Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of gloves, and particularly insulated gloves such as for outdoor work or sports such as hiking, skiing and snowboarding, providing access to one or more digits without removal of the glove. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Insulated gloves are well known for protecting the user&#39;s hands from cold during work or activities such as sports, including hiking, skiing and snowboarding. Because users of insulated gloves may be outdoors in extreme cold conditions for extended periods of time, they often do not remove their gloves for extended periods, and sometimes all day. 
         [0003]    Notwithstanding, there are times that the user needs to use one or more digits, a finger and/or thumb, in such extreme cold conditions, such as to use small buttons, keys or areas on a touch screen on a cell or smart phone, tablet, etc. However, most insulated gloves are too bulky to accurately touch small buttons, keys or areas of a touch screen required to send a message, text or perform regular functions. Moreover, most fabrics used in insulated gloves cannot activate touch screens to use these types of devices. 
         [0004]    Therefore, a user had to either remove their glove(s) to work their touch screen device or had to purchase special gloves that incorporated a conductive material on the finger and/or thumb tips that was designed specifically to activate touch screens. Similarly, however, conductive materials are not necessarily an answer when using insulated gloves, where the insulation reduces the conductivity between the finger and the outer conductive material. 
         [0005]    Of course, removing ones gloves in extreme cold weather conditions is very uncomfortable and leads to diminished use of ones fingers after what can be a relatively short period of time. Also, use of a touch sensitive material is not a particularly good option for use in insulated gloves, since the bulk added in insulated gloves makes it very difficult to precisely activate small buttons, keys and/or small areas of a touch screen on small devices such as smart phones, tablets, etc. 
         [0006]    Even before touch screen cell or smart phones and tablets, there have been occasions where a user wearing gloves had wanted to free a finger or thumb. Some examples are where a hunter wished to fire a weapon or a fisherman wanted to tie a line. In those cases, gloves without finger tips and gloves, generally non-insulated, that folded open were sometimes used. However, these did not provide the type of sealable protection needed for extreme environments. 
         [0007]    Therefore, there is a need for insulated gloves that provide access to the buttons, keys and small areas of touch screens without the user having to remove the entire glove. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention is directed to an insulated glove having a body member and one or more digit members, at least one of the one or more digit members comprising a sealable opening for removal of at least a portion of a user&#39;s digit therethrough without removal of the glove. 
         [0009]    With respect to the present invention, the glove can be a standard glove, with digit members for each of the fingers and thumb, a modified glove, with digit members for only the index finger and thumb, or a mitten, with a digit member only for the thumb. Also, for the purposes of this invention, an insulated glove is considered to be a glove with more than one layer of material. It would generally include an outer shell layer and an inner liner layer and may have one or more intermediate layers therebetween, such as a waterproof liner layer, a polyester insulative layer, etc. The inner, outer or intermediate layers may be formed of any suitable material, including materials having wear resistant, tactile, insulative, waterproof and/or other desirable characteristics. 
         [0010]    The sealable opening preferably provides an opening along a majority of the digit member and is preferably oriented in line with the digit, but may be oriented transverse, across the digit member, if desired. To avoid interference with the tips of the digits, it is preferred that the sealable opening is not in the area of the fingertips. Instead, it is preferred that the sealable opening be placed on the back or on the side of the digit to permit at least a portion of the digit, including the tip of the digit, to be passed through the sealable opening when opened. 
         [0011]    The size of the opening can be any suitable size to permit the user to remove the digit without removing the glove. Therefore, the size may be relative to the size of the glove, where the opening for a children&#39;s small glove would be smaller than for a men&#39;s extra-large. However, it is generally preferred that the opening be over 50% and up to 100% of the length of the digit member, from where it meets the body member to the tip, and most preferably from about 60% to about 90% of the length of the digit member. It is also preferred that the opening be positioned near the middle of the digit member and closer to the tip of the digit member. 
         [0012]    Most preferably, the digit member comprising the sealable opening would primarily include the thumb member. Notwithstanding, the sealable opening can be one or more of the other digit members, preferably the index or forefinger member, or combinations of more than one member, such as the thumb member and index finger member. 
         [0013]    The sealable opening can be formed in any suitable fashion. Preferably, the sealable opening is formed on a flat seamless panel. For example, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a straight thumb panel or a sidewall thumb construction which has no seam on the back may be used when forming a sealable opening on the back of the thumb. The two or more layers are tacked down around the periphery of the opening, with one or more sealing closures incorporated into the glove in the area of the opening. The sealing closures can be any type, such as zippers, hook and fastener components such as Velcro, snaps, catches, hooks, clasps, magnets or the like that substantially seal the opening from the outside cold temperature environment. 
