TUMBLE GLOVE

Abstract

The specification discloses a glove for use by gymnasts and others while performing athletic acrobatic moves and actions such as tumbling, handstands, cartwheels, somersaults, and many other routines and exercises that tend to impose substantial forces upon a participant's wrists and hands including, in particular, the heel areas of the hands. The exemplary embodiments shown and described herein provide simple, relatively straightforward features of a one-piece glove that is very easy to make and use, and which contributes a substantial protective facility to the heel area of the hands in a facile, user-friendly manner.

Description

FIELD

The invention relates to gloves for protecting a user's hand from the adverse effects of forces directed against the palmar side of the hand and, in particular, impact forces directed against the heel area of the hand during gymnastic activities including, for example, tumbling, cheerleading, and other athletic acrobatic activities.

Every year, more and more people become actively involved in various gymnastic and other similar activities that involve acrobatic maneuvers such as, for example, jumping, flips, dancing, tumbling, hand stands, and the like for recreation, exercise/physical development, socialization, and competitive pursuits. An especially active and growing segment of the population involves relatively rigorous activities that impose substantial force on the hands, arms, and shoulders including, for example, team competitive gymnastics, cheerleading, tumbling, and numerous other organized competitions with intensely competitive performances involving dancing, summersaults, hand stands, jumping, cartwheels, flips and similar maneuvers where dynamic forces are applied to extremities.

Of course, being at the end of the arms, the hands, and in particular, the wrists and associated joints and structures adjacent the base of the hands often experience intensely concentrated forces that can exceed the capabilities of the joints and associated structures to withstand the stress and strain, thereby causing injuries, in some cases severe and debilitating in nature. This is especially problematic with young, developing gymnasts, cheerleaders, dancers, and the like, who often lack the structural development to endure the substantial forces they are able to generate upon their bodies.

Attempts have been made to develop wearable appliances of various sorts in an effort to limit the risks of injury from the aforementioned and similar activities. However, available devices suffer from many drawbacks and limitations that hinder their usefulness in consistently preventing or limiting hand, wrist and other such injuries.

Accordingly, a need exists for an effective wearable appliance that offers the prospect of consistent avoidance of hand and wrist injury to gymnasts and other persons involved in athletic acrobatic activities, which device is relatively inexpensive, simple in construction and use, and which has broad application in a range of different gymnastic and acrobatic activities.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

With respect to the above and other needs and advantages, the present invention provides in one embodiment, a glove for gymnastic and other athletic acrobatic activities, especially for gymnastic and acrobatic endeavors that involve actions such as handstands, tumbling, and other such maneuvers where participants are likely to subject their hands, wrists, and associated structures to intensely concentrated dynamic forces that can cause substantial injury and damage to their hands and wrists, in some cases with permanent and debilitating adverse life-changing effects.

In one embodiment, the glove comprises a primary body including a resiliently stretchable, generally tubular web member for being placed in a functional position on a user's hand. The web member includes a palmar part, on one side, and a dorsal part, generally on the opposite side, the palmar and dorsal parts being joined laterally by an ulnar side and a radial side. The web member is advantageously configured to stretchably, fittingly encircle the hand in the functional position with its palmar and dorsal parts disposed generally on the palmar and dorsal sides, respectively, of the hand; and with its ulnar and radial sides disposed generally adjacent the fifth phalange (little finger) and first phalange (thumb) sides, respectively, of the hand.

The web member further comprises a distal opening with a generally continuous distal edge configured and dimensioned to encircle at least part of the hand in fittingly close relation thereto, and generally distally bounding the palmar and dorsal parts. With the web member in its functional position on the hand, the distal edge preferably extends generally transversely across and around the hand and is disposed, on the palmar part, adjacent the proximal transverse palmar crease of the hand. On the palmar part of the web member, the distal edge is also spaced proximally from the metacarpophalangeal joints (knuckles) of at least the second through fourth phalanges (the index, middle, and ring fingers) and, on the radial side, transversely crosses over the cagina, which extends generally intermediate the first and second metacarpophalangeal joints of the thumb and index finger, respectively. On the dorsal part of the web member, the distal edge is also preferably spaced proximally of the aforesaid joints.

