Abstract:
A glove and method of making it. The glove has a thumb portion and four finger-receiving portions and is knitted of fibers, e.g., cotton, polycotton, Kevlar®, rendering it flexible, but susceptible to wear. The palmar side of the glove includes plural patches of a wear-resistant flexible material, e.g., polyvinyl chloride, applied, e.g., silk-screened, metal screened, etc., thereto in a flowable state that it intimately bonds to the fibers. The patches on the palmar side of the glove are arranged in a pattern defining plural palmar flexure lines between immediately adjacent patches. The plural palmar flexure lines are arranged to be located over and substantially aligned with the respective crease lines of the hand of the person wearing the glove, such that the person may readily flex his/her hand without the patches interfering with that action.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to gloves, and more particularly to knitted gloves having plural zones or patches of a wear resistant flexible material affixed thereto to provide good resistance to wear, while not interfering with the free flexing of the fingers and hand of the wearer. 
     Various types of seamless knitted gloves formed of conventional materials, such as cotton, poly-cotton, or KEVLAR®, are commercially available for use by workers, either as a primary glove or as a liner for an outer glove, to provide some measure of protection from injury and some cushioning for the hand of workers. While such seamless, knitted gloves or liners provide a good, comfortable fit, their open weave or knit construction renders them susceptible to abrasion. Accordingly, it is a common practice to include coatings of a flexible, wear-resistant material, e.g., polyvinyl chloride, applied thereon to provide some measure of wear resistance. Those coatings have either been applied entirely over the glove, or in random block patterns or stripes or small dots. All of the patterns utilized heretofore for wear-protective coatings exhibit one or more drawbacks. For example, a solid coating over the entire glove or over its entire palmar surface buckles when the hand is flexed, causing creasing of the coating and wearer discomfort. So too, stripes extending the entire length of the glove tend to buckle when the glove is flexed. While small dots, blocks or patches may eliminate or reduce the buckling problem, they nevertheless exhibit a tendency to peel off Moreover, such small dots or patches provide a limited wear-resistant surface. 
     Other materials, such as leather, rubber, vinyl, etc., have been used for work gloves, and some of such gloves have included pads or other portions to increase comfort and/or provide some cushioning or protection. 
     For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,690 (Webster) discloses a leather glove having springy pads or cushions 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30 which are located on the palmar side and spaced from each other along the hand&#39;s normal crease lines (See FIGS.  4  and  5 ). These pads are provided to provide cushioning to the wearer of the glove. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,784 (Ash) discloses a knitted or woven elastic material hand glove. The glove also includes two palm pieces comprised of generally non-elastic material, e.g., leather or vinyl laminated onto a backing material. The palm pieces are sewn along their peripheries to the elastic material of the glove. The palm pieces are fashioned such that one piece, generally triangular, is attached to form closely spaced, side-by-side stretch lines with the first palm part so that the glove material can stretch and deform in a palm area independently of the palm parts. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,809 (Mah) discloses a protective glove which also has pads on the palmar side which are separated from one another along the hand&#39;s normal crease lines (See FIG.  2 ). 
     Other United States patents relating to gloves having patches or pads on them are as follows: U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,765 (Stanton), U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,975 (Elliott Jr. et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,387 (Lopez), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,719 (Johnson). 
     While the prior art gloves may be generally suitable for their intended purpose they still leave much to be desired from the standpoint of resistance to wear, comfort, etc. A need thus exists for flexible, wear resistant knitted glove. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide a knitted work glove which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and which addresses that need. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide a knitted work glove which includes plural wear resistant material areas on the palmar side of the glove. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide a knitted work glove which includes plural wear resistant material areas on the palmar side of the glove in a predefined pattern with spaces between adjacent areas forming fold lines for enabling the glove to readily fold thereat. 
     It is still a further object of this invention to provide a knitted work glove which includes plural wear-resistant areas disposed in a pattern establishing plural fold lines corresponding to the fold lines of the hand of the wearer. 
