Knitted gloves and methods of making them

Abstract

A knitted glove includes at least one finger component, an upper palm component, a thumb component, a lower palm component, and a wrist component wherein each of the components comprises courses and each course is made of stitches, wherein each of the courses of the upper palm component includes a tuck knit stitch adjacent the upper palm inner edge and each of the courses of the thumb component includes a tuck knit stitch adjacent the thumb inner edge, such that the glove has a tuck knitted ridge along the upper palm inner edge, around the thumb crotch and along the thumb inner edge. The knitted glove has high strength in the thumb crotch area and is useful as a protective glove. The tuck knitted ridge provided in the glove not only increases the safety of the wearer but also increases the useful working life of the glove. Also provided is a method of making the knitted glove. The glove is knitted on a flat knitting machine.

1 . A knitted glove comprising:
 at least one finger component,   an upper palm component,   a thumb component,   a lower palm component, and   a wrist component wherein each of the components comprises courses and each course is made of stitches,   wherein each of the courses of the upper palm component includes a tuck knit stitch adjacent the upper palm inner edge and each of the courses of the thumb component includes a tuck knit stitch adjacent the thumb inner edge, such that the glove has a tuck knitted ridge along the upper palm inner edge, around the thumb crotch and along the thumb inner edge.   
     
     
         2 . A knitted glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the glove is a mitten and comprises one finger component for enclosing all fingers of the wearer. 
     
     
         3 . A knitted glove according to  claim 2 , wherein the finger component comprises courses and each course is made of stitches wherein each of the courses of at least a lower region of the finger component adjacent the upper palm component includes a tuck knit stitch adjacent the index finger edge, such that the glove has a tuck knit ridge along the index finger edge of the finger component. 
     
     
         4 . A knitted glove according to  claim 2 , wherein the glove has a tuck knit ridge continuous from the index finger edge of the finger component, along the upper palm inner edge, around the thumb crotch and along the thumb inner edge. 
     
     
         5 . A knitted glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the glove has four finger components. 
     
     
         6 . A knitted glove according to  claim 5 , wherein each of the finger components comprises courses and each course is made of stitches wherein each of the courses of at least a lower region of the index finger component adjacent the upper palm component includes a tuck knit stitch adjacent the outer edge of the index finger component such that the glove has a tuck knit ridge along the outer edge of the index finger component. 
     
     
         7 . A knitted glove according to  claim 6 , wherein the glove has a tuck knit is ridge continuous from the outer edge of the index finger component, along the upper palm edge, around the thumb crotch and along the thumb inner edge. 
     
     
         8 . A knitted glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the glove is knitted from yarn comprising natural fibres, synthetic fibres or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A knitted glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the glove is coated with an elastomeric polymer composition. 
     
     
         10 . A method of making a knitted glove comprising knitting, in sequence,
 at least one finger component,   an upper palm component,   a thumb component,   
       a lower palm component, and
 a wrist component, 
 wherein each of the components comprises knitted courses and each course is made of stitches, 
 wherein each course of the upper palm component is knitted to include a tuck knit stitch in the course adjacent the upper palm inner edge and each course of the thumb component is knitted to include a tuck knit stitch in the course adjacent the thumb inner edge, such that a tuck knit ridge is created along the upper palm inner edge, around the thumb crotch and along the thumb inner edge as the upper palm component and the thumb component are knitted sequentially. 
 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the glove is a mitten and comprises one finger component for enclosing all fingers of the wearer. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein each of the courses of at least a lower region of the finger component adjacent the upper palm component is knitted to include a tuck knit stitch adjacent the index finger edge, such that a tuck knit ridge is created along the index finger edge of the finger component as the courses of the at least lower region of the finger component are knitted sequentially. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the tuck knit ridge is continuous from the index finger edge of the finger component, along the upper palm edge, around the thumb crotch and along the thumb inner edge. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the glove has four finger components. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein each of the courses of at least a lower region of the index finger component adjacent the upper palm component is knitted to include a tuck knit stitch adjacent the outer edge of the index finger component such that a tuck knit ridge is created along the outer edge of the index finger component as the courses of the at least lower region of the index finger component are knitted sequentially. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the tuck knit ridge method is continuous from the outer edge of the index finger component, along the upper palm edge, around the thumb crotch and along the thumb inner edge. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the glove is knitted from yarn comprising natural fibres, synthetic fibres or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 10 , comprising the additional step of coating the knitted glove.