Abstract:
A teething glove is provided for cold relief associated with the discomfort that generally accompanies infant teething. The teething glove may include a temporary and/or permanent cold pack. The cold pack may provide a child relief while chewing and/or sucking on the portion of the teething glove containing the cold pack.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to infant/toddler products. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a teething glove including a cold pocket to provide cold relief associated with discomfort that generally accompanies infant teething. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Teething is the process by which an child&#39;s first teeth appear by emerging through the gum line. Teething generally starts around 6 months of age however, it is normal for teething to start any time between the age of 3 months and 12 months of age. Typically, the lower front teeth come in first, with the upper front teeth following approximately 1 to 2 months later. Teething may cause soreness and swelling of a child&#39;s gum and/or gum line as the teeth begin to show. Generally, teething may cause a child to be excessively fussy. Many parents offer their children traditional plastic teethers to aid in the discomfort that accompanies teething. Often, parents will freeze the traditional plastic teether to further aid in the discomfort caused by teething. However, the American Pediatric Association warns against freezing traditional teethers because of dangers resulting from the potential of freezing a child&#39;s gum(s), lip(s), and/or hands. Therefore, there is a need for a teether that provides cold relief to a child&#39;s teething discomfort. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]    Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: 
           [0004]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example teething glove situated on a user hand, according to one exemplary embodiment. 
           [0005]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrates an example closing strap for use with the teething glove illustrated in  FIG. 1 , according to one exemplary embodiment. 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  illustrates an example pouch including a cold packet for use with the teething glove illustrated in  FIG. 1 , according to one exemplary embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  illustrates another example pouch including a cold packet for use with the teething glove illustrated in  FIG. 1 , according to one exemplary embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  illustrates a teething glove that may be utilized by a child, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       [0009]    Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. The concepts disclosed herein may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the concepts to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like, but not necessarily the same or identical, elements throughout. 
         [0010]    Teething Glove Overview 
         [0011]    Exemplary embodiments described herein identify components of a teething glove utilized to sooth and relieve discomfort associated with teething. A teething glove  102  is shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the teething glove  102  is designed to fit on a hand of a user  104 . In one exemplary implementation, the user  104  is a child ranging in age between birth and two years of age. However, it is to be appreciated that the teething glove  102  may be utilized by a user of any suitable age. The teething glove  102  may be placed on a right hand of the user  104  or a left hand of the user  104 . While  FIG. 1  illustrates the teething glove  102  on a single hand, the right hand, a teething glove  102  may also be placed on the left hand for simultaneous use on both the right hand and the left hand of the user  104 . 
         [0012]    In one example implementation, the teething glove  102  may be constructed of an organic cotton material, such as, for example, a terry cloth material. Generally, terry cloth is a fabric with loops that enable the absorption of large amounts of water. The length of the loops making up the terry cloth help to determine how much fluid may be absorbed by the cloth. Utilizing an absorbing material, such as terry cloth, may provide the user  104  additional comfort as any liquid (e.g., saliva, drool, etc.) exiting a mouth of the user  104  may be captured by the teething glove  102 . By way of another example, the teething glove  102  may be constructed using other organic cotton materials. For example, without limitation, an unbleached cotton twill, a cotton fleece, a cotton velour, or the like. While the teething glove is described as being constructed of a cotton material, it is to be appreciated that the teething glove  102  may be constructed using any suitable material. For example, without limitation, the teething glove  102  may be constructed using a hemp material. Hemp is an environmentally friendly product that does not require the use of a lot of fertilizers and/or pesticides. Hemp is a durable and absorbent product that has a natural anti-microbial and anti-mildewing properties. Some examples of hemp materials that may be used to construct the teething glove  102  may include, without limitation, a hemp french terry material, a hemp fleece, or the like. 
