Abstract:
A golf glove employing a cleaning member includes a palm portion and an opposing back portion having an opening for receiving the cleaning member. The cleaning member may be fixedly connected to the back portion of the glove. A flap member attached to the back portion of the glove is positionable between a closed position, in which the flap member overlays at least a portion of the cleaning member, and an open position, in which the flap member is displaced from the back portion of the glove to provide access to the cleaning member.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/037524, filed on Sep. 26, 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
       [0002]    It is common for golf equipment, including golf balls and clubs, to accumulate dirt and debris during use. Accumulated dirt and debris may adversely affect the performance of the equipment. This may be avoided by cleaning the equipment at various times during a round of golf. A towel may be used to remove the accumulated dirt and debris from the equipment. To provide convenient access, the towel may be attached to the user&#39;s golf bag or some other conveniently accessible location, such as a golf cart. While this may make the towel accessible for cleaning a golf club after a golf shot, it may not be particularly convenient in instances where it may be desirable to clean a golf ball that is in play on a green. In that situation the golfer must remember to remove the towel from the bag or cart and carry it with them to the green. As can be expected, that does not always occur, causing the golfer to return to their bag to retrieve the towel or use other means to clean the ball, including rubbing the ball on the ground or the golfers clothing, neither of which may be particularly effective or desirable. 
         [0003]    Disclosed herein is an exemplary golf glove employing a cleaning member for cleaning debris from golf equipment, such as golf clubs and a golf ball. The golf glove may include a palm portion and an opposing back portion having an opening for receiving the cleaning member. The cleaning member may be fixedly connected to the back portion of the glove. A flap member attached to the back portion of the glove may be selectively moved between a closed position, in which the flap member overlays at least a portion of the cleaning member, and an open position, in which the flap member is displaced from the back portion of the glove to provide access to the cleaning member. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    The various features, advantages and other uses of the present apparatus will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed description and drawings in which: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a golf glove employing an exemplary detachable cleaning member; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a partial cross-sectional view of the golf glove and detachable cleaning member of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of the golf glove and detachable cleaning member of  FIG. 1  with a flap member of the glove arranged in a closed position; and 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is partial cross-sectional view of the golf glove and detachable cleaning member of  FIG. 1  with the cleaning member removed from the glove. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , a golf glove  10  may include an exemplary cleaning member  12  for removing dirt and debris from golf equipment, and in particular, golf balls. The golf glove  10  may include an anatomically contoured cover  14  that generally conforms to a user&#39;s hand. The glove  10  may include four finger covers  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  and a thumb cover  24 . Although illustrated as including complete finger covers  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  and thumb cover  24 . One or more of the finger and thumb covers may include a partial cover. The glove  10  may include openings  26  in the cover  14  to provide ventilation. 
         [0010]    The glove  10  may further include a palm portion  28  and an opposing back portion  30  that connects to the palm portion  28 . The back portion  30  extends along a back of a user&#39;s hand when worn. The back portion  30  may include a slit  32  that separates a first back section  34  from a second back section  36 . For purposes of discussion, the slit  32  is illustrated positioned near an edge of the back portion  30 , but may also be positioned at other locations on the glove  10 . The slit  32  enables a hand opening  38  of the glove  10  to be enlarged to allow a user&#39;s hand to more easily be inserted into the glove  10 . 
         [0011]    With particular reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , a flap member  40  may be provided to secure the glove  10  around the user&#39;s hand and wrist. The flap member  40  may be attached to the first back section  34  on one side of the slit  32  using various permanent or detachable connection techniques, such as sewing, snaps, hooks, adhesives and zippers, as well as other techniques. The flap member  40  includes an exterior surface  42  and an interior surface  44  (see  FIG. 3 ). A releasable fastener  46  may be employed for connecting the flap member  40  to the second back section  36  on the other side of the slit  32 . The releasable fastener  46  may include a first fastener member  48  attached to the flap member  40 . A corresponding second fastener member  50 , which cooperates with the first fastener member  48 , may be attached to the second back section  36  of the glove  10 . 
         [0012]    The releasable fastener  46  may have any of a variety of configurations, including but not limited to, hook-and-loop fasteners, zippers, snaps, hooks, and magnets, to name a few. Other configurations of releasable connectors may also be employed. An example of a releasable fastener configuration may include a hook-and-loop fastener having a loop portion and hook portion that cooperatively engages the loop portion and which enables the two fastener portions to be repeatedly connected and disconnected from one another. When utilizing a hook-and-loop type fastener, the first fastener member  48  may include the loop portion of the fastener and the second fastener member  50  may include the hook portion. The arrangement of the hook and loop portions may alternatively be reversed, such that the first fastener member  48  includes the hook portion and the second fastener member  50  includes the loop portion. An advantage of a hook-and-loop style fastener is it enables the flap member  40  to be attached to the second back section  36  of the glove in various positions, thereby providing the user greater control over the “fit” of the glove. 
