Glove shaping and protecting device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for shaping and protecting baseball or softball gloves often fail to achieve the desired shape and provide adequate protection, sometimes causing improper formation and inadequate storage protection.
Innovation Solution
A glove forming device with exterior and interior walls that conform to the glove's shape, featuring a void to hold the glove in place without the need for straps, constructed from rigid materials like plastics or polymers to maintain the glove's shape and prevent deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional single-wall or external clamping devices are used to shape gloves, then the device structure is simple, but the shaping precision is insufficient and cannot achieve the desired glove shape
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separate walls (exterior wall and interior wall) that work together to shape the glove. The interior wall provides internal support and shaping, while the exterior wall provides external containment, allowing precise control over glove formation without requiring complex mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The interior wall is nested within the exterior wall, creating a double-walled structure with a void space between them. This nested configuration allows the device to maintain a relatively compact form while providing both internal and external shaping surfaces, achieving precise glove formation without excessive device complexity.
2Reliability
If rigid clamping devices are used to protect gloves during storage, then protection is provided, but the devices cannot properly shape the glove and may cause deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The interior and exterior walls are designed with specific curvature profiles that match the desired glove shape. The walls provide localized shaping pressure at critical areas (pocket region, webbing, heel) while maintaining overall glove protection, ensuring both shape accuracy and protection during storage.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a single rigid structure that forces the glove into shape, the invention uses a double-walled structure with a void that allows the glove to naturally conform to the shaped interior surface while being protected by the exterior wall, reversing the traditional approach of external clamping.
3Ease of operation
If devices require straps and added securement means to hold gloves, then the glove can be secured, but the device becomes more complex and harder to use
Solution Approach 1:
The double-walled structure with the void between the walls creates a self-retaining mechanism. When the glove is inserted, the flexible glove material naturally conforms to the shaped interior wall and is held in place by the geometric constraint of the void space, eliminating the need for separate straps or securement mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaping function and the retention function are merged into a single integrated double-walled structure. The same interior and exterior walls that provide shaping also provide retention through their geometric configuration, reducing the device to its essential components without unnecessary additions.
4Manufacturing precision
If the device void is uniformly narrow throughout to maintain shape, then shaping precision is improved, but glove insertion becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The void width between the interior and exterior walls is designed to be variable rather than uniform. The void is wider at the opening to facilitate easy glove insertion, then transitions to a narrower configuration in the regions where precise shaping is needed, dynamically adapting the space to serve both insertion and shaping functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A forming and shaping device for shaping a baseball or softball glove into a desired shape is provided. The device can include an exterior wall shaped to generally conform to the exterior web of the glove, an interior wall shaped to generally conform to the interior web of the glove, and a void defined between the exterior and interior walls configured to receive and hold the web of the glove in the desired shape. The device can include an opening defined between the interior and exterior walls to allow the glove to be inserted into the void. The device can have an arcuate shape configured to form the glove web into the desired shape. The interior wall can include upper and lower portions configured to form a pocket into the glove. The device can be constructed into a rigid shape in order to protect the glove and prevent deformation.