Glove

Abstract

To provide a glove made of a copolymer having sufficient strength.SOLUTION: A glove 1 is manufactured by heat welding the peripheries of two films f1 and f2 made of a copolymer containing a crystalline component and an amorphous component. In the glove 1, an angle θ1 between a welded edge on an index finger side of a thumb part where the thumb fits and a welded edge on the thumb side of an index finger part where the index finger fits is 25°<θ1≤35°.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to gloves made from copolymers, such as biodegradable polymers. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, from the viewpoint of protecting the natural environment, there has been progress in the development of disposable gloves made of biodegradable polymers, which are copolymers containing crystalline and amorphous components. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3074317 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above-mentioned biodegradable polymers have a property that, compared with polyethylene and polypropylene, which are materials of conventional disposable gloves, it takes a long time to crystallize after the seal part of the glove's periphery is heated and melted, and the seal part hardens due to crystallization. Therefore, when gloves are manufactured using the above-mentioned biodegradable polymers, the crotch part between the fingers (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the finger crotch part), where stress is likely to concentrate during use, is likely to tear.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a glove made of a copolymer having sufficient strength. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the glove of the present invention is manufactured by heat welding the periphery of two films made of a copolymer containing a crystalline component and an amorphous component. In this glove, the angle θ1 between the welding edge on the index finger side of the thumb part where the thumb fits and the welding edge on the thumb side of the index finger part where the index finger fits is 25°<θ1≦35°. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a glove made of a copolymer having sufficient strength can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a glove manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a mold of the manufacturing apparatus of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the mold shown in FIG. 2 taken along the line F3-F3. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a glove according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a glove according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a conventional disposable glove (current product) that is generally available on the market. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a manufacturing apparatus 100 for manufacturing a glove 1 includes film rolls F1 and F2, transport rollers 2 and 4, a conveyor 6, a cutter 8, and a mold 10.

[0010] The film rolls F1 and F2 are formed by winding long functional films f1 and f2 (hereinafter simply referred to as films f1 and f2) around rotating shafts R1 and R2, respectively. The film roll may be a single roll in which two films f1 and f2 are stacked and wound around a single rotating shaft. The films f1 and f2 are, for example, "Green Planet," a biodegradable biopolymer made by Kaneka Corporation, which is made by forming a biodegradable polymer such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) into a long, thin (approximately 25 μm thick) sheet.

[0011] The films f1 and f2 may be formed from any copolymer containing a crystalline component and an amorphous component. In addition to the biodegradable polymers described above, the films may be formed from, for example, 3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P3 / 4HB), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxy-4-methylvalerate) (PHBMV), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-lactate) (PHBLA), and the like.

[0012] The film rolls F1 and F2 are rotatably attached to a frame (not shown) of the manufacturing apparatus 100 with their rotation axes R1 and R2 spaced apart vertically and arranged parallel and horizontally. The film roll F1 arranged on the top rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1 and sends out film f1 to the right in the figure. The film roll F2 arranged on the bottom rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 and sends out film f2 to the right in the figure. The film f1 sent out from the film roll F1 overlaps the film f2 sent out from the film roll F2.

[0013] The transport rollers 2, 4 are disposed spaced apart from each other along the direction in which the films f1, f2 are pulled out from the film rolls F1, F2 (the direction of the arrow T in the figure; hereinafter, this direction may be referred to as the transport direction T). The two transport rollers 2 on the upstream side of the transport direction T rotate with the films f1, f2 wound around their outer circumferential surfaces, thereby feeding the films f1, f2 in the transport direction T at a constant speed. The pair of transport rollers 4 on the downstream side of the transport direction T rotate while sandwiching the two films f1, f2 from above and below, thereby feeding the films f1, f2 in the transport direction T at a constant speed. The films f1, f2 pulled out from the film rolls F1, F2 are transported in the direction of the arrow T by the transport rollers 2, 4 in a vertically stacked state.

[0014] The conveyor 6 is disposed below the conveying path of the films f1 and f2 between the conveying rollers 2 and 4, and travels in the direction of the arrow T with its upper surface 6a in contact with the lower surface of the lower film f2 of the two films f1 and f2. The conveyor 6 has a structure in which an endless belt 7b is wound around a plurality of rollers 7a that are perpendicular to the conveying direction T and extend horizontally, and the upper surface 6a of the belt 7b is stretched at a predetermined position so that it can move along a horizontal plane. The belt 7b of the conveyor 6 is formed of, for example, rubber that is heat-resistant and elastic. In the following description, the surface on which the upper surface 6a of the belt 7b of the conveyor 6 is disposed may be referred to as the conveying surface.

