CN109475196B - Protective gloves - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application relates to a protective glove comprising at least a first finger portion and a second finger portion, each finger portion comprising a protective layer configured to be at least partially disposed on a finger portion of a user; and a pivot connecting the first finger portion and the second finger portion; wherein the pivot has a pivot axis substantially coincident with a finger knuckle of the user's hand; and one of the first and second finger portions comprises a circular protrusion, and wherein the other of the first and second finger portions comprises a corresponding circular recess for receiving the circular protrusion, the protrusion and recess together forming a pivot connecting the first finger portion and the second finger portion; and wherein the first and second finger portions and the pivot define substantially continuous and flush walls.

Description

Protective gloves

Technical Field

The invention relates to a protective glove.

Background

Gloves are commonly used to protect the hand from adverse conditions such as thermal conditions (cold or hot), chemical conditions (acids, etc.) or mechanical conditions (abrasion or impact). Different protection conditions often have conflicting requirements. For example, comfortable gloves that provide both sensitive control and impact resistance have conflicting requirements.

Motorcycle gloves designed for motorcycle sports include a soft inner layer to provide a good feel for steering of the motorcycle. The exterior of the glove is usually provided with hard shell elements in order to protect the hand from abrasion during slipping, for example, due to slipping. While motorcycle gloves provide valuable anti-scuffing protection, they are not designed for high impact situations.

In industry and some sports activities, such as european historical martial arts (HEMA), the demand is so high that current protective gloves are not good enough. For example, in HEMA, a warrior is exposed to a real impact of a blunt steel sword. In the industry, sensitive touch is often required to control the machine.

The 3D Printed Smartphone Glove discloses a 3D Printed Smartphone integrated in a Glove. The glove has integrated electronic circuitry and components. The glove, which constitutes the closest prior art, comprises a pivot joint. The shaping of the fingers allows the user to close his/her hands. However, when the user stretches his/her finger, the shape of the finger portion creates a space that exposes the side of the user's finger, for example, to exposure to a sharp object to be pierced. Smart phone gloves are susceptible to impact damage due to the integrated electronics, and therefore are clearly not used to protect against impact conditions.

US-A-4,272,849 discloses A protective glove for wearing by A worker, the glove comprising A stainless steel plate positioned against the contralateral side to protect the hand from pressure injury. The design of such gloves is to prevent pressure, not impact.

US-a1-2008/086789 also discloses a protective glove that prevents puncture and is designed to be worn by the user of a pneumatic device, such as a tacker, for preventing mistacking. The hand is only covered in the exposed area in a particular orientation to prevent or hinder the momentum of, for example, a nail. The covering member may be integrated into the glove or held in place on the hand by other means such as an elastic band.

US-a1-2005/114982 discloses a protective glove having flexible padding conforming to the shape of the hand and wrist and having a plurality of rigid shields affixed thereto, the plurality of rigid shields being located on the distal, medial and proximal phalanges, metacarpals and carpals of the wearer. The glove protects the user from blunt forces. Distal, medial and proximal guards are secured to the pad in spaced relation to one another, leaving the anterior side of the pad exposed above the phalangeal joint to facilitate articulation thereof.

WO-A1-2014/041320 and US-A1-2002/184695 are recognized as further prior art.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a protective glove which is an improvement over the prior art and in which at least one of the above-mentioned problems is eliminated.

Said object is achieved by a protective glove according to the invention, comprising:

-at least a first finger portion and a second finger portion, each finger portion comprising a protective layer configured to be at least partially arranged on a finger portion of a user;

-a pivot connecting the first finger portion and the second finger portion;

-wherein the pivot axis has a pivot axis substantially coinciding with a finger knuckle of a user's hand;

-one of the first and second finger portions comprises a circular protrusion and wherein the other of the first and second finger portions comprises a corresponding circular recess configured to receive the circular protrusion, the protrusion and recess together forming the pivot connecting the first finger portion and the second finger portion; and is

Wherein the first and second finger portions and the pivot define substantially continuous and flush walls.

