Patent Publication Number: US-2018049488-A1

Title: Disposable device or accessory to facilitate and improve the grip of an equipment or a ball while playing sports or while working

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an accessory or a device to facilitate and improve the grip of equipment of various kind, in particular, but without limitation, sport equipment like tennis rackets, golf sticks, baseball bats and the like, or to improve the grip of the ball in sports like basket, rugby, American football and the like, at the same time protecting the hand skin during these activities. Embodiments described herein refer to a disposable accessory or device. 
     BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
     Many sports require gripping an equipment firmly. A correct grip is fundamental to control the equipment, and it is therefore important for example in professional sports. Typically, a correct grip of the racket is essential in tennis to have maximal control over the ball. The same applies to other sports, such as golf, where the correct grip of the stick affects the trajectory of the golf ball, or sports where an optimal grip of the ball facilitates the throw accuracy. 
     Nowadays, this is achieved by covering the surfaces of the equipment to be gripped, or of the ball to be thrown, with special films, wherein these surfaces are always into contact with the human skin. However, this contact is not optimal, as the human skin is not predisposed to this function. Especially in case of sweating, as usually occurs when playing sports, the grip becomes unsecure and not firm, with an increased risk of skin injuries. 
     In some sports gloves are used; however, due to their thickness and their movement relative to the hand skin, they reduce sensitivity and are therefore not usable in many sports or activities. 
     A clear example of the existing need for systems improving the grip firmness is given by tennis, wherein some players, especially professional players, apply plasters to their fingers for grip improvement and skin protection. These attempts have, however, very poor results and the main reason therefor is that they involve only the small surface of the fingers, and not the whole hand palm. In fact, plasters or adhesive strips applied to partially cover the hand palm tend to detach quickly from the skin, both because of the mechanical interaction between the racket butt, or other equipment, and the perimeter edge of the plaster or band and the skin, and because of the sweating entering between plaster and skin. 
     It is therefore desirable to provide a device or accessory that overcomes or limits the above mentioned problems and drawbacks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention discloses an accessory to facilitate the grip of an equipment or tool or of a sport ball, comprising a sheet of shaped material, for example synthetic, semi-synthetic or natural material, with a first surface, onto which a pressure sensitive adhesive is applied, suitable to adhere to the skin, and a second surface, opposite to the first surface and preferably having a high coefficient of friction. The accessory or device comprises a central portion shaped and sized approximately like a hand palm, and a plurality of appendices that extend from a perimeter edge of the central portion and are configured to adhere to the back of a hand by means of said adhesive. A protective film protects the adhesive; as the film is subdivided into a plurality of segments or portions, it allows the accessory or device to be easily applied to the hand, perfectly adapting to the complex shape of the human hand. Namely, in order to apply it, each segment or portion of the protective film is removed singularly, and the uncovered area of adhesive film below is immediately pressed and attached to the skin, before moving to an adjacent segment or portion. The segments or portions are removed according to preferred sequences that allow a progressive and gradual adhesion of the adhesive sheet. In this way it is possible to avoid the accessory or device, while being applied to the hand, forming creases or wrinkles that cannot flatten, thus making the device unusable, notwithstanding the complex shape of the same accessory or device and the strong adhesion force of the adhesive. 
     The device or accessory according to the invention can be a disposable accessory or device; it anatomically adapts to the human hand so as to cover completely the palm without interruptions, thus replacing on the one hand the function of a glove, but avoiding the sliding movement on the skin that are typical of a glove; on the other hand, the device or accessory according to the invention also serves as a skin, i.e. it has the same function as the skin in the contact with the sport or working equipment, and can therefore be substituted for it. Essentially, the device is designed to facilitate and improve the grip of equipment of various kinds, functioning as a “second skin” specifically designed and covering all the friction area. 
