Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02824146 2013-08-16
GLOVE FOR A HOCKEY OR LACROSSE PLAYER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a glove for a hockey or lacrosse player.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hockey and lacrosse players typically wear protective gloves during game play
in
.. order to prevent injuries to their hands. As such, much attention is given
to the
design and construction of the gloves in order to provide an appropriate level
of
protection and comfort.
In a traditional glove construction, the dorsal and finger portions comprise a
plurality
of distinct dorsal and finger protectors (padding elernAntR Am:Insect in
distinct
separate pockets) for protecting the player's hand and fingers, these
protectors being
separated by a plurality of gaps, spaces, grooves, channels or flexion zones.
The
dorsal and finger portions often include distinct separate protectors of
different
shapes which are stitched beside one another to protect the entirety of the
player's
.. hand. Each of the padding elements is contained within a respective
distinct separate
pocket. The dorsal and finger protectors are thus slightly spaced apart in
order to
provide flexibility to the dorsal and finger portions of the glove. By virtue
of the
plurality of distinct dorsal and finger protectors and plurality of flexion
zones, the
traditional glove therefore permits a level of flexibility while also
providing protection.
However, it is understood that providing a plurality of dorsal and finger
protectors
involves a plurality of components and manufacturing steps, because for each
protector, a pocket enclosing a padding element must be stitched to the
dorsal/finger
sheet. As such, there is a need in the industry for a hockey or lacrosse glove
which is
less costly to manufacture while still providing a suitable level of
protection and
flexion to the player's hand and fingers. Thus, it is a feature to produce
gloves that
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CA 02824146 2016-08-22
provide flexibility, comfort and protection and to produce gloves that reduce
design
and production costs, that are less complex in design, and that have fewer
components and/or require less manufacturing steps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a broad aspect, the invention provides a glove for
protecting a
hand of a hockey or lacrosse player, the player's hand having a wrist, a palm,
a
dorsal side, four fingers and a thumb, each finger extending from a proximal
to articulation to a distal end, the hockey or lacrosse glove comprising a
hand receiving
portion and a cuff for at least partially covering the wrist, the cuff
extending
longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end, the hand receiving portion
comprising: a palm sheet for covering the palm of the player's hand; a dorsal
sheet
for covering the dorsal side of the player's hand, the dorsal sheet extending
longitudinally from a proximal end located adjacent the distal end of the cuff
to a
distal end that is, in use, located generally above the proximal articulation
of each
finger; a thumb sheath for protecting the thumb of the player's hand; and four
finger
gussets for receiving the four fingers, each finger gusset having a distal end
for
covering the distal end of the finger; and at least one protector comprising
(i) a single
pocket mounted to one of the four finger gussets and extending longitudinally
from
generally above the distal end of the finger gusset to at least the distal end
of the
dorsal sheet and (ii) a padding element contained in the single pocket, the
single
pocket being detached from the padding element, the padding element defining
at
least one flexion zone such that, in use, flexing of the player's finger
imparts
movement of the padding element.
In accordance with another broad aspect, the invention provides a glove for
protecting a hand of a hockey or lacrosse player, the player's hand having a
wrist, a
palm, a dorsal side, four fingers and a thumb, each finger extending from a
proximal
articulation to a distal end, the hockey or lacrosse glove comprising a hand
receiving
portion and a cuff for at least partially covering the wrist, the cuff
extending
2
longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end, the hand receiving portion
comprising: a palm sheet for covering the palm of the player's hand; a dorsal
sheet
for covering the dorsal side of the player's hand, the dorsal sheet extending
longitudinally from a proximal end located adjacent the distal end of the cuff
to a
distal end that is, in use, located generally above the proximal articulation
of each
finger; a thumb sheath for protecting the thumb of the player's hand; four
finger
gussets for receiving the four fingers, each finger gusset having a distal end
for
covering the distal end of one of the four fingers; and at least one protector
comprising (i) a single pocket mounted to the dorsal sheet and one of the four
finger
gussets and extending longitudinally from a first end located at the proximal
or distal
end of the dorsal sheet or between the proximal and distal ends of the dorsal
sheet to
a second end located generally above the distal end of the finger gusset and
(ii) a
padding element contained in the single pocket, the padding element defining
at least
one flexion zone such that, in use, flexing of the player's hand or finger
imparts
movement of the padding element.
In accordance with a further broad aspect, the invention provides a glove for
protecting a hand of a hockey or lacrosse player, the player's hand having a
wrist, a
palm, a dorsal side, four fingers and a thumb, each finger extending from a
proximal
articulation to a distal end, the hockey or lacrosse glove comprising a hand
receiving
portion and a cuff for at least partially covering the wrist, the cuff
extending
longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end, the hand receiving portion
comprising: a palm sheet for covering the palm of the player's hand; a dorsal
sheet
for covering the dorsal side of the player's hand, the dorsal sheet extending
longitudinally from a proximal end located adjacent the distal end of the cuff
to a
distal end that is, in use, located generally above the proximal articulation
of each
finger; a thumb sheath for protecting the thumb of the player's hand; four
finger
gussets for receiving the four fingers, each finger gusset having a distal end
for
covering the distal end of one of the four fingers; and at least one protector
comprising (i) a single pocket mounted to the dorsal sheet and one of the four
finger
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gussets and extending longitudinally from a first end located adjacent the
proximal
end of the dorsal sheet to a second end located generally above the distal end
of the
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finger gusset and (ii) a padding element contained in the single pocket, the
padding
element defining at least one flexion zone such that, in use, flexing of the
player's
hand or finger imparts movement of the padding element.
