger portions, a dimensionally stable portion proximal to the finger portions for covering knuckles on the hand of the user, and a portion proximal of the dimensionally stable portion for fastening to one or more accessories. At least one of the plurality of finger portions may be adapted for retracting from a position covering a finger of the user's hand and fastening to the glove using at least one fastener. When the at least one finger portion is not fastened to the glove, the at least one fastener may be covered by a cover. The accessory connected to the glove may be a lighting module such that the glove is adapted for projecting light from a rear surface of a portion of the glove proximal of the plurality of finger portions.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to hand wear and, more particularly, to a glove adapted for the attachment of one or more accessories.

BACKGROUND

As is well-known, gloves are often worn on the hands for warmth or protection. Past proposals have been made for providing gloves with various features, such as the capacity to create illumination, but existing versions suffer from several limitations. For one, the light source for providing the illumination is typically integrated into one or more of the fingers of the glove. This can limit use of the fingers to perform a task while simultaneously projecting the light emanating from the module in a particular direction. Another limitation is that integration of the light may render the glove useless in terms of providing illumination should the light fail. Aside from affording the ability to create ambient illumination, it would also be beneficial to provide the glove with the selective ability to connect with other accessories module to facilitate tactical use in an efficient and effective manner.

Accordingly, a need is identified for a glove that addresses and overcomes the foregoing limitations and others that have yet to be discovered.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, this disclosure relates to an apparatus for being worn on a hand of a user. The apparatus may be a glove which further includes the following: a plurality of finger portions; a dimensionally stable portion proximal of the plurality of finger portions for covering knuckles on the hand of the user when worn; a portion proximal of the dimensionally stable portion adapted for fastening to one or more accessories; and at least one accessory fastener for fastening with the one or more accessories.

At least one of the plurality of finger portions may be adapted for retracting from a position covering a finger of the user's hand and fastening to the glove using at least one fastener. The at least one fastener may be associated with a cover for covering the at least one fastener when not fastened to at least one of the plurality of finger portions. In some embodiments, the at least one fastener is a hook and loop fastener. The glove may include an opening for receiving the dimensionally stable portion. In some embodiments, the opening is a pocket. The dimensionally stable portion may be detachable from the glove and oversized relative to the opening. In some embodiments, the dimensionally stable portion is adapted for projecting light therefrom, and may include one or more openings for allowing light to pass from a light source within the glove. In some embodiments, the at least one accessory fastener associated with the portion proximal of the dimensionally stable portion is a hook or loop fastener. Alternatively, the at least one accessory fastener may include a pair of screws passing through openings in the portion proximal of the dimensionally stable portion. The one or more accessories may be a light module, a watch, a compass, a patch, a magazine, or combinations thereof. Additionally, the portion proximal of the dimensionally stable portion may include a strap adapted for fastening to an additional accessory.

A further aspect of the disclosure relates to an apparatus for being worn on a hand of a user, which may be a glove that includes a plurality of finger portions and is adapted to project light from a rear surface of a portion of the glove proximal of the plurality of finger portions. The glove may also include at least one lighting module connected to the rear surface. Furthermore, the glove may include a dimensionally stable material along a portion of the glove adapted to cover a user's knuckles, the dimensionally stable material further including one or more openings for allowing the passage of light from a light source located therein. The at least one lighting module may project light in a direction generally orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the glove, and may be adapted to project light in at least two different directions. The plurality of openings within the dimensionally stable material may include a first set of openings for projecting light in a first direction and a second set of openings for projecting light in a second direction.

These and additional features provided by the embodiments described herein will be more fully understood in view of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim this technology, it is believed this technology may be better understood from the following description of certain examples taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify the same elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a glove, further including a finger portion in a first position;

FIG. 1A is a side view of the glove, further including the finger portion in a second position;

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the glove of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the glove;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the glove of FIG. 2, further including a knuckle portion detached from the glove;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the glove in a first position, further including a pocket;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the glove of FIG. 3 in a second position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the glove, further including a magazine detached from the glove;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the glove of FIG. 4, further including the magazine attached to the glove;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the glove, further including a modular light unit detached from the glove;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the glove of FIG. 5, further including the modular light unit attached to the glove;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the glove, further including a watch detached from the glove;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the glove of FIG. 6, further including the watch attached to the glove;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the glove, further including the modular light unit; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the glove, further including a patch.

