Partial-Fingered Gloves for Quarterback Grip and Tactile Feel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Football quarterbacks face challenges with fumbles and incomplete passes due to the lack of effective grip and feel on their throwing hand, while golfers struggle with inconsistent grip and control on their dominant hand, leading to performance issues in both sports.
Innovation Solution
A sports glove designed to enhance grip and protection for the dominant hand, specifically configuring the thumb and forefinger for maximum coverage, leaving the ring and pinkie fingers uncovered to maintain feel, with grip-enhancing materials on the palmar surface and shock-absorbing properties for added protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a quarterback wears full-fingered gloves, then grip strength is improved, but tactile feel of the football laces is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The glove is divided into distinct covered and uncovered finger segments. The thumb and forefinger are covered with grip enhancers to provide grip strength, while the middle, ring, and pinkie fingers remain uncovered to maintain tactile feel for locating football laces. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of both grip strength and tactile sensation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the hand are assigned different properties: the thumb and forefinger areas receive grip-enhancing materials (such as rubber or foam coatings) to increase friction and grip strength, while the middle, ring, and pinkie finger areas remain smooth and uncovered to preserve tactile sensitivity for feeling the football laces.
2Measurement precision
If a quarterback plays without gloves, then tactile feel of the football is maintained, but grip strength and protection are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The glove coverage is segmented to provide protection and grip enhancement only where needed (thumb and forefinger), while leaving the middle, ring, and pinkie fingers uncovered to maintain tactile feel. This selective coverage allows the quarterback to experience both the benefits of glove protection and the advantages of bare-finger sensation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing full-fingered coverage, the glove applies partial coverage only to the specific areas (thumb and forefinger) that benefit most from grip enhancement and protection. This partial action approach avoids the excessive coverage that would compromise tactile feel while still delivering the necessary grip and protection benefits.
3Force
If grip enhancers are added to the glove, then grip strength is improved, but the glove becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The grip enhancers modify the surface parameters (friction coefficient, texture) of the glove material in specific areas. By changing the physical parameters of the glove surface rather than adding complex mechanical structures, the grip strength is improved while keeping the overall glove design relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
According to the various features characteristics and embodiments of the present invention which will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds, the present invention provides partially fingered gloves and the use of said gloves, intended to increase the overall performance in sports activities including but limited to football and golf. Because of its unique finger configurations, grip enhancers, and/or its hand protective properties, the present invention makes a glove now operable on for football quarterback's throwing hand and golfers, for example.