         [0013]    With the flap member  40  detached from the back portion  30  of the glove (i.e., in an open position), for example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the edges of the slit  32  may be spread apart to allow the user to place the glove  10  on their hand. The first back section  34  may then be drawn toward the second back section  36  by pulling the flap member  40  away from the first back section  34  and toward the second back section  36 . This adjusts a “fit” of the glove  10  about the user&#39;s wrist and hand. To maintain the desired fit, the flap member  40  may be attached to the second back section  36  of the glove, for example, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , by engaging the first fastener member  48  with the second fastener member  50 . The flap member  40  may be selectively detached from second back section  36  of the glove by pulling the flap member  40  away from the back section  36  to disengage the first fastener member  48  attached to the flap member  40  from the second fastener member  50  attached to the back section  36  of the glove. 
         [0014]    Continuing to reference  FIGS. 1-4 , the cleaning member  12  may be positioned within an opening  52  formed in the second back section  36  of the glove  10 . The cleaning member  12  extends through the opening  52  in the glove  10  so as to be accessible from outside the glove when the glove is attached to the user&#39;s hand. The opening  52  in the glove  10  may be configured to have a similar shape as an outer perimeter  54  of the cleaning member  12 . The opening  52  may be sized larger than cleaning member  12  to enable generally unobstructed positioning of the cleaning member  12  within the opening  52   
         [0015]    The cleaning member  12  may be positioned on the glove  10  in a location that enables the flap member  40  to at least partially cover the cleaning member  12  when the flap member  40  is attached to the second back section  36  of the glove  10 , for example, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . This arrangement provides protection for the cleaning member  12  and helps retain liquids that may be present in the cleaning member  12 . The user may access the cleaning member by selectively detaching the flap member  40  from the second back section  36  of the glove  10 . 
         [0016]    The second fastener member  50  may be positioned adjacent opening  52  in the glove  10 , but need not extend around an entire perimeter  56  of the opening  10 . The second fastener member  50  may be configured as a single uninterrupted fastener, or may consist of multiple fasteners positioned at various locations around the perimeter  56  of the opening  52 . 
         [0017]    The first fastener member  48  may be positioned along the interior surface  44  of the flap member  40  so as to generally align with the second fastener member  50  when connecting the flap member  40  to the second back section  36  of the glove  10 . Although the first fastener member  48  is illustrated as a continuous strip extending along a perimeter  58  of the flap member  40 , the first fastener member  48  may alternatively be configured to extend over a larger portion of the interior surface  44  of the flap member  40 , and may cover the entire interior surface. Rather than being configured as one continuous uninterrupted strip, the first fastener member  48  may also include multiple discrete fastener members arranged along the interior surface  44  of the flap member  40  at locations appropriate for engaging the second fastener member  50  when attaching the flap member  40  to the second back section  36  of the glove  10 . 
         [0018]    The cleaning member  12  may include various elements depending, at least in part, on the design and performance requirements of a particular application. For example, with particular reference to  FIG. 4 , the cleaning member  12  may include a liquid retaining member  60  capable of absorbing and temporarily retaining a liquid, such as water or an aqueous solution. The liquid retaining member  60  may consist of a porous or semi-porous material made from any of a variety of materials, such as cellulose wood fibers, sodium sulphate crystals, hemp fibers or foamed plastic polymers, as well as other materials, and may include low-density polyether, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polyester. The liquid retaining member  60  may be constructed from interwoven fibers or may have another construction. The precise configuration and material formulation of the liquid retaining member  60  may be varied so long as the resulting material is capable of absorbing and at least temporarily retaining a liquid. Applying pressure to the liquid retaining member  60  will cause at least a portion of the absorbed liquid to be released from the liquid retaining member  60 . 
         [0019]    The cleaning member  12  may also include a liquid barrier  62  positioned along an inside surface  64  of the liquid retaining member  60 . The liquid barrier  62  provides a generally waterproof barrier between the liquid retaining member  60  and the user&#39;s hand. The liquid barrier  62  may be sized to generally conform to the shape of the liquid retaining layer  60 , such that an outer perimeter  66  of the liquid barrier  62  generally corresponds to an outer perimeter  68  of the liquid retaining member  60 . Alternatively, the liquid barrier  62  may be sized larger than the liquid retaining member  60 . 