In accordance with yet another broad aspect, the invention provides a glove
for
protecting a hand of a hockey or lacrosse player. The glove comprises a dorsal
sheet
for covering a dorsal side of a hand inserted into the glove; finger gussets
for
receiving fingers of the hand; and at least one protector. Each of the at
least one
protector comprises a single pocket extending from generally above an end of
one of
the finger gussets to the dorsal sheet and a padding element contained in the
single
pocket and detached from the single pocket. The padding element defines at
least
one flexion zone such that, in use, flexing of a finger inside the finger
gusset imparts
movement of the padding element.
In accordance with yet another broad aspect, the invention provides a glove
configured to protect a hand of a hockey or lacrosse player, the player's hand
having
a wrist, a palm, a dorsal side, four fingers and a thumb, each finger
extending from a
proximal articulation to a distal end, the hockey or lacrosse glove comprising
a hand
receiving portion and a cuff for at least partially covering the wrist, the
cuff extending
longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end. The hand receiving portion
comprising a palm sheet for covering the palm of the player's hand; a dorsal
sheet for
covering the dorsal side of the player's hand, the dorsal sheet extending
longitudinally from a proximal end located adjacent the distal end of the cuff
to a
distal end that is, in use, located above the proximal articulation of each
finger; a
thumb sheath for protecting the thumb of the player's hand; four finger
gussets for
receiving the four fingers, each finger gusset having a distal end for
covering the
distal end of the finger; and at least one protector comprising (i) a single
pocket
mounted to one of the four finger gussets and extending longitudinally from
above the
distal end of the finger gusset to at least the distal end of the dorsal
sheet; (ii) a
padding element contained in the single pocket, the padding element comprising
at
least one flexion zone such that, in use, flexing of the player's finger
imparts
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CA 2824146 2019-06-14
movement of the padding element, a material of the padding element being
continuous across the at least one flexion zone, and a thickness of said
material
within the at least one flexion zone being different from a thickness of said
material
outside the at least one flexion zone; and (iii) a gap defined between the
single
pocket overlapping the padding element and said padding element in the at
least one
flexion zone, such that a spacing between the single pocket and the padding
element
across the at least one flexion zone is greater than a spacing between the
single
pocket and the padding element outside the at least one flexion zone.
In accordance with yet another broad aspect, there is provided a hockey or
lacrosse
glove with a hand receiving portion that comprises a plurality of finger
gussets for
receiving fingers of a hand, each finger gusset extending along a length from
a
proximal end to a distal end; and at least one protector mounted to one of the
finger
gussets and comprising a pocket and a padding element contained within the
pocket,
the padding element being made of a flexible material, the flexible material
of the
padding element providing continuous padding along the length of the finger
gusset,
the padding element comprising at least one flexion zone where a thickness of
said
flexible material of the padding element is reduced to facilitate movement of
the
padding element in response to flexing of the player's finger, a thickness of
said
flexible material of the padding element within the at least one flexion zone
being
different from a thickness of said flexible material of the padding element
outside the
at least one flexion zone, and a distance between the pocket and the padding
element across the at least one flexion zone is greater than a distance
between the
pocket and the padding element outside the at least one flexion zone.
In accordance with yet another broad aspect, there is provided a hockey or
lacrosse
glove comprising a dorsal sheet for covering a dorsal side of a hand inserted
into the
glove; finger gussets for receiving fingers of the hand, each finger gusset
extending
along a length from a proximal end to a distal end; and at least one
protector. Each of
the at least one protector comprising a single pocket extending from above an
end of
one of the finger gussets to the dorsal sheet; and a padding element contained
in the
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single pocket, the padding element comprising at least one flexion zone such
that, in
use, flexing of a finger inside the finger gusset imparts movement of the
padding
element, a material of the padding element extends continuously along the
length of
the finger gusset, a thickness of said material within the at least one
flexion zone
being different from a thickness of said material outside the at least one
flexion zone,
such that the at least one flexion zone defines a gap between the padding
element
within the at least one flexion zone and a portion of the single pocket
overlying said at
least one flexion zone.
