Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1545-041A
UTILITY GLOVE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of utility gloves, for work,
gardening
and the like and, more particularly, to utility gloves for work, gardening and
the like
having elastomeric reinforcements for improved protection of the wearers'
hands.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Utility gloves are used in areas such as gardening, construction or general
work at a job site, production or garden facility or around one's home. These
gloves
usually contain a gripping portion that prevents items from slipping out of
the user's
hand, prevent injury to the user's skin such as cuts, scrapes and blisters,
and provide a
better grip when turning or grabbing objects. The gripping portion of the
glove is
usually applied to a knit nylon glove by dipping the nylon glove into an
elastomeric
material, such as natural or synthetic rubber, to apply an elastomeric
gripping surface
to the glove. This process increases the density of the glove and maintains a
fabric
portion which tends to absorb moisture and dirt and is hard to clean.
The purpose of the present invention is to create a utility glove with a
seamless
reinforcement in one or more zones most subject to abrasion. In addition to
minimizing the seams, additional material or padding is provided in areas most
subject to abrasion and/or impact, and this padding is preferably included
without
seams as well. In this regard, depending on the end usage envisioned, it is
possible to
adjust the amount of elastomeric material, including a natural or synthetic
rubber,
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used in strategic areas to protect against impact and abrasion. Ultimately,
the use of
such padding provides the end user with a longer lasting, more comfortable
glove.
Additionally, the present invention includes the ability to provide different
textures in
the elastomeric material at strategic areas, to further provide one or more
enhanced
gripping surfaces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention is to create a utility glove that
is an
improvement over typical dipped nylon knit utility gloves.
Another object of the invention is to provide additional durability and an
ability to have varying palm thicknesses without having to increase the
density of the
knit utility glove.
A further object of the invention is to remove the reliance on fabric
absorption
of the elastomeric material to create density.
A still further object of the invention is to provide utility gloves with
strategically placed padding and/or abrasion resistance zones as well as
enhanced grip
zones.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide palm construction
including
an elastomeric material optionally without a knit backing, which typically
absorbs
excessive amounts of moisture and dirt. This allows for easier cleaning of the
glove
by simply being able to clean it off with a damp cloth as opposed to being
laundered.
Another object of the invention is to create the maximum protection against
abrasion in what typically are areas that require reinforcement, i.e., the
index finger
and thumb, as well as possibly the area between the index finger and thumb and
the
area directly below the base and crotch of each finger.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide abrasion and impact
protection by raising the elastomeric material in the areas that are most
likely to be
subject to abrasion and impact, namely, the base of the thumb and the area of
the palm
directly below the fingers.
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Another object of the invention is to create a molded component that can be
altered to have varying elastomeric materials in different areas to provide
for
improved characteristics of the glove, and most particularly grip and
flexibility. For
example, softer elastomeric materials can be used for flexibility in areas
less prone to
wear and stronger, textured elastomeric materials can be used on in areas
related to
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will, in part, be obvious
and
will, in part, be apparent from the specification.
These and other objects are obtained through the utility glove of the present
invention having a palm side including a three dimensional molded palm portion
formed of an elastomeric material with a thumb portion and at least one finger
portion
and a back side of the glove comprising a fabric material. The molded palm
portion
may have one or more of thickened areas for abrasion resistance, padded areas
for
comfort, flex grooves for improved movement and textured grip areas for
improved
grip. The molded palm portion may be formed of different elastomeric materials
to
take advantage of the different characteristics of the particular materials.
It is also contemplated that the back side of the glove also includes a molded
portion, such as to form a guard over the users knuckles or back of the hand
that may
be vulnerable to injury in some types of work.
A molded portion of a utility glove may be formed by placing a piece of heat
resistant fabric against a mold part formed in the shape of at least a portion
of a hand,
bringing a corresponding mold part into molding relation with the mold part in
the
shape of at least a portion of the hand and injecting an elastomeric material
into the
mold to form the molded palm portion.
It is anticipated that the mold part in the shape of at least a portion of the
hand
is formed in different sizes relative to the glove sizes of the potential
users and the
corresponding mold part includes one or more of one or more textured areas,
one or
more thickened areas, one or more padded areas and one or more flex grooves.
Preferably, the heat resistant is a knit hydrophilic material to improve
absorbance of
the elastomeric material.
