Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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IMPACT ATTENUATING GLOVE CONSTRUCTION
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application
No. 62/676,571, filed May 25, 2018, the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by
reference
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to protective gloves. More
particularly, the
present disclosure relates to protective gloves structured to attenuate
impacts in accordance with
standards employed in the field.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Gloves provide protection during various activities. General-purpose
protective
gloves account for the largest market share of all personal protective
equipment (PPE) sold and
these gloves are designed to protect the hands of wearers against various
hazards while providing
the desired level of dexterity to perform the activities for which general-
purpose protective
gloves are used.
[0004] Standards exist to guide the purchase of gloves. The standards
inform a consumer of
the characteristics of the gloves so that the consumer can select appropriate
gloves for any
particular application. One such standard is EN 388, which is designed to
increase the likelihood
that the gloves, while being comfortable to wear, also reduce the likelihood
of harm to the
wearer. Another such standard is ANSI/ISEA 138-2019, which is designed to
establish testing,
classification and labeling requirements that offer back-of-the-hand impact
protection, wherein
compliant gloves are evaluated for their capability to dissipate impact forces
on the knuckles and
fingers.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] When it comes to work gloves for mechanical risks and industrial
applications, EN
388: 2016 measures the ability of the glove to protect working hands against
abrasions,
lacerations, tearing, punctures, and impact injuries. Each test set forth in
EN 388: 2016 produces
a performance rating based on progressive protection levels. The higher the
number or letter
rating, the greater the protection provided. This allows the wearer or health
and safety
professional to choose a set of gloves with a performance rating that is best
suited for a particular
environment and task.
[0006] Clause 6.6 of EN 388: 2016 addresses impact attenuation. A test for
impact
attenuation can be conducted under clause 6.9 of EN 13594: 2015. EN 13594:
2015 describes
the test that can be applied to gloves that include impact protection
positioned on the back of the
hand. EN 13594: 2015 is designed to test the impact attenuation of a
protective element of a
glove with an impact energy of 5 joules.
[0007] Impact attenuation is the ability to reduce peak impact energy. The
EN 13594 impact
rating is determined by running a series of impact tests at multiple strike
points on the glove and
dividing the sum by the number of strike points. If, when using an impact
energy of 5 Joules, the
average transmitted force is less than, or equal to 7kN, the gloves will
receive a Level 1 PASS
rating for impact attenuation. If the average impact attenuation is higher
than 9 kN, the gloves
will receive a Level 0 FAIL rating. In addition, in order to receive the Level
1 PASS rating, no
single result can exceed 9 kN. When gloves pass the test defined by EN 13594:
2015, the gloves
have been designed to successfully and safely dissipate harmful forces away
from the hand,
thereby providing enhanced safety for the wearers.
[0008] While gloves exist that meet the EN 13594: 2015, the existing gloves
either have
been found to be difficult to manufacture, expensive to manufacture, or bulky
for the wearer. A
need exists in the industry for gloves that meet EN 13594: 2015 while solving
one or more of
these issues. In some configurations, the gloves described herein are simpler
to manufacture
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than prior gloves due at least in part to the unique layering of materials,
for example. In some
configurations, the gloves described herein are less expensive to manufacture
because the
necessary level of manual labor during manufacture of the gloves can be
reduced. In some
configurations, the gloves described herein are less bulky for the wearer due
to the unique
layering of materials used to provide the desired level of impact attenuation.
[0009] In some configurations, a protective glove is structured to provide
impact attenuation
suitable for standard testing, e.g., to achieve a Level 1 PASS rating when the
EN 13594: 2015
and/or meet the standards set forth in ANSI/ISEA 138-2019. The protective
glove may include a
least one finger guard. The at least one finger guard may be connected to a
knuckle guard. The
at least one finger guard and the knuckle guard may be surround by a flange.
The at least one
finger guard, the knuckle guard and the flange may be integrally formed of a
thermoplastic
rubber, e.g., a soft or medium soft durometer thermoplastic rubber. An outer
layer of the glove
may underlie and may be secured to the at least one finger guard and the
knuckle guard. The
outer layer of the glove may be formed of a knitted mesh fabric. For example,
the knitted mesh
fabric may be made of 94% nylon and 6% spandex. A sponge layer may underlie
and may be
connected to the outer layer of the glove. The sponge layer may be formed of
an open cell foam
and may be coextensive with the outer layer of the glove. A second layer may
underlie the
sponge layer. For example, the second layer may be made of tricot. A foam
layer may abut the
second layer and may be positioned between the second layer and an inner
layer. The foam layer
may consist of an EVA foam. The inner layer may be made of tricot. The foam
layer may be
encased by a combination of the second layer and the inner layer.