[0015] Cutter 8 is disposed downstream (right side in the figure) of conveyor 6 along conveying direction T. Cutter 8 has two cutting blades disposed above and below with the conveying path, i.e., the conveying surface, of films f1 and f2 between them. Each of the two cutting blades extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to conveying direction T. Cutter 8 cuts films f1 and f2 placed on upper surface 6a of conveyor 6 and conveyed in the direction of arrow T at a predetermined position (wrist portion 31 of glove 1) while still overlapping.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the mold 10 has a cutting / welding blade 10a shaped (hand-shaped) to fit the periphery of the glove 1. The cutting / welding blade 10a has a hand-shaped cutting edge 10b that fits the periphery of the mold 10, and a hand-shaped inclined surface 10c with a predetermined width on the inside of the cutting edge 10b. The inclined surface 10c of the cutting / welding blade 10a is the surface that comes into contact with the film f1, and the width of the inclined surface 10c determines the width of the welded edge 1a of the glove 1 (hereinafter referred to as the welded width). In this embodiment, the welded width is set to about 0.5 mm.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 1, the mold 10 is disposed at a position facing the upper surface 6a of the conveyor 6 with the conveying path of the films f1 and f2 sandwiched therebetween. The mold 10 is fastened and fixed to a flat surface 11a (the surface on the conveying surface side) of a rectangular base plate 11 with screws (not shown). The mold 10 and the base plate 11 are formed of, for example, a metal that easily conducts heat.

[0018] A heater 12 is attached to the surface of the base plate 11 opposite the mold 10. The heater 12 applies heat to the base plate 11 to heat a blade tip 10b (FIG. 2) of a cutting / welding blade 10a of the mold 10, which will be described later, to a predetermined temperature. The base plate 11 to which the mold 10 and heater 12 are attached is attached to a welding machine (not shown) with the surface 11a to which the mold 10 is attached being positioned horizontally, and is provided so as to be movable in the direction of arrow P (up and down in FIG. 1).

[0019] When the die 10 moves to the lowest point in the direction of arrow P, a cutting / welding blade 10a of the die 10, which will be described later, is pressed against the upper surface 6a of the belt of the conveyor 6, sandwiching the two overlapping films f1, f2 therebetween. The belt of the conveyor 6 can be slightly elastically deformed by pressing the die 10. Radiant heat is applied to the films f1, f2 through the inclined surface 10c of the cutting / welding blade 10a of the die 10, melting the films f1, f2, and the films f1, f2 are cut outside the welded edge 1a by the blade tip 10b, which is pressed most strongly against the films f1, f2.

[0020] The manufacturing apparatus 100 having the above structure operates as follows. In the manufacturing apparatus 100, first, the heater 12 is energized to heat the cutting edge 10b of the mold 10 to the melting temperature of the films f1 and f2. For example, when the films f1 and f2 are films formed from the above-mentioned poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate), the cutting edge 10b of the mold 10 is heated to 220° to 260°. If the heating temperature of the cutting edge 10b is lower than 220°, the films f1 and f2 will not melt sufficiently, and interfacial peeling will occur at the welded portion. Also, if the heating temperature of the cutting edge 10b exceeds 260°, the films f1 and f2 will shrink due to heat.

[0021] With the blade tip 10b heated to the melting temperature of the films f1 and f2, the manufacturing apparatus 100 rotates the conveying rollers 2 and 4 in a predetermined direction to convey the films f1 and f2 sent out from the two film rolls F1 and F2 in a vertically stacked state in the conveying direction T. The two stacked films f1 and f2 are conveyed while placed on the upper surface 6a of the belt of the conveyor 6, which is arranged horizontally. At this time, the lower film f2 of the two stacked films f1 and f2 contacts the upper surface 6a of the belt of the conveyor 6. The belt of the conveyor 6 runs in the conveying direction T at the same speed as the films f1 and f2.