The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the technology may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present technology, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the technology; it being understood, however, that this technology is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference now to FIGS. 1, 1A, and 1B, a glove 10 is disclosed. As illustrated, the glove 10 is sized and shaped for covering the entirety of a user's hand, including the fingers and wrist. To allow for selective exposure of the user's fingers, one or more finger portion 12 of the glove 10 may be adapted for folding back, as indicated by action arrow A in FIG. 1A. The upper surface of the distal end of the finger portion 12 may be provided with a first fastener 14 for fastening to a second fastener 16 proximal of the distal end. The first and second fasteners 14, 16 may be, for example, hook and loop fasteners.

To shield the second fastener 16 from unintended attachment to other objects, a cover, such as a flap 18, may be provided for selectively covering the fastener 16. In the case where the fasteners 14, 16 are of the hook and loop type, the flap 18 may be provided with a third fastener 20 adapted for coupling with the second fastener 16 when not in use for connecting with the first fastener 14 associated with the distal end of finger portion 12. Lifting the flap 18 (arrow L) may thus expose the second fastener 16 for attachment to the first fastener 14 when the associated finger portion 12 is retracted, thus holding this portion in that position during the attachment, and allowing for the arrangement to be easily reversed if desired. The arrangement is shown in FIGS. 1, 1A, and 1B as being provided on the finger portion 12 associated with the user's pointer finger, but could be provided for any or all of the other portions of glove 10 for covering the user's other fingers.

Turning to FIGS. 2 and 2A, the glove 10 may also be provided with a portion for covering the area of the hand including the user's knuckles. This knuckle portion 22 may be dimensionally stable (e.g., rigid or semi-rigid, and able to hold its shape under typical forces associated with being worn on the user's hand) relative to other portions of the glove 10, which are formed of a dimensionally unstable, or flexible, material, such as a woven fabric. In the illustrated example, this knuckle portion 22 comprises a unitary piece of material adapted for attachment to the glove 10, and may be contoured to correspond to the shape and spacing of a typical user's knuckles, thereby creating raised portions on the outside surface thereof.

The glove 10 may be arranged to allow for easy removal and reattachment of the knuckle portion 22. With further reference to FIGS. 3 and 3A, a pocket 24 is provided in a rear surface of the glove 10 proximal of the finger portions 12. The pocket 24 is associated with an opening 26 in communication with the pocket 24 for at least partially receiving the unitarily formed knuckle portion 22 when inserted therein (arrow I). Alternatively, the knuckle portion 22 may be provided as a plurality of segments, which may be associated with independent openings formed in the glove 10.

The knuckle portion 22 may be oversized relative to the opening 26, such as by providing the former with a perimeter that is larger than the perimeter of the latter. This relative sizing ensures the knuckle portion 22 is securely retained within the opening 26 when inserted into the pocket 24. The material surrounding the opening 26 may be sufficiently flexible to allow for the knuckle portion 22 to be pushed upwardly through the opening 26 for removal, as indicated by action arrow B in FIG. 2A. This allows for the knuckle portion 22 to be easily removed and replaced, such as for purposes of appearance (e.g. different coloration or other indicia), size, shape, or other functional modifications (as outlined further in the following description). Alternatively or additionally, the knuckle portion 22 may be secured in place by sewing it to the material of the glove 10 surrounding the opening 26.

It can also be understood from FIGS. 1, 1A, 2, and 2A that a rear portion 28 of the glove 10 proximal of the finger portions 12 may be provided with one or more fasteners for fastening objects or accessories thereto. For example, this portion 28 may be provided with a hook or loop fastener for engaging a corresponding fastener associated with an object or accessory. This portion 28 may also be provided with a pair of spaced openings 30, 32 for receiving fasteners associated with or for connecting to an object, as outlined further in the following description.

Turning to FIGS. 3 and 3A, the material surrounding the opening 26 may be attached to the glove 10 along the side edges, but not along a proximal edge 34. Consequently, when the user makes a first (arrow F), this allows for the proximal edge 34 to move in a distal direction (note advanced position of edge 34′). This exposes an auxiliary section 28a of the rear portion 28 including the fasteners for fastening accessories or objects to the glove 10.

An example of an accessory for attachment to the glove 10 is shown in FIG. 4. This exemplary accessory is a magazine 36 for holding ammunition, such as bullets or like projectiles P. Specifically, the magazine 36 may include along a rear face a plurality of receivers in the form of sleeves 36a for receiving individual projectiles or bullets. A front face of the magazine 36 may include a fastener for removably fastening to the rear portion 28 of the glove 10, such as for example by a hook and loop combination to facilitate rapid attachment and removal.

