Hybrid Hand Covering with Distal Phalanx Fingertip Segments

Abstract

A hybrid hand covering with a mitten shell, a thumb portion that meets the mitten shell at a junction, and at least an abbreviated first fingertip segment for receiving only the distal phalanx portion of a first finger, such as the index finger, up to the distal interphalangeal joint. The mitten shell forms a common heat cavity retaining the palm portion of the hand and the first finger up to the distal interphalangeal joint thus permitting manual dexterity while maintaining the majority thereof within the common heat cavity. For the index finger, the inner volume of the fingertip segment has a length of approximately 40% or less of the overall length of the index finger or not more than approximately 30% of a distance D T from a distal end of the inner volume of the fingertip segment to a line laterally across the junction where the thumb meets the shell.

What is claimed as deserving of Letters Patent is: 
     
         1 . A hand covering for a human hand of a hand size, the hand with a palm portion, a thumb, and four fingers comprising an index finger, a middle finger, a ring finger, and a pinkie that extend from the palm portion, the hand covering comprising:
 a mitten shell that defines an inner volume, wherein the mitten shell has a proximal opening for receiving the hand therethrough and wherein the mitten shell has a distal end;   a thumb portion that extends laterally from the mitten shell, wherein the thumb portion has an outwardly facing side that faces away from the mitten shell and an inwardly facing side that faces toward the mitten shell and wherein the inwardly facing side of the thumb portion meets the mitten shell at a junction; and   an abbreviated first fingertip segment adapted for receiving only the distal phalanx portion of a first finger of the four fingers of the hand, wherein the first fingertip segment extends longitudinally from the distal end of the mitten shell and wherein the first fingertip segment defines an inner volume of a length and size adapted for receiving approximately only the distal phalanx portion the first finger of the four fingers of the hand to approximately the distal interphalangeal joint;   whereby the mitten shell forms a common heat cavity adapted to retain therewithin the palm portion of the human hand and the first finger of the four fingers of the hand up to approximately the distal interphalangeal joint and whereby the hand covering permits manual dexterity with the distal phalanx portion of the first finger of the four fingers received into the first fingertip segment while retaining middle and proximal phalanxes of the first finger of the four fingers within the common heat cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the first finger of the four fingers has an overall length comprising a distance D L  based on the hand size of the human hand and wherein the inner volume of the abbreviated first fingertip segment has a length of approximately 40% or less of the distance D L  whereby the first fingertip segment is adapted to receive approximately 40% or less of the overall length of the first finger of the four fingers. 
     
     
         3 . The hand covering of  claim 2 , wherein the abbreviated first fingertip segment is sized and positioned relative to the mitten shell to receive the distal phalanx portion of the index finger of the human hand. 
     
     
         4 . The hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein there is a longitudinal distance D T  from a distal end of the inner volume of the first fingertip segment to a line that communicates laterally across the hand covering that crosses the junction where the thumb portion meets the mitten shell and wherein the inner volume of the first fingertip segment spans from the distal end of the inner volume of the first fingertip segment to not more than approximately 30% of the distance D T . 
     
     
         5 . The hand covering of  claim 4 , wherein the abbreviated first fingertip segment is sized and positioned relative to the mitten shell to receive the distal phalanx portion of the index finger of the human hand. 
     
     
         6 . The hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the abbreviated first fingertip segment is sized and positioned relative to the mitten shell to receive the distal phalanx portion of the index finger of the human hand, wherein the hand covering further comprises an abbreviated second fingertip segment adapted for receiving only the distal phalanx portion of a second finger of the four fingers of the hand, wherein the second fingertip segment extends longitudinally from the distal end of the mitten shell, and wherein the second fingertip segment defines an inner volume of a length and size adapted for receiving approximately only the distal phalanx portion of the second finger of the four fingers of the hand to approximately the distal interphalangeal joint. 
     
     
         7 . The hand covering of  claim 6 , wherein the abbreviated second fingertip segment is sized and positioned relative to the mitten shell to receive the distal phalanx portion of the middle finger, wherein the hand covering further comprises abbreviated third and fourth fingertip segments adapted for receiving only the distal phalanx portions of the ring and pinkie fingers respectively, wherein the third and fourth fingertip segments extend longitudinally from the distal end of the mitten shell, and wherein each of the third and further fingertip segments defines an inner volume of a length and size adapted for receiving approximately only the distal phalanx portion the ring and pinkie fingers respectively to approximately the distal interphalangeal joint. 
     
     
         8 . The hand covering of  claim 7 , wherein there is a longitudinal distance D T  from a distal end of the inner volume of each fingertip segment to a line that communicates laterally across the hand covering that crosses the junction where the thumb portion meets the mitten shell, wherein the first fingertip segment is sized and positioned relative to the mitten shell to receive the distal phalanx portion of the index finger of the human hand, wherein the inner volume of the first fingertip segment spans from the distal end of the inner volume of the first fingertip segment to not more than approximately 30% of the distance D T  of the first fingertip segment, wherein the second fingertip segment is sized and positioned relative to the mitten shell to receive the distal phalanx portion of the middle finger of the human hand, wherein the inner volume of the second fingertip segment spans from the distal end of the inner volume of the second fingertip segment to not more than approximately 30% of the distance D T  for the second fingertip segment, wherein the third fingertip segment is sized and positioned relative to the mitten shell to receive the distal phalanx portion of the ring finger of the human hand, wherein the inner volume of the third fingertip segment spans from the distal end of the inner volume of the third fingertip segment to not more than approximately 35% of the distance D T  for the third fingertip segment, wherein the fourth fingertip segment is sized and positioned relative to the mitten shell to receive the distal phalanx portion of the pinkie finger of the human hand, wherein the inner volume of the fourth fingertip segment spans from the distal end of the inner volume of the fourth fingertip segment to not more than approximately 35% of the distance D T  for the fourth fingertip segment. 
     
