Abstract:
A glove useful for mixed martial arts fighting has padded knuckles for the four non-opposed fingers, with the lower half of each of the fingers not enclosed. The palm of the glove is open, and the thumb is not covered. The glove has an inner pair of attachment straps closable across each other over the wrist, and installed over the attachment straps is a closable outer support or stability strap that wraps around the wrist. Both the attachment straps and the support strap are preferably closable through use of a hook and loop fastening means such as Velcro®.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/171,765 filed Apr. 22, 2009 and Ser. No. 61/185,145 filed Jun. 8, 2009, the entirety of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to gloves and, more specifically, to gloves for utilization in mixed martial arts fighting. 
     2. The Prior Art 
     Gloves used in hand-to-hand combat have been known for millennia. For example, during Roman times, gladiators wrapped their hands to box. More recently, boxing gloves have evolved to what is well known today. They are almost totally aimed at punching, and possibly deflecting punches. Karate gloves are typically fairly similar to boxing gloves, again being designed primarily for punching, though in the case of Karate, the punching may be done with more than just a clinched fist. Some Karate gloves allow for some use of the hands for grasping. However, as with boxing gloves, Karate gloves typically have a single compartment for all four of the non-opposed fingers on each hand, with another compartment for the thumb. 
     Mixed martial arts (“MMA”) is a reasonably recent phenomenon. Initially, it allowed for any type of unarmed combat between two participants. The primary organization behind its growth has been the UFC® (Ultimate Fighting Championship®. The precursor to MMA was initially so controversial that it was either banned or dropped from TV. In order to overcome this problem, rules have slowly been introduced to define the activity into a legalized and regulated sport. Still, the combatants in such a fighting sport have a requirement to be able to both hit and grasp or grapple. Traditional boxing and Karate gloves do not provide this capability. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A fighting glove  10  useful for mixed martial arts fighting has padding for covering a back of a hand and knuckles of a fighter. The palm of the glove is open, and the thumb is not covered. ( FIG. 4  and  FIG. 13 ) The glove has attachment straps closable across each other over the wrist  19  ( FIG. 4 ) and installed over the attachment straps is a closable support or stability strap that wraps around the wrist. Both the attachment straps and the support strap are preferably closable through use of hook and loop fastening means such as Velcro®. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of an improved fighting glove, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the improved fighting glove  10  shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the improved fighting glove shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the improved fighting glove shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  are bottom views of the improved fighting glove shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIGS. 7 and 8  are bottom views of the improved fighting glove shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  are bottom views of the improved fighting glove shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 ; 
         FIGS. 11 and 12  are bottom views of the improved fighting glove shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 ; and 
         FIG. 13  is a bottom view of the improved fighting glove shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a top view of an improved fighting glove  10  for a fighter where the fighter has a wrist  42  and a hand  40  including a palm  44 , a thumb  46 , and a plurality of fingers  48  ( FIG. 7 ), in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The fighting glove  10  comprises of a back hand cover  13  for covering a back of a hand of the fighter. The back hand cover  13  includes a top  15  and a bottom  18  spaced apart from one another by a pair of sides  19  with the pair of sides extending between the top  15  and the bottom  18 . In a preferred embodiment, finger sleeves  58  of the glove  10  are padded  12 . Currently, Ultimate Fighting Championship® bouts require at least one inch of padding  12  over the knuckles of the fighter, which results in approximately 4 to 6 ounces of padding per glove. The finger sleeves  58  are disposed next to one another along an upper portion  22  of a front hand cover  21  and a top  15  of a back hand cover  13  for surrounding the fingers of the fighter and each finger sleeves  58  extends outwardly from the covers  21 ,  13  to a distal end  60 . In a preferred embodiment, the finger sleeves  58  in the gloves may end at approximately the second joint on each finger of the fighter to cover the knuckles of the fighter. The padding  12  of the fighting glove  10  is disposed in the interior  16  and attached to the back hand cover  13  and the finger sleeves  58  and extends from the distal end  60  of the finger sleeves  58  to the bottom  18  of the backhand cover  13  for covering the back of the hand and the knuckles of the fighter  40 . A stability or support strap  20  wraps at least substantially around the wrist  42  of the fighter to secure the glove  10  to the fighter. Currently, official Ultimate Fighting Championship® gloves have UFC® logos on both the finger sleeves  58  and top of the support strap  20 . The fighting glove  10  is preferably constructed from soft leather to provide both comfort and durability, but may be constructed of other materials. In the preferred embodiment, both the support straps and the attachment straps are similarly constructed from leather, the attachment straps of similar leather to the rest of the glove, and the stability or support strap of possibly a heavier leather. Also, the seams are preferably double stitched, and the edges of the glove rolled over before being seamed, for durability. 
       FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the fighting glove  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . The fighting glove  10  comprises of a front hand cover  21 . The front hand cover  21  includes an upper portion  22  and a lower portion  23  spaced apart from one another by a pair of edges  25  between the upper portion  22  and the lower portion  23 . Each of the pair of edges  25  connect to each of the pair of sides  19  to define an interior  16  between the front hand cover  21  and the back hand cover  13  for receiving the hand  40  of the fighter. The front hand cover  21  further includes an aperture  27  between and spaced from the pair of edges  25  and extending toward and spaced from the upper portion  22  for exposing the palm  44  and the thumb  46  of the fighter when the hand  40  of the fighter is disposed in, i.e., the fighting glove  10  is being worn by the fighter or is in an installed condition, the interior  16  of the fighting glove  10 . The interior  16  of the fighting glove  10  may include an absorbent lining that wicks away perspiration when a fighter wearing the fighting glove  10  is fighting or training. In the preferred embodiment, the absorbent lining is a lining of absorbent material that is disposed in the interior  16 . The lining of absorbent material covers the padding  12  and is attached to the back hand cover  13  and the front hand cover  21  and extends from the bottom  19  of the back hand cover  13  and the lower portion  23  of the front hand cover  21  to the distal ends  60  of the fingers sleeves  58  for wicking away perspiration from the hand  40  of the fighter. Also visible is a stability or support strap  20  and a second plurality of fasteners  24 . 
       FIG. 3  is a top view of the fighting glove  10  with the support strap  20  unattached and unwrapped. The support strap  20  extends outwardly from the back hand cover  13  and adjacent to one of the pair of edges  25  for wrapping around the lower portion  23  of the front hand cover  21  and the back hand cover  13 . 
       FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the fighting glove  10  with its support strap  20  unattached and unwrapped. The lower portion  23  of the front hand cover  21  and the bottom  18  of the back hand cover  13  define an inner attachment strap  30  having a first plurality of fasteners  34  (see  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 ). The outer attachment strap  32  extends from one of the pair of edges  25  of the front hand cover  21  to a coupling end  50  and defines an outer surface  52  extending from the one of the pair of edges  25  to the coupling end  52  for covering at least a portion of the inner attachment strap  30  adjacent to the lower portion  23  of the front hand cover  21 . The outer attachment strap  32  also includes an inner surface, shown by element number  36 , having a third plurality of fasteners  36  extending between the one of said pair of edges  25  of the front hand cover  21  and the coupling end  52  for locking the third plurality of fasteners  36  with the first plurality of fasteners  34  on the inner attachment strap  30  when the hand of the fighter is disposed in the interior  16  of the fighting glove  10  in the installed condition. The inner surface of the outer attachment strap  32  has a first surface area of the third plurality of fasteners  36  and the inner attachment strap has a second surface area of the first plurality of fasteners  34  at least twice as large as the first surface area and the third plurality of fasteners  36  extend between one of the pair of edges  25  of the front hand cover  21  and the coupling end  50  for engaging a portion of the first plurality of fasteners  34  of the inner attachment strap  30  adjacent to the lower portion  23  of the front hand cover  21 . 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the support strap  20  has an inside surface  26 ,  28  having a fourth plurality of fasteners  26  for attaching the end of the support strap  20  to either the fighting glove  20  or, more typically, itself for covering the attachment straps  30 ,  32  in the installed condition. The support strap  20  extends outwardly from the back hand cover  13  and adjacent to one of the pair of edges  25  of the front hand cover  21  for wrapping around the lower portion  23  of the front hand cover  21  and the bottom  18  of the back hand cover  13  and in overlapping relationship with the attachment straps  30 ,  32  to wrap around the wrist  42  of the fighter and to secure the front hand cover  21  and said back hand cover  13  to the wrist  42  of the fighter in the installed condition. In the preferred embodiment, and as shown in the FIGS., the support strap  20  wraps entirely around the wrist  42  of a fighter. The support strap  20  also defines an exterior surface  62  opposite and parallel to the inside surface  26 ,  28  and presenting the second plurality of fasteners  24  adjacent one of the pair of edge  25  of the front hand cover  21  for receiving the fourth plurality of fasteners  26  of the inside surface  26 ,  28  of the support strap  20  as the support strap  20  is wrapped around the wrist of the fighter and in overlapping relationship with the second plurality of fasteners  24  in the installed condition. It is to be appreciated that the first plurality of fasteners  34 , the second plurality of fasteners  24 , the third plurality of fasteners  36 , and the fourth plurality of fasteners  26  can be of hook fasteners or loop fasteners of a Velcro® material. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  are bottom views of the fighting glove  10  shown in  FIG. 4  with the support or stability strap  20 , the inner attachment strap  30  and the outer attachment strap  32  unattached.  FIG. 5  shows the inner attachment strap  30  folded in, and the outer attachment strap  32  folded out, over the unwrapped support strap  20 .  FIG. 6  shows the inner attachment strap  30 , and the outer attachment strap  32  folded out, ready for being put on the hand of a fighter. The first plurality of fasteners  36  and the fourth plurality of fasteners  26  are shown as hook fasteners and the second plurality of fasteners  24  and the third plurality of fasteners  36  are shown as loop fasteners. The support strap  20  is wrapped around the wrist  42  of the fighter, and the hook and loop fasteners  26 ,  32 ,  34  are engaged to keep it tight. Also shown is the inside surface  26 ,  28  of the support strap  20  and the fourth plurality of fasteners  26 . Note that in a preferred embodiment, the fourth plurality of fasteners  26  on the inside surface  26 ,  28  of the support strap  20  are missing over the top of the outer attachment strap  32  for better operation. More specifically, the inside surface  26 ,  28  of the support strap  20  presents a smooth portion  28  extending from the back hand cover  13  in a parallel relationship and coextensive with the fourth plurality of fasteners  26  adjacent the outer attachment strap  32  and the smooth portion  28  defines a surface area equal to the outer surface  52  of the outer attachment strap  32  for covering and freedom from attachment to the outer surface  52  of the outer attachment strap  32  in the installed condition. In the preferred embodiment, the leather from the rest of the glove extends through the attachment straps  30 ,  32  as shown for the interior  16  of the inner support strap  30  in  FIG. 6 . Also, in one embodiment, wicking material may also cover both the inside of the glove and the inside of the inner attachment strap  30 . While two overlapping straps are shown in this preferred embodiment, it should be understood that utilizing a single strap attaching to the glove with a removable attachment means such as hook and loop fasteners is also within the scope of the present invention. Also, other means for removably providing the attachment than the use of hook and loop fasteners are also within the scope of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  are bottom views of the fighting glove  10  shown in  FIG. 6  with the support or stability strap  20  and the attachment straps  30 ,  32  being folded back, as it is being put on by a fighter. The attachment straps  30 ,  32  consist of an inner attachment strap  30  and an outer attachment strap  32  that attaches over the top of the inner attachment strap  30  using the hook  36  and loop  34  fasteners to close the attachment straps  30 ,  32  together. The glove is shown being put on the hand of a fighter  40 . The fighter&#39;s wrist  42 , palm  44 , thumb  46 , and fingers  48  are shown. When completely installed on a fighter  40 , this embodiment of the glove  10  has an open palm  44  and thumb  46  area and the fingers  48  of the fighter extend through the finger sleeves  58  and the finger holes  14 . 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  are bottom views of the improved fighting glove  10  shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  with the inner attachment strap  30  folded over the wrist  42  of the fighter  40 , and the outer attachment strap  32  folded back from the opposite direction. Also folded back, behind the outer attachment strap  32 , is the stability or support strap  20 . These FIGS. show the inner attachment strap  30  being held down preparatory to the outer attachment strap  32  being closed over it in the installed condition. 
       FIGS. 11 and 12  are bottom views of the fighting glove  10  shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10  with the attachment straps  30 ,  32  being closed over each other, but before the stability or support strap  20  has been closed.  FIG. 11  shows the outer stability or support strap  20  folded back, and  FIG. 12  shows it being held in preparation for being wrapped around the wrist  42  of a fighter and closed in the installed condition. 
       FIG. 13  is a bottom view of the fighting glove  10  shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12  with the stability or support strap  20  wrapped around the wrist  42  of the fighter and closed over the attachment straps  30 ,  32 . At this point, the fighting glove  10  is fully installed on the fighter. It should be noted that the hand  40  shown in these FIGS. is bare, but that typically hands of fighters  40  are wrapped before gloves  10  are installed prior to fights. 
     Those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that this invention encompass all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.