Abstract:
An article of clothing that provides a means for keeping a glove or mitten on the hand (retention) while providing a barrier for the prevention of snow, moisture, or cold from contacting the hand, wrist or forearm area (thermal protection). More specifically, the device is an article of clothing comprising: an elongated tube of flexible and elastic material with a distal portion terminating in two discreet distal end openings and a proximal portion ending in one discreet proximal end opening; a first discreet distal end opening that is sized for four gloved fingers; a second discreet distal end opening that is sized for a gloved thumb; a means for expanding and contracting said proximal end opening; the contracting of said proximal end opening causing said elongated tube to compress on a user&#39;s wrist and forearm area.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This patent application is claiming all of the benefits of Provisional Patent Application No. 60/859,015. Applicants are claiming the benefits of the provisional patent application filing date of Nov. 15, 2006. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of articles of clothing, and more particularly to gloves or mittens. 
         [0003]    A Glove is an article of clothing that covers a user&#39;s hand. Some gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger while other gloves have just two sheaths, one for four fingers and the other for the thumb, this is called a mitten. Gloves or mittens (herein referred to as gloves) are designed and created to address a wide variety of purposes, including; work, sport, play, style, and weather. Some gloves are designed for more than one purpose, including work, sport or play gloves that also provide protection from inclement weather, like ski gloves. Typically, users of work, sport and play gloves that need protection in inclement weather desire a glove that can provide protection from various weather conditions, including; snow, moisture, wind and cold temperatures. 
         [0004]    Gloves that are designed to protect the hand from severe weather, like snow and freezing temperatures, are often times deficient in fulfilling their intended function, in that often times while the wearer is working or participating in play or sport, the glove has a tendency to come off the hand (lack of retention). Another problem encountered by glove wearers who use gloves in inclement weather, like snow, rain, and cold, is the problem of exposure of the wrist or forearm area due to a lack of complete coverage of the user&#39;s wrist and forearm area from the break or gap between the user&#39;s gloves proximal end opening and the user&#39;s outerwear sleeve distal end opening. Outerwear clothing that has a sleeve will typically be a jacket. Snow, moisture and cold will often times enter into this gap or break and will lessen the benefits of gloves and jackets that are worn to keep the wearer warm and dry (thermal protection). 
         [0005]    There is a plethora of devices, designs, and inventions that deal with these problems (retention and thermal protection) but each solution has its limitations. This new device was designed to improve the retention of the glove on the hand and provide thermal protection by reducing or eliminating snow or moisture from accessing the space between the glove and the jacket sleeve. Additionally, the device provides some protection to the user&#39;s wrist and forearm area from blows or collisions that are often times encountered in work, sport, or play. Finally, the device provides all of the benefits previously described with the added benefit of being transferable to each and every type of glove a user might possess or have for work, sport and play. This universal benefit eliminates the need for the user to purchase specialized gloves or attachment devices for each type of glove. 
         [0006]    As a byproduct of the benefits mentioned above, the solutions presented in this patent also eliminates the shortcomings of previous patents that attempted to solve glove retentions and thermal protection problems. One attempt at solving the problem of retention and thermal protection for gloves or mittens that are used for work, sport, or play in inclement weather is a device described as an elongated insulating shell member that is sewed to a mitten or glove at one end and is held in place by an elastic band, attached to the elongated shell member, and gripping an arm portion of the user above the elbow. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,415 issued to Deering et al. This particular patent identified similar objectives to the present invention in that it was intended to overcome the problems of retention and thermal protection. As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,534 issued to Clough, the &#39;415 patent is deficient in that the wearer will be hampered or burdened with “a somewhat clumsy and bulky arrangement that tends to make the young toddler more uncomfortable.” Additionally, as noted in the &#39;534 patent, the elongated sleeve of the &#39;415 patent will need to be worn over the user&#39;s jacket or outer garment sleeve. This arrangement in the &#39;415 is deficient in that the user will need to position the elongated insulating shell over the outer clothing in order to place the elastic band around the arm portion of the child or user—not an easy task to perform considering the friction between the elongated shell and the outer garment that will inhibit or make tedious the operation of donning the gauntlet like device. While the &#39;415 addresses the problems of thermal protection and the issue of retention, the user is faced with a device that is uncomfortable to wear and difficult to put on. 
