Glove for a hockey or lacrosse player
A hockey or lacrosse glove comprising a dorsal sheet extending longitudinally from a proximal end proximate the distal end of the cuff to a distal end proximate the proximal end of each finger gusset and extending transversally from a medial end to a lateral end, the dorsal sheet having a maximal length measured between its proximal and distal ends and a maximal width measured between its medial and lateral ends; and a dorsal protector covering the dorsal sheet. The dorsal protector comprises a single pocket mounted to the dorsal sheet and occupying at least three-quarters of the maximal length of the dorsal sheet and at least three-quarters of the maximal width of the dorsal sheet and a padding element contained in the single pocket, the padding element comprising a flexion zone.
1. A hockey or lacrosse glove for protecting a hand of a hockey or lacrosse player, the hockey or lacrosse glove defining a longitudinal axis configured to be parallel to a longitudinal axis of the player's hand and comprising a hand receiving portion and a cuff that is configured to at least partially cover a wrist of the player, the cuff extending longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end, the hand receiving portion comprising:
(a) a thumb sheath configured to protect a thumb of the player's hand;
(b) four finger sheaths configured to protect four fingers of the player's hand, each finger sheath having a finger gusset configured to receive the finger and a finger protector covering the finger gusset, each finger gusset having a proximal end configured to cover a proximal articulation of the finger and a distal end configured to cover a distal end of the finger;
(c) a palm sheet configured to cover a palm of the player's hand;
(d) a dorsal sheet configured to cover a dorsal side of the player's hand, the dorsal sheet extending longitudinally from a proximal end proximate the distal end of the cuff to a distal end proximate the proximal end of each finger gusset and configured to extend transversally from a medial end proximate a medial edge of the dorsal side of the player's hand to a lateral end proximate a lateral edge of the dorsal side of the player's hand, the dorsal sheet having a maximal length measured between its proximal and distal ends and a maximal width measured between its medial and lateral ends; and
(e) a dorsal protector covering the dorsal sheet, the dorsal protector comprising (i) a single pocket mounted to the dorsal sheet and occupying at least three-quarters of the maximal length of the dorsal sheet and at least three-quarters of the maximal width of the dorsal sheet and (ii) a padding element contained in the single pocket, the padding element comprising an arrangement of padding blocks and a flexion zone such that, in use, the padding element is configured to flex in response to flexing of the player's hand, a material of the padding element being composed of a single material that is continuous across the flexion zone, and a thickness of said material of the padding element within the flexion zone being different from a thickness of said material of the padding element outside of the flexion zone.
2. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 1 , wherein the single pocket and padding element of the dorsal protector occupy substantially all of the maximal length of the dorsal sheet.
3. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 1 , wherein the single pocket and padding element of the dorsal protector occupy substantially all of the maximal width of the dorsal sheet.
4. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 1 , wherein the flexion zone is defined by at least one gap, space, groove or channel provided in the padding element.
5. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 4 , wherein the at least one gap, space, groove or channel extends in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hockey or lacrosse glove.
6. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 4 , wherein the at least one gap, space, groove or channel extends in a direction generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the hockey or lacrosse glove.
7. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 4 , wherein the at least one gap, space, groove or channel has a straight, curved, wavy or zigzag shape.
8. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 1 , wherein the flexion zone includes a plurality of gaps, spaces, grooves or channels intersecting one another.
9. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 1 , wherein the material of the padding element is foam.
10. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 1 , further comprising at least one overlay element provided on the single pocket.
11. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 10 , wherein the at least one overlay element is adhesively affixed to the single pocket.
12. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 10 , wherein the at least one overlay element is fused to the single pocket.
13. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 10 , wherein the single pocket forms a first upper layer, and wherein the dorsal protector further comprises a second upper layer affixed to the first upper layer, and wherein the at least one overlay element is contained between the first and second upper layers.
14. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 10 , wherein the at least one overlay element is made of plastic.
15. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 1 , wherein the dorsal protector, single pocket, padding element and flexion zone are a first dorsal protector, a first single pocket, a first padding element and a first flexion zone respectively and wherein the glove further comprises a second dorsal protector covering the dorsal sheet, the second dorsal protector comprising (i) a second single pocket mounted to the dorsal sheet and occupying less than one-quarter of the maximal length of the dorsal sheet and less than one-quarter of the maximal width of the dorsal sheet and (ii) a second padding element contained in the second single pocket, the second padding element comprising a second flexion zone such that, in use, the padding element is configured to flex in response to flexing of the player's hand, a material of the second padding element being continuous across the flexion zone, and a thickness of said material of the second padding element within the second flexion zone being different from a thickness of said material of the padding element outside of the flexion zone.
16. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 15 , wherein the second flexion zone is defined by at least one second gap, space, groove or channel.
17. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 16 , wherein the at least one second gap, space, groove or channel extends in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hockey or lacrosse glove.
18. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 16 , wherein the at least one second gap, space, groove or channel extends in a direction generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the hockey or lacrosse glove.
19. A hockey or lacrosse glove extending in a longitudinal direction and comprising a hand receiving portion with a dorsal protector, the dorsal protector comprising:
a single pocket occupying at least three-quarters of a maximum dimension of the hand receiving portion along the longitudinal direction of the glove and occupying at least three-quarters of a maximum dimension of the hand receiving portion along a second direction that is transverse to the longitudinal direction; and
a padding element contained in the single pocket, the padding element being made of a flexible material that is composed of a single material, the padding element comprising an arrangement of padding blocks and a flexion zone such that, in use, the padding element is configured to flex in response to flexing of a hand received in the hand receiving portion, a thickness of said flexible material of the padding element across the flexion zone being different from a thickness of said flexible material of the padding element outside of the flexion zone.
20. The hockey or lacrosse glove defined in claim 19 , wherein the single pocket is configured for overlying substantially all of a dorsal side of the hand received in the hand receiving portion.
21. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 8 , wherein each of the gaps, spaces, grooves or channels extends along a respective axis, the axis of each of a first subset of the gaps, spaces, grooves or channels intersecting the axis of each of a second subset of the gaps, spaces, grooves or channels.
22. A hockey or lacrosse glove comprising:
(a) a plurality of finger sheaths configured to receive fingers of a hand of a user;
(b) a dorsal sheet configured to cover a dorsal side of the hand;
(c) a dorsal protector covering the dorsal sheet, the dorsal protector comprising (i) a single pocket mounted to the dorsal sheet and (ii) a padding element contained in the single pocket, the padding element being made of a flexible material that is composed of a single material, the flexible material of the padding element providing continuous padding across the dorsal protector in a widthwise direction and a lengthwise direction of the dorsal protector, the padding element comprising an arrangement of padding blocks and a flexion zone disposed between the padding blocks such that, in use, the padding element is configured to flex in response to flexing of the hand, a thickness of the flexible material of the padding element across the flexion zone being different from a thickness of said flexible material of the padding element outside of the flexion zone.
23. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 19 , wherein the thickness of the flexible material of the padding element within the flexion zone is between 5% and 95% of the thickness of said flexible material of the padding element outside of the flexion zone.
24. The hockey or lacrosse glove of claim 23 , wherein the thickness of the flexible material of the padding element is between 1.75 to 2.0 cm outside of the flexion zone.