Tab For A Sports Glove

Abstract

The disclosed technology includes a sports glove including a tab. The sports glove can include a thumb part; a finger part; a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and comprising a hand stall configured to receive a hand of the wearer of the sports glove. The sports glove can further include a heel part located on a proximal end of the palm part and a tab attached to the heel part and extending from a first end attached to the heel part to a second end disposed a distance away from the heel part. The tab can be sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprise an aperture configured to receive an attachment.

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0001] The disclosed technology relates generally to devices and methods of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer, and, more particularly, attachments configured to enable a tighter fit of a sports glove and to enable the sports glove to hang from another object by a clip or other device.BACKGROUND

[0002] Sports players often seek a tighter fit of their gloves for comfort and performance reasons. Traditionally, sports players will tighten their gloves by either pulling a heel of the glove toward their arm, or pushing down on the top of the glove. Both traditional methods aim to have palm and fingers of the wearer's hand be as deep into the glove as possible, allowing the wearer to catch a ball more securely in their respective sports. It is often desirable to adjust the glove throughout the course of a game, as the glove can adjust or shift while in use. Additionally, gloves can be difficult to transport, as it is often undesirable to carry them in a backpack which may deform the glove. As sports players often carry a backpack to and from their respective sporting events, existing systems have made attempts to attach the glove to the exterior of a backpack, thus ensuring the wearer will not need to separately carry the sports glove. Current solutions include a separate clip mechanism that attaches to a wrist part of the sports glove, allowing the glove to hang from the exterior of a backpack, fence, hook, etc. However, the separate clip mechanism must detach from the sports glove for the sports glove to be used and, therefore, may be misplaced and are unable to accomplish at least the tightening functions of the sports glove.

[0003] What is needed, therefore, is a method and system for allowing a wearer to tighten their sports glove more easily while also being configured allow the glove to hang from an object. These and other advantages of the presently-disclosed technology will become apparent throughout the following disclosure.SUMMARY

[0004] The disclosed technology includes a sports glove including a tab. The sports glove can include a thumb part; a finger part; a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and comprising a hand stall configured to receive a hand of the wearer of the sports glove. The sports glove can further include a heel part located on a proximal end of the palm part and a tab attached to the heel part and extending from a first end attached to the heel part to a second end disposed a distance away from the heel part. The tab can be sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprise an aperture configured to receive an attachment.

[0005] The disclosed technology can further include a sports glove including a thumb part; a finger part; a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and comprising a hand stall at a proximal end of the sports glove configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove. The hand stall can comprise a palmar side and a dorsal side. The sports glove can further include a heel part located on the palmar side of the hand stall and a tab attached to the sports glove and extending from a first end attached to the sports glove to a second end disposed a distance away from the sport glove. The tab can be sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprise an aperture configured to receive an attachment.

[0006] The disclosed technology can additionally include a method of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer including: inserting the hand into the sports glove, wherein the sports glove can include a thumb part; a finger part; a web part that can be disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and including a hand stall configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove; a heel part that can be located on a proximal end of the palm part; and a tab that can be attached to the heel part that can extend from a first end attached to the heel part to a second end disposed a distance away from the heel part. The tab can be sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and can include an aperture which can be configured to receive an attachment. The method can further include pulling on the tab of the sports glove.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter and serve to explain the principles of the presently disclosed subject matter. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter in any manner.

[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates a back view of a sports glove including a tab, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a sports glove including a tab, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 3A illustrates a front view of a tab, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 3B illustrates a side view of a tab, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 3C illustrates a side view of a tab including a reinforcement material, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 4A illustrates a tab including an attachment, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 4B illustrates a sports glove including a tab in a hanging configuration via a clip, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a back view of a sports glove including a plurality of attachment locations on a back side of the sports glove, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of a sports glove including a plurality of attachment locations on a front side of the sports glove, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates a plurality of shapes of a tab and corresponding apertures, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The disclosed technology relates generally to systems and methods of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer and configuring a glove to hang from an object. Unlike existing systems which only allow the wearer to hang the sports glove, the disclosed technology can accomplish both goals by using a tab attached to the sports glove. The tab can be used as an interface point with the wearer in order to pull the heel or other attachment point of the glove to achieve a tighter fit. The tab can be attached to the glove in a discreet manner, such that the tab can be present on the glove during play, allowing the wearer to make tightening adjustments to the glove using the tab. The tab can also function as a clipping point, such that a separate clip can be used to allow the glove to hang from another object. In this way, the disclosed technology is not limited to out of play adjustments or completely separate, bulky clips.

[0019] Although various aspects of the disclosed technology are explained in detail herein, it is to be understood that other aspects of the disclosed technology are contemplated. Accordingly, it is not intended that the disclosed technology is limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components expressly set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed technology can be implemented and practiced or carried out in various ways. In particular, the presently disclosed subject matter is described in the context of systems and methods of tightening and hanging a sports glove. The present disclosure, however, is not so limited, and can be applicable in other contexts such as systems and methods used for a work glove, a hunting glove, a cooking glove, or other gloves, mitts, or devices worn on the hand of a wearer. Accordingly, when the present disclosure is described in the context of systems and methods of a tab attached to a sports glove which can accomplish both the tightening and hanging functions, it will be understood that other implementations can take the place of those referred to herein.

[0020] It should also be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,”“an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. References to a composition containing “a” constituent is intended to include other constituents in addition to the one named.

[0021] Also, in describing the disclosed technology, terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is intended that each term contemplates its broadest meaning as understood by those skilled in the art and includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

[0022] Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” or “substantially” one particular value and / or to “about” or “approximately” or “substantially” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, the disclosed technology can include from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value. Further, ranges described as being between a first value and a second value are inclusive of the first and second values. Likewise, ranges described as being from a first value and to a second value are inclusive of the first and second values.

[0023] Herein, the use of terms such as “having,”“has,”“including,” or “includes” are open-ended and are intended to have the same meaning as terms such as “comprising” or “comprises” and not preclude the presence of other structure, material, or acts. Similarly, though the use of terms such as “can” or “may” are intended to be open-ended and to reflect that structure, material, or acts are not necessary, the failure to use such terms is not intended to reflect that structure, material, or acts are essential. To the extent that structure, material, or acts are presently considered to be essential, they are identified as such.

[0024] The components described hereinafter as making up various elements of the disclosed technology are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many suitable components that would perform the same or similar functions as the components described herein are intended to be embraced within the scope of the disclosed technology. Such other components not described herein can include, but are not limited to, similar components that are developed after development of the presently disclosed subject matter.

[0025] As used herein, the term “sports glove” can be used to describe a glove to be used in the sports of baseball, softball, lacrosse, hockey, or other similar contexts.

[0026] As used herein, the terms “in use” and “not in use” can be used to describe whether or not a glove wearer is wearing the glove, regardless of whether the wearer is actively using the glove for a particular purpose.

[0027] Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements, the present disclosure is herein described. FIG. 1 illustrates a sports glove 100 including a tab 110. The sports glove 100 can include a proximal end 120 and a distal end 121. Specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates the sports glove 100 in the form of a baseball glove, however other sports gloves or mitts can be similarly used such as a softball glove, a hockey glove, a lacrosse glove, a cricket mitt, etc. A relative location of the proximal end 120 and the distal end 121 of the sports glove 100 can be interpreted as is understood in the art, but more specifically the distal end 121 refers to an end furthest from a wrist of a wearer when the sports glove 100 is being worn and the proximal end 120 refers to an end nearest a wrist of the wearer when the sports glove 100 is being worn. Similarly, terminology related to direction such as “proximally” and “distally” can be used to describe a relative location of components of the sports glove 100. The sports glove 100 can include a hand stall 125 which, as is understood in the art, can be a region of the sports glove 100 configured to receive a hand of a glove wearer. Specifically, the hand stall 125 can include an opening configured to receive a hand of a glove wearer. The tab 110, in other embodiments, can be attached to any part of the hand stall 125. That is, the hand stall 125 can include a peripheral edge at the proximal end 120, such that the tab 110 is configured to be attached to any point of the peripheral edge. The glove wearer, traditionally, can use the distal end 121 to push the glove toward an arm of the glove wearer to achieve a tighter fit. However, adjustments using the distal end 121 can be less effective than pulling the sports glove 100 from the proximal end 120 and may lead to deformation of the sports glove 100. Thus, some embodiments can include the tab 110 attached to any point of the proximal end 120.

