Patent Application
20060143784
The present invention relates to a utility glove, and in particular to a glove having an interior compartment adapted to house a watch, compass, or the like, wherein the article is both readily accessible and concealable.
Numerous out-of-doors sports require ready access to articles such as a watch, compass, and the like, in order to track time, location, etc., including hunting, fishing, cross country, skiing, hiking, etc. Typically, these articles are stored within garments as worn by the user, or within other storage devices, such as waist or “fanny” packs, back packs, and the like. This manner of storage can significantly limit the ease of access the user has to such articles and make such access cumbersome and time consuming.
These restrictions to access may be exacerbated with particular applications such as hunting wherein difficulties in accessing a watch or compass located within a pocket may limit allowable movements due to wild game.
One solution has been to place the watch, compass, etc., on back of glove or mitten, however, previous applications have involved overly restrictive securing means such as snaps, hook and loop-type strips, etc., thereby requiring the wearer to make significant movements to access the article. Moreover, permanent exposure of the watch, compass on the back of an associate glove or mitten, whether openly exposed or viewed through a translucent panel, is unacceptable due to reflections of light and glare.
A glove or mitten-type article is needed that provides adequate housing for an article such as a watch, compass, or the like, while simultaneously allowing ready access thereto and seclusion from sight when not being viewed.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide a utility glove that includes a glove portion defining a first interior cavity to receive at least a portion of a hand of a user therein, and a cover portion having at least four side edges, wherein at least a portion of three of the four side edges of the pocket portion are coupled with the glove portion to define a second cavity between the glove portion and the cover portion, at least one of the four side edges not secured to the glove and defining a flat portion located at an end of the cover portion, and wherein the flat portion is movable to allow viewing of an article located within the second cavity.
The present inventive utility glove provides sufficient housing for an article such as a watch, a compass, or the like, while providing ready access thereto without significant movement by the user and concealment from view to reduce inadvertent glare and reflections. The utility glove disclosed herein is further economical to manufacture, straight forward in operation and is particularly well adapted for the proposed use.
For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
The reference numeral 10 (
The back portion 14 and the cover portion 16 cooperate to define a cavity or compartment 30 therebetween that receives an article 32 therein, such as a watch, a compass, or the like. The glove 10 includes a strap 34 (
In operation, the article 32 is easily viewable by manipulating the flap portion 28 of the cover portion 16 to expose the article 32, and is likewise easily concealable from sight by closing the flap portion 28 over the article 32. The configuration of the cavity 30 and the attachment of the cover portion 16 to the back portion 14 provides adequate protection of the article 32 within the cavity 30, while simultaneously allowing easy viewing access thereto without requiring manipulation of a securing device. Moreover, the cover portion 16 provides adequate concealment of the article 32 while not being viewed, thereby reducing or eliminating accidental and inadvertent reflections or glares from the article.
In the foregoing description, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. Such modifications are to be considered as included in the following claims, unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be considered in terms of the following claims and is understood not to be limited to the details of structure and operation shown and described in the specification and drawings.
