CROSS-REFERENCE

[0001] The present application claims priority from United States provisional patent application serial no. 63/140,171 , filed on January 21 , 2021 , the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of sporting equipment. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a device for facilitating hand gripping in sporting and other manual activities.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Athletes participating in sports that involve hand manipulations such as, for example, basketball, tennis, baseball, handball, and many others, are frequently reluctant to wear gloves. The primary reason for this is the loss of tactile sensitivity that may be caused by the gloves. The athletes may feel that hand sensitivity and dexterity is essential in the performance of their sport.

[0004] Hand adhesion to balls, tennis rackets, poles used in pole vault, and the like, with good sensitivity, is therefore of primary importance to the athletes. Various conditions such as excessive heat, cold, sweat, rain, oily skin, and the like, could be overcome by wearing gloves, but the resulting loss of sensitivity and/or loss of dexterity would be unacceptable.

[0005] An alternative to gloves is the use of tape wrapped around the fingers and/or on the palm of the hand of the athlete. Such tape is usually used to prevent sweat from being in contact with balls, tennis rackets and other sporting accessories, while preserving a “skin-touch” feeling with the sporting accessories. However, athletes have to heavily wrap their fingers in order to ensure that the tape will remain in place during a complete sport session, frequently causing harm to the overall blood flow in the athlete’s hand. Similarly, usage of adhesive medical bandages is less than ideal due to their thicknesses, particularly in their cushioned areas.

[0006] The challenge for athletes is to ameliorate grip with their hands, continuously over the course of a sporting event, without any perceivable loss of sensitivity and of dexterity.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for improvements in sporting devices that compensate for problems related to the lack of grip that athletes may experience and to the loss of tactile sensitivity that athletes wish to avoid.

SUMMARY

[0008] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a device forfacilitating hand gripping in manual activities, comprising: a foldable substrate having a main section and a plurality of flaps extending from the main section; an adhesive on a lower surface of the foldable substrate, the adhesive being configured to releasably stick to human skin; and a releasable layer covering the adhesive, the releasable layer including a main portion opposite from the main section of the foldable substrate and a flap portion opposite from each of the plurality of flaps of the foldable substrate.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present technology, one or more of the main portion and of the flap portions of the releasable layer are separately detachable from the device.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present technology, at least one region of an upper surface of the foldable substrate comprises a textured material, the textured material being configured to increase a grip strength of the device on the at least one region of the upper surface.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present technology, at least one region of an upper surface of the foldable substrate is covered with a layer of textured material, the textured material being configured to increase a grip strength of the device on the at least one region of the upper surface.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present technology, the foldable substrate is further configured to wrap a human finger, the main section of the foldable substrate being configured for placement on a palm side of the human finger.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present technology, the plurality of flaps is further configured to complete a wrapping of the human fingers by the foldable substrate, the plurality of flaps being configured to let at least a joint of the human finger uncovered on a dorsal side of the human finger, the dorsal side being opposed to the palm side.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present technology, the at least one joint of the human finger is a proximal interphalangeal joint.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present technology, a first flap of the plurality of flaps is extending from a top end of the main section, the top end of the main section being configured to receive a tip of the human finger corresponding to a distal phalanx of the human finger, the first flap extending in a direction longitudinally to the human finger and comprising two sections, including: a first section configured to cover at least in part a dorsal side of the human finger; and a second section configured to cover a tip of the human finger, the second section being located between the main section of the foldable substrate and the first section of the first flap.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present technology, a lateral size of the first section of the first flap is wider than a lateral size of the second section of the first flap.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present technology, the foldable substrate is formed of a single layer.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present technology, the foldable substrate is stretchable. [0019] In some embodiments of the present technology, the foldable substrate is selected from a group of substrates, the group of substrates comprising: flexible films, silicon, fabric material, coating, nitrile, tar compound and any combination thereof.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present technology, the adhesive is selected from a group of adhesives, the group of adhesives comprising: acrylic, acrylate, methacrylate, epoxy diacrylate, vinyl resins and a combination thereof.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present technology, at least one of the plurality of flaps of the foldable substrate comprises a plurality of through- apertures configured for evacuation of sweat.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present technology, the releasable layer is formed of paper.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present technology, the device is configured for facilitating hand gripping in sporting activities.