In accordance with another broad aspect, the invention provides a glove
configured
to protect a hand of a hockey or lacrosse player, the player's hand having a
wrist, a
palm, a dorsal side, four fingers and a thumb, each finger extending from a
proximal
articulation to a distal end, the hockey or lacrosse glove comprising a hand
receiving
portion and a cuff for at least partially covering the wrist, the cuff
extending
.. longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end. The hand receiving
portion
comprising a palm sheet for covering the palm of the player's hand; a dorsal
sheet for
covering the dorsal side of the player's hand, the dorsal sheet extending
longitudinally from a proximal end located adjacent the distal end of the cuff
to a
distal end that is, in use, located above the proximal articulation of each
finger; a
thumb sheath for protecting the thumb of the player's hand; four finger
gussets for
receiving the four fingers, each finger gusset having a distal end for
covering the
distal end of the finger; and at least one protector comprising (i) a single
pocket
mounted to one of the four finger gussets and extending longitudinally from
above the
distal end of the finger gusset to at least the distal end of the dorsal
sheet; (ii) a
padding element contained in the single pocket and capable of directly
contacting the
single pocket, the padding element comprising at least one flexion zone such
that, in
use, flexing of the player's finger imparts movement of the padding element, a
material of the padding element being continuous across the at least one
flexion
zone, and a thickness of said material within the at least one flexion zone
being
different from a thickness of said material outside the at least one flexion
zone; and
(iii) a gap defined between the single pocket overlapping the padding element
and
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said padding element in the at least one flexion zone, such that a spacing
between
the single pocket and the padding element across the at least one flexion zone
is
greater than a spacing between the single pocket and the padding element
outside
the at least one flexion zone.
In accordance with another broad aspect, there is provided a hockey or
lacrosse
glove with a hand receiving portion that comprises a plurality of finger
gussets for
receiving fingers of a hand, each finger gusset extending along a length from
a
proximal end to a distal end; and at least one protector mounted to one of the
finger
gussets and comprising a pocket and a padding element contained within the
pocket,
the padding element capable of directly contacting the pocket and the padding
element being made of a flexible material, the flexible material of the
padding
element providing continuous padding along the length of the finger gusset,
the
padding element comprising at least one flexion zone where a thickness of said
flexible material of the padding element is reduced to facilitate movement of
the
padding element in response to flexing of the player's finger, a thickness of
said
flexible material of the padding element within the at least one flexion zone
being
different from a thickness of said flexible material of the padding element
outside the
at least one flexion zone, and a distance between the pocket and the padding
element across the at least one flexion zone is greater than a distance
between the
pocket and the padding element outside the at least one flexion zone.
In accordance with another broad aspect, the invention provides a glove for
protecting a hand of a hockey or lacrosse player. The glove comprises a dorsal
sheet
for covering a dorsal side of a hand inserted into the glove; finger gussets
for
receiving fingers of the hand; and at least one protector. Each of the at
least one
protector comprises (i) a single pocket extending from above an end of one of
the
finger gussets to the dorsal sheet and (ii) a padding element contained in the
single
pocket and capable of directly contacting the single pocket. The padding
element
comprising at least one flexion zone such that, in use, flexing of a finger
inside the
finger gusset imparts movement of the padding element.
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In accordance with yet another broad aspect, there is provided a glove
configured to
protect a hand of a hockey or lacrosse player. The player's hand has a wrist,
a palm,
a dorsal side, four fingers and a thumb. Each finger extends from a proximal
articulation to a distal end. The hockey or lacrosse glove comprises a hand
receiving
portion and a cuff for at least partially covering the wrist. The cuff extends
longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end. The hand receiving portion
comprises (a) a palm sheet for covering the palm of the player's hand; (b) a
dorsal
sheet for covering the dorsal side of the player's hand, the dorsal sheet
extending
longitudinally from a proximal end located adjacent the distal end of the cuff
to a
distal end that is, in use, located above the proximal articulation of each
finger; (c) a
thumb sheath for protecting the thumb of the player's hand; (d) four finger
gussets for
receiving the four fingers, each finger gusset having a distal end for
covering the
distal end of the finger; and (e) at least one protector. Each of the at least
one
protector comprises (i) a single pocket mounted to one of the four finger
gussets and
extending longitudinally from generally above the distal end of the finger
gusset to the
proximal end of the dorsal sheet or to a location between the proximal and
distal
ends of the dorsal sheet at least the distal end of the dorsal sheet; (ii) a
padding
element contained in the single pocket and capable of directly contacting the
single
pocket, the padding element comprising at least one flexion zone such that, in
use,
flexing of the player's finger imparts movement of the padding element, a
material of
the padding element being continuous across the at least one flexion zone, and
a
thickness of said material within the at least one flexion zone being
different from a
thickness of said material outside the at least one flexion zone; and (iii) a
gap defined
between the single pocket overlapping the padding element and said padding
element in the at least one flexion zone, such that a spacing between the
single
pocket and the padding element across the at least one flexion zone is greater
than a
spacing between the single pocket and the padding element outside the at least
one
flexion zone.
In accordance with yet another broad aspect, there is provided a hockey or
lacrosse
glove with a hand receiving portion that comprises (a) a plurality of finger
gussets for
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,
receiving fingers of a hand, each finger gusset extending along a length from
a
proximal end to a distal end; and (b) at least one protector mounted to one of
the
finger gussets and comprising a pocket and a padding element contained within
the
pocket. The pocket extends longitudinally from generally above the distal end
of the
finger gusset to the proximal end of the dorsal sheet or to a location between
the
proximal and distal ends of the dorsal sheet. The padding element capable of
directly
contacting the pocket, the padding element being made of a flexible material.
