Abstract:
This invention relates to protecting a thumb from sports related injury. The invention provides a rubber layer under a hard cap to provide for increased frontal and dorsal thumb protection without reducing hand flexibility. The invention is a glove comprising a thumb sheath adapted to receive a thumb, a protective pad proximate the outer distal end, a cap mounted on the protective pad, and an overmould mounted between the protective pad and the cap.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The invention relates generally to hand protection. More particularly, the invention relates to protecting a thumb from sports related injury. Specifically, the invention provides a rubber layer under a hard cap to provide for increased frontal and dorsal thumb protection without reducing hand flexibility in a lacrosse glove. 
         [0003]    2. Background Information 
         [0004]    Many contact sports require players to wear gloves due to the risk of injury to the player&#39;s hands. Sports such as lacrosse naturally leave the thumb exposed to more severe injury due to its position on a lacrosse stick. While a player&#39;s hand grasps a lacrosse stick, the thumb rests on top of the lacrosse stick and protrudes outwardly and along the lacrosse stick where it is exposed to injury. This can lead to thumbs being “stoved” or pushed violently back into the knuckle and palm from contact with another player. Additionally, the dorsal side of the thumb is exposed when a player is holding a lacrosse stick, which causes injuries from the common “slashing” motion of an opponent&#39;s lacrosse stick. Protecting the front of the thumb, as well as the dorsal side is important to allow players to participate in the game with minimal hand injuries. 
         [0005]    Some prior art thumb protection devices have adequately solved this problem of protecting the dorsal side and tip of the thumb. These prior art thumb protection devices use rigid material on either the entire thumb, or per thumb phalanx, or a rigid cap structure around the thumb tip. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,543,057, 5,237,703, 5,996,117, and 6,813,781. 
         [0006]    A rigid body with no joints for movement of the thumb locks the thumb into one position, usually a gripping position. This restricts the range of movement and puts the player at a disadvantage because a relatively fixed gripping position is not always desired in a dynamic sport. When hinges are added to a rigid body corresponding with the thumb knuckles, the range of movement is still less than a natural non-restricted thumb would enjoy. 
         [0007]    Additionally, rigid bodies are not sufficient protection for a thumb tip. With rigid material, a direct force to the thumb tip will not receive any dampening, which a resilient material or resilient tip protection system would provide. Inertial movement of a thumb within the glove will result in stoving or damage to the thumb tip because the rigid protection could impact the thumb. 
         [0008]    Therefore the need exists for a gloved thumb protection system that protects the dorsal side of the thumb as well as the thumb tip, allows the thumb a full range of movement, and provides a dampening and “shock absorbing” quality to the protective system over the thumb tip. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The thumb protected glove of the present invention includes a glove having a thumb sheath adapted to receive a thumb. The dorsal side of the thumb sheath includes a protective pad that securely holds a cap on the dorsal side of the distal end of the thumb, as well as extending over the thumb tip. An overmould layer of rubber or other elastomeric material is adhered to the underside of the cap, and resides between the dorsal padding and the cap, which provides a resilient material for absorbing the shock of an impact. The overmould provides two spaced walls adjacent to the thumb tip, which further dampens an impact by flexing and bending inwardly, while still resisting the force. 
         [0010]    The thumb is protected from a force directed at the top or dorsal side of the thumb by the protective padding under the cap as well as the cap itself. The thumb is protected from a force directed at the thumb tip by the front side of the cap and the overmould layer between thumb tip and the cap. The overmould compresses and resists the pressure, resulting in the thumb tip ultimately receiving a lesser force. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The preferred embodiment of the presented invention, illustrative of the best mode in which Applicant has contemplated applying the principals of the invention, is set forth in the following description and is shown in the drawings. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention, showing the palm side of the glove; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the thumb guard; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged exploded sectional view of the thumb guard; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged sectional view of the assembled thumb guard, with a finger shown in phantom; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged sectional view of the overmould. 
