Abstract:
A protective sports glove consisting of a padded outer glove and an inner form-fitting glove. The padded outer glove is similar to conventional protective gloves used in contact sports, but having a substantial portion of the palm removed (i.e. except for the finger palm portions). The smaller form-fitting glove is introduced to the wearer&#39;s hand prior to insertion within the padded outer glove and covers the cutout palm portion of the padded outer glove. In essence, the form-fitting glove acts as the palm portion for the padded outer glove.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   The present invention claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/663,948, filed Mar. 21, 2005, and entitled “Palmless Protective Glove Having An Inner Palm.” 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates generally to a protective glove for use in contact sports such as hockey or lacrosse and, more particularly, to a protective glove having a padded palmless outer glove and a form-fitting inner glove. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In contact sports, such as lacrosse or hockey, where sticks are essential elements of the game, a player&#39;s hands and wrists are especially vulnerable to injury when being checked by another player&#39;s stick. For this reason, players typically utilize padded gloves to protect their hands, wrists and lower forearms during play. 
   The glove generally comprises a hand portion coupled to a plurality of finger portions and a thumb portion. The hand portion, finger portions and thumb portion each have a respective palm portion and a protective back having a plurality of pads disposed thereon. The gloves typically have a protective cuff that is coupled to a lower edge of the hand portion and extends below the back portion to protect the wearer&#39;s wrist and forearm. 
   The palm portion extends to cover the fronts of the thumb and fingers of the wearer&#39;s hand. The palm portion of the glove is formed from a durable material such as leather or synthetic leather. Obviously other suitable materials may be utilized. The palm portion may be reinforced with an additional durable material in high use areas and may also utilize mesh areas in lower use areas designed to provide ventilation to the wearer&#39;s hand without significantly affecting the durability of the glove. 
   The rules in the sports of hockey and lacrosse state that a glove must contain a palm portion that covers the inside of the wearer&#39;s palm, fingers, and thumb. Indeed, it is known that some players have cut out the hand portion of the palm for improved feel of the stick. However, this is illegal, as it leaves the palm of a player&#39;s hand exposed and therefore susceptible to injury. It is therefore desirable to provide a protective glove that provides a player with improved feel of the stick and improved ventilation without rendering the glove illegal. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the present invention provides a protective sports glove consisting of a padded outer glove and an inner form-fitting glove. The padded outer glove is similar to conventional protective gloves used in contact sports, but having a substantial portion of the hand palm portion removed (i.e. the finger palm portion and thumb palm portion remain intact). The smaller form-fitting glove is introduced to the wearer&#39;s hand prior to insertion within the padded outer glove and covers the removed or missing palm portion of the padded outer glove. In essence, the form-fitting glove acts as the palm portion for the padded outer glove. 
   The hand palm portion, or lower palm region, of the outer padded glove preferably covers a portion of the palm located near to the fingers and wrists while leaving an area of the palm nearer to the wrist exposed. In alternative versions, the durable material of the lower palm region may extend further down the wearer&#39;s hand towards the wrist. Additionally, one or more openings may be formed in the finger and thumb palm portions, or in a portion of the lower palm region, that are covered with a mesh or other breathable material to provide additional ventilation to the wearer&#39;s hand. The mesh portions are located in areas not intended to primarily contact the stick during play. 
   In another alternative version, the lower palm region of the padded outer glove may be formed with the durable portion covering all or most of the wearer&#39;s hand but having perforations such that small portions of the palm may be removed by the wearer, depending upon the level of “feel” to the stick desired. 
   The form-fitting glove adds versatility to the wearer by providing a glove in many different forms, depending upon the playing conditions. For example, on warmer days, the inner form-fitting glove may be formed from thinner durable materials. On colder days, the material may use thicker material. Also, a tackified form-fitting glove may be worn on rainy days to improve grippage on the stick. In addition, a wearer may replace the inner form-fitting glove during breaks in place to adjust to ever changing playing conditions. The form-fitting glove may be tipless, or may fit around the tips of the fingers and thumb depending upon the wearer&#39;s preference. 