[0022] The manufacturing apparatus 100 stops the conveying rollers 2, 4 and the conveyor 6 for a certain period of time at a predetermined timing, and moves the mold 10 of the welding machine up and down in the direction of the arrow P in the figure. When the mold 10 is lowered to the lowest point, the cutting / welding blade 10a (FIG. 2) of the mold 10 contacts the upper film f1 of the two overlapping films f1, f2, and the two overlapping films f1, f2 are pressed against the upper surface 6a of the belt of the conveyor 6 for a short time of about 0.1 to 1 second. This time roughly corresponds to the stop time of the belt from when the mold 10 touches the upper surface 6a of the belt to when it is released. As a result, the two overlapping films f1, f2 are melted and cut along the shape of the blade edge 10b of the mold 10, and the peripheral portions of the two cut films are welded together. Therefore, the welded edge 1a (FIG. 4) of the glove 1 becomes approximately congruent with the shape of the blade edge 10b of the cutting / welding blade 10a of the mold 10.

[0023] After that, the manufacturing apparatus 100 resumes the conveyance of the films f1 and f2, and operates the cutter 8 at a predetermined timing to cut the two overlapping films f1 and f2 at the wrist portion 31 (FIG. 4) of the glove 1, separating the two into the product (glove 1) and the remaining film portion f' (burr). The glove 1 as a product is then boxed and shipped, and the film portion f' is disposed of or reused. FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the glove 1 manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus 100. For comparison, FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a conventional disposable glove made of polyethylene or polypropylene that is commercially available (hereinafter referred to as the current product 20).

[0024] The crystallinity of the welded edge 1a of the glove 1 of this embodiment was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and was about 50% to 70%. In contrast, the crystallinity of the welded edge 1a of the current product 20 was about 30% to 40%. In other words, the crystallinity of the above-mentioned biodegradable polymer is in a numerical range that does not include the crystallinity of polyethylene or polypropylene, and the physical properties of the welded edge 1a in the state where the crystallization is completed are different.

[0025] In this embodiment, biodegradable polymers such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) used as the material of the glove 1 require a relatively long time of about 2 to 3 days to complete crystallization after cooling after heating and melting. Therefore, it has a higher degree of crystallization than polyethylene and polypropylene, which are the materials of the current product 20, and the welded edge 1a in the crystallized state has the property of being harder and more brittle than the current product 20.

[0026] As a test, a glove of the same shape as the current product 20 was manufactured from a biodegradable polymer using a conventional mold for manufacturing the current product 20, and the welded edge 1a of the films f1 and f2 was found to break at the crotch area of ​​the fingers. If the ratio of amorphous components in the copolymer is increased so that the welded edge 1a of the glove 1 does not become too hard, the glove becomes sticky and prone to blocking.

[0027] The biodegradable polymer, which is the material of the glove 1 of this embodiment, is a type of copolymer containing crystalline and amorphous components, so the welded edge 1a has a certain degree of flexibility when the crystallization is complete. In other words, in order to give flexibility to the welded edge 1a of the glove 1, it is necessary to use a copolymer containing a certain proportion of amorphous components.

[0028] In order to solve the above problems when manufacturing gloves 1 using the above-mentioned biodegradable polymer films f1 and f2, the inventors of the present application have tried to produce gloves 1 with various shapes of welded edges 1a by changing the shape of the cutting edge 10b of the cutting / welding blade 10a of the mold 10. As a result, the inventors of the present application have found a glove shape that can give sufficient strength to gloves 1 made of biodegradable polymer.

[0029] The shape of the glove 1 of this embodiment having sufficient strength will be described below with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show the same glove 1, but are divided into two figures for clarity of illustration. Note that the shape of the glove 1 is approximately the same as the shape of the blade tip 10b of the cutting / welding blade 10a of the mold 10, so the following description of the shape of the glove 1 is the same as the description of the shape of the mold 10.

[0030] The glove 1 has a palm portion 21 for the palm of the user, a thumb portion 22 for the thumb, an index finger portion 23 for the index finger, a middle finger portion 24 for the middle finger, a ring finger portion 25 for the ring finger, and a little finger portion 26 for the little finger. The thumb portion 22, the index finger portion 23, the middle finger portion 24, the ring finger portion 25, and the little finger portion 26 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as finger portions 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) are each formed in a bag shape with the fingertip side closed in an arc shape and communicating with the palm portion 21.

[0031] The glove 1 also has a first finger crotch portion 32 between the thumb portion 22 and the index finger portion 23, a second finger crotch portion 33 between the index finger portion 23 and the middle finger portion 24, a third finger crotch portion 34 between the middle finger portion 24 and the ring finger portion 25, and a fourth finger crotch portion 35 between the ring finger portion 25 and the little finger portion 26. Each of the finger crotch portions 32, 33, 34, and 35 is a portion in which the periphery is continued in an arc shape at the base side of the finger portions 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 between the finger portions 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. The shape of each of the finger crotch portions 32, 33, 34, and 35 can be regarded as an arc shape having a predetermined radius of curvature.

