High-friction glove/wrist guards for ice skating

Abstract

A protective glove / wrist guard device is provided that prevents hands from slipping out from under a falling ice skater when the ice skater extends his or her hands to break a fall. The protective glove / wrist guard device may include a palm surface portion having a high-friction surface portion, to provide both high-friction when contacting ice, and wrist support to help prevent wrist and hand injuries. Alternatively, the protective device may be in the form of a glove with a high friction material disposed on a palm surface portion of the glove.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 758,155, filed on Jan. 11, 2006, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND [0002] 1. Field of the Disclosure [0003] This disclosure relates generally to protective equipment for ice skating, and more particularly, to equipment for preventing head and face injuries among ice skaters. [0004] 2. Background Description [0005] Recreational ice skating is a popular pastime among adults and children. Unfortunately, falls that occur while ice skating can result in serious injuries, such as for example, head and face injuries when a skater's face or head impacts the ice due to a fall. [0006] Recent research focusing on pediatric subjects has indicated that there are distinctive differences in patterns of injuries of ice skaters compared to roller and in-line skaters. While roller and in-line skaters tend to sustain fractures to the wrist an...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011] According to one aspect of the disclosure, a protective device is provided that reduces the tendency of hands slipping out from under a falling ice skater when the ice skater extends his or her hands to break a fall. The protective device may be a glove / wrist guard and may include an ice engaging surface covered with a high-friction material. The device may provide both high-friction when contacting ice, and wrist support to reduce the risk of wrist, forearm, and / or hand injuries.

[0014] According to still another aspect of the invention, a method of ice skating while reducing the risk of injury suffered by an ice skater from a fall that may occur during ice skating is provided. The method includes: wearing a protective device on each hand during ice skating, each protective device including an ice engaging surface that is covered with a high-friction material; and, in the event of a fall, extending one or both hands toward the ice such that the high-friction material contacts the ice.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, falls that occur while ice skating can result in serious injuries, such as for example, head and face injuries when a skater's face or head impacts the ice due to a fall.

While roller and in-line skaters tend to sustain fractures to the wrist and forearm, ice skaters were significantly more likely to sustain concussions.

However, ice skaters are much less successful in preventing injury by using their hands to break a fall, compared to roller and in-line skaters.

Conversely, when roller skaters or in-line skaters use their hands to break a fall, they are typically able to keep their head from hitting, although they may sustain injury to their hands, forearms, and / or wrists.

Such wrist guards, however, do not present a high-friction surface for use during ice skating to help prevent a skater's head from impacting the ice due to the skater's hands slipping upon contacting the ice.

Children are especially unlikely to tolerate wearing such a helmet for recreational ice skating.

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