Patent Publication Number: US-2017361199-A1

Title: Systems and methods for manufacturing a soccer goalie glove

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED DISCLOSURE 
     This disclosure claims the benefit of priority from pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/350,739, filed on Jun. 16, 2016, and entitled “Systems and Methods for Manufacturing a Soccer Goalie Glove” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to a glove and a method for manufacturing a glove. More particularly, and without limitation, the present disclosure relates to structures and methods for manufacturing a goalie glove. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Conventional soccer goalie gloves have numerous drawbacks related to costs and performance. For example, the labor for hand-stitching gloves is expensive since manufacturing a hand-stitched glove or a glove with multiple parts may take a long time. Conventional gloves are made by cutting out hand shaped cutouts from a sheet of Ethylene-vinyl acetate and latex foam. The cutouts comprising a top and bottom half are then stitched together. Additionally, there are various additional parts in a glove that need to be stitched together to create the finger shapes on the glove while allowing them to easily bend. Apart from being labor intensive, the gloves also uncomfortable. 
     SUMMARY 
     An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved soccer goalie glove having a fabricated shape while maintaining durability and comfort. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a manufacturing method of a glove, comprising the steps of cutting out a backhand cutout from a first sheet of padding with a thickness of 2-4 mm, the backhand cutout in shape of four fingers and a top part of a palm, cutting out a palm hand cutout from a second sheet of padding with a thickness of 3-6 mm, the palm hand cutout formed in a shape of a hand including the four fingers, thumb, and the palm, applying heat and mold to the respective hand cutouts for forming fabricated shapes for the respective hand cutouts, where a cross-section for each of respective fingers of the fabricated shapes comprises a semi-circle with flat edges comprising stitch regions towards both ends. Further steps may include determining stitch lines for each of the fabricated pair of hand cutouts, wherein flat stitching regions are formed towards the edges of the semi-circles, and stitching the fabricated pair of hand cutouts using machine stitching at the stitch lines. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a goalie soccer glove comprising a backhand portion, wherein the backhand portion comprises a first top view shape of four fingers and a top part of a palm and the backhand portion has a first maximum thickness of 2-4 mm, and a palm portion, wherein the palm portion comprises a second top view shape of the four fingers, thumb, and the palm, and the palm portion has a second maximum thickness of one and a half times the first maximum thickness, wherein the respective cross-sections of the backhand portion and palm portion comprise each of respective fingers of the fabricated shapes a semi-circle with flat edges comprising stitch regions towards both ends, wherein the stitch regions are flat surfaces with stitching applied to attach the backhand portion to the palm portion at stitch lines. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  shows a material comprising a layer of a soccer goalie glove, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  shows a cross-section of a material comprising a layer of a soccer goalie glove, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are illustrations of an exemplary scenario for cutting out hand shape panels, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate an exemplary scenario for stitching two hand shape panels together, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate two molded hand cutouts  502  and  504  after the mold has been applied, consistent with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 5C and 5D  illustrates stitch lines  510  and  512 , where two opposing parts may be attached to each other using stitching or gluing, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrated two molded or fabricated hang cutouts connected together after they are glued or stitched to each other, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure 
         FIGS. 7A-C  illustrate exemplary dimensions of molded hand cutouts accordingly to exemplary embodiments, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a finished soccer goalie glove, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments consistent with the present disclosure enhance the performance and feel of a glove. Specifically, an exemplary method consistent with exemplary embodiments of which details are provide below and in the related figures, a top and bottom part of a glove are cutout from a first layer of a material. Using a mold and heating, they are both transformed into molded hand cutouts which retain a non-flat shape as their normal shape. The two matching top and bottom parts of the glove may then be attached together using glue or stitching. Gloves manufactured using exemplary methods require lesser labor and materials than conventional methods. Additionally, the gloves are more comfortable and are an easier fit than conventional goalie gloves since they have a roundish shape in the fingers portion of the glove similar to the shape of the fingers. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary layer  100  of a material used for a glove, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Layer  100  may comprise of Ethlene-vinyl acetate (EVA) compound foam or latex foam sheet. In other embodiments, layer  100  may comprise of ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM).  FIG. 2  illustrates a cross section of layer  100 , consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In exemplary embodiments, thickness  202  may be 2 mm to 6 mm. ( FIG. 2 ) 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate an exemplary step in the process for cutting out hand patterns to form hand cutouts from an exemplary layer, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure  FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate two hand cutouts as a result of the cutting process. 
     Specifically,  FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate an exemplary step for cutting out respective hand patterns  310  and  312  from layer  300  to produce hand cutouts  402  and  404 . In an exemplary embodiment, layer  300  may be a similar layer to  100 . In exemplary embodiment, hand patterns  310  and  312  may be cut out using a cutting knife or using other cutting methods. In an exemplary embodiment, hand cutout  402  may be for a part of the glove that is designed to be in contact with the backside of a wearer&#39;s hand, that is, the opposite side of the hand as the palm (back hand). Hand cutout  402  may be for part of a glove that is designed to be in contact on the palm-side of a wearer&#39;s hand. As apparent, hand cutout  404  may extend from the fingers to the bottom of the palm while hand cutout  402  may include four fingers and some or all part of the knuckles. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a hand cutout for the palm-side of a wearer&#39;s hand may have dimensions mirroring hand cutout  402 . Accordingly, such an exemplary hand cutout may not extend all the way to the palm, allowing for other materials or parts to be attached in the palm area. In another exemplary embodiment, hand cutouts for a backside of and the palm-side of a hand may contain at least respective four finger parts mirroring each other, while the thumb and the palm parts may not necessarily have to be of a same or similar dimensions. 