The
flexible material of the padding element provides continuous padding along the
length
of the finger gusset, the padding element comprising at least one flexion zone
where
a thickness of said flexible material of the padding element is reduced to
facilitate
movement of the padding element in response to flexing of the player's finger,
a
thickness of said flexible material of the padding element within the at least
one
flexion zone being different from a thickness of said flexible material of the
padding
element outside the at least one flexion zone, and a distance between the
pocket and
the padding element across the at least one flexion zone is greater than a
distance
between the pocket and the padding element outside the at least one flexion
zone.
In accordance with yet another broad aspect, there is provided a hockey or
lacrosse
glove comprising (a) a dorsal sheet for covering a dorsal side of a hand
inserted into
the glove; (b) finger gussets for receiving fingers of the hand, each finger
gusset
extending along a length from a proximal end to a distal end; and (c) at least
one
protector. Each of the at least one protector comprises (i) a single pocket
extending
from above the distal end of the finger gusset to the proximal end of the
dorsal sheet
or to a location between the proximal and distal ends of the dorsal sheetan
end of
one of the finger gussets to the dorsal sheet; and (ii) a padding element
contained in
the single pocket and capable of directly contacting the single pocket. The
padding
element comprises at least one flexion zone such that, in use, flexing of a
finger
inside the finger gusset imparts movement of the padding element. A material
of the
padding element extends continuously along the length of the finger gusset, a
thickness of said material within the at least one flexion zone being
different from a
thickness of said material outside the at least one flexion zone, such that
the at least
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one flexion zone defines a gap between the padding element within the at least
one
flexion zone and a portion of the single pocket overlying said at least one
flexion
zone.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to
the
persons skilled in the art upon review of the following description of
embodiments of
the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is provided
herein
below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
Figure 1A is a top view of a human hand with the integument of the hand shown
in
broken lines and the bones shown in full lines;
Figure 1B is a bottom perspective view of a human hand;
Figure 1C is a top perspective view of the human hand of Figure 1B;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a prior art hockey or lacrosse glove;
Figure 3 is a side view of the prior art hockey or lacrosse glove of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a front view of the prior art hockey or lacrosse glove of Figure
2;
Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of Figure
3;
Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of Figure
2;
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Figure 7 is a perspective view of a hockey or lacrosse glove constructed in
accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;
Figure 8 is a top perspective view of the hockey or lacrosse glove of Figure
7;
Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along lines 9-9 of Figure
7;
Figure 10 is cross-sectional view taken along lines 10-10 of Figure 8;
Figure 11A is cross-sectional view taken along lines 11A-11A of Figure 8;
Figure 11B is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 11A, wherein the finger
is in a
contracted or flexed position;
Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 11A, wherein the finger
portion
further comprises covering layers over the overlays.
Figure 13 is an exploded schematic view of a lower sheet, upper sheet, finger
padding elements and dorsal padding element of the glove in accordance with
the
first embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 14 is a perspective view of a hockey or lacrosse glove constructed in
accordance with a second embodiment of the invention;
Figure 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along lines 15-15 of
Figure 14;
Figure 16 is an exploded schematic view of a lower sheet, upper sheet, finger
padding elements and dorsal padding element of the glove in accordance with
the
second embodiment of the present invention;
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CA 02824146 2013-08-16
Figure 17 is a perspective view of a hockey or lacrosse glove constructed in
accordance with a third embodiment of the invention;
Figure 18 is a top view of the hockey or lacrosse glove of Figure 17;
Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 19-19 of Figure 18; and
Figure 20 is an exploded schematic view of a lower sheet, upper sheet and
dorsal/finger padding elements of the glove in accordance with the third
embodiment
of the present invention.
In the drawings, the embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of
examples.
It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only
for the
purpose of illustration and are an aid for understanding. They are not
intended to be
a definition of the limits of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
To facilitate the description, any reference numerals designating an element
in one
figure will designate the same element if used in any other figures. In
describing the
embodiments, specific terminology is resorted to for the sake of clarity but
the
invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and
it is
understood that each specific term comprises all equivalents.
Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be read together with
the
specification, and are to be considered a portion of the entire written
description of
this invention. As used in the following description, the terms "horizontal",
"vertical",
"left", "right", "up", "down" and the like, as well as adjectival and
adverbial derivatives
thereof (e.g., "horizontally", "rightwardly", "upwardly", "radially", etc.),
simply refer to
the orientation of the illustrated structure. Similarly, the terms "inwardly,"
"outwardly"
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CA 02824146 2013-08-16
and "radially" generally refer to the orientation of a surface relative to its
axis of
elongation, or axis of rotation, as appropriate.