         [0020]    To enhance the cleaning capability of the cleaning member  12 , a scrubbing member  70  may be positioned along an outside surface  72  of the liquid retaining member  60 . The scrubbing member  70  may have a generally porous configuration to allow liquid to pass through the scrubbing member. The scrubbing member  70  may have various configurations, which may include, for example, generally upstanding bristles arranged to form a brush or multiple strands woven together to form a pad. The scrubbing member  70  may be constructed from any of a variety of materials that are generally resistant to wear and tear that the cleaning member may encounter. Although illustrated as having the same general size as the liquid retaining member  60 , in practice the scrubbing member  70  may also be sized larger or smaller than the liquid retaining member  60 . 
         [0021]    It is not necessary that the cleaning member  12  include each of the liquid retaining member  60 , liquid barrier  62  and scrubbing member  70 , and may include fewer than all three components. The cleaning member  12  may also include additional components. 
         [0022]    With particular reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the glove  10  may include a liquid barrier  74  located along the interior surface  44  of the flap member  40 . Similar to liquid barrier  62 , liquid barrier  74  may be configured to generally prevent liquid from passing between the liquid retaining member  60  and the flap member  40 . The liquid barrier  74  may be sized to generally conform to the size and shape of the liquid retaining member  60 . The liquid barrier  74  may be attached to the flap member  40  using a variety of techniques, for example, stitching and adhesives. The liquid barrier  74  may alternatively be sized larger than the liquid retaining member  60 . At least a portion of the first fastener member  48  may be positioned outside an outer perimeter  76  of the liquid barrier  62  so as to be accessible for connecting to the second fastener member  50  attached to the second back section  36  of the glove  10 . 
         [0023]    With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a releasable cleaning member fastener  78  may be provided for detachably connecting the cleaning member  12  to an inside surface  80  of the second back section  36  of the glove  10 . The ability to selectively detach the cleaning member  12  from the glove  10  enables the cleaning member  12  to be cleaned or replaced, as may be required, without having to replace the entire glove. 
         [0024]    The cleaning member fastener  78  may be configured similar to releasable fastener  46  used to releasably connect the flap member  40  to the second back section  36  of the glove  10  (see for example,  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 ). The cleaning member fastener  78  may include any of a variety of configurations, including but not limited to, hook-and-loop fasteners, zippers, snaps, hooks, and magnets, to name a few. Other configurations of releasable connectors may also be employed. For purposes of discussion, the illustrated exemplary configuration utilizes a hook-and-loop style connector for releasably connecting the cleaning member  12  to the inside surface  80  of the glove  10 . 
         [0025]    The cleaning member fastener  78  may include a first cleaning member fastener  82  attached to the cleaning member  12  that cooperatively engages a second cleaning member fastener  84  attached to the inside surface  80  of the glove  10 . The first cleaning member fastener  82  may include the loop portion of the connector and the second cleaning member fastener  84  may include the hook portion. The arrangement of the hook and loop portions of the cleaning member fastener  82  may alternatively be reversed, such that the first cleaning member fastener  82  includes the hook portion of the connector and the second cleaning member fastener  84  includes the loop portion. 
         [0026]    The first cleaning member fastener  82  may be attached to a backside  86  of the cleaning member  12 , or another other portion of the cleaning member  12 . For example, the first cleaning member fastener  82  may be attached to the liquid barrier  62 . The first cleaning member fastener  82  may at least partially extend along the backside  86  of the cleaning member  12 , and may be integrally formed with the liquid barrier  62 . 
         [0027]    The first cleaning member fastener  82  cooperatively engages the second cleaning member fastener  84  attached to the inside surface  80  of the glove  10 . The second cleaning member fastener  84  may be positioned adjacent the opening  52  in the glove  10 , but need not extend around an entire perimeter  56  of the opening  10 . The second cleaning member fastener  84  may be configured as a single uninterrupted fastener, or may consist of multiple fasteners positioned at various locations around the perimeter  56  of the opening  52 . 
         [0028]    The cleaning member  12  may be selectively attached to the glove  10  by inserting the cleaning member  12  through the hand opening  38  and guiding the cleaning member  12  into the opening  52  in the back portion  30  of the glove  10 . The cleaning member  12  may be attached to the glove  10  by engaging the first cleaning member fastener  82  with the second cleaning member fastener  84 . 
         [0029]    The cleaning member  12  may be selectively detached from the glove  10  by pulling the cleaning member  12  away from the inside surface  80  of the glove  10  to disengage the first cleaning member fastener  82  from the second cleaning member fastener  84  attached to the inside surface  80  of the glove  10 . The cleaning member  12  may then be removed from the glove  10  through the hand opening  38 . 
         [0030]    While recited characteristics and conditions of the invention have been described in connection with certain embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.