The pivot axis substantially coincides with the finger joint of the user's hand, so the pivot is arranged on a lateral side of the finger joint, i.e. not on the dorsal or palmar side. If the pivot is arranged between adjacent fingers, space is limited if forced unfolding of the fingers due to a cumbersome pivot is to be prevented. However, by the features of the first and second fingers and the pivot defining substantially continuous and flush walls, the amount of material between adjacent fingers is minimized. The rounded protrusion and corresponding rounded recess allow the pivot to have a non-overlapping relationship between the first and second finger portions.

On the one hand, the pivot defined by the mating circular protrusion and the corresponding circular recess allows for a flush outer surface requiring only a limited wall thickness.

In another aspect, it allows a substantially continuous and flush wall to be defined by the first and second finger portions and the pivot. The fingers will be shielded by the walls in the extended and flexed condition of the fingers.

It should be understood that continuous should be interpreted in the sense of protection, i.e. the wall provides substantially continuous protection along its length. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that small openings, such as vents, will not adversely affect the protective properties of the wall.

Because the first and second fingers and the pivot define substantially continuous and flush walls, they require only limited space around the protected finger. In particular, if two adjacent fingers of the user's hand are protected by the finger portion according to the invention, this limited space allows the user to maintain the normal and comfortable posture of his or her hand. In particular the fingers do not have to be opened any more.

Further objects, advantages or inventive effects are achieved according to the present disclosure by a combination of features in the appended claims.

The invention also includes a computer readable medium having computer readable instructions adapted to cause a 3D printer to print fingers and/or other portions of a protective glove according to the invention and/or to print a mold for the fingers and/or other portions of a protective glove according to the invention.

Drawings

In the following description, preferred embodiments of the present invention are further elucidated with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a protective glove according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the protective glove according to FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the protective glove according to FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fingers of the protective glove in a first state;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the fingers of the protective glove in a second state;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the finger in the first state of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the finger in the second state of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the third digit portion of the middle finger and the first dorsal portion of the dorsal portion;

FIG. 10 is a detailed perspective view of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a detailed cross-sectional view of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a top view of FIGS. 10 and 11;

FIG. 13 shows a hand with an elastic band;

FIG. 14 shows the hand of FIG. 13 with the damping layer disposed on the back of the hand on the elastic band;

FIG. 15 is a top view of the hand indicating different portions of the hand and fingers;

FIG. 16 is a top view of the protective glove in the hand position of FIG. 15;

17-19 are perspective views of a pivotal connection between finger portions according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a connection between a back of a hand and a third finger according to another embodiment of the present invention; and is

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of an alternative back hand and thumb cover portion according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment finger in a first state;

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional side view of the finger of FIG. 22 in a second state;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a protective glove according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

figure 25 is a perspective view of a first finger portion disposed on a finger.

Detailed Description

In fig. 1, 2 and 16 a protective glove 1 for a hand 2 is shown. The protective glove 1 comprises at least a first finger portion 30 and a second finger portion 70.

The thumb 4 includes only the distal phalanx 14 and the proximal phalanx 18. Other fingers, such as the index finger 6, middle finger 8, ring finger 10, and little finger 12, also include a middle phalanx 16 (fig. 15). In the present invention, the first digit portion 30 is associated with the distal phalanx 14 of all the fingers 6, 8, 10, 12 including the thumb 4. For the present invention, the thumb 4 is interpreted as a finger. The second finger portion 70 is associated with the middle phalanx 16 of the index finger 6, the middle phalanx 16 of the middle finger 8, the middle phalanx 16 of the ring finger 10, and the middle phalanx 16 of the little finger 12. Further, for the thumb 4, the second finger portion 70 is associated with the proximal phalanx 18. The index finger 6, middle finger 8, ring finger 10 and little finger 12 also include a third finger portion 120, the third finger portion 120 being associated with the proximal phalanges 18 of these fingers (fig. 16).

