TECHNICAL KNIT GLOVE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of gloves and, more particularly, seamless knitted gloves and methods of manufacture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Knitting is the process whereby fabric is formed by intermeshing loops of yarn. Knitted fabrics, either created by tubular or flat form, are used as apparel and other products such as sweaters, underwear, hosiery, socks, stockings and gloves.

Knitting is generally classified as either weft or warp knitting, with weft knitting having loops formed in a horizontal direction and warp knitting having loops formed in a vertical direction. Weft knitting, which is resilient and more open, is divided into circular and flat knitting depending upon the fabric, type of needle and form of needle bed. Circular knitting can produce variable diameter tubular fabric, using a circular knitting machine to knit tubular fabric of a pre-determined diameter. In circular knitting, the fabric diameter is mostly determined by the diameter of the needle cylinder.

Flat knitting machines are very flexible, use two needle beds and can create complex designs and shaped garments for commercial use. While this process is slower than using a circular knitting machine, it has the ability to create more complicated stitch patterns and fitted garments, which makes up for the lack of speed these machines use. Advantages of using a flat knitting machine include versatility, use of different yarns and simplicity in operation.

While seamless knitting is possible on both circular (tubular) and flat knitting machines, the circular knitting machines generally make only a single tubular type of garment. For example, a typical knit glove made on a circular knitting machine does not allow the thumb to sit at a different angle to the main body of the glove. Flat knitting machines can create more than one knitted tube at the same time, which are joined together on the machine.

The present invention takes advantage of the use of flat knitting machines in the production of seamless knitted gloves formed without sewn fourchettes. The glove of the present invention is made on a flat knitting machine, yet is able to replicate the shape and positioning of a straight, Bolton, sidewall or single seamed thumb on the knitted glove.

Additionally, gloves containing fourchettes and/or sidewalls are typically cut and subsequently sewn together to attach the front and the back panels across the fourchette and complete the glove. The seams created by the sewing technique often cause discomfort for the wearer, especially in the area of the fourchettes between the fingers.

The present invention advances the art in providing knitted individual panels and pattern pieces to make gloves constructed with flat knitting machines that use different yarn types, colors, textures and shapes wherein the back of the hand and/or palm portions of the glove are knitted in one seamless knitted piece, including the areas between fingers, and thereafter attached with the remaining portion of the glove.

Additionally, the glove of the present invention provides the wearer with a greater degree of comfort by having few or no seams, compared to typically produced knitted gloves of similar shape and style having sewn in fourchettes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a glove having a knitted first panel comprising a first side of the glove with integrally formed finger fourchettes, a second panel comprising a second side of the glove and a method of manufacturing the glove using a flat knitting machine.

More particularly, the present glove comprises a knitted first panel conforming to at least a portion of one of a front or a back of the glove, the knitted first panel comprising four finger portions including a respective front or a back of the fingers, both sides of each of the fingers and the fingertips of each of the fingers integrally formed of a knitted material without seams, and a second panel conforming to at least a portion of the other of the front or back of the glove. The panels are joined together by knitting, sewing, stitching, adhesives, heat sealing, or combinations thereof in the manufacture of the completed glove.

The knitted material of the knitted first panel can be formed of a single type of yarn, if the characteristics of the entire panel are to be the same, or different yarns, if different areas are to have different characteristics or properties. Notwithstanding changes in yarn, the knitted first panel is integrally formed of the yarn, so that the knitted first panel does not contain seams. As such, the knitted first panel covering a front or back and the sides of the fingers comprises changes of direction of the knit material of up to or even over 90 degrees.

Most preferably, the knitted first panel further comprises a thumb portion, including a respective front or back of the thumb, the sides of the thumb and the tip of the thumb, without a seam between the thumb portion and the remainder of the knitted first panel. Preferably, the thumb portion is positioned at an angle relative to the main body portion of the knitted first panel and may be positioned in a straight, Bolton, sidewall or single seamed fashion.

The second panel can be formed of any suitable material, including natural or synthetic materials or combinations thereof, and can be formed of more than one component piece. For example, a first piece forming a part of the second panel can conform to the fingers and main body portion of the glove with an additional piece of the second panel conforming to the thumb portion. Most preferably, the material of the second panel comprises at least one piece of material made of a durable, flexible natural material or synthetic fabric.

It is also preferred that the glove of the present invention comprise a wrist cuff to help secure the glove to a wearer's hand. In one embodiment, the wrist cuff is formed independently and joined to at least one of the knitted first panel and/or the second panel while in another embodiment, the wrist cuff is formed integrally with one of the knitted first panel and/or the second panel. Most preferably, the wrist cuff has opposed ends that wrap around the wrist, with cooperating closure elements on the opposed ends to maintain the wrist cuff in a closed orientation, the cooperating closure elements preferably permitting attachment of the opposed ends to define a user determinable size.

The glove of the present invention is preferably manufactured using a flat knitting machine to form the knitted first panel, which allows for a transition in the knitting direction, preferably up to 90 degrees without a seam. The knitted first panel covering the front or back and both sides of the fingers in the fourchette area is formed without a seam to provide a glove offering a greater degree of comfort for the wearer.