         [0007]    The Clough design, the &#39;534 patent, circumvented the need for an exterior piece of clothes by creating a glove or mitten in which the proximal end of the glove is attached to a sleeve like tube made of elastic material that directly contacts the wearer&#39;s wrist and forearm in “a more gentle and uniform gripping action over the entire forearm area.” Again this device provides partial thermal protection and partial retention protection for the wearer. However, the &#39;534 has several drawbacks from the present invention. Gloves are generally the last item of clothing put on and first item taken off by the user. Putting on the outer clothing, particularly jackets, before donning gloves is the preferred sequence due to the fact that putting on gloves last makes putting on the other clothing easier. Once the hand and fingers are gloved, the dexterity of the fingers is limited thereby creating a situation which hampers the wearer&#39;s ability to don other outer clothing. Additionally, by placing gloves on the hand prior to a jacket or other sleeved outer clothing, the wearer will have a more difficult time putting the gloved hand through the sleeves. 
         [0008]    In the &#39;534, the elastic sleeve of the glove goes under the jacket sleeve. This elastic sleeve is intended to stretch when fitted over the forearm—this tightly bound piece of elasticized material will be difficult to place under the jacket sleeve if the glove goes on after the jacket has been put on by the wearer. Putting on the glove first will present the problems discussed above, namely; limited finger dexterity and difficulty in pulling a sleeved outer garment over a gloved hand. Additionally, if the glove&#39;s elasticized sleeve is extremely tight (for retention purposes) the wearer will have a difficult time removing the glove, especially if the wearer is still wearing the jacket that covers the elasticized sleeve. If the elasticized sleeve is not extremely tight then the problem of retention is once again a problem. 
         [0009]    The &#39;534, while providing some thermal protection, can still allow some leakage of moisture or snow up the sleeve—especially if the glove&#39;s retention ability is compromised by the sizing of the elasticized sleeve or the jacket sleeve is extremely loose—allowing snow or moisture up the sleeve to the upper arm. Similar designs to correct the problem of retention and thermal protection in gloves is covered in a plethora of patents, including; U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,235; U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,772; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,561. The present invention is designed and created to overcome the problem of keeping a glove on the user&#39;s hand and a device which provides thermal protection while minimizing discomfort to the user and allow an easy process for putting on or taking off gloves and outer clothing. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The invention is an article of clothing that provides a means for keeping a glove or mitten on the hand (retention) while providing a barrier for the prevention of snow, moisture, or cold from contacting the hand, wrist or arm area (thermal protection) which is accessible in the open space between the glove or mitten proximal end and the end or distal portion of a jacket sleeve. Besides providing the user with a means for retention and thermal protection the device is: easy to put on and take off; can be left attached to the gloves—eliminating the step of putting on and taking off the device separate from putting on and taking off the gloves; minimizes any slip between the device&#39;s inner lining and gloves and jacket sleeves that are compressed together when the device is closed; can be used on various types of gloves; provides some protection and support from external forces around the wrist and forearm area; and minimizes any unnecessary friction or tediousness suffered by those users of alternative devices that rely on placing one article of clothing over another article of clothing. 
         [0011]    The device is worn outside of the glove or mitten and is an addition to one&#39;s work, sport, or play glove so the user is able to obtain the benefits of the glove worn for the specific task. The device is an elongated tube made of flexible and elastic material with a proximal portion and a proximal end opening and a distal portion with one distal end opening sized to fit a user&#39;s gloved fingers and another distal end opening sized to fit the user&#39;s gloved thumb. The proximal end opening can be expanded and constricted by means of slit that runs from the proximal end opening toward the distal portion of the tube and a means, preferably a zipper, for expanding or constricting the opening. Preferably, the user will expand the proximal end opening by unzipping the zipper and folding back or cuffing the proximal end toward the distal portion. This allows the user to place the glove or mitten fingers through the elongated tube and out the distal end opening sized for the gloved fingers. The glove thumb is placed through the distal end opening sized for the gloved thumb. Once the fingers and thumb are protruding from their respective distal end openings, the glove and device are ready to be placed on the user&#39;s hand. 
         [0012]    It should be noted that the preferred method for donning this device is to place the device onto a glove that does not have the user&#39;s hand in the glove—as described earlier. After the user has put on all other outerwear, the user will put on their glove with the device attached with the proximal end opening expanded (unzipped) and cuffed—exposing the user&#39;s glove proximal end opening. With the hand in the glove, the user will pull back or uncuff the proximal end opening such that the elongated tube extends proximally from the proximal end of the hand over the wrist and forearm area of the user. Once the elongated tube is extended, the user will close the zipper thereby constricting the proximal end opening. By closing the zipper, the elongated tube made of flexible and elastic material will compress upon the user&#39;s wrist and forearm area. In the preferred embodiment, the tube length and diameter are sized to gently compress the user&#39;s wrist and forearm area while covering a portion of the user&#39;s glove and sleeved arm. 
