Patent Publication Number: US-2013247273-A1

Title: Glove with optional insert

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a glove having particular application to be worn over the hand of one riding a bicycle and including the combination of an optional long-fingered insert lying under a conventional short-fingered glove member. Depending upon the weather conditions, the short-fingered glove member may be worn alone and independently of the long-fingered insert. 
     2. Background Art 
     As will be known to those who ride bicycles and similar vehicles, it is desirable to wear gloves to not only cushion the rider&#39;s hands from their grip with the handlebars but to keep the hands warm in chilly and/or windy conditions. A pair of short-fingered riding gloves are commonly worn over the hands of a rider to achieve the aforementioned objectives. In this case, the rider&#39;s fingers and thumb typically stick outwardly from finger and thumb sleeves of the gloves within which the rider&#39;s fingers and thumb are inserted. When it is particularly cold or windy, the traditional short-fingered riding gloves are incapable of covering or warming the rider&#39;s finger and thumb tips which can, during a long trip, result in an uncomfortable biking experience. 
     In the alternative, the rider may decide to use a pair of longer fingered gloves to completely cover his hands at the beginning of a bicycle ride during cold or windy conditions. As the temperature rises or the wind subsides, the rider&#39;s hands may become warm. In time, the rider&#39;s fingers and thumbs may begin to perspire inside the enclosures provided by the long-fingered gloves. In this case, the rider may experience another uncomfortable biking experience as a consequence of his hands overheating. Of course, the rider could decide to finish the ride without any gloves at all which may also be undesirable. 
     Accordingly, what is needed is a glove that is adapted for use in both cold and warm weather conditions so that the rider&#39;s hands can be covered and uncovered on an as-needed basis throughout the trip. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In general terms, a glove is disclosed with particular application to be worn over the hand of one riding a bicycle in both cold and warm weather conditions. The glove includes an optional long-fingered insert that is located on the rider&#39;s hand below a conventional short-fingered glove member. The short-fingered glove member can be worn alone or in combination with the long-fingered insert. 
     The conventional glove member includes four finger sleeves and a thumb sleeve within which to slidably receive the fingers and thumb of the rider. Each of the finger and thumb sleeves of the glove member is relatively short and open ended so that the fingers and thumb of the rider extend outwardly thereof for gripping the handle bars of a bicycle. The optional insert includes a finger/thumb entrance opening that is sized to surround the top of the rider&#39;s hand and lay across the front of the hand within an area located between the rider&#39;s palm and the bottoms of his fingers. Four relatively long finger sleeves and a thumb sleeve extend above the finger/thumb opening within which to slidably receive and enclose the fingers and thumb of the rider to provide an extra layer of warmth and protection against the wind. 
     In cold or windy weather conditions, the rider first slips his hand into the long fingered insert via the finger/thumb entrance opening thereof such that his fingers and thumb are completely covered by the finger and thumb sleeves of the insert. The short-fingered glove member is then pulled towards the rider&#39;s wrist so as to slide over top the insert. In this case, the relatively long finger and thumb sleeves of the inner insert extend outwardly of and past the relatively short finger and thumb sleeves of the outer glove member so that the rider&#39;s finger and thumb tips will be covered and warmed. In warm weather conditions, the conventional short-fingered glove member can be worn independently of the optional long-fingered insert. In this case, the outer glove member is first slid off the inner insert, and the inner insert is pulled off the rider&#39;s hand. The rider then slides his hand back into the glove member for the duration of the ride or until the weather conditions change. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1 and 2  show a glove being worn over the hand of a wearer and having an optional insert according to a preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view showing a conventional short-fingered glove member being used in combination with an optional long-fingered insert to form the glove of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; and 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  show the optional insert of  FIG. 3  being worn on the hand of the wearer. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A glove  1  according to a preferred embodiment of this invention is described while referring concurrently to  FIGS. 1-5  of the drawings. As will soon be explained and as is best shown in  FIG. 3 , the glove  1  includes each of a unique, optional long-fingered insert  3  and a conventional short-fingered glove member  5 . The conventional short-fingered glove member  5  may be used either independently of the optional long-fingered insert  3  or in combination with the insert  3  to form the glove  1 . The glove member  5  used alone and the glove member  5  used in combination with the insert  3  are sized and shaped to be slidably received by and worn over one hand of a wearer. For the glove  1 , the optional insert  3  and the conventional glove member  5  are used together on one hand of the wearer with the glove member  5  located over the insert  3  (best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). 
     The glove  1  herein disclosed has particular application to be worn on the hand of one riding a bicycle. In this case, the riding glove  1  is used to grip the handlebar (designated  7  in  FIG. 1 ) of a bicycle, or the like. However, it is to be expressly understood that the glove  1  may also be used for a variety of other gripping applications including, but not limited to, gripping the steering wheel of a motor vehicle, gripping a baseball bat or a golf club, and gripping a bar associated with either weights to be lifted or an exercise apparatus. 
     Referring particularly to  FIG. 3  of the drawings, the short-fingered glove member  5  is manufactured from a soft, flexible and cushion material. A set of pads  9  are located over the front of the glove member  5  to lie between the wearer&#39;s palm and the article (e.g., the handle bar  7  of  FIG. 1 ) to be gripped. Since the glove member  5  is known, only a brief description thereof will be provided. Projecting upwardly at the top of the glove member  5  are four finger sleeves  10  in which to slidably receive respective ones of the wearer&#39;s fingers. Projecting outwardly near a side of the glove member  5  is a thumb sleeve  12  in which to slidably receive the user&#39;s thumb. 
