Patent Publication Number: US-2007118966-A1

Title: Exposed Palm Glove and Method of Use

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/733,066 filed Nov. 2, 2005, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The present invention relates to gloves, and more particularly to a sports or industrial glove with an exposed palm that increases sensory perception and gripping ability, assists with core body temperature regulation by effectively dissipating heat and optimizes moisture management, while decreasing bunching, slippage and overall weight of the glove.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Participants in athletic and industrial environments often perform maneuvers that require gripping, such as in football, baseball, racquetball, golf and in many types of manual labor, such as textile work, automotive work, construction or other industry that require gripping of industrial tools, such as hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers, and the like. These individuals typically wear gloves that cover the entire hand, including the palm, to protect their hands and increase their grip on a racquet, ball, club, bat or industrial tool while performing the activity.  
      However, the palm is one of the main sweat release areas of the human body. The release of sweat in the palm area and evaporation of that sweat through the palms by direct contact with the air helps cool the body. Thus, wearing gloves while participating in athletics, or performing many types of industrial work, causes heat build-up within the glove, and results in extreme perspiration of the hands under the gloves.  
      Further, perspiration and moisture build-up within the gloves often causes slippage of the gloves, decreasing dexterity and a wearer&#39;s ability to grip equipment, throw or catch objects, such as footballs. Gloves that retain moisture or perspiration may interfere with the player&#39;s swing by creating interior slippage, causing a player to lose his or her grip on the club, bat or tool handle. For example, in golf, slippage from perspiration can cause the glove to slip on the hands while the club is at the top height of the players swing, causing the club to slip, which throws off the tempo and angle of the swing, and in some cases may cause the club to move in the player&#39;s hands.  
      In addition, in sports involving constant motion, such as racquetball, a player&#39;s hands may perspire so profusely that slippage of the gloves on the hands is a constant challenge and might necessitate several changes of gloves during a match. Gloves without perspiration release result in perspiration build up, causing a wet, slippery environment inside the glove. Such a slippery environment, caused by perspiration, decreases the overall stability and gripping ability of the glove, and therefore decreases the player&#39;s grip on the racquet, making it more difficult for the player to perform.  
      In order to compensate for perspiration, some gloves have been constructed of material that is intended to have a wicking effect for getting rid of sweat. However, the material is not as effective at dissipating heat and efficiently permitting sweat and perspiration to evaporate. Such material that covers the palms of the hands actually retains heat in the glove and prevents heat from escaping and dissipating into the air. Thus, such material actually hinders rather than assists the wearer in regulating and managing core body temperature during work or exercise.  
      In the same manner, such material is not as effective in eliminating moisture and sweat as skin that is exposed directly to the air. Further, any wicking effect that does occur is decreased in the palm of a wearer&#39;s hand due to the increased amount of sweat produced in the palm area combined with the frequent or constant contact with equipment or other objects that prevents or blocks the wicking from occurring. Also, merely wicking of the sweat to the outside of the glove does not ensure that the sweat will evaporate as quickly from the material as it would from skin exposed directly to the air, and thus, the outside of the glove may remain wet or become slippery, also causing gripping or catching problems.  
      In another attempt to compensate for this interior perspiration, some sports gloves have absorbent interior padding. Unfortunately, this additional padding makes the gloves bulky and adds extra weight to the gloves. Even when gloves do not have extra padding to absorb sweat, the material covering the palm side of the hand in all gloves still adds extra weight and often bunches up when the wearer flexes his or her hand. The bunching of the glove in this area is often referred to as the tent effect or trampoline effect. The tent or trampoline effect can cause numerous performance problems, such as reduced ability to grip or catch. In some cases, the trampoline effect actually causes a ball or other object to bounce off of or slide through the player&#39;s hands.  
      Further, in sports or in industrial settings that involve a player&#39;s or worker&#39;s direct grip on equipment such as a golf club, a football or baseball, wearing a padded or protective glove or any glove that completely covers the palm of the wearer&#39;s hand decreases contact with and feel of the equipment. The decreased tactile sensation then can impact the wearer&#39;s ability to perform the sport or activity and actually decrease the participant&#39;s dexterity, particularly where the activity involves gripping equipment or catching objects.  