       
    
    
       [0017]    Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    The lacrosse glove of the present invention, having an improved thumb guard thereof, is indicated generally at  1  and is shown in detail in  FIGS. 1-5 . Glove  1  has an exterior casing  4  and includes a hand receiving portion  5  proximate a cuff portion  11 . Hand receiving portion  5  includes a plurality of finger sheaths  7  for receiving and enclosing each of the four fingers of a player&#39;s hand. Each finger sheath  7  is proximate hand receiving portion  5 , and extends from an area proximate the base of the player&#39;s fingers to the end of the fingers. Hand receiving portion  5  also includes a thumb sheath  9  for receiving and enclosing a thumb  2  of a player&#39;s hand. Thumb sheath  9  is proximate hand receiving portion  5 , and extends from an area proximate the base of thumb  2  to the end of a thumb tip  10 . Thumb sheath  9  includes an outer distal end  6  and a dorsal side  8  facing outwardly from the palm area of hand receiving portion  5 . An improved thumb protective guard is indicated generally at  3  and is mounted on the dorsal side of thumb sheath  9 , at outer distal end  6  thereof. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , guard  3  is comprised of a cap  13 , an overmould  15 , and a protective pad  17 . Cap  13  is formed from a rigid material, such as a hard plastic, and has a generally U-shaped cross-section. Cap  13  includes a curved front wall  21 , a top wall  23 , a back wall  25 , and a pair of curved side walls  32  which merge into front wall  21  and provide a hollow interior  34 . Cap  13  also includes a pair of one-way pressure snaps  27  extending downwardly from the inner surface of top wall  23 . Each pressure snap  27  has a shaft  28  and two flexible flanges  29  terminating in heads  26 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , overmould  15  is generally U-shaped and includes an exterior wall  37  and a spaced interior wall  39  that merge together into side walls  40  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 . Overmould  15  is formed from rubber or other elastomeric material and is used to absorb the shock of a force applied to the thumb area, usually by a player&#39;s stick. The U-shape of overmould  15  conforms to the shape of the tip of thumb  2 . Exterior wall  37  and interior wall  39  define a crush zone  41  therebetween and deflects and absorbs force impacted thereon from an object, such as an opposing player&#39;s stick. Overmould  15  includes a lip  47  extending from the distal end of exterior wall  37  that wraps around the bottom of front wall  21  and side walls  40 . Lip  47  creates a U-shaped channel  45  for receiving the bottom peripheral edge  43  of front wall  21  and side walls  32  of cap  13  to add stability and an area to assist in securing cap  13  to overmould  15 . Walls  37  and  39  and crush zone  41  keep the overall mass of guard  3  low, by eliminating material that would be required in a solid block of elastomeric material, thus reducing weight while still providing protection for thumb  2 . 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , protective pad  17  includes a somewhat triangular shaped casing  52  having a top wall  50 , a pair of side walls  53  which merge into a curved front wall  54 , and a back wall  58  which form an interior chamber  49 . Casing  52  preferably is formed of a fabric and is sewn to dorsal side  8  of thumb sheath  9 . Top wall  50  includes two holes  57 , each hole sized to receive a pressure snap  27 . Interior chamber  49  is filled with a block of shock absorbing material  51 , such as a foam or rubber, and includes a pair of snap chambers  33 . A rigid protective plate  55  is mounted in chamber  49  between top wall  50  of casing  52  and material  51 . Protective plate  55  is formed with two holes  56  each sized to permit the passage of pressure snap  27  therethrough and aligned with holes  57  formed in pad  51 . 
         [0022]    Cap  13  is attached to protective pad  17  by flanges  29  of pressure snaps  27  passing through aligned holes  56  and  57  and into snap chambers  33 . Flanges  29  expand to hold pressure snap  27  securely in snap chamber  33  and resist compressing by protective plate  55  when reverse pressure is applied to snaps  27 , thereby holding cap  13  securely to protective pad  17 . 
         [0023]    Guard  3  is formed by securing overmould  15  to cap  13  and further securing cap  13  to protective pad  17 . An adhesive  14  is applied to exterior wall  37  of overmould  15 , which is pressed against interior side of front wall  21  of cap  13 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , bottom peripheral edge  43  of front wall  21  is received by lip  47  and assists in holding cap  13  and overmould  15  together. The sub-assembly of cap  13  and overmould  15  is positioned adjacent protective pad  17  with pressure snaps  27  positioned to be inserted through holes  56  and  57 . As pressure is applied to top wall  23  of cap  13 , holes  56  and  57  and snap chamber  33  receive pressure snaps  27  and cap  13  is securely held to protective pad  17 . 
