Patent ID: 8490215

Claim:
A reinforcing element for an article of clothing configured for bending in a first direction and resisting bending in a second direction, the reinforcing element comprising: at least one elongate element; a plurality of bending areas disposed along the at least one elongate element that are adapted to correspond to a plurality of finger joints of a wearer when worn, wherein each bending area comprises a bendable dome-shaped curvature; and a plurality of substantially rigid interconnecting areas disposed along the at least one elongate element that are adapted to correspond to a plurality of finger bone segments that extend between the plurality of finger joints of the wearer when worn, wherein each of the plurality of substantially rigid interconnecting areas is integrally coupled to at least one of the plurality of bending areas and comprises: a gutter-shaped curvature having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface is adapted to extend along a length of a backside surface of one of the plurality of finger bone segments and is adapted to extend laterally around sides of one of the plurality of finger bone segments of the wearer when worn; and at least one rib located on the outer surface of the gutter-shaped curvature and shaped to extend along the length of the outer surface without extending across the at least one of the plurality of bending areas integrally coupled to each of the plurality of substantially rigid interconnecting areas.