     The size and the shape of the central portion are advantageously such that the latter extends, once the accessory has been applied to the hand, from the finger bases up to the palm area of the wrist, and from one side to the other side of the hand. In this way, the whole palm is completely covered and protected, with the edge delimiting the sheet forming the adhesive accessory arranged outside the contact and grip area between hand and equipment or tool, thus avoiding the detachment that usually occurs along the edge of adhesive film applied to the skin due to the movement of the equipment or tool held by the hand. 
     The idea underlying the invention is to transfer the grip from the tool, equipment or sport ball directly to the human hand by means of a device that anatomically adapts to the hand shape and completely covers the palm, i.e. the grip area, adhering to the palm like a “second skin”, thus optimizing the grip and allowing to transfer the maximal power to the equipment or tool or sport ball while ensuring maximal sensitivity, thus guaranteeing the best result and, at the same time, protecting the skin. 
     Obviously, devices for the right hand and the left hand can be produced, as well as devices of different sizes so as to adapt to the different hand sizes. 
     Further features and embodiments of the device according to the present invention are described hereunder with reference to examples of embodiment and in the appended claims, which form an integral part of the present description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood by following the description and the accompanying drawing, which shows non-limiting practical embodiments of the invention. More in particular, in the drawing: 
         FIG. 1  is a back view of an embodiment of the accessory or device according to the invention, configured to be applied to the right hand; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the accessory or device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a view of the hand palm with the accessory or device applied thereto; 
         FIG. 4  is a view of the hand back with the accessory or device applied thereto; 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  show the back surface and the front surface of a different embodiment of the accessory or device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     The detailed description below of example embodiments is made with reference to the attached drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings identify the equal or similar elements. Furthermore, the drawings are not necessarily to scale. The detailed description below does not limit the invention. The protective scope of the present invention is defined by the attached claims. 
     In the description, the reference to “an embodiment” or “the embodiment” or “some embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure or element described with reference to an embodiment is comprised in at least one embodiment of the described object. The sentences “in an embodiment” or “in the embodiment” or “in some embodiments” in the description do not therefore necessarily refer to the same embodiment or embodiments. The particular features, structures or elements can be furthermore combined in any adequate way in one or more embodiments. 
       FIGS. 1-4  show a first embodiment of the device or accessory according to the invention, indicated as a whole with number  1 . The device or accessory  1  comprises a shaped sheet of suitable thickness, made for example of synthetic, semi-synthetic or natural material. In some embodiments, the shaped sheet is made of cotton, or a mixture of cotton and synthetic fiber, for example nylon, or aromatic polyurethane polyether or other material. The shaped sheet has a thickness comprised between 5 μm and 3000 μm, for example between 10 μm and 3000 μm based upon the activity or sport for which the device is intended, to achieve optimal results. One of the two surfaces of the shaped sheet has a high coefficient of friction, set for example according to the use for which the device or accessory is intended. 
     The sheet  1  comprises a first surface  1 A, partially shown in  FIG. 1 , and a second surface  1 B shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     An adhesive, indicated with A in  FIG. 1 , is applied to the surface  1 A. More in particular, the adhesive A may be a pressure adhesive, thus providing a self-adhesive sheet. The adhesive A is typically compatible with the skin, i.e. it is suitable to stay into contact with the skin for a long time. Typically, the adhesive A is an adhesive like that used for sticking plasters. 
     The sheet forming the device or accessory  1  has a shaped perimeter line indicated with P. 
     In practical embodiments, the sheet  1  has a shaped central portion  3 . As it is clearly apparent from  FIG. 3 , once applied to the user&#39;s hand M in the way described below, the shaped central portion  3  substantially covers the whole palm of the hand M. 
     A plurality of appendices, indicated with  5 ,  7 ,  9 ,  11 ,  13 ,  15 A,  15 B,  17 A,  17 B in  FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 , extend from the central portion  3 . The appendices may be different in shape and number from what indicated in the drawing. What is important is that the device or accessory has appendices allowing it being firmly fixed on the hand back, as it will be explained below. Preferably, at least one appendix is provided for each between-the-fingers space, i.e. between adjacent fingers. As it will be described below, in advantageous embodiments the device has appendices that are configured so as to extend over the palm surface of the wrist and that allow completely to cover the palm, in addition to appendices extending over the hand back for firm fixing. 
