Patent Publication Number: US-2018043232-A1

Title: Webbed Sports Gloves

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to gloves and other coverings for the human hand. The present invention relates more specifically to gloves utilized in connection with the play of sports involving the catching and handling of game balls. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A number of sports activities involve the catching, throwing, and handling of sports balls during the play of outdoor or indoor games. A very popular sport that exemplifies this type of ball handling game is American football. A typical play in the game of American football involves the passing of the football from the quarterback to a receiver (a number of positions may be designated as receivers under the rules). The successful completion of a pass to a receiver depends in part upon a receiver carefully securing the ball with the hands before thereafter advancing the ball during the continuation of the play. Failure to adequately secure the ball results in an incomplete pass which is detrimental to the forward progress of the team in possession of the ball. 
     Receivers in American football have for some time now utilized gloves with grip surfaces that facilitate the catching and secure retention of the football during a pass play. American football rules at different levels of play typically allow for such gloves to be worn by the receivers so as to prevent, or attempt to prevent, the slippage of the football through the hands, or from the hands, of the receiver during an attempted pass reception. A wide variety of grip surfaces are known in the art to facilitate the retention of the ball once within the receiver&#39;s hands. The present invention is directed less to a particular grip surface material on a receiver&#39;s glove, and more to a webbing structure that provides an additional surface area against which the ball may be at least partially captured. 
     It would therefore be desirable to have a pair of receiver gloves that not only provide a contact grip surface that facilitates securing the game ball, but an additional structure that effectively expands the catch and/or grip area of the hand within the glove to further facilitate reception and retention of the ball. Ultimately, the receiver must rely upon the accurate placement of their hands around the ball in order to adequately secure it to carry it forward with the pass play. American football rules would typically not allow, for example, a receiver to wear a large mitt such as is utilized in baseball where the skill involved in catching the ball is simply the appropriate positioning of the baseball glove or mitt. Rather it would be important to have receiver gloves for American football, and for similar sports, where a very modest change in the structure of the glove is permitted that further facilitates retention of the ball when an attempt is being made to catch the ball. It would be desirable if such modifications to the receiver&#39;s gloves added little or no significant weight to the glove, and yet could expand upon the improved friction grip surfaces already utilized in conjunction with receiver&#39;s gloves. It would be an additional benefit if the improvement features facilitated the expansion of team logos or other display elements in connection with existing logos and display elements typically positioned on the back and front of receiver&#39;s gloves. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In fulfillment of the above and further objectives, the present invention provides improvements to the typical sports ball receiver&#39;s pair of gloves. A narrow section of webbing is integrated into the construction of each of the two gloves in a pair, webbing that is positioned between the thumb and index finger of each glove. The flexible webbing allows for a full range of motion for the thumb of the glove while providing an expanded catching surface between the thumb and index finger that was not previously available. When utilized alone or as a pair, the webbing on each of the two gloves provides a significantly increased catching surface for a ball that is received into the hands, especially between the two hands of the receiver. Various types of flexible materials may be used for the webbing and include stretchable net material and/or material that incorporates increased friction grip surfaces similar to the types of adherence materials already typically used on receiver&#39;s gloves. Other features and variations of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description and the appended drawings, and which are set forth with more specificity in the numbered claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective assembly view of a pair of ball receiver gloves implementing the structures of the present invention, shown in connection with a typical sports ball (American football as an example). 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed perspective view of a right hand (RH) glove implementing the glove web structure of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3A  is a detailed perspective view of a first preferred structure for the web mesh and glove web of the present invention shown implemented on a right hand (RH) glove. 