Each finger portion 30, 70, 120 includes a protective layer 32, 72, 122, the protective layer 32, 72, 122 configured to be at least partially disposed over the user's finger. The finger portions 30, 70, 120 are shown in detail in fig. 5-8. The protective layers 32, 72, 122 of the finger portions 30, 70, 120 and the protective layer 152 of the dorsum manus portion 150 distribute the impact over a larger surface, deforming a larger area of the damping layer 40, 80, 130, 154. Due to the larger load area, the pressure decreases and the increased area of the damping layer 40, 80, 130, 154 is activated for absorbing the impact energy.

A pivot 50 connects the first finger portion 30 and the second finger portion 70, wherein the first finger portion 30 and the second finger portion 70 and the pivot 50 define a substantially continuous and flush wall, as shown in fig. 5 and 6. The third finger portion 120 is pivotally connected to the second finger portion 70 by the second pivot 98 in a similar manner.

One of the first and second finger portions 30, 70 includes a circular protrusion 52, and the other of the first and second finger portions 30, 70 includes a corresponding circular recess 56, the circular recess 56 configured to receive the circular protrusion 52. The projection 52 and the recess 56 together form a first pivot 50 connecting the first finger portion 30 and the second finger portion 70. The projection 52 and recess 56 provide a first pivot 50, the first pivot 50 having a non-overlapping relationship between the first finger portion 30 and the second finger portion 70 at the pivot. Thus, the first and second finger portions 30, 70 and the first pivot 50 define substantially continuous and flush walls, and the amount of material between adjacent finger portions is minimized.

Also, preferably, one of the second and third fingers 70, 120 also includes a circular protrusion 100, and the other of the second and third fingers 70, 120 includes a corresponding circular recess 104, the circular recess 104 configured to receive the circular protrusion 100. The projection 100 and the recess 104 together form a second pivot 98 connecting the second finger portion 70 and the third finger portion 120.

In the illustrated embodiment, both the first pivot 50 and the second pivot 98 are disposed on the neutral line of the finger. The neutral line is a line defining the same length between a knuckle and a corresponding fingertip in the extended and flexed state of the finger. If the pivot is arranged on the neutral line, its pivot axis passes through the neutral line. Thus, relative movement of the first and second finger portions 30, 70 and the second and third finger portions 70, 120 with respect to each other is substantially free of tension and compression. The result is a comfortable glove that can be moved through its range of motion with a minimum amount of muscle activity. Of course, this arrangement may also be applied to only one of the first pivot 50 and the second pivot 98. A disadvantage of conventional gloves is that the outer layer is stretched when the hand is closed, i.e. when making a fist or gripping something. This stretching can lead to fatigue when the user repeatedly has to stretch his/her hands and grasp objects. Therefore, gloves are generally designed for optimal comfort during one particular use: motorcycle gloves are typically designed to provide a comfortable fit when the user grips the steering handle. Such motorcycle gloves are less comfortable for the extended hand.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first and second finger portions 30, 70, and the second and third finger portions 70, 120 are connected via cables 60, 108 passing through the first and second pivots 50, 98, respectivelyAnd (6) connecting. The cables pass through the associated apertures 54, 58 and 102, 106. Of course, this arrangement may also be applied to only one of the first pivot 50 and the second pivot 98. The cables 60, 108 may be pre-tensioned using a resilient member (not shown) to prevent the cables from stretching during use. Alternatively, a substantially non-stretched cable, for example, a cable made of

Or other suitable material.

The protective layer 32, 72, 122 has a U-shape with a base 34, 74, 124 and two legs 36, 76, 126, wherein the wall thickness of the base 34, 74, 124 is at least two times larger, preferably at least three times larger, more preferably at least four times larger than the wall thickness of at least one of said U-shaped legs 32, 76, 126. The legs follow the shape of the sides of the finger and due to the combination of small thickness and material properties, the legs can grip the finger gently without causing a feeling of pressure even when moving from the first state to the second state and thus increasing the width of the finger.

The legs 36, 76, 126 of the fingers 30, 70, 120 and the legs 164, 174 of the first and second dorsal portions 160, 170 significantly increase the moment of inertia, and therefore the stiffness, of the profile of the fingers 30, 70, 120 and dorsal portions 160, 170. The legs 36, 76, 126 also prevent the shields 32, 72, 122 from being squeezed aside by impact, which would expose the fingers 4, 6, 8, 10, 12.

