Glove, rigid guard structure for a glove and a method ofmanufacturing a glove

Abstract

A protective glove is provided which comprises a glove body, outer padding configured to be attached to the glove opposite a dorsal side thereof and a guard structure shaped to be operatively interposed between the outer padding and the dorsal side of the glove body and to cover at least a portion of the dorsal side. The guard structure, glove body and outer padding are configured to be secured together in a sandwiched configuration so that the glove body and/or outer padding can be attached to the guard structure with first and/or second securing systems incorporating a plurality of socket and fastening lug formations.

1 . A glove comprising:
 a glove body having a palm side and a dorsal side;   outer padding configured to be attached to the glove opposite the dorsal side of the glove body; and   a guard structure shaped to be operatively interposed between the outer padding and the dorsal side of the glove body to cover at least a portion of the dorsal side, the guard structure having formations associated with at least one of first and second fixing systems with cooperating formations provided in either or both of the glove body and the outer padding, wherein the first and second fixing systems are configured to fasten the guard structure to one or both of the glove body and the outer padding.   
     
     
         2 . The glove as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein formations of the first and second fixing systems include at least one of a socket and a fastening lug, with the cooperating formations on either or both of the glove body and outer padding being one or more cooperating sockets or fastening lugs. 
     
     
         3 . The glove as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the guard structure defines one or more sockets therein capable of accommodating fastening lugs associated with the glove body and/or outer padding. 
     
     
         4 . The glove as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the fastening lugs extend from a palm side of the outer padding and cooperate with the sockets in the guard structure so that the outer padding may be attachable to the guard structure. 
     
     
         5 . The glove as claimed in  claim 2 , which includes inner padding at or near the dorsal side of the glove body, the inner padding being integral with the dorsal side of the glove body and wherein the guard structure is interposed between the inner padding and the outer padding in use. 
     
     
         6 . The glove as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the fastening lugs and sockets act as a clip or holding mechanism to fasten the glove body to the guard structure, to fasten the outer padding to the rigid guard structure, or both. 
     
     
         7 . The glove as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein a plurality of fastening lugs are provided by an array of clips, the clips being provided at or near the dorsal side of the glove body and wherein each clip has one or more fastening lugs extending therefrom that are receivable inside cooperating sockets in the guard structure. 
     
     
         8 . The glove as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein an array of clips defining fastening lugs are provided on a palm side of the outer padding, the fastening lugs operatively extending toward a dorsal side of the guard structure for cooperation with sockets in the guard structure and/or in opposing clips on the dorsal surface of the glove body. 
     
     
         9 . The glove as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein clips with fastening lugs are embedded inside one or more of: the finger portions of the glove body, the dorsal side of the glove body, the inner padding near the dorsal side of the glove body and the outer padding with the fastening lugs extending toward the dorsal side of the guard structure in use. 
     
     
         10 . The glove as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the clips include a base and one or more fastening lugs that extend away from the base and wherein the base is at least partially and resiliently flexible. 
     
     
         11 . The glove as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the clips include a pair of opposing lugs with a first lug at or near one end of each clip and a second lug at or near an opposing end of the clip, and wherein a pair of cooperating sockets are provided in the guard structure to correspond to the pair of fastening lugs of each clip. 
     
     
         12 . The glove as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein each pair of sockets in the guard structure are spaced slightly closer to one another than the cooperating lugs on the clip, and wherein the base of each clip is resiliently flexible so as to be capable of bending to bring the opposing lugs closer to one another in order to fit through or engage with the cooperating sockets and fastening the glove body to the guard structure, or the outer padding to the guard structure, or both, upon returning to their normal position under their resilience. 
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing a glove, the method including the steps of:
 utilising a guard structure configured to be interposed between outer padding and a dorsal side of a glove body, the guard structure being shaped and dimensioned to cover at least a portion of the dorsal side of the glove body; and   securing the guard structure to one or both of the glove body and outer padding using one or both of first and second fixing systems including one or more sockets and complementary cooperating fastening lugs provided on the glove body, guard structure and outer padding, respectively.   
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , which includes securing one or more clips to the glove body and/or outer padding, each clip defining one or more sockets or fastening lugs configured to cooperate with complementary clips and/or fastening lugs provided on the guard structure. 
     
     
         15 . A guard structure for a glove, the guard structure comprising:
 a guard body having a palm side and a dorsal side and at least one force transferring structure that extends substantially transversely to the palm and dorsal sides of the guard body; and   one or more sockets defined by the guard body and configured to cooperate with at least one of fastening lugs of a glove body and fastening lugs of outer padding for a glove, so as to releasably fasten the rigid guard structure to at least one of the outer padding and the glove.