A thumb tube of the glove is disposed on the radial side of the web member. The thumb tube is configured and dimensioned to fittingly engage over at least a portion of the proximal phalanx of the thumb to, at least in part, support the glove in its functional position on the user's hand. It is preferred that the thumb tube terminate proximally of the tip of the thumb with a thumb tube opening and an associated substantially continuous end edge encircling the thumb adjacent its metacarpophalangeal joint.

The web member further comprises a proximal opening with a generally continuous proximal edge. In the functional position of the glove on the hand, the proximal edge generally encircles the wrist. The proximal edge is preferably located in proximally spaced adjacency with respect to the carpus and the carpus-overlying flexor retinaculum on the palmar side of the hand, and is also proximally spaced from the adjacent extensor retinaculum on the dorsal side of the hand.

An impact-absorbing zone is advantageously disposed on the palmar part of the web member with a substantial transverse and longitudinal expanse. The zone is preferably provided by a pad affixed to the palmar part of the web member and is disposed, in the aforesaid functional position of the glove on the user's hand, so as to protectively overlie, in generally close relation, at least a substantial part of the heel portion of the hand. The pad preferably spans laterally from protective overlying disposition with respect to the thenar muscles, over the transverse carpal ligament, and thence to and over the hypothenar muscles. Longitudinally, the pad preferably spans from closely adjacent the distal opening of the web member to closely adjacent the proximal opening thereof, and is configured to intercept, absorb, and laterally/longitudinally distribute, generally across and through its expanse, external forces associated with impacts generally directed against the heel portion of the user's hand.

The disclosure herein of features and aspects of embodiments of the invention comprising a protective glove is understood to be applicable to and inclusive of both right and left hand configurations of the same. Those of ordinary skill will readily comprehend the translatability of right hand glove configurations to gloves for the left hand, and visa-versa.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the following detailed specification of one or more embodiments and aspects of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 a is a somewhat diagrammatic view from a generally palmar perspective showing features of a glove according.to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1 b is a front view of one embodiment of an impact pad for use in the glove illustrated in FIG. 1a;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic view from a generally palmar perspective showing features of another embodiment of a glove according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic view from a generally dorsal perspective showing features of a glove generally according.to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1a;

FIG. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic view from a generally dorsal perspective showing additional features of a glove generally according.to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic view from a generally palmar perspective showing features of a glove generally according.to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, with added anatomical structure, shown diagrammatically, of palmar aspects of a hand onto which the glove is placed in order to illustrate functional/structural interrelationships of aspects of the glove with respect to aspects of the hand anatomy; and

FIG. 6 is a somewhat diagrammatic view from a generally dorsal perspective showing features of a glove generally according.to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, with added anatomical structure, shown diagrammatically, of dorsal aspects of a hand onto which the glove is placed in order to illustrate functional/structural interrelationships of aspects of the glove with respect to aspects of the hand anatomy.

SPECIFICATION

Turning now to the drawings in which like referenced characters designate like or similar parts throughout the several views, FIGS. 1-6 show various aspects of one or more embodiments of a glove for gymnastic and other athletic acrobatic activities according to the present invention. With initial reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, a glove 20 according to one embodiment is shown comprising a primary body portion 22 in the form of a resiliently stretchable, generally web member 24 for being placed in a functional position on a users hand 34. One such position is demonstrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, which, together with FIGS. 1 and 3 show the web member 24 with a palmar part 26, on one side, and a dorsal part 28, on the generally opposite side of the web member 24.

The palmar and dorsal parts 26, 28 are joined laterally by an ulnar side 30 and a radial side 32. The web member 24 is configured and dimensioned to stretchably, fittingly encircle the hand in the aforementioned functional position thereon. In this position, the palmar part 26 is disposed generally on the palmar side 36 of the hand 34, and the dorsal part 28 is disposed generally on the dorsal side 38 of the hand. And the ulnar and radial sides 30, 32 are disposed generally adjunct the fifth phalange (little finger) 40 and first phalange (thumb) 42 sides, respectively of the hand 34.

The web member 24 further comprises a distal opening 44 with a generally continuous distal edge 46 configured and dimensioned to encircle at least part of the hand 34 in fittingly close relation thereto. The distal edge 46 distally bounds the palmar and dorsal parts 26, 28 when the glove 20 is placed in a functional position on the hand. The distal edge 46 extends generally transversely across and around the hand 34 and is disposed on the palmar part 26 adjacent the proximal transverse palmar crease 48 of the hand. In this position, the edge 46 is spaced approximately from the metacarpophalangeal joints (knuckles) 50 of at least the second through fourth phalanges (the index, middle, and ring fingers) 52, 54, and 56.

