Glove with reduced circumference fingertip regions

Abstract

An ambidextrous or hand-specific glove including a wrist region, palm region, and at least one digit region having a fingertip region and a remaining portion. A part of a 360° perimeter of the fingertip region is reduced in length relative to the perimeter of the remaining portion of that digit region. The reduced circumference fingertip region is configured to be smaller than the tip of a user's finger or thumb when inserted into the glove. The reduction in the circumference of the fingertip region may include reducing an arcuate length of a pair of opposed sections of the fingertip region. The opposed sections may be sections of the front and rear surfaces of the digit region or opposed sections of the first side surface and second side surface of the digit region.

1 . A glove comprising:
 a wrist region;   a palm region extending outwardly from the wrist region;   at least one digit region extending outwardly from the palm region and terminating at a terminal end, wherein a longitudinal axis of the at least one digit region extends between the terminal end and the palm region;   wherein the at least one digit region has a perimeter measured along a plane oriented at ninety degrees relative to the longitudinal axis;   wherein the perimeter has a circumference; and   wherein at least one section of the perimeter of the at least one digit region is reduced in size over less than the entire circumference of the perimeter such that the at least one digit region includes a fingertip region of a first circumference and a remaining portion of a second circumference, wherein the first circumference is less than the second circumference.   
     
     
         2 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one section of the perimeter that is reduced in size extends through less than 360° of the circumference of the perimeter. 
     
     
         3 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one section of the perimeter that is reduced in size comprises:
 a first section of the perimeter; and   a second section of the perimeter which is opposed to the first section; wherein the first section and the second section, together, extend through less than 360° of the circumference of the perimeter.   
     
     
         4 . The glove according to  claim 3 , further comprising a third section of the perimeter located between the first section of the perimeter and the second section of the perimeter; wherein the third section is unreduced in size. 
     
     
         5 . The glove according to  claim 4 , further comprising a fourth section of the perimeter located opposite the third section, wherein the fourth section of the perimeter extends between the first section of the perimeter and the second section of the perimeter; wherein both the third section and the fourth section are unreduced in size. 
     
     
         6 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the fingertip region originates at the terminal end of the at least one digit region and extends inwardly for a distance towards the palm region; and wherein the remaining portion is located between the fingertip region and the palm region. 
     
     
         7 . The glove according to  claim 6 , wherein the fingertip region transitions to the remaining portion at a location adapted to be generally aligned with a first knuckle of a person's finger or thumb received within an interior of the at least one digit region. 
     
     
         8 . The glove according to  claim 6 , wherein the fingertip region is from about 0.75 inches up to about 1.5 inches (from about 19 mm up to about 40 mm) in length measured from the terminal end of the at least one digit region in a direction moving towards the palm region. 
     
     
         9 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one digit region has:
 a front surface and a rear surface opposed to the front surface;   a first side surface and a second side surface opposed to the first side surface, wherein the first side surface and the second side surface extend between the front surface and the rear surface; and   wherein at least one arcuate region of the remaining portion extends outwardly beyond one of the front surface and the rear surface of the fingertip region.   
     
     
         10 . The glove according to  claim 9 , wherein the at least one arcuate region comprises a first arcuate region and a second arcuate region, and the first arcuate region extends outwardly beyond the front surface of the fingertip region and the second arcuate region extends outwardly beyond the rear surface of the fingertip region. 
     
     
         11 . The glove according to  claim 10 , wherein the first arcuate region and the second arcuate region are mirror images of one another. 
     
     
         12 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one digit region has:
 a front surface and a rear surface opposed to the front surface;   a first side surface and a second side surface opposed to the first side surface, wherein the first side surface and the second side surface extend between the front surface and the rear surface; and   wherein at least one arcuate region of the remaining portion extends outwardly beyond one of the first side surface and the second side surface of the fingertip region.   
     
     
         13 . The glove according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one arcuate region comprises a first arcuate region and a second arcuate region, and the first arcuate region extends outwardly beyond the first side surface of the fingertip region and the second arcuate region extends outwardly beyond the second side surface of the fingertip region. 
     
     
         14 . The glove according to  claim 13 , wherein the first arcuate region and the second arcuate region are mirror images of one another. 
     
     
         15 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one digit region has:
 a front surface and a rear surface opposed to the front surface;   a first side surface and a second side surface opposed to the first side surface, wherein the first side surface and the second side surface extend between the front surface and the rear surface;   wherein an imaginary major axis extends between the front surface and the rear surface;   wherein an imaginary minor axis extends between the first side surface and the second side surface;   wherein the imaginary major axis and the imaginary minor axis are oriented at ninety degrees relative to one another and to the longitudinal axis; and   wherein reduction of the perimeter along the at least one section causes a dimension of the fingertip region along one of the imaginary major axis and the imaginary minor axis to be reduced relative to a dimension of the remaining portion along the one of the imaginary major axis and the imaginary minor axis.   
     
     
         16 . The glove according to  claim 15 , wherein reduction of the perimeter along the at least one section causes a reduction in dimension of the fingertip region along the imaginary major axis, and a magnitude of the reduction in the dimension occurs substantially equally on both sides of the imaginary minor axis. 
     
     
         17 . The glove according to  claim 15 , wherein reduction of the perimeter along the at least one section causes a reduction in dimension of the fingertip region along the imaginary minor axis, and a magnitude of the reduction in the dimension occurs substantially equally on both sides of the imaginary major axis. 
     
     
         18 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one digit region comprises one or more of a thumb region, an index finger region, a middle finger region, a ring finger region, and a little finger region. 
     
     
         19 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the glove is manufactured from one of nitrile, a medium acrylic nitrile having about 24% solids, a high acrylic nitrile having about 45% solids, neoprene, natural rubber, and elastomeric polymers. 
     
     
         20 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the glove is manufactured from a material that is free of or essentially free of zinc, sulfur, fluoride, cross-links, accelerators, and accelerants including carbonates and thiurams.