Patent Application
20230248092
This application relates generally to work gloves and, more specifically, to gloves to protect the knuckle areas of the dorsal side of the hand from impact.
Glove construction for protection of the human hand is well known. A variety of protective features for the knuckle region of the hand are also known. For example, gloves that incorporate a molded thermoplastic rubber protectant applied to the knuckle and/or finger region are known. A variety of configurations of such thermoplastic rubber protective structures are known, and improved configurations are continually sought.
In one aspect, a glove includes a glove body in a shape of a hand and having a palm side and a dorsal side opposite the palm side. A protective structure is located on the dorsal side. The protective structure includes multiple openings with thermoplastic boundary segments and surrounding thermoplastic main segments that provided for a two-stage impact configuration.
The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Referring to
Each finger segment 22b includes a plurality of through openings 24 through which a material 26 forming the glove body is exposed. The plurality of through openings 24 of each finger segment are spaced apart along a length of the finger segment. At least one through opening, here multiple through openings, of each finger segment is/are bounded, at least in part, by a thermoplastic boundary segment 22c and each thermoplastic boundary segment 22c is bounded, at least in part, by a surrounding thermoplastic main segment 22d. The combination of the thermoplastic boundary segments 22c and surrounding thermoplastic main segments 22d provides for a two-stage impact configuration. In particular, each thermoplastic boundary segment 22c is (i) shaped to be more flexible than the surrounding thermoplastic main segment 22d and/or (ii) dimensioned to be more flexible than the surrounding thermoplastic main segment and/or (iii) comprised of a material that is more flexible than a material of the surrounding thermoplastic main segment.
The protective structure 20 is a separate unit that is connected to the material 26 of the dorsal side 16 of the glove body, such as by stitching or adhesive.
Each thermoplastic boundary segment 22c has at least one portion 30 that extends to a height that is higher than a height of all immediately adjacent portions of the surrounding thermoplastic main segment 22d, where each height is measured in a direction perpendicularly away from the dorsal side of the glove (e.g., in a direction out of the page in
For each thermoplastic boundary segment, a recess 32 is formed in the thermoplastic rubber element at least between an upper portion of the thermoplastic boundary segment 22c and an upper portion of the surrounding thermoplastic main segment 22d. The surrounding thermoplastic main segment 22d has a main thickness TM, and the recess 30 extends downward a depth d1 for at least 40% of the main thickness (e.g., at least 50% of the main thickness). The recess provides increased flexibility of the thermoplastic boundary segment 22c relative to the thermoplastic main segment 22d.
In embodiment, a lower portion of each thermoplastic boundary segment 22c is bonded to a lower portion of the surrounding thermoplastic main segment 22. More specifically, the lower portion of each thermoplastic boundary segment 22c may be bonded to the lower portion of the surrounding thermoplastic main segment 22d by co-molding. The materials used for each thermoplastic boundary segment 22c and the surrounding thermoplastic main segments 22d may be identical. However, in other embodiments, the composition of the thermoplastic boundary segments 22c may be different than that of the thermoplastic main segments 22d, to enhance the differential flexibility of the thermoplastic boundary segments.
Here, the higher portions 30 are configured as a peak formed by a first upwardly angled top edge 30a and a second upwardly angled top edge 30b, providing a generally triangular-shape in side view. In addition, the peaks are further formed by a first side wall 30c and a second side wall 30d that angle toward each other when moving upward to the peak. This configuration provides for increasing flexibility of the portions 30 along the height of the portions 30.
Thus, the portions 30 form multiple sections that are raised relative to the surrounding thermoplastic main segment 22d such that a planar object moving toward the dorsal side of the glove will impact one or more of such raised sections prior to impacting the surrounding thermoplastic main segment, per
In the illustrated embodiment, a perimeter of each through opening 24 is Y-shaped. This shape has been found particularly advantageous to facilitate glove flex (e.g., when a user makes a fist). However, other opening shapes are possible.
As seen in
It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by way of limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible.