     In the illustrated embodiments, the sheet forming the accessory or device  1  comprises four appendices  5 ,  7 ,  9 ,  11 , indicated below as “between-the-fingers appendices”, as they are intended to be inserted in the four spaces between the fingers. In particular, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the between-the-fingers appendix  5  is applied between little finger D 1  and ring finger D 2  of the hand M. The between-the-fingers appendix  7  is applied between ring finger D 2  and middle finger D 3 . The between-the-fingers appendix  9  is applied between middle finger D 3  and forefinger D 4 . The between-the-fingers appendix  11  is applied between forefinger D 4  and thumb D 5 . 
     The adhesive sheet furthermore comprises a side appendix  13 , to be applied to the hand side between thumb D 5  and wrist PL. In advantageous embodiments, a pair of appendices  15 A,  15 B is provided, that are applied to the hand side between little finger D 1  and wrist PL. Appendices  17 A,  17 B are also provided, that can be advantageously applied so as to surround partially the wrist PL or to reach the palm portion, or palm surface, of the wrist, i.e. the surface that is on the palm side, thus ensuring the palm is completely covered. 
       FIG. 4  shows the positions taken by the appendices  5 - 17 B described above once the accessory or device  1  has been applied to the hand M. The appendices have a sufficient length so that they can extend at least partially over the back of the hand M until they overlap at least partially one another, as shown in the central area of the hand back DS in  FIG. 4 . 
     The partial overlapping between appendices, in particular between the between-the-fingers appendices  5 ,  7 ,  9 ,  11  and the side appendices  13 ,  15 A,  15 B, allows the device  1  to be more firmly attached to the hand. In an advantageous embodiment, the between-the-fingers appendices  5 ,  7 ,  9  extend up to the wrist, where they can be furthermore fixed by means of a strip of film equal to that of the accessory or device  1  or simply by means of a wrist band, often used in sports. 
     As it is readily apparent from  FIGS. 3 and 4 , where the device  1  is shown applied to the user&#39;s hand M, the central portion  3  of the sheet forming the device or accessory  1  covers the palm practically completely. Namely, the sheet has such an extension that, when the user holds a tool or equipment, for example a tennis racket, the perimeter edge P delimiting the central portion  3  is positioned in areas where there is no pressure contact with the tool or equipment. In this way, the self-adhesive sheet does not become detached from the hand palm, as this detachment is usually caused by the mechanical action exerted by the tool or equipment over the line between the perimeter edge of the device and the skin and by the sweating entering between the self-adhesive sheet and the skin. 
     The accessory or device is firmly fixed to the hand M by means of the appendices  5 - 17 B, folded and fixed to the hand back and/or to the wrist, in areas where there is no contact with the tool or equipment, i.e. in areas where the sheet forming the device or accessory  1  is not subjected to the mechanical stress of the tool or equipment that would tend to detach the self-adhesive sheet P from the skin, starting from the perimeter edge. 
     Several tests performed for different sports, have proven that such a shaped sheet, i.e. a sheet that, after having been applied, has no edges on the hand palm, that is in the area subjected to friction during use, remains firmly fixed to the hand also for long periods of physical training, for example during a tennis match, notwithstanding the strong friction exerted by the tool or equipment, for example by the racket handle, on the whole palm. With the exception of particular hyperhidrosis cases, sweating is poor in the hand palm; therefore, a firm fixing is ensured by means of the adhesive A between the central portion  3  of the sheet forming the device or accessory  1  and the skin of the hand palm. The hand back, to which the side appendices  5 - 17 B are fixed, is not subjected to the mechanical stresses caused by the grip on the tool or equipment, and therefore a firm fixing is ensured also in case of sweating. 