As shown in Figures 1A, 16 and 1C, a human hand comprises a wrist WR, a palm
P,
a dorsal side D, four fingers (index finger F1, middle finger F2, ring finger
F3 and little
finger F4) and a thumb T. The wrist WR has a proximal edge WA and a distal
edge
WB.
Each finger has a palm surface PS, a dorsal surface DS, a lateral surface LS,
a
medial surface MS, a metacarpal M, a proximal articulation PA, a proximal
phalanx
PP, a middle articulation MA, a 'middle phalanx MP, a distal articulation DA
and a
distal phalanx DP.
The metacarpals M of the human hand define a metacarpal region MR having a
medial edge ME, a lateral edge LE, a proximal edge PE and a distal edge DE.
The
thumb T also has a palm surface PS and a dorsal surface DS.
As best seen in Figures 1A and 10, the dorsal side D of the hand may be
generally
seen as a trapezoid having a length LD from the distal edge WB of the wrist WR
(or
the proximal edge PE of the metacarpal region MR of the hand) to the proximal
articulations PA of each finger (or the distal edge DE of the metacarpal
region MR of
the hand) and a width WD from the lateral edge of the dorsal side D (i.e. the
lateral
edge LE of the metacarpal region MR) to the medial edge of the dorsal side D
(i.e.
the medial edge ME of the metacarpal region MR) (see the trapezoid shown in
broken lines).
Figures 2 to 4 illustrate a prior art hockey or lacrosse glove 10 for
receiving the hand
of a player. The glove 10 has a hand receiving portion 11 that comprises a
lower
sheet 12 for facing the palm of the hand and an upper sheet 13 for covering
the
dorsal side of the hand. Each of the lower and upper sheets 12, 13 may
comprise
palm and dorsal sheets connected to or integrated with respective palm and
dorsal
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CA 02824146 2013-08-16
=
finger sheets. The glove 10 also comprises a thumb sheath 14 for covering the
thumb
and a cuff 15 for covering the player's wrist and lower forearm.
The hand receiving portion 11 also has finger sheaths 16 for protecting the
player's
fingers. Each finger sheath 16 includes a gusset 17 for receiving the finger
and finger
protectors 34 for protecting the finger.
As best shown in Figures 5 and 6, the respective lower and upper sheets 12, 13
are
connected to each other via a side finger web 18 to create the finger gussets
17. The
finger gusset 17 is made of portions of the side finger web 18, a portion of
the lower
sheet 12 and a portion of the upper sheet 13.
Each of the finger sheaths 16 includes first and second pockets 28 with first
and
second padding elements 30 received in the respective pockets 28. The pockets
28
is are fnrmeri by stitching a layer nf material tn the finger gusset 17
(see. stitches 32) It
is understood that the stitches 32 at least partially surround each pocket 28
for
closing the pocket 28 and holding the pocket 28 and padding element 30 in
place on
the finger gusset 17. The pocket 28 is directly mounted on the finger gusset
17 and
the upper layer of the finger gusset 17 serves as a base layer for the pocket
28. In
other words, the pocket 28 and finger gusset 17 share a common layer, namely,
the
upper layer of the finger gusset 17.
The pockets 28 and padding elements 30 on each finger sheath 16 therefore
define
first and second distinct finger protectors 34 and the glove has gaps, spaces,
grooves
or channels 36, which act as flexion zones that allow flexion of the dorsal
region of
the finger sheath 16 when the player's finger flexes.
The prior art glove 10 further includes a plurality of dorsal protectors 20
which
cooperatively cover the dorsal region of the glove and which generally overly
the
dorsal side of the player's hand. Each of the dorsal protectors 20 includes a
pocket
and a padding element. The pockets are formed by stitching a layer of material
to the
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CA 02824146 2013-08-16
upper sheet 13. The upper sheet 13 therefore acts as a base layer on which
pockets
are attached. It is understood that stitches at least partially surround the
padding
elements to hold the pocket and padding element in place on the upper sheet
13.
In the prior art glove 10, the dorsal protectors 20 are spaced such as to
provide a
level of flexibility in both a longitudinal and a lateral direction of the
glove 10. The
dorsal protectors 20 are thus separated by gaps, spaces, grooves or channels
19
which act as flexion zones that allow flexion of the dorsal region of the
glove 10 when
the player's hand flexes. For example, as seen in Figure 2, the dorsal region
of the
glove may have two longitudinal flexion zones 19 and two transversal flexion
zones
19 for adding flexibility to the dorsal region and allowing some degree of
flexion of the
player's hand.
The prior art glove 10 may also include first and second spacers 38 positioned
between the dorsal protectors 20 and first finger protector 34 and between
first and
second finger protectors 34 and occupying the flexion zones 36 for providing
further
protection to the player's finger articulations.
Hence, the prior art glove 10 has nine distinct dorsal protectors 20 separated
by four
gaps, spaces, grooves, channels or flexion zones 19 and two distinct finger
protectors 34 with two flexion zones 36 for each finger sheath 16.
