Infant children can sometimes scratch and injure themselves inadvertently. For example an infant may scratch his or her face with a fingernail while sleeping, causing discomfort and unsightly marks.
Various measures have been proposed for preventing such scratches, for example mittens or other devices that cover the child's hands. For maximum effectiveness, such a device should stay in place on the child's hands, without falling off during sleep or other normal activity.
According to one aspect, a protective hand covering comprises a flexible shell having a closed first end, an open second end opposite the first end, and an elastically constricted region between the first and second ends. The constricted region defines a passage between the first and second ends. The hand covering further includes a gripping material disposed on an inside surface of the shell at the constricted region and around the passage. The gripping material has a coefficient of friction higher than a coefficient of friction of the material of the flexible shell. In some embodiments, the gripping material comprises rubber. In some embodiments, the gripping material comprises silicone rubber. In some embodiments, the gripping material is arranged in a continuous band around the passage. In some embodiments, the gripping material is arranged in a plurality of separated patches disposed around the passage. In some embodiments, the gripping material has a texture on its exposed surface. In some embodiments, the texture comprises tapered ridges. The flexible shell may comprise a fabric. In some embodiments, the flexible shell comprises two layers of fabric. The gripping material may be partially infused into the fabric. In some embodiments, the flexible shell comprises a stretchable fabric. In some embodiments, the protective hand covering further comprises an elastic band disposed around and constricting the constricted region. In some embodiments, the shell has an expanded circumference of between 4.5 and 6 inches, the constricted region has a constricted inner circumference of less than 3 inches, and the constricted region is positioned between 1.0 and 2.0 inches from the open end of the shell. In some embodiments, the portion of the shell between the closed end and the constricted region is of a shape and size to contain a hand of an infant less than one year old, and the constricted region is of a size to enclose the wrist of an infant less than one year old.
According to another aspect, a mitten comprises a flexible shell including a body portion having a closed end for receiving a hand, and a cuff portion having an open end sized for fitting over a wrist of an infant of young child. The mitten further comprises a gripping material disposed on an inside surface of the shell at a transition zone between the body portion and the cuff portion. The gripping material has a coefficient of friction higher than a coefficient of friction of the material of the flexible shell. The transition region is of a size smaller than the hand of the infant or young child. In some embodiments, the mitten further comprises elastic disposed around the shell at the transition zone, the elastic material urging the shell toward closure at the transition zone. In some embodiments, the elastic has an unstretched length of between 2.5 and 3.5 inches. In some embodiments, the mitten is thumbless. In some embodiments, an exposed surface of the gripping material is textured, the texture comprising tapered ridges. In some embodiments, an exposed surface of the gripping material is textured with ridges disposed at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the mitten.
An elastically constricted region 106 is positioned at a transition between the body portion 102 and the cuff portion 104. The elastically constricted region 106 is preferably of a shape and size to enclose and gently touch or nearly touch the wrist of an infant or young child. For example, the constricted region 106 may be smaller than the hand of the infant or young child, so that the hand covering 100a is constrained to stay on the hand.
In the embodiment of
A gripping material 203 is disposed on an inside surface 204 of the shell 101, at the constricted region 106 and around the passage 201. The gripping material 203 may be any suitable material that has a higher coefficient of friction than the surrounding fabric, and thus helps to prevent the hand covering 100a from inadvertently slipping off of an infant's hand. For example, the gripping material 203 may be a rubber such as silicone rubber, or another suitable material. In the embodiment of
In other embodiments the gripping material may be disposed continuously around the passage 201, rather than being in discrete patches. However, discrete patches may be preferred, as they may be less prone to dislodging from the material of the shell 101 due to the gathering of the constricted region 106.
The gripping material 203 may be applied in any suitable way. For example, in a preferred embodiment, the shell 101 may be made of a fabric, and the gripping material 203 may be partially infused into the fabric for a secure attachment. Other attachment methods may be used as well. For example, the gripping material 203 may be applied to the inside surface 204 of the shell by adhesion of the gripping material 203 itself or by an additional applied adhesive.
The hand coverings 100a and 100b may be made of any suitable materials and by any suitable methods. For example, the shell 101 may be made of a woven, knitted, or nonwoven fabric. The fabric may be made of a natural material such as cotton or wool, or of a synthetic material such as polyester, or of a blend of materials. In some embodiments, the shell 101 may comprise flannel. The shell 101 may be made of a single layer of fabric, or multiple layers. For example, a two-layer shell may have a durable synthetic or blend outer layer, with a soft natural fabric liner. The layers may be quilted together if desired. In some embodiments, one portion of the shell 101 may have a single layer, but another portion may have two layers. For example, body portion 102 may be of a single layer, but cuff portion 104 may have two layers.
