Baseball glove incorporating aramid braces

• US 5,379,459 A
• Filed: 02/05/1993
• Issued: 01/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Natraflex Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Natraflex Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, Charlton H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nerbun, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Worrell, Jr., Larry D.
• Application Number:
  US08/014,445
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 2/16, 2/19, 2/20, 2/159, 2/160, 2/161.1, 2/166, 2/167
• US Class Current: 2/19
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/143 Baseball or hockey gloves

Abstract

A baseball glove incorporating a continuous lacing system and a unique brace system. The brace system urges the glove into an open position when placed on the hand of a user and supports the form of the glove. The continuous lacing system allows a user to form his or her glove into a desired pocket configuration.

Claims

1. A baseball glove defining a front side and a back side thereon, said baseball glove comprising:

a thumb stall an outer edge of which defines a first lateral edge of said glove, said thumb stall having an upper end and a lower end;

a finger stall an outer edge of which defines an opposing second lateral edge of said glove, said finger stall having an upper end and a lower end;

a heel portion interconnecting said lower end of said thumb stall and said lower end of said finger stall;

a palm located adjacent to said heel portion, an inside portion of said palm configured to engage the palm of a user when the user'"'"'s hand is in the glove; and

a first flexible, resilient brace defining an initial shape and having a resistance to bending and a tendency to fully recover to said initial shape after bending, said brace extending along said first lateral edge and at least a portion of the palm of the glove from a point which is adjacent said heel to a first location up said thumb stall, such that said resistance of said brace to bending causes said thumb stall to be biased away from said little finger stall, urging said glove into an open position.

2. The baseball glove of claim 1, wherein said first and second laces comprise a continuous lace extending along a path from approximately said upper end of said thumb stall, down the length of said thumb stall to said heel portion, along said heel portion to said lower end of said finger stall, and up the length of said finger stall to approximately said upper end of said finger stall, said lace being anchored to said glove at said upper end of said thumb stall, along said heel portion, and at said upper end of said finger stall.

3. The baseball glove of claim 1, wherein said glove further comprises an upper periphery, and further comprising a lace extending along a path from said upper end of said finger stall along said upper periphery to said upper end of said thumb stall.

4. The baseball glove of claim 3, wherein said lace which extends across said path from said upper end of said finger stall along said upper periphery to said upper end of said thumb stall comprises a continuation of said lace which extends along said path from approximately said upper end of said thumb stall, down the length of said thumb stall to said heel portion, along said heel portion to said lower end of said finger stall, and up the length of said finger stall to approximately said upper end of said finger stall.

5. The baseball glove of claim 4, wherein said lace comprises first and second ends, and wherein said first end of said lace is tied to said second end of said lace.

6. The glove of claim 3, wherein said lace which extends across said path from said upper end of said finger stall along said upper periphery to said upper end of said thumb stall comprises a second lace.

7. The baseball glove of claim 6, wherein said first and second laces each comprise first and second ends, and wherein said first end of said second lace is tied to said first end of said first lace, and said second end of said second lace is tied to said second end of said first lace.

8. The baseball glove of claim 1, wherein said brace is a brace comprising a polyaramid and nylon.

9. The baseball glove of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional flexible, resilient brace defining a second initial shape and having a tendency to fully recover to said second initial shape after bending, said tendency creating a resistance in said additional brace to bending, said additional brace extending from a region in said glove which is adjacent to the joint of the thumb and the palm of the user when the user'"'"'s hand is installed in said glove to a second location up said thumb stall, said resistance of said additional brace to bending giving support to said thumb stall and urging said second location on said thumb stall away from said little finger stall.

10. The baseball glove of claim 9, wherein said additional brace comprises S2-glass in a matrix comprising one of the substances that are in the set of PPS and epoxy and resin.

11. The baseball glove of claim 9, further comprising an insert, said first brace and said additional brace being mounted on said insert.

12. The baseball glove of claim 10, wherein said additional brace is shorter than said first brace, and said additional brace is aligned to correspond to the upper portion of said first brace.

13. The baseball glove of claim 1, wherein said first brace defines upper and lower ends thereon and said first brace is substantially rigid at said upper end and more flexible at said lower end.

14. The baseball glove of claim 13, further comprising a second brace operatively associated with said upper end of said first brace, wherein said second brace serves to stiffen said upper portion of said first brace.

15. The baseball glove of claim 13, wherein said first brace tapers in width from said upper end to said lower end so as to provide more rigidity at said upper end than said lower end.

16. The baseball glove of claim 9, further comprising at least one other flexible, resilient brace defining a third initial shape and having a tendency to fully recover to said third initial shape after bending, said other brace extending along one of said finger stalls from a region in said glove which would be adjacent to the joint of the corresponding finger and the palm of said user when said user'"'"'s hand is installed in said glove to a location up said one of said finger stalls, said resistance of said other brace to bending giving support to said one of said finger stalls and urging said location on said one of said finger stalls away from said thumb start.

17. The baseball glove of claim 16, wherein said other rod comprises S2-glass in a matrix comprising one of the substances in the set of PPS and epoxy and resin.