   Alternatively, the form-fitting glove covers only the palm and a portion of the player&#39;s fingers. Other alternative versions of the glove may be formed wherein the back portion has a hook and loop fastening system, or other fastening device, to secure the back of the inner glove snugly around the back of the wearer&#39;s hand. Further, a hook and loop fastener may be attached to the exterior of the form-fitting glove and within the portion of the palm remaining to prevent the palm portion from bunching upward into the finger portions during play. Other mechanisms for securing this form-fitting glove to the outer glove may be utilized, including permanent and releasable (i.e. hook and loop) attachment mechanisms. 
   The form-fitting inner glove offers a wearer outstanding feel as compared with gloves having bulkier, less form-fitting palm portions. In other words, the protective glove of the preferred embodiments described herein having the form-fitting inner glove may actually improve playability as compared with traditional palmed gloves by allowing the wearer more intimate contact with the lacrosse or hockey stick. 
   In addition, the disclosed palmless glove reduces costs associated with replacing or repairing gloves having worn out palms. A wearer simply replaces the less costly form-fitting glove portion if it is worn out during play without being forced to purchase a more costly one-piece glove having a new palm portion or bear the cost and time necessary to replace the worn-out palm portion. 
   These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention, when viewed in accordance with the accompanying drawings and appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded palm side view of a multi-portion protective glove having an outer padded glove portion and an inner form-fitting glove portion in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a back side exploded view of the protective glove of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a palm side view of the outer padded glove according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a palm side view of a protective sport glove of  FIG. 1  coupled to a wearer&#39;s hand; 
       FIG. 5  is a palm side view of the inner form-fitting glove according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a back side view of the inner form-fitting glove according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a palm side view of the inner form-fitting glove according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 8  is a section view of a portion of  FIG. 4  taken along line  8 - 8 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to the Figures, which illustrate a multi-piece protective glove  10  in accordance with the present invention. The drawings illustrate the left hand glove, however, it will be understood that the right hand glove has the same configuration, but opposite orientation. While the disclosed glove  10  is preferably for use in the game of lacrosse, it should be understood that the disclosed glove  10  might be used in a variety of other contact stick sports, including hockey. In one embodiment, the multi-piece protective glove  10  consists of two pieces, namely a padded outer glove  11  and an inner form-fitting glove  150 . 
   The padded outer glove  11  has a hand portion  22  including a backside portion  12  and an opposing inner palm portion  14 . The glove  10  preferably includes a cuff portion  20  coupled to a hand portion  22 . The cuff portion  20  preferably has a first cuff segment  24 , a second middle cuff segment  26 , and a third cuff segment  28 . The cuff portion  18  thus consists of multiple portions to provide a split cuff that yields increased flexibility for a wearer during play. It will be understood that the cuff portion  18  may be comprised of more or less segments as desired. The first cuff segment  24 , the second middle cuff segment  26 , and the third cuff segment  28  are each flexibly secured to the hand portion  22 . They may also be flexibly secured to each other. A plurality of finger portions  24  and a thumb portion  26  are coupled to and extend from the hand portion  20 . 
   The first edge portion  32  of the first cuff segment  24  preferably has an attachment mechanism  44  formed therein. Similarly, the second edge portion  42  of the third cuff segment  28  has a second attachment mechanism  46  formed therein. Each of the attachment mechanisms  44 ,  46  are preferably eyelets. Further, more than one attachment mechanism can be incorporated into each of the segments  24 ,  28  or the attachment mechanism can be formed in a variety of different locations. A lace  48  or other securing device is preferably passed through the first and second attachment mechanisms  44 ,  46  to connect the first cuff segment  24  to the third cuff segment  28 . As shown, the lace  48  is intended to pass around the underside of a wearer&#39;s forearm such that the tightness of the cuff segments  24 ,  28  with respect to a wearer&#39;s forearm may be adjusted to bring the cuff segments  24 ,  28  closer to one another and bring the padding around a wearer&#39;s forearm. The lace  48  may be maintained in its desired position at a desired tightness through the use of the cord lock  50  or other similar locking device. Alternatively, the lace  48  may be removed from the glove entirely. 
