A glove is provided to flex as the user clinches his fist. The glove is provided with expandable zones on both sides of the top portion of the glove. Two expandable zones are positioned over the metacarpalphalangeal joints of the one small finger and the index finger. A third expandable zone is positioned to overly the center axis of rotation of the metacarpalphalangeal joints of the long finger and the ring finger. Cooperating relationship between the three expandable zones allow for expansion of the glove, both longitudinally and laterally, over the metacarpalphalangeal joints of the hand.
1. A glove constructed to fit a hand of predetermined size for protecting selected anatomical portions thereof comprising:
a covering for said hand with separate elongated sections to receive a plurality of fingers therein, said covering having a top portion for covering a back side of the hand including a top side of the elongated sections to receive a plurality of fingers and a lower portion to cover a palm side of the hand including a bottom side of the elongated sections to receive said plurality of fingers;
a first longitudinally extending expandable zone disposed in a slit in a small finger section in the top portion of said glove for positioning over the center axis of rotation of the metacarpalphalangeal joint of a small finger and a second expandable zone disposed in a slit in an index finger section in the top portion of said glove for positioning over the center axis of rotation of the metacarpalphalangeal joint of an index finger, said first expansion zone having one terminating end below the midpoint of a small finger metacarpal and a second terminating end between the midpoint and the distal end of a proximal phalanx of said small finger and said second expansion zone having one terminating end below the midpoint of an index finger metacarpal and a second terminating end between the midpoint and the distal end of a proximal phalanx of said index finger said expansion zones being substantially coextensive with said slits, whereby said first and said second expandable zones extend substantially greater in a longitudinal direction than a lateral direction.
2. The glove of claim 1 , including a third laterally extending expansion zone disposed in a slit in the top portion of said glove positioned over the center axis of rotation of the metacarpalphalangeal joints of a ring finger and a long finger said expansion zones being substantially coextensive with said slits.
3. The glove of claim 2 , said third expansion zone having one terminating side adjacent the distal ends of the metacarpals of said long finger and said ring finger and a second terminating side adjacent to the proximal ends of the proximal phalanx of said long finger and said ring finger.
4. The glove of claim 2 , said third expansion zone having one terminating end adjacent to said metacarpalphalangeal joint of said small finger and a second terminating end adjacent to said metacarpalphalangeal joint of said index finger.
5. The glove of claim 1 , said expandable zone having one terminating end from 1 to 3 inches below the center axis of rotation of said metacarpalphalangeal joint of said at least one finger and an opposed second terminating end from 1 to 3 inches above the center axis of rotation of said metacarpalphalangeal joint of said at least one finger.
6. A glove constructed to fit a hand of predetermined size for protecting selected anatomical portions thereof comprising:
a covering for said hand with separate elongated sections to receive a plurality of fingers therein, said covering having a top portion for covering a back side of the hand including a top side of the elongated sections to receive a plurality of fingers and a lower portion to cover a palm side of the hand including a bottom side of the elongated sections to receive said plurality of fingers;
a first longitudinally extending expandable zone disposed in a slit in a small finger section in the top portion of said glove for positioning over the center axis of rotation of the metacarpalphalangeal joint of a small finger and a second expandable zone disposed in a slit in an index finger section in the top portion of said glove for positioning over the center axis of rotation of the metacarpalphalangeal joint of an index finger, said first expansion zone having one terminating end below the midpoint of a small finger metacarpal and a second terminating end between the midpoint and the distal end of a proximal phalanx of said small finger and said second expansion zone having one terminating end below the midpoint of an index finger metacarpal and a second terminating end between the midpoint and the distal end of a proximal phalanx of said index finger said expansion zones being substantially coextensive with said slits, whereby said first and said second expandable zones extend substantially greater in a longitudinal direction than a lateral direction; and,
a third laterally extending expansion zone disposed in a slit in the top portion of said glove positioned over the center axis of rotation of the metacarpalphalangeal joints of a ring finger and a long finger whereby upon bending of the glove, the glove expands both longitudinally and laterally over the metacarpalphalangeal joints.
7. The glove of claim 6 , said third expansion zone having one terminating side adjacent the distal ends of the metacarpals of said long finger and said ring finger and a second terminating side adjacent to the proximal ends of the proximal phalanx of said long finger and said ring finger.
8. The glove of claim 6 , said third expansion zone having one terminating end adjacent to said metacarpalphalangeal joint of said small finger and a second terminating end adjacent to said metacarpalphalangeal joint of said index finger.
9. The glove of claim 6 , said first and said second expandable zones having one terminating end from 1 to 3 inches below and an opposed second terminating end from 1 to 3 inches above said metacarpalphalangeal joints of said small finger and said index finger.
10. The glove of claim 1 , said first and said second expandable zones having a width of from ⅛ to ⅜ inches.
11. The glove of claim 6 , said first and said second expandable zones having a width of from ⅛ to ⅜ inches.
12. The glove of claim 1 , said first and said second longitudinally extending expandable zones including an elastic material therein.
13. The glove of claim 6 , said first and said second longitudinally extending expandable zones including an elastic material therein.