SANDING GLOVE

Abstract

A sanding glove or mitten comprises a hand shaped portion with a mouth at a base thereof to allow for the insertion of a hand of a user. A pocket is connected to the hand shaped portion and there is a rigid insert which is removeably received by the pocket. A fastener pad is disposed on the pocket for releasably fastening an abrasive sanding pad to the sanding glove or mitten. The abrasive sanding pad defines a rigid sanding surface when the rigid insert is received in the pocket and the abrasive sanding pad defines a flexible sanding surface when the rigid insert is removed from the pocket.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a sanding glove and, in particular, to a sanding glove which allows for both a rigid sanding surface and a flexible sanding surface.

2. Description of the Related Art

It is known to provide sanding gloves for use in various fields including carpentry and automobile restoration. Typically however the sanding gloves are designed to provide a flexible sanding surface for sanding a non-planar surface of a work piece.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,178 which issued on May 6, 2003 to Hoover discloses a sanding glove for carrying a loop backed abrasive sanding pad of any desired shape. The sanding glove has a thumb compartment, an index finger compartment, a middle finger compartment, a ring finger compartment, and a small finger compartment. Each of the finger compartments has a palm side and back side and fingertip end, and a main opening for insertion of a hand of a user. Each of the index, middle and ring finger compartments has a strip of hook fastener material attached to the palm side and the back side thereof. The thumb compartment and the small finger compartment are devoid of strips of hook fastener material so that the loop backed abrasive sanding pad of any desired shape can be attached to at least one of the strips of hook fastener material to facilitate sanding. The thumb and small finger compartments are free of hook fastener material to facilitate the ability of the user to grip and manipulate objects without removal of the sanding glove.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,822 which issued on Jun. 10, 2003 to Lowe et al. discloses a sanding glove for treating an area of an object. The sanding glove includes a glove portion, an abrasive sanding portion releasably secured to the glove portion and a device for releasably securing the sanding portion to the glove portion. A user is able to treat a surface of an object by rubbing the sanding portion against the object. The device for releasably securing the sanding portion to the glove portion includes a plurality of recesses extending through the palm area of the glove portion and a plurality of protrusions extending from a first side of the sanding portion. The plurality of protrusions is received by respective recesses, securing the sanding portion to the glove portion. Alternatively, the device for releasably securing may include a hook and loop fastener on both the glove portion and sanding portion which engage with one another. The glove portion is fabricated from a flexible material for protecting and bending with a hand of a user. The sanding portion includes a semi-rigid pad and a sanding area positioned on a side of the pad opposite the connection with the glove portion. The sanding portion may also include grooves extending along a width thereof for facilitating flexing of the sanding glove. The sanding glove is shaped in the form of a human hand or a mitten. The sanding area is one of a sanding, a buffing, a scuffing or a polishing material.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,244 which issued on Aug. 12, 2003 to Leach discloses a sanding glove including at least one glove member for positioning on a hand of a user. The glove member includes a wrist portion, a palm portion, and a plurality of digit portions. The glove member has a front surface and a back surface. A plurality of hook and loop fastener sections are fixedly coupled to the front surface of the glove member. The hook and loop fastener sections include a palm fastener section and a plurality of digit fastener sections. A plurality of abrasive pads releasably attaches to the hook and loop fastener sections. The plurality of pads comprises a palm pad and a plurality of digit pads for selectively coupling to the palm fastener section and the digit fastener sections respectively. Each of the fastener sections are dimensioned substantially coextensive with a respective one of each of the pads such that each of the digit pads is positionable about a large portion of fingertips of a user, thereby permitting the user to access tighter areas.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved sanding glove.

There is accordingly provided a sanding glove comprising a hand shaped portion with a mouth at a base thereof to allow for the insertion of a hand of a user. There is a small finger compartment, a ring finger compartment, a middle finger compartment, an index finger compartment, and a thumb compartment each of which extend outwardly from the hand shaped portion. A pocket is connected to at least two of the ring finger compartment, the middle finger compartment, and the index finger compartment. There is a rigid insert which is removeably received by the pocket. The rigid insert may include a tab to facilitate removal of the rigid insert from the pocket. A fastener pad is disposed on the pocket for releasably fastening an abrasive sanding pad to the sanding glove. The abrasive sanding pad defines a rigid sanding surface when the rigid insert is received in the pocket and the abrasive sanding pad defines a flexible sanding surface when the rigid insert is removed from the pocket.

The fastener pad may be a hook or loop fastener pad which may be provided with a plurality of apertures or recesses which do not have any hooks or loops. Alternatively, the fastener pad may be a polymer based fastener pad. The pocket and the fastener pad may be integral. The sanding glove may further include a skirt extending from the hand shaped portion to the mouth. The skirt may form a wrist portion of the sanding glove. The sanding glove may still further include a strap disposed about the skirt with the strap and skirt being provided with fasteners to allow the wrist portion of the sanding glove to be tightened about a wrist of a user. The sanding glove may yet still further include a stiffening pad.