In other embodiments, the shell 101 may be formed a molded polymer or other material. Any workable combination of materials may be used. For example, body portion 102 may be made of a different material than cuff portion 104.
In some embodiments, the shell 101 may be made of a naturally stretchy material, for example a knitted fabric similar to the material commonly used to make socks. The material may include a blend of fibers including elastane or another material that enhances the stretchiness of the material. One commercial version of elastane is known under the trade name Spandex™.
When the shell material is naturally stretchy, it may not be necessary to include any elastic band in the hand covering 100a. In that case, the constricted region 106 may be formed by the shell 101 conforming to the wrist of a child wearing the hand covering 100a.
In some embodiments, the hand covering 100a may be reversible. In this case, gripping material 203 may be placed around both the inside and outside of the constricted region 106, so that gripping material is disposed toward the wrist of the child regardless of whether the hand covering 100a has been reversed. In other embodiments, gripping material may be disposed around the outside of the constricted region 106 for decorative purposes.
The hand covering 401 is also an example of a hand covering without an internal elastic band. For example, the hand covering 401 may be made of a naturally stretchy material. A constricted region 406 may be formed during fabrication of the hand covering 401, or by the material conforming to the wrist of a child wearing the hand covering 401.
In some embodiments, the texturing of the gripping material 203 may be angled with respect to an axis of the hand covering.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The gripping material 203 may then be applied, as shown in
In other embodiments, the gripping material 203 may have been previously applied to the material of the shell 101, so that a curing step is not necessary during construction of the hand covering. For example, the gripping material 203 may have been at least partially infused into the material of the shell 101 in a suitable configuration, and the shell 101 may be cut so that the pre-existing gripping material 203 falls at the elastically constricted region 106 of the hand covering 100a.
As shown in
As shown in
The elastic 1201 will form the elastically constricted region 106 of the hand covering 100a, and is preferably selected to have a length and stiffness that will result in a lightly snug and comfortable fit of the gripping material 203 of the hand covering 100a over the wrist of an infant or small child, while substantially preventing the hand covering 100a from inadvertently slipping off of the child's hand.
In general, the length of the elastic 1201 may be somewhat less than the circumference of the wrist of the child, when the elastic is in its unstretched state. In some embodiments, the elastic may about ½ to 2 inches shorter than the circumference of the wrist of the child, depending on the width and stiffness of the elastic. The circumference of a child's wrist depends on the age of the child, but may be given approximately by the measurements in Table 1 below, derived from online sources and independent measurements.
In other embodiments, the elastic 1201 may have an unstretched length comparable to or even slightly larger than the child's wrist diameter.
In one embodiment that has been found suitable for making a hand covering for a newborn, the elastic 1201 has a width of ⅛ inch and an unstretched length of 3 inches. Other lengths may be used, depending on the desired fit and the age of the child for whom the hand covering is intended.
As shown in
The completed hand covering 100a is then inverted from its “inside out” state, and is ready for use, as shown in
It will be recognized that hand coverings according to embodiments of the invention may be made in other ways. For example, the steps above could be performed in a different order. In one simple example, stitching 1102 and 1301 could be placed in one step at the end of the construction of the hand covering 100a.
In other embodiments, other fabrication techniques could be used. For example, the shell 101 could be knitted in one piece of a naturally-elastic material, with the gripping material 203 added to the knitted article. In other embodiments, joining techniques other than stitching may be used. For example, an adhesive may be used to join the halves of the shell together, or the halves may be heat welded if the material of the shell is suitable.
Many other variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, while the hand covering 100a is a thumbless mitten, a thumb could be provided. In other embodiments, the shell 101 may be decorated in any desired way. For example, a print fabric may be used with a decorative pattern depicting such items as cartoon characters, animals, geometric patterns, flowers or other plants, superheroes, spaceships, stars, planets, candies, holiday symbols, or any other item in keeping with the style of the particular hand covering.
The invention has now been described in detail for the purposes of clarity and understanding. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/666,551 filed May 3, 2018 and titled “Protective Hand Covering for Infants”, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
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