US 4,561,122 AGranted

Protective glove for maximized tactilegnosis

AssigneeStash, Inc.

InventorsCarol A. J. Stanley, Kim C. Miller

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Abstract

A protective glove 10 constructed of shock-absorbent material, comprising digital sheaths 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 anchored to a metacarpal sheath 14. The sheaths 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 extend to cover the second-innermost joint of each digit, 17, 19, 21, 23 and 25. As a result, the glove 10 pads the critical area of wrap-around grasp--the metacarpals and the entire shaft of the proximal phalanx--yet permits unimpeded fingertip feel by exposing the distal phalanges. The glove 10 further preserves normal hand sensations during flexion and extension: by covering both the palmar curve and the dorsal surfaces of the second-innermost joints, the glove 10 exerts forces on the palmar surface and the aforesaid joints in proportion to the forces caused by normal compression and stretching at those respective positions on an unprotected hand. As a result, the device not only permits wrap-around grasp and allows fingertip feel, but preserves the normal palmar/dorsal balance of sensation, all of which maximize the "cognizance-by-touch" abilities of a gloved human hand.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A glove for protecting the hand, comprising a back portion and a palm portion, said palm portion including a metacarpal sheath covering at least the palm of the hand, a plurality of digital sheaths attached to the metacarpal sheath including a first digital sheath covering the thumb from the metacarpophalangeal joint to a predetermined point on the proximal phalanx of the first digit;

and second digital sheaths covering the four fingers from the metacarpophalangeal joints to a predetermined point on each of the four respective middle phalanges, and means for absorbing impact shocks including a single unitary pad mounted on the exterior of said sheaths comprising a first palmar metacarpophalangeal pad portion extending from the digital palmar crease to the metacarpophalangeal joints and a second digital palmar pad portion covering the palmar surface of the proximal phalanx of the second digit of the hand and a third digital palmar pad portion covering a portion of the digital sheath of the third digit, and padding means interposed between said pad and said sheaths comprising a heat-sensitive, slow-recovery, shock-absorbing polyesper foam material which deforms on impact and slowly recovers its original shape and absorbs impact without transmission to an adjacent surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.