[0010] In accordance with some aspects of the present invention, the foam
layer may include
four extensions and a main body, and the foam layer may be at least
coextensive with the
knuckle guard. In addition, the foam layer may extend 1-5 mm beyond a
periphery of the
knuckle guard. The at least one finger guard further may include a proximal
flexure zone, and
the four extensions may extend to a distal end of a proximal flexure zone that
separates the at
least one finger guard from the knuckle guard. The foam layer may be between 2
mm and 4 mm
thick, e.g., 3 mm thick.
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[0011] Moreover, the at least one finger guard may include three finger
guards that are
integrally formed with the knuckle guard. Additionally, a thumb and forefinger
may be provided
with another finger guard that is separate of and not directly connected to
the at least one finger
guard or the knuckle guard. The knuckle guard may include an index finger
portion and an
extended portion that are separated from each other by a gap.
[0012] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, another
protective glove
may be structured to provide impact attenuation suitable for standard testing,
e.g., to achieve a
Level 1 PASS rating when the EN 13594: 2015 and/or meet the standards set
forth in
ANSI/ISEA 138-2019 is employed. For example, the protective glove may include
a knuckle
guard structured to overlie and correspond in position to a wearer's first
knuckles in use. The
knuckle guard may overlie a foam layer that is positioned between the knuckle
guard and the
wearer's first knuckles. The foam layer and the knuckle guard are not directly
connected and,
when aligned to define an impact attenuation region, the foam layer and the
knuckle guard
transmit an average force of less than or equal to 7kN when receiving an
impact energy of 5
Joules. For example, no single result used in generating the average force
exceeds 9 kN.
[0013] In accordance with some aspects of the present invention, the foam
layer may be
made of EVA foam. Additionally, fabric layers may envelop the foam layer. The
foam layer
may have a thickness of less than 4 mm, and/or greater than 2 mm, e.g., 3 mm.
Moreover, the
knuckle guard may have a thickness of greater than 3 mm. The knuckle guard may
taper toward
a distal end of the glove. In addition, at least one of the fabric layers may
be made of tricot.
[0014] In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the
protective glove may
include a palm portion and a dorsal portion. The dorsal portion may include
means for meeting
EN 13594: 2015 and/or ANSI/ISEA 138-2019. For example, the means may include a
combination of a soft or medium soft durometer knuckle guard and a 3 mm thick
EVA foam
layer.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present
invention now will be
described with reference to the following figures, which illustrates but
should not be found to
limit the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a front view of a glove that is arranged and structured in
accordance with
certain features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure, which
front view illustrates a
dorsal side of the glove.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a right view of the glove of FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the glove of FIG. 1, which rear view
illustrates a palm side of
the glove.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a left view of the glove of FIG. 1.
[0020] FIG. 5 is a top view of the glove of FIG. 1.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the glove of FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a bottom left perspective view of the glove of FIG. 1.
[0023] FIG. 8 is top right perspective view of the glove of FIG. 1.
[0024] FIG. 9 is a front flat rendering of the glove of FIG. 1.
[0025] FIG. 10 is a rear flat rendering of the glove of FIG. 1.
[0026] FIG. 11 is a simplified section through a dorsal portion of the
glove of FIG. 1 taken
along the line 11-11 in FIG. 9, which section illustrates a desired layering
of materials.
[0027] FIG. 12 is a schematic image of a foam layer used in the layer shown
in the section of
FIG. 11.
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[0028] FIG. 13 is a section through an outer guard member taken along the
line 13-13 in
FIG. 9.
[0029] FIG. 14 is a section through an outer guard member taken along the
line 14-14 in
FIG. 9.
[0030] FIG. 15 is a front view of another glove that is arranged and
structured in accordance
with certain features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure,
which front view
illustrates a dorsal side of the glove.
[0031] FIG. 16 is a right view of the glove of FIG. 15.
[0032] FIG. 17 is a rear view of the glove of FIG. 15, which rear view
illustrates a palm side
of the glove.