In the mounted position, as shown to the right in FIG. 4, it can be appreciated that the positioning of the magazine 36 is such that the distal ends of the projectiles therein do not interfere with the knuckle portion 22 or the ability of the user to make a fist. The proximal ends of the projectiles P are exposed for ready removal and use. Placement or replacement of the projectiles P is also facilitated by the exposed open ends of the receivers or sleeves 36a, which may be sized and shaped to capture and securely hold the projectiles P in place during use, until removal is desired.

Turning to FIGS. 5 and 5A, an alternative manner of attachment of an accessory to the glove 10 is shown. In this example, the openings 30, 32 are leveraged to receive fasteners, such as screws S, that project through the material of the glove 10 along the rear portion 28. The head of each screw S is oversized relative to the associated opening 30, 32, which may include grommets G, to capture the screw in place when attached to an accessory. In the illustrated version, the accessory is a modular light unit 38, which may be provided to project light outwardly in a direction opposite the rear surface of the glove 10. The modular light unit is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US20230225485Al, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 6A, the glove 10 may be provided with a strap 40 adapted for adjusting in length to secure to the user's wrist. The strap 40 may be sized and shaped for connection to an accessory, such as a watch W, compass, or like accessory for displaying information. The arrangement is such that, when the strap 40 is used to secure the glove 10 in place (such as using suitable fastener(s)), the accessory (watch W) faces upwardly for ready viewing by the user, but does not interfere with any accessory connected to the rear portion 28.

Turning to FIG. 7, it can be understood that the rear portion 28 of the glove 10 may be adapted to project light L outwardly in a direction generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the finger portions 12. This allows for the light to project outwardly in a substantially consistent manner despite the movement of the fingers, and also permits the user to control the direction of the light via movement of their hand (e.g., by rotating the hand or forming a first and then reorienting it to alter the projection of the light).

This directional lighting may be achieved by providing a lighting module for positioning in the opening 26, such as via pocket 24. In the illustrated version, the lighting module comprises the knuckle portion 22 adapted for allow for the passage of light L, which may be provided by the modular light unit 38 positioned in the pocket 24. The passage of light L from the unit 38 in the pocket 24 to the exterior may be achieved by providing one or more openings in the knuckle portion 22, such as for example, distal openings 22a associated with each knuckle, and three proximal openings 22b located proximally of the distal openings 22a, but more or fewer openings may be provided in any desired arrangement. The openings may be position such that when a first is made, the distal openings 22a project light in an outward, but more forward direction, while the proximal openings 22b project light in an outward, but more rearward direction relative to the distal openings 22a. Alternatively or additionally, all or parts of the knuckle portion 22 may be formed of a material that is transparent or translucent for allowing the passage of light from a light source located within the glove 10.

As shown in FIG. 8, the accessory may also comprise a patch 50. The patch 50 may include a fastener, such as a hook or loop fastener, for fastening to the portion 28 of the glove 10.

As is also shown in FIG. 8, a distal portion of the patch 50 may also be at least partially arranged below the proximal edge 34 to provide a hold-down force.

As should be appreciated, a pair of the gloves 10 may be provided, each adapted for being worn on the corresponding hand of the user. The gloves 10 in the pair need not be identical, and may include any or all of the disclosed features.

According to a further aspect of the disclosure, another object for being worn, such as a glove, vest, gaiter, backpack, sleeve, or the like, may also be adapted for connecting to an accessory in the same manner as the disclosed glove, such as by including spaced openings for receiving suitable fasteners. An example of this arrangement may be found in U.S. Patent Publication No. US20230225485Al, attached hereto as Exhibit A. This would facilitate repositioning of the accessory among the worn items as desired by the user.

Each of the following terms written in singular grammatical form: “a”, “an”, and the”, as used herein, means “at least one”, or “one or more”. Use of the phrase “One or more” herein does not alter this intended meaning of “a”, “an”, or “the”. Accordingly, the terms “a”, “an”, and “the”, as used herein, may also refer to, and encompass, a plurality of the stated entity or object, unless otherwise specifically defined or stated herein, or the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the phrases: “a unit”, “a device”, “an assembly”, “a mechanism”, “a component, “an element”, and “a step or procedure”, as used herein, may also refer to, and encompass, a plurality of units, a plurality of devices, a plurality of assemblies, a plurality of mechanisms, a plurality of components, a plurality of elements, and, a plurality of steps or procedures, respectively.