As it is well known in the art, the flexibility of the prior art gloves is
largely dependent
on the presence of these gaps, spaces, grooves, channels or flexion zones
between
the distinct dorsal and finger protectors and a prior art glove thus generally
comprises
at least three distinct dorsal protectors separated by two flexion zones and
two
distinct finger protectors with two flexion zones for each finger sheath.
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a hockey or lacrosse glove 100 constructed in
accordance
with a first embodiment of the invention.
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CA 02824146 2013-08-16
The glove 100 has a hand receiving portion 102 for covering the palm and
dorsal side
of the hand and extending generally to the end of the fingers and a thumb
sheath for
covering the thumb. The glove 100 further comprises a cuff 103, which extends
along
a sufficient length for protecting the player's wrist and lower forearm of the
player.
The cuff 103 is secured to the hand covering portion 102 and has a proximal
cuff
edge 103A and a distal cuff edge 103B.
The hand receiving portion 102 may also have side pads located on the index
finger
gusset and extending generally from the base of the index finger gusset to
approximately the distal end of the index finger gusset for protecting the
side portion
of the index finger.
The hand covering portion 102 further comprises four finger gussets 104
adapted to
enclose the index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger of the
player and
palm And rinrsal sheets 106, 108 connected to or integrated with a plurality
of palm
and dorsal finger sheets 107, 109 respectively.
As best shown in Figure 13, the palm and dorsal sheets 106, 108 are formed
integral
with their respective palm and dorsal finger sheets 107, 109 for defining
lower and
upper sheets 110, 112 for facing the palmar and dorsal regions of the player's
hand
of fingers and such lower and upper sheets 110, 112 may also have integrated
proximal extensions 111, 113 for facing the lower and upper sides of the
players'
wrist and lower forearm. In other embodiments, the palm and dorsal sheets may
be
separate from (and attached to) the palm and dorsal finger sheets. The palm
and
dorsal sheets 106, 108 are adapted to overly the metacarpal region MR of the
player's hand. As such, each of the palm and dorsal sheets 106, 108
respectively
define proximal ends 106A, 108A, distal ends 106B, 108B, medial ends 106C,
108C
and lateral ends 1060, 108D. In addition, each of the palm finger sheets and
dorsal
finger sheets 107, 109 also define respective proximal ends 107A, 109A and
distal
ends 107B, 109B.
CA 02824146 2013-08-16
. .
As best shown in Figure 9, the respective palm and dorsal finger sheets 107,
109 are
connected to each other via a side finger web 105 to create the finger gussets
104.
The lower and upper sheets 110, 112 may be made of a suitable flexible
material
such as soft leather, leather-like materials, synthetic suede, or Nash fabric.
An
example of a suitable material is commercialized under the name CLARINOTM. The
lower and upper sheets 110, 112 may also be treated with silicone to improve
stick
control and may further be reinforced with a protective layer.
The hand receiving portion 102 also comprises a dorsal protector 114 for
protecting
the dorsal side of the player's hand. The dorsal protector 114 extends from a
proximal dorsal end 114A to a distal dorsal end 114B. The dorsal protector 114
may
comprise a single pocket mounted to the dorsal sheet 108 and occupying the
entire
dorsal sheet 108 and a padding element 115 contained in the single pocket. As
best
seen in Figure 13, the padding element 115 may comprise four transversal
flexion
zones and three longitudinal flexion zones such that, in use, flexing of the
player's
hand imparts movement of the padding element 115 of the dorsal protector 114.
The hand receiving portion 102 also comprises four protectors 116 mounted on
the
four finger gussets 104 for respectively protecting the dorsal surfaces of the
index
finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger. Each of the protectors
116 defines a
first end 116A and a second end 116B. The first end 116A of each protector 116
is
positioned proximate the distal end 108B of the dorsal sheet 108 (i.e. near
the distal
dorsal end 114B of the dorsal protector 114) and the second end 116B of each
protector 116 is positioned proximate a distal end 104D of the finger gusset
104 (i.e.
near the distal ends 107B, 109B of the lower and upper sheets 107, 109).
Each of the protectors 116 comprises a single pocket 118 mounted to the finger
gusset 104 and extending longitudinally from the first end 116A proximate the
distal
end 108B of the dorsal sheet 108 to the second end 11613 located generally
above
the distal end 104D of the finger gusset 104 and a padding element 120
contained in
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CA 02824146 2013-08-16
the single pocket 118. The padding element 120 defines at least one flexion
zone
122 such that, in use, flexing of the player's finger imparts movement of the
padding
element 120. The single pocket 118 is formed by stitching a layer of material
to the
dorsal finger sheet 109 of the finger gusset 104 (see stitches 132). It is
understood
that the stitches 132 at least partially surround the single pocket 118 for
closing the
single pocket 118 and holding the single pocket 118 and padding element 120 in
place on the finger gusset 104.
As shown in Figures 7 and 8, generally adjacent the distal dorsal end 114B,
the glove
100 may comprise a proximal articulation spacer 117 which is positioned within
a
flexion zone 119. The proximal articulation spacer 117 may overlap each of the
proximal articulations of the player's hand.
The arrangement described above eliminates the need to provide two or three
distinct finger protectors with two or three flexion zones for each finger
sheath and
thus reduce design and production costs by providing fewer components and less
manufacturing steps.
With reference to Figure 10, a cross-sectional view of the protector 116 of
the index
finger is shown where the index finger is protected by the padding element 120
enclosed in the single pocket 118 that is mounted to the finger gusset 104.
The
padding element 120 may have three flexion zones 122 i.e. a first flexion zone
for
generally overlapping the middle articulation MA of the finger, a second
flexion zone
for generally overlapping the distal articulation DA of the finger and a third
flexion
zone that may generally overlap the middle region of the proximal phalanx PP.
The flexion zones 122 may generally define a "V-shape" or "U-shape" wherein
the tip
of the "V-shape" or "U-shape" is located near a middle or lower portion of the
padding
element 120. However, other embodiments can be envisioned wherein the flexion
zone 122 has a different shape. While the padding element 120 has three
flexion
zones 122 positioned substantially equidistant from one another, other
embodiments
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CA 02824146 2013-08-16
can readily be envisioned wherein the padding element includes any other
number of
flexion zones in any desired arrangement. For example, the padding element may
include two flexion zones only, i.e. first and second flexion zones for
generally
overlying the middle and distal articulations MA, DA of the player's finger.
It will
become apparent to a person skilled in the art that a variety of arrangements
of
flexion zones 122 may be implemented.
With reference to Figure 11A, a cross-sectional view of the finger protector
116 of the
middle finger is shown. Similar to the arrangement of the index finger
discussed
above, the middle finger is protected by the padding element 120 enclosed in
the
single pocket 118 that is mounted to the finger gusset 104. The protector 116
of the
middle finger differs from the other protectors 116 in that a plurality of
overlay
elements 150 are positioned along the length of the corresponding single
pocket 118.
More specifically, in the embodiment shown, the protector 116 includes four
overlay
elements 150 which have a generally rectangular geometry and a thickness of
approximately 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm. The overlay elements 150 can be made of any
material which may provide an additional level of protection to the player's
finger. For
example, the overlay elements 150 can be made of plastic such as polyvinyl
chloride
(PVC) or polyethylene terephtalate (PET). Furthermore, the overlay elements
150
can be attached to the upper surface or layer of the single pocket 118 via any
appropriate means such as by fusing the plastic to the fabric, sewing, via an
adhesive, etc. The overlay elements 150 can be reinforcement elements or
merely
decorative elements. It is understood that other overlays elements may be
mounted
to the upper surfaces or layers of the single pockets 118 of the protectors
116 for the
index, ring and little fingers.
One or more of the overlay elements 150 may positioned along the single pocket
118
to generally overlap one or more of the flexion zones 122 of the padding
element
120. As such, if the player's finger is contracted or flexed, as shown in
Figure 11B,
the fabric of the single pocket 118 may stretch while the overlay elements 150
would
still overly the flexion zones 122 of the padding element 120. Thus, the
overlay
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CA 02824146 2013-08-16
elements 150 may offer further protection in the region of the flexion zones
122.
While the overlay elements 150 are shown as having a rectangular geometry,
other
patterns and shapes can be considered.
As seen inn Figures 7 and 8, the glove 100 may also comprise overlay elements
160
mounted, affixed, molded, stitched or glued on an upper surface or layer of
the single
pocket of the dorsal protector 114.
Thus, the overlay elements 150, 160 can provide an inexpensive option to
enhance
-- the level of protection provided by the glove 100. Furthermore, the overlay
elements
150, 160 can also give the glove 100 a decorative and more detailed visual
appearance, thereby mimicking the appearance of a glove having a plurality of
different and distinct dorsal and finger protectors separated by a plurality
of gaps,
spaces, grooves, channels or flexion zones. It is understood that the overlay
elements 150, 160 may be primarily aesthetic while providing little additional
protection.
In the protector 116 shown in Figure 12, the overlay elements 150 are
contained
between the single pocket 118 and a covering layer 152 that is attached to the
upper
surface or layer of the pocket 118 and/or to the overlay element 150. The
overlay
elements 150 may be attached to either of the single pocket 118 and covering
layer
152. Alternatively, the overlay elements 150 can simply lie between the single
pocket
118 and covering layer 152.
Figure 14 shows a hockey or lacrosse glove 200 in accordance with a second
embodiment of the invention (it is noted that elements of glove 200 which are
similar
to those of glove 100 are designated by similar reference numerals in the 200
series).
The hand receiving portion 202 comprises a dorsal protector 214 for protecting
the
dorsal side of the player's hand. The dorsal protector 214 extends from a
proximal
dorsal end 214A to a distal dorsal end 214B. The dorsal protector 214 may
comprise
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CA 02824146 2013-08-16
a single pocket mounted to the dorsal sheet 208 and occupying a proximal
portion of
the dorsal sheet 208 and a padding element 215 contained in the single pocket.
