Patent Publication Number: US-6711745-B2

Title: Slip-on ball glove

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a ball glove for baseball, softball and other sports. In particular, the present invention relates to a ball glove having at least one resilient panel positioned at a hand-receiving opening of the ball glove for expendably receiving a user&#39;s hand and for generally conforming to the wrist of the user. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Ball gloves for use in baseball, softball and other sports are well known. Ball gloves typically include a front panel connected to a corresponding back panel to form a hand cavity. The front and back panels typically generally resemble the shape of a human hand and when assembled form five stalls for receiving the thumb and fingers of a user&#39;s hand. A webbing is typically connected between the thumb stall and the index finger stall of the ball glove. Ball gloves also typically include a hand opening for enabling a user to insert his or her hand into the hand cavity of the ball glove. The size of the hand opening of ball gloves is often fixed. 
     Ball gloves with hand-openings of a fixed size have a drawback of often being loose on the user&#39;s wrist. As a result, such ball gloves are easily mis-positioned on the user&#39;s hand and are susceptible to falling off the user&#39;s hand, particularly young users. Many ball gloves include fastening mechanisms for tightening or reducing the size of the hand opening around the user&#39;s wrist after the user&#39;s hand is inserted into the glove. The fastening mechanisms typically take the form of at least one strap, which is secured to the glove at one end and is releasably secured to the glove at a second end with a releasable fastener. The releasable fasteners can include buttons, snap-fit connectors, buckles, or hook and loop type fasteners. Other ball gloves include two overlapping strap members connected to a dial operated adjusting mechanism for manually reducing or enlarging the size of the hand opening. 
     Although these fastening mechanisms can effectively close or tighten the hand opening about the user&#39;s wrist and subsequently release or enlarge the hand opening to allow the user to remove his or her hand from the glove, these mechanisms also have a number of drawbacks. These fastening mechanisms require manual operation to tighten or enlarge the hand opening to accommodate the user&#39;s hand during use. These manual actions must be repeatedly performed by the user during play and, especially, during ball games and practice sessions. Many of these fastening mechanisms, such as hook and loop type connectors, have a finite useful life that often is less than the useful life of the ball glove. Also, effective operation of these fastening mechanisms generally requires that the user possess a fair amount of dexterity, hand strength and motor skills. Not surprisingly, many younger users simply are unable to effectively manipulate such fastening mechanisms. As a result, it is not uncommon for a parent, a coach or another adult to assist a younger user with putting on, removing or adjusting the young user&#39;s glove. Moreover, these fastening mechanisms often require readjustment during use. This repeated manipulation and readjustment of the fastening mechanism can be considered a nuisance and a distraction to the user. Further, many of these fastening mechanisms are rather bulky and can provide the glove with an unattractive appearance. 
     Thus, there is a continuing need for a ball glove having a hand opening that readily expands and contracts to enable the user&#39;s hand to enter the hand cavity of the ball glove and to generally conform to the size of the user&#39;s wrist. What is needed is a ball glove that automatically adjusts to the size of the user&#39;s hand and wrist without requiring one or more separate, secondary manual adjustments. It would be advantageous to provide a ball glove that is easy to put on and take off, and that readily adapts to the size of the user&#39;s wrist thereby substantially eliminating or significantly reducing the need for subsequent adjustments of the glove. What is also needed is a ball glove that enables a younger user to put on and take-off without assistance. It would also be advantageous to provide a ball glove that provides these advantages and also provides the ball glove with an improved, more appealing aesthetic. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a ball glove for receiving a hand, and generally conforming to the wrist, of a user. The ball glove includes a front portion, a back portion, at least one notch, and at least one elastic strip. The front portion has a front lower edge. The back portion is coupled to the front portion to form a hand cavity. The back portion has a back lower edge, an inner surface and an outer surface. The front and back portions are separated along the front and back lower edges to define a hand opening. The notch is formed into the back portion from the back lower edge and extends through the inner and outer surfaces of the back portion. The elastic strip includes first and second ends. The strip extends across the notch generally parallel with the back lower edge. The strip at least partially covers the notch. The first and second ends of the strip are fixedly secured to the back portion. The at least one elastic strip enables the hand opening to resiliently expand to receive the hand of the user and then contract to generally conform to the wrist of the user. 