The knitted first panel can be formed of different yarns or patterns in different portions that may impart different characteristics to the glove depending upon the end use or desired appearance, e.g., abrasion resistance, durability, wind protection, texture, color and the like, additional features including, but not limited to, protection elements or decorative elements, including different aesthetic elements, such as colors, designs, logos, or the like, all without a seam.

The glove of the present invention is formed by knitting a first panel on a flat knitting, machine, the knitted panel conforming to at least a portion of one of a front or a back of the glove and comprising four finger portions including a respective front or a back of the fingers, both sides of each of the fingers and the fingertips of each of the fingers integrally formed of a knitted material without a seam, forming a second panel, and attaching the first panel to the second panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is better understood when considered in view of the attached drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts. The drawings, however, are presented merely to illustrate the preferred embodiments of the invention without limiting the invention in any manner whatsoever.

• FIGURE 1 is a rear perspective view of an embodiment of the glove of the present invention from the outer side of the hand, with the knitted first panel forming the back of the glove.
• FIGURE 2 is a front perspective view of the embodiment of the glove of the present invention shown in Figure 1.
• FIGURE 3 is an alternate rear perspective view of the embodiment of the glove of the present invention shown in Figure 1, from the fingertips.
• FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a back panel of the glove of the present invention, from the thumb side of the hand.
• FIGURE 5A is a schematic of a rear elevation of an alternative embodiment of the glove of the present invention, where the knitted first panel forms the back of the glove.
• FIGURE 5B is a schematic of a front elevation of the alternative embodiment of the glove of the present invention shown in Figure 5A.
• FIGURE 6A is a schematic of a rear elevation of an alternative embodiment of the glove of the present invention, where the knitted first panel forms the front of the glove.
• FIGURE 6B is a schematic of a front elevation of the alternative embodiment of the glove of the present invention shown in Figure 6A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a glove 2 having integrally formed finger fourchettes comprising a knitted first panel 4 conforming to at least a portion of a front or back of the glove and a second panel 6 conforming to at least a portion of the other of the front or back of the glove. The knitted first panel 4 preferably comprises four fingers 8 and a main body portion 10 formed from a knitted material, with the knitted first panel 4 including a respective front or back of the fingers 8 and both sides and the fingertips of each of the fingers 8 integrally formed without seams.

In the preferred embodiment, a thumb portion 12 is formed as part of the knitted first panel 4, at the main body portion 10 of the knitted first panel 4, without a seam to the remainder of the knitted first panel 4, The preferred embodiment also comprises a wrist cuff 14 to help secure the glove to a wearer's hand, where the wrist cuff 14 can be formed as either a portion of the knitted first panel 4, a portion of the second panel 6 or as an independent component that is then attached to the knitted first panel 4 and second panel 6 in stages or at the same time.

In one preferred embodiment shown in Figures 1-4, the knitted first panel 4 conforms to the back of the hand while the second panel 6 conforms to the front of the hand. The thumb portion 12 of the knitted first panel 4 is formed at an angle to the main body portion 10, the thumb portion 12 being knitted without a seam between the thumb portion 12 and the main body portion 10 of the knitted first panel 4. The knitted first panel 4 and the second panel 6, as well as the wrist cuff 14 that is independently formed, are then joined together, by sewing, stitching, adhesives, heat sealing, or other suitable means, to finish the glove 2.

It has been found that by changing the direction of the knitting action on a flat knitting machine, the knitted first panel 4 with finger portions 8, including the front or back of the fingers, the sides of the fingers, or fourchettes, and the fingertips, can be seamlessly formed. In forming the front or back of the finger portions 8 seamlessly, the knitted first panel 4 utilizes a seamless change of direction where the front or back of the finger transitions to the fourchette portion and fingertip, which junctures form angles.

Preferably, the change of direction in the knitted material at the transition junction 16 from the front or back of the finger to the fourchette on either side of the finger creates an angle that is up to and including, or even greater than, 90° degrees without a seam. In this regard, the angle of 90° between the front or back of the finger and the sides of the finger at the fourchette, formed without a seam, has been found to be most preferred. The lack of seams in the knitted first panel 4 results in a more comfortable glove than gloves where the features are created by sewing the separate finger component pieces together.

Turning back to the drawings, Figures 1, 3, 4, 5A and 6B illustrate the transition junction 16 where the knitted material of the knitted first panel 4 changes direction without a seam. The transition junction 16 can be at any angle, including most preferably about 90°, where the front or back of the finger transitions to the sides of the fingers (transition junction 16'), and preferably at about 30° where the front or back of the main body 10 transitions to the thumb portion (transition junction 16").

