Hybrid Hand Covering with Distal Phalanx Fingertip Segments

A hand covering for a human hand of a hand size, the hand with a palm portion, a thumb, and four fingers comprising an index finger, a middle finger, a ring finger, and a pinkie that extend from the palm portion, the hand covering comprising:

• a mitten shell that defines an inner volume, wherein the mitten shell has a proximal opening for receiving the human hand through the proximal opening, and wherein the mitten shell has a distal end;
• a thumb portion that extends laterally from the mitten shell, wherein the thumb portion has an outwardly facing side that faces away from the mitten shell, an inwardly facing side that faces toward the mitten shell, an inner volume configured for receiving the thumb of the human and wherein the inwardly facing side of the thumb portion meets the mitten shell at a junction;
• and
• an abbreviated index finger fingertip segment configured to receive only a distal phalanx portion of an index finger of the hand, wherein the abbreviated index finger fingertip segment extends longitudinally from the distal end of the mitten shell, wherein the abbreviated index finger fingertip segment has a distal end portion and a tubular peripheral wall that define an inner volume of the abbreviated index finger fingertip segment of a length and size configured to receive only the distal phalanx portion the index finger of the human hand to coincident with a distal interphalangeal joint of the index finger;
• wherein the inner volume of the abbreviated index finger fingertip segment has a distal end formed by an inner surface of the distal end portion of the abbreviated index finger fingertip segment, a proximal end formed where the abbreviated index finger fingertip segment proximally terminates, and a length comprising a distance DD from the distal end to the proximal end of the inner volume of the abbreviated index finger fingertip segment, wherein the hand covering has a distance DT for the abbreviated index finger fingertip segment from the distal end of the inner volume of the abbreviated index finger fingertip segment to a line traveling laterally across the hand covering that crosses the junction where the inwardly facing side of the thumb portion meets the mitten shell, and wherein the length comprising the distance DD of the inner volume of the abbreviated index finger fingertip segment is at least 20% of the distance DT for the abbreviated index finger fingertip segment but not more than 30% of the distance DT;
• whereby the mitten shell forms a common heat cavity adapted to retain within the common heat cavity the palm portion of the human hand and the index finger of the human hand up to the distal interphalangeal joint and whereby the hand covering is configured to permit manual dexterity with the distal phalanx portion of the index finger received into the abbreviated index finger fingertip segment while retaining middle and proximal phalanxes of the index finger within the common heat cavity.