     The layer of adhesive A applied to the back surface of the self-adhesive sheet  1  is protected by means of a removable protective film. The protective film can be made of paper, cardboard, fabric or other material, even a synthetic material, that is suitably treated, for instance, but without limitation, with silicone, so that it can be easily peeled off from the layer of adhesive A. 
     To facilitate the application of the device or accessory  1  to the hand M, due to the complex shape and the wide surface thereof, in some embodiments the protective film, instead of being made of a single piece or of two portions, is subdivided into a number of portions greater than two, delimited by separation or cutting lines shown in particular in  FIG. 1 , that allow the user to apply the self-adhesive sheet to the hand one portion after the other where the protective film has been removed, without the risk that the various parts or appendices of the self-adhesive film stick to one another causing wrinkles that could not be flattened and would make the device unusable. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates, just by way of example, a possible subdivision of the protective film, that is indicated as a whole with PP and covers the adhesive A on the surface  1 A of the sheet forming the device or accessory  1  before use. PP 1 , PP 2 , . . . PP 15  respectively indicate fifteen segments or portions of protective film, each of which may be removed separately from, and independently of, one another. 
     In some embodiments, the accessory or device  1  is produced starting from a continuous or discontinuous composite web, formed by a base sheet, an adhesive layer A and a continuous protective film applied to protect the adhesive. By means of die cutting, laser cutting or the like, from the continuous web the single devices or accessories  1  are cut with their back protective film PP, that can be subdivided, at the same time or later, into single portions PP 1 -PP 15  by means of laser cutting, die cutting or the like. 
     In this way, to apply the accessory or device  1  to the hand M the user removes a portion of the protective film and makes the adhesive surface portion below, no longer protected by the protective film, adhere to the skin; then he/she does the same with an adjacent portion, according to precise advantageous sequences, one of which is numerically indicated in  FIG. 5 . This kind of application allows to wear the accessory or device like a “hand garment”, that perfectly adapts without causing imperfections or wrinkles, that could not be avoided if the areas of adhesive film to be applied would be too wide. 
     Once applied, the accessory or device  1  allows the user a more effective and accurate grip on the tool or equipment or ball, wherein the grip is also completely dry, and thus allowing the maximum powerful athletic movement, ensuring great sensitivity and optimal skin protection. The adhesion of the accessory or device  1  lasts for a long time, also for the whole duration of a sport match, thanks to the particular shape described above, which avoids gradual detachment in the area where the hand presses firmly on the tool. 
     To improve the effectiveness of the device or accessory  1 , the surface  1 B into contact with the tool or equipment may be treated in a known manner to increase the friction coefficient thereof, or the base synthetic material of which the device is made may have a sufficient friction coefficient per se. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  show a further embodiment of an accessory or device  1  according to the present invention. The same reference numbers indicate the same or equivalent parts to those described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 . The accessory or device of  FIGS. 5 and 6  is intended for the right hand.  FIG. 5  shows the back surface that shall adhere to the hand, and illustrates an advantageous sequence for removing the protective film portions and for making adjacent areas of the adhesive sheet progressively adhere to the skin one after the other.  FIG. 6  shows the front surface, with high friction coefficient, that remains exposed. 
     In this second embodiment again, the device or accessory  1  comprises a shaped sheet of suitable thickness made of a suitable material, for example a synthetic, natural or semi-synthetic material, wherein the sheet is shaped along a perimeter line P. The sheet  1  comprises a first surface  1 A, partially shown in  FIG. 5 , and a second surface  1 B, shown in  FIG. 6 . An adhesive A is applied to the surface  1 A. 
