Water Resistant Handware

Abstract

A method for forming water resistant and breathable handwear is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing an outer shell, a liner that inhibits the transfer of heat from a user's hand, and a water resistant and breathable insert; applying a heat activated adhesive to a finger portion of the outer shell and the liner; assembling the outer shell, insert, and liner; and curing or activating the heat activated adhesive to form a bond between the layers. Water resistant handwear made through the process are also disclosed.

1 . A method for forming handwear, said method comprising:
 providing a shell having finger a shell outer surface which is an outer surface of said handwear and a shell inner surface opposite said shell outer surface, said shell including a shell finger portion sized to receive the finger of said user and a hand portion sized to receive the hand of said user;   providing a liner having a liner outer surface for positioning against said hand of a user and a liner inner surface opposite said liner outer surface, said liner outer surface and said liner inner surface including a liner finger portion sized to register with said shell finger portion and said liner being formed of a material to inhibit a transfer of heat from said liner outer surface to said liner inner surface;   providing an insert that is formed to be water resistant and breathable, said insert having a first surface for orientation towards the shell inner surface and a second surface for orientation towards the liner inner surface, said first surface and said second surface including an insert finger portion sized to register with said shell finger portion;   applying an adhesive on one of said liner inner surface at said liner finger portion and said second surface of said insert at said insert finger portion;   applying said adhesive on one of said shell inner surface at said shell finger portion and said first surface of said insert at said insert finger portion;   assembling said insert with said liner and said shell so that said second surface of said insert at said insert finger portion is adjacent to said liner inner surface at said liner finger portion and said first surface of said insert at said insert finger portion is adjacent to said shell inner surface at said shell finger portion; and   causing said adhesive of said assembled shell, insert, and liner to bond said insert at said insert finger portion to each of said shell finger portion and said liner finger portion.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said adhesive is first applied to one of said liner inner surface at said liner finger portion and said second surface of said insert at said insert finger portion. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said adhesive is next applied to one of said shell inner surface at said shell finger portion and said first surface of said insert at said insert finger portion. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said heat activated adhesive is a liquid when applied on one of said liner inner surface and said second surface and on one of said shell inner surface and said first surface. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said causing said adhesive to bond comprises heating said assembled shell, insert, and liner to a temperature from about 150 degrees Fahrenheit to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of time from about 5 seconds to about 45 seconds. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising smoothing said insert between said shell and said liner to remove folds or gathers in said insert prior to causing said adhesive to bond. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said shell finger portion and said liner finger portion both include at least one finger member formed having a forchette portion and wherein applying said adhesive to said liner finger portion and said shell finger portion comprises applying said adhesive only to one of said forchette portion of said liner and said forchette portion of said shell. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said shell finger portion and said liner finger portion includes at least one finger, and wherein applying said adhesive on said liner finger portion and said shell finger portion comprises applying said adhesive of only one of said liner finger portion and said shell finger portion. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said at least one finger has side portions and wherein said adhesive is applied to one of said side portions of said liner and said side portions of said shell. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said shell, said liner, and said insert includes a thumb portion. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 applying said adhesive on one of said liner inner surface at said thumb portion and said second surface of said insert at said thumb portion;   applying said adhesive on one of said shell inner surface at said thumb portion and said first surface of said insert at said thumb portion; and   causing said adhesive of said assembled shell, insert, and liner to bond said insert at said thumb portion of said shell and said liner.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 providing a shell further comprises providing said shell configured with said shell outer surface oriented inwardly and said shell inner surface oriented outwardly; and 
 assembling said insert with said liner and said shell further comprises reconfiguring said shell with said shell outer surface oriented outwardly and said shell inner surface oriented inwardly with said shell inner surface oriented toward and adjacent said first surface of said insert. 
 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: applying said adhesive on one of said liner inner surface at said thumb portion and said second surface of said insert at said thumb portion; applying said adhesive on one of said shell inner surface at said thumb portion and said first surface of said insert at said thumb portion; and causing said adhesive of said assembled shell, insert, and liner to bond said insert at said thumb portion of said shell and said liner. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein applying said adhesive on said finger portions and said thumb portions further comprises applying said adhesive only on a palm side of said finger portions and said thumb portions. 
     
     
         22 . A method for forming handwear, said method comprising:
 providing a shell having a shell outer surface which is an outer surface of said handwear and a shell inner surface opposite said shell outer surface, said shell including a shell finger portion sized to receive the finger of said user and a hand portion sized to receive the hand of said user;   providing a liner having a liner outer surface for positioning against said hand of a user and a liner inner surface opposite said liner outer surface, said liner outer surface and said liner inner surface including a liner finger portion sized to register with said shell finger portion and said liner being formed of a material to inhibit a transfer of heat from said liner outer surface to said liner inner surface;   providing an insert that is formed to be water resistant and breathable, said insert having a first surface for orientation towards the shell inner surface and a second surface for orientation towards the liner inner surface, said first surface and said second surface including an insert finger portion sized to register with said shell finger portion;   applying an adhesive only on one of said liner inner surface at said liner finger portion and said second surface of said insert at said insert finger portion;   applying said adhesive only on one of said shell inner surface at said shell finger portion and said first surface of said insert at said insert finger portion;   assembling said insert with said liner and said shell so that said second surface of said insert at said insert finger portion is adjacent to said liner inner surface at said liner finger portion and said first surface of said insert at said insert finger portion is adjacent to said shell inner surface at said shell finger portion; and causing said adhesive of said assembled shell, insert, and liner to bond said insert at said insert finger portion to each of said shell finger portion and said liner finger portion.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said shell, said liner, and said insert includes a thumb portion. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 applying a third layer of heat activated adhesive on one of said liner inner surface at said thumb portion and said second surface of said insert at said thumb portion;   applying a fourth layer of heat activated adhesive on one of said shell inner surface at said thumb portion and said first surface of said insert at said thumb portion; and   heating said third and said fourth layers of heat activated adhesive of said assembled shell, insert, and liner to bond said insert at said insert thumb portion to each of said shell thumb portion and said liner thumb portion.   
     
     
         25 . A method for forming handwear, said method comprising:
 providing a shell having a shell outer surface which is an outer surface of said handwear and a shell inner surface opposite said shell outer surface, said shell including a shell finger portion sized to receive the finger of said user and a hand portion sized to receive the hand of said user, said hand portion having a palm side formed to be proximate the palm of a user's hand and a back-of-the-hand side formed to be proximate the back of a user's hand;   providing a liner having a liner outer surface for positioning against said hand of a user and a liner inner surface opposite said liner outer surface, said liner outer surface and said liner inner surface including a liner finger portion sized to register with said shell finger portion and said liner being formed of a material to inhibit a transfer of heat from said liner outer surface to said liner inner surface;   providing an insert that is formed to be water resistant and breathable, said insert having a first surface for orientation towards the shell inner surface and a second surface for orientation towards the liner inner surface, said first surface and said second surface including an insert finger portion sized to register with said shell finger portion;   applying an adhesive only on the palm side of one of said liner inner surface at said liner finger portion and said second surface of said insert at said insert finger portion;   applying said adhesive only on the palm side of one of said shell inner surface at said shell finger portion and said first surface of said insert at said insert finger portion;   assembling said insert with said liner and said shell so that said second surface of said insert at said insert finger portion is adjacent to said liner inner surface at said liner finger portion and said first surface of said insert at said insert finger portion is adjacent to said shell inner surface at said shell finger portion; and causing said adhesive of said assembled shell, insert, and liner to bond said insert at said insert finger portion to each of said shell finger portion and said liner finger portion.