The hand receiving portion 202 also has four protectors 216 that each extends
beyond the respective proximal articulations PA of the player's hand. More
specifically, each of the protectors 216 has a single pocket 218 mounted to
the dorsal
sheet 208 and finger gusset 204 and extending longitudinally from a first end
216A
located between the proximal and distal ends 208A, 208B of the dorsal sheet
208 to
a second end 216B located generally above the distal end 204D of the finger
gusset
204 and a padding element 220 contained in the single pocket 218, the padding
element 220 defining at least one flexion zone 222 such that, in use, flexing
of the
player's hand or finger imparts movement of the padding element 220_ As best
seen
in Figure 15, the padding element 220 may have a first flexion zone for
generally
overlapping the middle articulation MA of the finger, a second flexion zone
for
generally overlapping the distal articulation DA of the finger, a third
flexion zone that
may generally overlap the middle region of the proximal phalanx PP, and a
fourth
flexion zone for generally overlapping the proximal articulation PA of the
finger. The
protector 216 may also have four overlay elements 250 for overlying the four
flexion
zones 222.
As best seen in Figure 16, the padding element 215 is shorter than the padding
element 115 because each of the four protectors 216 extends beyond the
respective
proximal articulations PA of the player's hand. As such, the dorsal protector
214 may
extend from the distal cuff end 203B and occupy three-quarter or half of the
maximal
length L of the dorsal sheet 208. Because it is shorter, the padding element
215 may
only comprise two transversal flexion zones instead of the four transversal
longitudinal flexion zones provided in the padding element 115.
As shown in Figure 14, generally adjacent the distal dorsal end 214B, the
glove 200
may comprise a spacer 217 which is positioned within a flexion zone 219.
CA 02824146 2013-08-16
With reference to Figures 17 and 18, a hockey or lacrosse glove 300 in
accordance
with a third embodiment of the invention is shown. The glove 300 has side pads
301
for protecting the side portion of a player's index finger, a hand receiving
portion 302
and a cuff 303. The cuff 303 defines a proximal cuff end 303A and a distal
cuff end
303B. The hand receiving portion 302 has four protectors 316, each finger
protector
316 comprising a single pocket 318 mounted to the dorsal sheet 308 and finger
gusset 304 and extending longitudinally from a first end 316 located adjacent
the
proximal end 308A of the dorsal sheet 308 (or adjacent the distal cuff end
303B) to a
second end 316B located generally above the distal end 304D of the finger
gusset
304 and a padding element 320 contained in the single pocket 318, the padding
element 320 defining at least one flexion zone 322 such that, in use, flexing
of the
player's hand or finger imparts movement of the padding element 320. The four
padding elements 320, upper sheet 312 with its extension 313 and dorsal/finger
sheets 308, 309 and lower sheet 310 with its extension 311 and palm/finger
sheets
306, 307 are shown in Figure 20.
As best seen in Figure 19, the padding element 320 may have a first flexion
zone for
generally overlapping the middle articulation MA of the finger, a second
flexion zone
for generally overlapping the distal articulation DA of the finger, a third
flexion zone
that may generally overlap the middle region of the proximal phalanx PP, a
fourth
flexion zone for generally overlapping the proximal articulation PA of the
finger, and
fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth flexion zones for overlapping the dorsal side
D of the
player's hand. Inserts 324 may be provided in one or more of the flexion zones
322.
As best seen in Figure 18, the hand receiving portion 302 may also comprise
thee
longitudinal protectors 326 affixed to the dorsal sheet 308 and each located
between
two protectors 316.
As such, if provided for each finger, the protectors 316 respectively protect
the
entirety of the fingers while also collectively protecting the dorsal side of
the player's
hand. This therefore eliminates the need to manufacture a separate dorsal
protector
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CA 02824146 2013-08-16
as dorsal protectors 114, 214 or dorsal protectors constructed according to
any other
arrangement known in the art. Furthermore, as discussed above in relation to
the
gloves of the first and second embodiments, either of the single pockets 318
may
have a pattern of decorative elements.
While the embodiments described above discuss specific arrangements, different
arrangements can be envisioned for a particular glove. For example, some
gloves
may have padding elements with flexion zones implemented on more than one
padding element. Other gloves may implement padding elements without flexion
zones for all of the fingers. In addition, decorative or reinforcement
elements can be
attached to any or none of the single pockets as desired. In addition, while
the
padding elements have been shown as unitary elements within a respective
single
pocket, it can be understood that multiple padding elements can be positioned
within
the single pocket.
In yet other embodiments, selected ones of the finger padding regions could be
constructed according to the embodiments of the present invention. For
example,
only the finger padding region which covers the index finger can include a
padding
element housed in a single pocket, while the finger padding regions of the
other
fingers may be constructed according to any other arrangement known in the
art.
Other embodiments can be envisioned wherein only two or three of the finger
padding regions are constructed according to the embodiments of the present
invention.
Any feature of any embodiment discussed herein may be combined with any
feature
of any other embodiment discussed herein in some examples of implementation.
Various embodiments and examples have been presented for the purpose of
describing, but not limiting, the invention. Various modifications and
enhancements
will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and are within the
scope of
the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.
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