The sanding glove disclosed herein provides the advantage of allowing a user to selectively choose the grade of the abrasive pad to be used and either a rigid or flexible sanding surface, depending on the surface of the work piece being finished.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF DRAWINGS

The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of the embodiments thereof given, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear view of a first embodiment of an improved sanding glove;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the sanding glove of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another front view of the sanding glove of FIG. 1 further including sandpaper releasably secured thereto;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing the sandpaper as well as a hook or loop fastener pad, a pocket, and a rigid insert of the sanding glove of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a yet another front view of the sanding glove of FIG. 1 with the rigid insert removed from the pocket;

FIG. 6 is yet still another front view of the sanding glove of FIG. 1 with the sandpaper bent to conform to a non-planar surface;

FIG. 7 is still yet another front view of the sanding glove of FIG. 1 further including steel wool releasably secured thereto;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a second embodiment of an improved sanding glove;

FIG. 9 is a front view of a second embodiment of an improved sanding glove; and

FIG. 10 is a front view of a mitten provided with a hook or loop fastener pad, a pocket, and a rigid insert.

DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first embodiment of an improved sanding glove 10 is shown. The sanding glove 10 includes a hand shaped portion which in this example includes a back hand or opisthenar portion 12 which is shown in FIG. 1 and a front hand or palmar portion 14 which is shown in FIG. 2. The opisthenar portion 12 and the palmar portion 14 are connected along their peripheries with a skirt 16 extending from bases thereof. The skirt 16 forms a wrist portion of the sanding glove 10 and has a mouth 18 to allow for the insertion of a hand (not shown) of a user into the sanding glove 10. In this example, there is a strap 20 disposed about the skirt 16. The skirt 16 and strap 20 are provided with fasteners in the form of hook and loop fastener strips 22 and 24, respectively, similar to the type sold under the trademark VELCRO®. This allows the skirt 16 or wrist portion to be tightened about a wrist (not shown) of a user.

The sanding glove 10 further includes a small finger compartment 26, a ring finger compartment 28, a middle finger compartment 30, an index finger compartment 32, and a thumb compartment 34; all of which extend outwardly from the opisthenar portion 12 and palmar portion 14. As best shown in FIG. 2, there is a substantially quadrilateral hook or loop fastener pad 36 connected to a front of the ring finger compartment 28, the middle finger compartment 30, and the index finger compartment 32. As best shown in FIG. 3, the hook or loop fastener pad 36 allows a substantially quadrilateral abrasive sanding pad 38 with a complementary hook or loop back side to be releasably fastened to the sanding glove 10. In this example the abrasive sanding pad 38 is in the form of sandpaper. As shown in FIG. 2, the sanding glove 10 may also be provided with stiffening pads such as stiffening pads 15a disposed on the palmar portion 14 and stiffening pad 15b disposed along the finger compartments 26, 28, 30 and 32. As thus far described the sanding glove 10 is conventional.

However, the hook or loop fastener pad 36 of the sanding glove 10 disclosed herein is further provided with a plurality of either apertures or recesses, for example recesses 40a and 40b shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, which do not have any hooks or loops. The recesses 40a and 40b may align with so as to be in fluid communication with apertures, for example apertures 42a and 42b, on the abrasive sanding pad 38. This allows air to flow between the hook or loop fastener pad 36 and the abrasive sanding pad 38 to ventilate between the hook or loop fastener pad 36 and the abrasive sanding pad 38 during sanding. As shown in FIG. 3, the sanding glove 10 is also provided with pocket 44 on which the hook or loop fastener pad 36 is disposed. In this example the pocket has a substantially quadrilateral shape with one open side. The pocket 44 receives a substantially quadrilateral rigid insert 46 which allows for a rigid sanding surface which is defined by the abrasive sanding pad 38. The rigid insert 46 is provided with a tab 48 to facilitate removal of the rigid insert 46 from the pocket 44. The hook or loop fastener pad 36, pocket 44, and rigid insert 46 are shown in greater detail in FIG. 4. In this example an adhesive 50 applied to the pocket 44 fixedly secures the hook or loop fastener pad 36 to the pocket 44. In other examples the loop fastener pad 36 may be releasably secured to the pocket 44.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the rigid insert 46 may be removed from the pocket 44 by pulling on the tab 48. Removal of the rigid insert 46 provides a flexible sanding surface defined by the abrasive sanding pad 38 which may be bent, as shown in FIG. 6, to conform to a non-planar surface of a work piece. The sanding glove 10 disclosed herein accordingly provides the advantage of allowing for either a rigid or a flexible sanding surface. The sanding glove 10 disclosed herein also provides the advantage of allowing different types of abrasive sanding pads to be releasably secured to sanding glove 10 via the hook or loop fastener pad 36. This allows a user to selectively choose the grade of the abrasive pad and either a rigid or flexible sanding surface depending on the work piece being finished. In FIG. 7, an abrasive sanding pad 50 in the form of steel wool is releasably secured to sanding glove 10 via the hook or loop fastener pad 36.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a second embodiment of the improved sanding glove 51 is shown. The second embodiment of the sanding glove 51 is substantially identical to the first embodiment of the sanding glove 10 with the notable exception that in the second embodiment of the sanding glove 51 the pocket 53 is formed at least in part from a hook or loop material and functions as a fastener pad to allow an abrasive sanding pad 55 to be releasably secured to the sanding glove, i.e. the pocket and fastener are integral.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a third embodiment of the improved sanding glove 52 is shown. The third embodiment of the sanding glove 52 is substantially identical to the first embodiment of the sanding glove 10 with the notable exception that the third embodiment of the sanding glove 52 is provided with a polymer based fastener pad 54 instead of a hook or loop fastener pad. The polymer based fastener pad 54 allows for an abrasive sanding pad 56 with adhesive on a back side thereof to be releasably secured to the sanding glove 52.