     
         9 . The hand covering of  claim 1 , wherein the mitten shell, the thumb portion, and the first fingertip segment are formed from one or more layers of insulative material. 
     
     
         10 . The hand covering of  claim 9 , wherein the mitten shell, the thumb portion, and the first fingertip segment incorporate one or more layers of lightweight synthetic insulation fabric manufactured from polyester fibers. 
     
     
         11 . The hand covering of  claim 10 , wherein the mitten shell, the thumb portion, and the first fingertip segment further incorporate one or more layers of water resistant or waterproof material. 
     
     
         12 . The hand covering of  claim 11 , wherein the mitten shell, the thumb portion, and the first fingertip segment further incorporate an inner layer of tricot warp-knit fabric. 
     
     
         13 . A hand covering for a human hand of a hand size, the hand with a palm portion, a thumb, and four fingers comprising an index finger, a middle finger, a ring finger, and a pinkie that extend from the palm portion, the hand covering comprising:
 a mitten shell that defines an inner volume, wherein the mitten shell has a proximal opening for receiving the hand therethrough and wherein the mitten shell has a distal end;   a thumb portion that extends laterally from the mitten shell, wherein the thumb portion has an outwardly facing side that faces away from the mitten shell and an inwardly facing side that faces toward the mitten shell and wherein the inwardly facing side of the thumb portion meets the mitten shell at a junction; and   an abbreviated index finger fingertip segment sized and positioned relative to the mitten shell to receive the distal phalanx portion of the index finger of the human hand, wherein the index finger fingertip segment is adapted for receiving only the distal phalanx portion of the index finger, wherein the index finger fingertip segment extends longitudinally from the distal end of the mitten shell, wherein the index finger fingertip segment defines an inner volume of a length and size adapted for receiving approximately only the distal phalanx portion the index finger to approximately the distal interphalangeal joint;   whereby the mitten shell forms a common heat cavity adapted to retain therewithin the palm portion of the human hand and the index finger up to approximately the distal interphalangeal joint and whereby the hand covering permits manual dexterity with the distal phalanx portion of the index finger received into the index finger fingertip segment while retaining middle and proximal phalanxes of the index finger within the common heat cavity.   
     
     
         14 . The hand covering of  claim 13 , wherein the index finger has an overall length comprising a distance D L  based on the hand size of the human hand and wherein the inner volume of the index finger fingertip segment has a length of approximately 40% or less of the distance D L  whereby the index finger fingertip segment is adapted to receive approximately 40% or less of the overall length of the index finger. 
     
     
         15 . The hand covering of  claim 14 , wherein there is a longitudinal distance D T  from a distal end of the inner volume of the index finger fingertip segment to a line that communicates laterally across the hand covering that crosses the junction where the thumb portion meets the mitten shell and wherein the inner volume of the index finger fingertip segment spans from the distal end of the inner volume of the index finger fingertip segment to not more than approximately 30% of the distance D T . 
     
     
         16 . The hand covering of  claim 13 , wherein the hand covering further comprises an abbreviated middle finger fingertip segment adapted for receiving only the distal phalanx portion of the middle finger of the four fingers, wherein the middle finger fingertip segment extends longitudinally from the distal end of the mitten shell, and wherein the middle finger fingertip segment defines an inner volume of a length and size adapted for receiving approximately only the distal phalanx portion the middle finger to approximately the distal interphalangeal joint. 
     
     
         17 . The hand covering of  claim 16 , wherein the hand covering further comprises abbreviated ring finger and pinkie finger fingertip segments adapted for receiving only the distal phalanx portions of the ring and pinkie fingers respectively, wherein the ring finger and pinkie finger fingertip segments extend longitudinally from the distal end of the mitten shell, and wherein each of the ring finger and pinkie finger fingertip segments defines an inner volume of a length and size adapted for receiving approximately only the distal phalanx portion the ring and pinkie fingers respectively to approximately the distal interphalangeal joint. 
     
     
         18 . The hand covering of  claim 17 , wherein there is a longitudinal distance D T  from a distal end of the inner volume of each fingertip segment to a line that communicates laterally across the hand covering that crosses the junction where the thumb portion meets the mitten shell, wherein the inner volume of the index finger fingertip segment spans from the distal end of the inner volume of the index finger fingertip segment to not more than approximately 30% of the distance D T  of the index finger fingertip segment, wherein the inner volume of the middle finger fingertip segment spans from the distal end of the inner volume of the middle finger fingertip segment to not more than approximately 30% of the distance D T  for the middle finger fingertip segment, wherein the inner volume of the ring finger fingertip segment spans from the distal end of the inner volume of the ring finger fingertip segment to not more than approximately 35% of the distance D T  for the ring finger fingertip segment, wherein the inner volume of the pinkie finger fingertip segment spans from the distal end of the inner volume of the pinkie finger fingertip segment to not more than approximately 35% of the distance D T  for the pinkie finger fingertip segment. 
     
     
         19 . The hand covering of  claim 13 , wherein the mitten shell, the thumb portion, and the index finger fingertip segment are formed from one or more layers of insulative material. 
     
     
         20 . The hand covering of  claim 19 , wherein the mitten shell, the thumb portion, and the index finger fingertip segment incorporate one or more layers of lightweight synthetic insulation fabric manufactured from polyester fibers. 
     
     
         21 . The hand covering of  claim 20 , wherein the mitten shell, the thumb portion, and the index finger fingertip segment further incorporate one or more layers of water resistant or waterproof material. 
     
     
         22 . The hand covering of  claim 21 , wherein the mitten shell, the thumb portion, and the index finger fingertip segment further incorporate an inner layer of tricot warp-knit fabric.