The legs 36, 76, 126 preferably extend from the base 34, 74, 124 a distance that is large enough to prevent the fingers 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 from being squeezed by heavy loads, i.e. the space enclosed by the legs 36, 76, 126, the base 34, 74, 124 and the damping layer 40, 80, 130 is preferably sufficient to allow blood circulation even when the hand 2 is stuck between two objects. A damping layer 40, 80, 130 is disposed against the base 34, 74, 124 of the U-shaped protective layer 32, 72, 122 and is configured to abut against the user's fingers.

The finger portion 30, 70, 120 of the outer finger (e.g. little finger 12 and/or index finger 6 and/or thumb 4) comprises an outer leg 38, 78, 128 of the U-shaped protective layer 32, 72, 122 located on the outer side remote from the protective glove 1, wherein the outer leg 38, 78, 128 has thicker walls than the inner leg 36, 76, 126 of the U-shaped protective layer 32, 72, 122 of the outer finger. The outer legs 38, 78, 128 shield the most exposed finger portions from impact and abrasion.

Preferably, a further damping layer 130 is arranged against the outer leg 38, 78, 128 of the U-shaped shielding 32, 72, 122 and is configured to be arranged against the fingers of the user (fig. 4). Due to the further damping layer 130 arranged on the most exposed finger parts of the little finger 12, the index finger 6 and the thumb 4, they are better protected against impacts.

Although the thumb shown in fig. 4 only comprises one outer leg 128 with a larger wall thickness, it should be noted that the relatively large range of motion of the thumb provides sufficient space for the U-shaped protective layer 122 with a larger wall thickness to be arranged around the thumb on the side facing the hand, i.e. towards the index finger.

As shown in fig. 7 and 8, each finger portion 30, 70, 120 preferably has a separate damping layer 40, 80, 130. This improves user comfort because if the damping layers 40, 80, 130 are separated on the separated finger portions 30, 70, 120 when the fingers are moved to the state shown in fig. 8, there is no bending or stretching of the damping layers 40, 80, 130.

Preferably, the damping layer 40, 80, 130 comprises a foam material, more preferably Poron-XRD foam.

To prevent the entry of pointed objects throughout the range of motion of the user's hand, the first finger portion 30 and the second finger portion 70 overlap throughout the range of motion of the first pivot 50 connecting the first finger portion 30 and the second finger portion 70. Also, preferably, the second finger portion 70 and the third finger portion 120 also overlap throughout the range of motion of the second pivot 98 connecting the second finger portion 70 and the third finger portion 120 (fig. 7 and 8).

The overlap 62, 110 preferably includes a curvature about the pivot points 50, 98, wherein sliding contact is maintained between the overlapping fingers 30, 70 and 70, 120 throughout the range of motion of the respective pivot portions 50, 98. Due to the curved overlap 62, 110, impact forces, for example, acting on the second finger portion 70 may be transferred to the first finger portion 30 via the first pivot 50 and to the third finger portion 120 via the second pivot 98. In this way, the damping layers 40, 80, 130 of adjacent fingers 30, 70, 120 may also be compressed to absorb impact forces.

Additional rigidity may be obtained even with a limited wall thickness if at least the outer overlap 62 of the first and second finger portions 30, 70 includes a double curved surface. Also, preferably, the outer overlap 110 of the second finger portion 70 and the third finger portion 120 also includes a double curved surface.

The first finger portion 30 is a distal finger portion configured to shield a distal phalanx 14 of the user's finger. The first digit portion preferably includes a distal guard 42, the distal guard 42 being configured to extend past and over the distal end of the user's finger (fig. 3). The distal guard 42 may be a sleeve-like guard, but may also be open on the underside so that the user may maintain a sensitive touch.