     It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a method of making a knitted work glove to includes wear resistant areas disposed on the palmar side of the glove in a pattern establishing plural fold lines corresponding to the fold lines of the hand of the wearer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A glove and method of making it. The glove is arranged to be worn on the hand of a person and has a thumb portion and at least one finger-receiving portion. The glove is knitted of fibers rendering it flexible, but susceptible to wear. The glove has a palmar side which includes plural, e.g., four, patches of a wear-resistant flexible material, e.g., polyvinyl chloride, applied, e.g., silk-screened, metal screened, etc., to the palmar side of the glove. The wear-resistant flexible material is applied to the fibers of the glove in a flowable state, whereupon some of the flowable material intimately engages the fibers and some of the material gains ingress to the interstices between the fibers to be intimately bonded thereto. 
     The patches are arranged in a pattern defining plural palmar flexure lines between immediately adjacent patches. The palmar flexure lines are substantially oriented and aligned with respective crease lines of the palm of the hand of the person wearing the glove, such that the person may readily flex his/her hand without the patches interfering with such action. 
     In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the glove it includes one thumb receiving portion and four finger receiving portions. The plural patches on the palmar side of said glove form at least three palmar flexure lines between immediately adjacent patches which are oriented generally aligned with respective crease lines of the palm of the person. Each of the finger receiving portions also includes plural patches bonded thereto on the palmar side of the glove but spaced from one another to form plural finger flexure lines between immediately adjacent patches, with those finger flexure lines being oriented generally aligned with respective crease lines ofthe fingers of the person. The thumb receiving portion also includes plural patches bonded thereto on said palmar side of the glove but spaced from each other to form plural thumb flexure lines between immediately adjacent patches, with those thumb flexure lines being oriented generally aligned with respective crease lines of the thumb of the person. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of the palmar side of a glove constructed in accordance with this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a reduced plan view of the dorsal side of the glove shown in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the various figures of the drawing wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, there is shown at  20  in FIGS. 1 and 2 a seamless knitted glove constructed in accordance with this invention. 
     The glove  20  includes a shell  22  and a group  24  of plural wear-resistant patches (to be described later). Before describing those patches, a brief description of the glove&#39;s shell  22  is in order. To that end as can be seen the glove&#39;s shell  22  is a knitted or woven body of a conventional shape. Thus, it includes a palmar side or face  26 , a dorsal side or face  28 , a plurality, e.g., four, finger pockets  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36 , a thumb pocket  38 , and a gathered or expandible wrist band  40 . When the shell  22  is worn on the wearer&#39;s hand, each of the finger pockets receives a respective finger of the wearer, while the thumb pocket receives the wearer&#39;s thumb, with the palmar side  26  of the shell overlying the wearer&#39;s palm, the dorsal side overlying the back of the wearer&#39;s hand, and with the wearer&#39;s wrist extending through the wrist band  40 . 
     It should be pointed out at this juncture that the shell may take the form of a “mitten” or be “fingerless.” With respect to the former, i.e., when the shell  22  takes the form of a mitten, the finger pockets  30 - 36  will comprise a single pocket (not shown) into which all the fingers of a person&#39;s hand are placed during wearing, while the wearer&#39;s thumb extends into the thumb pocket  38 . When the shell is of the fingerless type there will be no finger pockets or thumb pocket, or else the finger pockets and/or thumb pocket may be of a short, truncated length, each of which is open at the end to enable the distal end of respective ones of the wearer&#39;s digits to extend thereout. 
     The shell  22  can be made from any suitable material having an elastic nature. Preferably the material is woven or knitted using cotton, or poly cotton or Kevlar® fibers or threads, but other materials such as, acrylic, Ragg wool, or spandex fibers/threads can be used as well. 
     As mentioned earlier the palmar side of the knitted glove includes a group of plural wear resistant, flexible patches  24 . In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention the patches of wear-resistant, flexible material are preferably polyvinyl chloride. Other flexible, wear-resistant materials can be used for the patches  24 , if desired. Moreover, the patches can be applied to the glove in various ways, so long as they make intimate engagement with the fibers of the shell  22  to be fixedly bonded or secured thereto, resistant to coming off. It is preferred, although not mandated, that the wear-resistant flexible material forming the patches  24  is applied to knitted or woven shell  22  in a flowable state, e.g., silk-screened, metal screened, etc., to the shell, whereupon some of the flowable material intimately engages the shell&#39;s fibers and some of the material gains ingress to the interstices between those fibers to be intimately bonded to the shell. 
