Baseball Glove Shaping Members for Heat-Free Pocket Forming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for shaping baseball and softball gloves are either damaging, complicated, or difficult to employ, as they often involve heat or cumbersome processes like using rubber bands or heavy objects.
Innovation Solution
A glove-shaping device comprising bendable, deformable shaping members made of materials like metallic alloys or polymers, with handle portions of plastic, tape, or rubber, that can be stacked and inserted into glove slots to deform and hold the glove in a desired shape without heat, allowing for easy shaping and maintenance of the glove's pocket.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If heated material is used for holding the glove in place, then the glove can be shaped effectively, but the glove may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from heated (high temperature) to ambient (room temperature), eliminating thermal damage while maintaining shaping effectiveness through the mechanical properties of the deformable material
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal system (heated material) with a mechanical system (deformable material that holds shape when bent), substituting heat-based shaping with mechanics-based shaping to avoid damage
2Manufacturing precision
If rubber bands, rope, or string are used to apply pressure, then the glove can be shaped, but the process becomes complicated and difficult to employ
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the shaping function into multiple independent shaping members (one for each finger slot), each self-contained and easy to insert, replacing the complex wrapping process with simple insertion actions
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable material in each shaping member automatically holds its bent shape without requiring external fastening elements like rubber bands or rope, making the process self-sufficient and easier to operate
3Manufacturing precision
If heavy objects are placed beneath the glove to apply pressure, then the glove can be shaped, but the process is unnecessarily complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pressure application function from external heavy objects and integrates it directly into the shaping members themselves, which maintain pressure through their bent shape and deformable material properties
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable material acts as an intermediary that converts the simple act of bending into sustained shaping pressure, eliminating the need for heavy external objects while maintaining effective pressure application
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 solution simplifies the glove-shaping process, reduces the risk of damage, and allows for effective formation of a pocket without heat, making it safer and easier to use, especially for children, while maintaining the glove's shape over time.
Implementation Method 1
The elongated shaping portion is bendable along the length thereof and includes a deformable material that holds its shape when bent without the use of heat, e.g. at ambient temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for shaping a glove. The apparatus broadly includes an elongated shaping portion and a handle portion. The elongated shaping portion is made of a deformable material that holds its shape when bent without the use of heat and that is configured to be inserted into a single slot of the glove where a user's digit is positioned during use. The handle portion is connected to the shaping portion and is made of at least one of plastic, tape, and rubber.