[0028] The tab 110 can be made from the same material as the sports glove 100 or the tab 110 can be made from material different from the material used to make the sports glove 100. For example, the tab 110 can be made from leather, polyester, nylon, thermoplastic rubber (TPR), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyurethane (PU) leather, silicone, carbon fiber, denim, Kevlar, or other durable materials. Furthermore, the tab 110 can be a single piece of material, woven from multiple pieces of the same material, or can be a composite made from two or more materials.

[0029] The sports glove 100 can further include a plurality of glove parts, wherein the plurality of glove parts can be relevant to the tightening of the sports glove 100, the hanging of the sports glove 100, or both. For example, the sports glove can include a wrist part 131. The wrist part 131 can be located distally to the hand stall 125 and configured to align, or at least nearly align, with a portion of a wrist of the wearer. Additionally, the hand stall 125 can further include a dorsal side 128, such that the dorsal side 128 is located near a top side of the hand of the wearer, as opposed to a palm of the wearer when the sports glove 100 is being worn. That is, in some embodiments, the wrist part 131 can be near the dorsal side 128 of the hand stall 125. The tab 110 can be attached to any portion of the dorsal side 128 of the hand stall 125. The sports glove 100 can further include a finger part 132. The finger part 132 can be located distally to the wrist part 131. The finger part 132 can be configured to receive one or more fingers of the hand of the wearer. Specifically, the finger part 132 can be positioned on the sports glove 100 such that a back opening 134 is disposed between the finger part 132 and the wrist part 131. The glove wearer may use the back opening 134 to temporarily rest one or more fingers outside of the sports glove 100. Consequently, the back opening 134 can serve as another point of manual adjustment of the sports glove 100 by the glove wearer. Similarly, the back opening 134 can further include an interior edge 136, as will be discussed further herein. The sports glove 100 can further include a thumb part 133, such that the thumb part 133 can be configured to receive a thumb of the wearer. The sports glove 100 can further include a web part 135. The web part 135 can be a portion of the sports glove 100 disposed between the finger part 132 and the thumb part 133. More specifically, the web part 135 can be attached to the finger part 132 and the thumb part 133. As is understood in the art, the web part 135 can be configured to assist with catching a ball of any sport as related to the sports glove 100.

[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the sports glove 100 including the tab 110. The sports glove 100 can include a catching surface, as shown in FIG. 2, and a back surface, as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the sports glove 100 can further include a palm part 210. The palm part 210 can be positioned proximally to the finger part 132 and the thumb part 133, or more specifically, nearer to the proximal end 120 than the finger part 132 and the thumb part 133. The palm part 210 can be configured to receive a palm of the hand of the wearer. As is discussed in FIG. 1, the sports glove 100 can include the dorsal side 128. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 2, the sports glove 100 can further include a palmar side 220, such that the palmar side 220 is near the palm of the wearer while the sports glove 100 is being worn. Further, the hand stall 125 can include the dorsal side 128 and the palmar side 220. As will be appreciated, the hand stall 125 can include the peripheral edge defining an aperture configured to receive the hand of the wearer. As such, the hand stall 125 can be described as having the dorsal side 128 and palmar side 220 to further define attachment points for the tab 110. That is, the tab 110, as shown in FIG. 2, can be attached to the palmar side 220 of the hand stall 125. The palm part 210 can have a similarly defined proximal end, such that the proximal end of the palm part 210 can further include a heel part 230. The heel part 230 can be positioned on the palmar side 220 of the hand stall 125. That is, the heel part 230 can be specifically defined as a region disposed on the proximal end of the palm part 210. The heel part 230 can further include a palmar side of the peripheral edge of the hand stall 125, such that the tab 110 can be attached to the heel part 230 as shown in FIG. 2. As will be appreciated, the heel part 230 is a common point of manual adjustment by the glove wearer, that is, the glove wearer can instead interface with the tab 110 disposed on the heel part 230 for an easier point of grip when making tightening adjustments to the sports glove 100. Furthermore, if the tab 110 is attached to the heel part 230, the tab 110 can be configured to be attached to the sports glove 100 while in use, and consequently can enable the glove wearer to make easier tightening adjustments during gameplay.

[0031] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a front view and a side view of the tab 110, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3A, the tab 110 can include a first end 302. The first end 302, in some embodiments, can be configured to be attached to the sports glove 100. For example, the first end 302 can be attached to the sports glove 100 at the proximal end 120. The first end 302 can be attached to any part of the sports glove 100 as discussed herein. In some embodiments, the first end 302 of the tab 110 can be attached to the heel part 230 of the sports glove 100. The tab 110 can further include a second end 304. The second end 304 can be disposed a distance away from the sports glove 100, or extend a distance away from the sports glove 100. Similarly, in some embodiments, the second end 304 can be disposed a distance away from the heel part 230, or extend a distance away from the heel part 230. That is, the tab 110 can extend from the first end 302 to the second end 304. The second end 304 can serve as an interface point for the glove wearer to pull and tighten the sports glove 100. That is, the tab 110 can be sized to be gripped by the wearer of the sports glove 100. In some embodiments, a width of the first end 302 can be greater than a width of the second end 304.

[0032] The first end 302 can be attached to the sports glove 100 via stitching. That is, the tab 110 can be stitched to the heel part 230 of the sports glove 100. Stitching can be considered a permanent attachment, such that the tab 110 can be attached to the sports glove 100 whether or not the glove wearer is using the glove. Similarly, the tab 110 can further include a stitched portion 310 and a non-stitched portion 312. The stitched portion 310 can be located near the first end 302, and the non-stitched portion 312 can be located near the second end 304. The stitched portion 310 can be characterized by including a stitching pattern, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. The non-stitched portion 312 can be configured to be the interface point with the wearer, such that the wearer can pull on the non-stitched portion 312 of the tab 110 to tighten the sport glove 100.

[0033] The stitching pattern can be any stitching pattern known in the art, or exemplary stitching patterns for sports gloves specifically. For example, the stitching pattern can be a running stitch, a baste stitch, a back stitch, a ladder stitch, a catch stitch, a whip stitch, a blanket stitch, or similar stitch patterns known in the art. Furthermore, the stitching pattern can be disposed on different areas of the stitched portion 310. In some embodiments, the stitching pattern can be disposed near a periphery of the stitched portion 310. In some embodiments, the stitched portion can define a transition from the stitched portion 310 to the non-stitched portion 312. That is, the stitching pattern can be configured to create a gap within the non-stitched portion 312.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3B, the tab 110 can further include an aperture 320. The aperture 320 can be disposed on the second end 304 of the tab 110. Specifically, in some embodiments, the non-stitched portion 312 can include an aperture 320. That is, the stitching pattern of the stitched portion 310 can be such that the aperture 320 is formed within the non-stitched portion 312. In some embodiments, the aperture 320 can be configured to attach to a clip. As will be described in greater detail herein, the clip can be configured to allow the sports glove 100 to hang from an object via the aperture 320 of the tab 110. Similarly, as will be appreciated, the tab 110 can include a single piece, or strip, of material, such that the strip can be folded onto itself and stitched at the first end 302 such that the aperture 320 is formed at the second end 304. That is, the strip can be folded and stitched in such a fashion such that the non-stitched portion 312 comprises a gap forming the aperture 320, as shown in FIG. 3B.