         [0013]    The elongated tube&#39;s inner side is a raw textured elastomer material to provide a grip or non-slip hold between the device and the glove and outerwear sleeve. The device is able to obtain this non-slip hold based on the relative friction between the elastomer and typical materials found in outerwear sleeves, typically some sort of nylon. This non-slip hold enhances both the glove retention capability and the thermal protection of the device. 
         [0014]    Because this is a device that will provide glove retention and thermal protection, it is anticipated that the user will be wearing outerwear that has long sleeves. The device can be worn without the user wearing a long sleeved top but the thermal protection benefit will be reduced. With a long sleeve clothing item, like a jacket, the device is sized such that the constricting of the proximal end opening will firmly but gently compress the proximal portion of the elongated tube onto both the glove and outerwear sleeve. This compression onto the glove and sleeve provides the thermal barrier that prevents snow, moisture and cold temperature from entering the gap between the gloved hand and the sleeved arm. 
         [0015]    The device can also be put on and taken off after the user has donned outerwear and placed gloves on the user&#39;s hands. The user, after donning any outer clothing and gloves, will place the gloved hand through the proximal end opening. The zipper will be open and the proximal end can be cuffed making it easier to put the gloved hand through the opening. Once the gloved hand is in the tube with the fingers and thumb exposed on one end and the forearm area of the tube opened up by the zipper, the user will close down or narrow the tube by drawing down or closing the zipper that is affixed to the slit in the tube. The device will compress on the user&#39;s wrist and forearm area as described earlier. 
         [0016]    In addition to providing the retention benefit described above, the compression of the tube when the zipper is closed also provides a means for a non-slip hold between the device and the glove and jacket sleeve material. This eliminates the need for any additional buttoning, pinning, strapping, or similar attachment steps (like hook and loop fasteners) that are tedious and difficult to perform with a gloved hand. Zippers are easy to manipulate when the article of clothing is already joined, such as this device, even with a gloved hand. 
         [0017]    When the user wants to take off the glove, the tube proximal end is expanded or opened by drawing up the zipper and the glove and device can be removed as one unit or the device can be removed separately. To remove the glove and device as one unit, the user will expand the proximal end opening then cuff the proximal portion of the elongated tube, exposing the user&#39;s wrist and user&#39;s glove proximal end opening. The user can easily remove the glove and device as one unit. 
         [0018]    Since the gloved fingers, thumb and most of the palm area are completely exposed, the gloves are able to perform their intended function while the device is being worn without compromising the glove&#39;s utility. Besides obtaining excellent retention and thermal protection from the device, the user is able to utilize the advantages of a specialized work, sport, or play glove. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1 : is a drawing of the glove retention and thermal protection device. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2 : is a drawing of the pieces that are used to make the glove retention and thermal protection device. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3 : is a drawing of the glove retention and thermal protection device with the zipper in the open position. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4 : is a drawing of the glove retention and thermal protection device with the zipper open and the proximal end portion cuffed for easy donning and taking off. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]    The invention is an article of clothing that provides a means for keeping a glove or mitten on the hand (retention) while providing a barrier for the prevention of snow, moisture, or cold from contacting the hand, wrist or arm area (thermal protection) which is accessible in the open space between the glove or mitten proximal end opening and the distal end of a jacket sleeve or similar outerwear. Besides providing the user with a means for retention and thermal protection; the device is easy to put on and take off; eliminates or minimizes any slip between the invention and articles of clothing worn under the device, like gloves or jacket sleeves; the device can be used on various types of gloves; the device provides some support and protection around the wrist and forearm area from external forces; and the device minimizes any unnecessary friction or tediousness suffered by those users of alternative devices that rely on placing one article of clothing over another article of clothing. 
         [0024]    In order for the glove retention device to obtain the objectives described, the device needs to be made from an elastomer type material, preferably Neoprene, a DuPont performance elastomer. In the preferred embodiment, the device will be made using a combination of super flex Neoprene and raw Neoprene. Super flex Neoprene is a tri-layer material of raw Neoprene coated with a nylon like material, like spandex—an elastane. Raw or plain Neoprene is one type of synthetic rubber made from polychloroprene (polymer form of Chloroprene), a Dupont product. Other materials that are flexible and elastic can be used to obtain the objectives of retention and thermal protection, however due to the typical use of this invention, the material needs to be both durable and impervious to the environment in which it is employed. 
         [0025]    The means and methods for obtaining the objectives are best understood by referring to the various drawings. 