[0032] Further, glove 1 has a first linear welded edge 22a on the side of thumb portion 22 opposite index finger portion 23, a second linear welded edge 22b on the index finger portion 23 side of thumb portion 22, a third linear welded edge 23a on the thumb portion 22 side of index finger portion 23, a fourth linear welded edge 23b on the middle finger portion 24 side of index finger portion 23, and a fifth linear welded edge 23b on the index finger portion 23 side of middle finger portion 24. It has a wearing edge 24a, a sixth linear welded edge 24b on the ring finger portion 25 side of the middle finger portion 24, a seventh linear welded edge 25a on the middle finger portion 24 side of the ring finger portion 25, a eighth linear welded edge 25b on the little finger portion 26 side of the ring finger portion 25, a ninth linear welded edge 26a on the ring finger portion 25 side of the little finger portion 26, and a tenth linear welded edge 26b on the side of the little finger portion 26 opposite the ring finger portion 25.

[0033] The glove 1, like the current product 20, has a welded edge 1a formed by thermally welding the periphery of the thumb part 22, the index finger part 23, the middle finger part 24, the ring finger part 25, and the little finger part 26 (including the finger crotch parts 32, 33, 34, 35, and the first to tenth welded edges 22a to 26b) by overlapping two films f1 and f2. The welded edge 1a of the glove 1 described above is a sealed part connecting the periphery of the finger parts 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. The glove 1, which is made by bonding two films f1 and f2, is flat and can be worn on both the right and left hands by choosing the front and back.

[0034] Considering the ease of use of the glove 1, the thumb portion 22, the index finger portion 23, the middle finger portion 24, the ring finger portion 25, and the little finger portion 26 must each have a width and length that allows the fingers to be easily inserted and removed. Therefore, the width and length of each finger portion 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 of the glove 1 of this embodiment are basically set to be approximately the same as those of the current glove 20.

[0035] 4, of the tangents of first crotch portion 32 between thumb portion 22 and index finger portion 23 of glove 1 of this embodiment, the distance between first tangent L1 parallel to wrist portion 31 and second tangent L2 parallel to wrist portion 31 at the tip of thumb portion 22 is about 41 mm. The distance between the point where first welded edge 22a of thumb portion 22 intersects with first tangent L1 and the point of contact between first crotch portion 32 and first tangent L1 is about 54 mm.

[0036] The distance between the first tangent L1 and the third tangent L3 parallel to the wrist portion 31 at the tip of the index finger portion 23 is approximately 113 mm. The distance between the third tangent L3 and the fourth tangent L4, which is a tangent to the second crotch portion 33 between the index finger portion 23 and the middle finger portion 24 and parallel to the wrist portion 31, is approximately 67 mm. The distance between the point where the third welded edge 23a of the index finger portion 23 and the fourth tangent L4 intersect and the point where the second crotch portion 33 and the fourth tangent L4 contact each other is approximately 44 mm.

[0037] The distance between the fourth tangent L4 and the fifth tangent L5 parallel to the wrist portion 31 at the tip of the middle finger portion 24 is about 81 mm. The distance between the sixth tangent L6 parallel to the wrist portion 31 among the tangents of the third crotch portion 34 between the middle finger portion 24 and the ring finger portion 25 and the fifth tangent L5 is about 84 mm. The distance between the junction of the second crotch portion 33 and the fourth tangent L4 and the point where the sixth welded edge 24b of the middle finger portion 24 intersects with the fourth tangent L4 is about 48 mm.

[0038] The distance between the sixth tangent L6 and the seventh tangent L7 parallel to the wrist portion 31 at the tip of the ring finger portion 25 is about 54 mm. The distance between the seventh tangent L7 and an eighth tangent L8 parallel to the wrist portion 31 among the tangents of the fourth crotch portion 35 between the ring finger portion 25 and the little finger portion 26 is about 84 mm. The distance between the junction of the third crotch portion 34 and the sixth tangent L6 and the point where the eighth welded edge 25b of the ring finger portion 25 intersects with the sixth tangent L6 is about 44 mm.