3a
In a broad aspect, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a
utility glove comprising a three dimensional molded portion comprising the
steps of:
(a) placing a fabric material glove blank having a thumb and four fingers over
a first
mold part in the form of at least a portion of a hand; (b) bringing a second
mold part
into molding engagement with the first mold part to create a mold cavity with
the
Wove blank on the first mold part, said mold cavity extending over a portion
of the
circumference of at least the thumb and at least one finger along at least a
portion of
the length of the thumb and along at least a portion of the length of the at
least one
finger; and (c) injecting an elastomeric material into the cavity to form the
molded
portion, said molded portion comprising elastomeric material bonded to the
fabric
material in a three dimensional configuration substantially conforming to
three
dimensional contours of at least a portion of a hand exclusive of any
variations in
thickness or features on the surface of the molded portion.
In another broad aspect, the present invention provides a method of
manufacturing a utility glove utility having a thumb and four fingers, said
glove
comprising a three dimensional molded portion comprising the steps of: (a)
placing a
fabric material glove blank having a thumb and four fingers over a first mold
part in
the form of at least a portion of a hand; (b) bringing at least a second mold
part into
molding engagement with the first mold part to create a mold cavity with the
glove
blank on the first mold part; and (c) injecting an elastomeric material into
the cavity to
form the molded portion, wherein the elastomeric material is injected on the
side of
the fabric material opposite the first mold part, said molded portion
comprising an
elastomeric material bonded to the fabric material in a three dimensional
configuration
substantially conforming to three dimensional contours of at least a portion
of a hand
exclusive of any variations in thickness or features on the surface of the
molded
portion, and comprising greater than 50% of the circumference of each of the
fingers
along the length of each finger while leaving an area of fabric without
elastomeric
material on each finger.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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.
FIGURE 1 shows a front view, palm side, of a utility glove according to the
invention;
FIGURE 2 shows a back view of the glove of Figure 1;
FIGURE 3 shows the back of the palm side gripping portion of the glove of
Figure 1;
FIGURE 4 shows the palm side of the palm gripping portion of the glove of
Figure 1 with embossed grip details;
FIGURE 5 shows the inside of the palm gripping portion of the gardening
glove embodiment;
FIGURE 6 shows the palm side of the gardening glove with the gripping
portions of Figure 5;
FIGURE 7 shows the back side of the glove of Figure 6; and
FIGURE 8 shows the palm side of the palm gripping portion of Figure 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Figure 1 shows the palm side of a utility glove 2 with a molded palm portion
4. The molded palm portion 4 of the glove 2 preferably has embossed gripping
details
6, as shown in Figure 6, debossed flex grooves 8, shown in Figure 4 and raised
textured grip areas 10, shown in Figures 4 and 6. In this regard, the molded
palm
portion 4 of the embodiment of Figure 1 preferably includes raised textured
grip areas
10 shown as a raised or thicker textured index finger tip and thumb tip for
better
gripping and reinforcement. The palm side of the utility glove 2 shown in
Figure 1
5
also includes a fabric material 12 in the area beyond the molded palm portion
4,
although such a fabric material 12 is not required as an element of the palm
side of the
present invention.
Figure 2 shows the back side of the glove 2 including a fabric material 12 and
having, preferably, molded areas 14 applied with raised perforated protective
shapes.
Of course, any molded portion can be formed on the back side of the glove 2,
including a molded portion that covers the knuckles where the fingers join the
back of
the hand or the back of the hand itself. The fabric material 12 on the back
side is
preferably formed with the fabric material 12 on the palm side of the glove or
is sewn
to the palm side of the glove 2, either to the molded palm portion 4 or the
fabric
material 12 of the palm side, as a matter of design choice. There is
preferably also a
closure element, shown as a molded wrist strap 16, provided to afford a better
fit and
help keep the glove 2 securely on the user's hand while in use.
The molded palm portion 4 of the glove 2, or any molded portion of the glove,
is preferably manufactured by using heat resistant knit hydrophilic fabric
that can
withstand heat of approximately 400 degrees Fahrenheit with a mold that
comprises a
first mold part in the shape of at least a portion of a hand and a second
corresponding
mold part. The heat resistant fabric is preferably a glove blank or a piece of
fabric that
can be cut in the shape of the outlined elastomeric material mold that forms
the
molded palm portion 4 of the glove 2, as shown in Figures 3-4 and/or Figures 5
and 8,
illustrating an alternative embodiment of the molded palm portion 4 preferred
for a
gardening glove embodiment. The knit hydrophilic heat resistant fabric piece
or glove
blank is placed against the first mold part in the shape of at least a portion
of the hand
and the corresponding second mold part is brought into molding relation to
create a
mold cavity between the first and second mold parts. Once complete, the molder
proceeds to inject the elastomeric material into the mold cavity. The
elastomeric
material bonds to the knit hydrophilic fabric to form the molded portion.
