Two-part easy-on and stay-on mittens, gloves, and hand-covering devices, systems, and methods

Abstract

A two-part easy-on and stay-on mitten includes a cuff part donned before, and a mitten part donned after, a jacket. The cuff part extends from mid-palm to mid-forearm and protects the wrist against cold. It has a thumb hole which secures it in place while pushing an arm through the jacket's sleeve. The cuff and mitten parts have mating fastener patches, which securely and removably engage one another. The cuff part can be worn interchangeably on a left or right hand, and leaves the fingers free to close the jacket's zippers and buttons. The mitten part has a closeable slit that provides a clear line of sight to guide the wearer's thumb into a mitten thumb hole. A mitten strap closes the slit and removably secures the fastener patches in engagement with one another. The strap has a tab member which can be grasped while wearing a mitten.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to hand-coverings and, more particularly, to two-part easy-on and stay-on mittens, gloves, and hand-covering devices, systems, and methods.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]In the prior art, it may have been known to provide a mitten with an integral flared arm portion, which may have been configured to extend up a child's lower arm and over the elbow. An elastic at the cuff may have been intended to hold the mitten in place. Such mittens could be worn with their flared arm portions over or under the child's jacket sleeve. When worn over the jacket sleeve, certain arm and / or shoulder movements may have been likely to cause, and / or the mitten may have been otherwise susceptible to progressively sliding down the sleeve with, the child's hands withdrawing from the mitten cavity into the flared arm. Typically, in the prior art, the flared arm portion may not have been as well insulated as the mitten cavity and / or the chi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a two-part design that includes a cuff and a mitten (or glove). The cuff is designed to be donned before the jacket and has a size and configuration that does not interfere with the jacket. It is made from a waterproof material and extends from the wearer's mid-palm to mid-forearm, protecting the wrist from cold and snow. The mitten has a slit that allows the wearer's thumb to be easily guided into it. Once the fingers and thumb are engaged, a strap attached to the mitten can close the slit and secure it in place, preventing it from falling off or being removed unintentionally. The invention provides an easier alternative to pushing bulky mittens through the jacket sleeves and provides warmth and conformal contact with a wide range of wrist diameters.

Problems solved by technology

When worn over the jacket sleeve, certain arm and / or shoulder movements may have been likely to cause, and / or the mitten may have been otherwise susceptible to progressively sliding down the sleeve with, the child's hands withdrawing from the mitten cavity into the flared arm.

Typically, in the prior art, the flared arm portion may not have been as well insulated as the mitten cavity and / or the child's fingers may have become more exposed to the cold.

Further, at this point, the child's fingers and / or thumb may have been no longer properly engaged within the mitten, and the child may have found it more difficult or impossible to properly and / or effectively use their thumb in holding and / or manipulating objects.

In the result, children may have become frustrated with such prior art mittens, and removed them altogether.

Still further, in the case when children donned such prior art mittens without help, it may have been prohibitively difficult for the child to extend the flared arm portion relative to the jacket sleeve.

However, while donning the second mitten, the child may have attempted same, this time not with a bare hand, but rather with the hand already in the first mitten and / or with insufficient dexterity to readily, easily, and / or successfully extend the flared arm over top of the second sleeve.

It may have been very difficult for the child to push the mittens through the jacket's sleeves, given the insulated and relatively bulky mittens in comparison with the inside diameter of the jacket sleeves.

Further, with the mittens donned before the jacket, the child may have had insufficient dexterity to manipulate snaps, zippers, etc. to properly close and fasten the jacket once the jacket was on.

There may have been no line of sight into the thumb cavity and, perhaps in part for this reason, it may have been difficult for an adult to guide and / or confirm that the thumb was in the thumb cavity.

Further, young children may lack dexterity and / or abilities to follow helpers' directions for them to successfully navigate the entrance to the thumb cavity independently.

Such mittens, however, may have failed to prevent cold and / or snow incursions in the gap between the mittens and the jacket sleeves.

Further, such mittens may have been susceptible to accidentally falling off and / or to casually or unintentionally removing them.

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