Abstract:
A glove for protecting a user&#39;s fingertips from coming into direct contact with surfaces that are potentially contaminated with pathogens is made from a material that has long-term, reusable durability and may optionally be treated with an antimicrobial, antifungal and/or antiviral agent. A glove according to the invention may be compact, easy to don and remove, and socially acceptable for everyday public applications such as touching a public door handle or the seat or flush lever of a public toilet.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/804,462, filed on Mar. 22, 2013. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0004]    The present invention generally relates to protective clothing. More specifically, it relates to finger guards and/or gloves. 
         [0005]    2. Description of the Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. 
         [0006]    The spread of pathogens in public places is a major concern for many people. Many pathogens are spread through physical contact especially when the hands touch an infected surface and then touch the eyes, nose, or mouth. There are options available to help prevent the spread of pathogens from an infected surface to a person&#39;s hand such as removing the pathogens from the surface prior to touching the surface (e.g., disinfectant sprays and wipes), removing the pathogens from the hand after touching the surface (e.g., antimicrobial soaps and hand sanitizers), or using an impenetrable barrier between the hand and surface (e.g., rubber gloves and latex gloves). 
         [0007]    There are many products on the market for disinfecting surfaces prior to touching them such as Lysol® disinfectant spray and Clorox® disinfecting wipes. However, these are not commonly taken to or used in public places by visitors and therefore may not be socially acceptable for visitors to use in public places. 
         [0008]    There are also many products available for disinfecting one&#39;s hands after touching potentially contaminated surfaces such as Dial® antibacterial hand soap and Purell® hand sanitizer gel. Antibacterial hand soap is commonly found in most bathrooms and the hand sanitizer is increasingly popular and more socially acceptable. However, these products are still designed for use only after the user&#39;s hands have come into contact with a potentially contaminated surface. 
         [0009]    There are also many products currently available which act as impenetrable barriers between the hand and a surface. Common examples include Playtex® Handsaver® gloves and any variety of disposable latex gloves. These products can actually prevent the spread of pathogens from a surface to a person&#39;s hand. However, there are many limitations to the use of these products. Both types of products are difficult and inconvenient to put on or take off and are generally not considered socially acceptable to use in everyday public applications. Disposable latex gloves are not reusable and, although individually inexpensive, would be costly to use multiple times each day. The rubber gloves of the Playtex® household glove variety are reusable but are large and bulky and are not inconspicuous to carry or wear. 
         [0010]    Additionally, a variety of screens, devices, shields, protectors, coverings, and barriers exist that are designed for a user to insert his or her hand into prior to touching an infected surface. Evidence of these can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,387,165 to Sakin (2013), U.S. Pat. No. 6,912,728 to Panella (2005), U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,645 to Sherrill (1999), U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,331 to Stewart (1998), U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,649 to Bolembach (1995), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,083 to Henderson, Jr. (1999). All of these devices are intended for one-time use, with the exception of that described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,387,165 to Sakin (2013) the reusability of which is questionable. Such devices also must generally be provided by the proprietor of public establishments; visitors have no guarantee that protection would be available or where it could be found. 
         [0011]    Also, there are covers designed to be placed over door knobs and the like such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,594 to Wills (2003) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,140 to Visco et al. (1989). Again, these offer one-time use and must generally be provided by the proprietor. 
         [0012]    There are also prior art devices which have a similar design to the present invention but are intended for different functions. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,128 to Suzuki (2000), U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,097 to Garrett-Roe (1998), U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,747 to Banks et al. (1988), U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,549 to McDevitt (2003), U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,059 to Calvert (2002), and U.S. Pat. No. 2,925,605 to Wheeler (1960). These devices do not offer antimicrobial protection and are designed to receive a larger portion of the user&#39;s fingers limiting the ease of donning and removing. 
         [0013]    In these respects, the present invention is an improvement over the concepts and designs of the prior art and may be designed to offer long-term, reusable durability, to provide antimicrobial protection, to offer easy and convenient carry for the user, to offer easy donning and removing, and to be socially inconspicuous. These and other advantages over the devices of the prior art will become apparent after careful consideration of the detailed description and drawings which follow. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    In one particular representative embodiment, the invention comprises a three-fingered glove that may be treated with an antimicrobial agent such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,758 to Hourihan et al. and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,839 to Mixon. The glove may comprise three pockets centrally connected by a generally flat body with two of these pockets being opposite from the third such that the glove is generally in the shape of a capital letter Y. Each pocket may be of a size and shape to receive the tip of a person&#39;s index finger, middle finger, and thumb, respectively. The spacing between the two pockets and third pocket may be of a length to securely grasp a standard door knob or approximately three inches. The outer, underside of each pocket may be textured to provide slip resistance. A ring may be attached to the body for attaching a lanyard or a retractable cord device as such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,580 to Anderson and Fountain. The retractable cord device or lanyard may be attached at an opposing end thereof to the user&#39;s clothing, purse or the like so that the glove may be readily available when needed and can be conveniently returned to a stored position when not required. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is top plan view of one, particular, illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a bottom plan view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a front side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a left side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a right side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The invention may best be understood by reference to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing figures. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 1-6  show one, particular, illustrative embodiment of a three-fingered, partial glove  10  made in accordance with the present invention. The glove  10  may be comprised of a substantially flat body  12  generally Y-shaped in planform, an index finger pocket  14 , a middle finger pocket  16 , a thumb pocket  18 , and an optional attachment ring  20 . All components of the glove  10  may be made from a durable latex-based material optionally treated with an antimicrobial, antifungal, and/or antiviral agent, although other glove materials known in the art may also be used. 
