Patent Publication Number: US-2022218059-A1

Title: Work glove

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This application relates generally to gloves and, more specifically, to a work glove with ribbing features. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Work gloves of a variety of types are known, including gloves having a polymer coating. U.S. Pat. No. 8,719,964 describes one example of a polymer coating and related glove or other article. 
       FIGS. 1A-1C  show a prior art glove  10 , with a coating such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,719,964, where the glove also includes ribbing features. Generally, ribbing can aid in grip when provided. The ribbing features of glove  10  include ribs  12  on the palm area of the body portion  15  of the glove and annular ribs  14 ,  16  on the digit sections of the glove (both fingers and thumb). Each rib is formed by a thickening of the glove material, which may be a fabric or, in some areas, a fabric with a polymer coating. The ribs on each finger part of the glove include a plurality of annular ribs  14  that extend along a base section  18  of the finger that runs a distance sufficient to run the length of the proximal phalanges of a wearers hand, past the second knuckle and onto the initial portion of the wearer&#39;s intermediate phalanges. The ribs of each finger part also include a plurality of annular ribs  16  that extend along a tip section  20  of the finger part, where the wearer&#39;s distal phalanges are located. A gap section  22 , with no annular ribs, is provided between set of ribs  14  and the set of ribs  16 . The grip side of the body portion  15  of the glove  10  is made up of both a ribbed surface area section  17  and a non-ribbed surface area section  19 . Likewise, the grip side of each digit portion of the glove includes ribbed surface area sections  21  and  23  that are spaced apart by a non-ribbed surface area section  25 . While the glove  10  provides good gripping, the extent of the ribbing provided creates other problems. Specifically, excessive bunching in the region of the first knuckle during finger bend by a wearer, and limited tactile feel at the finger tips. In the glove  10 , for each finger portion, the length of the ribbed base section  18  is at least 30% of the full length of the finger portion, and combined length of the ribbed base section  18  and the tip section  20  is at least 55% of the full length of the finger portion. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a glove that addresses one or more the above-noted issues. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, a glove includes a body portion defining a space to receive a body portion of a hand, and a plurality of digit portions extending from the body portion, including a set of finger portions and a thumb portion, wherein each digit portion defines an elongated digit receiving space. Each finger portion includes a full length defined between a proximal location and a distal tip of the finger portion, wherein the proximal location is where the finger portion joins the body portion. Each finger portion includes a plurality of annular ribs formed thereon, each annular rib comprising an exterior protrusion on the finger portion resulting from a thickening of a glove material. For each finger portion, adjacent ribs of the plurality of annular ribs are separated by a gap resulting from a thinner segment of glove material. For each finger portion: the plurality of annular ribs are located along a rib section of the finger portion, wherein the rib section of the finger portion has a rib section length that runs from the proximal location to a distal edge of the annular rib that is most distal from the body portion, wherein the rib section length is no more than thirty-three percent of the full length, and wherein an end section of the finger portion runs from the distal edge of the annular rib that is most distal from the body portion to the distal tip of the finger portion, and the end section of the finger portion lacks any annular ribs. 
     In another aspect, a glove includes a body portion defining a space to receive a body portion of a hand, the body portion including a grip side and a back side, wherein the grip side includes a body grip surface area, wherein the body grip surface area includes a ribbed body grip surface area section and a non-ribbed body grip surface area section, wherein the ribbed body grip surface area section includes a plurality of adjacent ribs thereon, wherein each of the ribs is formed by a thickening of a glove material, wherein the non-ribbed surface area section lacks any ribs. Five digit portions extend from the body portion, wherein each digit portion defines an elongated digit receiving space, wherein each digit portion includes a grip side and a back side, wherein the grip side of each digit portion defines a digit grip surface area, wherein the digit grip surface area of each digit portion includes a ribbed digit grip surface area section and a non-ribbed digit grip surface area section. Each digit portion includes a full length defined between a proximal location and a distal tip of the digit portion, wherein the proximal location is where the digit portion joins the body portion. For each digit portion, the ribbed digit grip surface area section extends a ribbed length that runs from the proximal location to an intermediate position along the digit portion, wherein the ribbed length is no more than thirty-five percent of the full length and includes a plurality of adjacent ribs formed thereon, each of the ribs of the digit portion results from a thickening of the glove material. For each digit portion, the non-ribbed digit grip surface area section runs from the intermediate location to the distal tip of the digit portion, and the non-ribbed digit grip surface area section lacks any ribs. A total grip surface area is defined by a combination of the body grip surface area of the grip side of the body portion and the digit grip surface area of the grip side of each of the five digit portions. A total ribbed grip surface area is defined by a combination of the ribbed body grip surface area section of the grip side of the body portion and the ribbed digit grip surface area section of the grip side of each of the five digit portions. The total ribbed grip surface area is between 40% and 50% of the total grip surface area. 
     The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a back side view of a prior art glove (right-handed); 
         FIG. 1B  is a palm side or grip side view of the prior art glove (right-handed); 
         FIG. 1C  is another palm side or grip side view of the prior art glove (left-handed); 
         FIG. 2A  is a back side view of a glove according to the invention; and 
         FIG. 2B  is a palm side or grip side view of the glove according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2A-2B , a glove  50  includes a body portion  52  defining an internal space to receive a body portion of a hand, and a plurality of digit portions  54  extending from the body portion  52 . The digit portions include four finger portions  54 ′ and a thumb portion  54 ″. Each digit portion  54  defines an elongated internal digit receiving space. The glove also includes a wrist portion  56 , which may be generally tubular and have elastic qualities for gripping a wearer&#39;s wrist. 
