Baseball Glove Flexible Seam Hinge for Easy Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
New baseball players, especially those with limited hand strength, face difficulty in catching a ball due to stiff and unyielding gloves that require extensive breaking-in, posing a risk of injury from fast-moving balls.
Innovation Solution
A self-closing baseball glove design featuring a unique configuration with two finger stalls for two fingers each, a flexible web member connected by leather lacing, and a flexible seam acting as a hinge, allowing easy closure without the need for extensive breaking-in.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a traditional baseball glove is made with stiff leather for durability, then the glove structure is strong and reliable, but the glove becomes difficult to close and requires extensive breaking-in, making it unusable for players with limited hand strength
Solution Approach 1:
The glove is divided into multiple panels (first panel, second panel, third panel) that are secured together along peripheral margins to form a glove shell. This segmentation allows each panel to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity, enabling the glove to be both strong and flexible.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge connection between the first panel and second panel, along with the flexible seam extending from the notch through the palm section, creates dynamic flexibility in the glove structure. This allows the glove to adapt to players with limited hand strength while maintaining durability through its panel construction.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a new baseball glove is made with stiff leather, then the glove has good structural integrity, but it requires significant breaking-in time and hand strength to close properly, posing a risk to new players
Solution Approach 1:
By constructing the glove from multiple secured panels rather than a single piece of leather, the design achieves structural integrity without requiring extensive breaking-in. The panel construction provides built-in flexibility that eliminates the traditional breaking-in period.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible seam and hinge connection change the physical parameters of the glove structure, creating controlled flexibility points that allow the glove to close easily while maintaining overall stability. This eliminates the need for softening treatments or breaking-in processes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a glove is designed with traditional five-finger configuration, then it provides complete finger coverage, but it increases complexity and difficulty for players to properly insert and secure their fingers
Solution Approach 1:
The first finger stall is designed to receive two fingers (index and middle), and the second finger stall is designed to receive two fingers (ring and little), reducing the total number of stalls from five to four. This merging simplifies the configuration while maintaining complete finger coverage and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
Each finger stall is designed to accommodate multiple fingers, making the glove universally adaptable to different hand sizes and player preferences. The first and second finger stalls can each receive two fingers, providing flexible configuration options.
Data Source
AI summary
A glove for baseball and softball is configured from joining a first panel and a second panel to form a glove shell. The glove shell has a thumb stall, a first finger stall, and a second finger stall. A notch extends upwardly from the heel of the glove. A palm section is divided into two portions, where a flexible seam extends between the two portions, where the flexible seam will be fabricated from a flexible material Any underlying padding in the palm section will also be divided by the flexible seam. A web member extends upwardly from the palm section. The web member is divided into two panels, where the two panels are joined by a flexible connecting member.