[0024] The present disclosure also provides a kit comprising a plurality of devices for facilitating hand gripping in manual activities, wherein each of the plurality of devices is sized and configured to be positioned on a respective finger of a hand.

[0025] The foregoing and other features will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of illustrative embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Embodiments of the disclosure will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 is an image of two devices in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology; [0028] Figure 2 is another image of two devices worn by an athlete in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a composition of a device in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology;

[0030] Figure 4 is another image of a device in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology;

[0031] Figure 5 is an image of an athlete’s hand wearing three devices on three different fingers in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology;

[0032] Figure 6 is an image of a flap of the device in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology;

[0033] Figures 7a, 7b and 7c show additional details of the device in accordance with embodiments of the present technology; and

[0034] Figures 8a, 8b and 8c show images of the athlete’s hand wearing devices in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

[0035] Like numerals represent like features on the various drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Various aspects of the present disclosure generally address one or more of the problems of obtain an improved grip with limited perceivable loss of sensitivity and of dexterity.

[0037] Generally speaking, the present technology introduces a gripenhancing device that may be worn on the hand or on fingers forfacilitating hand gripping in sporting activities. It should be understood that such device may be manufactured in various sizes to match a size of a hand or a size of a finger of various athletes. [0038] Although the present disclosure discusses the use of the gripenhancing device in sporting activities, it will be understood that the gripenhancing device may also be employed in other activities including, for example and without limitation, computer gaming (e-sport) or other computer- related activities, as well as in high precision manipulations such as electronics, jewelry, mechanical manipulations, etc. The grip-enhancing device may also be used for calluses protection purposes.

[0039] Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is an image of two gripenhancing devices in accordance with one embodiment of the present technology. Outer surfaces of two devices 100’ are illustrated on Figure 1. The present disclosure present different embodiments of the device 100. The two devices 100’ on Figure 1 may correspond to two different embodiments of the present technology, both of which are within the scope of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the device 100 may be configured to be worn on a finger of an athlete’s and may comprise an adhesive being configured to stick to human skin, allowing the device 100 to be wrapped or to be folded around a finger of the athlete’s hand. Therefore, a longitudinal size of the device 100 may be equivalent to a length of the finger, so that the device 100 may entirely cover the finger on a palm side of the hand. A placement of the device 100 on the finger of the athlete’s hand is described with greater details hereinafter.

[0040] Figure 2 is an image of two devices 100’ worn by an athlete in accordance with one embodiment of the present technology. As illustrated on Figure 2, the devices 100’ may entirely cover index and major fingers of an athlete’s hand 200, on a palm side of the hand 200. Figure 2 also shows the outer surfaces of the devices 100’. Note that the athlete may choose to wear one or both of the devices 100’ and may choose to wear additional devices on other fingers. This aspect is not limitative and corresponds to a personal choice of the athlete, a grip and/or adherence level needed depending on the performed sport, and/or external conditions that may cause the athlete to adjust his grip and/or adherence by adding or removing one or more device 100. A shape and a composition of the device 100 are further described in greater details hereinafter.

[0041] Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a composition of the device 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present technology. The device may comprise a foldable substrate 610. In various embodiments, the foldable substrate 610 may either be stretchable or inelastic, as a choice of a degree of a stretchiness of the foldable substrate 610 may be provided to the wearer.