         [0023]    Suitable antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal chemical additives for incorporation into plastic resins used to make fibers and fabrics and plastic resin consumer goods are offered under the MICROBAN® trademark from Microban Products Company (Huntersville, N.C. 28078). 
         [0024]    In certain preferred embodiments, body  12  is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of natural latex, synthetic latex, vinyl, vinyl-coated fabrics, synthetic rubber, and natural rubber. 
         [0025]    Body  12  may be fabricated from a laminated material. The laminated material may comprise an outer, waterproof layer and an inner, absorbent layer. 
         [0026]    The inner, absorbent layer may comprise a fabric. The fabric may be a woven fabric or a nonwoven fabric. 
         [0027]    The body  12  may have the general shape of a capital letter Y with an index finger pocket  14  and a middle finger pocket  16  at the top ends of the of the Y and a thumb pocket  18  at the opposite end. As shown in  FIG. 1  body  12  may comprise index finger branch  24 , middle finger branch  26  and thumb branch  28 , each contiguous with the others. In other embodiments, the substantially flat body  12  may have a central portion and three branches radiating from the central portion, the angles between the branches generally corresponding to the angles between the thumb, index finger and middle finger of an outstretched human hand. Yet other embodiments may have two, four or five fingers. 
         [0028]    Pockets  14 ,  16  and  18  may be generally semi-hemispherical in shape—i.e., comprising approximately one-quarter of a sphere. The pockets may be sized to accommodate the fingertips of the user. The pockets may be of one size or may vary in size—e.g., thumb pocket  18  may be larger than index finger pocket  14  and/or middle finger pocket  16 . The pockets may be continuous with the body  12 . Fillets  30  may be provided at the juncture of the finger pockets ( 12 ,  16  and  18 ) and the body  12  for added strength. 
         [0029]    An attachment ring  20  may be provided centrally located on the inner surface of the body  12  or elsewhere. Fillets  32  may be provided for added strength. In certain embodiments, attachment  20  may comprise a tab connected to body  12 , the tab having a through hole for a lanyard or the like. 
         [0030]    A textured grip having protruding nubs  22  may be provided on the lower, external side of the index finger pocket  14 , the middle finger pocket  16 , and/or the thumb pocket  18 . Other anti-slip designs may be used—e.g., a series of ridges and troughs, a plurality of depressions in the material, granular material embedded in the body material, tacky substances applied to selected areas, and other techniques known in the art. 
         [0031]    The glove or finger guard may be fabricated using a multi-layer material. In particular, a lined material having an inner surface comprised of an absorbent, non-tacky material may be used. In certain embodiments, the glove may be fabricated using an elastomeric or stretchable material that acts to at least partially secure the glove to the fingers of the wearer by providing a tensile force between the fingertips thereof when the glove is worn and the user&#39;s fingers are extended. 
         [0032]    To don the glove  10 , the user may slip his or her index finger into the index finger pocket  14 , his or her middle finger into the middle finger pocket  16 , and his or her thumb into the thumb pocket  18  and curl his or her ring finger and his or her little finger against or towards the palm of his or her hand. 
         [0033]    The user can then close his or her index finger, his or her middle finger, and thumb together to grasp an object such as a door knob. 
         [0034]    After use, the user may slip out his or her index finger from the index finger pocket  14 , his or her middle finger from the middle finger pocket  16 , and his or her thumb from the thumb pocket  18 . The glove  10  may then be ready for reuse. 
         [0035]    From the description above, several advantages of a glove or “finger guard” according to of the present invention become evident:
       The glove may offer long-term, reusable durability.   The glove may provide antimicrobial, antifungal and/or antivirus protection.   The glove offers easy and convenient carry.   The glove offers easy and convenient donning and removal.   The glove may be sized and colored so as to be socially inconspicuous.       
 
         [0041]    While the above description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as merely providing illustrations of one of the preferred embodiments. Many other variations are possible. For example, the body may be of different sizes, shapes, and designs; the pockets may be of different sizes, shapes, designs, and quantity; the attachment ring may be of different sizes, shapes, designs, and locations; the textured grips may be of different sizes, shapes, designs, and locations; the glove may be made of different materials with different antimicrobial, antifungal and/or antiviral agents; and the glove may be provided in a variety of colors. 
         [0042]    Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, they are not intended to limit what this patent covers. One skilled in the art will understand that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as literally and equivalently covered by the following claims.