         [0024]    The present invention  1  protects thumb  2  from serious injury by blunting external pressure. As shown in  FIG. 4 , when thumb  2  is in thumb sheath  9 , thumb tip  10  is proximate overmould  15 . When an external force as shown by arrow A in  FIG. 4 , is applied to rigid front wall  21  of cap  13 , the force is transmitted to exterior wall  37  of overmould  15  where it flexes and moves towards interior wall  39 , dissipating the energy into crush zone  41 . Pressure towards thumb tip  10  from an opponent or ball results in crush zone  41  contracting to receive and blunt the pressure. The pressure is dissipated sufficiently to minimize pressure to thumb tip  10 . When an exterior force is applied towards dorsal side  8  of thumb sheath  9 , as shown by arrow B,  FIG. 4 , from an opponent&#39;s stick or ball, it results in the force being transmitted into shock absorbing material  51  by top wall  23  of cap  13  pushing into protective material  51  and blunting the pressure. 
         [0025]    The ventral side of thumb  2  is proximate exterior casing  4  with little or no intervening protective layers or padding except glove casing  4 . This allows a player&#39;s thumb to have flexibility of movement and can exert a sufficient grip on the lacrosse stick. A pivot space  59  is provided between protective pad  17  and a standard padding  61  used on many types of lacrosse gloves, which provides a break in the padding on the dorsal side  8  of thumb sheath  9  closely adjacent a first knuckle  60  of thumb  2 . Protective pad  17  extends from approximately the thumb tip  10  to the first thumb knuckle  60 . Pivot space  59  allows a player to bend thumb  2  at knuckle  60  and maintain the normal range of motion for thumb  2 . 
         [0026]    In a typical method of operation for the present invention  1 , a lacrosse player puts on protective glove  3 . The player&#39;s hand slides into hand receiving portion  5 , and cuff portion  11  is secured at his wrist. Exterior casing  4  surrounds the player&#39;s hand, fingers and thumb, and provides a base to which dorsal hand and finger protection is adhered. The player&#39;s fingers slide into finger sheath  7 , and thumb  2  slides into thumb sheath  9 . 
         [0027]    As a player engages in lacrosse, various collisions occur with the ball or opponent&#39;s lacrosse stick and body. The player&#39;s thumb  2  is directly exposed above the fingers when gripping a lacrosse stick, and many injuries occur to tip  10  of the thumb. As shown by arrow B in  FIG. 4 , when a dorsal collision occurs, cap  13  pushes down into protective material  51 . The energy of the applied force travels through top wall  23  of cap  13  into protective plate  55 , where it is dissipated by protective material  51 . Pivot space  59  allows thumb  2  to bend at knuckle  60 . As thumb  2  bends and conforms to the pressure of the force, the force is deflected or dampened and additional energy dissipation occurs. 
         [0028]    As shown by arrow B in  FIG. 4 , when a frontal collision occurs, cap  13  pushes into exterior wall  37  of overmould  15 . Overmould  15  is strong enough to resist a nominal force, but flexible enough to allow compression from a significant, and injury-threatening force. Exterior wall  37  compresses into crush zone  41  and dissipates most of the pressure and force from the collision. When the force reaches thumb tip  10 , the force is sufficiently blunted so as to not injure the player. Overmould  15  acts as a buffer against any applied force. Cap  13  without non-rigid overmould  15  would transfer a significant force to thumb  2  through inertia and possibly result in an injury. By using non-rigid overmould  15 , the inertia is dampened before it reaches thumb tip  10 . When sufficient force exists for the impact inertia to reach thumb tip  10 , the impact is less damaging with rubber material intermediate thumb tip  10  and the object. The rubber or other elastomeric material used in overmould  15  compresses with pressure and helps to dampen the shock of a collision. 
         [0029]    In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, cap  13  may be attached directly to protective pad  17  without overmould  15 . Front wall  21  and top wall  23  provide protection to thumb tip  10  and thumb  2  from a front or dorsal impact. Overmould  15  may be omitted if desired from the present invention to reduce overall cost or weight, but the preferred embodiment described above provides the best protection to a player. 
         [0030]    The foregoing description of the present invention described a lacrosse glove, but could easily be adapted to include a hockey or cricket glove or other protected glove. 
         [0031]    In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. 
         [0032]    Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.