Patent Application
20120036611
The present invention relates generally to sport gloves, and more specifically, to golf gloves with a sliding push button closure system.
With respect to athletic gloves, such as those used in golf, it is important that a glove fit properly and be firmly secured about the wearer's hand to ensure that the glove does not interfere with the feel of a sports instrument in the wearer's hand. While adequate sizing plays a role in ensuring proper fit, a glove must also initially be loose enough to allow the wearer's hand ingress and egress. Thus, to ensure proper fit, there must be a way to tighten the glove after it has been placed over the wearer's hand.
There currently exist a number of mechanisms and methods for tightening gloves around a wearer's hand. Such mechanisms include buckles, straps, buttons, ties, elastic, pull closures, hook and loop systems, cable systems and others. While these mechanisms allow gloves to be tightened, they generally have limited range, are difficult to adjust and operate one-handed, and/or have durability constraints. Buckles or straps, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,977 for example, can be difficult to operate one-handed, as is often required when tightening a glove on to the wearer's other hand. Buttons, such as that in U.S. Pat. No. 1,083,795, are not only difficult to operate one-handed, but also are limited in the range of tightening that they can accomplish. Elastic portions, such as those discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,480,944, allow gloves to stretch to allow ingress and egress and then contract to hold the glove in place, and are easy to operate one-handed. However, they can stretch over time, such that they do not maintain a tight fit, and are limited in their ability to create tension around the wearer's hand for a truly snug fit. Pull closures, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,202, allow an elastic strap to be pulled tight, but generally leave excess elastic cord hanging free, which is undesirable in an athletic glove. Lastly, hook and loop closures, often marketed as Velcro®, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,963, can become clogged with other fibers or dirt, and can be difficult to pull tight with a single hand. Cable systems, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,104, can be difficult to operate one-handed in the same manner as hook and loop closures.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved glove fastening and tightening system.
The present invention is directed to a glove closure system having an opening dividing the glove into a lateral portion (thumb side) and a medial portion (pinky side). The opening allows for easy access of the user's hand. The system consists of a rectangular or oval flap attached to the medial portion and pulled over the access opening. A push button is mounted on the flap and movably connected to a slide bar attached to the medial portion. The slide bar includes a notched surface for engaging and stationing the button at any point along the bar. The button includes a release tab which when depressed allows the button to move along the slide bar therein allowing for the closure to either be tightened or loosened. The further the button moves toward the lateral portion the tighter the closure. When the button is engaged and locked, a simple press on the release tab disengages to allow the glove to be opened.
In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:
The present invention is directed to a glove comprising a push-button that engages a slide bar wherein the button upon being moved along the slide bar has means for locking at a plurality of positions on the slide bar, and therein either tightening or loosening the glove. The inventive glove has an adjustable range and an adjustable snug fit, and is very durable.
While the present invention is discussed in connection with sport gloves, e.g., baseball, racquetball or golf gloves, it is understood that the inventive push-button system can be used in any type of glove requiring a tightening or closure system.
In more detail, glove 10 is of flexible construction, preferably comprising leather, or synthetic leather including but not limited to polyurethane leather (e.g., polyurethane coated nylon), or non-woven material, and can be perforated with ventilation holes on the back surface of the fingers. The glove body includes a front surface (not shown), and a dorsal, back surface which is divided by an access opening 32 into a lateral portion 21 adjacent the thumb and a medial portion 23 (near the pinkie). Opening 32 may optionally be filled with an elastic material or fabric.
In the preferred embodiment, a slide bar 14 is attached to the back surface of the lateral portion 21, preferably by sewing. The slide bar 14 is of a relatively narrow longitudinal shape having a perimeter section 15 for stitching onto the glove 10 and a raised section 17 incorporating a plurality of notches 22 for engaging the push-button 16. The push button 16, as best seen on
Since the flap is preferably made from leather, it has minimal expansion or contraction, therefore the user is able to fully engage the flap in a taut relationship with the lateral portion of the glove. Most sport gloves depend upon the flap being able to stretch or expand to ensure a snug fit because the user usually must control the fit with one hand. With the present invention the hand locking is done by pressing of the button and moving it along the slide bar. This facilitates the convenience to the wearer, by allowing the glove to be easily put on, tightened, loosened, or removed, as necessary. This is especially convenient because it allows the wearer to quickly customize the fit of the glove throughout play. For example, if, initially, a glove is fitting properly, during play it might loosen because the leather stretches, or the wearer might decide they would like the glove looser or tighter. With a traditional glove, the wearer would be required to go through the tightening process from the beginning with all of the difficulties that can entail. Using the inventive system, the wearer can merely press the button and move it in either direction to tighten or loosen it a notch or two.
It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown. An example may be where push button closure system utilizes some other shaped item to press and release the locking mechanism, or alternatively where a closure assembly other than leather is used as a flap. This invention is also not to be limited to the specifically preferred embodiments depicted therein.
The present invention is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/697,338, filed on Feb. 1, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12697338 | Feb 2010 | US |
| Child | 13279506 | US |
