Pneumatic glove tester with deflation valve

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pneumatic testing device for an electrically insulating glove (4), comprising: - a bellows (1) and an inflation button (11); - a sleeve portion (3) configured to be inserted into the sleeve of a glove (4), said sleeve portion (3) having an air outlet valve for inflating the glove (4) with air from the bellows (1); said device comprising a depressurization button (25) configured to allow controlled evacuation of air from the glove under test (4) when said depressurization button (25) is pressed. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Pneumatic glove tester with deflation valve Technical field

[0001] The present application relates generally to the field of personal protective equipment (PPE), and more particularly to pneumatic testers used to ensure the conformity of insulating gloves. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] PPE is an essential safety element designed to ensure the physical integrity of an operator in the face of the intrinsic dangers of his mission. For example, in the European Union, PPE is classified into three categories, in the United States into four categories, depending on the severity of the risk from which it protects.

[0003] In this context, insulating gloves intended for work on an electrical network are generally among the highest categories of PPE, because of the very severe bodily damage that electrocution can potentially cause.

[0004] Ensuring the functional integrity of this equipment throughout its lifetime is therefore essential and requires the user to carry out visual checks by inflation before each use. Such a test is recommended in particular by the EN 60903 and IEC 60903 standards. These checks make it possible to detect a breach in the integrity of the glove by detecting any air leaks, but above all, thanks to its expansion, to carry out a meticulous inspection of the entire external surface of the glove to detect any cuts, stains, burns and other alterations. The use of suitable devices for inflating insulating gloves is supposed to improve these checks by making them quick and easy to carry out.

[0005] However, the Applicant has noticed that these pneumatic testers suffer from several drawbacks. Firstly, placing the glove on the tester is very difficult, because the seal is achieved by wide elastic bands or independent self-gripping fasteners, which are liable to come loose.

[0006] Second, removing the insulating glove from these pneumatic testers at the end of the test procedure involves a sudden decompression which can eject the insulating glove from the user's hands, the elastic or self-gripping fasteners or even the tester itself. Statement of the invention

[0007] An aim of the present application is to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks, by proposing a new pneumatic tester.

[0008] For this purpose, according to a first aspect of the invention, a test device is proposed pneumatic for electrically insulating gloves, comprising:

[0009] - a bellows and an inflation button;

[0010] - a fitting portion configured to be inserted into the sleeve of a glove, said fitting part comprising an air outlet valve for inflating the glove with air from the bellows;

[0011] said device comprising a depressurization button configured to allow controlled evacuation of air from the glove to be tested when said depressurization button is pressed.

[0012] The device is advantageously supplemented by the following characteristics, taken alone or in any of their technically possible combinations:

[0013] - the depressurization button is arranged on a section which is intermediate between on the one hand the bellows and the inflation button and on the other hand the fitting part;

[0014] - an elastic cord configured to surround the glove on the fitting portion and hold it by making a tight tightening on it;

[0015] - the elastic cord is attached to the intermediate section, said intermediate section comprising at least one locking notch configured to receive and lock the end of the elastic cord tightened on the glove;

[0016] - the intermediate section comprises a disc edge at the periphery of which are distributed several notches configured to receive and lock the end of the elastic cord tightened on the glove;

[0017] - a flexible ring adapted to be arranged on the fitting part;

[0018] - a magnet for fixing the device, said magnet being housed in the button of inflation;

[0019] - the bellows is configured to adopt a stable position when the button inflation is pushed beyond the intermediate section;

[0020] The invention also relates to a method of using the test device according to the invention, the method comprising steps in which:

[0021] - a fitting part of a device of the aforementioned type is inserted into the sleeve of a glove to test,

[0022] - the glove is inflated by pressing the inflation button,

[0023] - after checking the glove, the depressurization button is pressed to evacuate in a controlled manner the air from the glove.

[0024] The method according to the invention is supplemented by the following technically possible steps:

[0025] - after inserting the glove sleeve onto the fitting part of a device according to the invention, the elastic cord of said device is tightened around the glove and the fitting part;

[0026] - the end of the elastic cord is put in place and blocked on a notch of the intermediate part. DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0027] Other characteristics, aims and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description, which is purely illustrative and non-limiting, and which must be read in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

[0028] [Fig.l] illustrates a schematic view of the device on which the glove to be tested is not inflated and the elastic cord is not held;

[0029] [Fig.2] illustrates a schematic view of the device in operation, where the glove to be tested is under pressure and the elastic cord is held stationary;

[0030] [Fig. 3] illustrates a schematic view of the device alone, in a configuration made compact by folding the bellows;

[0031] [Fig.4] illustrates a schematic sectional view of the depressurization button.

[0032] Throughout the figures, similar elements bear identical references. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] [Fig.l] illustrates the pneumatic device and a test glove 4 in a pre-test configuration. The main body consists from top to bottom of three sections. The first section comprises a flexible bellows 1 at the top of which is an inflation button 11. The inflation button 11 comprises on its upper face a magnet 12, for example in the form of a ring, sized to adhere the device to a ferromagnetic surface, for example a horizontal vehicle wall, in order to store it more easily.

[0034] In another embodiment, the bellows 1, made of flexible material, is capable of being compressed to reach a fixed position illustrated [Fig. 3]. This fixed position, in which the bellows 1 has a reduced profile, is reached for example by pressing the inflation button 11 at its top until it is beyond the intermediate section 2, the bellows 1 then being at least partially turned back on itself. In this configuration, the pneumatic tester has a reduced volume which makes it easier to store.

[0035] The second section 2 is rigid and has a disc-shaped profile with a larger diameter than that of the first section. This section 2 includes a fixing point 23 where a fixed end of an elastic cord 22 is located. On the edge of the disc of section 2 there is one or more radial notches 24 configured so that the elastic cord 22 can be received and blocked therein. Section 2 also includes a depressurization button 25.

[0036] The third section 3 is a generally cylindrical part, onto which the glove 4 is fitted thanks to its own elasticity, the section 3 being preferably initially of a larger diameter than standard insulating gloves 4. The underside of section 3 includes an outlet valve for the air (not shown) pumped by the bellows 1.

[0037] Typically, the various parts that make up the device (with the exception of the spring such as spring 26 and the elastic cord 22) are molded parts made of Polypropylene or Polyvinyl Chloride or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) or Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer (EPDM). The diameter of the fitting part (section 3) is between 1 and 30 centimeters, while the disc has a diameter between 10 and 40 centimeters. It is also provided as a variant to mount a flexible ring (not shown in the figures), with a diameter between 1 and 5 centimeters, on section 3 to increase the overall diameter in order to fit insulating gloves 4 of any size. The overall diameter without the flexible ring is typically between 10 and 13 centimeters, and with the flexible ring between 13 and 15 centimeters.

[0038] The elastic cable 22 is a cable wrapped in a protective sheath or a single-material elastic cord without a sheath, of length and diameter adapted to the application.

[0039] [Fig. 2] illustrates a mode of operation of the device illustrated in [Fig. 1]. Repeated pressures on the inflation button 11 actuate the bellows 1, which blows air into the glove to be tested 4.

[0040] The latter, fitted onto the fitting part 3, is held in place by the elastic cord 22. The elastic cord 22 is preferably wound in several turns (2 to 5 for example) around the part fitted onto the section 3 of the glove to be tested 4. After winding, the remaining length of the elastic cord 22 is wedged in a notch 24 configured to immobilize it, for example by pinching. The elastic cord 22 is thus put under tension between its end 23 and an immobilization point at the notch 24. This tension blocks the glove to be tested 4 in place and allows the elastic cord 22 to ensure the tightness of the glove to be tested 4 against the pressure of the air blown in by the bellows 1.

[0041] At the end of the test procedure, the user releases the air from the glove 4 in a controlled manner by pressing the depressurization button 25. The depressurization button 25 ([Fig.4]) is for example a valve normally closed by a spring 26 mounted on a stud 27.

[0042] He then removes the elastic cord 22 from its notch 24 and releases the tightening of the glove 4 which can then be used if no fault has been noted during the inspection.

[0043] Such an arrangement allows for improved ergonomics and facilitates user operations. The elastic cord 22, integral with the test device because it is fixed to the location 23, allows easy installation of the glove to be tested 4 on the device by holding the device in one hand and the elastic cord 22 to be wound in the other hand, then wedge into a notch 24.

[0044] Subsequently, the depressurization button 25 allows a gradual exit of the air from inside the glove to be tested 4, unlike the models of the prior art where the fasteners of the glove to be tested 4 had to be removed directly, which caused a detrimental expulsion of the glove under the effect of the pressure.

Claims

Claims

1. Pneumatic testing device for an electrically insulating glove (4), comprising: - a bellows (1) and an inflation button (11) placed at the top of the bellows (1) and configured to actuate the bellows (1); - a fitting part (3) configured to be inserted into the sleeve of a glove (4), said fitting part (3) comprising an air outlet valve for inflating the glove (4) with air from the bellows (1); said device comprising a depressurization button (25) configured to allow controlled evacuation of air from the glove to be tested (4) when said depressurization button (25) is pressed.

2. Device according to claim 1, in which the depressurization button (25) is arranged on a section (2) which is intermediate between on the one hand the unfolded bellows (1) and the inflation button (11) and on the other hand the fitting part (3).

3. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, comprising an elastic cord (22) configured to surround the glove (4) on the fitting part (3) and hold it by providing a tight tightening thereon.

4. Device according to claim 2 and claim 3 taken in combination, wherein the elastic cord (22) is attached to the intermediate section (2), said intermediate section (2) comprising at least one locking notch (24) configured to receive and lock the end of the elastic cord (22) tightened on the glove (4).

5. Device according to claim 4, in which the intermediate section (2) comprises a disc edge at the periphery of which are distributed several notches (24) configured to receive and block the end of the elastic cord (22) tightened on the glove (4).

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a flexible ring adapted to be arranged on the fitting part (3).

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a magnet (12) for fixing the device, said magnet (12) being housed in the inflation button (11).

8. Device according to one of claims 2 to 7, in which the bellows (1) is configured to adopt a stable position when the button inflation (11) is pushed beyond the intermediate section (2).

9. Pneumatic testing method for an electrically insulating glove (4), in which - a fitting part (3) of a device according to one of the preceding claims is inserted into the sleeve of a glove (4) to be tested, - the glove (4) is inflated by actuating the inflation button (11), - after checking the glove (4), the depressurization button (25) is actuated to evacuate the air from the glove (4) in a controlled manner.

10. Test method according to claim 9, wherein, after insertion of the glove sleeve (4) onto the fitting portion (3) of a device according to one of claims 3 to 5, the elastic cord (22) of said device is tightened around the glove (4) and the fitting portion (3).

11. Method according to claim 9, in which the device being a device according to one of claims 4 or 5, the end of the elastic cord (22) is put in place and locked on a notch (24) of the intermediate part.

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