[0035] The tab 110 can further include a first part 330 and a second part 332. The first part 330 and the second part 332 can be stitched together at least partially within the stitched portion 310. The first part 330 and the second part 332, that is, can be stitched together such that the aperture 320 forms at the second end 304. The tab 110 can further be defined as including a first side 340 and a second side 342. As will be discussed in greater detail herein, in some embodiments, the tab 110 can comprise an aperture which extends from the first side 340 to the second side 342.

[0036] FIG. 3C illustrates the tab 110 including a reinforcement material 350. The reinforcement material 350 can be located within an interior surface of the aperture 320, such that the reinforcement material 350 is configured to inhibit wear on the interior surface of the aperture 320. As can be appreciated, wear on any surface can occur at least in part due to extended use, and the implementation of a reinforcement material can aid to mitigate wear. For example, the reinforcement material 350 can include a Kevlar, metal, plastic, TPR, TPU, silicone, leather, carbon fiber, or other materials of similar material properties and contexts.

[0037] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a sports glove 400 including the tab 110 attached to an attachment 410 in accordance with example embodiments. As shown in FIG. 4A, the aperture 320 of the tab 110 can be configured to receive an attachment 410. As is illustrated in FIG. 4A, the attachment 410 can be a two-way clip. Other embodiments of the attachment 410 can include a clip, a carabiner, a hook, a string, a shoelace, and other attachment mechanisms of similar context. The attachment 410 can be configured to be removed when the glove wearer uses or otherwise wears the glove. As will be appreciated, the attachment 410 can be separately attached to another object, such that when the attachment 410 is detached from the sports glove 100, it can rest on another object such as a backpack, fence, post, wall, etc. In some embodiments, the attachment 410 can be a tool, such that the tool is configured to provide a mechanical advantage to the glove wearer when tightening the sports glove 100. In this way, the tab 110 can be configured to couple with a plurality of attachments to allow the glove wearer to tighten the fit of the sports glove 100, hang the sports glove 100, or both.

[0038] FIG. 4B illustrates the sports glove 400 attached to an object 420 via the attachment 410. The object 420 can be any reasonable object so as to be attachable to embodiments of the attachment 410. In particular, when the attachment 410 is a clip, the object 420 may be a backpack as are commonly used by players in sports using the sports glove 100. In another embodiment, the object 420 can be a fence, or a link of a fence, such that the wearer can hang the sports glove 100 via the attachment 410 on the fence, as is common and understood in the art. In this way, the sports glove 100 can be configured to hang from the object 420 via an interfacing of the attachment 410 and the tab 110. For example, the sports glove 100 can be configured to hang via the tab 110 and the attachment 410 to any object including a loop or aperture, such that a clip of the attachment may be secured at least partially within the loop or aperture of the object 420. In some embodiments, the sports glove 100 is part of multiple sports gloves each including the tab 110. The multiple sports gloves can be configured to hang via the attachment 410 to the object 420. In another embodiment, the multiple sports gloves can be configured to hang via a plurality of attachments. Particularly, in some embodiments, each of the multiple sports gloves have a tab 110 and respective attachment 410 such that the object 420 is configured to attach to each of the multiple sports gloves.

[0039] FIG. 5 illustrates the sports glove 500 including a plurality of tabs in a plurality of tab locations on a back side of the sports glove 500. As discussed herein, the tab 110 can be attached to the heel part 230, the dorsal side 128, on a peripheral edge of the hand stall 125, and in any location on the proximal end 120 of the sports glove 100. However, as will be appreciated, the wearer of the sports glove 100 may benefit from other locations of the tab 110. The sports glove 500 can further include a tab 510 disposed on the interior edge 136 of the back opening 134. That is, tab 510 can be attached to the sports glove 500 at the interior edge 136. Furthermore, the sports glove 500 can include a tab 520 disposed on the web part 135. More specifically, the tab 520 can be attached to the sports glove 500 at the web part 135. The tab 510 and the tab 520 may be of any embodiments of the tab 110 as discussed herein. That is, the sports glove 500 can include the tab 110, the tab 510, and the tab 520, each being the same tab embodiment of tab embodiments discussed herein. Attachment locations for tab 110, tab 510, and tab 520 are not constrained to what is shown in the respective regions to which each tab is attached. However, the sports glove 500 can include any combination of tab 110, tab 510, and tab 520. In some embodiments, the wearer can select a tab location including any tab location discussed herein.

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates a sports glove 600 including a plurality of tabs in a plurality of tab locations on a front side of the sports glove 600. As can be appreciated, the plurality of tabs can be located along a periphery of the sports glove 600. Each tab of the plurality of tabs can be located on the sports glove 600 alone or in combination with any location of tab shown or discussed herein. The sports glove 600 can include the tab 110, which may be located, disposed on, or attached to any location discussed herein. The tab 110 may be of any embodiments discussed herein, and similarly any tab of the plurality of tabs as shown in FIG. 6 can be of any embodiments of the tab 110 as discussed herein. Specifically, a tab of the plurality of tabs can be disposed on any part of the heel part 230, the palmar side 220, the proximal end 120, a peripheral edge of the palm part 210, a peripheral edge of the thumb part 133, a peripheral edge of the web part 135, a peripheral edge of the finger part 132, the distal end 121, or any combination thereof as illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0041] FIG. 7 illustrates a plurality of tabs 700. The plurality of tabs 700 illustrate various different examples of tabs that can be attached to a sports glove. However, the plurality of tabs 700 shown in FIG. 7 are offered for illustrative purposes and the disclosed technology should not be limited to the examples illustrated in the plurality of tabs 700. Any of the plurality of tabs 700 can be disposed on, attached to, or located on any part of the sports glove 100, the sports glove 500, or the sports glove 600 discussed herein.

[0042] The plurality of tabs 700 can include a first set of tabs 710. The first set of tabs 710 can be grouped due in part to an embodiment of an aperture of each tab of the first set of tabs. That is, each tab of the first set of tabs 710 can have an aperture as described for embodiments of the tab 110. Specifically, the first set of tabs 710 can have an aperture formed by folding a first part of a tab onto a second part of the tab. Likewise, the first set of tabs 710 can have an aperture formed by stitching the first part of the tab onto the second part of the tab. The first set of tabs 710 can each include a single piece, or strip, of material, such that the strip is configured to be folded onto itself and stitched to form an aperture. Each tab of the first set of tabs 710 can include a stitched portion and a non-stitched portion, such that the non-stitched portion includes an aperture. The aperture as discussed herein for any of the tabs of the first set of tabs 710 can include any configuration or function of aperture as discussed herein, and specifically discussed for the tab 110.

[0043] The plurality of tabs 700 can further include a second set of tabs 720. Each tab of the second set of tabs 720 can be characterized by having an aperture extending from a first side of the tab to a second side of the tab. The first side can be analogous to the first side 340 as shown in FIG. 3B for tab 110, and likewise the second side can be analogous to the second side 342 as shown in FIG. 4B for tab 110. In this way, the aperture for each tab of the second set of tabs 720 can act as a through-hole. In some of the examples shown in FIG. 7, the aperture for a respective tab of the second set of tabs 720 can have an aperture shape, such that the aperture shape can be substantially similar to a shape of the tab. For example, if the shape of the tab is substantially rectangular, then the shape of the aperture can be substantially rectangular; if the shape of the tab is substantially similar to that of a star, then the shape of the aperture can be substantially star-shaped. Alternatively, the shape of the aperture can be different than a shape of the tab. Shapes of the apertures and tabs are not limited to the discussion herein, and similar contexts and shapes of tabs and their apertures are possible.