     In the exemplary embodiment of the glove  20  shown herein there are four patches  24 A,  24 B,  24 C and  24 D in the palm region of the palmar side  26  of the shell  22 , there are three patches  30 A,  30 B, and  30 C on palmar side of the finger pocket  30 , there are three patches  32 A,  32 B, and  32 C on the palmar side ofthe finger pocket  32 , there are three patches  34 A,  34 B, and  34 C on the palmar side of the finger pocket  34 , there are three patches  36 A,  36 B, and  36 C on the palmar side of the finger pocket  36 , and there are two patches  38 A and  38 B on the palmar side of the thumb pocket  38 . 
     In accordance with one preferred embodiment of this invention each of the patches is shaped, sized, and oriented to conform generally to the shape of the portion of the hand of the wearer over which it will be disposed when the glove is worn. Thus, the patches  24 A,  24 B,  24 C and  24 D in the palm region of the palmar side  26  of the shell  22  are each irregularly shaped members which conform generally to the shape of respective portions of the palm of the wearer&#39;s hand. Moreover, the patches  24 A- 24 D are located, oriented and spaced from one another form respective fold or crease lines  22 A,  22 B, and  22 C therebetween. In particular, the fold line  22 A is located between the patches  24 A and  24 B and is generally coincident with the generally diagonally extending, somewhat arcuate crease line of the wearer&#39;s palm. The fold line  22 B is located between the patches  24 B and  24 C and is generally coincident with the lower of the generally transversely extending crease lines of the wearer&#39;s palm. The fold line  22 C is located between the patches  24 C and  24 D and is generally coincident with the upper of the generally transversely extending crease lines of the wearer&#39;s palm. 
     The patches  30 A,  30 B, and  30 C on palmar side of the finger pocket  30  are each somewhat regularly shaped members, e.g., rounded cornered rectangles, which conform generally to the shape of respective portions of the index finger. Moreover, the patches  30 A- 30 C are located, oriented and spaced from one another form respective fold or crease lines  22 E and  22 F therebetween. In particular, the fold line  22 E is located between the patches  30 A and  30 B and is generally coincident with the generally transverse extending index finger crease line closest to the wearer&#39;s palm. The fold line  22 F is located between the patches  30 B and  30 C and is generally coincident with the generally transverse extending index finger crease line further from the wearer&#39;s palm. There is also a fold line  22 G between the patch  30 A and the patch  24 C. This fold line is generally coincident with the crease line of the index finger and the palm. 
     The patches  32 A,  32 B, and  32 C on palmar side of the finger pocket  32  are each somewhat regularly shaped members, e.g., rounded cornered rectangles, which conform generally to the shape of respective portions of the middle finger. Moreover, the patches  32 A- 32 C are located, oriented and spaced from one another form respective fold or crease lines  22 H and  221  therebetween. In particular, the fold line  22 H is located between the patches  32 A and  32 B and is generally coincident with the generally transverse extending middle finger crease line closest to the wearer&#39;s palm. The fold line  221  is located between the patches  32 B and  32 C and is generally coincident with the generally transverse extending middle finger crease line further from the wearer&#39;s palm. There is also a fold line  22 K between the patch  32 A and the patch  24 D. This fold line is generally coincident with the crease line of the middle finger and the palm. 