      Accordingly, a need exists for a glove that provides increased ability to effectively dissipate perspiration and manage moisture, decreases interior and exterior slippage, eliminates absorbent padding and decreases the overall weight of the glove, eliminates the tent or trampoline effect, and yet provides the wearer with improved overall dexterity and tactile ability.  
     SUMMARY  
      The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding to the reader. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure and it does not identify key/critical elements of the invention or delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts disclosed herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.  
      The present invention provides a glove with an opening or aperture allowing exposure of the palm of a human hand. The disclosed glove and method of use allows the wearer&#39;s palms to be exposed through the open area situated approximately over the palm area which may provide numerous advantages, including increased ability to effectively dissipate heat and allow for evaporation of perspiration, increased ability to manage moisture, decreased interior and exterior slippage, decreased overall weight of the glove, elimination of the tent effect or trampoline effect, and improved dexterity and tactile ability for the wearer.  
      Many of the attendant features will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present description will be better understood from the following detailed description read in light of the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  shows the back side and palm side views of one example of the glove, particularly showing the open palm area of the glove in the palm side view.  
       FIG. 2  shows the back side and palm side views of another example of the glove, particularly showing the open palm area of the glove in the palm side view.  
       FIG. 3  shows the back side and palm side views of yet another example of the glove, particularly showing the open palm area of the glove in the palm side view.  
       FIG. 4  is an outline drawing showing the palm side of one example of the glove, particularly showing the open palm area of the glove.  
       FIG. 5  is an outline drawing showing the back side of one example of the glove. 
    
    
      Like reference numerals are used to designate like parts in the accompanying drawings.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      The present disclosure provides a glove with an opening or aperture that allows exposure of at least part of the palm area of a human hand. As illustrated below, the disclosed glove provides many advantages over gloves previously known in the art that do not have an open palm area. Namely, the disclosed glove allows the wearer&#39;s palms to be exposed through the open palm area, which provides for the following advantages described herein, including increased ability to effectively dissipate heat and efficiently promote evaporation of perspiration resulting in better core body temperature regulation during work or exercise. The exposed palm glove also optimizes moisture management resulting in decreased interior and exterior slippage and elimination of the need for absorbent padding or other costly material known in the art of moisture management, such as material that may have a wicking effect. Further, the open palm area on the glove results in decreased overall weight, elimination of the tent effect or trampoline effect, and improved overall dexterity and tactile ability for the wearer.  
      In one example of the invention, the open palm glove provides the wearer with protection to the fingers and the back of the hand, but allows gripping performance comparable with using bare hands. Thus, the disclosed glove provides the additional sensitivity allowing the wearer&#39;s palms additional contact with equipment used in sports, such as balls, sticks, poles, bats, clubs, or racquets. The disclosed glove also provides workers using industrial tools, such as hammers, wrenches, saws, screwdrivers, soldering irons and numerous other industrial tools known in the art, with direct contact with the particular tool. This results in increased tactile sensation and dexterity, which are paramount to excelling in sports activities or effectively and efficiently completing industrial tasks.  
      Further, an open palm area on the glove eliminates the portion of the glove where the glove material often bunches. In eliminating the material in this critical area, the exposed palm glove decreases or even eliminates any tent effect or trampoline effect that often occurs by the bunching of material in the palm area of gloves. The reduction or elimination of the trampoline effect then increases the wearer&#39;s ability to grip, throw or catch objects.  
      In addition, a glove with an open palm area provides a superior mechanism for dissipating sweat that collects in the palm area. The direct connect of the palm area with the air, and without a layer of material in between, provides for increased efficiency of the human body to dissipate heat and allow perspiration or sweat to efficiently evaporate, thus resulting in improved regulation of core body temperature and an overall cooling effect on the body. Further, the increased efficiency and ease of this mechanism for allowing sweat to escape from the glove not only decreases interior slippage caused by perspiration, but also reduces exterior slippage caused by sweat seeping through the material to the outside of the glove. The decrease in both interior and exterior slippage increases stability of the wearer&#39;s grip on the equipment and ability to catch and/or hold onto objects.  