[0044] As can be appreciated, the embodiments of sports gloves including tabs as discussed herein can be used with an accompanying method of tightening the sports glove on the hand of the wearer. The method can include inserting the hand into any embodiments of sports glove including a tab discussed herein; and pulling the tab of the sports glove to tighten the sports glove on the hand. Specifically, some embodiments of a method of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer can include inserting the hand into the sports glove 100, where the sports glove 100 can include the thumb part 133; the finger part 132; the web part 135 that can be disposed between the thumb part 133 and the finger part 132; the palm part 210 that can be attached to the thumb part 133 and the finger part 132 and can include the hand stall 125 which can be configured to receive the hand of the wearer of the sports glove 100; a heel part 230 that can be located on a proximal end of the palm part 210; and the tab 110 that can be attached to the heel part 230 and can extend from the first end 302 that can be attached to the heel part 230 to the second end 304 that can be disposed a distance away from the heel part 230, where the tab 110 can be sized to be gripped by the wearer of the sports glove 100 and can include the aperture 320 which can be configured to receive the attachment 410; and pulling on the tab 110 of the sports glove 100.

[0045] The method just described is offered for explanatory purposes and should not be construed as limited to the particular steps and order of steps just described. That is, the method just described can include other intervening steps not described or the method can be completed in an order other than described herein. Accordingly, the method should be understood in the context of the entire disclosure presented herein.

[0046] The disclosed technology can be further understood according to the following clauses:

[0047] Clause 1: A sports glove comprising: a thumb part; a finger part; a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and comprising a hand stall configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove; a heel part located on a proximal end of the palm part; and a tab attached to the heel part and extending from a first end attached to the heel part to a second end disposed a distance away from the heel part, wherein the tab is sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprises an aperture configured to receive an attachment.

[0048] Clause 2: The sports glove of Clause 1, wherein the tab further comprises: a first part; and a second part, wherein the tab is folded such that the first part is aligned with and stitched to the second part at the first end of the tab, thereby forming the aperture at the second end of the tab.

[0049] Clause 3: The sports glove of Clause 2, wherein the first end has a first width, and the second end has a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

[0050] Clause 4: The sports glove of Clause 1, wherein the tab further comprises: a stitched portion near the first end; and a non-stitched portion near the second end comprising the aperture.

[0051] Clause 5: The sports glove of Clause 1, wherein the tab further comprises a strip folded onto itself and stitched at the first end, wherein the strip is stitched such that the aperture is formed at the second end.

[0052] Clause 6: The sports glove of Clause 1, wherein the aperture extends from a first side of the tab to a second side of the tab.

[0053] Clause 7: The sports glove of Clause 1, wherein the tab further comprises a reinforcement material disposed at least partially along an inner surface of the aperture.

[0054] Clause 8: The sports glove of claim 1, wherein the attachment comprises a clip extending through the aperture and configured to attach the sports glove to another object.

[0055] Clause 9: A sports glove comprising: a thumb part; a finger part; a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and comprising a hand stall at a proximal end of the sports glove configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove, the hand stall comprising a palmar side and a dorsal side; a heel part located on the palmar side of the hand stall; and a tab attached to the sports glove and extending from a first end attached to the sports glove to a second end disposed a distance away from the sports glove, wherein the tab is sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprises an aperture configured to receive an attachment.

[0056] Clause 10: The sports glove of Clause 9, wherein the tab extends proximally from the sports glove.

[0057] Clause 11: The sports glove of Clause 10, wherein the sports glove further comprises a back opening disposed between the finger part and the dorsal side of the hand stall.

[0058] Clause 12: The sports glove of Clause 11, wherein the tab is configured to be pulled by a wearer such that pulling the tab causes a tighter fit of the glove on the hand of the wearer.

[0059] Clause 13: The sports glove of Clause 12, wherein the aperture extends from a first side of the tab to a second side of the tab.

[0060] Clause 14: The sports glove of Clause 12, wherein the tab further comprises: a stitched portion near the first end; and a non-stitched portion near the second end comprising the aperture.

[0061] Clause 15: The sports glove of Clause 14, wherein the attachment comprises a clip extending through the aperture and configured to attach the sports glove to another object.

[0062] Clause 16: The sports glove of Clause 15, wherein the first end has a first width, and the second end has a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

[0063] Clause 17: The sports glove of Clause 16, wherein the tab is attached to the heel part.

[0064] Clause 18: The sports glove of Clause 16, wherein the tab is attached to the dorsal side of the hand stall.

[0065] Clause 19: The sports glove of Clause 16, wherein the tab is attached to an interior edge of the back opening.

[0066] Clause 20: A method of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer comprising: inserting the hand into the sports glove, wherein the sports glove comprises: a thumb part; a finger part; a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and comprising a hand stall configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove; a heel part located on a proximal end of the palm part; and a tab attached to the heel part and extending from a first end attached to the heel part to a second end disposed a distance away from the heel part, wherein the tab is sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprises an aperture configured to receive an attachment; and pulling on the tab of the sports glove.

[0067] While the present disclosure has been described in connection with a plurality of exemplary aspects, as illustrated in the various figures and discussed above, it is understood that other similar aspects can be used, or modifications and additions can be made to the described subject matter for performing the same function of the present disclosure without deviating therefrom. In this disclosure, methods and compositions were described according to aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter. But other equivalent methods or compositions to these described aspects are also contemplated by the teachings herein. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be limited to any single aspect, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0018]The disclosed technology relates generally to systems and methods of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer and configuring a glove to hang from an object. Unlike existing systems which only allow the wearer to hang the sports glove, the disclosed technology can accomplish both goals by using a tab attached to the sports glove. The tab can be used as an interface point with the wearer in order to pull the heel or other attachment point of the glove to achieve a tighter fit. The tab can be attached to the glove in a discreet manner, such that the tab can be present on the glove during play, allowing the wearer to make tightening adjustments to the glove using the tab. The tab can also function as a clipping point, such that a separate clip can be used to allow the glove to hang from another object. In this way, the disclosed technology is not limited to out of play adjustments or completely separate, bulky clips.

[0019]Although various aspects of the disclosed technolog...

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0001] The disclosed technology relates generally to devices and methods of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer, and, more particularly, attachments configured to enable a tighter fit of a sports glove and to enable the sports glove to hang from another object by a clip or other device.BACKGROUND

[0002] Sports players often seek a tighter fit of their gloves for comfort and performance reasons. Traditionally, sports players will tighten their gloves by either pulling a heel of the glove toward their arm, or pushing down on the top of the glove. Both traditional methods aim to have palm and fingers of the wearer's hand be as deep into the glove as possible, allowing the wearer to catch a ball more securely in their respective sports. It is often desirable to adjust the glove throughout the course of a game, as the glove can adjust or shift while in use. Additionally, gloves can be difficult to transport, as it is often undesirable to carry them in a backpack which may deform the glove. As sports players often carry a backpack to and from their respective sporting events, existing systems have made attempts to attach the glove to the exterior of a backpack, thus ensuring the wearer will not need to separately carry the sports glove. Current solutions include a separate clip mechanism that attaches to a wrist part of the sports glove, allowing the glove to hang from the exterior of a backpack, fence, hook, etc. However, the separate clip mechanism must detach from the sports glove for the sports glove to be used and, therefore, may be misplaced and are unable to accomplish at least the tightening functions of the sports glove.

[0003] What is needed, therefore, is a method and system for allowing a wearer to tighten their sports glove more easily while also being configured allow the glove to hang from an object. These and other advantages of the presently-disclosed technology will become apparent throughout the following disclosure.SUMMARY

[0004] The disclosed technology includes a sports glove including a tab. The sports glove can include a thumb part; a finger part; a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and comprising a hand stall configured to receive a hand of the wearer of the sports glove. The sports glove can further include a heel part located on a proximal end of the palm part and a tab attached to the heel part and extending from a first end attached to the heel part to a second end disposed a distance away from the heel part. The tab can be sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprise an aperture configured to receive an attachment.