[0033] FIG. 18 is a left view of the glove of FIG. 15.
[0034] FIG. 19 is top view of the glove of FIG. 15.
[0035] FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the glove of FIG. 15.
[0036] FIG. 21 is a bottom left perspective view of the glove of FIG. 15.
[0037] FIG. 22 is a top right perspective view of the glove of FIG. 15.
[0038] FIG. 23 is a front flat rendering of the glove of FIG. 15.
[0039] FIG. 24 is a rear flat rendering of the glove of FIG. 15.
[0040] FIG. 25 is a section through an outer guard member taken along the
line 25-25 in
FIG. 23.
[0041] FIG. 26 is a section through an outer guard member taken along the
line 26-26 in
FIG. 23.
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[0042] FIG. 27 is a front view of an outer guard member used on a thumb of
the glove of
FIG. 15.
[0043] FIG. 28 is a section taken through the outer guard member of FIG. 27
taken along the
line 28-28 in FIG. 27.
[0044] FIG. 29 illustrates a plan view of a palm portion of a glove
illustrating finger pad
reinforcements on the index finger and the thumb.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0045] FIGS. 1-14 illustrate a glove 100 that is arranged and structured in
accordance with
certain features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure. The glove
100 may be an
automotive glove, an industrial safety glove, a tactical glove, a hardware
glove, or the like. The
glove 100 differs from protective sporting gloves, such as hockey gloves and
the like, in that
sporting gloves are specific to different sports and structured with features
tailored to the
competition conditions expected to be encountered while the illustrated glove
100 provides
sufficient dexterity to facilitate manual labor operations, such as picking up
and holding nails,
screws or the like. Moreover, the glove 100 differs from protective sporting
gloves, such as
hockey gloves and the like, in that the illustrated glove 100 has a slim
profile that closely follows
the shape of the hand while providing pinch-point protection and impact
attenuating features.
The slim profile of the illustrated glove 100 allows the gloved hand to work
within small
openings and gaps, such as would be required in automotive maintenance, for
example but
without limitation.
Glove Regions
[0046] The glove 100 generally includes a main body region 102 and finger
regions 104.
The main body region 102 extends from a proximal end of the finger regions 104
to an opening
defined by a cuff 106. Thus, the illustrated glove 100 includes the main body
region 102, the
finger regions 104 and the cuff 106. Other configurations are possible.
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[0047] With reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, at least the main body region
102 and the
finger regions 104 (including the thumb region) of the glove 100 include a
palm panel 110, a
dorsal panel 112, and a dorsal thumb panel 114. The finger regions 104 also
may include
forchettes 116 positioned on the side surfaces of the pinkie finger and the
index finger as well as
on both sides of the ring and middle fingers. The forchettes 116 may define
the crotch between
the pinkie and the ring finger, the crotch between the ring finger and the
middle finger, and the
crotch between the middle finger and the index finger.
[0048] In some configurations, and as shown in Figure 29, small patches 117
may be
positioned on the inner surface of the palm panel 110 to provide reinforcement
to the fingertip
regions. In some such configurations, the small patches 117 are positioned on
the index finger
and the thumb. In some such configurations, the small patches 117 only are
positioned on the
index finger and thumb. In such configurations, the small patches 117
reinforce the palm side of
the finger and thumb, which are the first portions of the glove that are
likely to wear out, which
providing increased tactile feel on the remaining fingers due to the reduced
material thickness in
those remaining fingers. The patches may be structured as shown and described
in U.S. Patent
No. 10,085,498, filed on September 14, 2015, which is expressly incorporated
by reference
herein in its entirety. The patches may be positioned on the inside of the
glove under the region
that is shown in FIG. 10 as having a distinctive marked surface 118 on the
index finger and on
the thumb. The distinctive marked surface 118 may be formed by using pressure
and heat to
form a series of parallel lines along the desired region of the index finger
and/or the desired
region of the thumb. While a series of parallel lines are shown in FIG. 10,
other configurations
for the distinctive market surface are possible, including dots, hatching,
angled lines, non-parallel
lines, intersecting lines or other shapes.
