DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “right”, “left”, “upper”, and “lower” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.

[0014] Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout, there is shown in FIGS. 1-3 a preferred embodiment of a hand protector 10 in accordance with the present invention. The hand protector 10 is adapted for use with sports equipment, for example, a stick 12, which may be used for playing hockey, including ice hockey, field hockey, and floor hockey. While the hand protector 10 is shown and described as being used with a hockey stick 12, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the hand protector 10 may be used with any other type of sports equipment, such as a lacrosse stick or a hurling stick, or non-sports equipment such as with a shovel or rake, where a user wishes to protect his or her hand. Accordingly, the present invention should not be viewed as merely a hand protector for hockey sticks. The stick 12 has an elongate shaft 12a with an operative end 12b extending from one end of the elongate shaft 12b. The operative end 12b (i.e. a blade of a hockey stick, netting of a lacrosse stick, etc.) is used to contact a playing object (i.e. a puck or ball) during playing of the sport, allowing the player to pass, receive passes, shoot, etc.

[0015] The hand protector 10 comprises a tubular inner sleeve 20 having a generally rectangular cross-section and further having an interior or inner surface 20a and an exterior or outer surface 20b. Although the cross-section of the inner sleeve 20 shown is rectangular, it is within the spirit and scope of the present invention that the cross-section have other shapes in order to accommodate differently shaped sticks or handles, such as circular, oval, elliptical, or polygonal having more or less than four sides.

[0016] The cross-sectional dimensions of the inner surface 20a of the inner sleeve 20 are preferably at least slightly greater than the cross-sectional dimensions of the shaft 12a of the stick 12 with which the hand protector 10 is to be used. In this manner, the inner surface 20a of the inner sleeve 20 surrounds the shaft 12a, as shown in FIG. 2. Because the inner dimensions of the inner sleeve 20 are slightly greater than the dimensions of the shaft 12a, the hand protector 10 may freely move or slide axially along the length of the shaft 12a of the stick 12. In this manner, the hand protector 10 may be easily moved upwardly and downwardly along the length of the shaft 12a of the stick 12 to accommodate movement of the lower hand of the user along the length of the shaft 12a of the stick 12 during play.

[0017] Preferably, the inner sleeve 20 is made of a flexible, lightweight polymeric material such as polyvinylchloride or the like. In this manner, as a user grasps and compresses the outer surface 20b of the inner sleeve 20, the inner surface 20a of the inner sleeve 20 in turn deflects inwardly to grip the stick 12, increasing the frictional engagement of the hand protector 10 with the shaft 12a and allowing the user to tighten or loosen his grip of the shaft 12a at any point along the shaft 12a. The inner surface 20a of the inner sleeve 20 may include knurling, grooves or the like (not shown) to allow for greater frictional engagement of the hand protector 10 with the shaft 12a, further enhancing the ability of the user to tightly grip the stick 12 through the inner sleeve 20.

[0018] The hand protector 10 further includes an outer protective sleeve 30 having a first end 30a and a second end 30b. The outer protective sleeve 30 is preferably generally cup-shaped such that the first end 30a is generally closed and the second end 30b is open. Specifically, it is preferred that the outer protective sleeve have a generally cylindrical portion 32 having a diameter which is substantially greater than the outer dimensions of the inner sleeve 20 in order to receive and accommodate a hand (shown in phantom in FIG. 2) of the user. A forward end 32a of the cylindrical portion 32 tapers downwardly along a generally conical portion 34 which is connected at a distal end 34a to a forward end 20c of the inner sleeve 20 to form a unitary structure. In this way, the inner sleeve 20 is preferably positioned within the outer protective sleeve 30, such that, when the user places his hand around the outer surface 20b, the user's hand is at least partially and preferably completely surrounded by the outer protective sleeve 30.

[0019] Preferably, the second end 30b of the outer protective sleeve 30 is flared generally outwardly. This configuration better accommodates the wrist and/or arm of the user by providing a more comfortable surface against which the user's arm and/or wrist rests. Although this configuration is preferred, it is within the spirit and scope of the present invention that the hand protector 10 have an straight, un-flared second end 30b. Additionally, it is further within the spirit and scope of the present invention that padding (not shown) could be placed in or on the hand protector 10, including around the second end 30b, so as to help prevent any chafing the hand protector 10 may cause the user during use.

[0020] The outer protective sleeve 30 is preferably made of the same polymeric material as the inner sleeve 20. However, one skilled in the art would understand and appreciate that the outer protective sleeve 30 may be made of some other material, if desired.

[0021] In use, the user places the hand protector 10 on the shaft 12a such that the conical portion 34 faces downwardly toward the operative end 12b of the stick 12. The user then places one hand on the shaft 12a, preferably upward from the hand protector 10, and the other hand into the second end 30b of the outer protective sleeve 30 to grasp the outer surface 20b of the inner sleeve 20. The user can then engage in playing the sport by sliding the hand protector 10 along the shaft 12a or gripping the shaft 12a by respectively loosening and tightening the grip on the outer surface 20b of the inner sleeve 20.

[0022] In this way, the user's lower-most hand on the stick 12 is protected by the hand protector 10 such that the hand protector 10 surrounds at least a portion of the hand to at least partially absorb an impact from another user's stick 12. For instance, the hand protector 10 helps to guard against the impact from another user's stick riding up the user's stick when forcibly swung. When such an event occurs, the other user's stick 12 impacts the distal end 34a of the conical portion 34 and then deflects along the tapered conical portion 34 away from the user's hand situated within the hand protector 10. Preferably, the hand protector 10, or at least the outer protective portion 30, is made of a material that is sufficiently rigid so as to absorb and deflect a sufficient amount of the force of impact to lessen the chance of injury to the user's hand.

[0023] The hand protector 10 of the present invention is capable of being produced inexpensively due to its preferably unitary construction which can be easily and quickly molded using techniques well known in the industry. This translates to a less expensive alternative means for hand protection than protective gloves for use during stick sports, such as hockey. Another benefit of the present invention is that the hand protector 10 can be maintained on the stick 12, even when not in use. This is accomplished by sliding the hand protector 10 onto the shaft 12a of a stick 12 and then placing a butt on the end of the stick 12 opposite the operative end 12b. The butt, whether formed by wrapping tape around the end of the stick or using a preformed rubber end, has larger cross-sectional dimensions than the inner sleeve 20. Because the inner sleeve 20 cannot accommodate the larger butt end, the hand protector 10 cannot be slid over the butt end, and the hand protector 10 remains on the shaft 12a (bounded on the other end by the larger operative end 12b). In this way, because the stick 12 and the hand protector 10 are kept together, it is less likely the hand protector 10 could be misplaced or lost.

[0024] From the foregoing description, it will be understood that the present invention comprises a hand protector which is particularly well suited for protecting the forward hand of a user of a hockey stick. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concepts thereof. For instance, a user may prefer to use two hand protectors 10, one each on the left and right hand, when manipulating the stick 12. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but is intended to cover all modifications within the sphere and scope of the present invention.