[0005] The disclosed technology can further include a sports glove including a thumb part; a finger part; a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and comprising a hand stall at a proximal end of the sports glove configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove. The hand stall can comprise a palmar side and a dorsal side. The sports glove can further include a heel part located on the palmar side of the hand stall and a tab attached to the sports glove and extending from a first end attached to the sports glove to a second end disposed a distance away from the sport glove. The tab can be sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprise an aperture configured to receive an attachment.

[0006] The disclosed technology can additionally include a method of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer including: inserting the hand into the sports glove, wherein the sports glove can include a thumb part; a finger part; a web part that can be disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and including a hand stall configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove; a heel part that can be located on a proximal end of the palm part; and a tab that can be attached to the heel part that can extend from a first end attached to the heel part to a second end disposed a distance away from the heel part. The tab can be sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and can include an aperture which can be configured to receive an attachment. The method can further include pulling on the tab of the sports glove.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter and serve to explain the principles of the presently disclosed subject matter. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter in any manner.

[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates a back view of a sports glove including a tab, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a sports glove including a tab, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 3A illustrates a front view of a tab, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 3B illustrates a side view of a tab, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 3C illustrates a side view of a tab including a reinforcement material, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 4A illustrates a tab including an attachment, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 4B illustrates a sports glove including a tab in a hanging configuration via a clip, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a back view of a sports glove including a plurality of attachment locations on a back side of the sports glove, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of a sports glove including a plurality of attachment locations on a front side of the sports glove, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates a plurality of shapes of a tab and corresponding apertures, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The disclosed technology relates generally to systems and methods of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer and configuring a glove to hang from an object. Unlike existing systems which only allow the wearer to hang the sports glove, the disclosed technology can accomplish both goals by using a tab attached to the sports glove. The tab can be used as an interface point with the wearer in order to pull the heel or other attachment point of the glove to achieve a tighter fit. The tab can be attached to the glove in a discreet manner, such that the tab can be present on the glove during play, allowing the wearer to make tightening adjustments to the glove using the tab. The tab can also function as a clipping point, such that a separate clip can be used to allow the glove to hang from another object. In this way, the disclosed technology is not limited to out of play adjustments or completely separate, bulky clips.

[0019] Although various aspects of the disclosed technology are explained in detail herein, it is to be understood that other aspects of the disclosed technology are contemplated. Accordingly, it is not intended that the disclosed technology is limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components expressly set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed technology can be implemented and practiced or carried out in various ways. In particular, the presently disclosed subject matter is described in the context of systems and methods of tightening and hanging a sports glove. The present disclosure, however, is not so limited, and can be applicable in other contexts such as systems and methods used for a work glove, a hunting glove, a cooking glove, or other gloves, mitts, or devices worn on the hand of a wearer. Accordingly, when the present disclosure is described in the context of systems and methods of a tab attached to a sports glove which can accomplish both the tightening and hanging functions, it will be understood that other implementations can take the place of those referred to herein.

[0020] It should also be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,”“an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. References to a composition containing “a” constituent is intended to include other constituents in addition to the one named.

[0021] Also, in describing the disclosed technology, terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is intended that each term contemplates its broadest meaning as understood by those skilled in the art and includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

[0022] Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” or “substantially” one particular value and / or to “about” or “approximately” or “substantially” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, the disclosed technology can include from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value. Further, ranges described as being between a first value and a second value are inclusive of the first and second values. Likewise, ranges described as being from a first value and to a second value are inclusive of the first and second values.

[0023] Herein, the use of terms such as “having,”“has,”“including,” or “includes” are open-ended and are intended to have the same meaning as terms such as “comprising” or “comprises” and not preclude the presence of other structure, material, or acts. Similarly, though the use of terms such as “can” or “may” are intended to be open-ended and to reflect that structure, material, or acts are not necessary, the failure to use such terms is not intended to reflect that structure, material, or acts are essential. To the extent that structure, material, or acts are presently considered to be essential, they are identified as such.

[0024] The components described hereinafter as making up various elements of the disclosed technology are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many suitable components that would perform the same or similar functions as the components described herein are intended to be embraced within the scope of the disclosed technology. Such other components not described herein can include, but are not limited to, similar components that are developed after development of the presently disclosed subject matter.

[0025] As used herein, the term “sports glove” can be used to describe a glove to be used in the sports of baseball, softball, lacrosse, hockey, or other similar contexts.

[0026] As used herein, the terms “in use” and “not in use” can be used to describe whether or not a glove wearer is wearing the glove, regardless of whether the wearer is actively using the glove for a particular purpose.

[0027] Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements, the present disclosure is herein described. FIG. 1 illustrates a sports glove 100 including a tab 110. The sports glove 100 can include a proximal end 120 and a distal end 121. Specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates the sports glove 100 in the form of a baseball glove, however other sports gloves or mitts can be similarly used such as a softball glove, a hockey glove, a lacrosse glove, a cricket mitt, etc. A relative location of the proximal end 120 and the distal end 121 of the sports glove 100 can be interpreted as is understood in the art, but more specifically the distal end 121 refers to an end furthest from a wrist of a wearer when the sports glove 100 is being worn and the proximal end 120 refers to an end nearest a wrist of the wearer when the sports glove 100 is being worn. Similarly, terminology related to direction such as “proximally” and “distally” can be used to describe a relative location of components of the sports glove 100. The sports glove 100 can include a hand stall 125 which, as is understood in the art, can be a region of the sports glove 100 configured to receive a hand of a glove wearer. Specifically, the hand stall 125 can include an opening configured to receive a hand of a glove wearer. The tab 110, in other embodiments, can be attached to any part of the hand stall 125. That is, the hand stall 125 can include a peripheral edge at the proximal end 120, such that the tab 110 is configured to be attached to any point of the peripheral edge. The glove wearer, traditionally, can use the distal end 121 to push the glove toward an arm of the glove wearer to achieve a tighter fit. However, adjustments using the distal end 121 can be less effective than pulling the sports glove 100 from the proximal end 120 and may lead to deformation of the sports glove 100. Thus, some embodiments can include the tab 110 attached to any point of the proximal end 120.

[0028] The tab 110 can be made from the same material as the sports glove 100 or the tab 110 can be made from material different from the material used to make the sports glove 100. For example, the tab 110 can be made from leather, polyester, nylon, thermoplastic rubber (TPR), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyurethane (PU) leather, silicone, carbon fiber, denim, Kevlar, or other durable materials. Furthermore, the tab 110 can be a single piece of material, woven from multiple pieces of the same material, or can be a composite made from two or more materials.

[0029] The sports glove 100 can further include a plurality of glove parts, wherein the plurality of glove parts can be relevant to the tightening of the sports glove 100, the hanging of the sports glove 100, or both. For example, the sports glove can include a wrist part 131. The wrist part 131 can be located distally to the hand stall 125 and configured to align, or at least nearly align, with a portion of a wrist of the wearer. Additionally, the hand stall 125 can further include a dorsal side 128, such that the dorsal side 128 is located near a top side of the hand of the wearer, as opposed to a palm of the wearer when the sports glove 100 is being worn. That is, in some embodiments, the wrist part 131 can be near the dorsal side 128 of the hand stall 125. The tab 110 can be attached to any portion of the dorsal side 128 of the hand stall 125. The sports glove 100 can further include a finger part 132. The finger part 132 can be located distally to the wrist part 131. The finger part 132 can be configured to receive one or more fingers of the hand of the wearer. Specifically, the finger part 132 can be positioned on the sports glove 100 such that a back opening 134 is disposed between the finger part 132 and the wrist part 131. The glove wearer may use the back opening 134 to temporarily rest one or more fingers outside of the sports glove 100. Consequently, the back opening 134 can serve as another point of manual adjustment of the sports glove 100 by the glove wearer. Similarly, the back opening 134 can further include an interior edge 136, as will be discussed further herein. The sports glove 100 can further include a thumb part 133, such that the thumb part 133 can be configured to receive a thumb of the wearer. The sports glove 100 can further include a web part 135. The web part 135 can be a portion of the sports glove 100 disposed between the finger part 132 and the thumb part 133. More specifically, the web part 135 can be attached to the finger part 132 and the thumb part 133. As is understood in the art, the web part 135 can be configured to assist with catching a ball of any sport as related to the sports glove 100.