[0049] The main body region 102 generally is formed by stitching or
otherwise joining the
palm panel 110 and the dorsal panel 112. The dorsal thumb panel 114 may be
stitched or
otherwise joined to a thumb portion of the palm panel 110 at a first join and
to the side edge of
the dorsal panel 112 at a second join. Thus, in the illustrated configuration,
the cuff 106 is
defined by the bottom edge of the dorsal panel 112, the bottom edge of the
palm panel 110, and
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the bottom edge of the dorsal thumb panel 114. The cuff 106 may include edge
binding or the
like. The edge binding may reduce the likelihood of fraying or tearing while
reinforcing the
material in the region of the cuff 106.
Cuff Design
[0050] The glove may be provided with any suitable cuff construction. In
some
configurations, the glove includes an open-cuff configuration (see, e.g.,
FIGS. 15-22). The open-
cuff configuration may have an elasticated cuff 119 that allows easy insertion
and removal of the
wearer's hand into the cavity of the glove. In some configurations, the glove
includes a hook-
and-loop closure member 121 that may be used to tighten the cuff around the
wrist of the wearer.
Such a configuration is shown in FIGS. 1-10, for example but without
limitation.
Finger Guards
[0051] With reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 25, to provide pinch point
protection, an outer
surface 120 of the dorsal panel 112 may be provided with finger guards 122.
The finger guards
122 may extend along one or more of back surfaces, or dorsal surfaces, of the
fingers. The
finger guards 122 in the illustrated configuration define raised ribs that may
provide a protective
element of a different material from the material positioned just below the
finger guards 122.
[0052] In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 9, the finger guards 122
extend along the
pinkie, the ring finger, and the middle finger. In this configuration, finger
guards are not
provided to the index finger and thumb. Such a configuration may be desired in
some
applications because the extra bulk that would otherwise be added by the
finger guard 122 is not
hindering movement or placement of the index finger and the thumb. In some
configurations,
however, the glove 100 may include finger guards 122 that extend along all
five fingers. Such
configurations, one of which is shown in FIGS. 15-28, may be required
depending upon the
industry in which the glove is designed for use. Moreover, in some
configurations, the finger
guards 122 may be terminated before the second knuckle regardless along which
fingers the
finger guards are positioned. Such configurations may be of use in gloves
designed with
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shortened, open ended figures, such as those used in shooting activities, for
example but without
limitation.
[0053] A distal end 124 of one or more of the finger guards 122 may be
rounded, as shown
in FIG. 9. As discussed directly above, the fingers and the finger guards 122
may have a reduced
length where desired and, in such cases, the distal ends of the shortened
finger guards also may
be rounded. Rounding the distal ends 124 of the finger guards 122 may improve
dexterity for the
wearer. In addition, as shown in FIG. 13, at least one of the finger guards
122 may taper toward
the distal end 124. Preferably, each of the figure guards 122 tapers toward
the distal end 124.
Tapering the distal ends 124 may improve the ability for the wearer to pick up
smaller articles or
insert their gloved hand into an opening with reduced risk of the distal ends
124 of the finger
guards 122 catching on an edge. In some configurations, the finger guard 122
tapers from 6.5
mm to 3 mm in thickness. Other thicknesses may be used.
[0054] The finger guards 124 may be provided with flexure zones 126. As
shown in
FIG. 13, the flexure zones 126 may be defined by one or more gaps 130 formed
through at least
a portion of the thickness of the finger guards 124. In some configurations,
four gaps 130 may
be provided in a flexure zone 126. As shown in FIG. 9, the gaps 130 may be
angled relative to a
longitudinal axis of the respective finger of the glove 100. Other
configurations are possible for
the flexure zones 126. The flexure zones 126 enhance the bendability of the
glove where the
fingers include the pinch point protection provided by the finger guards 122.
[0055] The finger guards 124 may be formed of a thermoplastic rubber (TPR).
In some
configurations, the TPR may have a Shore hardness of between Shore A 10 and
Shore A 60. In
some configurations, the TPR may have a Shore hardness of Shore A 35 and to
Shore A 45.
Other materials are possible; however, using TPR with a suitably soft
durometer has been found
to provide advantageous properties. In particular, soft durometer Shore A
materials are known to
have a Shore A hardness of between 10 and 35 while medium soft durometer Shore
A materials
are known to have a Shore A hardness of between 35 and 60. Thus, the finger
guards 124 may
be soft or medium soft durometer materials.