     According to a principal aspect of a preferred form of the invention, a ball glove for receiving a hand, and generally conforming to the wrist, of a user includes a front portion, a back portion, and at least one elastic panel. The front and back portions have front and back lower peripheral regions, respectively. The front lower peripheral region has first and second front connection portions spaced apart by a front hand-receiving portion. The back lower peripheral region has first and second back portions spaced apart by a back hand-receiving portion. The first and second front connection portions are connected to the first and second back connection portions, respectively. The front and back hand-receiving portions define a hand opening for removably receiving the hand of the user. The back hand-receiving portion includes at least one upwardly extending notch. The elastic panel is fixedly secured to the back hand-receiving portion at the notch and substantially covers the notch. The elastic panel has an exposed lower edge that is unattached to the back lower peripheral region. 
     This invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings described herein below, and wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a rear view of a ball glove in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a front, bottom view of the ball glove of FIG.  1 . 
     FIGS. 3 through 8 are sectional views of a back portion of a ball glove in accordance with alternative embodiments of the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a side, partially assembled view of a panel for a ball glove in accordance with another alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 is rear view of a ball glove in accordance with another alternative preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a back portion of a ball glove in accordance with alternative embodiments of the present invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a front, bottom view of a ball glove in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a ball glove is indicated generally at  10 . The ball glove  10  is configured for use in baseball, softball, hockey and other sports involving ball gloves. The ball glove  10  can also be referred to as a mitt. The present invention is directly applicable to any ball glove or ball mitt including, for example, a first baseman mitt and a catcher&#39;s mitt. The ball glove  10  includes a front portion  12 , a back portion  14  and a webbing  16 . The front and back portions  12  and  14  are contoured sheet-like structures, each resembling a hand. The front and back portions  12  and  14  are connected together to form a thumb stall  18  and four finger stalls  20 , and to define a hand cavity  22 . In an alternative preferred embodiment, the finger stalls  20  can be one or more finger dividers. The front and back portions  12  and  14  are preferably stitched together. Alternatively, the front and back portions  12  and  14  can be connected through other means, such as, for example, bonding or molding. The front portion  12  covers and protects the palm-side of the user&#39;s hand from impact with the ball. The back portion  14  supports the front portion  12  and protects the backside of the user&#39;s hand. The front and back portions  12  and  14  are made of a pliable, durable, and relatively soft material, preferably leather. In alternative preferred embodiments, the front and back portions  12  and  14  can be made of other materials, such as, for example, artificial leather, rubber and plastic. The webbing  16  is a generally flat structure that is connected, and preferably stitched, to the front and back portions  12  and  14  between the thumb stall  18  and the fingerstall  20  corresponding to the index finger of a user. 
     The front portion  12  includes a front lower peripheral region  24  having first and second front connection portions  26  and  28  separated by a front hand-receiving portion  30 . Similarly, the back portion  14  includes a back lower peripheral region  32  having first and second back connection portions  34  and  36  separated by a back hand-receiving portion  38 . The first and second front connection portions  26  and  28  are connected, preferably through stitching, to the first and second back connection portions  34  and  36 , respectively. The front and back hand-receiving portions  30  and  38  are spaced apart from each other to define a hand opening  40 . 
     The back lower peripheral region  32  of the back portion  14  includes a lower peripheral edge  42  and preferably two notches  44  upwardly extending into the back lower peripheral region  32  from the lower peripheral edge  42 . Each upwardly extending notch  44  preferably includes two opposing sides that curve together to generally form a U-shape. In a preferred embodiment, each notch  44  has a depth of between 0.5 and 2.0 inches and a width of between 0.125 and 2.0 inches. In one particularly preferred embodiment, each notch  44  has a depth of approximately 1.4 inches and a width measured at the lower peripheral edge  42  of approximately 0.6 inches. In alternative preferred embodiments, the notches  44  can be formed in different shapes, or with different lengths and/or widths. Referring to FIGS. 3 through 7, in alternative preferred embodiments, the notch  44  can be formed in other shapes, such as, semi-circular (see FIG.  3 ), semi-elliptical (see FIG.  4 ), generally semi-rectangular (see FIG.  5 ), generally V-shaped (see FIG.  6 ), elongate (see FIG.  7 ), polygonal, or irregular. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the back portion  14  of the ball glove  10  further includes two panels  46 . Each panel  46  is a resilient, flexible sheet. The panel  46  is coupled, and preferably stitched, to the back lower peripheral region  32  at the notch  44 , preferably along the inside surface of the back lower peripheral region  32 . Alternatively the panel  46  can be coupled to the back lower peripheral region  32  though other means, such as, for example, bonding, stapling, and gluing. The panel  46  is made of a resilient, tough and soft material, preferably a woven elastic fabric. In alternative preferred embodiments, the panel  46  can include a natural rubber, a synthetic rubber, non-woven fabric, an elastomer and combinations thereof. The panel  46  extends across the notch  44  in a manner that is generally parallel to the lower peripheral edge  42  and covers at least a portion of the notch  44 . In a preferred embodiment, the panel  46  substantially covers the notch  44  and has an exposed edge  48 . Referring to FIG. 2, in a preferred embodiment, the two panels  46  are formed by a single resilient member  47  extending across the inside surface of the back lower peripheral region  32  at the back hand-receiving portion  38  of the back panel  14 . The resilient member  47  provides an elastic strip over the entire back side of the hand opening  40  for extending over the back side of the user&#39;s hand and/or wrist. 
