Glove with longitudinal finger stays and textured finger and thumb crotches

Abstract

A glove including a wrist region; a palm region extending outwardly from the wrist region; a plurality of digit regions extending outwardly from the palm region, wherein each digit region of the plurality of digit regions has a longitudinal axis extending along the digit region from the tip of the digit region to the palm region; an interior cavity bounded and defined by the wrist region, the palm region, and the plurality of digit regions, wherein the interior cavity is accessible via an opening defined by the wrist region. A crotch area is provided between adjacent digit regions. At least one gripping zone is provided on at least one digit region. The gripping zone is oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the at least one digit region. An exterior surface of at least one crotch area and at least one gripping zone is textured, particularly by micro-etching.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A glove comprising:
 a wrist region;   a palm region extending outwardly from the wrist region;   a plurality of digit regions extending outwardly from the palm region;   at least one gripping zone provided on at least one digit region of the plurality of digit regions;   at least one crotch area defined between two adjacent digit regions of the plurality of digit regions; and   a texture provided on the at least one crotch area.   
     
     
         2 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the texture of the at least one crotch area is provided on an exterior of an arcuate surface extending between opposed side surfaces of the two adjacent digit regions. 
     
     
         3 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the two adjacent digit regions includes a first digit region and a second digit region, wherein the texture of the at least one crotch area extends along part of an exterior of a side surface of the first digit region and part of an exterior of a side surface of the second digit region. 
     
     
         4 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the texture of the at least one crotch area extends at least partially onto an exterior of a front of the palm region. 
     
     
         5 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the texture of the at least one crotch area extends at least partially onto an exterior of a back of the palm region. 
     
     
         6 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the texture is provided on the at least one crotch area through a micro-etching process. 
     
     
         7 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of digit regions includes a thumb region, an index finger region, a middle finger region, a ring finger region, and a little finger region; and wherein the at least one crotch area comprises a first crotch area located between the thumb region and the index finger region. 
     
     
         8 . The glove according to  claim 7 , wherein the at least one crotch area includes a second crotch area located between the index finger region and the middle finger region, and wherein each of the first crotch area and the second crotch area is textured. 
     
     
         9 . The glove according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one crotch area includes a third crotch area located between the middle finger region and the ring finger region, and wherein each of the first crotch area, the second crotch area, and the third crotch area is textured. 
     
     
         10 . The glove according to  claim 9 , wherein the at least one crotch area includes a fourth crotch area located between the ring finger region and the little finger region, and wherein each of the first crotch area, the second crotch area, the third crotch area, and the fourth crotch area is textured. 
     
     
         11 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one gripping zone is oriented substantially parallel to an imaginary longitudinal axis of the at least one digit region, wherein the imaginary longitudinal axis extends from a tip of the at least one digit region to the palm region. 
     
     
         12 . The glove according to  claim 11 , wherein the at least one gripping zone comprises a concave indentation formed in the at least one digit region, and the concave indentation is of a length extending parallel to the imaginary longitudinal axis and extends for a circumferential distance along a circumference of the at least one digit region, where the circumference is orthogonal to the imaginary longitudinal axis; and wherein the length of the concave indentation is greater than the circumferential distance. 
     
     
         13 . The glove according to  claim 2 , wherein the concave indentation projects into an interior cavity defined by the at least one digit region and is configured to frictionally engage a person's finger or thumb received within the interior cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one gripping zone is provided in one or both of a front and a back of the at least one digit region. 
     
     
         15 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one gripping zone is provided in one or both of a first side and a second side of the at least one digit region. 
     
     
         16 . The glove according to  claim 1 , further comprising texturing of an exterior surface of the at least one gripping zone. 
     
     
         17 . The glove according to  claim 1 , wherein the texturing is applied through micro-etching. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 forming a glove having a wrist region, a palm region, and a plurality of digit regions, wherein adjacent digit regions of the plurality of digit regions include a crotch area;   forming an indentation in at least one digit region of the plurality of digit regions and reducing a circumference of the at least one digit region, wherein the circumference intersects the indentation; and   texturing the crotch area.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising texturing an exterior surface of the glove along the indentation. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein texturing the exterior surface of the glove along the indentation and the texturing of the crotch area is accomplished through a same process.