         [0013]    The teething glove  102  may include an opening  106 . The opening  106  may enable the user&#39;s fingers to extend through and out of the teething glove  102 . For example, the teething glove  102  may include a single opening, such that an index finger, a middle finger, a ring finger and a pinky finger are grouped together in the single opening. Alternatively, the teething glove  102  may include an opening for each finger. For example, the teething glove  102  may include four separate compartments, a first compartment for the index finger, a second compartment for the middle finger, a third compartment for the ring finger, and fourth compartment for the pinky finger. Whether the teething glove  102  includes a single opening or four separate compartments for each finger, the fingerless, open ended design provides free unencumbered movement for the fingers of the user  104 . For example, the fingers of the user  104  are free to explore and/or play with toys while the teething glove remains securely fastened to the hand of the user  104 . However, while the teething glove  102  illustrates an open ended design, it is to be appreciated the teething glove  102  may alternatively encapsulate the fingers such that the teething glove  102  covers the entirety of the user&#39;s hand (e.g., including the fingers). 
         [0014]    The teething glove  102  may also include a thumb opening  108 . The thumb opening  108  enables the user&#39;s thumb to extend through and out of the teething glove  102  in a similar manner described herein with respect to the opening  106 . For example, similar to the opening  106 , the thumb opening  108  may be an open ended design providing the thumb free unencumbered movement. Alternatively, the thumb opening  108  may encapsulate the entirety of the thumb. 
         [0015]    The teething glove  102  may also include a pouch  110 . The pouch  110 , in one example implementation, may be located in between where the index finger and the middle finger of the user  104  may exit the opening  106  of the teething glove  102 . For example, the pouch  110  may be situated on the teething glove such that it is positioned between a knuckle associated with the index finger of the user and a knuckle associated with the middle finger of when the hand of the user is placed in the teething glove  102 . By way of another example, the pouch  110  may be placed in the middle of a user&#39;s hand. For example, the pouch  110  may be placed on the teething glove  102  such that it is positioned directly over where a knuckle associated with the middle finger of the user  104  would be located when the user&#39;s  104  hand is placed in the teething glove. However, it is to be appreciated that the pouch  110  may be situated in any suitable location on the teething glove  102 . While the teething glove  102  is illustrated to include a single pouch  110 , it is to be appreciated that the teething glove  102  may include multiple pouches located in multiple locations of the teething glove  102 . 
         [0016]    The pouch  110  may hold a cold packet  112 . In one example implementation, the cold packet  112  may contain a fluid that will not transform to a solid state when placed into a household appliance such as, for example, a freezer (set at an average freezer temperature), a refrigerator, or the like. For example, the fluid may consist of, without limitation, a corn syrup, a honey product, a silicon product, or the like. By way of another example, the cold packet  112  may contain a water/sugar mixture. For example, the water/sugar mixture may be a one part water and four part sugar mixture. However, it is to be appreciated that the water/sugar mixture may be any suitable mixture. 
         [0017]    The pouch  110  may include a single cold packet  112 , or multiple cold packets. For example, a single pouch  110  may include one or more cold packets  112 . Alternatively and/or additionally, where the teething glove  102  may include multiple pouches  110 , each pouch may include one or more cold packets  112 . However, it is to be appreciated, that a pouch may not include any cold packet at all, and may be used as an alternative location for placement of a cold packet  112 . For example, a teething glove  102  may include a first pouch situated on the knuckle associated with the index finger of the user  104  as well as a second pouch situated in a middle of the hand of the user  104 . The cold packet  112  may be moved between the first pouch and the second pouch as desired by the user  104 . Alternatively, for example, the user  104  may prefer the cold packet in the first pouch, and the second pouch may not be utilized at all. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2A  further illustrates the teething glove  102 . In one example implementation, the teething glove  102  may further include a closing strap  202 . The closing strap  202  may utilize, in one example, a velcro strip to secure the teething glove  102  to a user  104 . In one example, the closing strip  202  secures the teething glove  102  to a user  104  at a user&#39;s wrist. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the closing strap  202  may include velcro strips  204  and  206  that open and close the teething glove  102 , securing the teething glove  102  to the user&#39;s hand. Alternatively, the teething glove may utilize elastic within the closing strip  202 , extending and/or contracting to ensure a proper fit of the teething glove  102  to the user  104 . For example, the elastic may be placed within the closing strip of the teething glove  102  providing a single opening for the user  104  to slide their hand into when placing the glove on the hand. The elastic may provide the teething glove  102  a one size fits all for a wide variety of users ranging in both size and/or age. By way of another example, the teething glove  102  may include an elastic opening varying in size, for example, a small opening, a medium opening, or a large opening. A small opening may include an elastic band sized to fit a smaller hand, while a large opening may include a larger elastic band accommodating a larger hand. The closing strap  202  ensures a secure fit to the user&#39;s hand, preventing the teething glove  102  from falling off of the user&#39;s hand or from the user throwing the teething glove  102  to the ground. 