The protective glove 1 further comprises a dorsal portion 150, the dorsal portion 150 having a further protective layer 152 configured to be at least partially arranged on a portion of the dorsal portion 22, i.e. the back of the user's hand (fig. 16). The back of the hand 150 shields the metacarpal bones of the user's hand 2. In order to allow the user to move throughout the range, dorsal portion 150 includes two overlapping portions, namely a first dorsal portion 160 and a second dorsal portion 170, the first dorsal portion 160 and the second dorsal portion 170 having an angled divider 166 extending from substantially at or near or between fingers 6, 8, 10 or 12 and knuckles 24 of fingers 8, 10 or 12 towards the end of the metacarpal of fingers 6, 8, 10 or 12 facing the user's wrist. In fig. 16, the sloped partitions extend substantially from at or near the knuckles 24 of the middle and/or ring fingers 8, 10 or between the knuckles 24 toward the ends of the metacarpals of the little finger facing the user's wrist.

The dorsum manus portion 150 is connected to a sleeve 182, the sleeve 182 being configured to be disposed on the user's lower arm 28.

Fig. 9 shows the third finger part 120 of the middle finger 8 and the first dorsal portion 160 of the dorsal part 150, wherein the third pivot 140 is arranged between the third finger part 120 and the first dorsal portion 160. Note that for thumb 4, third pivot 140 is disposed between second finger portion 70 and first dorsal portion 160.

The dorsum manus portion 150 includes a double-curved region 156 at or near the knuckles 24 of the user's hand 2. The double curved region 156 overlaps the second finger portion 70 of the thumb 4 or the third finger portion 120 of the fingers 6, 8, 10, 12 and functions as a ball joint. The double-curved region 156 provides rigidity even at reduced wall thickness and further provides a range of motion that allows the fingers 70, 120 to rock, roll and tilt relative to the dorsum 150. This movement of the proximal phalanx 18 of the middle finger 8 is indicated by an arrow in fig. 9.

As shown in fig. 9-12, the connection between the second finger portion 70 of the thumb 4 or the third finger portion 120 of the fingers 6, 8, 10, 12 and the back of the hand 150 preferably includes a cable or spring 144 that passes through the aperture 142 of the third pivot 140. The slot 146 may be arranged to facilitate assembly of the cable or spring 144, i.e., the aperture 132 and the slot 134 of the third finger portion 120 (or the second finger portion 70 of the thumb 4).

Both first dorsal portion 160 and second dorsal portion 170 of dorsal portion 150 include protective layer 152 and damping layer 154. As shown in fig. 16, first dorsal portion 160 and second dorsal portion 170 include an overlap 168 overlying respective damping layers 154 (fig. 14). The damping layer 154 may be disposed on an elastic band 158 (fig. 13).

The protective covering 152 of the first dorsal portion 160 includes a base portion 162 and a leg portion 164. The legs 164 extend along the thumb side of the hand 2 and preferably extend from the base 162 a distance large enough to reduce the chance of the metacarpal bones of the user's hand 2 being compressed by heavy loads.

Similarly, the flap 152 of the second back-hand portion 170 includes a base 172 and a leg 174. The legs 174 extend along the little finger side of the hand 2 and preferably extend from the base 172 a distance that is large enough to reduce the chance that the metacarpals of the user's hand 2 will be compressed by heavy loads.

The space enclosed by the legs 164, 174, the bases 162, 172 and the damping layer 154 is preferably sufficient to allow blood circulation even when the hand 2 is caught between two objects.

The protective glove 1 preferably further comprises at least one protective tab 180 extending from said dorsal hand portion 150 over at least a portion of two adjacent third finger portions 120, preventing pointed objects from penetrating between adjacent fingers into the hand 2. The protective tab 180 transmits any impact force to the third finger portion 120 on which it is located. Whereby the force may be absorbed by the protective layer 122 and the damping layer 130 of the respective third finger portion 120.

The protective layers 32, 72, 122, 152 preferably have a young's modulus in the range of 0.1-2GPa, which provides attachment to a hand, such as gripping a finger, without causing a sensation of pressure even when moving from the first state to the second state and thus increasing the width of the finger.

Fig. 17-21 illustrate other embodiments that provide some alternatives to aspects of the first embodiment shown in fig. 1-16. One or more of the following alternatives may replace some aspects of the first embodiment of fig. 1-16 or be combined with some aspects of the first embodiment of fig. 1-16.

Figures 6-8 of the first embodiment illustrate the first finger portion 30 and the second finger portion 70 overlapping throughout the range of motion of the first pivot 50 connecting the first finger portion 30 and the second finger portion 70. Similarly, the second finger portion 70 and the third finger portion 120 overlap throughout the range of motion of the second pivot 98.

As described above, such curved overlaps 62, 110 prevent entry of pointed objects throughout the range of motion of the user's hand. The curved overlapping portions 62, 110 also help to transfer impact forces acting on, for example, the second finger portion 70 to the first finger portion 30 via the first pivot 50 and to transfer such impact forces to the third finger portion 120 via the second pivot 98. Thus, the damping layers 40, 80, 130 of adjacent fingers 30, 70, 120 may also be compressed to absorb impact forces.

In fig. 17-19, the second pivot 98 is shown in an alternative and even more preferred embodiment. Although not shown and described in detail, a similar configuration may be applied to the first pivot 50.

In fig. 17-19, the second pivot 98 includes a curved overlap 110 of the second finger portion 70, wherein the curved overlap 110 includes a guide slot 112. The third finger portion 120 comprises a protrusion 116 configured to cooperate with the guide slot 112. The guide slot 112 and the mating projection 116 increase the rigidity of the finger portions 70, 120 of the protective glove 1 and prevent relative twisting between the second finger portion 70 and the third finger portion 120. They also help maintain the correct position of the second pivot 98.

The guide slot 112 includes a seat 114 configured to act as a stop for the protrusion 116. This stop function of the abutment 114 limits the range of motion of the pivot 98. In this way, the bending overlap 110 can be maintained even under severe impact conditions, ensuring that even in extreme cases no gaps will occur, and that the entry of pointed objects will be prevented. The support 114 can be seen in fig. 18 and 19. Note that, for the purpose of explaining this configuration, fig. 19 shows a case where the projection 116 has moved past the seat 114 of the guide groove 112. In fact, this will never occur because the projection 116 will abut the abutment 114, as shown in FIG. 17.

The connection between the third finger portion 120 and the dorsum manus portion 150 has been described for the first embodiment using fig. 9-12. According to an alternative and even more preferred embodiment, one or more third finger portions 120 are pivotably and slidably arranged in a guide slot 186 of the dorsum manus (fig. 20). The guide slot 186 is preferably disposed between adjacent third fingers 120, for example, in a transverse wall 188. The adjacent third finger portions 120 may then be connected with the connecting member 148, the connecting member 148 extending through the guide slot 186 between the adjacent third finger portions 120. The flexible connection 148, e.g., using cables, cords, etc., increases flexibility between adjacent third finger portions 120. Transverse wall 188 extends from hand back 150 toward the user's hand, but due to its limited height, there will be no contact between the user's hand and the edge of transverse wall 188. The alternative embodiment of fig. 20 is able to move with still less muscle force than the connection of the first embodiment, further reducing fatigue and increasing user comfort.

In the first embodiment, dorsal portion 150 comprises two overlapping portions, namely a first dorsal portion 160 and a second dorsal portion 170, said first and second dorsal portions 160 and 170 having an inclined partition 166, said inclined partition 166 extending from at or near the knuckles 24 of the middle and/or ring finger 8 and/or 10 or between the knuckles 24 towards the end of the metacarpal of the little finger facing the wrist of the user (fig. 16).

According to an alternative and even more preferred embodiment, the thumb cover portion 176 is pivotally connected to the back hand portion 150 (fig. 21). This configuration adds further flexibility to the protective glove 1 and allows free movement of the thumb while maintaining a protective cover around the thumb. The pivotal connection 178 between the back hand portion 150 and the thumb cover portion 176 is disposed near the edge of the back hand portion 150 facing the user's wrist and may include straps or bands. This is substantially close to the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb. It should be noted that the straps shown in fig. 21 may also be disposed under the back hand portion 150 and the thumb cover portion 176.

