Patent Publication Number: US-9901131-B2

Title: Protective glove

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE 
     Not Applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a protective glove for a firefighter, an emergency worker, or other first responder, wherein the glove is constructed to allow improved flexing of a user&#39;s hands/fingers. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is typical for firefighters and/or emergency workers to wear protective gloves to protect the user&#39;s hands from burns, abrasions, and other injury that may occur in a hazardous environment. It is important that such gloves do not impede the firefighter and/or emergency worker from effectively and/or efficiently using their hands to perform their required task. Furthermore, it is also important for such gloves to minimize the fatigue in a user&#39;s hands that can be generated over long periods of time of wearing such protective gloves while attempting to work in a hazardous environment. Thus, there is a continuing need to improve such protective gloves to allow increased flexibility for a user&#39;s hands. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one feature, the back face includes at least one seam located to overlay a knuckle joint in the hand, the at least one seam being defined by two edges that are joined to each other with the edges facing a common direction. Each edge has a convex crescent shape that is aligned with the convex crescent shape of the other edge. 
     In one feature, the back face includes at least one seam located to overlay a knuckle joint in the hand, the at least one seam defining two aligned, convex crescent shaped edges, the edges facing inwardly toward the hand when worn. 
     In one feature, the back face includes at least one seam located in a finger of the glove to overlay a knuckle joint in the hand, the at least one seam defining two aligned, convex crescent shaped edges, the edges facing inwardly toward a portion of the palm face directly opposite the at least one seam in the finger, the two edges being joined to each other along the convex crescent shape of the edges. 
     As one feature, the at least one seam includes a plurality of seams located in the fingers of the glove to overlay knuckle joints in the fingers. 
     According to one feature the at least one seam includes a continuous seam sized and located to overlay four metacarpophalangeal joints in a hand. 
     In one feature, the glove further includes a forchet joining the palm face and the back face. 
     According to one feature, the palm face and back face are connected directly to each other by a peripheral seam. 
     As one feature, the at least one seam is a stitched seam. 
     In accordance with one feature, the back face includes at least one seam defining a bubble space that overlays a knuckle joint in the hand. 
     According to one feature, the at least one seam includes a plurality of seams defining bubble spaces in the fingers of the glove that overlay knuckle joints in the fingers. 
     In one feature, the at least one seam includes a continuous seam defining a bubble space to overlay four metacarpophalangeal joints in a hand. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a review of the entire specification, including the appended claims and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a protective glove according to the invention as worn by a user; 
         FIG. 2  is a view taken from line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1  and showing the glove with the user&#39;s finger in an unflexed or straight position; 
         FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2 , but showing the glove with a user&#39;s finger in a flexed position; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 1 , but showing another embodiment of a protective glove according to the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a view taken from line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view showing two portions of a back face of the glove that form in seam in the assembled glove; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the two portions of  FIG. 6  illustrating one method for joining the seam; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the joined seam of  FIG. 7 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing the outer side of the seam of  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , a protective glove  10  as worn by a firefighter or emergency worker is shown and includes a palm face  12  that covers the palm side of the hand and fingers and a back face  14  that covers the back side of the hand and fingers, with a forchet  16  extending between and connecting the palm face  12  in the back face  14  of the glove  10  such as is known for so-called “3D” type glove constructions. The glove  10  also includes a suitable cuff  18  which can be of any suitable construction and the details of which are not critical to the invention described herein. Typically the forchet  16  will be joined to the back face  14  by a seam  18  that extends around the periphery of the glove, and joined to the palm face  12  by another seam  20  that extends around the periphery of the glove  10 . 