   As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the cuff portion  20  is preferably secured to the hand portion  22  through a plurality of elastic members  52 . Each of the elastic members  52  is preferably secured at one end to the upper border portion of the cuff portion  20  and at an opposing end to the hand portion  22 . This configuration keeps the cuff portion  20  secured to the hand portion  22 , but the elastic members  52  allow the cuff portion  20  to move with respect to the hand portion  22  and provide flexibility as the wearer&#39;s hand flexes during play. The elastic members  52  are preferably disposed adjacent on either side of the hand portion  22  with a third elastic member  52  preferably disposed generally in the middle of the backside to provide additional strength and flexibility. Other suitable materials such as neoprene or Lycra could also be utilized to secure the cuff portion  20  to the hand portion  22 . 
   In the preferred embodiment, a wrist guard  54  is disposed over a seam portion defining the border of the cuff portion  20  and the hand portion  22  along the backside portion  12  of the hand portion  22 . The wrist guard  54  is preferably a padded member and has a first end  58 , which is preferably secured to the first cuff portion  28 . The wrist guard  54  has a second end  60  that is preferably secured to the first cuff segment  24 . While the first and second ends  58 ,  60  of the wrist guard  54  are preferably secured to the cuff portion  20  by sewing, it should be understood that the ends  58 ,  60  might be attached by any other known securing means. Alternatively, the wrist guard  54  could instead be secured to the hand portion  22 . The wrist guard  54  is also preferably coupled to the hand portion  22  by an elastic member to allow some relative movement therebetween. However, other suitable connector materials such as neoprene or Lycra could also be utilized to secure the wrist guard  54  to the cuff portion  20  and/or hand portion  22 . 
   The hand portion  22  extends between the seam portion and the plurality of finger portions  24 . The backside portion  12  preferably has a plurality of protected padded portions secured thereto. As shown, the backside portion  12  is preferably subdivided into a plurality of individual protective padded portions  84 ,  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92 ,  94 ,  96 ,  98  separated by a series of cuts  99 . The cuts  99  allow the glove to fit more comfortably as they allow the glove to better conform to a wearer&#39;s hand as he or she closes their hand around the stick. This is desirable as the back of a typical wearer&#39;s hand is not flat, and the padded protected portions are not flexible enough to bend without the cut portion  99 . The cuts  99  are preferably formed in the outer glove  11  through die cutting or other known cutting or forming means, which are sufficient to configure the backside portion  12  of the glove to conform to the configuration described above. The backside portion  12  may have a variety of additional or different cuts not shown herein as desired. For example, the cuts  99  may be vertical cuts, horizontal cuts, or angled cuts, depending upon the desired flexion requirements for the glove  10 . 
   The finger portions  24  are moveable with respect to the padded portions  88 ,  90 ,  94  and  96 , allowing a wearer&#39;s fingers to flex. Each of the finger portions  24  also has one or more protective pads  98  thereon separated by one or more cuts  101 . The cuts  101  allow the glove to fit more comfortably as they allow the glove to better conform to a wearer&#39;s finger as he or she closes their fingers around the stick. The cuts  101  are preferably formed in the outer glove  11  through die cutting or other known cutting or forming means. 
   The backside portion  12  of the hand portion  22  has a plurality of vent openings formed therein to provide ventilation to a wearer&#39;s hand. A first vent opening  106  is preferably disposed along the cut  99  between the protective padded portion  88  and the protective padded portion  90 . A vent opening  108  is preferably disposed along another cut  99  between the protective padded portion  90  and the protective padded portion  92 . Another vent opening  110  is preferably disposed along an angled cut  99  between protective padded portions  86 ,  88 . In one embodiment, the vent openings  106 ,  108 ,  110  are located along the die cuts, which do not correspond to joints of the wearer&#39;s hand and, therefore while there is some relative movement of the protective pads in which the vent openings are formed, the movement is not sufficient to cause a portion of a wearer&#39;s hand to be exposed. It should be understood that while three vent openings  106 ,  108 ,  110  are disclosed on the backside portion  12  of the glove  10 , any number of vent openings might be utilized. Additionally, the vent openings  106 ,  108 ,  110  may be disposed in a variety of other locations along the backside portion  12  in accordance with the preferred embodiment, including within or through the respective individual padded portions themselves, instead of along the die cuts. 
   The inner side  16  and the outer side  18  of the hand portion  22  connect the backside portion  12  to the inner palm portion  14 . The inner side  16  has the thumb portion  26  extending therefrom. The outer side  18  of the glove preferably has a mesh layer  112  extending between the backside portion  12  and the inner palm portion  14 . 
     FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate the inner palm portion  14  of the padded outer glove  11  in more detail. The inner palm portion  14  includes a lower palm region  29 , which is coupled to, and preferably continuous with, the finger palm portion  17  and thumb palm portion  19 . The finger palm portion  17  extends from the tips  23  of the finger portions  24  to the webbing  27 A between the respective fingers, while the thumb palm portion  19  extends from the tip  25  of the thumb portion  26  to webbing  27 B between the thumb and index finger. The lower palm portion  29  extends to a position slightly below the webbing  27 A,  27 B defined between each respective finger portion  24  and thumb portion  26 . The length of the lower palm portion  29  extending away from the webbing  27  over the inner hand (between the fingers and the wrist) varies depending upon the amount of coverage desired by the wearer, with a majority of the wearer&#39;s palm extending towards the wrist being typically exposed below the lower border  21  of the lower palm region. The lower border  21  therefore defines the upper boundary of an opening that extends within the interior of the padded outer glove  11 . 
   As shown, the inner palm portion  14 , the finger palm portion  17 , and the thumb palm portion  19  are each preferably comprised of a durable material such as leather, a synthetic material such as Nash leather, or any other known suitable material, generally illustrated by reference number  126 . The finger mesh portions  128 ,  130 ,  132 , and  134  and the thumb mesh portion  136  are preferably located throughout the inner palm portion  14 , the finger palm portions  17 , and/or the thumb palm portion  19  to provide ventilation to a wearer&#39;s palm and are located in areas that are not intended as primary contact areas for a stick. 
   In an alternative preferred embodiment, as best shown in  FIG. 3 , the durable material of the lower palm region  29  extends substantially further towards the wearer&#39;s wrist and is subdivided into one or more removable regions  35  defined individually between a series  33  of perforations  31  located at varying lengths from the webbing  27 . Each of the series of removable regions  35  may be removed by tearing out the section along the respective perforations  31  to expose a greater area of opening  39 . 
   Referring back now to  FIGS. 1 and 2  and also to  FIG. 5 , an inner form-fitting glove  150  is shown that is used in conjunction with the outer padded glove  11 . The form-fitting glove  150  adds versatility to the wearer by being available in many different forms, depending upon the playing conditions. The inner form-fitting glove need not be form fitting to the wearer&#39;s hand and still fall within the spirit of the present invention. In preferred embodiments, however, the inner glove is form fitting. 
   The inner form-fitting glove  150  includes a palm portion  152 , a plurality of finger portions  154  and a thumb portion  156  each coupled to and extending from the palm portion  152 . A back portion  158  is also shown coupled to the palm portion  152 , the finger portions  154  and the thumb portion  158 . The back portion  158  may optionally include a hook and loop fastening system  200  that aids in securing the inner form-fitting glove  150  tightly around the wearer&#39;s hand. In one preferred embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the back portion  158  covers the entire back of the wearer&#39;s hand from the webbing  157 A,  157 B of the finger and thumb portions  154 ,  156  to the wrist area of the wearer. 
   Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the glove  150  may be substantially backless, thus having an opening  162 , therein exposing most of the back of the hand to the back portion  12  of the outer glove  11  through an opening  122 . Thus, for embodiments having vent openings  106 ,  108 ,  110  in the backside portion  12 , direct air-cooling to the backside of the hand through the vent openings  106 ,  108 ,  110  of the outer glove  11  and opening  162  of the inner glove  150  is achievable. 
   The palm portion  152  of the inner form-fitting glove  150  of  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  5 - 6  is formed from a relatively thin, flexible material that is designed to provide maximum feel for a wearer to contact a stick such as a lacrosse stick or hockey stick. The palm portion  152  covers areas of the wearer&#39;s palm not covered by the overlying lower palm region  29  (i.e. within opening  39 ) of the padded outer glove  11 . In other words, the palm portion  152  of the inner form-fitting glove  150  functions as the palm portion to comply with the rules regarding palm areas of gloves in the sports of ice hockey and lacrosse. 
   The material used in the form-fitting glove  150  preferably has a degree of durability sufficient to minimize ripping and tearing during use. The material also preferably is breathable or is formed with ventilation holes  160  to provide cooling airflow to the wearer&#39;s palm. One preferred material used in the palm portion  152  is natural leather or simulated leather such as synthetic Nash leather. However, other materials that may be utilized include cloth-like or fabric-like, breathable materials having a degree of durability. The material may even be elastic-like. Thus, the palm portion may be formed of natural or synthetic fabrics such as cotton, nylon, polyester, or other polymeric materials that are commonly used in the glove industry. 
   As stated above, the material used in the inner form-fitting glove  150  is designed to provide maximum feel to the wearer. However, the wearer may interchange between numerous materials and thickness depending upon the wearer&#39;s preference given numerous factors, including weather conditions. Thus, for example, on warmer days, the form-fitting gloves  150  may be formed from thinner durable materials. On colder days, the glove may use thicker material. Also, as shown in  FIG. 5 , an inner form-fitting glove  150  having a tackified region  159  may be introduced to the palm portion  152  on rainy days to improve grippage on the stick. 
   The form-fitting gloves  150  offer a wearer outstanding feel as compared with gloves having bulkier, less form-fitting palm portions. In other words, the inner form-fitting glove  150  may actually improve playability as compared with traditional palmed gloves by allowing the wearer more intimate contact with the lacrosse or hockey stick. Further, the form-fitting glove fulfills that current lacrosse and hockey requirements that a glove have a palm portion. 
   In addition, the multi-portion glove  10  reduces costs associated with replacing or repairing gloves having worn out palms. A wearer simply replaces the less costly form-fitting glove portion  150  if it is worn out during play without being forced to purchase a more costly padded outer glove. 
   Further, the multi-portion glove  10  offers the wearer the ability to easily modify the glove based on the varying weather conditions or breaks in play by simply selecting an alternative inner form-fitting glove  11  that is more appropriate for the given playing conditions as perceived by the wearer. 
   While the form-fitting gloves  150  of the preferred embodiments of the present invention do not typically cover the tips of the wearer&#39;s fingers and thumb, alternative preferred versions could include tips (shown as tip regions  163 , and  165  in  FIG. 5 ), depending upon the wearer&#39;s preference. 
   Further, in another alternative preferred embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  7  and  8 , a hook and loop fastening system  131  may be introduced to the outer glove  11  and the form fitting glove  150 . The hook and loop fastening system  131  functions to prevent the palm portion  29  of the outer glove  129  from bunching upward into the finger portions  24  during play. 
   As best seen in  FIG. 8 , a male or female portion (here shown as the female portion  129 ) of a hook and loop fastening system  131  is sewn or otherwise attached to the palm portion  152  of the form-fitting glove  150 . Further, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 8 , a corresponding male or female portion (here shown as the male portion  127 ) is sewn on the interior side (i.e. side facing the backside portion  12 ) of the palm portion  29  at a location near the border  21 . The male portion  127  is then coupled to the female portion  129  when the wearer inserts his or her hand within the interior outer glove  11 . 
   While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, numerous variations or alternate embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only in terms of the appended claims.