         FIG. 3B  is a detailed perspective view of a second preferred structure for the web mesh and glove web of the present invention shown implemented on a left hand (LH) glove. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference is made first to  FIG. 1  for a description of the overall configuration of a pair of ball receiver gloves that implement the structures of the present invention. Receiver gloves  10  shown in  FIG. 1  included left hand (LH) glove  12   a  and right hand (RH) glove  12   b . References in the appended drawings, where the structures on one glove of the pair are mirrored on the other glove of the pair, are generally identified as elements a &amp; b for a specific mirrored structure. Also seen in  FIG. 1  in broken line form is an end view of a typical sports ball  30  that is in the process of being caught by the receiver wearing receiver gloves  10 . It will be understood by those skilled in the art that although the preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in connection with gloves and balls typically used in the game of American football, a wide variety of other sports that involve the handling of sports balls may benefit from the same, or similar, glove structures as described herein. 
     In  FIG. 1 , sports ball  30  is shown to be centered between the hands of the receiver wearing left hand (LH) glove  12   a  and right hand (RH) glove  12   b . Each of the two gloves, mirror images of each other, incorporates securement bands  14   a  &amp;  14   b  that are typically used to attach the respective gloves to the receiver&#39;s hands at the wrist. Glove bodies  16   a  &amp;  16   b  are constructed in a manner typical for existing receiver gloves. The important components of gloves  12   a  &amp;  12   b  for purposes of the present invention are glove thumbs  18   a  &amp;  18   b  as well as glove index fingers  20   a  &amp;  20   b.    
     Extending between the lower half of glove thumbs  18   a  &amp;  18   b  and the lower half of glove index fingers  20   a  &amp;  20   b  are glove webs  22   a  &amp;  22   b . The size of glove webs  22   a  &amp;  22   b  is such that the addition does not significantly change the basic size and construction of glove bodies  16   a  &amp;  16   b . In fact, when the hand of the wearer is closed, as in a fist, the glove web component completely disappears and does not represent an increase in the size (shape or weight) of the receiver&#39;s glove. Only when the hands are extended as shown in  FIG. 1 , with the glove thumbs  18   a  &amp;  18   b  separated from the glove index fingers  20   a  &amp;  20   b , will glove webs  22   a  &amp;  22   b  open and extend to facilitate the catching of ball  30 . 
     Reference is next made to  FIG. 2  which provides greater detail on the construction of one of the two receiver gloves  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . In this case, right hand (RH) glove  12   b  is shown in greater detail. Once again, it will be recognized that left hand (LH) glove  12   a  is a mirror image of right hand (RH) glove  12   b . Right hand (RH) glove  12   b  once again incorporates securement band  14   b  that prevents the glove from being easily removed from the receiver&#39;s hand. Securement band  14   b  may typically be a pull strap with a buckle, or more commonly a Velcro® type strap that tightens around the wrist of the wearer. Glove body  16   b  is again configured in a manner quite similar to existing football receiver&#39;s gloves that present a typically breathable back surface to the glove body and a typically high friction grip surface to the front face of the glove body. Once again, the important glove components for purposes of the present invention are glove thumb  18   b  and glove index finger  20   b.    
     Extending between the base portions of glove thumb  18   b  and glove index finger  20   b  is glove web  22   b . In the additional detail shown in  FIG. 2 , glove web  22   b  is seen to be constructed from web mesh  32   b  surrounded on all edges by either web outer edge  34   b  or by the seams with which it is attached to glove body  16   b . In the preferred embodiment, glove web  22   b  is attached to glove body  16   b  at the proximal half of glove index finger  20   b  and the proximal half of glove thumb  18   b . Web thumb seam reinforcement  36   b  and web finger seam reinforcement  38   b  secure the edge of glove web  22   b  into the construction of the typical receiver&#39;s glove. In the preferred embodiment web outer edge  34   b  is constructed of a more rugged band, cord, or other edging material, since it is this edge that repeatedly encounters, and must receive the force of, the ball in flight as it is being caught. Likewise, although web mesh  32   b  may be relatively light and flexible, the manner of its securement to the thumb and index finger components of the glove may require reinforcement or additional stitching as shown in  FIG. 2  with thumb seam reinforcement  36   b  and finger seam reinforcement  38   b.    
