Protective hand covering for infants

Abstract

A protective hand covering has a flexible shell with an open end and a closed end, and a constricted region between the open and closed ends. The constricted region defines a passage for receiving the child's hand. The hand covering may be worn by an infant or small child during sleeping or other activities, A gripping material is disposed on an inside surface of the shell at the constricted region and around the passage. The gripping material has a coefficient of friction higher than a coefficient of friction of the material of the flexible shell, such that the hand covering is discouraged from coming off of the child's hand.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective hand covering, comprising:
 a flexible shell having a closed first end, an open second end opposite the first end, and an elastically constricted region between the first and second ends, the constricted region defining a passage between the first and second ends; and   a gripping material disposed on an inside surface of the shell at the constricted region and around the passage, the gripping material having a coefficient of friction higher than a coefficient of friction of the material of the flexible shell.   
     
     
         2 . The protective hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the gripping material comprises rubber. 
     
     
         3 . The protective hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the gripping material comprises silicone rubber. 
     
     
         4 . The protective hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the gripping material is arranged in a continuous band around the passage. 
     
     
         5 . The protective hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the gripping material is arranged in a plurality of separated patches disposed around the passage. 
     
     
         6 . The protective hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the gripping material has a texture on its exposed surface. 
     
     
         7 . The protective hand covering of  claim 6 , wherein the texture comprises tapered ridges. 
     
     
         8 . The protective hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible shell comprises a fabric. 
     
     
         9 . The protective hand covering of  claim 8 , wherein the flexible shell comprises two layers of fabric. 
     
     
         10 . The protective hand covering of  claim 8 , wherein the gripping material is partially infused into the fabric. 
     
     
         11 . The protective hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible shell comprises a stretchable fabric. 
     
     
         12 . The protective hand covering of  claim 1 , further comprising an elastic band disposed around and constricting the constricted region. 
     
     
         13 . The protective hand covering of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the shell has an expanded circumference of between 4.5 and 6 inches;   the constricted region has a constricted inner circumference of less than 3 inches; and   the constricted region is positioned between 1.0 and 2.0 inches from the open end of the shell.   
     
     
         14 . The protective hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the shell between the closed end and the constricted region is of a shape and size to contain a hand of an infant less than one year old, and the constricted region is of a size to enclose the wrist of an infant less than one year old. 
     
     
         15 . A mitten, comprising:
 a flexible shell including a body portion having a closed end for receiving a hand, and a cuff portion having an open end sized for fitting over a wrist of an infant of young child; and   a gripping material disposed on an inside surface of the shell at a transition zone between the body portion and the cuff portion, the gripping material having a coefficient of friction higher than a coefficient of friction of the material of the flexible shell, wherein the transition region is of a size smaller than the hand of the infant or young child.   
     
     
         16 . The mitten of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 elastic disposed around the shell at the transition zone, the elastic material urging the shell toward closure at the transition zone.   
     
     
         17 . The mitten of  claim 16 , wherein the elastic has an unstretched length of between 2.5 and 3.5 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The mitten of  claim 15 , wherein the mitten is thumbless. 
     
     
         19 . The mitten of  claim 15 , wherein an exposed surface of the gripping material is textured, the texture comprising tapered ridges. 
     
     
         20 . The mitten of  claim 15 , wherein an exposed surface of the gripping material is textured with ridges disposed at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the mitten.