[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the sports glove 100 including the tab 110. The sports glove 100 can include a catching surface, as shown in FIG. 2, and a back surface, as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the sports glove 100 can further include a palm part 210. The palm part 210 can be positioned proximally to the finger part 132 and the thumb part 133, or more specifically, nearer to the proximal end 120 than the finger part 132 and the thumb part 133. The palm part 210 can be configured to receive a palm of the hand of the wearer. As is discussed in FIG. 1, the sports glove 100 can include the dorsal side 128. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 2, the sports glove 100 can further include a palmar side 220, such that the palmar side 220 is near the palm of the wearer while the sports glove 100 is being worn. Further, the hand stall 125 can include the dorsal side 128 and the palmar side 220. As will be appreciated, the hand stall 125 can include the peripheral edge defining an aperture configured to receive the hand of the wearer. As such, the hand stall 125 can be described as having the dorsal side 128 and palmar side 220 to further define attachment points for the tab 110. That is, the tab 110, as shown in FIG. 2, can be attached to the palmar side 220 of the hand stall 125. The palm part 210 can have a similarly defined proximal end, such that the proximal end of the palm part 210 can further include a heel part 230. The heel part 230 can be positioned on the palmar side 220 of the hand stall 125. That is, the heel part 230 can be specifically defined as a region disposed on the proximal end of the palm part 210. The heel part 230 can further include a palmar side of the peripheral edge of the hand stall 125, such that the tab 110 can be attached to the heel part 230 as shown in FIG. 2. As will be appreciated, the heel part 230 is a common point of manual adjustment by the glove wearer, that is, the glove wearer can instead interface with the tab 110 disposed on the heel part 230 for an easier point of grip when making tightening adjustments to the sports glove 100. Furthermore, if the tab 110 is attached to the heel part 230, the tab 110 can be configured to be attached to the sports glove 100 while in use, and consequently can enable the glove wearer to make easier tightening adjustments during gameplay.

[0031] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a front view and a side view of the tab 110, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3A, the tab 110 can include a first end 302. The first end 302, in some embodiments, can be configured to be attached to the sports glove 100. For example, the first end 302 can be attached to the sports glove 100 at the proximal end 120. The first end 302 can be attached to any part of the sports glove 100 as discussed herein. In some embodiments, the first end 302 of the tab 110 can be attached to the heel part 230 of the sports glove 100. The tab 110 can further include a second end 304. The second end 304 can be disposed a distance away from the sports glove 100, or extend a distance away from the sports glove 100. Similarly, in some embodiments, the second end 304 can be disposed a distance away from the heel part 230, or extend a distance away from the heel part 230. That is, the tab 110 can extend from the first end 302 to the second end 304. The second end 304 can serve as an interface point for the glove wearer to pull and tighten the sports glove 100. That is, the tab 110 can be sized to be gripped by the wearer of the sports glove 100. In some embodiments, a width of the first end 302 can be greater than a width of the second end 304.

[0032] The first end 302 can be attached to the sports glove 100 via stitching. That is, the tab 110 can be stitched to the heel part 230 of the sports glove 100. Stitching can be considered a permanent attachment, such that the tab 110 can be attached to the sports glove 100 whether or not the glove wearer is using the glove. Similarly, the tab 110 can further include a stitched portion 310 and a non-stitched portion 312. The stitched portion 310 can be located near the first end 302, and the non-stitched portion 312 can be located near the second end 304. The stitched portion 310 can be characterized by including a stitching pattern, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. The non-stitched portion 312 can be configured to be the interface point with the wearer, such that the wearer can pull on the non-stitched portion 312 of the tab 110 to tighten the sport glove 100.

[0033] The stitching pattern can be any stitching pattern known in the art, or exemplary stitching patterns for sports gloves specifically. For example, the stitching pattern can be a running stitch, a baste stitch, a back stitch, a ladder stitch, a catch stitch, a whip stitch, a blanket stitch, or similar stitch patterns known in the art. Furthermore, the stitching pattern can be disposed on different areas of the stitched portion 310. In some embodiments, the stitching pattern can be disposed near a periphery of the stitched portion 310. In some embodiments, the stitched portion can define a transition from the stitched portion 310 to the non-stitched portion 312. That is, the stitching pattern can be configured to create a gap within the non-stitched portion 312.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3B, the tab 110 can further include an aperture 320. The aperture 320 can be disposed on the second end 304 of the tab 110. Specifically, in some embodiments, the non-stitched portion 312 can include an aperture 320. That is, the stitching pattern of the stitched portion 310 can be such that the aperture 320 is formed within the non-stitched portion 312. In some embodiments, the aperture 320 can be configured to attach to a clip. As will be described in greater detail herein, the clip can be configured to allow the sports glove 100 to hang from an object via the aperture 320 of the tab 110. Similarly, as will be appreciated, the tab 110 can include a single piece, or strip, of material, such that the strip can be folded onto itself and stitched at the first end 302 such that the aperture 320 is formed at the second end 304. That is, the strip can be folded and stitched in such a fashion such that the non-stitched portion 312 comprises a gap forming the aperture 320, as shown in FIG. 3B.

[0035] The tab 110 can further include a first part 330 and a second part 332. The first part 330 and the second part 332 can be stitched together at least partially within the stitched portion 310. The first part 330 and the second part 332, that is, can be stitched together such that the aperture 320 forms at the second end 304. The tab 110 can further be defined as including a first side 340 and a second side 342. As will be discussed in greater detail herein, in some embodiments, the tab 110 can comprise an aperture which extends from the first side 340 to the second side 342.

[0036] FIG. 3C illustrates the tab 110 including a reinforcement material 350. The reinforcement material 350 can be located within an interior surface of the aperture 320, such that the reinforcement material 350 is configured to inhibit wear on the interior surface of the aperture 320. As can be appreciated, wear on any surface can occur at least in part due to extended use, and the implementation of a reinforcement material can aid to mitigate wear. For example, the reinforcement material 350 can include a Kevlar, metal, plastic, TPR, TPU, silicone, leather, carbon fiber, or other materials of similar material properties and contexts.

[0037] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a sports glove 400 including the tab 110 attached to an attachment 410 in accordance with example embodiments. As shown in FIG. 4A, the aperture 320 of the tab 110 can be configured to receive an attachment 410. As is illustrated in FIG. 4A, the attachment 410 can be a two-way clip. Other embodiments of the attachment 410 can include a clip, a carabiner, a hook, a string, a shoelace, and other attachment mechanisms of similar context. The attachment 410 can be configured to be removed when the glove wearer uses or otherwise wears the glove. As will be appreciated, the attachment 410 can be separately attached to another object, such that when the attachment 410 is detached from the sports glove 100, it can rest on another object such as a backpack, fence, post, wall, etc. In some embodiments, the attachment 410 can be a tool, such that the tool is configured to provide a mechanical advantage to the glove wearer when tightening the sports glove 100. In this way, the tab 110 can be configured to couple with a plurality of attachments to allow the glove wearer to tighten the fit of the sports glove 100, hang the sports glove 100, or both.