     The sheet  1  has a shaped central portion  3  intended to cover substantially the whole palm of the user&#39;s hand. A plurality of appendices, indicated with  5 ,  7 ,  9 ,  11 ,  13 ,  15 ,  17 A,  17 B in  FIG. 6 , extend from the central portion  3 . More in particular, in this embodiment, the sheet forming the accessory or device  1  comprises four appendices  5 ,  7 ,  9 ,  11 , indicated below as “between-the-fingers appendices”, as they are destined to be inserted in the four spaces between the fingers. In particular, the between-the-fingers appendix  5  is applied between little finger and ring finger. The between-the-fingers appendix  7  is inserted between ring finger and middle finger. The between-the-fingers appendix  9  is inserted between middle finger and forefinger. The between-the-fingers appendix  11  is inserted between forefinger and thumb. 
     The adhesive sheet furthermore comprises a side appendix  13  to be applied to the hand side between thumb and wrist. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a long appendix  15  is furthermore provided, to be applied to the hand side between wrist and little finger up to the hand back and then around the wrist. 
     Similarly to the previous embodiment, further appendices  17 A,  17 B are provided, that can be applied so as to surround partially the wrist or to achieve the palm portion or palm surface of the wrist, i.e. the surface that is on the side of the hand palm, thus completely covering the hand palm surface. The length of the appendix  15  is sufficient to surround at least partially the wrist, overlapping the appendices  17 A and  17 B and thus keeping them fixed. 
     As in the embodiment described with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , the central portion  3  of the sheet forming the device or accessory  1  covers the palm almost completely; in particular, the extension of the central portion is such that, when the user grips the tool or equipment, for example a tennis racket, a golf stick or other tool or equipment, the perimeter edge P delimiting the central portion  3  is positioned in areas where there is no pressure contact with said tool or equipment. In this way, the self-adhesive sheet does not become detached from the hand palm, as this detachment is usually caused by the mechanical action exerted by the tool or equipment over the line between the device perimeter edge and the skin and by the sweating entering between the self-adhesive sheet and the skin. 
     In this case again, the accessory or device is firmly fixed to the hand by means of the appendices  5 - 17 B, folded and fixed to the hand back and/or to the wrist, in areas where there is no contact with the tool or equipment, i.e. in areas where the sheet forming the device or accessory  1  is not subjected to the mechanical stress of the tool or equipment that would tend to detach the self-adhesive sheet P from the skin, starting from the perimeter edge. 
     The layer of adhesive A applied to the back surface of the self-adhesive sheet  1  is protected by means of a removable film. To facilitate the application of the device or accessory  1  to the hand, due to the complex shape and the wide surface thereof, also in the embodiment of  FIGS. 5 and 6  the protective film, instead of being made of a single piece or of two portions, is subdivided into a number of portions greater than two, delimited by separation or cutting lines, shown in particular in  FIG. 5 , that allow the user to apply the self-adhesive sheet to the hand one portion after the other according to preferred sequences, one of which is shown in  FIG. 5  (the order corresponds to the reference number sequence), without the risk that the various parts or appendices of the self-adhesive film stick to one another before being completely applied to the hand.  FIG. 1  illustrates, just by way of example, a possible subdivision of the protective film, that is indicated as a whole with PP and covers the adhesive A on the surface  1 A of the sheet forming the device or accessory  1  before use. PP 1 , PP 2 , . . . PP 22  respectively indicate twenty two segments or portions of protective film, which may be removed separately from, and independently of, one another. Namely, the user shall advantageously remove one portion of protective film at a time, make the adhesive portion below, no longer protected by the protective film, immediately adhere to the skin, and then do the same with the subsequent portion. 
     While the particular embodiments of the invention described above have been shown in the drawing and described integrally in the description above with features and characteristics relating to different example embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand the modifications, changes and omissions are possible without however departing from the innovative learning, the principles and the concepts described above and the advantages of the object described in the attached claims. Therefore, the scope of the described improvements shall be determined only based upon the widest interpretation of the attached claims, so as to include all the modifications, changes and omissions. The scope of the invention also includes any combination of the features claimed in one or more of the dependent claims and the features of any one of the independent claims.