To prevent gaps that may occur through which objects may affect the user's hand (pointed objects), the back of the hand 150 and the thumb cover portion 176 overlap over their range of motion. The range of motion is the range of motion during use, i.e. when worn by the user, and thus when worn on the user's hand. This range of motion will then be limited by the biomechanics of the user's hand, rather than by the protective glove 1.

As shown in fig. 21, the hand back portion 150 may include one or more strengthening ribs 184.

Preferably, the back of the hand 150 is slightly curved, providing a distance between the back of the hand and the non-contact area 27 (fig. 15) of the user's hand 2.

The cross-sectional side views of fig. 22 and 23 are highly relevant to the embodiment shown in fig. 7 and 8. However, a further damping layer 131 is provided therein, which has different properties than the damping layer 130, allowing adaptation to specific areas.

Preferably, the further damping layer 131 comprises a synthetic rubber, for example silicone rubber or Polyurethane (PU), instead of the foam of the damping layers 40, 80, 130.

Preferably, the further damping layer 131 comprises a shore a hardness below 8. More preferably a shore 00 hardness of less than 55, and still more preferably at or below a shore 00 hardness value of 50.

In the embodiment of fig. 22 and 23, the damping material 40 has an extension 41 that extends along a portion of the distal guard 42. During use, the extension 41 shields the front side of the fingertip 13 from impact forces that are partially absorbed by the damping material 40 in the extension 41.

Further, the first finger portion 30 is provided with an opening 44. As shown in fig. 25, the opening 44 in the first finger portion 30 allows the user to touch an object with his/her bare finger, thereby providing an optimal tactile sensation.

The embodiment shown in fig. 24 includes wrist guards 194. Wrist guard 194 widens in a direction away from dorsal portion 150, providing maneuverability.

To provide flexibility, wrist guards 194 include at least a first wrist guard portion 196 and a second wrist guard portion 198. In the illustrated embodiment, first and second wrist guard members 196, 198 are each provided with a respective slot 202, 204, with a strap 200 disposed in slots 202, 204. Another strap 206 connects the wrist guard 194 and the back of the hand 150.

In the embodiment of fig. 25, the containment flap 180 is attached via a substantially flexible attachment member 192, preferably a strap or a band.

While they illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention in any way. It is, therefore, to be understood that where the features mentioned in the appended claims are followed by reference signs, those signs are included merely for the purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and shall not be intended to limit the scope of the claims in any manner.

Furthermore, it is particularly noted that the technical measures of the different embodiments may be combined by a person skilled in the art. One or more of the alternatives shown in fig. 17-25 may be substituted for, or combined with, some aspects of the first embodiment of fig. 1-16.

For example, although the back of the hand is shown as a single portion in fig. 21, the thumb covering portion 176 may also be combined with the back of the hand 150 including the first back of the hand portion 160 and the second back of the hand portion 170, as shown in fig. 1-2 and 16. Thus, a separate thumb cover portion 176 may also be applied as opposed to the first hand back portion 160 also covering the thumb. This will result in a dorsal portion 150 having a first dorsal portion 160 and a second dorsal portion 170, with thumb cover portion 176 pivotally connected to first dorsal portion 160.

Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.

Claims (29)

1. A glove, comprising:

-at least a first finger portion and a second finger portion, each finger portion comprising a protective layer configured to be at least partially arranged on a finger portion of a user; and

-a pivot connecting the first finger portion and the second finger portion;

-wherein the pivot axis has a pivot axis substantially coinciding with a finger knuckle of a user's hand; and is

-wherein one of the first and second finger portions comprises a circular protrusion and wherein the other of the first and second finger portions comprises a corresponding circular recess configured to receive the circular protrusion, the protrusion and recess together forming the pivot connecting the first finger portion and the second finger portion; and is

It is characterized in that

-the glove is a protective glove;

-the projection and the recess provide the pivot with a non-overlapping relationship between the first and the second finger portions at the pivot in a direction along a lateral side of a knuckle; and is

Wherein the first and second finger portions and the pivot define substantially continuous and flush walls.

