Kitchen glove design; Duncan Kitchen Grips; U.S. Design Pat. No. D647,252

U.S. Design Patent No. D647,252, issued on October 18, 2011 to Duncan Kitchen Grips of Tustin, CA, discloses a design for a kitchen glove.

According to its website, the raised nub surface texture of Duncan’s kitchen gloves provide various advantages, such as “more insulation between the hand and the heat source” and ”a better, safer, non-slip grip.”  In addition, its material is water-repellent, flexible, stain resistant, and non-porous (so it is resistant to bacteria buildup).

As a design patent, the ’252 patent only covers the decorative, non-functional aspects of the design shown in the figures of the patent.  Therefore, it doesn’t cover the raised nub surface texture itself, which is a functional feature of the glove, but it does cover the particular design or pattern of nubs that are shown in the figures.  Also, the protected design does not include the zig-zag stitching along the outside edge of the glove, or the “KG” insignias all over the glove, since these features are shown with dashed lines in the figures of the ’252 patent.

In early 2009, Duncan Kitchen Grips was acquired by Browne & Co. of Ontario, Canada.  According to the USPTO database, Duncan owns five U.S. design patents, all issued in 2011, for various designs of kitchen mitts, gloves, and trivets.