Patents on the Gear Used in Fight Sports
“And it’s Goodnight Irene!” That’s probably a phrase you heard once or twice from Michael “The Voice” Schiavello if you watch sports like kickboxing, MMA or boxing. Kickboxing, MMA, and boxing are sports where there is an almost guaranteed chance of someone getting hurt. That’s why proper protection is extremely important. The gloves, the headgear, the shin guards, all of which are important in protecting the wearer from sustaining serious injury while training. In this week’s blog post, we will be discussing some of the patents that cover these items.
The Boxing Glove
The boxing glove is an iconic item used in most fight sports. The glove generally has a pocket for your thumbs and another pocket for the other fingers. There is cushioning that covers the knuckles and some mechanism to secure the glove to the user. An older version of the boxing glove, covered by U.S. patent no. 523,568 (“‘568 patent”), was patented all the way back in 1894! Older versions of the boxing gloves look and operate a bit differently from the modern day boxing glove. Older versions of the glove were more like padded mitts and didn’t have a predetermined shape for the pockets for the thumbs and fingers. Nonetheless, the boxing glove disclose din the ‘568 patent helped establish the foundation for the modern day boxing glove.
To read the ‘568 patent, click here.
MMA gloves
MMA or mixed martial arts is a sport where various martial art disciplines are combined. Since MMA is a mix of various types of martial arts all in one, the boxing glove cannot provide the flexibility and versatility needed to accommodate all of the various types of fighting styles. For example, it will be difficult to grapple with an opponent using boxing gloves. Since boxing gloves are not efficient in MMA, a different type of glove is needed to protect the hands. In response, MMA gloves were created, which were smaller gloves that did not cover the fingers. One patent application was filed as an attempt to patent the MMA glove, which was U.S. patent application no. 13/353,293 (“‘293 application”) and titled as “tactical mixed martial arts glove.”
To read more about the ‘293 application, click here.
Head Guard
Boxing and other fight sports can result in serious injuries since one of the main targets is the head. To protect the head during training, many boxers and fighters use head gear, which cushion the blows against the noggin. U.S. patent no. 1,759,738 (‘738 patent) discloses a type of head gear used for athletes, which can include boxers. The head gear disclosed in the ‘738 patent is made in a way that allows for protection for the wearer and won’t injure the wearer’s sparring partner or during sport activities.
To read the entire ‘738 patent, click here.
What are your thoughts on the patents or patent applications that cover the gear used in fight sports? Leave a comment below to let us know what you think!
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Disclaimer: This article is not legal advice. It is only for educational or entertainment purposes only. Please do not use the article or contents of the article without permission. For legal advice and questions, please contact registered Patent Attorney Vincent LoTempio.
