Goalkeeper catching glove

Abstract

A goalkeeper catching glove having a front portion defining a cuff region, a thumb region, a finger region, and a palm region, the palm region being concave; a rear portion; and a trap. The goalkeeper catching glove is movable between an at rest position and a closed position. The front portion has a puck reflection area. The puck reflection area is at least 80 percent of a total outer surface area of the thumb region, the finger region, and the palm region. The puck reflection area is shaped such that, in the at rest position, for each incident line being normal to a plane defined by a front surface of the cuff region and passing through the puck reflection area a corresponding reflection line extends through the trap.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A goalkeeper catching glove comprising:
 a front portion defining a cuff region, a thumb region, a finger region, and a palm region,   the palm region being concave;   a rear portion connected to the front portion, the front portion and the rear portion defining therebetween a space for receiving a hand of a goalkeeper; and   a trap connected to at least one of the front portion or the rear portion, the trap extending between the thumb region and the finger region,   the goalkeeper catching glove being movable between an at rest position and a closed position,   the front portion having a puck reflection area, the puck reflection area being at least 80 percent of a total outer surface area of the thumb region, the finger region, and the palm region, and   the puck reflection area being shaped such that, in the at rest position, for each incident line being normal to a plane defined by a front surface of the cuff region and passing through the puck reflection area:
 a corresponding reflection line extends through the trap, the reflection line extending from a point of intersection between the incident line and the puck reflection area; 
 the reflection line being at a first angle to a normal line; 
 the normal line being normal to the puck reflection area at the point of intersection; 
 the incident line being at a second angle to the normal line; and 
 the first angle and the second angle are equal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 1 , wherein the puck reflection area is at least 90 percent of the total outer surface area of the thumb region, the finger region, and the palm region. 
     
     
         3 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 2 , wherein the puck reflection area is at least 95 percent of the total outer surface area of the thumb region, the finger region, and the palm region. 
     
     
         4 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 3 , wherein the puck reflection area corresponds to the total outer surface area of the thumb region, the finger region, and the palm region. 
     
     
         5 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 1 , wherein the puck reflection area has a generally parabolic cross-section. 
     
     
         6 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 5 , wherein:
 a vertex of the parabolic cross-section is disposed on a finger side of a glove length line; and   the pocket length line being a shortest line extending from a heel of the goalkeeper catching glove to a point on the trap being furthest from the heel and following a contour of the front portion and the trap.   
     
     
         7 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the front portion comprises an impact resistant member;   the impact resistant member is disposed at least in the thumb region, the finger region, and the palm region;   the impact resistant member biases the goalkeeper catching glove toward the at rest position; and   the impact resistant member defines a shape of the puck reflection area.   
     
     
         8 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 7 , wherein the impact resistant member is made from plastic. 
     
     
         9 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 7 , wherein the impact resistant member is a molded unitary impact resistant member. 
     
     
         10 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 7 , wherein the front portion further comprises an inner member connected to the impact resistant member, the inner member being disposed between the impact resistant member and the rear portion. 
     
     
         11 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 10 , wherein the inner member is made of from foam. 
     
     
         12 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the trap is inserted between the impact resistant member and the inner member. 
     
     
         13 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 11 , further comprising a hand covering disposed in the space, the hand covering being configured for receiving the hand of the goalkeeper, and the hand covering being selectively removably connected to an inner side of the front portion. 
     
     
         14 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 13 , wherein the hand covering is selectively removably connected to an inner side of the front portion via hook and loop fasteners. 
     
     
         15 . The goalkeeper catching glove of  claim 13 , wherein the hand covering is a glove having four finger stalls and one thumb stall.