For the three dimensional potion of the mold, namely the thumb and index
finger in the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4 and each of the fingers in the
embodiment of Figures 5 and 8, a stay can be inserted that ensures the
fingers,
including the index finger and thumb, keep their shape, however, the part is
preferably
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formed by the corresponding first and second mold parts. In either event, the
molded
elastomeric material is intended to adhere to all areas of the fabric,
including the cap
for covering the entire tip of the thumb and index finger or fingers, as well
as the
majority of the circumference of the thumb and fingers to be covered, that is
at least
50% of the circumference of the user's thumb and fingers, as desired.
Optionally, a thin lining material can be inserted into the flat side of the
mold
prior to shooting the elastomeric material so that whatever portion of the
mold that
would be in contact with the palm, thumb and fingers of the user would be
lined.
Fabric could then be stitched onto the contour of each finger and
reinforcement area of
the glove 2, if desired.
The final bonded component forming the molded palm portion 4 is then
attached to the balance of the glove 2. Preferably, the fabric that is visible
on the back
of the molded fingers, including the back of the thumb and the back of the
index
finger in Figures 1-4 and all fingers in Figures 5-8, is not stitched, but is
bonded to the
elastomeric material in the molding process.
In the embodiment of Figures 1-4, the molded palm portion 4 is molded about
the tip of the thumb and index finger, to form a cap over the tip of the thumb
and
index finger, and across the palm in the area below the fingers, including up
onto a
lower portion of the fingers adjacent the fourchettes for the purposes of
creating as
much of a waterproof construction as possible. The mold would also rise in
between
the index finger and the thumb for enhanced grip to enable the user to grip
trowels,
rakes, etc. more effectively. Flex grooves 8 are preferably placed in the
areas of at
least some of the joints of the hand on the molded palm portion 4, including
in the
palm area and at the fingers to provide improved flexibility. Raised portions
10, for
abrasion resistance or padding, are included at the tips of the thumb and
index finger
for improved abrasion resistance.
With respect to the elastomeric materials used in the formation of the molded
palm portion 4, different compositions of elastomeric material can be used in
the
formation of the molded palm portion 4 or parts thereof. For example, an
elastomeric
material that is less slippery when wet may be used along the area between the
thumb
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and index finger, allowing the glove to be more versatile in wet conditions.
Moreover, if abrasion resistance is of particular importance in an area of the
molded
palm portion, a denser material can be used in that area. Similarly, where
impact
resistance is of particular importance in an area, such as a padded area, a
less dense
elastomeric material may be preferred there. The proper applications of such
variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art.
In another embodiment as shown in Figures 5-8, molded palm portion 4
preferably covers the entire palm side and the majority of the sides of all
fingers, i.e.,
at least 50% of the circumference of the fingers, which is desirable for
gardening
gloves. The molded palm portion 4 preferably contains embossed gripping
details 6,
such as textured loops, to increase gripping and enhance the protection of the
user.
The back portion of the glove 2 preferably includes a closure element, shown
in the
form of a stretchable material 18 rather than a wrist strap 16, to provide a
tight and
comfortable fit while permitting easy insertion and removal of the wearer's
hand.
Of course, the molded palm portion 4 of the glove 2 of Figures 5-8 is also
amenable to molding with any variety of different patterns shapes and designs,
including padded or raised portions 10, flex grooves 8 or textured areas 6.
The
benefits of these features would similarly be the cosmetic value,
waterproofing, which
may be important for some uses such as gardening, as well as providing padding
in
critical impact areas, and additional grip and or abrasion resistance in
critical areas of
the glove.
Moreover, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the glove 2 of the
present invention can be designed with different combinations of the
components
described above. For example, the glove 2 of Figures 1-2 could be fashioned
with a
stretchable material 18 rather than a wrist strap 16, or could include a
molded palm
portion 4 that covers the front and sides of all of the fingers. Additionally,
although
the only embodiments shown include a molded palm portion over only the index
finger and thumb or all fingers and thumb, it is understood that the front and
sides of
any number of fingers can be covered.
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It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made
apparent in the
preceding description, are, sufficiently obtained and, it is intended that all
matter contained in
the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be
interpreted as
illustrative, and not in a liming sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover
all of the
generic and specific features of the invention, herein described and all
statements of the scope
of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall
therebetween.