     As indicated above, a variety of different construction materials may be used to create the glove web that extends between the thumb and index finger of the glove.  FIGS. 3A &amp; 3B  provide two alternate types of materials for use in the construction of the glove web.  FIG. 3A  represents an open mesh material while  FIG. 3B  provides a closed surface that may incorporate the friction grip surface materials of the type typically used on the face of a receiver&#39;s glove. 
     Referring first to  FIG. 3A , glove web  22   b  is shown to be constructed of web mesh  32   b  bordered on its outer edge with web edge cord  39   b . As indicated above it is preferable that the outer exposed edge of glove web  22   b  be structured from a more durable band or cord, preferably elastic, that stands up to repeated contact with the ball as it is being caught. With a strong and rugged web edge cord  39   b , web mesh  32   b  need not itself be overly rugged as the force of the ball in flight is reduced by its initial contact with web edge cord  39   b.    
     As indicated above, it is preferable for the interior edges of glove web  22   b , and more specifically for the points of attachment of web mesh  32   b  to glove  12   b , to have reinforcement seams provided along the entire interior curve of the glove extending down the lower half of the thumb and up the lower half of the index finger. As shown in  FIG. 3A  this reinforcement comprises a continuous material that may be additional layers of sewn edging that attach both to web mesh  32   b  and the materials that make up glove thumb  18   b  and glove index finger  20   b . These additional layers of reinforcing material may be sewn into the glove along or within the same seam that typically connects the face of the glove to the back of the glove. In this manner all edges of glove web  22   b  are reinforced either by their attachment to the glove or with the leading outer edge of the glove web incorporating a strong edge band or cord. 
       FIG. 3B  provides for an additional feature and an alternative structure for the glove web of the present invention. As indicated above, typical American football receivers&#39; gloves already incorporate a palm and finger surface material that increases the grip friction and adherence of the ball to the glove when it is being caught. A variety of soft rubber-like materials may be utilized to improve the grip of the glove on the ball.  FIG. 3B  discloses that this same type of grip material may be incorporated onto the glove web to further facilitate the function of securing the ball during a catch. In  FIG. 3B  left hand glove  40   a  again incorporates glove index finger  50   a  and glove thumb  48   a . Extending between the lower portions of these two parts of the glove is glove web  42   a . It is again preferable that the outer edge of glove web  42   a  incorporate a more rugged element in the form of web edge cord  54   a . It is also important that this glove web structure shown in  FIG. 3B  utilize the same web thumb seam reinforcement  46   a  and web finger seam reinforcement  44   a.    
     The difference in the structure shown in  FIG. 3B  lies in web mesh  52   a  which in the preferred embodiment remains a flexible fabric-like material. The additional feature of web mesh  52   a  is that it incorporates on the palm side the same material that is used to facilitate the receiver&#39;s grip on the ball, again as is currently utilized with American football receiver gloves. In order to maintain the flexibility of the glove as required for free movement of the thumb and index finger, the amount of grip material placed on the palm surface of glove web  42   a  may need to be reduced from that on the balance of the glove. In the preferred embodiment the grip or friction-increasing surface may be checkered or dot spaced across the palm-side surface of the webbing in a manner that allows glove web  42   a  to remain flexible while still providing an additional surface area onto which the game ball may make contact. 
     Although the present invention has been described in connection with a number of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain modifications to the preferred embodiments may be implemented for use with a variety of different outdoor sports that involve the handling of game balls. Such modifications that are specific to the type of game ball being utilized are still considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Variations on the choice of materials from which the components of the present invention are constructed are also anticipated. As indicated initially, the surface area of the glove web component added to the basic receiver gloves may serve the additional purpose of increasing the surface area onto which team logos and other display elements may be placed. The flexibility of the glove web in connection with the visual display elements on its surface provides yet another desirable feature to the wearing of the glove beyond simply the facilitation of catching and handling the game ball.