[0042] The foldable substrate 610 may be formed of knits or woven textiles, for instance and without limitations nylon or polyester; non-woven textile, for instance and without limitations microfiber; or plastic films, for instance and without limitations Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene or polyurethane. The foldable substrate 610 may have a thickness between 0.05 mm, for instance for Thermoplastic polyurethane films (TPU), and 1.2 mm, for instance for microfibre on the palm side of the hand 200. The person of ordinary skill in the art will be able to select these and other materials, as well as a suitable thickness of the foldable substrate 610, to allow the athlete to keep a high sensitivity and dexterity level.

[0043] An upper surface of the foldable substrate 610 may be textured to increase a grip strength of the athlete, the upper surface of the foldable substrate 610 provides a gripping interface the device 100 with a sporting accessory, such as for example a ball or a tennis racket. In the same or another embodiment, the upper surface may be entirely or partially covered with an additional layer 630 configured to further increase a grip strength at desired location of the upper surface of the foldable substrate 610. Therefore, in an embodiment, the additional layer 630 may define continuous or non-continuous regions on the upper surface of the foldable substrate 610 as illustrated in Figure 2. The additional layer 630 may, for example and without limitation, be formed of flexible film such as thermo-plastic elastomer, silicon, fabric material such as non-woven material, microfiber, woven or knit textile; coating such as latex, PVC, polyurethane; nitrile, tar compound, or any other suitable material, or any combination thereof. The additional layer 630 may comprise a textured material (e.g. a textured fabric, a textured rubber, and the like). Without limitation, a point density of the additional layer 630 of textured material may be in a range between 16 and 900 points per square inch. In another embodiment, the additional layer 630 may comprise a material having a modest level of stickiness, the additional layer 620.

[0044] The foldable substrate 610 may comprise a plurality of regions separated by textured material, each of the plurality of regions defining a shape in the textured material and being configured to provide increased grip strength at desired locations of the foldable substrate 610. In the same or another embodiment, two regions of the plurality of regions may be formed of different materials. The foldable substrate 610 may be formed of material similar to aforementioned additional layer 630 under a textured form.

[0045] A lower surface of the foldable substrate 610 comprises an adhesive 620 configured to stick to human skin, thereby interfacing the device 100 with a finger of the athlete’s hand 200. The adhesive 620 may be significantly stickier than the additional layer 630. Prior to usage, the adhesive 620 may be covered by a releasable layer 622, for example and without limitation a release paper liner, a plastic film, or the like. The adhesive 620 may be formed of acrylic, acrylate, methacrylate, epoxy diacrylate or other vinyl resins.

[0046] In an embodiment, the releasable layer 622 may comprise one complete strip of material that may be removed in one operation. In another embodiment, the releasable layer 622 may be divided into multiple portions. The releasable layer 622 may thus define a plurality of portions covering the adhesive 620. In an embodiment, a main portion of the releasable Iayer622 may correspond to a main section of the device and one more flap portions of the releasable layer 622 may correspond to one or more flaps of the device 100, so that each portion of the releasable layer 622 may be removed from the foldable substrate 610 separately. In this embodiment, the releasable layer 622 may include perforation lines 624 (Figure 4) separating the portions. Each portion of the releasable layer 622 may therefore be detachable from the other ones along these perforation lines 624.

[0047] Figure 4 is an image of the device 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present technology. Figure 4 depicts an inner face of the device 100 being covered by the releasable layer 622. In the shown embodiment, the foldable substrate 610 of the device 100 comprises a main section 1 covered by a main portion of the releasable layer 622 and a plurality of flaps extending from the main section 1 , each flap being covered by a respective flap portion of the releasable layer 622. In the non-limiting embodiment of Figure 4, a first flap 2 is located at a forward extremity of the main section 1 . A second flap 3 extends on one side of the main section 1 , and a third flap 4 extends on an opposite side of the main section 1 . In the illustrative embodiment of Figure 4, the device 100 thus comprises three flaps 2, 3 and 4 extending from the main section 1. It is contemplated that the device 100 may comprise a different number of flaps, so the releasable layer may comprise a different number of flap portions.