The transition junction 16 created without the need to sew separate glove pieces together allows for a glove 2 with the appearance of separately attached fourchettes, even though the fourchettes are integrally formed. However, the glove 2 of the present invention does not cramp the hand or cause irritation from seams, attributable to gloves that have fourchettes sewn and attached to the front or back of palm panels in their construction. In addition, the inclusion of the knitted and seamless fourchettes allows the fingers to "fork" easily and imparts the freedom of finger movement that fourchettes are supposed to provide.

The use of a flat knitting machine to make the glove of the present invention also permits the use of different yarns and knittable fibers. This allows for the production of seamless knitted portions of different texture, color, density, characteristic, etc., for variations in appearance, texture and intended use of the glove 2. The knitted material of the knitted first panel 4 can be formed of a single type of yarn if the characteristics of the entire panel are to be the same, or different yarns if the different areas are to have different characteristics or properties.

For example, the knitted first panel 4 of the glove 2 shown in Figures 1-4 can be formed of a first yarn that is more conducive to abrasion resistance, durability and wind protection across the backs of the fingers, and a second yarn used to knit a comparatively thinner material that is more conducive to stretch, comfort and fit at the sides of the fingers without a seam.

The preferred embodiment of Figures 1-4 also shows an embodiment where the thumb portion 12 is seamlessly created as part of the knitted first panel 4. Unlike other gloves that are prepared by assembly of separate pieces, the thumb portion 12 is made with the glove back panel using a flat knitting machine. In another embodiment (not shown), the thumb portion 12 may be made part of the second panel, however, using a flat knitting machine to incorporate the front or back, the sides and the tip of the thumb into the knitted first panel 4 is most preferred. In this regard, forming the thumb portion 12 as part of the knitted first panel 4 permits the thumb portion 12 to be seamlessly formed as a straight, Bolton, sidewall or single seamed thumb.

Additional elements may also be added to the knitted first panel 4, including different colors, textures, logos, designs, raised decorative elements or raised protection elements 18, that can be formed seamlessly. For example, as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, raised elements 18 can be seamlessly incorporated into the knitted first panel 4 over the areas of the knuckles and up the backs of the fingers for impact protection without the need for components incorporated separately onto the knitted first panel 4. Of course, additional components may be incorporated onto the knitted first panel 4 and/or the second panel, such as elastomeric components either formed separately and attached to the panels, as generally described in U.S. Patent No. 7,100,212 or injection molded onto the panels, as described in U.S. Patent No. 9,346,202.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the knitted first panel 4 and/or second panel 6 may have an independently or integrally formed wrist cuff 14 for more securely holding the glove 2 on the user's hand. The wrist cuff 14 preferably comprises opposed ends that can be closed about the wearer's wrist with cooperating closure members 20 to allow the user to selectively fit the wrist cuff 14 around the user's wrist. In a preferred embodiment, the closure members 20 are incorporated onto the opposed ends of one or both of the knitted first panel 4 and/or second panel 6, and can be any suitable cooperation closure elements, including but not limited to hook and loop fastener elements, snap elements, clip elements, button and button hole elements, or the like that can retain the wrist cuff 14 in a closed configuration, preferably at a user determinable size.

An alternative embodiment is shown in Figures 5A and 5B, which includes a knitted first panel 4 conforming to the back of the hand and a second panel 6 conforming to a portion of the front of the hand, with a wrist cuff 14 integrally formed as part of the knitted first panel 4. As shown in Figure 5B, the second panel 6 comprises a first component piece that conforms to the fronts of the fingers and palm and a second component piece attached to the first piece that conforms to the front of the thumb.

Another embodiment is shown in Figures 6A and 6B, where the knitted first panel 4 conforms to the front of the hand and the second panel 6 conforms to the back of the hand, with the wrist cuff 14 integrally formed as part of the knitted first panel 4. As shown in Figure 6A, the second panel 6 is formed of a first piece conforming to the back of the hand and the kitted first portion 4 includes transition junctions 16 for changes in direction at the thumb portion 12 and from the fronts of the fingers 8 to the sides of the fingers 8 to seamlessly form the fourchettes.

The knitted first panel 4 of the glove 2 of the present invention can be manufactured from any suitable yarn or fibers (collectively yarn), having characteristics that correspond to the requirements of the product or a portion thereof. Similarly, the second panel 6 can be made of any suitable material, including fabrics, leather, synthetic materials, softshell materials, etc. Additionally, the glove 2 may include an insert attached or bonded to the interior of the glove, the insert comprising an insulation material, a waterproof material, a wicking material, or the like to impart additional characteristics to the glove. For example, the insert can include a microfiber thermal insulation material, a wind stop fleece material, or a waterproof breathable insert, such as a stretch polytetrafluoroethylene material (e.g., Gore-Tex®).

While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive of the current invention, and that this invention is not restricted to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described since variation, modification, and/or alternatives can occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art. All such variations, modifications and/or alternatives are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.

The term "comprising" as used in the following claims is an open-ended transitional term that is intended to include additional elements not specifically recited in the claims. It is also noted that any feature or element positively identified in this document may also be specifically excluded as a feature or element of an embodiment of the present invention.

Any and all patents and/or patent applications referred to herein are hereby incorporated by reference.