[0038] FIG. 4B illustrates the sports glove 400 attached to an object 420 via the attachment 410. The object 420 can be any reasonable object so as to be attachable to embodiments of the attachment 410. In particular, when the attachment 410 is a clip, the object 420 may be a backpack as are commonly used by players in sports using the sports glove 100. In another embodiment, the object 420 can be a fence, or a link of a fence, such that the wearer can hang the sports glove 100 via the attachment 410 on the fence, as is common and understood in the art. In this way, the sports glove 100 can be configured to hang from the object 420 via an interfacing of the attachment 410 and the tab 110. For example, the sports glove 100 can be configured to hang via the tab 110 and the attachment 410 to any object including a loop or aperture, such that a clip of the attachment may be secured at least partially within the loop or aperture of the object 420. In some embodiments, the sports glove 100 is part of multiple sports gloves each including the tab 110. The multiple sports gloves can be configured to hang via the attachment 410 to the object 420. In another embodiment, the multiple sports gloves can be configured to hang via a plurality of attachments. Particularly, in some embodiments, each of the multiple sports gloves have a tab 110 and respective attachment 410 such that the object 420 is configured to attach to each of the multiple sports gloves.

[0039] FIG. 5 illustrates the sports glove 500 including a plurality of tabs in a plurality of tab locations on a back side of the sports glove 500. As discussed herein, the tab 110 can be attached to the heel part 230, the dorsal side 128, on a peripheral edge of the hand stall 125, and in any location on the proximal end 120 of the sports glove 100. However, as will be appreciated, the wearer of the sports glove 100 may benefit from other locations of the tab 110. The sports glove 500 can further include a tab 510 disposed on the interior edge 136 of the back opening 134. That is, tab 510 can be attached to the sports glove 500 at the interior edge 136. Furthermore, the sports glove 500 can include a tab 520 disposed on the web part 135. More specifically, the tab 520 can be attached to the sports glove 500 at the web part 135. The tab 510 and the tab 520 may be of any embodiments of the tab 110 as discussed herein. That is, the sports glove 500 can include the tab 110, the tab 510, and the tab 520, each being the same tab embodiment of tab embodiments discussed herein. Attachment locations for tab 110, tab 510, and tab 520 are not constrained to what is shown in the respective regions to which each tab is attached. However, the sports glove 500 can include any combination of tab 110, tab 510, and tab 520. In some embodiments, the wearer can select a tab location including any tab location discussed herein.

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates a sports glove 600 including a plurality of tabs in a plurality of tab locations on a front side of the sports glove 600. As can be appreciated, the plurality of tabs can be located along a periphery of the sports glove 600. Each tab of the plurality of tabs can be located on the sports glove 600 alone or in combination with any location of tab shown or discussed herein. The sports glove 600 can include the tab 110, which may be located, disposed on, or attached to any location discussed herein. The tab 110 may be of any embodiments discussed herein, and similarly any tab of the plurality of tabs as shown in FIG. 6 can be of any embodiments of the tab 110 as discussed herein. Specifically, a tab of the plurality of tabs can be disposed on any part of the heel part 230, the palmar side 220, the proximal end 120, a peripheral edge of the palm part 210, a peripheral edge of the thumb part 133, a peripheral edge of the web part 135, a peripheral edge of the finger part 132, the distal end 121, or any combination thereof as illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0041] FIG. 7 illustrates a plurality of tabs 700. The plurality of tabs 700 illustrate various different examples of tabs that can be attached to a sports glove. However, the plurality of tabs 700 shown in FIG. 7 are offered for illustrative purposes and the disclosed technology should not be limited to the examples illustrated in the plurality of tabs 700. Any of the plurality of tabs 700 can be disposed on, attached to, or located on any part of the sports glove 100, the sports glove 500, or the sports glove 600 discussed herein.

[0042] The plurality of tabs 700 can include a first set of tabs 710. The first set of tabs 710 can be grouped due in part to an embodiment of an aperture of each tab of the first set of tabs. That is, each tab of the first set of tabs 710 can have an aperture as described for embodiments of the tab 110. Specifically, the first set of tabs 710 can have an aperture formed by folding a first part of a tab onto a second part of the tab. Likewise, the first set of tabs 710 can have an aperture formed by stitching the first part of the tab onto the second part of the tab. The first set of tabs 710 can each include a single piece, or strip, of material, such that the strip is configured to be folded onto itself and stitched to form an aperture. Each tab of the first set of tabs 710 can include a stitched portion and a non-stitched portion, such that the non-stitched portion includes an aperture. The aperture as discussed herein for any of the tabs of the first set of tabs 710 can include any configuration or function of aperture as discussed herein, and specifically discussed for the tab 110.

[0043] The plurality of tabs 700 can further include a second set of tabs 720. Each tab of the second set of tabs 720 can be characterized by having an aperture extending from a first side of the tab to a second side of the tab. The first side can be analogous to the first side 340 as shown in FIG. 3B for tab 110, and likewise the second side can be analogous to the second side 342 as shown in FIG. 4B for tab 110. In this way, the aperture for each tab of the second set of tabs 720 can act as a through-hole. In some of the examples shown in FIG. 7, the aperture for a respective tab of the second set of tabs 720 can have an aperture shape, such that the aperture shape can be substantially similar to a shape of the tab. For example, if the shape of the tab is substantially rectangular, then the shape of the aperture can be substantially rectangular; if the shape of the tab is substantially similar to that of a star, then the shape of the aperture can be substantially star-shaped. Alternatively, the shape of the aperture can be different than a shape of the tab. Shapes of the apertures and tabs are not limited to the discussion herein, and similar contexts and shapes of tabs and their apertures are possible.

[0044] As can be appreciated, the embodiments of sports gloves including tabs as discussed herein can be used with an accompanying method of tightening the sports glove on the hand of the wearer. The method can include inserting the hand into any embodiments of sports glove including a tab discussed herein; and pulling the tab of the sports glove to tighten the sports glove on the hand. Specifically, some embodiments of a method of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer can include inserting the hand into the sports glove 100, where the sports glove 100 can include the thumb part 133; the finger part 132; the web part 135 that can be disposed between the thumb part 133 and the finger part 132; the palm part 210 that can be attached to the thumb part 133 and the finger part 132 and can include the hand stall 125 which can be configured to receive the hand of the wearer of the sports glove 100; a heel part 230 that can be located on a proximal end of the palm part 210; and the tab 110 that can be attached to the heel part 230 and can extend from the first end 302 that can be attached to the heel part 230 to the second end 304 that can be disposed a distance away from the heel part 230, where the tab 110 can be sized to be gripped by the wearer of the sports glove 100 and can include the aperture 320 which can be configured to receive the attachment 410; and pulling on the tab 110 of the sports glove 100.

[0045] The method just described is offered for explanatory purposes and should not be construed as limited to the particular steps and order of steps just described. That is, the method just described can include other intervening steps not described or the method can be completed in an order other than described herein. Accordingly, the method should be understood in the context of the entire disclosure presented herein.

[0046] The disclosed technology can be further understood according to the following clauses:

[0047] Clause 1: A sports glove comprising: a thumb part; a finger part; a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and comprising a hand stall configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove; a heel part located on a proximal end of the palm part; and a tab attached to the heel part and extending from a first end attached to the heel part to a second end disposed a distance away from the heel part, wherein the tab is sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprises an aperture configured to receive an attachment.

[0048] Clause 2: The sports glove of Clause 1, wherein the tab further comprises: a first part; and a second part, wherein the tab is folded such that the first part is aligned with and stitched to the second part at the first end of the tab, thereby forming the aperture at the second end of the tab.

[0049] Clause 3: The sports glove of Clause 2, wherein the first end has a first width, and the second end has a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

[0050] Clause 4: The sports glove of Clause 1, wherein the tab further comprises: a stitched portion near the first end; and a non-stitched portion near the second end comprising the aperture.

[0051] Clause 5: The sports glove of Clause 1, wherein the tab further comprises a strip folded onto itself and stitched at the first end, wherein the strip is stitched such that the aperture is formed at the second end.

[0052] Clause 6: The sports glove of Clause 1, wherein the aperture extends from a first side of the tab to a second side of the tab.

[0053] Clause 7: The sports glove of Clause 1, wherein the tab further comprises a reinforcement material disposed at least partially along an inner surface of the aperture.

[0054] Clause 8: The sports glove of claim 1, wherein the attachment comprises a clip extending through the aperture and configured to attach the sports glove to another object.

[0055] Clause 9: A sports glove comprising: a thumb part; a finger part; a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and comprising a hand stall at a proximal end of the sports glove configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove, the hand stall comprising a palmar side and a dorsal side; a heel part located on the palmar side of the hand stall; and a tab attached to the sports glove and extending from a first end attached to the sports glove to a second end disposed a distance away from the sports glove, wherein the tab is sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprises an aperture configured to receive an attachment.

[0056] Clause 10: The sports glove of Clause 9, wherein the tab extends proximally from the sports glove.

[0057] Clause 11: The sports glove of Clause 10, wherein the sports glove further comprises a back opening disposed between the finger part and the dorsal side of the hand stall.

[0058] Clause 12: The sports glove of Clause 11, wherein the tab is configured to be pulled by a wearer such that pulling the tab causes a tighter fit of the glove on the hand of the wearer.

[0059] Clause 13: The sports glove of Clause 12, wherein the aperture extends from a first side of the tab to a second side of the tab.

[0060] Clause 14: The sports glove of Clause 12, wherein the tab further comprises: a stitched portion near the first end; and a non-stitched portion near the second end comprising the aperture.

[0061] Clause 15: The sports glove of Clause 14, wherein the attachment comprises a clip extending through the aperture and configured to attach the sports glove to another object.

[0062] Clause 16: The sports glove of Clause 15, wherein the first end has a first width, and the second end has a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

[0063] Clause 17: The sports glove of Clause 16, wherein the tab is attached to the heel part.

[0064] Clause 18: The sports glove of Clause 16, wherein the tab is attached to the dorsal side of the hand stall.

[0065] Clause 19: The sports glove of Clause 16, wherein the tab is attached to an interior edge of the back opening.

[0066] Clause 20: A method of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer comprising: inserting the hand into the sports glove, wherein the sports glove comprises: a thumb part; a finger part; a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part and comprising a hand stall configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove; a heel part located on a proximal end of the palm part; and a tab attached to the heel part and extending from a first end attached to the heel part to a second end disposed a distance away from the heel part, wherein the tab is sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprises an aperture configured to receive an attachment; and pulling on the tab of the sports glove.

[0067] While the present disclosure has been described in connection with a plurality of exemplary aspects, as illustrated in the various figures and discussed above, it is understood that other similar aspects can be used, or modifications and additions can be made to the described subject matter for performing the same function of the present disclosure without deviating therefrom. In this disclosure, methods and compositions were described according to aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter. But other equivalent methods or compositions to these described aspects are also contemplated by the teachings herein. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be limited to any single aspect, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0018]The disclosed technology relates generally to systems and methods of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer and configuring a glove to hang from an object. Unlike existing systems which only allow the wearer to hang the sports glove, the disclosed technology can accomplish both goals by using a tab attached to the sports glove. The tab can be used as an interface point with the wearer in order to pull the heel or other attachment point of the glove to achieve a tighter fit. The tab can be attached to the glove in a discreet manner, such that the tab can be present on the glove during play, allowing the wearer to make tightening adjustments to the glove using the tab. The tab can also function as a clipping point, such that a separate clip can be used to allow the glove to hang from another object. In this way, the disclosed technology is not limited to out of play adjustments or completely separate, bulky clips.

[0019]Although various aspects of the disclosed technolog...

Claims

1. A sports glove comprising:one or more palmar panels on a palmar side of the sports glove;one or more dorsal panels on a dorsal side of the sports glove attached to the one or more palmar panels, the one or more palmar panels and the one or more dorsal panels at least partially defining:a thumb part;a finger part;a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part;a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part; anda hand stall configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove, an outer peripheral edge on the palmar side of the hand stall defining a heel part located on a proximal end of the palm part; anda tab attached to the heel part and extending from a first end attached to the heel part to a free second end disposed a distance away from the heel part, wherein the tab is sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprises:a first part; anda second part, wherein the tab is folded such that the first part is aligned with and stitched to the second part at the first end, thereby forming an aperture configured to receive an attachment at the free second end.

2. (canceled)3. The sports glove of claim 1, wherein the first end has a first width, and the free second end has a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

4. The sports glove of claim 1, wherein the tab further comprises:a stitched portion near the first end; anda non-stitched portion near the free second end comprising the aperture.

5. The sports glove of claim 1, wherein the tab further comprises a strip folded onto itself and stitched at the first end, wherein the strip is stitched such that the aperture is formed at the free second end.

6. The sports glove of claim 1, wherein the aperture extends from a first side of the tab to a second side of the tab.

7. The sports glove of claim 1, wherein the tab further comprises a reinforcement material disposed at least partially along an inner surface of the aperture.

8. The sports glove of claim 1, wherein the attachment comprises a clip extending through the aperture and configured to attach the sports glove to another object.

9. A sports glove comprising:one or more palmar panels on a palmar side of the sports glove;one or more dorsal panels on a dorsal side of the sports glove attached to the one or more palmar panels, the one or more palmar panels and the one or more dorsal panels at least partially defining:a thumb part;a finger part;a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part; anda hand stall at a proximal end of the sports glove configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove, the hand stall comprising a palmar side and a dorsal side; anda tab attached to a peripheral edge of a proximal end of the palmar side of the hand stall and extending from a first end attached to the peripheral edge to a free second end disposed a distance away from the peripheral edge, wherein the tab is sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprises a strip folded onto itself and stitched at the first end, wherein the strip is stitched such that an aperture configured to receive an attachment is formed at the free second end.

10. The sports glove of claim 9, wherein the tab extends proximally from the sports glove.

11. The sports glove of claim 10, wherein the sports glove further comprises a back opening disposed between the finger part and the dorsal side of the hand stall.

12. The sports glove of claim 11, wherein the tab is configured to be pulled by a wearer such that pulling the tab causes a tighter fit of the glove on the hand of the wearer.

13. The sports glove of claim 12, wherein the aperture extends from a first side of the tab to a second side of the tab.

14. The sports glove of claim 12, wherein the tab further comprises:a stitched portion near the first end; anda non-stitched portion near the free second end comprising the aperture.

15. The sports glove of claim 14, wherein the tab is further configured to receive an attachment comprising a clip extending through the aperture and configured to attach the sports glove to another object.

16. The sports glove of claim 15, wherein the first end has a first width, and the free second end has a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

17. (canceled)18. (canceled)19. (canceled)20. A method of tightening a sports glove on a hand of a wearer, the method comprising:inserting the hand into the sports glove,wherein the sports glove comprises:one or more palmar panels on a palmar side of the sports glove;one or more dorsal panels on a dorsal side of the sports glove attached to the one or more palmar panels, the one or more palmar panels and the one or more dorsal panels defining at least:a thumb part;a finger part;a web part disposed between the thumb part and the finger part;a palm part attached to the thumb part and the finger part; anda hand stall configured to receive a hand of a wearer of the sports glove, an outer peripheral edge on the palmar side of the hand stall defining a heel part located on a proximal end of the palm part; anda tab attached to the heel part and extending from a first end attached to the heel part to a free second end disposed a distance away from the heel part, wherein the tab is sized to be gripped by a wearer of the sports glove and comprises:a stitched portion near the first end; anda non-stitched portion near the free second end defining an aperture configured to receive an attachment; andpulling on the tab of the sports glove.

Images