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[0056] With reference to FIGS. 27 and 28, a finger guard 125 is illustrated
that is designed
for use with a thumb of the glove. The finger guard 125 includes a wider base
region 127 and a
tapering tip region 129 that have a narrowed neck region 131 that
interconnects the base region
127 and the tip region 129. At least one flexure zone 126 is defined along the
length of the
finger guard 125. In the illustrated finger guard 125, two flexure zones 126
are positioned along
the length of the finger guard 125. In addition, in the illustrated finger
guard 125, the wider base
region 127 is thicker than at least a portion of the tip region 129. Other
configurations are
possible.
Knuckle Guards
[0057] With continued reference to FIG. 9, the glove 100 also may include a
knuckle guard
132. The knuckle guard 132 extends over the region of the glove 100 that
corresponds to the
location of the first knuckles of the wearer. In some configurations, the
knuckle guard 132 also
covers a distal portion of the wearer's metacarpals. In the illustrated
configuration, the knuckle
guard 132 includes two portions: an index finger portion 134 and an extended
portion 136. The
first and second portions 134, 136 may be separated from each other by a gap
140. The gap 140
may angle downwardly toward the thumb metacarpal. In some configurations, the
gap 140 may
angle away from the middle finger toward the cuff 106. In some such
configurations, the gap
140 may be consistent in width over a majority of the length of the gap 140.
[0058] Each of the index finger portion 134 and the extended portion 136
may include a
respective flexure zone 142, 144. Similar to the flexure zones 126 described
above, one or both
of the flexure zones 142, 144 may be defined by one or more gaps 146, 148,
respectively, formed
through at least a portion of the thickness of the two portions 134, 136. In
some configurations,
four gaps 146, 148 may be provided in one or both of the flexure zone 142,
144. As shown in
FIG. 9, the gaps 146, 148 may be angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the
respective finger of
the glove 100. Other configurations are possible for the flexure zones 142,
144. The flexure
zones 142, 144 enhance the bendability of the glove while the knuckle guard
132 provides
protection to the first knuckle region of the wearer.
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[0059] With reference still to FIG. 9, the knuckle guard 132 also includes
a gap 150 that
extends across a region of the knuckle guard 132 that corresponds to two or
more adjacent first
knuckles of the wearer. In this way, the knuckle guard 132 is better able to
flex through the
incorporation of the gap 150. In the illustrated configurations, the gap 150
extends only through
the extended portion 136 of the knuckle guard 132. In some configurations, the
gap 150 may
extend through at least a portion of the extended portion 136 and through at
least a portion of the
index finger portion 134.
[0060] The knuckle guard 132 may be formed of a thermoplastic rubber (TPR)
that is either
a soft durometer or medium soft durometer material. In particular, soft
durometer Shore A
materials are known to have a Shore A hardness of between 10 and 35 while
medium soft
durometer Shore A materials are known to have a Shore A hardness of between 35
and 60.
Thus, the finger guards 124 may be soft or medium soft durometer materials.
Other materials are
possible; however, using TPR with a suitably soft durometer (e.g., soft or
medium soft
durometer) has been found to provide advantageous properties. In some
configurations, the
knuckle guard 132 and at least one of the finger guards 122 are formed in an
integrated,
monolithic single piece construction. In some configurations, the knuckle
guard 132 and at least
one of the finger guards 122 are formed as completely separate components (see
FIGS. 15-28).
[0061] To improve access to tight and confined spaces, the knuckle guard
132 tapers from a
region of greatest thickness toward the fingers. A maximum height of the
knuckle guard 132
may be between 7.5 mm and 5.5 mm. In some configurations, the maximum height
of the
knuckle guard 132 is 6.5 mm. In configurations where the knuckle guards 132
and the finger
guards 122 are integrated into a single construction, the tapering extends
from the knuckle guard
132 to the fingertips 124, where the maximum height is between 3 mm and 5 mm.
In some
configurations, the maximum height at the distal end 124 of the fingers is 4
mm.
Dorsal Layering for Attenuation
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[0062] As discussed above, there is a desire to provide a glove
configuration that results in a
Level 1 PASS rating of impact attenuation under EN 13594: 2015 and/or meets
the standards of
ANSI/ISEA 138-2019. To provide adequate impact attenuation in a cost effective
manner, the
gloves 100 employ layering across an impact zone on the dorsal side (i.e., the
back-of-the-hand
side) of the gloves. The layering of the materials that define the protection
region on the back of
the hand may provide a low profile construction for the impact attenuating
region. The layering
further may provide a cost-effective construction for the impact attenuating
region. The layering
also may provide a simplified assembly process for the impact attenuating
region. In some
configurations, the layering may achieve all three of these goals. In some
configurations, and as
used herein unless understood differently from the context of its usage, the
impact attenuating
region is the region of the glove that correlates to the back of the wearer's
hand in the first
knuckle/distal portion of metacarpal region of the wearer's hand such that the
impact attenuating
region may protect the first knuckles and portions of the metacarpals that are
adjacent to the first
knuckles.
