Wheelchair Racing Glove

Abstract

The present invention presents a wheelchair racing glove. The glove includes a main body having a top surface with a gripping structure, padded segments, fastener, and nesting cavity; and a bottom surface having a force transfer member and frictional support member. The gripping structure is formed with ergonomic features that fit a user's hand, which is held in the glove by the fastener. The padded segments reduce vibrational forces acting on the user's hand, and the nesting cavity provides a protective cover and additional grip for a user's thumb. The nesting cavity may also have ventilation holes to promote airflow to a user's thumb. The force transfer member and frictional support member both function to reduce impact forces as well as promote force transfer efficiency between a user's hand and a wheelchair wheel. A patterned internal support system further provides structural integrity, weight reduction, force absorption, and efficient force transfer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wheelchair racing glove, comprising:
 a. a main body having a top surface and a bottom surface;   b. wherein the top surface further comprises a gripping structure;   c. wherein the bottom surface further comprises a force transfer member   
     
     
         2 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 1 , wherein the top surface further comprises a nesting cavity disposed therein and configured to accept a user's thumb. 
     
     
         3 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 2 , wherein at least one ventilation hole is disposed through the main body, connecting and promoting airflow between an interior of the nesting cavity with an external environment. 
     
     
         4 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 1 , wherein the top surface further comprises padded segments disposed thereupon and configured to reduce vibrational and impact forces transferred between a user's hand and the main body of the glove. 
     
     
         5 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 1 , wherein the gripping structure comprises ergonomic surface features configured to assist a user's grip. 
     
     
         6 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 1 , wherein a fastener is coupled to an at least one end of the gripping structure, the fastener configured to couple and retain a user's hand. 
     
     
         7 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 1 , wherein the main body has at least one depression disposed along a surface of the gripping structure, the depression configured to couple and retain a fastener. 
     
     
         8 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one depression further comprises a hole disposed through the gripping structure and configured to accept the fastener threaded therethrough. 
     
     
         9 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the main body further comprises a force transfer member coupled thereto and configured to absorb impact force and promote force transfer efficiency from a user's hand to a wheelchair wheel. 
     
     
         10 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 9 , wherein the force transfer member extends from the bottom surface to an angled channel between the force transfer member and the bottom surface, the angled channel configured to accept and couple a wheelchair propulsion rail. 
     
     
         11 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 10 , wherein the force transfer member and the bottom surface comprise a continuous structure. 
     
     
         12 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 9 , wherein the force transfer member and bottom surface of the main body further comprises enhanced frictional surface features, configured to reduce slippage between the wheelchair racing glove and a wheelchair propulsion rail. 
     
     
         13 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 9 , wherein the bottom surface comprises an at least one frictional support member coupled thereto, having surface features configured to promote friction between the force transfer member and the wheelchair propulsion rail. 
     
     
         14 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one frictional support member comprises a force absorption material having limited compressibility, configured to absorb impact forces between the wheelchair racing glove and the wheelchair propulsion rail. 
     
     
         15 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 14 , wherein the surface features of the at least one frictional support member further comprises an anti-slip chemical coating. 
     
     
         16 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one frictional support member comprises an outer covering configured to couple, cover, and enclose the bottom surface of the wheelchair racing glove. 
     
     
         17 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 1 , wherein the main body further comprises an internal support system having a continuous pattern. 
     
     
         18 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 17 , wherein the continuous pattern of the internal support system is configured to promote impact absorption and force transfer efficiency between the wheelchair racing glove and a wheelchair propulsion rail. 
     
     
         19 . The wheelchair racing glove of  claim 18 , wherein the continuous pattern of the internal support system is configured to maintain structural rigidity and reduce overall weight of the wheelchair racing glove.