     The glove  10  includes a plurality of seams  22 ,  24  and  26 , each seam  22 ,  24  and  26  defining a corresponding bubble space  32 ,  34  and  36  that overlays one of the knuckle joints in the hand. More specifically, the seam  22  is sized and located to extend and define the buddle space  32  over all four of the base knuckle joints (metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP joints)) of the fingers of the hand, excluding the thumb. Each of the seams  24  is located in the glove to define the corresponding bubble space  34  over a corresponding one of the middle knuckle joints of the fingers (proximal interphalangeal joints (PIP joint)), and each of the seams  26  is located to define the corresponding bubble space  36  over one of the end knuckle joints (distal interphalangeal joints (DIP joint)) of the fingers. 
     Each of the bubble spaces  32 ,  34  and  36  provides an open area into which the corresponding knuckle joint can extend during flexing, such as shown in  FIG. 3 , so as to minimize fighting or stretching of the material of the back face  14  and/or compression of any insulation layer that may be provided within the outer shell of the glove  10 . 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  are similar to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , with like numbers indicating like components, but show the inventive concept in a so-called 2-D glove construction wherein the palm face  12  and back face  14  are connected directly to each other by an edge seam  40  that extends around the periphery of the glove. 
     It is common for protective gloves, such as gloves  10  shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , to have an outer shell, which is shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , and inner liners that act as thermal barriers and/or moisture barriers. Preferably, the gloves  10  will conform to all applicable and current National Fire Protection Association standards, with the outer shell of the gloves  10  illustrated in the  FIGS. 1-9  being made from a suitable material, many of which are known. Similarly, the materials for any inner layers that form a thermal barrier and/or a water/moisture barrier will also be made from suitable materials, many of which are known. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,250 issued Aug. 6, 2002, provides further details for some examples of suitable glove constructions and materials, and the entire specification is incorporated herein by reference. 
     With reference to  FIG. 6 , the construction of one of the seams  22 ,  24  and  26  is illustrated wherein two portions  44  and  46  of the back face  14  are shown, each having a convex crescent-shaped edge  48 . The portions  44  and  46  may either be completely separate from each other or they may be a single piece of material that is joined such as at  50 . As seen in  FIG. 7 , to form one of the seams  22 ,  24  and  26 , the convex crescent-shaped edges  48  are aligned with each other by folding the portions  44  and  46  as shown by arrow A. The two aligned convex crescent-shaped edges  48  are then attached using any suitable method, which will typically be by stitching with a needle and thread to form the connected seam  22 ,  24 ,  26  shown in  FIG. 8  with the edges  48  facing in a common direction. Preferably, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the edges  48  face inwardly in the final construction of the glove  10 . In the illustrated embodiment, the edges  48  abut each other along the convex crescent shape of the edges  48  and define the majority of the seam. The bubble spaces  32 ,  34  and  36  are produced by the convex crescent shape of the inwardly facing seams  22 ,  24 ,  26 , with the back face  14  connected to the remainder of the glove  10 . While it is preferred that the seams  22 ,  24 ,  26  face inwardly in the final construction of the glove  10 , in some applications, it may be desirable for one or more of the seams  22 ,  24 ,  26  to face outwardly. Furthermore while it is preferred that each of the edges  48  have a convex crescent-shape, in some applications it may be desirable for only one of the edges  48  to have a convex crescent-shape, with the other edge  48  having a different shape such as, for example, a straight edge shape. 
     It should be understood that while the illustrated gloves show the seams  22 ,  24  and  26  at all of the various knuckle joints in a hand, in some applications it may be desirable to include only one of the seams  22 ,  24  and  26  or only certain groups of the seams  22 ,  24  and  26 . For example, in some applications it may be desirable to have only the seam  22 , while in other applications it may be desirable to have only the seams  24  on the four fingers of the hand, excluding the thumb. It should be understood that there are many other possible alternatives in this regard. 
     It should be appreciated that by using the aligned, convex crescent-shaped edges  48  to form the seams  22 ,  24  and  26 , the bubble spaces  32 ,  34  and  36  can be provided in a relatively simply manner above each of the corresponding knuckles of a user&#39;s hand to allow for easier flexing of the hand and to minimize fatigue in the hand.