      Eliminating the material in the palm area of the glove not only reduces the need for any absorbent padding to absorb sweat, which is instead readily dissipated, but the elimination of material over the palm area also decreases the overall weight of the glove. In some sports or industries, where gloves are a requirement for participation, though cumbersome, the disclosed glove complies with the requirements of the activity, provides protection where needed, namely to the back of the hand and fingers, yet gains the advantages discussed above.  
      In one example, the glove includes a hand covering portion for covering the back of a wearer&#39;s hand, and referred to herein as the back side of the glove. Further, in one example, the glove covers an area around the edges of the wearer&#39;s palm, surrounding an open palm area. The open palm area allows the palm to be exposed.  
      In at least one example of the invention, a plurality of form fitting finger receiving receptacles extend from the hand covering portion, and are connected to the hand covering portion, each of the finger receiving receptacles includes a front and a back for receiving therebetween a finger of the wearer&#39;s hand covered by the hand covering portion.  
      In addition, in at least one example of the present invention, the glove is a form fitting glove. However, in another example, the finger receiving receptacles may not completely cover the fingers, but instead allow part or all the fingers to be exposed. Such exposure of the fingers would permit additional skin-to-equipment contact, allowing for further increased tactile sensation and dexterity.  
      The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and in which there is shown by way of illustration various examples of the invention.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , an open palm glove for use by a human, for example, in various sports or in various industrial or other work settings where use of the hands required, is shown. Shown in each of the figures is a back side  11 , and a palm side  13  of the glove  10 . The glove  10  includes a hand covering portion  12  for covering the back of the wearer&#39;s hand and the perimeter of the palm of the wearer&#39;s hand, four finger receptacles  14  for receiving the wearer&#39;s fingers, and a thumb receiving receptacle  16  for receiving the wearer&#39;s thumb. As noted above, the finger and thumb receiving receptacles need not cover the entirety of the fingers or thumb, but may leave a portion or all of those digits exposed.  
      The hand covering portion  12  covers a wearer&#39;s hand, and includes a palm perimeter portion  20 , which covers the areas of the wearer&#39;s hand around the perimeter of the palm, while leaving approximately the center of the wearer&#39;s palm open and uncovered, exposing the palm. For example, in the example disclosed herein, the palm perimeter portion  20  forms an aperture  30  leaving all or a portion of the palm of the wearer&#39;s hand exposed. The aperture  30  thus allows perspiration to exit, and allows the palm of the wearer&#39;s hand access to air, thereby cooling the wearer and decreasing risk of overheating or sweaty palms.  
      The hand covering portion  12  also includes a back hand cover  22 , covering the back of the wearer&#39;s hand. In one example of the invention, the palm perimeter portion  20  and back hand cover  22  are formed from one or more layers of material, such as lycra®, leather, neoprene, nylon, synthetic leather, cotton and the like and are joined by methods known in the art such as sewing, knitting, weaving, and the like to form a cavity  24  for receiving the users hands. In addition, in some examples of the invention, the glove may include one or more types of materials, or may contain seams or piping  26 .  
      In one example of the invention, the hand covering portion  12  includes a wrist portion  28 , which wraps around the wearer&#39;s wrist to provide wrist support, additional wrist protection, and to secure the glove  10  to the wearer&#39;s hand. In some examples of the invention, a flap may extend tangentially to the wrist portion  28  with a free end that wraps around the wearer&#39;s wrist and is fixed to the wrist with a hook and loop material, snap, zipper, or other fastener to secure the glove  10  to the wearer&#39;s hand without departing from the scope of the invention. Moreover, a wrist portion is not necessary to practice the invention.  
