Flush Pivot Protective Glove for Impact and Puncture Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current protective gloves fail to provide adequate protection against impact while maintaining sensitive touch and comfort, especially in high-demand applications like Historical European Martial Arts and industrial settings where real impacts occur, and they often expose finger joints to puncture risks due to bulky pivot designs.
Innovation Solution
A protective glove design featuring finger sections with a pivot axis coinciding with finger joints, utilizing a rounded protrusion and recess for a flush and continuous protective wall that minimizes material between fingers, allowing for comfortable movement and protection in both extended and bent states, with a damping layer to absorb impact and prevent punctures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If hard shell elements are added to protect against abrasion, then protection against sliding is improved, but protection against impact is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The glove combines a soft inner layer (nitrile or latex) with a hard outer shell (thermoplastic elastomer or polyurethane) to achieve both abrasion resistance and impact protection. The composite structure allows the soft layer to provide flexibility and the hard shell to absorb and distribute impact forces across multiple finger sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective shell is divided into multiple discrete finger sections (distal, middle, proximal phalanges) rather than a single continuous shell. This segmentation allows independent movement of each finger section while maintaining protection, and enables the shell to conform to the natural bending mechanics of each finger during impact events.
2Strength
If bulky pivot joints are used to connect finger sections, then protection is improved, but finger dexterity and comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot joints are designed to be flexible and dynamic rather than rigid, allowing natural finger movement while maintaining protection. The pivots enable the finger sections to bend and articulate smoothly during gripping and manipulation tasks, preventing the bulky feel that would compromise dexterity.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective shell features varying thickness and material properties at different locations - thicker and more rigid at impact-prone areas (dorsal side, knuckles) and thinner and more flexible at areas requiring dexterity (lateral sides, fingertip regions). This localized variation provides protection where needed while maintaining comfort and mobility elsewhere.
3Ease of operation
If continuous protective wall is created with minimal material between fingers, then comfort and dexterity are improved, but protection against puncture may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The finger sections and pivot joints feature rounded, curved surfaces rather than sharp angles or flat transitions. This curvature creates a continuous flush wall that distributes puncture forces smoothly across the protective shell, preventing stress concentration at corners or edges where material thickness is minimal.
Solution Approach 2:
The combination of soft inner layer and hard outer shell creates a composite structure that resists puncture through multiple mechanisms - the soft layer deforms to absorb puncture forces while the hard shell provides structural integrity. This composite approach maintains protection even where the protective wall is thin for comfort.
4Ease of operation
If pivot axis coincides with finger joint, then natural movement is improved, but space for pivot mechanism is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot mechanism is nested within the finger section geometry itself rather than being a separate external component. The rounded protrusion and recess features are integrated into the contours of adjacent finger sections, allowing the pivot function to be achieved within the limited space available at the finger joint location.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design provides enhanced protection against impact and punctures while maintaining finger dexterity and comfort, allowing for normal hand posture and reduced fatigue due to minimal material between fingers and efficient force distribution across a larger surface area.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second finger section and said pivot define a substantially continuous and flush wall
Data Source
AI summary
A protective glove includes at least a first finger section and a second finger section, each finger section comprising a protective layer configured to be at least partially arranged over a finger part of a user; and a pivot connecting said first finger section and said second finger section. The pivot has a pivot axis that substantially coincides with a finger joint of a user's hand. One of the first and second finger section comprises a rounded protrusion and wherein the other of the first and second finger section comprises a corresponding rounded recess configured to receive said rounded protrusion, said protrusion and recess together forming said pivot connecting said first finger section and said second finger section. The first and second finger section and said pivot define a substantially continuous and flush wall.