US 12,471,650 B2 · Gloves and/or other hand-receiving devices with inflatable components

Abstract

Hand-receiving devices, such as gloves (e.g., sports gloves including baseball gloves, softball gloves, batting gloves, cricket gloves, golf gloves, America football gloves, weightlifting gloves, exercise gloves, goalkeeper gloves (e.g., for soccer, hockey, field hockey, lacrosse, etc.), and the like) include an inflatable component, such as a fluid-filled bladder component. The fluid-filled bladder component may be structured and arranged within a glove base member to engage two or more digits of a wearer's hand (e.g., two or more of the thumb and/or fingers on one hand). Inflation of the bladder component may displace one or more layers of the glove base member (e.g., fabric layers) to adjust fit, help properly position the wearer's fingers and/or hand within the glove, help maintain the position of the wearer's fingers and/or hand within the glove and/or provide cushioning. Features of this technology also may be used to control stiffness and/or rigidity of the glove.

A glove, comprising:

a glove base member, wherein the glove base member includes a plurality of separated digit-receiving compartments including a first digit-receiving compartment configured to receive only a first digit of a human hand and a second digit-receiving compartment configured to receive only a second digit of a human hand, wherein open space exterior to the glove base member separates the first digit-receiving compartment from the second digit-receiving compartment, and wherein outer edges of the plurality of separated digit-receiving compartments are unattached to one another;
and
a bladder system engaged with the glove base member, wherein the bladder system includes:
a bladder component including a first wall and a second wall, wherein the bladder component includes:
(a) a base region,
(b) a first digit-engaging member extending into the first digit-receiving compartment of the glove base member, the first digit-engaging member including:
(i) a first side fluid chamber defined between the first wall and the second wall, (ii) a second side fluid chamber defined between the first wall and the second wall, (iii) a first free end fluid chamber defined between the first wall and the second wall and connecting the first side fluid chamber and the second side fluid chamber, and (iv) a first bonded region where an interior surface of the first wall is bonded to an interior surface of the second wall, the first bonded region separating the first side fluid chamber and the second side fluid chamber and extending continuously from the first free end fluid chamber to a first closed end, wherein the first bonded region further includes:
(1) a first longitudinal bonded portion extending continuously from the first free end fluid chamber to the first closed end, the first longitudinal bonded portion being located between and separating the first side fluid chamber and the second side fluid chamber, (2) a first knuckle-flexion bonded portion extending across and intersecting the first longitudinal bonded portion at a first longitudinal location, and (3) a second knuckle-flexion bonded portion separated from the first knuckle-flexion bonded portion, the second knuckle-flexion bonded portion extending across and intersecting the first longitudinal bonded portion at a second longitudinal location, wherein the second longitudinal location is located a greater distance from the first free end fluid chamber than is the first longitudinal location, and
(c) a second digit-engaging member extending away from the base region and into the second digit-receiving compartment of the glove base member, the second digit-engaging member including:
(i) a third side fluid chamber defined between the first wall and the second wall, (ii) a fourth side fluid chamber defined between the first wall and the second wall, (iii) a second free end fluid chamber defined between the first wall and the second wall and connecting the third side fluid chamber and the fourth side fluid chamber, and (iv) a second bonded region where the interior surface of the first wall is bonded to the interior surface of the second wall, the second bonded region separating the third side fluid chamber and the fourth side fluid chamber and extending continuously from the second free end fluid chamber to the base region, wherein the second bonded region includes:
(i) a second longitudinal bonded portion extending continuously from the second free end fluid chamber to the base region, the second longitudinal bonded portion being located between and separating the third side fluid chamber and the fourth side fluid chamber, (ii) a third knuckle-flexion bonded portion extending across and intersecting the second longitudinal bonded portion at a third longitudinal location located within the second digit-receiving compartment, (iii) a fourth knuckle-flexion bonded portion separated from the third knuckle-flexion bonded portion the fourth knuckle-flexion bonded portion extending across and intersecting the second longitudinal bonded portion at a fourth longitudinal location located within the second digit-receiving compartment, wherein the fourth longitudinal location is located a greater distance from the second free end fluid chamber than is the third longitudinal location, and (iv) a fifth knuckle-flexion bonded portion separated from the third knuckle-flexion bonded portion and the fourth knuckle-flexion bonded portion, the fifth knuckle-flexion bonded portion extending across and intersecting the second longitudinal bonded portion at a fifth longitudinal location, wherein the fifth longitudinal location is located a greater distance from the second free end fluid chamber than is the fourth longitudinal location.

8 more elements

Gloves and/or other hand-receiving devices with inflatable components

Life of this patent

Gloves and/or other hand-receiving devices with inflatable components

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20