     In exemplary embodiments, hand cutouts  402  and  404  may be put into a mold and heat may be applied thereon. In an exemplary embodiment, between 150 to 190 degrees may be applied when layer  100  comprises of latex foam. In an exemplary embodiment, when layer  100  comprises of EVA compound found, 110 degrees may be. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate two molded hand cutouts  502  and  504  after the mold has been applied, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In an exemplary embodiment, molded hand cutout  502  may be a result of a mold and heating applied to hand cutout  402  and molded hand cutout  504  may be a result of a mold and heating applied to hand cutout  404 . In an exemplary embodiment, molded hand cutouts  502  and  504  form flat edges on the side of the fingers and give shape so half fingers in a pre-fabricated shape are formed. Specifically, at the cross section of where the palm portion is connected to respective finger portions, semi-cylinders are formed, which combined with the other side would form a cylindrical shape which would lead to cylinders which would lead to comfortable entry of the fingers. The final cylinders may be perfectly round or oval shaped. 
       FIGS. 5C and 5D  illustrates stitch lines  510  and  512 , where two opposing parts may be attached to each other using stitching or gluing, consistent with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In embodiments, stitching material may be polyester or polyester cotton mix high strength thread applied by a stitching machine, such as a high tension stitching machine. A high tension stitching machine may apply very high tension on a thread enabling the stitches to be tightly bound on the finder shapes. The glue or stitching may be applied at glue/stick region on the flat surface. The regions may be present a particular distance from the edges of the cut outs. Particular dimensions are illustrated in the attached figures. 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrated two molded or fabricated hang cutouts connected together after they are glued or stitched to each other, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.  FIG. 6A  illustrates that in addition to molded hand cutouts  502  and  504 , a fabric part  612  may be attached to form glove  620 . In exemplary embodiments, fabric part  612  may instead be formed using polyurethane or mesh cloth. Specifically, stitching or gluing together of molded hand cutouts  502  and  504  leads to formation of fingers  602 ,  604 ,  606 , and  608 . Stitching or gluing together of molded hand cutout  504  with fabric part  612  leads for the formation of thumb  610 . In exemplary embodiments, fabric  612  may be attached to other parts of an exemplary glove using stitching or gluing as described conceptually with respect to stitch lines or using other alternative attachment processes. 
       FIG. 6B  illustrates a side view of glove  620 . Specifically, cylindrical shapes and difference in the lengths of fingers  604 ,  606 , and  608  are illustrated. Of note is that the glove retains this shape even when a wearer&#39;s hand is not present with gloves, unlike conventional gloves, where unworn gloves are flatter or deflated when fingers are not present within the fingers. Accordingly, when two halves of the glove are attached together using glue or stitching in the flat stitching area around the fingers, a pre-fabricated glove is formed as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
       FIGS. 7A-C  illustrate exemplary dimensions of molded hand cutouts accordingly to exemplary embodiments, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 7A  displays an exemplary finger part  702  may correspond to a cross section for a first knuckle for a top section of an exemplary finger. Exemplary stitch lines  510  may be a distance  716  away from the edge of a flattened side of an exemplary finger. In finger part  702 , distance  716  may be 1-3 mm. Additionally a thickness  718  at the compressed edges may be 1-2.5 mm. The overall width  714  of the flattened finger may be 3-10 mm. At a location  734 , which may be in the middle of a finger from a cross-section perspective, a thickness  710  may be 2-4 mm. In exemplary embodiments, thickness  718  allows for an easier and sturdier stitching at the edge portions. Distance  712  between end of curvature or molded part of an exemplary finger and edge of the material may be 2-5 mm. 
       FIG. 7B  displays an exemplary finger part  704  that may correspond to a cross section for a first knuckle for a bottom section of an exemplary finger. Accordingly, all the dimensions in finger part  704  are similar to and corresponds to distances, widths, and thicknesses of dimensions of aspects of finger part  702 . Specifically, exemplary distance  726  may be similar and correspond to distance  716 , thickness  728  to thickness  718 , width  724  to width  714 , distance  722  to distance  712 , and overall width  724  to overall width  714 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a thickness of layer  100  used for palm hand cutout, for example, hand cutout  404  may be more than a thickness for a backhand hand cutout, for example, hand cutout  402 . Specifically, thickness for hand cutout  404  may be 3-6 mm as opposed to thickness for hand cutout  402  which may be 2-4 mm. Accordingly, in an exemplary embodiment, the uncompressed parts of handcuts  402  and  404  may have a respective ratio of 2:3. Accordingly, a thicker palm side allows for more padding and comfort on the side of an exemplary glove which is to come in contact with a soccer ball. 
       FIG. 7C  displays a cross-section of an exemplary finger when fingers parts  702  and  704  respectively are attached to each other. Overall thickness  732  at the parts where stitching or a glue is attached may be 3-5 mm, which is the combination of thicknesses  718  and  728  respectively. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a finished soccer goalie glove, consistent with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition to parts previously discussed with respect to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , wristband  812  is illustrated. Wristband  812  may comprise of Ethylene-vinyl acetate or elastic materials. Stitchline  814  may be where stitching is applied to attach wristband  812  to remaining part of the glove comprising [ 502  and  612 ]. Stitchline  816  may represent stitching applied at the bottom of wristband  812 . Wristband adjustment flap  810  may be used for adjustment of a fit for the wristband  812  when it is too loose or too tight. 
     In some embodiments, the exemplary methods of stitching together hand cutouts from pre-fabricated and/or molded shapes may be utilized in other type of gloves.