HYBRID OVERMITT

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to provisional Application Number 63/730,122, which was filed Dec. 10, 2024, which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for any and all purposes.

BACKGROUND

In the field of hand coverings is filled with a plethora of designs and configurations of hand coverings which may be used with or be a part of a cold weather jacket. These prior art apparels were generally intended to provide a particular function. Some of the hand coverings provide alternative uses such as mittens and fingered gloves.

Improvements are needed.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to an improvement to the performance of extreme weather gloves of the type discussed above, and in particular, to the insulation of the gloved hand. One or more goals may be realized in the overmitt claimed in the present disclosure. According to the indications in the introduction, a gloved hand may be provided with a modular extra insulative layer with ease.

There has always been a need for extra warmth in extreme weather conditions. Heat loss may be controlled by improving the insulative value of a gloved hand, and/or as commonly practiced, by adding an additional layer. Secondly, there is heat loss by movement of air through the space between the extremity and the layer. Control of the hand area, which may be exposed to extreme weather, and varying the insulative properties of the hand covering, are two methods used to effect a desired hand temperature. Lastly, protection of extremities is most important in extreme weather conditions. Frostbite in fingers occurs when skin and underlying tissues freeze due to extreme cold exposure. Preventing frostbite involves wearing appropriate clothing, keeping dry, and being aware of wind chill factors.

The overmitt has a wide range of uses making this invention unique and different. Glove wearers need gloves and extra protection for a variety of reasons-hand protection in severe weather conditions, and before the invention of the overmitt there was a need to provide an extra layer of protection, even when a wearer wore insulating gloves.

In one general aspect, an overmitt may include a main body having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface configured to cover at least a portion of a gloved hand of a wearer, and the bottom surface configured to cooperate with the top surface to enclose at least a portion of the gloved hand of the wearer. An overmitt may also include where the main body may include a hand portion configured to at least partially enclose the gloved hand of the wearer, a thumb portion configured to at least partially enclose a gloved thumb of the wearer, and a wrist portion configured to be disposed about at least a portion of the wrist of the wearer. An overmitt may furthermore include where at least a portion of the main body further may include an insulation layer interposed between a pair of opposing shell layers, the insulation layer may include lightweight insulation material, the shell layer having a synthetic material. An overmitt may in addition include an aperture disposed through at least a portion of the bottom surface of the main body and config. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform the actions of the methods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will be better understood using the description and accompanying drawings, which illustrate several non-limiting aspects by way of example. Based on the description and figures, those skilled in the art will be able to deduce other advantageous characteristics of the overmitt design.

Other advantages of the present disclosure will appear in the light of the description of the apparatus illustrated by the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a profile view of an overmitt according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is another profile view of the overmitt configuration, showing illustrating the exposed palm according to the invention.

FIGS. 3A-3D illustrates an overview of the insertion of a gloved hand into the overmitt, according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a profile view of the overmitt being worn in a back of hand configuration by the wearer on the wrist when the overmitt is not in use.

FIG. 5 is a view of the inner surface of the overmitt having silicone dots to provide dexterity between the gloved hand and the overmitt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In reference to FIG. 1, an overmitt 100 comprises an overmitt main body 110. The overmitt main body 110 may comprise or may be formed from a lightweight synthetic material, such as nylon, more specifically a ripstop fabric for more durability. The overmitt main body 110 may be designed to provide insulation and protection to a wearer's extremities for the prevention of frost bite and to provide additional warmth. The overmitt 100 may comprise or be formed from a knit fabric, such as Lycra knit. Other materials may be used. The main body 110 may comprise a back of hand or top surface 200 disposed opposite a front of hand or bottom surface 201 (FIG. 2).

The overmitt 100 may comprise one or more layers of insulation material sandwiched between layers of ripstop nylon to provide extra warmth. The insulation may be specifically placed on the back of hand and thumb portions to provide warmth. Other areas may be insulated. As an example, the main body 110 may comprise a shell material and a second layer configured to trap air therebetween. Various materials or layers may be used such as nylon, fleece, knit, waterproof breathable materials, or the like. As a further example, the main body 110 may comprise an insulation layer. The insulation may comprise an insulation rating of 40 grams, 100 grams, 150 grams, 200 grams, 250 grams, 300 grams, or ranges between intervening endpoints. Other insulation or layers may be used.

