Protective device for use with a glove

Abstract

A protective device for use in a high temperature and liquid environment provides a glove integrally formed with a protective member in the thumb webbing region. The protective member is not readily detectable when viewing the outside of the glove. The protective member is cut resistant and constructed to protect a workman's hand as a sharp and hot object passes over the protective member contacting the outer surface of the glove.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for protecting an operator from a sharp object moving above a thumb-crotch region comprising:
 a glove donned by a hand including at least the following bones: a first metacarpal bone, a second metacarpal bone, and a third metacarpal bone;   a protective member attached to the glove spanning the thumb-crotch region; and   a first edge of the protective member crossing over the second metacarpal bone at an angle in a range from 15° to 75°.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second edge of the protective member crossing over the second metacarpal bone at an angle generally orthogonal to the first edge of the protective member.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a third edge of the protective member generally parallel with the first edge such that the protective member is generally shaped like a trapezoid when laid flat.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second edge of the protective member positioned ulnarly from the first edge. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a first region on the protective member positioned within a palmar region on the glove, and a second region on the protective member positioned within a dorsal region on the glove. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a terminal corner of the first edge positioned approximately directly above the third metacarpal bone.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the protective member defines two slits to enable the protective member to bend around a thumb region of the glove and around a forefinger region of the glove such that a major axis associated with the protective member extends over the thumb-crotch region defined between the thumb region and the forefinger region. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an outer layer and an inner liner of the glove, wherein the protective member is positioned intermediate the outer layer and inner liner. 
     
     
         9 . A protective member for a thumb-crotch region of a glove comprising:
 a first surface facing towards a hand when donning the glove;   a second surface opposite the first surface facing away from the hand when donning the glove;   an edge bounding the first surface and the second surface;   a major axis and a minor axis associated with the first surface, wherein the first surface is longer along the major axis than along the minor axis; and   at least one slit interrupting the edge and the first surface, the at least one slit extending generally parallel the to the minor axis; wherein the at least one slit enables the protective member to bend around one of (a) a thumb and (b) a forefinger such that the protective member extends over and protects the thumb-crotch region.   
     
     
         10 . The protective member of  claim 9 , further comprising a terminal end of the at least one slit terminating prior to the major axis. 
     
     
         11 . The protective member of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a first quarter-round shaped member having an arcuate edge, and two perpendicular edges meeting at a point.   
     
     
         12 . The protective member of  claim 11 , wherein the first quarter-round shaped member is disposed within the at least one slit such that the point is closely adjacent the terminal end of the at least one slit. 
     
     
         13 . The protective member of  claim 12 , further comprising a union of one of the two perpendicular edges of the quarter-round shaped member with a portion of a first slit edge defining a portion of the at least one slit. 
     
     
         14 . The protective member of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a second slit diametrically opposite the at least one slit relative to the major axis, and a terminal end of the second slit terminating prior to major axis.   
     
     
         15 . The protective member of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a first quarter-round shaped member having an arcuate edge, and two perpendicular edges meeting at a point, wherein the first quarter-round shaped member is disposed within the at least one slit; and   a second quarter-round shaped member having an arcuate edge, and two perpendicular edges meeting at a point, wherein the second quarter-round shaped member is disposed within the second slit.   
     
     
         16 . The protective member of  claim 9 , in combination with a liquid proof heat resistant glove, wherein the combination comprises:
 a fixedly attached relationship of the protective member to the glove such that the protective member extends around the thumb-crotch region of the glove.   
     
     
         17 . The combination of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 an outer layer of the glove and an inner layer of the glove, wherein the protective member is fixedly attached intermediate the outer layer and the inner layer of the glove.   
     
     
         18 . A protective member for a thumb-crotch region of a glove, wherein when prior to installing the protective member on the glove, the protective member when laid flat comprises:
 a generally trapezoidal-shaped edge bounding a first surface adapted to face a hand of an operator which is opposite from a second surface adapted to face away from the operator;   a major axis associated with the generally trapezoidal-shaped edge;   a minor axis associated with the generally trapezoidal-shaped edge;   wherein the protective member is formed from a material that is harder than that of the glove to which the protective member will be installed.   
     
     
         19 . The protective member of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 at least two opposing slits interrupting the generally trapezoidal-shaped edge, wherein the at least two slits extend parallel to the minor axis and each terminates prior to the major axis, wherein the two slits enable the protective member to bend around a thumb region of the glove and around a forefinger region of the glove such that the major axis extends over a thumb-crotch region defined between the thumb region and the forefinger region.   
     
     
         20 . The protective member of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a first portion of the generally trapezoidal-shaped edge offset to a first side of the minor axis;   a second portion of the generally trapezoidal-shaped edge offset to a second side of the minor axis opposite the first side;   wherein the first arcuate portion, when fixedly attached to the glove's dorsal side, extends to at least a middle metacarpal region of the glove, and wherein the second arcuate portion, wherein the second arcuate portion, when fixedly attached to the glove's palmar side, extends to at least the middle metacarpal region of the glove.