Golf glove with thumb support

• US 7,882,571 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Etonic Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Etonic Worldwide LLC (Lotto Sport Italia S.P.A)
• Inventors: Pitts, Karen, Ladd, Daniel, Robba, Marc C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Welch; Gary L
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLINE, SALLY COLSON
• Application Number:
  US11/335,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 216/12, 216/13, 216/7, 216/11, 216/15, 216/16, 2 2/0, 2 2/1, 215/9, 216/0, 216/17, 216/18, 216/3, 216/6
• US Class Current: 2/161.2
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/10 with adhesive type surfaces, i.e. hook and loop-type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/146 Golf gloves

Abstract

A golf glove has a number of regions formed of a leather-like material, connected with a more flexible region of spandex-like material. A thumb region has a base portion at least substantially surrounded by the flexible region. The thumb region further includes an auxiliary support structure on a portion of the thumb region providing additional support to the thumb of a user and anti-twist functionality reducing or eliminating movement of the glove relative to the thumb of a user. In addition, a grip region can extend from a wrist end of the glove substantially to finger tips of a little finger portion, a ring finger portion, and a middle finger portion of the glove.

Claims

1. A golf glove, comprising:

a thumb region formed of a first material and having a base, a grip side, and a back side, wherein the thumb region of the glove generally extends from a base portion of a thumb of a user to a tip portion of a thumb of a user, the thumb region comprising a knuckle area on the back side against which knuckles of the thumb of the user press when the user bends their thumb; and

a flexible region formed of a second material having greater flexibility than the first material;

wherein the flexible region at least substantially circumscribes the base of the thumb region; and

wherein the thumb region further comprises;

an auxiliary support structure coupled with the thumb region along the back side of the thumb region in an elongate shape extending from about the base region along a longitudinal length of the thumb region toward a tip of the thumb region and overlapping the knuckle area, the auxiliary support structure layered with the first material of the thumb region such that the auxiliary support structure is contiguous with the knuckle area and either internal to the thumb region or external to the thumb region, and

a stitch coupling the auxiliary support structure with the thumb region, the stitch being generally peninsular in shape and only circumscribing the knuckle area without interfering with the knuckle area.

2. The golf glove of claim 1, wherein the first material has properties of leather and equivalents thereof.

3. The golf glove of claim 1, wherein the second material has properties of spandex and equivalents thereof.

4. The golf glove of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary support structure is formed of material having properties of spandex and equivalents thereof.

5. The golf glove of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary support structure couples with the thumb region on an interior side thereof.

6. The golf glove of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary support structure couples with the thumb region on an exterior side thereof.

7. The golf glove of claim 1, wherein the support stitch is formed along the thumb region in an elongate pattern that passes to at least one side of the knuckle area.

8. The golf glove of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary support structure provides torsional support of a thumb of a user of the golf glove.

9. The golf glove of claim 1, wherein the golf glove further comprises:

a finger region formed of at least an index finger region with a base; and

a palm region extending from about a wrist end of the glove across about a palm area of the glove;

wherein the flexible region at least substantially circumscribes the base of the thumb region, up to the base of the index finger region, and between the base of the thumb region and the palm region.

10. A method of manufacturing a golf glove, comprising:

providing a thumb region having a base, a grip side, and a back side, and formed of a first material, wherein the thumb region of the glove generally extends from a base portion of a thumb of a user to a tip portion of a thumb of a user, the thumb region comprising a knuckle area on the back side against which knuckles of the thumb of the user press when the user bends their thumb; and

fastening a flexible region formed of a second material having greater flexibility than the first material to the thumb region along the base;

wherein the flexible region at least;

substantially circumscribes the base of the thumb region,

extends upward from the thumb region into a first valley between the thumb region and an index finger portion formed of the first material,

extends into a second valley between the index finger portion and a middle finger portion, wherein a primary first material region extends from a cuff on a palm side of the golf glove upward to form grip sides of a middle finger, a ring finger, and a little finger of the golf glove;

extends across a knuckle region on the back side of the golf glove defined by a location of four knuckles of the user'"'"'s hand at the base of each of the user'"'"'s fingers, wherein a secondary first material region extends across a back side of the golf glove, connecting a back side of the little finger, the ring finger, the middle finger, and an index finger of the golf glove, and

extends down a side of the golf glove to a cuff at a wrist area of the golf glove such that the flexible region substantially surrounds a tertiary first material region on the back side of the golf glove on three sides.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first material has properties of leather and equivalents thereof.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second material has properties of spandex and equivalents thereof.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the thumb region comprises an auxiliary support structure coupled with the thumb region along the back side of the thumb region in an elongate shape extending from about the base region along a longitudinal length of the thumb region toward a tip of the thumb region and overlapping the knuckle area, and a stitch coupling the auxiliary support structure with the thumb region, the stitch only circumscribing the knuckle area not interfering with the knuckle area, wherein the auxiliary support structure is formed of material having properties of spandex and equivalents thereof.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the auxiliary support structure couples with the thumb region on an interior side thereof.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the auxiliary support structure couples with the thumb region on an exterior side thereof.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming the support stitch formed along the back side of the thumb region in an elongate pattern passing to at least one side of the knuckle area and attaching the auxiliary support structure to the thumb region.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the auxiliary support structure provides torsional support of a thumb of a user of the golf glove.

18. A golf glove, comprising:

a thumb region having a base, wherein the thumb region of the glove generally extends from a base portion of a thumb of a user to a tip portion of a thumb of a user, the thumb region comprising a knuckle area on a back side of the thumb region against which knuckles of the thumb of the user press when the user bends their thumb;

a finger region formed of at least an index finger region with a base;

a palm region formed of a first material extending from about a wrist end of the glove across about a palm area of the glove, wherein the palm region continues into a middle finger region, a ring finger region, and a little finger region;

a flexible region formed of material having greater flexibility than material forming the thumb region and the palm region;

wherein the flexible region at least substantially circumscribes uninterrupted around the base of the thumb region, extends upward from the thumb region into a first valley between the thumb region and the index finger region, up to the base of the index finger region, between the base of the thumb region and the palm region, and across a knuckle region on the back side of the golf glove defined by a location of four knuckles of the user'"'"'s hand at the base of each of the user'"'"'s fingers;

the index finger region coupling with a first fourchette, the index finger region and first fourchette coupling with the first valley at the base of the first fourchette;

a second fourchette formed by extending the first valley upward on the middle finger region of the golf glove;

a third fourchette directed on an opposite side of the middle finger region, wherein the third fourchette continues through a third valley between the middle finger region and the ring finger region and into a fourth fourchette on the ring finger region,

a fifth fourchette directed on an opposite side of the ring finger region, wherein the fifth fourchette continues through a fourth valley between the ring finger region and the little finger region and into a sixth fourchette on a ring finger region; and

a seventh fourchette that begins on an opposite side of the little finger region from the sixth fourchette;

wherein the thumb region comprises an auxiliary support structure coupled with the thumb region along a back side of the thumb region in an elongate shape extending from about the base region along a longitudinal length of the thumb region toward a tip of the thumb region and overlapping the knuckle area, and a stitch coupling the auxiliary support structure with the thumb region, the stitch only circumscribing the knuckle area not interfering with the knuckle area.