[0048] It should be understood that the embodiment illustrated on Figure 4 is a mere example of a shape of the device 100 and that device 100 may have a different shape. Notably, in another embodiment, the device 100 may have five different shapes, each shape being sized and configured to be worn on a respective one of the five fingers of the athlete’s hand. Additionally, the device 100, or kits including a plurality of devices 100 configured to be worn on various fingers of the athlete’s hand, may be produced in various sizes suitable for use by persons with various hand sizes.

[0049] With continued reference to the illustrative embodiment of Figure 4, the main section 1 is configured for placement, after removal of the releasable layer 622, on a palm side of one of the fingers of the hand 200. Following placement of the main section 1 , a top end 1 a of the main section 1 may be placed on a distal phalanx of the finger, a bottom end 1 b of the main 1 section being then placed on a proximal phalanx of the finger. Once the finger in placed in contact with the main section 1 , the first flap 2 may be folded around a tip of the finger. In the same or another embodiment, the first flap 2 may be configured to be folded on a dorsal side of the finger, the dorsal side being opposition to the palm side of the finger, thereby partially covering a nail of the finger. Once the first flap 2 is folded on the finger, the second flap 3 may be folded around the finger on a first lateral side of the finger, thereby covering an area of the dorsal side of the finger. In the same or another embodiment, the second flap 3 may be configured to cover at least in part the first flap 2 located on the dorsal side of the distal phalanx of the finger. Once the second flap 3 is folded on the finger, the third flap 4 may be folded around the finger on a second lateral side of the finger, thereby covering another area of the dorsal side of the finger. In the same or another embodiment, the third flap 4 may be configured to cover at least in part the second flap located on the dorsal side of the finger. Each operation leading to the placement of the main section 1 and of the flaps 2, 3 and 4 on the finger may comprise successive removals of the portions of the releasable layer 622, which may be torn along the perforation lines 624.

[0050] The main section 1 and the flaps 2, 3 and 4 may be maintained folded around the finger by the adhesive 620 (Figure 3), located on the bottom side of the foldable substrate 610 interfacing with the finger. Use of any other suitable manner to maintain the device 100 on the finger is also contemplated.

[0051] Note that the order of the aforementioned operations for folding the different flaps 2, 3 and 4 on the finger is not a limitative aspect to the present disclosure. It is only a mere example of operations for placement of the device 100. As an example, the first flap 2 may be folded around the finger once the second flap 3 and the third flap 4 are folded on the finger.

[0052] It should be understood that a removal of the device 100 from the finger may be performed by unfolding the various flaps 2, 3 and 4, operations for removing the device 100 being performed in a reverse order from the placement of the device 100. Additionally or alternatively, operations for removing the device 100 may comprise peeling, wiping or any other suitable techniques.

[0053] The main section 1 and/or one or more of the flaps 2, 3 and 4 may comprise a plurality of through-apertures configured for evacuation of sweat, as the through-apertures 4b on the third flap 4 illustrated on Figure 4.

[0054] The flaps 3 and 4 located on the side of the main section 1 , namely the second flap 3 and the third flap 4 in the illustrative embodiment of Figure 4, may comprise recesses in their respective central portions. The recesses are configured to let a proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger uncovered upon folding the flaps, thereby allowing the athlete to use his finger with a full range of motion while performing sport and wearing device 100.

[0055] As an example, recesses 310, 320 may be configured to, upon folding the flap on the dorsal side of the finger, define an area of the finger on its dorsal side that is not covered by the flaps 3 and 4. Therefore, the second and third flaps3 and 4 may be configured to let the proximal interphalangeal joint of the hand 200 uncovered on the dorsal side.

[0056] In another embodiment, the second and third flaps 3 and 4 may comprise other recesses configured to let another area of the dorsal side of the finger uncovered, such as a distal interphalangeal joint of the finger. In another embodiment, the second and third flaps 3 and 4 may comprise other recesses configured to let the distal interphalangeal joint and/or the proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger uncovered.