[0063] The knuckle guard 132 described directly above is on the outside of
the glove 100.
While a knuckle guard or other protective element may be thickened to achieve
a satisfactory
level of impact attenuation without layering of materials, a thickened knuckle
guard or other
protective element may reduce the ability of the wearer to use the glove in
confined spaces; the
use of layering as described herein achieves a similarly satisfactory level of
impact attenuation
with a lower profile and a lower cost of manufacture than simply providing a
thicker knuckle
guard or other protective element. In some configurations, the layering that
will be described
achieves a Level 1 PASS rating when the EN 13594: 2015 standard testing is
employed, and also
meets the standards set forth in ANSI/ISEA 138-2019.
[0064] With reference now to FIG. 11, the knuckle guard 132 and/or finger
guards 122 may
be secured to a first outer layer 160 of the glove 100. In some
configurations, the first outer
layer 160 of the glove 100 is a fabric or leather layer. In some
configurations, portion of the first
outer layer 160 to which the knuckle guard 132 is secured is the outermost
fabric or leather layer
of the glove 100 in at least the impact attenuating region of the glove 100.
In the illustrated
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configuration, the fabric or leather layer 160 includes a mesh material. In
some such
configurations, the fabric or leather layer 160 includes a knitted fabric that
is made of nylon and
spandex. In some such configurations, the fabric or leather layer 160 includes
a knitted fabric
that is made of 94% nylon and 6% spandex. To provide a simple construction for
the glove, in
some configurations, the first outer layer 160 is made of a mesh material.
[0065] The knuckle guard 132 and/or the finger guards 122, as discussed
above, may include
a low durometer thermoplastic rubber material. In some configurations, the
knuckle guard 132
and the finger guards 122 are formed of a single piece construction such that
manufacture of the
glove 100 may be simplified. In such configurations, at least one of the
finger guards 122 and
the knuckle guard 132 may be integrated into a single piece to simplify
manufacture of the glove
100. In some such configurations, three of the finger guards 122 and the
knuckle guard 132 may
be integrated into a single piece to simplify manufacture of the glove 100.
[0066] In some configurations, the knuckle guard 132 and/or the finger
guards 122 include a
flange 162 that surrounds a main body of the knuckle guard 132 and/or the
finger guards 122.
The flange 162 and the main body of the knuckle guard 132 and/or finger guards
122 may be
formed in a monolithic, single piece construction (e.g., molded as a single
piece). The knuckle
guard 132 and/or finger guards 122 may be secured to the first outer layer 160
in any suitable
manner. The flange 162 may be used to secure the knuckle guard 132 and/or
finger guards 122
to the first outer layer 160. In some configurations, the flange 162 may be
secured to the first
outer layer 160 using high-frequency radio waves. The flange 162 has been
found to increase
the longevity of the connection between the knuckle guard 132 and/or finger
guards 122 and the
underlying materials of the glove 100. The illustrated flange 162 includes cut-
outs 164 or less
material in the regions that overlap the bend points of the glove 100 (e.g.,
the regions of the
glove 100 that correspond to the knuckles of the wearer). The cut-outs 164 may
improve flexure
of the knuckle guard 132 and/or the finger guards 122.
[0067] A sponge layer 170 includes an open cell foam. The sponge layer 170
provides the
outer material 160 with a bit of volume. In some configurations, the sponge
layer 170 has a
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thickness of between 2 mm and 4 mm. In some configurations, the sponge layer
170 has a
thickness of 3 mm. In some configurations, the sponge layer 170 extends beyond
the outer
perimeter of the knuckle guard 132 and/or finger guards 122. In some
configurations, the sponge
layer 170 is coextensive with the first outer layer 160.
[0068] The sponge layer 170 is disposed beneath the first outer layer 160.