         [0026]    In  FIG. 1 , the glove retention device ( 10 ) is a composite of two pieces of material ( 20 ) and ( 30 ) that are depicted in  FIG. 2 . The outer edges ( 21 ) and ( 22 ) of pieces  20  are attached to the outer edges ( 31 ) and ( 32 ) of piece  30 . The two pieces can be attached using various means such as sewing, gluing, taping or some similar means familiar to those skilled in the art of attaching similar materials. 
         [0027]    A key feature to piece  20  is a slit ( 23 ) in the material that runs from what is going to be the proximal end opening toward what is going to be the distal portion of the tube. The slit is there to open the elongated tube once the two pieces ( 20 ) and ( 30 ) are put together. In the preferred embodiment, a zipper ( 24 ) is attached to the slit ( 23 ) in such a way as to allow the slit to close such that the elongated tube proximal end is restricted or smaller when the zipper is in the closed position ( 25 ) as depicted in  FIG. 1  and expanded or open ( 26 ) as shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4   a  and  4   b . The placement of the zipper into the slit is easily known to one skilled in the art with the means for attaching, including, sewing, gluing, or some other similar means for attaching. The zipper is preferably made out of polyester but can be made from various other materials, such as metal or nylon. 
         [0028]    Piece ( 20 ) is preferably made of a material that is flexible but less elastic than piece  30 . By using a less elastic or stiffer material for piece  20 , the user can operate the zipper much easier. This is done to make it easier for the user to open and close the zipper. 
         [0029]    When piece ( 20 ) and ( 30 ) are attached, the pieces form an elongated tube with a relatively fixed diameter from proximal end to distal end. The distal end of the elongated tube consists of two openings ( 11 ) and ( 12 ) and the proximal end has just one opening ( 13 ). Prior to placing the device on the glove, the zipper will be in the open position ( 26 ) as depicted in  FIG. 3 . The user will place the glove finger and thumb through the open proximal end ( 13 ) of the elongated tube and then insert the four glove fingers through the larger opening ( 11 ) and the glove thumb through the opening ( 12 ) at the distal end of the elongated tube. 
         [0030]      FIG. 4   a  and  4   b  depict a means of placing the device on a glove,  FIG. 4   a  or a gloved hand  4 b.  FIG. 4   a  and  4   b  also provide a view of the device with the zipper open and the proximal end of the tube cuffed for putting on or taking off. 
         [0031]    Once the glove fingers and thumb are protruding from their respective distal end openings ( 11 ) and ( 12 ), the user can then place the user&#39;s hand into the proximal end opening ( 13 ) and then into the glove with the finger and thumb into their respective channels in the glove. Once the user&#39;s hand is inside the glove, the user will then move the zipper into the closed position ( 25 ). 
         [0032]    As described earlier, the device is preferably put on the glove prior to the glove being put on the user&#39;s hand. Additionally, the user will cuff the device by expanding the proximal end opening by opening the zipper and then folding the proximal end opening edges back toward the distal end. This step will make it easier for the user to place the gloves&#39; finger and thumb through their respective distal end openings. The device is kept cuffed until the user places the user&#39;s hand into the glove. The glove and device will be easier to put on and take off when the device is cuffed as shown in  FIG. 4   a  and  4   b.    
         [0033]    In the preferred embodiment, when closing the zipper, the user&#39;s jacket sleeve will be captured or compressed under the elongated tube. This compression of the forearm and wrist area by closing the zipper on the glove retention device ( 10 ) is one of the means by which the device is able to keep the glove attached to the user&#39;s wrist (retention) and a means for protecting the wrist and forearm area from being exposed to snow, moisture, and cold temperatures (thermal protection). 
         [0034]    In the preferred embodiment, the user will select a glove retention device, which comes in various sizes, that provides the optimum retention and thermal protection based on the size of the user&#39;s hand, wrist, and forearm area. The user will pick a device that permits the users&#39; gloved fingers to go through the opening ( 11 ) at the distal end and the gloved thumb to go through the hole ( 12 ). The openings ( 11 ) and ( 12 ) for the fingers and thumb should be large enough to allow the gloved fingers and thumb to be able to go through the openings but not so large as to allow snow, moisture, or cold to leak through the seam between the glove and the device&#39;s outer distal end opening edges. 
         [0035]    Because the preferred material is made from an elastomer, if in order for the fingers and thumb to protrude through the opening the material is stretched in such a way as to expand the openings, the device will actually provide a better seal between the fingers and thumb opening and the gloved hand. This seal is one means for providing thermal protection for the user&#39;s finger, wrist, and forearm area. Since the material is made of an elastomer, the material will easily regain its shape once the user removes the device from the hand. 