[0057] In the same or another embodiment, one or more of the recesses 310 and 320 may define complete separations between two regions of a same flaps 3 or 4, each of the one or more recesses 310 or 320 thereby splitting the flap 3 or 4 into two independent flaps, the two independent flaps being independently extending from the main section 1 of the foldable substrate [0058] Figure 5 is an image of an athlete’s hand wearing three devices 100 on three different fingers in accordance with one embodiment of the present technology. In the illustrative embodiment of Figure 5, proximal interphalangeal joints 410, 420 and 430 are left uncovered by the flaps 3’ and 4’. The flaps 2 (Figure 4) of the devices 100 are hidden from view on Figure 5, being partially covered by the flaps 3’ and 4’.

[0059] Figure 6 is an image of the first flap of the device in accordance with one embodiment of the present technology. The first flap 2 may comprise a first section 2a and a second section 2b, the second section 2b being located between a top end of the main section 1 of the foldable substrate and the first section 2a of the first flap 2. As described hereinbefore, the first flap 2 is extending longitudinally and is configured to be folded around a tip of the finger. Therefore, upon folding the first flap 2, the first section 2a covers an area of the dorsal side of the finger and the second section 2b covers the tip of the finger. A lateral size of the first section 2a may be wider than a lateral size of the second section 2b of the first flap 2. This difference in the lateral size may be configured to prevent any undesirable chunks of matter and/or plies from appearing at the tip of the finger that may results in loss of sensitivity and/or loss of dexterity upon folding the first flap 2 on the finger.

[0060] Figures 7a, 7b and 7c show additional details of the device 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. The device is worn on the index of the hand 200. In the illustrative embodiment of Figure 7a, 7b and 7c, the proximal interphalangeal joint 420 is left uncovered by the flap 3 and flap 4 folded around the finger, so not to impede with folding of the finger.

[0061] Figures 8a, 8b and 8c show the athlete’s hand 200 wearing devices 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. Three devices 100 are depicted on Figure 8A, each of the three devices 100 covering one finger of the athlete’s hand 200. As illustrated on Figure 8A, each device 100 may comprise one or more regions 810 defining a shape or a pattern in the textured material configured to provide increased grip strength at desired locations of the foldable substrate 610. In opposition to Figure 4, the device 100 may be asymmetrical. Indeed, Figure 8b depicted a rear side of the athlete’s hand showing asymmetric flaps of the device 100. A shape of the flaps may be configured to leave the flaps uncovered upon folding said flaps around the finger of the athlete’s hand 200 as depicted in Figure 8b. The devices 100 may cover a different number of phalanges as illustrated on Figure 8c. Indeed, a first device 100 covering the index may cover only two phalanges of said index while a second device 100 covering the small finger of the athlete’s hand may cover three phalanges of said finger. A number of phalanges covered by the device 100 is not a limitative aspect. The device 100 may be segmented into a plurality of sub-devices, where each sub-device is configured to cover on phalanx of a finger of the athlete’s hand 200.

[0062] Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the description of the device 100 for improving hand grip are illustrative only and are not intended to be in any way limiting. Other embodiments will readily suggest themselves to such persons with ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the disclosed device may be customized to offer valuable solutions to existing needs and problems related to the lack of grip that athletes may experience and to the loss of tactile sensitivity that athletes wish to avoid. In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of the implementations of the device are shown and described. In particular, combinations of features are not limited to those presented in the foregoing description as combinations of elements listed in the appended claims form an integral part of the present disclosure. It will, of course, be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation of the device, numerous implementation-specific decisions may need to be made in order to achieve the developer’s specific goals, such as compliance with application-, system-, and business-related constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from one developer to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that a development effort might be complex and time-consuming but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of engineering for those of ordinary skill in the field of sporting equipment having the benefit of the present disclosure.

[0063] The present disclosure has been described in the foregoing specification by means of non-restrictive illustrative embodiments provided as examples. These illustrative embodiments may be modified at will. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.