Athletic gloves for use when cycling and method of making

Abstract

Athletic gloves used by a person when operating a bicycle include a plurality of three-layer palm pads that are glued to a plurality of spaced positions on the palm of each glove without the use of stitching and the like. Each of the palm pads is formed of a three-layer assembly, i.e. a relatively thin heat-activated adhesive layer, a relatively thick and intermediate synthetic foam layer, and a relatively thin synthetic leather layer. Prior to assembly of a three-layer palm pad onto the palm of a glove, each of the three layers of the palm pad assembly is of a uniform thickness. A heat press having a pattern of downward-extending metal line areas, including one metal line area that matches and completely encircles the circumferential edge of each palm pad, operates to press each palm pad down onto the palm of the glove. This heat and line pressure operates to activate the palm pad adhesive layer, to thereby provide a thin line seal at the edge of each palm pad, and to also provide a pattern of thin depressed lines within each palm pad. This pattern of thin depressed lines operate to form a plurality of raised or embossed pad areas within each palm pad. The palm pads and their pad areas are strategically located on the palm of a user's hand to facilitate the bending of the glove, as the user's hand grasps an object such as the handlebar of a bicycle.