In some
configurations, the first outer layer 160 and the sponge layer 170 may be
combined to define at
least a portion of a laminate. The laminate may define the outer material in
such configurations.
In some configurations, the sponge layer 170 is in direct contact the first
outer layer 160, which
first outer layer 160 is secured to the knuckle guard 132 and/or finger guards
122. In some
configurations, the first outer layer 160 is positioned between the sponge
layer 170 and the
knuckle guard 132 and/or finger guards 122. In some configurations, the first
outer layer 160 is
made of a fabric or leather material and the fabric or leather material is
positioned between an
open cell foam sponge layer 170 and a soft or medium soft durometer
thermoplastic rubber
knuckle guard 132 and/or one or more soft or medium soft durometer
thermoplastic rubber finger
guards 122.
[0069] A second layer 172 may underlie the sponge layer 170. In some
configurations, the
second layer 172 is a second fabric layer. In some such configurations, the
second fabric layer
172 is a tricot material. The sponge layer 170 may be positioned between the
first fabric layer
160 and the second fabric layer 172. In some configurations, the first outer
layer 160, the sponge
layer 170, and the second layer 172 are combined to define a composite
material, such as a
laminate material. In some such configurations, the sponge layer 170 may be in
direct contact
with the first outer layer 160 and the second layer 172. In some
configurations, the sponge layer
170 is positioned below the outer layer 160, which outer layer 160 is made of
a mesh material,
and above the second layer 172, which second layer 172 is made of tricot. In
some other
configurations, there is no second layer 172 and at least a portion of the
sponge layer 170 is in
direct contact with a foam layer 174.
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[0070] The foam layer 174 may be disposed between hand of the user and the
knuckle guard
132 and/or the finger guards 122. The foam layer 174 may be formed by any
material having the
desired impact attenuation properties. In some configurations, the foam layer
174 includes an
EVA foam. In some configurations, the foam layer 174 is made of an EVA foam.
The foam
layer 174 may have any desired thickness. In some configurations, the foam
layer 174 has a
thickness between 2 mm and 4 mm. In some configurations, the foam layer 174
has a thickness
of 3 mm. In some configurations, the foam layer 174 is between 2 mm and 4 mm
and the foam
layer 174 is made of an EVA foam material. In some such configurations, the
foam layer 174
has a thickness of 3 mm and the foam layer 174 is made of an EVA foam
material. In some
configurations, the foam layer 174 is positioned below the second layer 172.
In some such
configurations, the foam layer 174 abuts the second layer 172. In some such
configurations, the
foam layer 174 is glued or otherwise adhered or cohered to the second layer
172. In some such
configurations, the second layer 172 is made of tricot.
[0071] The foam layer 174 underlies the knuckle guard 132. In some
configurations, the
form layer 174 does not underlie the majority of the surface area of the
finger guards 122. The
foam layer 174 preferably extends only in the area underneath the knuckle
guard 132. In some
configurations, however, the foam layer extends 1-5 mm beyond the periphery of
the knuckle
guard 132. With reference to FIG. 12, in some configurations, the foam layer
132 includes four
extensions 176 and a main body portion 178. In some such configurations, the
four extensions
176 are designed to overlay the bones associated with the fingers of the
wearer. While not
shown in FIG. 9 or FIG. 12, the distal end of the extensions 176 may extend to
the distal end of
the first flexure zone 126 that separates the finger guards 122 from the
knuckle guard 132 (e.g.,
the fourth gap 130 of the proximal flexure zone 126).
[0072] An inner layer 180 may underlie the foam layer 174. The inner layer
180 may be a
fabric layer. The inner layer 180 may be structured to abut the hand of the
wearer. In some
configurations, the inner layer 180 may be made of tricot or another suitable
material. In some
configurations, the inner layer 180 is a nylex fabric material. The inner
layer 180 may be used in
combination with one or more of the other layers to lock the foam layer 174 in
position. For
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example, by adhering, cohering, or otherwise securing the inner layer 180 to
the second layer
172, the foam pad may be locked in position along the layers 172, 180 and may
be enveloped by
the layers 172, 180.
[0073] Advantageously, the foam layer 174 and the knuckle guard 132 may be
combined to
create a compact layered impact attenuation construction that may be formed in
a simple, cost-
effective manner. The foam layer 174 and the knuckle guard 132 should have
thicknesses such
that the glove 100 featuring the foam layer 174 and the knuckle guard 132
aligned as described
herein will meet the minimum level of impact attenuation required to allow the
glove 100 to
achieve a Level 1 PASS rating when the EN 13594: 2015 standard testing is
employed, as well
meet the standard set forth in ANSI/ISEA 138-2019.