Each of the following terms: “includes”, “including”, “has”, “having”, “comprises”, and “comprising”, and, their linguistic/grammatical variants, derivatives, or/and conjugates, as used herein, means “including, but not limited to”, and is to be taken as specifying the stated components), feature(s), characteristic(s), parameter(s), integer(s), or step(s), and does not preclude addition of one or more additional component(s), feature(s), characteristic(s), parameter(s), integer(s), step(s), or groups thereof. Each of these terms is considered equivalent in meaning to the phrase “consisting essentially of” Each of the phrases “consisting of” and “consists of”, as used herein, means “including and limited to”. The phrase “consisting essentially of” means that the stated entity or item (system, system unit, system sub-unit device, assembly, sub-assembly, mechanism, structure, component element or, peripheral equipment utility, accessory, or material, method or process, step or procedure, sub-step or sub-procedure), which is an entirety or part of an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed invention, or/and which is used for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed invention, may include at least one additional feature or characteristic” being a system unit system sub-unit device, assembly, subassembly, mechanism, structure, component or element or, peripheral equipment utility, accessory, or material, step or procedure, sub-step or sub-procedure), but only if each such additional feature or characteristic” does not materially alter the basic novel and inventive characteristics or special technical features, of the claimed item.

Terms of approximation, such as the terms about, substantially, approximately, generally, etc., as used herein, refer to ±10% of the stated numerical value or as close as possible to a stated condition.

It is to be fully understood that certain aspects, characteristics, and features, of the invention, which are, for clarity, illustratively described and presented in the context or format of a plurality of separate embodiments, may also be illustratively described and presented in any suitable combination or sub-combination in the context or format of a single embodiment. Conversely, various aspects, characteristics, and features, of the invention which are illustratively described and presented in combination or sub-combination in the context or format of a single embodiment may also be illustratively described and presented in the context or format of a plurality of separate embodiments.

Although the invention has been illustratively described and presented by way of specific exemplary embodiments, and examples thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, or/and variations, thereof, will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that all such alternatives, modifications, or/and variations, fall within the spirit of, and are encompassed by, the broad scope of the appended claims.

While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, such aspects need not be utilized in combination. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. An apparatus for being worn on a hand of a user, comprising: a glove, the glove comprising: a plurality of finger portions;a dimensionally stable portion proximal of the plurality of finger portions for covering knuckles on the hand of the user when worn;a portion proximal of the dimensionally stable portion adapted for fastening to one or more accessories; andat least one accessory fastener for fastening with the one or more accessories.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of finger portions is adapted for being retracted from a position covering a finger of the user's hand and fastened to the glove using at least one fastener.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one fastener is associated with a cover for covering the at least one fastener when not fastened to at least one of the plurality of finger portions.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one fastener comprises a hook and loop fastener.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimensionally stable portion is detachable from the glove.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more accessories are selected from a group comprising a light module, a watch, a compass, a patch, a magazine, and combinations thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the glove includes an opening for receiving the dimensionally stable portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further including a pocket associated with the opening for at least partially receiving the dimensionally stable portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the dimensionally stable portion is oversized relative to the opening.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimensionally stable portion of the glove is adapted for projecting light therefrom.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimensionally stable portion comprises one or more openings for allowing light to pass from a light source within the glove.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portion proximal of the dimensionally stable portion comprises a strap adapted for fastening to an additional accessory.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one accessory fastener comprises a hook or loop fastener.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one accessory fastener comprises a pair of screws passing through openings in the portion proximal of the dimensionally stable portion.

15. An apparatus for being worn on a hand of a user, comprising: a glove including a plurality of finger portions, the glove adapted for projecting light from a rear surface of a portion of the glove proximal of the plurality of finger portions.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the glove includes at least one lighting module connected to the rear surface of the portion of the glove proximal of the plurality of finger portions.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the glove comprises a dimensionally stable material along a portion of the glove adapted to cover a user's knuckles, and wherein the dimensionally stable material includes a plurality of openings for allowing a passage of light from a light source located therein.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one lighting module is adapted for projecting light in a direction generally orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the glove.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one lighting module is adapted for projecting light in at least two different directions.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the plurality of openings comprise a first set of openings for projecting light in a first direction and a second set of openings for projecting light in a second direction.