     The panels  46  are configured to maintain the hand opening  40  of the ball glove  10  in a generally constant position or size, when in a standby or unused position. The panels  46  also enable the hand opening to readily expand to accommodate the user&#39;s hand as it enters the glove, and, then resiliently and automatically reduce in size to generally conform to the size of the user&#39;s wrist. The panels are configured to expand and contract again to facilitate removal of the glove  10  from the user&#39;s hand. The panels  46  enable the hand opening  40  of the ball glove  10  to readily and resiliently expand and contract to easily and comfortably adapt to the user&#39;s hand and wrist without requiring the user to perform any secondary adjusting, securing or fastening activities. Specifically, the use of adjusting straps, buckles, snap-fit connectors or other similar fasteners is not required in order for the user to secure the glove  10  onto his or her hand. The panels  46  bias the hand opening  40  toward the smaller sized standby position, which generally causes the back portion  14  of the glove  10  to gently bear against the wrist or back-side of the users hand thereby significantly reducing or eliminating the risk of the glove  10  becoming mis-positioned, or falling off, during use. As a result, the panels  46  enable users, including younger users, to quickly and easily place the glove  10  on and off their hand without performing secondary adjustment actions and without the assistance of a second person. 
     The panels  46  and the back panel  14  can be single or multicolored. The panels  46  can be formed with the same single or multi-colored configuration or in a different single or multi-colored configuration than the back panel  14 . The panels  46  provide the glove  10  with a pleasing appearance and an improved aesthetic over gloves having conventional fastening mechanisms positioned adjacent to their hand opening. 
     Referring to FIG. 12, in an alternative preferred embodiment, each panel  46  is formed by a separate elastic segment that at least partially extends over the notch  44 . As a result the elastic segments do not substantially extend across the inside surface of the back lower peripheral region  32  at the back hand-receiving portion  38  of the back panel  14  as shown in FIG.  2 . Rather, each panel  46  is sufficiently sized to just cover one of the notches  44 . In another alternative preferred embodiment, the panel  46  can substantially fill the notch  44  and lie coincident with the back hand-receiving portion  38 . 
     Referring to FIG. 8, in another alternative preferred embodiment, the panel  46  can be formed as a pleated or corrugated sheet of material for resiliently expanding and contracting to receive the user&#39;s hand. Referring to FIG. 9, in another preferred embodiment, the panel  46  can further include an inner layer  50  formed of a soft, cushionable material, such as padding. The inner layer  50  is connected, preferably by stitching, to the panel  46 , and is configured to comfortably contact the hand or wrist of the user. 
     Referring to FIG. 10, the back panel  14  of the ball glove  10  can be formed with a single notch  44  and a corresponding single panel  46  extending across the recess  44 . The notch  44  is preferably generally centrally positioned in the back lower peripheral region  32  of the back panel  14 . In alternative preferred embodiments, three or more notches  44  and panels  46  can be incorporated into the ball glove  10 . 
     Referring to FIG. 11, the glove can include at least one elongate strip  52  of elastic material in lieu of the panel  46 . Each strip  52  extends across the notch  44  and includes first and second ends, which are fixedly secured to back lower peripheral region  32  on opposite sides of the notch  44 . In a particularly preferred embodiment, two or more spaced-apart strips  52  extend across the notch  44 . Each strip  52  is made of a resilient, tough and soft material, preferably an elastic fabric. In alternative preferred embodiments, the strips  52  can include a natural rubber, a synthetic rubber, an elastomer and a combination thereof. 
     While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, numerous departures therefrom can be contemplated by persons skilled in the art. Each glove can include two or more panels of varying elasticity. The panels can be interchangeably and releasably connected to the glove at the notch to vary elasticity of the hand opening of the glove. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the foregoing description but only by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.