     The patches  34 A,  34 B, and  34 C on palmar side of the finger pocket  34  are each somewhat regularly shaped members, e.g., rounded cornered rectangles, which conform generally to the shape of respective portions of the ring finger. Moreover, the patches  34 A- 34 C are located, oriented and spaced from one another form respective fold or crease lines  22 L and  22 M therebetween. In particular, the fold line  22 L is located between the patches  34 A and  34 B and is generally coincident with the generally transverse extending ring finger crease line closest to the wearer&#39;s palm. The fold line  22 M is located between the patches  34 B and  34 C and is generally coincident with the generally transverse extending ring finger crease line further from the wearer&#39;s palm. There is also a fold line  22 N between the patch  34 A and the patch  24 D. This fold line is generally coincident with the crease line of the ring finger and the palm. 
     The patches  36 A,  36 B, and  36 C on palmar side of the finger pocket  36  are each somewhat regularly shaped members, e.g., rounded cornered rectangles, which conform generally to the shape of respective portions of the small finger. Moreover, the patches  36 A- 36 C are located, oriented and spaced from one another form respective fold or crease lines  220  and  22 P therebetween. In particular, the fold line  220  is located between the patches  36 A and  36 B and is generally coincident with the generally transverse extending small finger crease line closest to the wearer&#39;s palm. The fold line  22 P is located between the patches  36 B and  36 C and is generally coincident with the generally transverse extending small finger crease line further from the wearer&#39;s palm. There is also a fold line  22 Q between the patch  36 A and the patch  24 D. This fold line is generally coincident with the crease line of the small finger and the palm. 
     The patch  38 A on palmar side of the thumb pocket  38  is a somewhat irregularly shaped member, which conforms generally to the shape of the portion of the wearer&#39;s thumb closest to the palm, while the patch  38 B on palmar side of the thumb pocket  38  is a somewhat regularly shaped member, e.g., a rounded cornered rectangle, which conforms generally to the shape of the portions of the wearer&#39;s thumb furthest from the palm. Moreover, the patches  38 A and  38 B are located, oriented and spaced from one another to form a fold or crease line  22 R therebetween. In particular, the fold line  22 R is located between the patches  38 A and  38 B and is generally coincident with the generally transverse extending crease line of the thumb. There is also a fold or crease line  22 S between the patch  38 A and the patch  24 A. This fold line is generally coincident with the crease line of the thumb and the palm. 
     By providing the fold lines generally coincident with the naturally occurring crease lines of the wearer&#39;s palm and fingers, the will be no interference with the folding of the glove&#39;s shell along those lines by the patches  24 . Moreover, by configuring, sizing and orienting the patches to correspond to the underlying portions of the wearer&#39;s hand, when the wearer closes his/her hand the various patches tend to come together to effectively form an uninterrupted or solid wear surface. 
     It should be pointed out at this juncture that the embodiment of the glove as described above is merely exemplary. Thus, the glove may be formed by other than knitting, e.g., it may be woven, or may be formed of non-woven (disorganized) fibers. Moreover, the shell need not be seamless. Further still the glove may include less than the number of patches shown and described. Moreover, those patches need not be shaped as shown. Further still the patches can be of any desired thickness for protection of the wearer&#39;s hand and resistance to erosion. If the patches are somewhat thin such that they can flex with some ease so that they produce minimal interference with the flexure of the glove, the number and spacing of the fold lines can be minimized. If, however, the patches are relatively thick or formed of a stiffer material so that they cannot fold or crease without wearer discomfort, then the glove should make use of more fold lines. What is important is that there be at least a minimum number of patches and fold lines between the patches in the palm area, and if desired, in the fingers, to enable the wearer of the glove to close his/her hand without interference from the material making up the patches. 
     As should now be appreciated by those skilled in the art from the foregoing the glove of this invention is highly advantageous in that it not only affords a good hand grip when needed in the course of work or sports, but also retains the full dexterity and freedom of action of the wearer&#39;s hand, virtually as if no glove were worn, or that the glove did not include any protective pads. This is due to the fact that the protective pads or patches which are disposed on the palmar side of the glove are spaced from one another along plural palmar flexure lines which are oriented generally aligned with the crease lines of the palm and fingers of the wearer. Accordingly, the wearer can readily flex his/her hand without the patches interfering with such action. 
     Without further elaboration the foregoing will so fully illustrate my invention that others may, by applying current or future knowledge, adopt the same for use under various conditions of service.