         [0014]    For the purposes of an insulated glove used in cold weather activities such as hiking, skiing or snowboarding, a zipper is the most preferred sealable closure. When a waterproof material is used for at least one layer of the glove, use of a waterproof zipper is most preferred to maximize the waterproof nature of the glove. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The present invention will be better understood when considered in view of the attached drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts. The drawings, however, are presented merely to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention without limiting the invention in any manner whatsoever. 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a glove with a sealable opening on the back of the thumb. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a glove with a sealable opening on the side of the thumb. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a glove with a sealable opening on the back of each of the thumb and index finger. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view of a digit member with the sealable opening on the back of the thumb in an open configuration. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a partial cross sectional view of the digit member of  FIG. 4  through line A-A. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, shown in the accompanying  FIGS. 1-3 , the glove  2  of the present invention comprises a body member  4  and one or more digit members  6 , at least one of the one or more digit members  6  comprising a sealable opening  8  with a sealing closure  10 , the sealable opening  8  being formed for removal of at least a portion of a user&#39;s digit therethrough without removal of the glove. More particularly, as shown in  FIG. 4 , such a sealable opening  8  provides an opening through which the user can extend at least a portion of a digit, including one or more of a thumb, finger or combinations of the thumb and/or fingers, from the digit member  6 , to use the fingertips thereof, without removing the glove  2 . 
         [0022]    The glove  2  shown in the appended drawings are considered to be a standard glove, with digit members  6  for each of the fingers and thumb. Of course, the invention applies to other types of gloves, including but not limited to modified gloves, with digit members  6  for only the index finger and thumb, or mittens, with a digit member  6  only for the thumb. 
         [0023]    Moreover, the preferred glove  2  would have two or more layers about substantially the entire glove  2 . Most preferably, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the glove  2  would have an outer or shell layer  12 , an inner liner layer  14 , a waterproof liner layer  16  and a layer of an insulative material  18 . The use of the waterproof liner layer  16 , as is known in the art of glove construction is especially intended for outdoor use in potentially wet environments, such as for skiing or snowboarding. 
         [0024]    In the preferred embodiment shown, the sealable opening  8  covers a majority of the digit member  6  on which it is placed and is oriented in line with the digit member  6  as it extends from the body member  4  of the glove  2 . To avoid interference with the tips of the digits of the user, it is preferred that the sealable opening  8 , and as such the sealing closure  10 , is not in the area of the user&#39;s fingertips. In keeping,  FIG. 1  shows an embodiment where the sealable opening  8  and sealing closure  10  are placed on the back of the thumb digit member  6 ′ and  FIG. 2  shows an embodiment where the sealable opening  8  and sealing closure  10  are placed on the side of the thumb digit member  6 ′. Notwithstanding the preferred description of the sealable opening  8  on the back or side of the digit member  6 , it can be placed on any surface of the digit member  6  deemed desirable by the manufacturer. 
         [0025]    The size of the sealable opening  8  can be any suitable size to permit the user to remove his or her corresponding digit without removing the glove  2 . In the preferred embodiment, the size of the sealable opening  8  is relative to the size of the glove  2 , where the sealable opening  8  for a children&#39;s small glove would be smaller than the sealable opening  8  for a men&#39;s extra-large glove. In this regard, it is generally preferred that the opening be over 50% and up to 100% of the length of the digit member  6 , from where the digit member  6  meets the body member  4  to the tip of the digit member  6 . Most preferably, the sealable opening  8  is from about 60% to about 90% of the length of the digit member  6 . 
         [0026]    It is also preferred that the sealable opening  8  be positioned near the middle of the digit member  6  and, if anything, somewhat closer to the tip of the digit member to facilitate ease of exposure of the user&#39;s digit. 
         [0027]    Most preferably, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the digit member  6  comprising the sealable opening  8  would primarily include the thumb member  6 ′. Notwithstanding, a sealable opening  8  can be on one or more of the other digit members  6 . In a preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , thumb member  6 ′ and the index or forefinger member  6 ″ each include sealable openings  8  with sealing closures  10 , but it is understood that any single digit member  6  or combinations of more than one digit member  6  can include sealable openings  8  and sealing closures  10  as described here. 
         [0028]    The sealable opening  8 , termed as it is expected to provide a reasonable barrier to the outside environment, can be formed in any suitable fashion. In forming the sealable opening  8  and sealing closure  10 , it is preferred that the two or more layers are tacked down around the periphery of the sealable opening  8  prior to or at the time of incorporating the corresponding sealing closures  10 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 5 , it is most preferred that all of the layers  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18  are tacked together, by stitching, heat sealing, adhesives or other permanent attachment  20  in the area of the sealable opening  8 . 
         [0029]    The sealing closures  10  can be any type, such as zippers, hook and fastener components such as Velcro, snaps, catches, hooks, clasps, magnets or the like that substantially seal the opening from the outside cold temperature environment, however, zippers extending the entire length of the sealable opening  8  are the preferred sealing closure  10 . Of course, the sealing closure  10  itself can join the layers of the glove  2 , if desired, but it is preferred that the sealable opening  8  be bounded by joined layers or suitable sealing closure  10 . 
         [0030]    Moreover, when a waterproof material is used for at least one layer of the glove  2 , as described above, the use of a waterproof zipper as the sealing closure  10  is most preferred to maximize the waterproof nature of the glove  2 . 
         [0031]    Variations, modifications and alterations to the preferred embodiment of the present invention described above will make themselves apparent to those skilled in the art. All such changes are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention, limited solely by the appended claims.

Technology Category: 1