FIG. 2. illustrates the palm side or bottom surface 201 of the overmitt 100, where the overmitt 100 generally has a lower 210, an upper portion 211, and a wrist portion 202. As shown, the bottom surface 201 comprises a hand body portion 204 and a thumb portion 205. As an example, the hand body portion 204 comprises one or more darts formed in the bottom surface 201 so that a last is formed to improve gripping. Additionally or alternatively, seaming may be employed to follow the same pre-curve created by the darts to assist with gripping objects, such as poles, etc. The darting and seaming may be designed to follow a pre-curve (last) applied to other alpine, climbing, skiing, outdoor sport and other sport gloves. The thumb portion 205 is designed to extend away from the bottom surface 201 forming the hand body portion 204. Darting and/or seaming may be used to effect improved thumb control over the thumb portion 205.

FIG. 2 further depicts a palm aperture 206 and a fastener such as cording 208. The palm aperture 206 allows for the insertion of the hand of the wearer to easily slide into the hand body portion 204 and the thumb portion 250 of the bottom surface 201. The palm aperture 206 is also large enough for a wearer's hand and wrist to pass through it. The dimensions of the palm aperture 206 may be approximately half of the entire length of the overmitt 100. As shown the palm aperture 206 extends beyond the wrist portion 202 and extends at or above the thumb portion 205. As such, a wearer may disposed a hand through the palm aperture 206.

The cording 208 allows for a wearer to wear the overmitt 100 in a back of hand configuration. The cording 208 may provide an easy adjustment to register/flip the overmitt 100 to the wrist, as discussed below with respect to FIG. 4. The cording 208 is used at the wrist to allow the wearer to flip the overmitt 100 to function as it keeps the glove on body once removed from the hand or wrist. Use of circumference of the cording 208 is designed to allow easy pass through of other gloves when donning this configuration. As an illustrative example, the size of the palm aperture 206 is greater than a conventional wrist aperture, which allows a wearer to remove a hand from the hand body portion 204 and thumb portion 205 and extend the hand through the palm aperture 206 while the cording 208 secures the overmitt 100 to the body of the wearer.

The cording 208 may be or comprise a hook and loop, elastic shock cord, or any other means suitable to allow the overmitt 100 to be worn in the BOH configuration. The wrist portion 202 is made into the overmitt 100 and is partially closed by the cording 208 The wrist portion 202 may be made of a static webbing at the hem to allow the circumference to hold shape for easy donning over other gloves. As an illustrative example, the palm aperture 206 extends from the wrist portion 202 to at or above the thumb portion 205, which allows a wearer to remove a hand from the hand body portion 204 and thumb portion 205 and extend the hand through the palm aperture 206 while the cording 208 secures the overmitt 100 to the body of the wearer.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A-3D, the illustrations depict the insertion of a gloved hand 300 of a wearer inserted into the overmitt main body 110. Although shown as a gloved hand, it is understood that a naked hand may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. FIG. 3A depicts an isometric view of the gloved hand 300 as it passes through the wrist portion 202. As such, the cording 208 allows for stretch, easy access and accommodation of the gloved hand 300. As noted, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that any suitable means for securing the overmitt main body 110 to the wrist of the wearer may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention. FIG. 3B depicts the gloved hand 300 being slidably inserted further into the overmitt body 110 such that at least a portion of the gloved hand 300 is disposed under the hand body portion 204 of the main body 110 and a thumb is extended into the thumb portion 205. Here the cording 208 or static webbing is disposed at the wearer's wrist. As shown in FIG. 3C the wearer can cinch the cording 208 tight around the wrist. FIG. 3D depicts the backside view of the overmitt main body 110 being worn with a glove. Here the static webbing has been cinched by the cording 208 and the overmitt body 110 has been secured.

FIG. 4. Depicts a thumbside view of the overmitt 100 securely cinched at the wrist of the wearer and worn in a BOH configuration. One may wear this configuration when the wearer needs to reach into a pocket, where the dexterity of the fingers is needed. Here the gloved hand passes through the palm aperture 206 and the overmitt main body 110 is secured to the wearer by the cording 208 as described above.

FIG. 5 depicts the overmitt inner surface 500 (disposed on an opposite side from the bottom surface 201 forming an interior of a cavity defined by the hand body portion 204. As shown, one or more dots 510 (e.g., silicone dots) may be disposed on the inner surface 500 to provide grip and dexterity between a gloved hand and the overmitt body 110. Although shown as dots, other shapes and sizes of grip material may be used on the inner surface 500. Additionally or alternatively, the inner surface 500 may have a silicone coating to assist with friction and thus the dexterity of the glove and the overmitt body portion 110.

Although the invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, it will become apparent that modifications and improvements can be made to the inventive concepts herein without departing from the scope of the invention. The embodiments shown herein are merely illustrative of the inventive concepts and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention.

What has been described and illustrated herein is an example along with some of its variations. The terms, descriptions and figures used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the subject matter, which is intended to be defined by the following claims—and their equivalents—in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated.