Medical / dental / utility gloves with anti-fatigue and improved air channels

Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved elastomer glove having a stress relief zone to reduce user fatigue. The glove may have a stress relief zone between and on some or all of the joints, finger joints, and bones of the hand, wherein the relief zone is formed as an asymmetric or symmetric hump shape. Alternatively, such elevated relief zone areas are formed as an asymmetric or symmetric diamond shape or a truncated diamond shape. A relief zone may also be provided on the webbing between the thumb and the palm. A relief zone may also be provided on the soft tissue webbing between the thumb and the index finger on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the hand. The diamond / hump shape relief zone provides improved (consistent) glove function and quality while minimizing manufacturing issues and costs.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present application relates to an ergonomically improved glove having a stress accumulation area and a region near or inside the natural fold line of the user's hand, having stress relief features that provide lower resistance to flexion during the function of the human hand and wrist and provide enhanced anti-fatigue. Background Technology

[0002] Latex and other elastomer medical gloves are used by medical and / or dental professionals to maintain a hygienic boundary between medical personnel (or other users / workers) and patients. These gloves are also used in non-medical fields, such as by cleaning workers, food industry workers, automotive workers, painters, construction workers, and hairdressers, as a barrier to reduce the transfer of oils, paints, foams, and chemicals to workers. The invention described herein can also be used to increase the utility of general gloves for other purposes, as well as sports gloves and medical gloves.

[0003] Medical gloves typically feature a uniform thickness across the entire glove to maintain low costs by simplifying production. This has resulted in a mismatch between the glove's flexion pattern and the wearer's hand flexion. For example, when a wearer bends their fingers, the glove must stretch unevenly along the wearer's joints because the muscular and skeletal structures of every hand differ. The amount of force required to stretch the glove during use tends to cause fatigue in the wearer's hand and can lead to other discomforts, such as a feeling of tightness. This "squeezing" of the glove forces the hand muscles to work much harder than the normal effort required to bend "un-glovened" muscles and perform hand functions. Additionally, this "squeezing" and associated resistance place pressure on various bones in the hand, fingers, and wrist, causing pain and fatigue that can affect function. These effects can also lead to medium- to long-term medical complications for the wearer.

[0004] Additionally, as the glove stretches on one side of the user's hand and other areas of the hand fold on their own, the wearer may experience clumping or sagging of the material, such as clumping under the finger joints. In addition to the above drawbacks, this can reduce tactile sensation through the glove and interfere with grasping delicate tools. Consequently, wearers often wear gloves that do not fit their hand size well ("larger") to reduce fatigue, along with the disadvantages of clumping at the fingertips or other places that interfere with grip and tactile feedback. What is needed is an improved, easily produced glove with economical and ergonomic anti-fatigue features that does not interfere with the natural operation of the wearer's hand.

[0005] There have been some efforts in the past to provide stress relief zones. One such device is described by Yarbrough in U.S. Patent 5,323,490. Multiple bellows are provided along the two toes of the glove to provide a circumferential bending zone, but the excessive bending provided by the bellows causes the fingertips of the glove to become too loose. Furthermore, the portion of the bellows below the toes (palm side) is unnecessary and obstructive, for example, hindering the operator from grasping instruments. Additionally, the Yarbrough invention does not account for the vertical slip of the glove material along the fingers during use, which causes clumping and wrinkling of the glove material at the fingertips, along with obvious interference with use and interference with instrument handling and tactile feedback. Other inventors (see patent application Ansel WO2017124134A1) have attempted alternative designs for stress relief zones, but they do not address the slipping and clumping of the glove material and do not demonstrate anything new that has not already been invented. Therefore, this cited invention does not add any originality to the field of improved armor design.

[0006] Numerous other gloves, such as U.S. Patents 3,283,338 and 6,962,739, also provide various solutions. However, none of these inventions and patents appear to describe the present invention as claimed, whether taken alone or in combination. The problem to be solved

[0007] The present invention relates to an improved glove that facilitates joint flexion and hand squeezing by forming a stress relief zone within the glove. The glove may have a convex relief zone or pocket on or adjacent to one or more of the hand joints and finger joints. The relief zone is preferably formed as an asymmetric or symmetric extended hump shape on or adjacent to the finger and thumb joints. The hump-shaped relief zone may also be provided on the webbing of the dorsal and ventral surfaces between the thumb and index finger on the dorsal and ventral ("palm") side (other areas are also shown in the diagram). Such relief zones may be formed by horizontal or vertical areas in an asymmetric or symmetric diamond shape, a modified diamond shape, or an elliptical shape. The relief zones described herein provide improved (consistent) glove quality while minimizing manufacturing difficulties and costs. Such relief zones may also have a concave portion at the apex of the relief zone to lower the contour and provide additional material for the expansion required in various relief zones. Additionally, the relaxation zones and features mentioned in this specification may be essentially linear or non-linear.

[0008] Accordingly, the main objective of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved glove having both anatomically correlated and / or anatomically adjacent stress relief zones to provide stress relief, and to prevent the glove material from slipping or bunching up at the fingertips during the glove's function, thereby preventing functional degradation and tactile feedback.

[0009] Another objective of the present invention is to provide an air release channel integrated into the glove during production to mitigate any air trapping that may occur while wearing the glove.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a glove having additional material in a relief zone (“longitudinal relief zone”) that is substantially transverse to the axis of rotation of the finger during bending, and having a plurality of elongated vertically aligned hump-shaped / modified diamond-shaped relief zones on the glove to provide glove stretch relief zones.

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a glove having additional material in a relief zone (horizontal relief zone) shaped substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the finger during bending, and having a plurality of elongated horizontally aligned hump-shaped / modified diamond-shaped / elliptical relief zones on the glove to provide glove stretch relief zones.

[0012] Those skilled in the art will recognize that such relaxation zones may also be elliptical in shape and may be rotated horizontally or vertically without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0013] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a glove having a plurality of stress-relieving parts to reduce deformation applied to the hand when the glove is stretched around the bent hand and fingers.

[0014] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a plurality of stress relief zones having elliptical folds to provide stress-free stretching of the glove around the joints of the fingers, hands, and wrists and around the body.

[0015] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a plurality of stress relief zones having asymmetric or symmetric diamond-shaped / hump-shaped / deformed diamond / deformed hump-shaped relief zones to stretch the glove without stress around the joints of the fingers, hands, and wrists and the body.

[0016] The object of the present invention is to provide a glove that allows the hand to have a natural curvature ("cascade effect") and dramatically reduces stress and fatigue caused by high-stress regions.

[0017] The object of the present invention is to provide improved elements and their arrangement in a device for the described purpose that is inexpensive, reliable, and fully effective in achieving the intended purpose.

[0018] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a glove and a hand former that allow stress relief for the user by providing a suitable stress relief zone in an ambidextrous (symmetrical) style glove. means of solving the problem

[0019] These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent from a review of the following detailed description of the present invention and the accompanying drawings. These objects of the present invention are not exhaustive and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that an embodiment of the present invention does not necessarily have to include all of the aforementioned objects of the present invention. Rather, a given embodiment may include one of the aforementioned objects or may not include any of them at all. Accordingly, these objects should not be used to limit the claims of the present invention. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0020] FIG. 1 is a dorsal plan view of a glove according to at least one aspect of the present invention. FIG. 1a illustrates an alternative embodiment of the relief zone of the glove. FIG. 2 is a ventral ("palm side") plan view of a glove according to at least one aspect of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a dorsal or ventral view depending on whether a one-hand-only or ambidextrous glove of another embodiment of the glove is used. FIG. 3a is a dorsal or ventral view depending on whether a one-hand-only or ambidextrous glove of yet another embodiment of the glove is illustrated. FIG. 4 and FIG. 4a are drawings of a glove having a relief zone along the thumb and index finger according to another aspect of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a further embodiment of the present invention including an additional relief zone as well as a unique system of air release channels. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a finger / thumb tip area indicating a continuous thumb webbing relief zone. FIG. 6a is a partial view of a glove having an alternative embodiment of the thumb, finger, or any relief zone. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a hand showing the axis of rotation of the hand. FIG. 8 is a bone and thumb This is a schematic diagram of a hand showing movement. FIG. 9a illustrates a schematic diagram of a conventional mold for an asymmetrical glove. FIG. 9b illustrates a schematic diagram of a conventional mold for a symmetrical glove. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a glove showing a finger-to-groin relief zone. FIG. 11 and 12 illustrate alternative embodiments of a glove. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0021] The present invention, according to at least one embodiment, relates to an improved glove having a stress relief zone to increase the ergonomics, comfort, and usability of the glove.

[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the back ("back side") of a glove (110) according to at least one aspect of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 1a illustrates alternative embodiments of elliptical, arched, and modified diamond-shaped relaxation zones.

[0024] Figure 2 shows the front (or "abdomen / palm" side) of the glove.

[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates a dorsal or abdominal view depending on whether a one-handed or two-handed glove is shown.

[0026] FIG. 3a is another embodiment of a dorsal or abdominal view depending on whether a one-handed or ambidextrous glove is shown. The drawing illustrates a relief zone (317) extending through the crotch of the fingers.

[0027] Figure 4 shows the side of the glove from the side of the thumb of the hand.

[0028] Figure 4a shows the relaxation zone (114) above the thumb muscle and the base of the thumb.

[0029] Different areas on the back, ventral, and lateral sides of the hand are stretch / relaxation zones. An additional area (119) on the back of the hand (Fig. 5) shows an air release area that releases trapped air while wearing. This area may also be on the ventral side of the hand.

[0030] In practice, the glove is composed of a thin layer of a uniform latex, nitrile, vinyl, polyisoprene, neoprene, or other elastic or elastomer material, and is generally immersed and molded using a hand forming machine into the desired shape of the glove. For the purposes of this application, any of these materials will be collectively referred to as "polymers," and gloves formed from these and similar materials will be referred to as "polymer gloves" unless otherwise explicitly stated. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one stress relief area (112) (Fig. 1) is provided over a finger joint of the hand (finger joint, finger joint, etc.) and is preferably located within a main glove portion of uniform thickness. However, the glove does not need to have uniform thickness to practice the invention.

[0031] This extension zone (112) reduces the amount of force required for the glove material to bend around the finger joints (or “joints”) of the hand when one or more fingers are curled, for example, to grasp a medical / dental instrument. By providing additional material / space in a relief zone of a kind of balloon area or “pocket,” the wearer experiences less fatigue because the fingers can travel (bend further) before the glove material stretches to accommodate the movement or curling of the finger(s). This extension zone is designed to provide less resistance to stretching or elongating along the length of the finger compared to the lateral (“circumferential”) direction and compared to the material outside the extension zone of the glove.

[0032] An additional feature of the relaxation zone is that there is minimal contraction of the user's hand as the glove stretches during operation. Elastic materials, such as rubber, narrow simultaneously as they stretch or elongate, much like a rubber band narrows as it stretches. Since the glove is already in close contact with the wearer's skin, stretching the glove causes the area around the hand to constrict, resulting in contraction and discomfort. By designing an expansion zone that provides additional material and clearance, anatomical displacement, volumetric changes, and movements of the joint bones and the soft tissues resting upon them can be accommodated by the relaxation zone of the expansion, rather than requiring significant "stretching" of the material.

[0033] FIGS. 1, FIGS. 1a, and FIGS. 2 illustrate other embodiments of the present invention. A glove (110) made of latex, nitrile, vinyl, polyisoprene, neoprene, or other elastomer material or similar material is illustrated. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that parts of the present invention may be applied to gloves of any material.

[0034] One or more mitigation zones (111, 112, 112A, 113, 113A, 114, 115, 115A, 116, 117, 118, 121, 122, 123, 124) may be manufactured in the armor.

[0035] The first set of relief zones (112) (“finger relief zones”) is located over the joint between the middle and proximal phalanges of each finger. The second set of relief zones (113) is located over the joint between the distal and middle phalanges of each finger. The third set of relief zones (115 or 115A) is located between the metacarpals and may extend into the webbing area adjacent to the proximal phalanges. These relief zones may extend from one side of the hand to the other (“wrap”) or may not extend from one side to the other through the crotch area between the fingers (i.e., cut / separate) and may be located on the dorsal and / or ventral side (or dorsal only) of the glove. Depending on the needs of the glove, the relief zones may extend partially or completely along the bones instead of the joint between adjacent bones. The relief zones (115 / 115A) may also extend partially or completely over the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) or other joints between adjacent bones, depending on the needs of the glove.

[0036] FIG. 6a illustrates an alternative version of a relief zone (111A) having a lower contour. A vertical or horizontal ridge or groove is created in the center to lower the overall volume of the relief zone while maintaining functionality. Twin peaks in the relief zone allow for a more compact relief zone. This groove may extend along the entire vertical length of the relief zone or only in a portion of the relief zone. The same applies to horizontal relief zones. These features may be applicable to all relief zones described in this application.

[0037] A similar relief zone (121) (Fig. 1) may be located on the side of the index finger at or near the MCP joint of the finger.

[0038] Another similar relief zone (121A) (Fig. 4) may be located on the side of the finger.

[0039] A fifth relief zone (111) is provided over the joint of the thumb, that is, between or over the distal and proximal phalangeal regions of the thumb and over the MCP joint of the thumb. One, either, or both of these relief zones may be used in a preferred embodiment.

[0040] The sixth relief zone (114) is located near or above the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb, the associated metacarpal / carpal bone and the adjacent thenar muscle group / muscle.

[0041] The seventh relief zone (117) is located on the webbing on the thumb / dorsal side of the hand and may or may not wrap around toward the abdomen of the hand through the crotch area between the thumb and index finger. An alternative embodiment of this relief zone may also be a non-connected double relief zone located on the abdomen and back but not continuing through the thumb crotch area. This relief zone may be on only one side, that is, only on the back or abdomen side of the hand at this location. This relief zone may have a central groove or indentation extending along the entire length or partial length of the relief zone, as illustrated in FIG. 6a (111A).

[0042] The eighth relief zone (116) is located on the side of the little finger of the hand.

[0043] The ninth set of wrist relief zones (118) is located over the wrist joint area (carpometacarpal joint area) and / or the area of ​​the wrist, radius, and ulna. These relief zones may be present on the dorsal or ventral side of the wrist and / or forearm, or in combination on both sides. These relief zones may be truncated diamond, elliptical, arched, sandglass, or substantially parallel in shape.

[0044] FIGS. 9a and 9b illustrate another basic concept of the present invention. FIGS. 9a and 9b illustrate a conventional hand molding machine (“mold”) for use in immersion molding (further described below). The mold may be asymmetric (Fig. 9a) or symmetric (Fig. 9b). The advantage of an asymmetric glove is that it fits the hand better and can be partially formed to the natural curvature of the hand so that the glove bends in advance.

[0045] Symmetrical gloves are flatter but substantially symmetrical with respect to the plane, allowing them to be worn on either hand. They also have a smooth shape with no protrusions on finger joints or other areas where stress builds up during function. This allows the gloves to fit a wider range of hand sizes and shapes, and enables a smoother and more streamlined immersion-forming process because there are fewer obstacles hindering the flow of the elastomer manufacturing fluid into the mold.

[0046] For the purposes of this application, gloves using this type of standard hand forming machine will be referred to as standard asymmetric gloves (Fig. 9a) and standard symmetric gloves (Fig. 9b). The disadvantage of this approach to making gloves in a standard forming machine is that anatomical areas where stress builds up during use of the gloves are not addressed. Consequently, the user may suffer damage from squeezing their hand, and may experience associated fatigue and negative consequences for both the user and the procedure.

[0047] By modifying the hand molding mechanism into an elevated, vertically elongated "hump shape" (Figs. 1–3) or a "pocket" extending outward from the standard hand molding shape, the glove can be manufactured with a "loose" area between and slightly above the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints and bones in that region. The orientation of this elevated area has an axis somewhat parallel to the long axis of the hand (e.g., + / - 20 degrees parallel) and can extend into the area between the metacarpals and the area between the proximal bones. This looseness allows the glove to fit comfortably when a fist is clenched ("touching a ball") before the loose part is removed from the glove and the glove begins to resist hand movement more significantly, and provides some "stretchability" at and beyond the MCP joint area. This allows the hand to bend more in the improved glove before it begins to stretch compared to a glove of the same size made using a standard hand molding mechanism due to the looseness built into the glove. The hump shape / pocket provides this additional material.

[0048] One of these relief zones (115) (Fig. 1) exemplifies a preferred shape of the relief zone. The relief zone is truncated diamond-shaped, but it may also be hourglass-shaped, parallel, or other shapes. It is desirable that all points of the diamond be smoothed out and omitted. This allows for a smoother transition between the non-relief and relief parts of the glove. It is desirable for the material to flow smoothly when forming the glove. The relief zone may have three-dimensional forming properties, such as an arch that follows the contour of the hand placed over it. For the purposes of this application, unless otherwise expressly stated, the truncated diamond shape is a general diamond shape with points removed to provide a smooth transition from one side of the diamond to another. The truncated diamond shape is three-dimensional and may generally be flat, arched, or some combination thereof, depending on the area of ​​the hand or fingers covering it. The diamond shape may not be symmetrical along a single axis, two axes, or axes, especially when stretched.

[0049] Although the drawing appears to show a separate material forming a relaxation zone, it is important to remember that this is formed only by a raised area designed as a bump-like shape or pocket separated from the standard hand forming machine surface to create a balloon or pocket of the glove material. Liquid latex or other material flows down from the hand forming machine during dipping, forming a layer of material around the glove that is slightly exaggerated from the normal hand contour.

[0050] The relaxation zone can resemble the glove in all other respects, except that it has a different shape to provide a pocket for the relaxation zone. However, it can be the same color, thickness, and material as the rest of the glove. The pocket shape is important for providing low spring force in resistance to hand bending. If there are pointed or sharp parts in a truncated diamond shape, defects such as pinholes, inconsistencies, or folds can more easily occur in the glove if the flowing material is obstructed. Smooth zones and transition zones reduce sharp edges, allowing fluid to flow more smoothly between different zones.

[0051] These design features are important for providing effective stress relief zones while allowing for a smooth and homogeneous flow of the elastomer material during the manufacturing process. The heated elastomer material is gathered in the hand mold during dipping. Ideally, when the material is removed from the liquid material pool, excess material flows down and out of the mold, creating a smooth and relatively uniform thickness of material across all parts of the mold. Therefore, the development of various relief zones and the consequent contour / design features are crucial for ensuring this uniform flow of material during manufacturing to create a functional and effective relief geometry.

[0052] This improves the wearer's functionality and comfort by providing a relief zone with less resistance to flexion than the non-relief zone. The improved gloves also allow for the use of more form-fitting gloves that provide the same comfort as larger gloves (oversized gloves), helping to maintain the glove's position on the hand and prevent slippage. In practice, it should be noted that the hump-shaped / relief zone may be located over the bones of the hand, over the joints, over the soft tissue areas of the hand, or a combination thereof.

[0053] When immersion forming is used (described further below), the glove may have a nearly uniform thickness in the main glove and the relaxation zone and still allow for reduced resistance to bending. In this case, the relaxation zone allows for lower bending resistance ("spring force") in the described relaxation zone, which is less resistant to bending than when the glove is made strictly along the perimeter and contour of a standard hand forming machine (without a relaxation zone) as in FIGS. 9a and 9b. The glove may also be ambidextrous ("symmetrical"). By making the ventral and dorsal sides of the glove symmetrical, a single glove can be used on both hands. Due to symmetry, some relaxation zones may cross to opposite sides of the hand, or the relaxation zones may stop before the edge between the two sides (groin area).

[0054] Another important feature of the relief zone that reduces spring force is having a lateral or adjacent relief zone as shown in FIGS. 1, FIGS. 2, FIGS. 3, FIGS. 4, and FIGS. 4a (reference numbers 112A, 114, 116, 121, and 121A).

[0055] The primary force resisting the flexion, extension, and movement of the fingers and hand is the material of the glove. Cutting the glove in specific areas can alter the flexural form of the material, and it becomes clear which locations are most beneficial for hand function to reduce stress. The primary goal is to reduce or eliminate these stresses applied to the hand. Thus, doing so weakens the spring force accumulated in standard gloves (by "removing material" as described). In other words, the glove material in area (311) (Fig. 3), which restricts hand / finger movement in the finger joints or joint areas, can be altered by cutting the glove along areas (313 and 315). However, since the goal of the glove is to create a relatively impermeable barrier, cutting cannot be a practical solution to the problem of stress accumulation. Instead, the solution is to reduce or eliminate the spring force associated with the glove material by creating pockets of various shapes and sizes at various locations such as 313 and 315. The stress relief zones (313 and 315) are examples of an unclear solution to the problem described above. The locations of other stress-reducing relaxation zones described in this application are based on similar experiments and findings.

[0056] The relief zone (114) (Figs. 1, 4 and 4a) is preferably elliptical or arched, but can be of any shape. It can be symmetrical, asymmetrical, linear, or non-linear. One or more of these relief zone structures may be built into the glove / hand forming machine, and these relief zones can be located on the back, abdomen, and / or sides of the glove as desired to suit specific targets of the glove.

[0057] Their function is to reduce the stress force experienced by the muscles underlying that area when the thumb bends and moves along its axis of rotation. These relief zones also provide a secondary function in that they help reduce the spring force experienced by the thumb webbing and palm area, as previously exemplified and described.

[0058] The relief zones of the distal interphalangeal (DIP), the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint, and the thumb webbing are also illustrated and previously described in this document. These can also be incorporated into an ambidextrous glove by having relief zones that mirror each other on opposite sides of the glove. It should be noted that this concept of a mirror image glove may be applied to any embodiment illustrated in this application, and any relief zone of any one embodiment may be used interchangeably with other embodiments to suit the specific purpose of the glove.

[0059] FIG. 5 illustrates an additional embodiment of a glove having an added feature that may be incorporated into any of the above embodiments if desired. FIG. 5 illustrates a finger joint relief zone (120) that is centrally located or extends over the joint where the proximal and metacarpal bones meet.

[0060] The relief zone of the finger joint, finger, or finger joint consists of an elevated, symmetric, or asymmetric modified diamond / hump-shaped relief zone with a smooth transition zone where the angle of the shape converges and the relief zone meets the uniform surface of the glove to create a flowing transition. The relief zone may also be any shape including an elliptical (or "arc-shaped") or multiple parallel, dome, or oval relief zones that result in the desired stress relief, on the finger joint MCP joint, PIP joint such as FIG. 1a (Refs. 115A, 123, 124)).

[0061] The relaxation zone is designed to leave a gap or pocket over the finger / finger joint that does not lie flat with the area of ​​the glove surrounding it, in order to leave space for hand / finger movement before stretching occurs. By ballooning out in this way, there is a loose area that the finger / finger joint may encroach upon during bending, preventing the glove material from stretching too far. This is because bending or curling the fingers increases the effective length of the dorsal side of the fingers and hand, while shortening the effective length of the ventral side. This is easily visible on bare hands, as the skin of the finger joint is tightened against the dorsal surface as the fingers curl. The skin stretches to allow the fingers to bend.

[0062] To this end, the hand model ("hand forming machine") may have a raised area thereon to create bump-like sections / pockets while still allowing a smooth flow of elastomer material, for example, during vertical or angled immersion forming. This can be applied to all convergence points of all relaxation zones of the glove and to all convergence areas where most of the glove has a uniform surface.

[0063] FIG. 5 also illustrates an alternative system of air release channels (119) made of gloves as an additional alternative feature of the present invention. These air release channels help release air that may be trapped under some or all of the relief zones while wearing the gloves. The channels allow air to travel along raised, grooved, or formed channels at a distance from the relief zone area to the bottom of the gloves or wrist area, or allow trapped air to escape from the open end of the gloves / nearby. This allows the gloves to cover the hands more closely without "bubbling." These air release channels may all be connected together to multiple relief zones or individual relief zones.

[0064] These air release channels can be connected to any, some, or all relief zones on the glove / forming machine as desired to achieve the most effective air release system, including but not limited to finger joints and finger joint relief zones. The air release channels may be located on the back, abdomen, or both sides of the glove. They may also incorporate lateral relief zones. The air release channels may terminate within the glove, or they may terminate at the base and outside the glove, depending on the intended use of the glove being produced.

[0065] Finger relief zones (111, 111A (Fig. 6a), 112, 112A, and 113 (Fig. 6)) provide low stress yielding of the glove along the fingers and / or thumbs when the fingers and / or thumbs (collectively referred to as “fingers” or “fingers”) are curled in an extended position or curled in a contracted position (“flexed”). The finger relief zones are preferably 1 / 2 to 3 / 4 of the finger width, and more preferably 2 / 3 of the maximum finger width of the gloved hand. Finger joint relief zones (120) (Fig. 5) provide areas of the glove that yield when the hand is in a fist. These relief zones may be on the dorsal side as well as the ventral side of the glove, or on only one side. Depending on the intended use of the glove being produced, one, some, none, or all of these relief zones may be used.

[0066] When the hand is bent or flexed during movement and function, a relief zone (115) (Figs. 1, 2, 5, 12) between the proximal bones and the metacarpals allows for the release of elastic tension (low stress yield). This relief zone may be located on the dorsal side as well as the ventral side of the glove, or only on one side. The relief zone (115) may be continuous through the crotch area (see Fig. 1) or discontinuous with separate dorsal and separate abdominal relief zones as described (see Fig. 12). A portion of the relief zone (115) may partially or completely encroach upon the adjacent proximal and / or metacarpals. One or more relief zones (115) may be incorporated into the glove / sphere design depending on the desired function of the glove produced. This relief zone is preferably 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the length of the hand body.

[0067] The air channel (119) may be open to the environment or stop briefly at the open end of the glove. The open end of the glove may need to be rolled back slightly to expose the end of the channel to the surrounding environment around the glove.

[0068] The webbing relaxation zone (117) provides a low-stress zone of extension when the thumb moves away from the hand and provides freedom of movement when the thumb rotates relative to the index finger. The webbing relaxation zone (117) is preferably substantially parallel but may have other shapes.

[0069] A typical relief zone is the area at the joint of the middle finger. For example, see Reference 12 of U.S. Patent 9,179,718 granted to Anstey on November 12, 2015.

[0070] The relief zone is the breakage of a smooth "flat" glove. The relief zone provides an area that expands, stretches, or bends more easily than a simple, uniform glove area. Ideally, the relief zone consists of elevated areas of various shapes and sizes, but this may vary depending on the amount of stretching required or the material, based on the basic anatomical shape, anatomy, and related relief requirements.

[0071] Ideally, the relaxation zone is an elevated material region with a plateau or hump-like shape in the form of an elevated diamond or truncated diamond, preferably without sharp transition zones / angles. The elastic material flow is maintained homogeneously during the manufacturing process, allowing for relative consistency of armor thickness throughout.

[0072] The armor thickness in the mitigation zone is relatively constant and uniform compared to the rest of the armor.

[0073] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the glove is mainly composed of a rear side (Fig. 1) (dorsal) of the glove having a plurality of relief zones, whereas the front side (Fig. 2) (dorsal) of the glove mainly has only a webbing relief zone (117) separately or may extend to the front side of the glove. Additionally, the relief zone (115) may also be integrated into the front side of the glove. As previously mentioned, the glove may also have an air release channel (119). Finger and finger joint relief zones (Fig. 1 and 1a) (References 112, 113, 115A, 122, 123 & 124) may also be located on both the front and back sides of the glove or on only one side depending on the functional requirements of the glove.

[0074] The glove may also use any of the aforementioned glove shapes or patterns, including a diamond / hump-shaped / elliptical pattern or a partial diamond / hump-shaped / elliptical pattern, instead of or in addition to some or all of the relief zone. Additionally, the glove may be improved by adding additional material to the fingers / groin between the fingers. If the fingers are moved far from the standard distance of the hand forming machine and then the glove is made, additional material will be present between the fingers, providing a relief zone of its own type.

[0075] The relief zones and design features described herein can be implemented on one side of the glove or on both the back and abdomen for the manufacture of one-hand only or ambidextrous gloves.

[0076] The preferred orientation of the relief zone is elongated / vertical, but the present invention is not limited to relief zones in any one direction. The shape of the relief zones described for the fingers and thumb is intended to prevent the glove material from slipping under the fingers / thumb, which could particularly interfere with functional and tactile feedback.

[0077] The general orientation and shape of the entire relaxation zone are intentionally inclined vertically (i.e., more along the longitudinal axis). The vertical nature of the relaxation zone is designed to accommodate gravity during the manufacturing process. This allows for better flow of the elastomer material over the hand forming machine ("mold") used in the glove manufacturing process. The recess in the center of the relaxation zone (Fig. 6a, 111a) may be inclined vertically / vertically or inclined horizontally / horizontally from the horizontal relaxation zone as needed. This recess may extend along the entire length or a portion of the length of the relaxation zone. This feature is applicable to all relaxation zones discussed in this application.

[0078] The vertical characteristics of the relaxation zone and channels allow for a uniform flow of armor manufacturing materials and a final product of more homogeneous / even thickness that does not allow for the pooling of elastomer materials during armor manufacturing. This is a very important aspect of the armor manufacturing process. Material pooling is unacceptable because it negatively affects armor performance and hinders or neutralizes the effect of the relaxation zone on stress reduction during armor use. This concept and implementation of a substantially vertical direction of the relaxation zone is a core part and central element of the present invention.

[0079] During manufacturing using the dipping molding process, a hand molder first dips the fingers into a liquid elastomer, and the area of ​​the hand molder being dipped forms a layer of elastomer around the mold. This forms the glove. As the mold rises above the liquid, excess material flows along the mold and re-enters the liquid. Careful design of the relaxation zone allows the excess material to naturally flow back into the liquid container (i.e., vertically downward or nearby). Certain relaxation zone designs, which are primarily horizontal, cause the liquid to slow down or pool, allowing the material to accumulate in the glove area where it dries or cools, resulting in an excessively thick and rigid region of the glove. If the elastomer is not blocked during flow, as in a vertical relaxation zone design, the excess material can detach from or flow away from the glove, forming a glove with a relatively consistent layer depth / thickness across the entire surface.

[0080] Having a relaxation zone that is longitudinal, mostly / substantially longitudinal, oriented vertically, or smoothly transitions from vertical enables this consistent formation of the armor layer while providing the desired / functional relaxation zone. This allows for a more uniform armor using a cheaper and more practical process.

[0081] Since medical / utility gloves are mostly disposable or replaced multiple times during procedures, it is important to keep the cost of medical / utility gloves at a practical level.

[0082] Gloves with stress relief zones would lose value if their cost were significantly higher than that of standard gloves used today. One inexpensive method for making gloves from latex, nitrile, neoprene, polyisoprene, vinyl, or other elastomer materials is to use immersion molding. While the invention is not limited to manufacturing methods, one such method involves constructing a base mold of ceramic or other similar or known materials. The mold relief zones described above can be constructed in molds of various sizes and shapes configured for the desired sizes and shapes of the product gloves. The amount, length, and shape of the relief zones depend on the glove material and the glove size (small, medium, large, etc.), among other considerations. Then, a cast of silicone, resin, plastic, metal, nylon, ceramic, or other types can be created using known master methods. The cast is then dipped into an elastomer material to form the glove, followed by a process that may include heating, chlorination, vulcanization, washing, and drying in some steps. Additional steps may also be incorporated into the process to improve various aspects of the final product. By implementing additional dipping and steps to add layers to the gloves, highly durable or reusable gloves, such as utility or kitchen gloves, can be produced. The gloves can then be removed from the cast after they have dried, cured, or hardened.

[0083] A horizontally designed mitigation zone can obstruct this flow, causing material pooling and consequently uneven coating along the armor, which can impair the operation of the mitigation zone.

[0084] Therefore, a vertical design can provide an optimal glove configuration while minimizing costs and eliminating the need for additional manufacturing steps to prevent issues such as pooling.

[0085] The vertical relief zones (111-121A, 123-124, 313-317) are, in most cases, substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hand / fingers, and they can reduce the amount of effort required to bend fingers or clench a fist compared to other gloves of similar thickness and material. When the fingers are bent, the relief zones open up, allowing joints or soft tissues to be pushed into the relief zones and extending the relief zones laterally. This can provide stress relief not only to the area immediately below the relief zones but also to adjacent areas.

[0086] Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, numbers 1010-1013 indicate various finger-groin relaxation zones. For the purposes of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified, abduction and adduction are defined as movements of a limb, hand, finger, or toe in a coronal (medial-lateral) plane of motion. Moving a limb or hand sideways from the body, such as spreading a finger or toe, is abduction.

[0087] During abduction (spanning) and finger movement, these groin relief zones serve to reduce stress accumulated in the glove material. These relief zones generally provide additional material capable of accommodating finger movement with reduced lateral tension and contraction due to the material's pulling function. The design of the finger groin stress relief zone helps reduce overall force in this area and adjacent areas of the hand. By doing so, the muscles of the hand experience less fatigue during finger movement and abduction, and overall stress on the associated soft tissues, bones, nerves, and blood vessels is relieved. The concept just described can be applied to all stress relief zones discussed in this application.

[0088] The finger-groin relief zone may be of any shape. Preferred embodiments, such as those shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, are symmetric or asymmetric, elliptical (or arched), truncated diamond shape (1011), ice cream cone shape (1010), bar shape, dome shape, elliptical or arched (1012, 1013). These relief zones may partially or completely cover the MCP joint area and the proximal phalangeal area. The number and shape of these relief zones implemented depend on the glove to be made. The finger-groin relief zones may be located on the dorsal side, ventral side, or both the dorsal and ventral sides of the glove and the glove forming machine.

[0089] The truncated diamond-shaped and ice cream cone-shaped finger-groin relief zones (1010-1013) and the 115 / 115A (Fig. 1) relief zone allow for lateral expansion of the glove material. This primary lateral expansion results in secondary spreading of expansion in other directions, including the longitudinal direction. This provides overall, non-obvious stress relief during hand function. These findings provide how the non-obvious design and location of the relief zones in the aforementioned areas contribute to the reduction of stress and hand fatigue during function. This can be considered one of the unique and novel features of the present invention.

[0090] FIG. 12 illustrates another embodiment having a relief zone (114, 116) but without a relief zone (1010).

[0091] The shape and location of the relief zone accommodate more movement / bending of the fingers without causing much tension in the glove itself. In a preferred embodiment, the glove material has a relatively uniform thickness throughout the relief zone, but may be thinner in some parts of the relief zone.

[0092] The relief zone (115) (Fig. 1) can extend into the groin area between the fingers, but may also pause briefly in this groin area. The relief zone (115) allows for the expansion of the relief zone when the fingers spread apart during hand movements. Using this feature can further reduce the stress associated with standard gloves in this area that do not have a relief zone. Thus, the fingers and hand are less fatigued than when the fingers fight against the pulling force of the material when the fingers are bent and curled. The action of the relief zone between the fingers also helps prevent contraction of bones and soft tissues and alleviates associated nerve and bone damage reported in this area.

[0093] In a similar manner, the webbing relief zone (117) (Fig. 1) reduces the amount of stress applied to the glove and thus reduces pressure on the thumb muscles and the webbing of the hand when the thumb moves away from or rotates the hand. The webbing relief zone (117) may be located separately on the back and front of the hand, or may extend from the back of the hand to the palm area to provide additional relief of the webbing area over the entire movement of the thumb.

[0094] This relaxation zone (117) also causes the glove material to make close contact with the hand's webbing instead of releasing contact as a regular glove can due to the glove tension in this area (known as the trampoline effect). This allows the user to wear a tighter glove rather than relying on additional material in a larger glove to allow free movement of the hand and thumb within the glove. The relaxation zone (114) (Fig. 1, Fig. 4, Fig. 4a) is also effective in helping to reduce this trampoline effect, thereby helping to reduce stress in the webbing relaxation zone area.

[0095] Unless otherwise explicitly stated, for the purposes of the claims of this application alone, to distinguish between the two regions, the term “knuckle” is used to refer to the MCP joint below the finger (near 115 / 115A), and the term “finger joint” is used to refer to the finger joint above the groin of the finger (near 112 or 113).

[0096] For the purposes of the claims of this application only, unless otherwise expressly stated, the term “hand” includes the fingers and thumb of the hand.

[0097] Although the present invention has been described as having a preferred design, it will be understood that the present invention may be further modified, used, and / or applied, including deviations from the disclosure as well as within the principles of the invention as generally known or customary practices in the art to which the invention pertains and as applied to the key features described above, and that such modifications fall within the scope of the invention and the limitations of the appended claims. Additionally, any of the features illustrated in one embodiment may be used in combination with any features of any other embodiment.

[0098] The applicant notes that where the applicant specifies in this specification that a glove is shown in the drawings or written description, the drawings or description may refer to each glove forming machine in which the glove is made. For example, if the drawings illustrate a glove having an arched relief zone, the glove also illustrates details of each glove forming machine located underneath it that has the same arched structure to create the arched relief zone. It is not believed that a separate drawing of the aforementioned relief zone is required to follow the written description in order to instruct a person skilled in the art to manufacture, use, or sell the invention without excessive experimentation. Accordingly, the invention covers and includes all permutations within the hand forming machine for manufacturing the glove described in this application.

[0099] Accordingly, the present invention should be understood not to be limited to the only embodiment described above, but to include any embodiment within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

Claim 1 A glove formed of a polymer material having substantially uniform thickness. The glove has a palm portion, a back portion, a finger portion, and a thumb portion; the glove has an upper portion at the wrist portion of the glove and a lower portion at the remote end of the finger portion; the glove has a plurality of pockets for selectively accommodating at least a portion of the hand inside, each of the plurality of pockets includes an elevated area defining a relief zone, the pocket is formed in one of the groups of the palm, back, finger, and thumb portions and extends therefrom to define a relief zone, the first pocket among the plurality of pockets is configured to be positioned between adjacent finger portions and between metacarpals, and the second pocket among the plurality of pockets is positioned between the finger portion and the thumb portion; each of the plurality of pockets has only a flat or arched surface, has only a smooth transition between the relief zone and the non-relief portion of the glove, and has only a smooth transition from one side of the pocket to the other side of the pocket, thereby leaving a gap to leave space for hand / finger movement before stretching, and the pocket is completely around the perimeter of the pocket between the pocket and the glove A glove having an extended circumference; wherein the arrangement of the plurality of pockets allows a polymer material in liquid form to flow through the pockets during immersion molding of the glove, thereby preventing the polymer material from accumulating around the circumference of the pockets and / or within the pockets, and providing a substantially uniform thickness of the glove and the pockets along the circumference of the pockets and / or within the pockets. Claim 2 In paragraph 1, the relief zone is a glove in which the height in the direction along the length of the hand is greater than the width of the relief zone in the lateral direction along the width of the hand. Claim 3 In paragraph 2, the glove, wherein each of the plurality of pockets has a truncated diamond shape. Claim 4 In paragraph 2, the glove, wherein each of the plurality of pockets has a shape selected from one of the groups of ice cream cone shape, bar shape, dome shape, elliptical shape, or arch shape. Claim 5 A glove according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pockets has a truncated diamond shape. Claim 6 In claim 1, the immersion molding process causes the liquid of the polymer material to flow downward from the top to the bottom direction during formation; the relaxation zone is continuously tapered outward from the point closest to the top along a portion of the length of the relaxation zone to promote laminar flow of the polymer material through the relaxation zone during formation of the glove, thereby preventing the liquid from pooling in or along the relaxation zone. Claim 7 In claim 1, the immersion molding process causes the liquid of the polymer material to flow downward from the top to the bottom direction during formation; the relaxation zone is tapered continuously outward from the direction closest to the top from a first width to a second width along a first part of the length of the relaxation zone to reduce the turbulent flow of the polymer material passing through the relaxation zone during formation of the armor, thereby preventing liquid from pooling at or along the pocket perimeter, and the relaxation zone is tapered from a width back to a first width along a second part of the length of the relaxation zone, armor. Claim 8 In claim 7, the gloves, wherein each of the plurality of pockets has a truncated diamond shape. Claim 9 In claim 7, the armor, wherein each of the plurality of pockets has a hump-shaped portion. Claim 10 In claim 9, the armor, wherein each of the plurality of pockets has a ridge below the center of the hump-shaped portion to lower the contour of the pocket. Claim 11 A glove according to claim 1, wherein the glove has a first stress line axis along the bone of the finger, and the pocket is positioned along the first stress line axis to reduce stress on the glove along the finger when the finger curls or moves sideways. Claim 12 A glove according to claim 1, wherein the glove has a first stress line axis along the bone of the finger, and the pocket is located outside the first stress line axis to reduce stress on the glove along the finger when the finger curls or moves sideways. Claim 13 In paragraph 7, the above pocket accommodates either a finger, joint, or finger joint of the hand inside a glove. Claim 14 A glove according to claim 7, wherein when the hand wearing the glove is bent, at least one finger joint moves into a pocket, allowing the hand to be bent without the need to extend the glove. Claim 15 A glove according to claim 7, wherein the pocket has a bump-shaped portion having an upper portion of the pocket facing the wrist portion of the glove where the upper portion of the pocket is narrower than the middle portion of the pocket, and does not include a convex portion opening toward the upper portion along the circumference of the pocket facing the wrist portion of the glove. Claim 16 A polymer glove having a palm portion, a back portion, a finger portion, and a thumb portion; said glove having an upper portion of the wrist portion of the glove and a lower portion of the tip of the finger portion; said glove having a plurality of pockets for accommodating at least a portion of the hand inside, said pockets formed in one of the groups of the palm, back, finger, and thumb portions and extending therefrom to define a relief zone, said first pocket among the plurality of pockets configured to be positioned between adjacent finger portions and between metacarpals, said second pocket among the plurality of pockets positioned between the finger portion and the thumb portion; said each of the plurality of pockets having a circumference that extends completely around the pocket between the pockets and the glove; said each of the plurality of pockets tapering from the middle portion of the pocket to the upper portion of the pocket near the top; said shape of the plurality of pockets allows a uniform flow of a polymer material in liquid form through the pocket during immersion molding of the glove, thereby preventing the polymer material from collecting around the pocket perimeter, and providing a substantially uniform thickness of the glove covering and the pocket along the pocket perimeter. Claim 17 As a hand former for forming gloves; A hand forming device has a palm portion, a back portion, at least one finger portion, and a thumb portion; the hand forming device has an upper end of the wrist portion of the hand forming device and a lower end of the tip of at least one finger portion; the hand forming device has a plurality of bump-shaped portions on it to define pockets in a glove, said bump-shaped portions are formed in one of the groups of palm, back, finger, and thumb portions, a first plurality of bump-shaped portions define a first pocket in the glove among a plurality of pockets configured to be positioned between adjacent finger portions and between metacarpal bones, and a second plurality of bump-shaped portions define a second pocket among a plurality of pockets positioned between the finger portion and the thumb portion; each of the plurality of bump-shaped portions has only a flat or arched surface and has only a smooth transition portion from one side of the bump-shaped portion to the other side of the bump-shaped portion, so that the resulting glove includes a pocket that leaves a gap to leave space for hand / finger movement before stretching, and each of the plurality of bump-shaped portions has a circumference that extends completely around the bump-shaped portion between the bump-shaped portion and the hand forming device; said plurality of bumps Each of the shaped portions has a length in the direction from the upper end to the lower end greater than its width and depth, and the bump shaped portion extends at least 1 / 3 of the maximum width of the finger portion of the hand forming machine; each of the plurality of bump shaped portions has a convex upper end, and the convex shape of the bump shaped portion allows a uniform flow of a liquid polymer material through the pocket while immersion forming a glove on the hand forming machine, thereby preventing the polymer material from being collected, and providing a hand forming machine covering and pocket of substantially uniform thickness along the perimeter of the pocket. Claim 18 In claim 17, a hand forming machine in which each of the plurality of hump-shaped parts has a truncated diamond shape. Claim 19 In claim 17, a hand forming machine wherein each of the plurality of bump-shaped parts has a shape selected from one of the groups of ice cream cone shape, bar shape, dome shape, elliptical shape, or arch shape.

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