Glove construction and kit for carrying outfitted electronic devices

• US 9,038,871 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jennifer M. Atwood, Kevin T. Atwood
• Original Assignee: Jennifer M. Atwood, Kevin T. Atwood
• Inventors: Atwood, Kevin T., Atwood, Jennifer M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Justin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHMIDT, PHILLIP D
• Application Number:
  US13/385,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20130219584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 224/217, 224/218, 224/930, 361/679.03, 361/679.59, 455/575.6, 294138-139, 216/0
• US Class Current: 224/218
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0525 Personal portable computing devices, e.g. laptop, tablet, netbook, game boy, navigation system, calculator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/93 Attached to animate bearer

Abstract

A glove construction and/or kit may be used to outfit an electronic device so that the user thereof may more easily carry or transport the device. The glove construction comprises a flexible, load-bearing, strap-like material member having a glove length and a glove width. A series of finger-receiving sleeves extend widthwise intermediate the glove length. The ends of the material member are outfitted with a first set of fasteners matable with a second set of fasteners outfitted upon the electronic device. The first and second sets of fasteners are matable and together form a fastener interface for removably attaching the glove construction to the electronic device. The glove construction and the fastener interface are supportable of the device weight, and thus enable the user to manually carry the electronic device via the glove construction by inserting a series of fingers into the finger-receiving sleeves and lifting the combination therewith.

Claims

1. A device-glove combination for enabling a user to carry an electronic device via a glove construction, the device-glove combination comprising:

an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a glove-attachable surface and having a device weight;

an integrally formed glove construction, the integrally formed glove construction being constructed from a flexible, load-bearing material and having a glove length dimension and a glove width dimension, the glove length dimension extending intermediate opposed glove ends, the integrally formed glove construction comprising a first, a second, and a third finger-receiving sleeve and opposed, substantially planar material end portions, the first, second, and third finger-receiving sleeves being centrally located intermediate the material end portions and extending widthwise intermediate the glove length dimension, the first, second, and third finger-receiving sleeves each having an upper sleeve portion, a lower sleeve portion, a sleeve plane extending in the glove length and glove width dimensions, and a sleeve axis, the upper and lower sleeve portions each being parabolic in transverse cross-section such that inner sleeve surfacing of each respective opposing upper and lower sleeve portion opposite the sleeve plane is concave and symmetrical about the sleeve plane, the first sleeve being joined to the second sleeve at a first sleeve-to-sleeve junction and the third sleeve being joined to the second sleeve at a second sleeve-to-sleeve junction, the first and second sleeve-to-sleeve junctions each comprising an adjustable upper exterior angle and an adjustable lower exterior angle, the upper exterior angles being equal to the lower exterior angles when the material end portions are coplanar with the sleeve planes in a first, fingerless position, the upper exterior angles being greater than the lower exterior angles when in a device-support position, the sleeve axes being non-parallel for ergonomically receiving and positioning a user'"'"'s spread index, middle, and ring fingers, the opposed material end portions extending from the first and third finger-receiving sleeves and each comprising an end portion length, the end portion lengths being greater than the glove width for providing an upper glove contact surface for a user'"'"'s thumb and small finger in lateral adjacency to the user'"'"'s index and ring fingers as received in the integrally formed glove construction;

first fastening means being spaced and attached to the glove-attachable surface; and

second fastening means attached to the opposed glove ends, the first and second fastening means being matable and together forming a fastener interface for removably attaching the integrally formed glove construction to the electronic device, the integrally formed glove construction and the fastener interface being supportable of the device weight, the device-glove combination thus for enabling the user to manually carry the electronic device via the integrally formed glove construction by inserting a series of fingers into the first, second, and third finger-receiving sleeves and pressing a thumb and small finger against the upper glove contact surface at the material end portions and lifting the device-glove combination therewith.

2. The device-glove combination of claim 1 wherein the finger-receiving sleeves are formed by fastening opposed sections of the flexible, load-bearing material together widthwise at the first and second sleeve-to-sleeve junctions, the integrally formed glove construction thus comprising a double-layered material construction for enhancing the load-bearing characteristics thereof.

3. The device-glove combination of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third finger-receiving sleeves each comprise a sleeve width, the sleeve width of the first and third finger-receiving sleeves being substantially the same, the sleeve width of the second finger-receiving sleeve being greater than the sleeve width of the first and third finger-receiving sleeves, the varied sleeve widths for ergonomic enhancement.

4. The device-glove combination of claim 1 wherein the first fastening means are loop type fastening means and the second fastening means are hook type fastening means.

5. The device-glove combination of claim 4 wherein the loop type fastening means provide non-abrasive padding means when the integrally formed glove construction is removed therefrom and the electronic device with first fastening means are placed upon a support surface.

6. The device-glove combination of claim 5 wherein the electronic device comprises opposed device ends, the first fastening means being positioned adjacent the opposed device ends at the glove-attachable surface for maximizing computer stability when placed upon the support surface.

7. An integrally formed glove construction for enabling a user to carry an electronic device, the integrally formed glove construction comprising:

a flexible, load-bearing material construction, the material construction having a material length and a material width, the material length extending intermediate opposed, substantially planar material end portions, the material construction comprising first, second, and third finger-receiving sleeves extending widthwise intermediate the material end portions, the first, second, and third finger-receiving sleeves each having an upper sleeve portion, a lower sleeve portion, a sleeve plane extending in dimensions of the material length and width, and a sleeve axis, the upper and lower sleeve portions each being parabolic in transverse cross-section such that inner sleeve surfacing of each respective opposing upper and lower sleeve portion opposite the sleeve plane is concave and symmetrical about the sleeve plane, the first sleeve being joined to the second sleeve at a first sleeve-to-sleeve junction and the third sleeve being joined to the second sleeve at a second sleeve-to-sleeve junction, the first and second sleeve-to-sleeve junctions each comprising an adjustable upper exterior angle and an adjustable lower exterior angle, the upper exterior angles being equal to the lower exterior angles when the material end portions are coplanar with the sleeve planes in a first, fingerless position, the upper exterior angles being greater than the lower exterior angles when in a device-support position, the sleeve axes being non-parallel for ergonomically receiving and positioning a user'"'"'s spread index, middle, and ring fingers, the opposed material end portions extending from the first and third finger-receiving sleeves for providing an upper glove contact surface for a user'"'"'s thumb and small finger in lateral adjacency to the user'"'"'s index and ring fingers as received in the integrally formed glove construction; and

first, second, third and fourth fastening structures, the first and second fastening structures being spatially separable and attachable to an electronic device, the third and fourth fastening structures being cooperable with the material end portions, the first and second fastening structures being matable with the third and fourth fastening structures, the material construction and fastening structures being supportable of the electronic device for enabling the user to manually carry the electronic device via the material construction by inserting a series of fingers into the first, second, and third finger-receiving sleeves and pressing a thumb and small finger against the upper glove contact surface at the material end portions and lifting the electronic device therewith.

8. The integrally formed glove construction of claim 7 wherein the material end portions each comprise an end portion length, the end portion lengths being greater than the glove width for maximizing the upper glove contact surface for a user'"'"'s thumb and small finger in lateral adjacency to the user'"'"'s index and ring fingers as received in the integrally formed glove construction.

9. The integrally formed glove construction of claim 8 wherein the finger-receiving sleeves are formed by fastening opposed sections of the material construction together widthwise at the first and second sleeve-to-sleeve junctions, the integrally formed glove construction thus comprising a double-layered material construction for enhancing the load-bearing characteristics thereof.

10. The integrally formed glove construction of claim 8 wherein the first, second, and third finger-receiving sleeves each comprise a sleeve width, the sleeve width of the first and third finger-receiving sleeves being substantially the same, the sleeve width of the second finger-receiving sleeve being greater than the sleeve width of the first and third finger-receiving sleeves, the varied sleeve widths for ergonomic enhancement.

11. The glove construction of claim 7 wherein the first and second fastening structures are loop type fastening structures and the third and fourth fastening structures are hook type fastening structures.

12. The glove construction of claim 11 wherein the loop type fastening structures provide non-abrasive padding means when the electronic device with first and second fastening structures are placed upon a support surface.

13. The glove construction of claim 12 wherein the first and second fastening structures are positioned adjacent opposed device ends of the electronic device for maximizing stability of the electronic device when said device is placed upon the support surface.

14. A glove kit for enabling a user to outfit and carry a kit-outfitted electronic device, the glove kit comprising:

a flexible, load-bearing material construction, the material construction having a material length and a material width, the material length extending intermediate opposed, substantially planar material end portions, the material construction comprising first, second, and third finger-receiving sleeves extending widthwise intermediate the material length centrally located relative to the material end portions, the first, second, and third finger-receiving sleeves each having an upper sleeve portion, a lower sleeve portion, and a sleeve plane extending in dimensions of the material length and width, the upper and lower sleeve portions each being parabolic in transverse cross-section such that inner sleeve surfacing of each respective opposing upper and lower sleeve portion opposite the sleeve plane is concave and symmetrical about the sleeve plane, the first sleeve being joined to the second sleeve at a first sleeve-to-sleeve junction and the third sleeve being joined to the second sleeve at a second sleeve-to-sleeve junction, the first and second sleeve-to-sleeve junctions each comprising an adjustable upper exterior angle and an adjustable lower exterior angle, the upper exterior angles being equal to the lower exterior angles when the material end portions are coplanar with the sleeve planes, the upper exterior angles being greater than the lower exterior angles when in a device-support position; and

a series of matable fastening structures, a first set of matable fastening structures being spatially separable and attachable to an electronic device, a second set of matable fastening structures being attachable to the material end portions, the first set of fastening structures being matable with the second set of fastening structures, the material construction and matable fastening structures being supportable of the electronic device for enabling the user to manually carry the electronic device via the material construction by inserting a series of fingers into the finger-receiving sleeves and lifting the electronic device therewith.

15. The glove kit of claim 14 wherein the finger-receiving sleeves each define a finger-receiving axis, the finger-receiving axes being non-parallel for ergonomic enhancement.

16. The glove kit of claim 14 wherein the finger-receiving sleeves are formed by fastening opposed sections of the material construction together widthwise, the glove construction thus comprising a double-layered material construction for enhancing the load-bearing characteristics thereof.

17. The glove kit of claim 14 wherein the material end portions each comprise an end portion length, the end portion lengths being greater than the glove width for maximizing the upper glove contact surface for a user'"'"'s thumb and small finger in lateral adjacency to the user'"'"'s index and ring fingers as received in the integrally formed glove construction.

18. The glove kit of claim 14 wherein the first, second, and third finger-receiving sleeves each comprise a sleeve width, the sleeve width of the first and third finger-receiving sleeves being substantially the same, the sleeve width of the second finger-receiving sleeve being greater than the sleeve width of the first and third finger-receiving sleeves, the varied sleeve widths for ergonomic enhancement.