2. The glove of claim 1 wherein the first finger portion and the second finger portion have walls extending from the pivot along substantially the entire length of the phalanges of the user's fingers, the walls configured to provide lateral side protection of the fingers.

3. A glove according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pivot is arranged on or near a neutral line of the user's fingers, the neutral line defining the same length between the joints and fingertips of the respective fingers in the extended and flexed state of the fingers.

4. The glove of claim 1 wherein the first and second finger portions are connected by a cable passing through the pivot.

5. The glove of claim 1 wherein the protective layer has a U-shape with a base and two legs, wherein the wall thickness of the base is at least two times greater than the wall thickness of at least one leg of the U-shaped protective layer.

6. The glove of claim 5 further comprising a damping layer disposed against the base of the U-shaped protective layer and configured to be disposed against the finger portion of the user.

7. A glove according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the finger portion of the user's outer finger comprises the outer leg of the U-shaped protective layer, the outer leg being on the outer side remote from the glove, the outer leg having a greater wall thickness than the inner leg of the U-shaped protective layer of the outer finger.

8. The glove according to claim 7, further comprising another damping layer disposed against the outer leg of the U-shaped protective layer and configured to be disposed against the user's finger.

9. The glove of claim 5 wherein each finger portion has a separate damping layer.

10. The glove of claim 6 wherein the damping layer comprises a foam material.

11. The glove of claim 1 wherein the first and second finger portions have an overlap throughout the range of motion of the pivot connecting the first finger portion and the second finger portion.

12. The glove of claim 11, wherein the overlap includes a bend about the pivot point, wherein sliding contact is maintained between the overlapping first and second finger portions throughout the range of motion of the pivot.

13. The glove of claim 12, wherein the curved overlap includes a guide slot disposed on one of the first finger portion and the second finger portion, and a protrusion disposed on the other of the first finger portion and the second finger portion, wherein the protrusion is configured to mate with the guide slot.

14. The glove of claim 12 or 13, wherein the curved overlap comprises a guide slot disposed on one of the second and third fingers and a protrusion disposed on the other of the second and third fingers, wherein the protrusion is configured to mate with the guide slot.

15. The glove of claim 13 wherein the guide slot includes a stop configured to act as a stop for the protrusion, the stop limiting the range of motion of the pivot.

16. The glove of claim 11, wherein at least the outer overlapping portion of the first and/or second finger portion comprises a doubly curved surface.

17. The glove of claim 1 wherein the first finger portion is a distal finger portion configured to shield a distal phalange of the user's finger, wherein the first finger portion includes a distal shield configured to extend past and over a distal end of the user's finger.

18. The glove of claim 1 further comprising a back hand portion having another protective layer configured to be at least partially disposed over a portion of the back hand of the user.

19. The glove of claim 18 wherein the dorsal portion comprises first and second dorsal portions overlapping and having an oblique separation extending substantially from at or near or between the knuckles of the middle and/or ring fingers towards the end of the metacarpal bone of the little finger facing the user's wrist.

20. A glove according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the thumb cover portion is pivotally connected to the back of the hand.

21. The glove of claim 20 wherein the back hand portion and the thumb cover portion overlap over their range of motion.

22. The glove of claim 18 wherein the dorsal portion includes a double flex region at or near a knuckle of the user's hand that overlaps with the second or third digit.

23. The glove of claim 18, wherein one or more third finger portions are pivotably and slidably disposed in guide slots of the dorsum manus portion.

24. The glove of claim 23 wherein the guide slot is disposed between adjacent third finger portions.

25. The glove of claim 24 wherein adjacent third finger portions are connected with a connector extending through the guide slot between the adjacent third finger portions.

26. The glove of claim 18 further comprising at least one protective flap extending from the dorsal portion over at least a portion of two adjacent third finger portions.

27. The glove of claim 18, wherein the back of the hand includes one or more strengthening ribs.

28. The glove of claim 1 wherein the protective layer has a young's modulus in the range of 0.1-2 GPa.

29. A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions adapted to cause a 3D printer to print at least a finger portion of a glove according to any preceding claim, and/or to print a mould of at least the finger portion of a protective glove according to any preceding claim.

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