18. The baseball glove of claim 16, further comprising at least another flexible, resilient brace defining a fourth initial shape and having a tendency to fully recover to said fourth initial shape after bending, said tendency creating a resistance in said another brace to bending, such that when said glove is installed on the hand of a user, said another brace extends along said back side of said thumb stall from a region adjacent the joint of the thumb and the wrist of said user to a third location adjacent the end of said thumb stall;

whereby said resistance of said another brace to bending causes the movement of said thumb to be leveraged so as to cause said thumb stall to move in accordance to movement of said thumb.

19. The baseball glove of claim 18, wherein said another rod comprises S2-glass in a matrix comprising one of the substances that are in the set of PPS and epoxy and resin.

20. The baseball glove of claim 18, further comprising:

a first lace extending from approximately said upper end of said thumb stall, down the length of said thumb stall to a first location adjacent said heel portion, said first lace being anchored at said upper end of said thumb stall and at said first location adjacent said heel portion and extending from the back side to the front side and back to the back side through a series of holes, said lace being freely slidable through said holes; and

a second lace extending from approximately said upper end of said finger stall, down the length of said finger stall to a second location adjacent said heel portion, said second lace being anchored at said upper end of said finger stall and at said second location adjacent said heel portion and extending from the back side to the front side and back to the back side through a series of holes, said lace being freely slidable through said second series of holes;

whereby the contour of said thumb stall and said finger stall can be controlled by adjusting the tension in said first and second laces.

21. The baseball glove of claim 1, further comprising at least another flexible, resilient brace defining a fourth initial shape and having a tendency to fully recover to said fourth initial shape after bending, said tendency creating a resistance in said another brace to bending, such that when said glove is installed on the hand of a user, said another brace extends along said back side of said thumb stall from a region adjacent the joint of the thumb and the wrist of said user to a third location adjacent the end of said thumb stall;

whereby said resistance of said another brace to bending causes the movement of said thumb to be leveraged so as to cause said thumb stall to move in accordance to movement of said thumb.

22. The baseball glove of claim 21, wherein said another brace comprises S2-glass in a matrix comprising one of the substances that are in the set of PPS and epoxy and resin.

23. The baseball glove of claim 1, further comprising:

a first lace extending from approximately said upper end of said thumb stall, down the length of said thumb stall to a first location adjacent said heel portion, said first lace being anchored at said upper end of said thumb stall and at said first location adjacent said heel portion and extending from the back side to the front side and back to the back side through a series of holes, said lace being freely slidable through said holes; and

a second lace extending from approximately said upper end of said finger stall, down the length of said finger stall to a second location adjacent said heel portion, said second lace being anchored at said upper end of said finger stall and at said second location adjacent said heel portion and extending from the back side to the front side and back to the back side through a series of holes, said lace being freely slidable through said second series of holes;

whereby the contour of said thumb stall and said finger stall can be controlled by adjusting the tension in said first and second laces.

24. The baseball glove of claim 1, further comprising at least one other flexible, resilient brace defining a third initial shape and having a tendency to fully recover to said third initial shape after bending, said other brace extending along one of said finger stalls from a region in said glove which would be adjacent to the joint of the corresponding finger and the palm of said user when said user'"'"'s hand is installed in said glove to a location up said one of said finger stalls, said resistance of said other brace to bending giving support to said one of said finger stalls and urging said location on said one of said finger stalls away from said thumb stall.

25. A baseball glove comprising:

a thumb stall defining a first lateral edge of said glove, said thumb stall having an upper end and a lower end;

a finger stall defining an opposing second lateral edge of said glove, said finger stall having an upper end and a lower end;

a heel portion interconnecting said lower end of said thumb stall and said lower end of said finger stall; and

a flexible, resilient brace defining an initial shape and having a tendency to fully recover to said initial shape after bending, said brace extending along one of said finger stalls along the front side of said finger stall from a region in said glove which would be adjacent to the joint of the corresponding finger and the palm of a user when said user'"'"'s hand is installed in said glove to a location up said one of said finger stalls, said resistance of said brace to bending giving support to said one of said finger stalls and urging said location on said one of said finger stalls away from said thumb stall.

26. An insert for a baseball glove comprising:

a thumb stall defining a first lateral edge of said glove, said thumb stall having an upper end and a lower end;

a finger stall defining an opposing second lateral edge of said glove, said finger stall having an upper end and a lower end;

a heel portion interconnecting said lower end of said thumb stall and said lower end of said finger stall;

a palm located adjacent to said heel portion, an inside portion of said palm configured to engage the palm of a user when the user'"'"'s hand is in the glove;

said insert comprising;

a first flexible, resilient brace defining an initial shape and having a tendency to fully recover to said initial shape after bending, said tendency creating a resistance in said brace to bending, said brace extending along said first lateral edge and at least a portion of the palm of the glove from a point which is adjacent said heel to a first location up said thumb stall, such that said resistance of said brace to bending causes said thumb stall to be biased away from said little finger stall, urging said glove into an open position.

27. The insert of claim 26, wherein said first brace defines upper and lower ends thereon and said first brace is substantially rigid at said upper end and more flexible at said lower end.

28. The insert of claim 27, further comprising a second brace operatively associated with said upper end of said first brace, wherein said second brace serves to stiffen said upper portion of said first brace.

29. The insert of claim 27, wherein said first brace tapers in width from said upper end to said lower end so as to provide more rigidity at the upper end than the lower end.