A self-illumination glove for use in poor visibility or dim conditions, the orientation of the light head is adjustable to prevent the light being blocked by the hand movement. The glove body is adapted for load and unloads an illumination unit. The illumination unit includes at least one flexible arm which is extended along and above the dorsum side of the glove body from the power source to the light head and out of the outer glove layer through the through slot, such that the light head is selectively adjusted the orientation when the bendable portion of the flexible arm is adjustably bent.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a utility glove, and more particularly to a glove with self-illumination arrangement for use in poor visibility or dim conditions, the orientation of the light head is adjustable to prevent the light being blocked by the hand movement.

2. Description of Related Arts

Gloves can put to use to protect the hands of the wearer against frost environment, high temperature, friction burn, abrasion, chemicals or disease; to cut a long story short the purpose of the glove is to provide a guard for what a bare hand should not touch. People use gloves in different purposes and varied tasks everyday. In some situation, people such as cable technicians and mechanics had no choice but to work under dim environment with poor light source. Holding a light source such as flashlight is generally used in order to have a clear look at the target in the dim environment. However, it is nearly impossible for those technicians or mechanics to use only one hand to handle or operate complex proceed while they have to hold a light source on one hand.

Some workers or mechanics preferred to use headlamp instead of hand holding light sources. It cannot be denied that the headlamp actually helps those people could work with both hands to increase work efficiency. However, the headlamp cannot go deep into the narrow area and pin-point the target, for example, mechanic usually needs to repair or maintain some mechanism which is block by other mechanism or located in the bowel of complex structures, it is not efficient for headlamp to pin-point the target in those situations. Besides, because the headlamp was firmly fixed on user's head, so the user needs to twist their neck to make the light strike on the target area. It is very uncomfortable for the user and even has the chance to sprain their neck if someone has to wear the headlamp and work for a long time. Also, the light source was from the top of the user's head, when working in the dark area the movement of the user's hands and arms might block the light. This situation was unavoidable.

In order to solve those problems, some devices have been developed to having a light source located at the user's hand, the conventional way is mounting an illumination device on the gloves so that the users can easily put it on or took it off. The use of the gloves with illumination device is known in the prior art. By this way, users can operate with their both hands and makes the light source reach the target located in the narrow area. However, the major drawback of those kinds of illumination gloves is that the directions and angles of the light beam are fugitive and astatic. The light sources are located on the outer surface of those gloves and directly projected from the outer surface of the glove. Accordingly, the hand movement could effect the direction of the light. In other word, the direction and angle of the light are changed with user's hand movement. The astatic orientation of light beam cannot do anything to help the users to illuminate the target area in dim environment while they have to move their hands to operate something. Besides, the users have to change the angle of their wrists or arms to adjust the direction of the light beam to target the area they want. It will be difficult for the users to exert all their strength or operated complex proceed while their wrists or arms are in an irregular posture.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

A main object of the present invention is to provide a self-illumination glove, which comprises at least one flexible arm extended to the light source from the power source, to make the light beam exactly pin-point the target area by easily adjusting the angle of the flexible arm.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-illumination glove, wherein a light source is adapted for incorporating with the glove to provide sufficient illumination in poor visibility or dim conditions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-illumination glove, wherein the orientation of the light project from the light head can be selectively adjusted according to the user's preference.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-illumination glove, wherein the light head is adjustable to prevent the light from being blocked by the hand movement of the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-illumination glove, which can illuminate the target between narrow gap that only the user's hand can reach through.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-illumination glove, wherein the weight of the light source device is relatively light and it could be avoiding unnecessary encumbrance for the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-illumination glove, wherein the illumination device is detachable and easily for the user to load or unload it from the glove.

Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a self-illumination glove which comprises a glove body which is adapted for being worn by a hand of a user, and an illumination unit.

The glove body comprises a dorsum side, a palm portion, and a finger portion which is extended therefrom to define a knuckle portion between the palm portion and the finger portion. The dorsum side of the glove body has an inner glove layer and an outer glove layer overlapped thereon to retain the illumination unit between the inner and outer glove layers, wherein the outer glove layer has a through slot provided at the knuckle portion of the dorsum side.

The illumination unit comprises a power source supported at the dorsum side of the glove body at the palm portion, a light head adapted for generating a light beam at a direction towards the finger portion, and a flexible arm extended from the power source to the light head at a position that the light head is extended above the dorsum side of the glove body through the through slot, wherein the flexible arm is selectively bent to adjust an orientation of the light head so as to adjust the direction of the light beam for preventing the light beam being blocked by a hand movement of the user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2drawings, a self-illumination glove according to preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, wherein the self-illumination glove comprises a glove body10and an illumination unit20.

The glove body10, which is adapted for being worn by a hand of a user, has a dorsum side11, a palm portion12, and a finger portion13extending therefrom to define a knuckle portion14between the dorsum side11of the palm portion12and the finger portion13. Preferably, the finger portion13comprises five finger pockets131to receive the fingers of the hand. Additionally, a finger pocket and a thumb pocket could be in the form as two finger pockets or any kinds nowadays are used (not shown in the drawing).