On the radial side 30 of the web member 24, the distal edge 46 is disposed across the cagina 58, the later extending generally between the first and second metacarpophalangeal joints 50 of the thumb 42 and index finger 52, respectively. On the dorsal part 28, the distal edge 46 is spaced approximately from the knuckles 50, extending generally linearly along the dorsal surface 38 of the hand 34 in close, fitting relation thereto, as best seen in FIG. 6.

In one preferred embodiment, a thumb tube 60 of the body portion 22 extends radially of the hand 34 and is configured and dimensioned to fittingly engage over at least a portion of the proximal phalanx 62 of the thumb 42 to, at least in part, support the glove 20 in the illustrated functional position on the hand. It is preferred that the thumb tube 60 terminate proximally of the tip of the thumb 42 with a thumb tube opening 61 and an associated substantially continuous end edge 63 encircling the thumb adjacent its metacarpophalangeal joint 50.

A proximal opening 64 with a generally continuous edge 66 preferably encircles the wrist 68 of the hand 34 in close, fitting relation thereto so as to aid in supporting the glove 20 on the hand in the desired functional position. The edge 66 is preferably disposed proximally adjacent the carpus 70 and the overlying flexor retinaculum 72 on the palmar side 36 of the hand; and over the extensor retinaculum 74 on the dorsal side 38 of the hand.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the glove 20 includes an impact pad 76 providing, in effect, an impact-absorbing zone on the palmar part 26 of the web member 2. In a preferred embodiment, pad 76 expands transversely and longitudinally such that upon placement of the glove 20 in the aforesaid functional position, the pad protectively overlies in generally close relation, at least a substantial part of the heel portion 78 of the hand. Accordingly, the pad 76 preferably spans laterally from protective, overlying disposition with respect to the thenar muscles 80 of the thumb 42, over the transverse carpal ligament 82 and thence to and in overlying protective disposition with respect to the hypothenar muscles 84 associated with the ulnar aspect of the hand and its little finger 40. Longitudinally, the pad 76 preferably spans from adjacent the edge 66 of the proximal opening 64 to adjacent the distal edge 46 of the distal opening 44, and is configured and dimensioned to intercept, absorb, and laterally/longitudinally distribute and defuse, generally across its expanse, external forces associated impacts directed generally against the heel portion 78 of the hand 34.

In one preferred embodiment, the web member 24 is provided by a resiliently stretchable fabric comprising about 80% nylon and about 20% spandex, by weight. One suitable commercial source of such fabric is the Black Milli Matte product provided by Spandex House of New York, N.Y. The Black Milli Matte product is believed to have a weight of about 5.75 oz./yd². Generally speaking, this material is believed to exhibit the appropriate properties of resiliency, toughness and durability needed to provide the web member 24 according to the requirements of the invention as described above. Accordingly, it is believed that other resiliently stretchable, flexible fabrics may also be used.

The web 24 may be provided as an integral, one-piece tubular structure with the thumb tube 60 formed as an integral portion thereof by a special weaving process. Or, web 24 may be provided as an integral tube with thumb tube 60 added thereto, as by stitching or other suitable process. Web 24 may also be constructed in the general form of a tube, including thumb tube 60 projecting therefrom, by side margin stitching one or more seams along the edges of one or two-piece pattern. Furthermore, free edges of the body portion 22, such as the distal and proximal edges 46, 66 of distal and proximal openings 44, 64, may be hemmed in a suitable manner so as to maintain the desired tightness of fit of the glove 20 in its functional position on the hand 34, and to also enable necessary stretching of the edges as the glove 20 is placed on the hand. Those of ordinary skill will be familiar with the various hemming and other construction methods required for tubular products in the nature of the present invention so as to facilitate their placement in hand removal from desired positions on a body part.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5-6, in one preferred embodiment distal edge 46 and associated distal opening 44 completely encircle the hand 34, wherein the portion of distal edge 46 adjacent ulnar side 30, in the functional position of the glove 20 on the hand, is disposed closely adjacent the ulnar end 90 of the distal palmar crease 92. Accordingly, viewed from the palmar side of the hand 34, distal edge 46 may appear to cant or incline upwardly from its ulnar side to its radial side. This configuration is believed to enhance the stability of the glove 20 on the hand with respect to forces urging displacement of the same from the desired functional position on the hand, such as longitudinally distally directed forces acting against the pad 76. Such forces may be expected in activities involving forward motion of the user as in cases where the hands are applied against a support surface to provide a moment about which the person rotates, as in a forward flip, hand stand, summersault or the like.