     Each finger portion  54 ′ includes a full length  60  defined between a proximal location  62  and a distal tip  64  of the finger portion. The proximal location  62  is where the finger portion  54 ′ joins the body portion. Each finger portion  54  includes a plurality of annular ribs  64  formed thereon. Each annular rib  64  is formed as an exterior protrusion on the finger portion resulting from a thickening of a glove material. The glove material may, for example, be a fabric or, in some areas, a fabric with a polymer coating. For each finger portion  54 ′, adjacent ribs of the plurality of annular ribs  64  are separated by a gap  66  resulting from a thinner segment of glove material. For each finger portion  54 ′ the annular ribs  64  are located along a rib section  68  of the finger portion, wherein the rib section of the finger portion has a rib section length  70  that runs from the proximal location  62  to a distal edge of the annular rib  64 ′ that is most distal from the body portion. Here, the rib section length  70  is no more than thirty-three percent (33%) of the full length  60  (e.g., length  70  no more than thirty percent (30%) of length  60 ). The end section  72  of each finger portion runs from the distal edge of the annular rib  64 ′ that is most distal from the body portion to the distal tip  65  of the finger portion, and the end section  72  of the finger portion lacks any annular ribs. 
     It is understood that, as to each finger portion  54 ′, its full length  60  will typically be different than the full length  60  of the other finger portions  54 ′, to best match with a typical wearer&#39;s hand. Similarly, the rib section length  70  of each respective finger portion  54 ′ will typically be different than the rib section length  70  of at least some of the finger portions  54 ′. 
     The thumb portion  54 ″ of the glove  50  includes a full length  60 ″ defined between a set location  62 ″ and a distal tip  65 ″ of the thumb portion, where the set location  62 ″ is where the thumb portion  54 ″ joins the body portion  52 . The thumb portion  54 ″ includes a plurality of annular ribs  64 ″ formed thereon, where each annular rib  64 ″ is formed by an exterior protrusion on the thumb portion resulting from a thickening of the glove material. Adjacent annular ribs  64 ″ are separated by a gap  66 ″ resulting from a thinner segment of glove material. The annular ribs  64 ″ are located along a rib section  68 ″ of the thumb portion, wherein the rib section  68 ″ has a rib section length  70 ″ that runs from the set location  62 ″ to a distal edge of the annular rib  64 ″ of the thumb portion that is most distal from the body portion  52 . The rib section length  70 ″ is no more than thirty-three percent (33%) of the full length  60 ″ (e.g., length  70 ″ no more than thirty percent (30%) of length  60 ″). The end section  72 ″ of the thumb portion runs from the distal edge of the annular rib  64 ″ of the thumb portion that is most distal from the body portion  52  to the distal tip  65 ″ of the thumb portion, and the end section  72 ″ of the thumb portion lacks any annular ribs. 
     The above-described configuration improves glove performance. In particular, limiting the length of ribbed section  68  ensures that the ribs  64  do not extend to and past the second knuckle of a wearer&#39;s hand, which reduces bunching when the wearer&#39;s fingers bend to grip an object. Moreover, by having no ribs on the full end section  72  of each finger portion  64 , adverse impact to the tactile feel of the wearer&#39;s fingers is reduced. 
     The body portion  52  of the glove  50  includes a grip side, shown in  FIG. 2B , and a back side, shown in  FIG. 2A . The grip side includes a body grip surface area  84 , which is made up of a ribbed body grip surface area section  84   a  and a non-ribbed body grip surface area section  84   b . The ribbed body grip surface area section  84   a  includes a plurality of adjacent ribs  86  thereon, wherein each of the ribs  86  is formed by a thickening of a glove material, and the non-ribbed surface area section  84   a  lacks any ribs. 
     Each digit portion includes a grip side, shown in  FIG. 2B , and a back side, shown in  FIG. 2A . The grip side of each digit portion defines a digit grip surface area  88 , wherein the digit grip surface area  88  of each digit portion includes a ribbed digit grip surface area section  88   a  and a non-ribbed digit grip surface area section  88   b . 
     A total grip surface area of the glove is defined by a combination of the body grip surface area  84  of the grip side of the body portion  52  and the digit grip surface areas  88  of the grip side of all of the five digit portions  54 . A total ribbed surface area is defined by a combination of the ribbed body grip surface area section  84   a  of the grip side of the body portion  52  and the ribbed digit grip surface area sections  88   a  of the grip side of all of the five digit portions. The total ribbed grip surface area of the glove  50  is between 40% and 50% of the total grip surface area of the glove  50  (e.g., between 44% and 46% of the total grip surface area). 
     In this regard, the body portion  15  of the prior art glove  10  includes a grip surface area made up of ribbed surface area section  17  and non-ribbed surface are section  19 , and each digit includes a digit grip surface area made up of the ribbed surface area sections  21  and  23  and non-ribbed surface area section  25 . The total grip surface area of glove  10  is made up of surface area sections  17  and  19  on the body portion and surface area sections  21 ,  23  and  25  on all of the digit portions. The total ribbed grip surface area of the glove  10  is made up of surface area section  17  of the body portion and the surface area sections  21  and  23  of all of the digits. The total ribbed grip surface area of the prior art glove  10  is more than 60% of the total grip surface area of the glove  10 . 
     Thus, the glove  50  provided herein, has reduced ribbing compared to glove  10 , but the glove  50  provides better overall performance as compared to glove  10 . 
     It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by way of limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible.