Golf glove

Abstract: A golf glove has a glove body including a back member (1A) and a palm member (1B) and a binding band (2). The binding band (2) has a wide base portion (4) for preventing the back of the hand inserted in the glove from bending backward, a portion (5) for preventing the thumb from bending backward continuous with the base portion(4) and a narrow end portion (7) continuous with the portion for preventing the thumb from bending. A pair of detachable surface fasteners (8A,8B) are secured to the back of the base portion (4) and to the back member (1A). Another pair of detachable surface fasteners (10A,10B) are secured to the back of the end portion (7) and to the palm member (1B).

Description: The invention relates to a golf glove. In order to drive a golf ball straight ahead, it is essential to prevent the left hand (the right hand in case of a left-hander) from bending backwards from the wrist during the swing. For this purpose, a known golf glove is provided with a hard and wide plate member attached to the back thereof. However, since the plate member is fixed to the back of the glove, it is impossible to adjust the extent to which bending is prohibited. Further, this type of golf glove serves only to inhibit backwards bending of the hand and cannot prevent, or inhibit, backwards bending of the thumb. US-A-2831196 discloses a similar golf glove comprising a back member, a palm member, a binding band and a plurality of stays made of resilient material which are mounted loosely in pockets formed on the back member. US-A-4057255 discloses a golf glove comprising a glove body having a back member provided with a first surface fastener, a palm member and a binding band which is secured to said glove body and provided with a second surface fastener and a third surface fastener which third fastener is secured to the back of a first end portion of said band. The glove also includes a flexible tie connected at one of its ends to the end portion of the glove thumb and connecting means provided on the binding band for engaging the tie for interconnecting the end portion of the thumb and binding band for establishing a desired condition of vertical unflexing of the wrist in the golf ball address position of a golfer. In this connection, vertical flexing is in directions perpendicular to the direction of backwards/forwards bending of the hand. An object of the present invention is to provide a golf glove capable of preventing both the hand and its thumb from bending backward from the wrist. Accordingly, the invention provides a golf glove comprising a glove body having a back member provided with a first surface fastener and a palm member and a binding band which is secured to said glove body and provided with a second surface fastener and a third surface fastener which third fastener is secured to the back of a first end portion of said band, characterised in that the binding band is secured at a second end thereof to said glove body and comprises a base portion contiguous with said second end and adapted for inhibiting backwards bending of a hand inserted in the glove, an intermediate portion contiguous with said base portion and said first end portion and adapted for inhibiting backwards bending of the thumb of said hand, and in that said second surface fastener is secured to the back of said base portion so as to be cooperable with said first surface fastener and said third fastener is cooperable with a fourth surface fastener secured to said palm member. Preferably, the base portion includes a reinforcing member and is adjustably positionable over said back member and a part of said intermediate portion is adjustably positionable over a part of a thumb portion of the glove body. Other features and objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a golf glove according to the present invention as seen from the back side thereof; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the golf glove of Fig. 1 seen from the palm side thereof; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a base portion of the golf glove; Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the operation of the glove. The golf glove illustrated comprises a glove body having a back member 1A, a palm member 1B and has a wide binding band 2 made of cow skin. The band 2 extends from the rear edge to the intermediate portion of the back member 1A which is made of sheep skin. One end of the binding band is secured to the glove body at an opening 3 in the back member 1A. The binding band 2 comprises: a base portion 4 contiguous with the end thereof secured to the body and adapted for inhibiting, or preventing, a hand inserted in the glove from bending backwards (the base portion has a width A of 5 - 8 cm in width A); an intermediate portion 5 contiguous with the base portion 4 and having an obliquely extending front edge 5a as a portion adapted for preventing, or inhibiting the thumb from bending backwards (the portion overlapping a bottom edge 6a of a thumb portion 6 has a width B of 0.5 - 1 cm); and first end portion 7 contiguous with the intermediate portion 5 (2 - 3 cm in width C). A pair of cooperably arranged surface fasteners 8A and 8B of a touch close type are stitched to the back of the base portion 4 and to the front lower part of the back member 1A, respectively. A further pair of cooperably arranged surface fasteners 10A and 10B of the same type are likewise secured by stitching to the back of the first end portion 7 and to the lower centre portion of the palm member, respectively. A reinforcing member 11 made of sheep skin is stuck on the base portion 4 to increase its strength. Numeral 12 designates a stitching thread for securing the lower edge of a rubber band 13 disposed around the edge of the hand receiving opening the glove which is defined by edge 9. In use, the left hand of a player is inserted into the glove through the hand opening 3. The binding band 2 comprising base portion 4 and intermediate portion 5 for respectively preventing the hand and the thumb from bending is fitted by pressing the surface fasteners 8A and 8B and 10A and 10B against each other. When a golf club is gripped and swung in this state, even if the back and thumb of the left hand are subject to a force sufficient to cause them to bend (as shown by chain line in Fig. 4) the portion 4, the surface fasteners 8A and 8B and the back member 1A, i.e. the lower edge 4a of the base portion 4 will abut the wrist D at the edge 9. Thus the portions 4 and 5 serve to prevent excessive bending of the hand and thumb, respectively. If it is desired to restrict the bending of hand more strictly, the binding band 2 may be fastened such that the surface fastener 8A on base portion 4 is offset vertically from the surface fastener 8B on the back member (so that the width A of the base portion 4 will for practical purposes be increased). In order to restrict the bending of the thumb more strictly, the binding band 2 is adjusted so that the upper edge 5a of intermediate portion 5 is located in a position higher up the thumb. It will be appreciated that in the above described embodiment, the binding band is attached to the back member of the golf glove. The binding band comprises a wide base portion adapted for preventing, or inhibiting, the back of the hand from bending backwards, an intermediate portion contiguous with the base portion for preventing, or inhibiting, the thumb from bending backwards. A pair of cooperably arranged surface fasteners are secured to the back of the base portion and to the back member. Also, a further pair of cooperably arranged surface fasteners are provided, one secured to the back of the first end portion of the binding band and one to the palm member. It will be appreciated that in use, when a golf club is gripped and swung, the lower edge of the base portion for preventing the back of the hand from bending abuts the wrist, thus preventing excessive bending of the hand. Also, the portion for preventing the thumb from bending serves to prevent the thumb from bending excessively. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and it will be appreciated that various modifications and alterations can be made on the above embodiment within the scope of the present invention. For example, the reinforcing member 11 can be omitted by suitably adjusting the hardness of the portion 4 and the surface fastener 8A on its back side.

Claims: A golf glove comprising a glove body having a back member (1A) provided with a first surface fastener (8B) and a palm member (1B) and a binding band (2) which is secured to said glove body and provided with a second surface fastener (8A) and a third surface fastener (10A) which third fastener (10A) is secured to the back of a first end portion (7) of said band, characterised in that the binding band (2) is secured at a second end thereof to said glove body and comprises a base portion (4) contiguous with said second end and adapted for inhibiting backwards bending of a hand inserted in the glove, an intermediate portion (5) contiguous with said base portion and said first end portion and adapted for inhibiting backwards bending of the thumb of said hand, and in that said second surface fastener (8A) is secured to the back of said base portion so as to be cooperable with said first surface fastener (8B) and said third fastener (10A) is cooperable with a fourth surface fastener (10B) secured to said palm member. A golf glove as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base portion (4) includes a reinforcing member (11) and is adjustably positionable over said back member and wherein a part (5a) of said intermediate portion (5) is adjustably positionable over part of a thumb portion (6) of said glove body.

Inventors: KAWADA TOSHIYUKI, KAWADA, TOSHIYUKI
Applicants: KAWADA KOGYO KK, KAWADA INDUSTRIAL, INC.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A41D13
IPC codes: A63B71, A41B9