With reference to FIG. 2, an alternate embodiment of the glove 20′ includes a little finger tube 94 extending generally from the ulnar side 30 of the web member 24 adjacent the distal opening 44. The little finger tube 94 is configured and dimensioned so that, upon placement of the glove 20 in the desired functional position on the hand 34, the tube 94 fittingly engages over at least a portion of the proximal phalanx 96 of the little finger 40 to, at least in part, support the glove 20 in its functional position on the hand 34. Upon placement of the glove in the functional position in this embodiment with tube 94 disposed over little finger 40, the adjacent portion of the distal edge 46 of the distal opening 44 extends medially of the tube 94 from the palmar part 26 of the web member 24 to the dorsal part 28 thereof; and is disposed closely adjacent the interphalange commissure 98 extending laterally between the fourth and fifth phalanges (the ring 56 and little fingers 40 respectively.) As with thumb tube 60, it is preferred that the little finger tube 94 terminate proximally of the tip of the little finger 40 with a little finger tube opening 95 and an associated substantially continuous end edge thereof 97 encircling the little finger adjacent its metacarpophalangeal joint 50.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a further embodiment of the glove 20″ may be provided with a fastening panel 100 including hook and loop-type fastening elements attached the dorsal part 28 of the web member 24 and a strap 102 containing complimentary hook and loop-type of fastening elements attached to the web member 24 in functionally adjacent, spaced relation to the fastening panel. This enables a user to tighten the web member 24 about the users hand by application of a pulling force on the strap 102 to cause the same to be repositioned to fastening interengagement of hook and loop fastening elements of the strap 102 and fastening panel 100. This induces at least a local stretching of the web 24 in the direction of the pulling force against an opposing force imposed on the strap 102 by the resiliently stretchable material of the web member 24, thereby increasing the tightness of the web member 24 about the hand 34. Persons of ordinary skill will readily discern other structures for adjusting the tightness of the glove 20 on the hand 34, as may be necessary.

It is noted that the pad 76 providing the impact zone on the palmar part 26 of the web member 24 preferably comprises a material substantially thicker than that of the web 24, and a material that is resiliently deformable in response to force components directed there against substantially normal to its surface. It is also preferred that the pad 76 include, on at least its outer surface, a relatively high coefficient friction over at least a substantial part of its expanse. Such a surface may be provided as a separate, high tack layer comprising part of the pad 76, as a coating thereon, or by any other suitable means known to those of ordinary skill.

Having now provided particulars, details, and other known information with respect to various embodiments and features of the present invention, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the same is subject to modifications, additions, and other changes within the scope of the following claims, for which no unstated limitations or requirements are intended to be implied, Applicant intending that his patent scope will be as broad as permitted by law in relation to the teachings of applicable prior art.