         [0019]      FIG. 3  illustrates a pouch  110  of the teething glove  102 . In one example implementation, the pouch  110  may be secured to the teething glove  102  using a tether  302 . The tether  302 , may be, for example, an elastic tether that is securely attached to the teething glove  102 . However, the tether  302  may be, without limitation, constructed using material similar to the teething glove  102 , or any suitable material. The tether  302  may be secured to the teething glove permanently, for example, sewn to the teething glove  102 . Alternatively, the tether  302  may be removable from the teething glove  102 . For example, the tether  302  may be temporarily secured to the teething glove using a velcro attachment. 
         [0020]    The pouch  110  may include a velcro attachments at a first end  304  and a second end  306  to secure closure of the pouch  110 . The velcro attachments at the first end  304  and the second end  306  may secure the cold packet  112  in the pouch  110 . The cold packet  112  may be removed from the pouch  110  of the teething glove  102 . When removed, the cold packet  112  may be chilled by placing the cold packet  112  into the appliance (e.g., a freezer, a refrigerator, or the like). Placement of the cold packet  112  in an appliance may accompany an initial chilling process for the cold packet  112 , and/or placement of the cold packet  112  in an appliance may be to re-chill the cold packet  112 . As described herein, by chilling the cold packet  112 , the teething glove  102  may provide the user  104  cold relief during times of discomfort (e.g., during times of discomfort associated with teething). Alternatively, the cold packet  112  may be sewn into the pouch  110  during the manufacturing process and is thus not removable from the teething glove  102 . Whether the cold packet  112  is sewn into the pouch  110 , or the cold packet  112  is removable from the pouch  110 , the teething glove  102 , including the cold packet  112 , may be placed into the appliance such that the entire teething glove  102  is chilled. 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  further illustrates the another pouch  110  of the teething glove  102 . In one example implementation, the pouch  110  may include a flap  402 . The flap  402  may secure the cold packet  112  in the pouch  110 . In one example implementation, the flap  402  may use a velcro strip similar to the closing strap  202  to secure the closure of the pouch  110 . Alternatively and/or additionally, the pouch  110  may be securely closed using any other suitable methods. Alternatively, the cold packet  112  may be sewn into the pouch  110  during the manufacturing process and is thus not removable from the teething glove  102 . As described with respect to  FIG. 3 , whether the cold packet  112  is sewn into the pouch  110 , or the cold packet  112  is removable from the pouch  110 , the teething glove  102 , including the cold packet  112 , may be placed into the appliance such that the entire teething glove  102  is chilled. 
         [0022]    Use Case Scenario 
         [0023]    This exemplary use case scenario will be described with reference to the teething glove  102 , and is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The user  104  may be a child, such as a child  502 . The child  502  may be a child undergoing discomfort as the result of teething. A parent may secure the teething glove  102  on the child&#39;s hand  504 . Securing the teething glove to the child&#39;s hand prevents the child from dropping the teething glove and/or throwing the teething glove off of their hand. The child  502  may place the teething glove  102  in or near a child&#39;s mouth, exposing the cold pouch  112  to the child&#39;s gum line (e.g., an area typically affected during the teething process and subsequently causing the child discomfort). The cold pouch  112  may provide the child soothing relief to the affected area, thus easing the child&#39;s discomfort. 
         [0024]    While a scenario has been described, it is to be appreciated that various alternative use case scenarios for the teething glove may be recognized for utilizing the teething glove as defined by the claims. Therefore, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.