Palm Pads
[0074] With reference to FIG. 10, the palm panel 110 further may include
padding 190. In
the illustrated configuration, the padding 190 includes at least two palm pads
192. The two palm
pads 192 may be connected together by a bridging region 194 for improved
manufacturability.
In some configurations, the pads 192 are separate components that are secured
in position using a
single covering piece 196. The single covering piece 196 may secure the pads
192 in position
relative to the palm panel 110. In some configurations, the single covering
piece 196 may be a
single piece that includes a series of holes 198 that overlies each of the
pads 192. The foam that
forms the pads may be any suitable material that may absorb or reduce the
transmission of
vibrations or blows through the glove and into the hand of the wearer.
[0075] Although this disclosure has been described in the context of
certain embodiments
and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the
disclosure extends beyond
the specifically disclosed examples to other alternative examples and/or uses
and obvious
modifications and equivalents thereof In addition, while multiple variations
have been shown
and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of
this disclosure, will be
readily apparent to those of skill in the art. It is also contemplated that
various combinations or
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sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may
be made and still
fall within the scope of the disclosure. For example, features described above
in connection with
one embodiment may be used with a different embodiment described herein and
the combination
still will fall within the scope of the disclosure. It should be understood
that various features and
aspects of the disclosed embodiments may be combined with, or substituted for,
one another in
order to form varying modes of the embodiments of the disclosure. Thus, it is
intended that the
scope of the disclosure herein should not be limited by the particular
embodiments described
above. Accordingly, unless otherwise stated, or unless clearly incompatible,
each embodiment
of this invention may include, additional to its essential features described
herein, one or more
features as described herein from each other embodiment of the invention
disclosed herein.
[0076] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the
description and the
claims, the words "comprise," "comprising," and the like, are to be construed
in an inclusive
sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense, that is to say, in the
sense of "including,
but not limited to." Conditional language used herein, such as, among others,
"can," "could,"
"might," "may," "e.g.," and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or
otherwise
understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that
certain embodiments
include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements
and/or states. Thus,
such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features,
elements and/or states
are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more
embodiments
necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or
prompting, whether these
features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any
particular
embodiment.
[0077] Recitations of quantities, dimensions, sizes, formulations,
parameters, shapes and
other characteristics should be construed as if the term "about" or
"approximately" precedes the
quantity, dimension, size, formulation, parameter, shape or other
characteristic. The terms
"about" or "approximately" mean that quantities, dimensions, sizes,
formulations, parameters,
shapes and other characteristics need not be exact, but may be approximated
and/or larger or
smaller, as desired, reflecting acceptable tolerances, conversion factors,
rounding off,
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measurement error and the like and other factors known to those of skill in
the art. Recitations of
quantities, dimensions, sizes, formulations, parameters, shapes and other
characteristics should
also be construed as if the term "substantially" precedes the quantity,
dimension, size,
formulation, parameter, shape or other characteristic.
[0078] The term "substantially" means that the recited characteristic,
parameter, or value
need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations, including for
example, tolerances,
measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to
those of skill
in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the
characteristic was intended to
provide.
[0079] Numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range
format. It is to be
understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity
and thus should
be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly
recited as the limits of
the range, but also interpreted to include all of the individual numerical
values or sub-ranges
encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is
explicitly recited. As
an illustration, a numerical range of "1 to 5" should be interpreted to
include not only the
explicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but should also be
interpreted to also include
individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in
this numerical
range are individual values such as 2, 3 and 4 and sub-ranges such as "1 to
3," "2 to 4," and "3 to
5," etc.
[0080] The invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts,
elements and features
referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually
or collectively, in any
or all combinations of two or more of said parts, elements or features.
[0081] It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the
presently preferred
embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Such changes and
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention and
without diminishing its attendant advantages. For instance, various components
may be
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repositioned as desired. It is therefore intended that such changes and
modifications be included
within the scope of the invention. Moreover, not all of the features, aspects
and advantages are
necessarily required to practice the present invention. Accordingly, the scope
of the present
invention is intended to be defined by the claims that follow.
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