      The finger receiving receptacle  14  and thumb receiving receptacle  16  extend from the hand covering portion  12  away from the wrist portion  28  and are connected to the cavity  24  for receiving the wearer&#39;s fingers and thumb. Preferably, the finger and thumb receptacles  14  and  16  provide a sung fit and do not have excess material between the adjacent fingers and thumb, such as soccer goalie gloves, so as not to restrict flexion of the fingers and thumbs.  
      In some examples of the invention, the palm perimeter portion  20  includes an outwardly facing, high-abrasion-resistant, tacky, gripping material  100  to enhance gripping, such as the material C-Tack®, or any other gripping material known in the art. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the glove  10  has tacky gripping material  100  on the palm perimeter portion  20 , the thumb receiving receptacle  16 , and at least one of the finger receiving receptacles  14 .  
      In some examples of the invention, padding is provided to protect the wearer&#39;s fingers, thumbs, and hands. Additional protection padding  32  may be inserted or fixed to the back hand cover  22 , to protect the back of the wearer&#39;s hand, to the palm perimeter portion  20 , in order to protect the perimeter of the wearer&#39;s palm around the aperture  30 , to the wrist portion  28  in order to protect the wearer&#39;s wrist, or to other locations on the glove  10 , specific to the type of sport or the position of the wearer.  
      Using the glove, and specifically the method disclosed herein of using the glove, includes a wearer inserting a hand, fingers, and thumb into the glove  10  through the wrist portion  28  of the hand covering portion  12 , into the cavity  24 , such that each of the wearer&#39;s fingers is received in one of the finger receiving receptacles  14  and the wearer&#39;s thumb into the thumb receiving receptacle  16 . As the wearer&#39;s hand is inserted into the cavity  24 , the palm perimeter portion  20  will be located over the palm of the wearer&#39;s hand, such that the aperture  30  will be located directly over the palm of the wearer&#39;s hand, exposing the palm of the wearer&#39;s hand. In addition, the thumb receiving receptacle  16  and the finger receiving receptacles  14  may be reinforced with a high tension stiffener  34  for additional protection. The area having the high tension stiffener  34  may include piping  17  disposed between the stiffener and the thumb receiving receptical  16 . For example, this high tension stiffener  34  may be used to protect the wearer&#39;s fingers and thumbs from the impact of a fast-moving ball or other piece of equipment.  
      In some examples of the invention, the back hand cover  22  may also contain a plurality of small perforations  36 , for additional ventilation within the glove. In particular the perforations may be disposed about the stretch neoprene that may be used to fabricate the various components including the oval  23 , thumb  16  and index fingers  14 . In at least one example of the invention, the plurality of small perforations  36  may be interwoven with the padding  32  or the seams  26  of the back hand cover  22 . In at least one example of the invention piping in various colors  17 ,  19  may be provided along seam lines  26 . For example a thin piping may be used along seam line  26 .  
      In use, the wearer&#39;s palm will be exposed, allowing the wearer&#39;s palm to directly contact equipment. For example, a football player wearing the glove  10 , would have the aperture  30  located directly over his palm and, upon catching a ball, the fingers would grasp the ball unhindered by bulky fabric over the palm, and there would be direct contact between the skin on the palm of the hand and the football. In this example, because receivers catch with their fingers, the gripping material is present on the finger receptacles to assist with the initial contact, but the aperture in the glove then allows a more effective hold on the ball because of the increased sensation and feel of the exposed palm on the ball and elimination of the trampoline effect. In an example an area  21  provides a thin layer of stretch neoprene under the gripping material  100  as shown. As shown  21  provides approximately one centimeter of neoprene in contact with the skin. In this example, the glove provides both increased range of motion of the hand to catch the ball, as well as direct contact between the wearer&#39;s palm and the ball. Likewise, a golfer wearing the glove  10  would have the aperture  30  located directly over the palm of the hand, allowing direct contact between the skin on the palm of the hand and the club.  
      While there has been shown and described what are at present considered to be some preferred examples of the invention, it will be obvious to one of skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims. Therefore, various alternatives and examples are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.