     Each of the finger and thumb sleeves  10  and  12  of the conventional glove member  5  is cut off and shortened relative to the full length of the wearer&#39;s fingers and thumb. That is, when the glove member  5  is located on the hand of a wearer, the finger sleeves  10  and the thumb sleeve  12  terminate at approximately the proximal inter-phalangeal joints, above the knuckles of the wearer&#39;s fingers and thumb. Thus, each of the wearer&#39;s fingers and thumb will extend outwardly of and through the finger and thumb sleeves  10  and  12  so as to be able to engage the article to be gripped. A fastening strap ( 13  of  FIG. 1 ) at the bottom of glove member  5  is tightened around the wearer&#39;s wrist to hold the glove member on the wearer&#39;s hand. 
     Details of the optional long-fingered insert  3  are now described while continuing to refer to  FIG. 3 . The insert  3  is preferably manufactured from a soft and flexible (e.g., fleece) material so as to provide an added layer of warmth and block the wind from striking the wearer&#39;s fingers. The insert  3  has a finger/thumb entrance opening  14  that is surrounded by a seam  16  to provide the opening with a reinforced layer of support. 
     As an important aspect of this invention, the insert  3  is sized so that the finger/thumb entrance opening  14  thereof will lie well above the wearer&#39;s wrist around which the fastening strap  13  at the bottom of the conventional glove member  5  is wrapped, and tightened. Accordingly, the insert  3  need only enclose the top of the wearer&#39;s hand so as to be advantageously manufactured with both lightweight (e.g., ideally about 0.9 ounces) and compact (so as to consume relatively little space when used in combination with the glove member  5 ) characteristics. 
     More particularly, when the insert  3  is located on the hand of a wearer, the finger/thumb entrance opening  14  surrounds the hand within an area between the palm and the bottoms of the fingers and thumb (best shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 ). In other words, to maintain the lightweight and compact characteristics of the insert  3 , the finger/thumb entrance opening  14  will preferably lay across the front of the hand at or above the wearer&#39;s palm and below his fingers. 
     The long-fingered insert  3  includes a set of four finger sleeves  20  that extend upwardly from the seam  16  which runs around the finger/thumb entrance opening  14 . The finger sleeves  20  of insert  3  are sized to slidably receive and completely surround the wearer&#39;s fingers. Projecting outwardly from the seam  16  near one side of the insert  3  is a thumb sleeve  22 . The thumb sleeve  22  of insert  3  is sized to slidably receive and completely surround the wearer&#39;s thumb. Thus, unlike the finger and thumb sleeves  10  and  12  of the short-fingered glove member  5  which surround a portion of the wearer&#39;s fingers and thumb, the finger and thumb sleeves  20  and  22  of the long-fingered insert  3  surround the entire fingers and thumb to cover and warm the wearer&#39;s finger and thumb tips as will now be described. 
     As previously indicated, the short-fingered glove member  5  can be worn over the hand of a wearer alone or in combination with the optional long-fingered insert  3  to form the riding glove  1  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Although the use of one insert  3  and one glove member  5  will now be described for covering a single hand, a pair of such inserts  3  and a pair of such glove members  5  will be required for both hands of the wearer. 
     In the case of a chilly early morning or a low temperature and/or a windy bicycle ride when it is desirable to keep one&#39;s entire hand (including the finger and thumb tips) covered and warm, the rider first slips the optional long-fingered insert  3  over his hand in the manner shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . That is, the rider slides the top of his hand through the entrance opening  14  of the insert  3  until his fingers are received in and surrounded by respective ones of the finger sleeves  20  and his thumb is received in and surrounded by the thumb sleeve  22 . 
     Next, the rider pulls the short-fingered glove member  5  towards his wrist and over top the long-fingered insert  3 . The bottom of the glove member  5  is typically fastened around the rider&#39;s wrist by means of the fastening strap  13 . It may thusly be appreciated that the insert  3  is worn under the glove member  5  to form the riding glove  1  including the combination of inner insert  3  and outer glove member  5 . As is best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , when the riding glove  1  is being worn, the relatively long finger and thumb sleeves  20  and  22  of the insert  3  extend outwardly of and past the relatively short finger and thumb sleeves  10  and  12  of the glove member  5 . 
     In the case where the temperature during the ride increases and/or the wind subsides, the rider&#39;s hands are likely to warm. Thus, the covering and warmth provided by the optional inner insert  3  may no longer be needed. After the fastening strap  13  is opened, the rider simply slides the outer glove member  5  off the inner insert  3 . Next, the insert  3  is pulled off the rider&#39;s hand. The rider then slides his hand back into the short-fingered glove member  5  so that the glove member  5  can be worn as usual for the remainder of the ride or until the temperature begins to drop or the wind increases. 
     In the example described above, the riding glove  1  including the combination inner insert  3  and outer glove member  5  was worn first with the glove member  5  alone being worn last. Depending upon the time of day, temperature, weather condition and needs of the rider, the glove member  5  can be worn alone first and the combination insert  3  and glove member  5  last.