         [0036]    In the preferred embodiment of the device, the user will need an elongated tube of a minimum length. The tube length will need to be long enough such that when the user has the device over the gloved hand and the zipper is drawn closed, the user&#39;s jacket sleeve or other similar outerwear (herein referred to as jacket sleeve) will need to be covered or compressed by the device. The more forearm area of the jacket sleeve that is covered or compressed by the device, the more thermal protection and retention is provided. If the device is so short such that it cannot cover or compress the jacket sleeve, the device will not provide the thermal protection of the preferred embodiment and may only provide glove retention. In the preferred embodiment, the device is worn with the user wearing a long sleeve jacket that is long enough to cover the forearm and wrist area exposed by the user&#39;s glove, this allows for the elongated tube to better compress against the user&#39;s glove and jacket sleeve and provides a better seal against snow, moisture, and cold. 
         [0037]    In sizing the device for the preferred embodiment, the glove and jacket sleeve will need to be compressed against the user&#39;s wrist and forearm area by the device when the zipper is closed. In order for the device to compress around the wrist and forearm area, the size of the opening at the proximal end will need to be such that when closing the zipper the glove and sleeve jacket are compressed onto the user&#39;s wrist and forearm area. If the opening and diameter of the tube is too large, the device may not compress enough or at all such that the device will lose its ability to provide thermal protection and possibility its ability to retain the glove on the user&#39;s hand. 
         [0038]    When the zipper ( 24 ) is in the open position ( 26 ), the proximal end opening ( 13 ) needs to be large enough to put the gloved hand through to the distal end and be large enough such that the zipper will be able to close producing compression of the glove and jacket sleeve onto the wrist and forearm area of the user. If the proximal end opening ( 13 ) is too small when the zipper is closed, the user may not be able to close the zipper and the device will lose its ability to compress around the glove and jacket sleeve and thereby lose its ability for retention and thermal protection. 
         [0039]    Other patents have used thumb holes ( 12 ) for glove retention, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,44,772 and U.S. Pat. No. D319,113, however the thumb hole securing technique in the present invention is enhanced or improved by using flexible and elastic material along with a means for narrowing the elongated tube by expanding then constricting the proximal end thereby providing a compression like force on the wrist and forearm area or glove and jacket sleeve. With the tube compressed, the user&#39;s glove is securely on the hand and difficult to remove. 
         [0040]    In the preferred embodiment, the compression of the glove and jacket sleeve to the wrist and forearms area is aided by using a raw or plain elastomer material that is textured ( 33 ) for gripping, that is either exposed or attached to the inner side of the elongated tube as seen on piece ( 30 ) of  FIG. 2 . Raw elastomer or Neoprene is a rubberized material that when compressed onto the typical glove or jacket sleeve material will grab hold and prevent or minimize slippage between the device and the glove and jacket. This non-slippage helps prevent the glove from coming off the user&#39;s hand and helps prevent the jacket sleeve from coming loose under the device when closed. Keeping the jacket sleeve under the device when closed will keep the user&#39;s forearm area from being exposed to snow, moisture, and cold temperature. 
         [0041]    Another benefit is the ease in which a user can put on or take off the device. Other devices that are designed for glove retention or thermal protection are somewhat limited in that those other devices are difficult to put on or take off. Because the proximal end opening is enlarged by the slit when the zipper is in the open position, the user is able to easily put a gloved hand through the elongated tube toward the distal end openings. By grabbing the proximal end opening and pulling toward the upper arm, the user can easily cause the gloved thumb and fingers to protrude out or their respective distal end openings. When the user wants to remove a glove, the zipper is opened and the device can be removed or both the device and glove can be removed as one unit. 
         [0042]    By putting the device on the glove prior to donning other clothing, the user is able to put on outer garments in a sequence which keeps the hands free from gloves and thereby maximizing the dexterity of the hands for donning the outer clothing. Trying to put on outer clothing with glove hands is difficult and tedious. Once the outer garments are on, the glove and glove retention device are placed on the hand and the zipper is drawn down, compressing the glove and jacket sleeve to the wrist and forearm area of the user. 
         [0043]    The various Neoprene materials used in the preferred embodiment (superflex and raw Neoprene) are durable and display outstanding resistance to damage from flexing and twisting, typically associated with work, sport and play. Additionally, the various materials, particularly the elastomer and elastane, used in the device are resistant to extreme temperatures, ultraviolet rays, and ozone damage.