Referring now to FIG. 10, it will be understood by a person skilled in the art that a hook or loop fastener pad 58 may alternatively be disposed on a pocket 60 secured to a mitten 62 wherein the pocket 60 is configured to releasably receive a rigid insert 64 to allow for either a rigid or flexible sanding surface when an abrasive sanding pad 66 with a hook or loop back side is secured to the hook or loop fastener pad 58. The rigid insert 63 is similar to the rigid insert shown in FIG. 5.

It will further be understood by a person skilled in the art that many of the details provided above are by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is to be determined with reference to the following claims.

Claims

1. A sanding glove comprising: a hand shaped portion with a mouth at a base thereof to allow for the insertion of a hand of a user;a finger compartment extending outwardly from the hand shaped portion;a pocket connected to the finger compartment;a rigid insert which is removeably received within the pocket; anda fastener pad secured to the pocket for releasably fastening an abrasive sanding pad to the sanding glove wherein, when the rigid insert is received in the pocket, the abrasive sanding pad defines a rigid sanding surface and, when the rigid insert is removed from the pocket, the abrasive sanding pad defines a flexible sanding surface.

2. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fastener pad is a hook or loop fastener pad.

3. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fastener pad is provided with a plurality of apertures which do not have any hooks or loops.

4. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fastener pad is provided with a plurality of recesses which do not have any hooks or loops.

5. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fastener pad is a polymer based fastener pad.

6. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pocket and the fastener pad are integral.

7. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 3 wherein the pocket and the fastener pad are integral.

8. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 1 further including a skirt extending from the hand shaped portion to the mouth, the skirt forming a wrist portion of the sanding glove.

9. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 8 further including a strap disposed about the skirt, the strap and skirt being provided with fasteners to allow the wrist portion of the sanding glove to be tightened about a wrist of a user.

10. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 1 further including a stiffening pad.

11. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rigid insert includes a tab to facilitate removal of the rigid insert from the pocket.

12. A sanding glove comprising: a hand shaped portion with a mouth at a base thereof to allow for the insertion of a hand of a user;a small finger compartment, a ring finger compartment, a middle finger compartment, an index finger compartment, and a thumb compartment each extending outwardly from the hand shaped portion;a pocket secured to at least two of the ring finger compartment, the middle finger compartment, and the index finger compartment;a rigid insert which is removeably received within the pocket; anda hook or loop fastener pad connected to the pocket for releasably fastening an abrasive sanding pad to the sanding glove, the hook or loop fastening pad being provided with a plurality of apertures or recesses which do not have any hooks or loops wherein, when the rigid insert is received in the pocket, the abrasive sanding pad defines a rigid sanding surface and, when the rigid insert is removed from the pocket, the abrasive sanding pad defines a flexible sanding surface.

13. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 12 further including a skirt extending from the hand shaped portion to the mouth and a strap disposed about the skirt, the skirt forming a wrist portion of the sanding glove, and the strap and skirt being provided with fasteners to allow the wrist portion of the sanding glove to be tightened about a user wrist.

14. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 12 further including a stiffening pad disposed thereon.

15. The sanding glove as claimed in claim 12 wherein the rigid insert includes a tab to facilitate removal of the rigid insert from the pocket.

16. A sanding mitten comprising: a hand shaped portion with a mouth at a base thereof to allow for the insertion of a user hand;a pocket connected to the hand shaped portion;a rigid insert which is removeably received within the pocket; anda fastener pad secured to the pocket for releasably fastening an abrasive sanding pad to the sanding mitten wherein, when the rigid insert is received in the pocket, the abrasive sanding pad defines a rigid sanding surface and, when the rigid insert is removed from the pocket, the abrasive sanding pad defines a flexible sanding surface.

17. The sanding mitten as claimed in claim 16 wherein the fastener pad is a hook or loop fastener pad provided with a plurality of apertures or recesses which do not have any hooks or loops.

18. The sanding mitten as claimed in claim 16 wherein the fastener pad is a polymer based fastener pad.