Energy diffusing glove insert

Abstract

An energy diffusing pad insertable within a glove. The pad includes a resilient material having a first and a second surface, and a front and rear portion. The first surface is positionable against a user's palm such that when the pad is aligned over the user's palm, the first surface of the cushion contacts at least the thenar and hypothenar eminences of a user's palm while not contacting the user's Median and Ulnar neurovascular bundles. The glove may include a pouch to retain the pad while in use. When in use, the pad is positioned over the user's palm, where the pad forms a bridge over the raised, bony thenar and hypothenar eminences of a user's palm. The pad diffuses the pressure of the grasped object away from the region between the thenar and hypothenar eminences, thus protecting the Median and Ulnar neurovascular bundles. A cushioned insert may be included within a portion of the pad to provide additional cushioning and protection of the Median and Ulnar nerves.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Utility Pat. Application No. 10 / 460,319, filed Jun. 11, 2003, entitled ENERGY DIFFUSING GLOVE INSERT, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] n / a FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0003] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for cushioning one's hands during athletic activities that involve prolonged squeezing, carrying or gripping actions and more specifically to a glove insert that protects critical nerves in the user's hand by dampening the force, shock and vibration imparted to the user's central palm and by diffusing the pressure away from the center of the palm toward lateral regions in the user's hand. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] Many athletic activities involve prolonged or intense gripping or squeezing of hard objects, which can adversely affect critical nerve regions i...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] The present invention addresses the deficiencies of the art with respect to energy diffusing glove inserts and provides a novel and non-obvious method and apparatus for protecting a user's hands during activities that involve prolonged and / or intense grasping or squeezing by providing a resilient cushion that is insertable within a glove and is positioned over the user's thenar and hypothenar eminences of a user's palm to diffuse the pressure against the vulnerable Median and Ulnar neurovascular bundles. The present invention provides a flexible cushion that is positioned over the thenar and hypothenar eminences of the user's palm in order to reduce the effects of vibration and shock, which may lead to problems such as tennis elbow, golfer's elbow and bursitis.

[0015] In yet another aspect of the invention, a glove with energy diffusing capabilities for diverting pressure from the Median and Ulnar neurovascular bundles of a user's hand is provided. The glove is adaptable for covering at least a user's palm while allowing the user to grasp an object. The glove includes a resilient cushion positionable within the glove so as to be aligned with the thenar and hypothenar eminences of the user's palm in order to diffuse pressure exerted by the graspable object away from the Median and Ulnar neurovascular bundles.

Problems solved by technology

Many athletic activities involve prolonged or intense gripping or squeezing of hard objects, which can adversely affect critical nerve regions in the athlete's arm.

This can be due to the intense shock, pressure and vibration imparted upon the critical nerves in the user's palms.

Due to the lifting of heavy weights, the pressure applied to the weightlifter's hands as they support the bar can be intense.

Cyclist's hands do not support heavy weight, but instead must hold on tightly to handlebars for long periods of time, perhaps hours during long road rides, and over treacherous, rocky terrain, when riding off-road.

Tennis players, racquetball players and golfers can even experience numbness and weakness in their hands long after they have finished playing.

The could result in numbness in the fingers, swelling of the hands, and tennis elbow or carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a variant of Ulnar nerve damage due to prolonged exposure to pressure, vibration and the shock of impact.

After a short time, the pressure from intense gripping restricts the circulation in the neurovascular bundles causing decreased blood flow and a tingling in the hands.

Continuous pressure such as in a prolonged bike ride or intense weightlifting can cause numbness and permanent damage to the user's hands.

Further, the athlete's performance can be severely limited from the injury, pain and numbness due to the constant assault on the palm of the hand and the Median and Ulnar neurovascular complexes caused by intense and prolonged grasping of an object.

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