The illumination unit20comprises a power source21supported at the dorsum side11of the glove body10at the palm portion12, and a light head22adapted for generating a light beam at a direction towards the finger portion13that the direction of the light beam is aligned with the axis of the finger portion13of the glove body10.

The illumination unit20further comprises a flexible arm23extended from the power source21toward and connected to the light head22at a position that the light head22is extended above the dorsum side11of the glove body10at the palm portion12. The light head22is suspendedly supported at the knuckle portion14of the glove body10at the dorsum side11, wherein the flexible arm23is selectively bent to adjust the orientation of the light head22so as to adjust the direction of the light beam for preventing the light beam being blocked by a hand movement of the user.

It is worth to mention that if the light head22is located at the palm portion of the glove as designed in the conventional glove, the hand movement of the user will block the light beam of the light head22. If the light head22is located at the finger portion of the glove, the orientation of the light head22is kept moving in responsive to the finger movement of the user. The above mentioned drawbacks can be solved in the present invention. Accordingly, since the light head22is suspendedly supported at the knuckle portion14of the glove body10at the dorsum side11, the light beam of the light head22will not be blocked by the hand movement. In addition, the user is able to adjust the orientation of the light head22by adjustably bending the flexible arm23to achieve the optimum illumination angle of the light head22.

The illumination unit20further comprises an electric cable24electrically extended from the power source21to the light head22through an interior of the flexible arm23as shown inFIG. 2. In other words, the flexible arm23has a hollow structure for the electric cable24extending therethrough to electrically connect the light head22with the power source21. Accordingly, the electrical connection between the light head22and the power source21through the electric cable24can be protected by the flexible arm23to avoid power failure even though the flexible arm23is bent.

The power source21comprises a battery housing211for retaining a replaceable battery therein and a contact switch212which is operatively provided at the dorsum side11of the glove body10at the palm portion12to control the light head22in an on-and-off manner and is arranged in such a manner that when a pressing force is applied at the contact switch212, the light head22is activated for generating the light beam. Preferably, the power source21is located closed to the wrist of the glove body10, so it could reduce the opportunity that the power source21impacts with machines or tools due to the hand movement or action during the work period. In addition, the user is able to activate/deactivate the light head22by tapping the contact switch212on the body of the user or other surface to apply the pressing force at the contact switch212.

Accordingly the light head22can be a LED light or a spot light depending on the different purposes of the user. Preferably, the light head22is a LED light because of low heat generation and low energy consumption.

According to the preferred embodiment, the flexible arm23comprises a retention portion231and a bendable portion232, as shown inFIG. 3. The retention portion231of the flexible arm23extended along the dorsum side11of the glove body10at the palm portion12and the bendable portion232of the flexible arm23extended above the dorsum side11of the glove body10at the palm portion12such that the light head22is selectively adjusted the orientation of the light beam when the bendable portion232of the flexible arm23is adjustably bent. In other words, the bendable portion232of the flexible arm23is protruded out from the dorsum side11to make the orientation of the light beam adjustable.

In addition, the retention portion231of the flexible arm23is retractable such that the length of the flexible arm23can be selectively adjusted. In other words, the flexible arm23is constructed by two different portions to obtain the retractable feature and bendable feature.

The dorsum side11of the glove body10has an inner glove layer111and an outer glove layer112overlapped thereon to retain the illumination unit20between the inner glove layer111and the outer glove layers112. The outer glove layer112has a through slot113provided thereon, wherein the retention portion231of the flexible arm23is extended between the inner glove layer111and the outer glove layer112and the bendable portion232of the flexible arm23protrudes out of the outer glove layer112through the through slot113to couple with the light head22which is suspendedly supported at the knuckle portion14of the glove body10at the dorsum side11thereof.

According to the preferred embodiment, there are four flexible arms23spacedly extended from the power source21to align with the four finger pockets131respectively, wherein the bendable portions232of the flexible arms23are extended out of the outer glove layer112through the through slots113respectively. Four light heads22are coupled with the flexible arms23respectively, as shown inFIG. 1. Therefore, the user is able to selectively adjust all four light heads22at different orientations according to the user's preference.

It is worth to mention that the components of the illumination unit20are simple, portable and relatively light, so it could be avoiding unnecessary encumbrance for the user when the illumination unit20is located between the inner glove layer111and the outer glove layer112of the of the dorsum side11of the glove body10.

FIG. 3illustrates an alternative mode of the glove body10to retain the illumination unit in position. The glove body10comprises an elastic loop111A and an elastic pocket112A spacedly provided on the dorsum side11of the glove body10at the palm portion12for detachably retaining the illumination unit20. Accordingly, the power source21is retained in the elastic pocket112A while the flexible arm23is extended through the elastic loop111A.

Both the elastic loop111A and the elastic pocket112A are made of elastic bands with different sizes for providing elastic holding forces against the flexible arm23and the power source21. It is worth to mention that the retention portion231of the flexible arm23is defined at a portion thereof between the elastic loop111A and the elastic pocket112A while the bendable portion232of the flexible arm23is defined at a portion thereof between the elastic loop111A and the light head22. The elastic loop111A and the elastic pocket112A will make the user easily to load and unload the illumination unit20into the glove body10.