Protective Detachable Hand Covering

Abstract

A protective detachable hand covering, particularly useful for pumping fuel into a fuel tank, and being store on a surface of a vehicle. The hand covering has a flexible base and a bridging member to secure the hand covering to an individual's hand. The flexible base has a bottom adhering surface, which may be magnetized or use a hook and loop fastening mechanism. A bridging member is secured to the top surface so a user can slide his or her hand within the hand cover and detach it from the surface by pulling away from the surface. The flexible base has a palmar region, an elongated thumb region, and an elongated index finger region, particularly useful for gripping a fuel pump handle, and allow a user to pump fuel without directly contacting the fuel pump handle. A method of pumping fuel using a protective detachable hand covering.

1 . A protective detachable hand covering, comprising:
 a) a flexible base having:
 i) a bottom adhering surface adapted to be repeatedly removable from a surface of an object; 
 ii) a top surface adapted for contact against a hand; and, 
   b) a first bridging member positioned across the top surface of the flexible base, the first bridging member adapted to secure the hand between the first bridging member and the top surface of the flexible base;
 wherein the flexible base is sized to be approximately a size of a human hand, and the flexible base has: 
 i) a palmar region, 
 ii) an elongated thumb region extending from the palmar region, and 
 iii) an elongated index finger region extending from the palmar region, the elongated thumb region and elongated index finger region being at least partially separated from each other. 
   
     
     
         2 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom adhering surface includes a magnetic material, thereby allowing the flexible base to be capable of magnetically attracted to metallic portions of an object. 
     
     
         3 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom adhering surface includes a bottom adhering surface hook and loop fastening mechanism, thereby allowing the flexible base to be capable of being removed and attached to an object having a complementary hook and loop fastening mechanism. 
     
     
         4 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 1 , further comprising an outer finger region extending from the palmar region, the outer finger region at least partially separated from the elongated index finger region. 
     
     
         5 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 2 , wherein the magnetic material is a plurality of flexible magnetic strips. 
     
     
         6 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 2 , wherein the magnetic material is a magnetic coating on the bottom adhering surface or infused within the flexible base. 
     
     
         7 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible base further comprises a second bridging member positioned across the elongated thumb region, and a third bridging member positioned across the elongated index finger region, the second bridging member and the third bridging member adapted to secure a thumb and an index finger, respectively. 
     
     
         8 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated index finger region further comprises a sheath sized and shaped to cover a top of an index finger, thereby allowing a user to touch surfaces with the index finger without direct contact of the index finger. 
     
     
         9 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the flexible base is comprised of a printable surface material. 
     
     
         10 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the first bridging member is an elastic bridging member. 
     
     
         11 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the first bridging member bridges across a width of the flexible base and comprises beads, the beads adapted to rotate when a user slides the hand between the first bridging member and the top surface of the flexible base, thereby aiding in sliding the hand over the top surface of the flexible base. 
     
     
         12 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible base is made of a material of sufficient elasticity whereby the elongated index finger region is capable of conforming to the index finger of a user in both straightened and articulated positions. 
     
     
         13 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 1 , further comprising an index finger shield connected to a the elongated index finger region positioned at one end of the index finger region. 
     
     
         14 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 1 ,
 further comprising an outer finger region extending from the palmar region, the outer finger region at least partially separated from the index finger region;   wherein the bottom adhering surface includes a magnetic material;   wherein the magnetic material is a magnetic coating on the bottom adhering surface or infused within the flexible base;   wherein the flexible base further comprises a second bridging member positioned across the elongated thumb region, and a third bridging member positioned across the elongated index finger region, the second bridging member and the third bridging member adapted to secure a thumb and an index finger, respectively;   wherein the elongated index finger region further comprises a sheath sized and shaped to cover a top of an index finger, thereby allowing a user to touch surfaces with the index finger without direct contact of the index finger;   wherein the first bridging member is an elastic bridging member;   wherein the first bridging member bridges across a width of the flexible base and comprises beads, the beads adapted to rotate when a user slides the hand between the first bridging member and the top surface of the flexible base; and,   wherein the flexible base is made of a material of sufficient elasticity whereby the elongated index finger region is capable of conforming to the index finger of a user in both straightened and articulated positions.   
     
     
         15 . The protective detachable hand covering of  claim 8 , further comprising a latch connected to both the sheath and the top surface of the flexible base by a spring-loaded connecting member, whereby the latch allows entry of an index finger within the sheath but remains in a closed position to prevent air, dirt and water from entering the sheath when an index finger is not disposed within the sheath. 
     
     
         16 . A method of pumping fuel into a fuel tank comprising:
 a) providing the protective detachable hand covering of  claim 1 ;   b) inserting a hand into the protective detachable hand covering;   c) removing the protective detachable hand covering from a surface;   d) interposing the protective detachable hand covering within a handle of a fuel pump nozzle;   e) detaching the fuel pump nozzle from a fuel pump; and,   f) activating an operating lever on the fuel pump nozzle to release fuel from the fuel pump.   
     
     
         17 . The method of pumping fuel into a fuel tank of  claim 16 , wherein the protective detachable hand covering further comprises an outer finger region, and wherein activating the operating lever on the fuel pump involves lifting the operating lever with the outer finger region of the protective detachable hand covering. 
     
     
         18 . The method of pumping fuel into a fuel tank of  claim 16  further comprising pressing a key on a keypad with the elongated index finger region of the protective detachable hand covering. 
     
     
         19 . The method of pumping fuel into a fuel tank of  claim 16 , wherein the elongated index finger region comprises a sheath sized and shaped to cover a top of an index finger, thereby allowing a user to depress a key on a keypad without direct skin contact. 
     
     
         20 . The method of pumping fuel into a fuel tank of  claim 16 , further comprising pressing a gas handle lock using the index finger region of the protective detachable hand covering to lock the operating lever in place while fuel is being dispensed.