Claims

1. A glove for gymnastic and other athletic acrobatic activities, said glove comprising a primary body including a resiliently stretchable, generally web member for being placed in a functional position on a user's hand wherein the web member comprises a palmar part, on one side, and a dorsal part, generally on the opposite side, said palmar and dorsal parts being joined laterally by an ulnar side and a radial side, said web member configured to stretchably, fittingly encircle the hand in said functional position with its palmar and dorsal parts disposed generally on the palmar and dorsal sides, respectively, of the hand, and with its ulnar and radial sides disposed generally adjacent the fifth phalange (little finger) and first phalange (thumb) sides, respectively, of the hand, the web member further comprising a distal opening with a generally continuous distal edge configured and dimensioned to encircle at least part of the hand in fittingly close relation thereto and generally distally bounding said palmar and dorsal parts wherein, when the web member of the body is placed in said functional position on the hand, said edge extends generally transversely across and around the hand, said edge disposed, on the palmar part, adjacent the proximal transverse palmar crease of the hand, spaced proximally from the metacarpophalangeal joints of at least the second through fourth phalanges (the index, middle, and ring fingers) and, on the radial side, transversely overlyingly adjacent the cagina, extending generally intermediate the first and second metacarpophalangeal joints of the thumb and index finger, respectfully, and, on the dorsal part, spaced proximally of the aforesaid joints; a thumb tube disposed on the radial side of said web member, said thumb tube configured and dimensioned to fittingly engage over at least a portion of the proximal phalanx of the thumb to, at least in part, support the glove in said functional position on the user's hand; a proximal opening with a generally continuous edge generally encircling, in said functional position of the glove on the hand, the wrist overlyingly adjacent the carpus and the carpus-overlying flexor retinaculum on the palmar side of the hand and the extensor retinaculum on the dorsal side of the hand; and an impact-absorbing zone disposed on said palmar side of said web member and having a transverse and longitudinal expanse and disposed, in the aforesaid functional position of the glove on the user's hand, so as to protectively overlie, in generally close relation, at least a substantial part of the heel portion of the hand, spanning laterally from protective overlying disposition with respect to the thenar muscles, over the transverse carpal ligament, and thence to and over the hypothenar muscles, and longitudinally spanning from adjacent the distal opening to adjacent the proximal opening and configured to intercept, absorb, and laterally/longitudinally distribute generally across its expanse external forces associated with impacts generally directed against the heel portion of the hand.

2. The glove of claim 1, wherein said distal edge of said distal opening, in said functional position of the glove on the hand, distally bounds both the palmar and dorsal parts as well as the ulnar and radial sides of the web member and, in such position, generally transversely encircles the entire hand in a position spaced proximally of the metacarpophalangeal joints of the second through fifth phalanges and is disposed, on the palmar side of the hand, transversely across the volar recess of the palm adjacent the proximal palmar crease to laterally oriented extension of the edge around the ulnar side of the hand in a position adjacent the ulnar end of the distal palmar crease, and from the ulnar side to the dorsal side, still spaced similarly proximally of the aforesaid joints (knuckles) across the dorsal side of the hand and, finally, extending, on the radial side of the web member, generally across the cagina, adjacent the thumb-side attachments of the underlying intermetacarpal and dorsoradial ligaments, and from which said distal edge extends across the volar recess of the palm as aforesaid.

3. The glove of claim 1, further comprising a little finger tube disposed extending from the ulnar side of the web member adjacent said distal opening, said little finger tube configured and dimensioned, upon placement of the glove in the functional position on the hand, to fittingly engage over at least a portion of the proximal phalanx of the little finger to, at least in part, support the glove in its functional position on the user's hand, and said distal edge of said distal opening extending, upon placement of the glove in said functional position on the hand, medially of said little finger tube from said palmar part to said dorsal part of the web member and being disposed adjacent the interphalange commissure extending laterally between the fourth and fifth phalanges (the ring and little fingers, respectively).

4. The glove of claim 1, further comprising a fastening panel including hook and loop-type fastening elements attached to the dorsal part of said web member and a strap containing complimentary hook and loop-type fastening elements attached to the web member in functionally adjacent, spaced relation to said tightening web, thereby enabling a user to tighten the web about the user's hand by application of a pulling force on said strap to cause the strap to be repositioned to fastening interengagement of hook and loop fastening elements of the strap and the fastening panel, at least locally stretching said web in the direction of the pulling force against an opposing force imposed on the strap by the resiliently stretchable material of the web member, thereby increasing the tightness of the tubular we about the hand.

5. The glove of claim 1, wherein said impact zone comprises a material substantially thicker than the thickness of said web member and being resiliently deformable in response to force components directed there against substantially normal to its surface, and relatively high friction surface over at least a substantial part of its expanse.

6. The glove of claim 5, wherein said impact zone comprises a polygonal-shaped member attached to said palmar portion of said web member on the outside surface thereof.

7. The glove of claim 1, wherein said web member comprises a relatively heavy weight nylon fabric material of from about 4 to about 7 ounces per square yard and containing about 80% nylon and about 20 & spandex.

8. The glove of claim 1, wherein said impact zone comprises a polygonal-shaped member attached to said palmar portion of said web member on the outside surface thereof.