[0039] The distance between the eighth tangent L8 and a ninth tangent L9 parallel to the wrist portion 31 at the tip of the little finger portion 26 is about 37 mm. The distance between the point where the fourth finger crotch portion 35 contacts the eighth tangent L8 and the point where the tenth welded edge 26b of the little finger portion 26 intersects with the eighth tangent L8 is about 43 mm.

[0040] As described above, it has been found that if a glove 1 is manufactured from a biodegradable polymer in the same shape as the current glove 20 using a conventional mold for manufacturing the current glove 20, the welded edge 1a is easily torn at each of the crotch portions 32, 33, 34, 35 between the finger portions 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. For this reason, the inventors of the present application have made the angles between the finger portions 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 larger than those of the current glove 20 in order to reduce the stress acting on the crotch portions 32, 33, 34, 35 when the glove 1 is in use.

[0041] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, the angle θ1 between the second welded edge 22b of the thumb portion 22 and the third welded edge 23a of the index finger portion 23 of the glove 1 of this embodiment is set to about 30°. In addition, the angle θ2 between the fourth welded edge 23b of the index finger portion 23 and the fifth welded edge 24a of the middle finger portion 24 is set to about 25°. In addition, the angle θ3 between the sixth welded edge 24b of the middle finger portion 24 and the seventh welded edge 25a of the ring finger portion 25 is set to about 30°. In addition, the angle θ4 between the eighth welded edge 25b of the ring finger portion 25 and the ninth welded edge 26a of the little finger portion 26 is set to about 15°.

[0042] In the glove 1 of this embodiment, when the length and width of each finger portion 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 are made substantially the same as those of the current glove 20, and the angle between each finger portion 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 is increased, the radius of curvature R1 of the first finger crotch portion 32, the radius of curvature R2 of the second finger crotch portion 33, the radius of curvature R3 of the third finger crotch portion 34, and the radius of curvature R4 of the fourth finger crotch portion 35 are each larger than those of the current glove 1. Specifically, the radius of curvature R1 of the first finger crotch portion 32 of the glove 1 is about 8 mm, the radius of curvature R2 of the second finger crotch portion 33 is about 6 mm, the radius of curvature R3 of the third finger crotch portion 34 is about 6 mm, and the radius of curvature R4 of the fourth finger crotch portion 35 is about 6 mm.

[0043] In addition, if the lengths and widths of the finger portions 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are made substantially the same as those of the current glove 20, and the angles θ1, θ2, θ3, and θ4 between the finger portions 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are made larger than those of the current glove 20, the width of the palm portion 21 will also be larger overall. When the width of the palm portion 21 of the glove 1 of this embodiment was measured, the width W1 between the contact point of the common tangent of the second crotch portion 33 and the third crotch portion 34 at the second crotch portion 33 and the contact point of the third crotch portion 34 was approximately 51 mm. In addition, the width W2 between the contact point of the common tangent of the second crotch portion 33 and the fourth crotch portion 35 at the second crotch portion 33 and the contact point of the fourth crotch portion 35 at the fourth crotch portion 35 was approximately 95 mm. Furthermore, the width W3 of the glove 1 taken along a line passing through the first finger crotch portion 32 and parallel to the common tangent line of the second finger crotch portion 33 and the fourth finger crotch portion 35 was approximately 141 mm.

[0044] For comparison, the results of measuring the length and angle of each part of the current glove 20 (Fig. 6) are shown in [Table 1]. In [Table 1], the above-mentioned measurement results of the glove 1 of this embodiment are shown alongside the measurement results of the current glove 20. Note that the "total length" shown in [Table 1] is the length from the wrist part 31 of the current glove 20 to the tip of the middle finger part 24.

[0045] [Table 1]

[0046] As can be seen from [Table 1], the glove 1 of this embodiment is wider overall than the current product 20, and has a larger size. Therefore, compared to the current product 20, the stress acting on the crotch parts 32, 33, 34, 35 during use of the glove 1 can be suppressed, and the crotch parts 32, 33, 34, 35 are less likely to tear. For example, when the current product 20, which has a small angle between the finger parts 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, is worn on the hand, a force acts in the direction in which the adjacent finger parts 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 spread apart, generating a stress that stretches the crotch parts 32, 33, 34, 35. In contrast, if the angle between adjacent finger portions 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 is made wider than that of the current product 20 as in the glove 1 of this embodiment, even if a force acts in a direction spreading the adjacent finger portions 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, a stress in a direction stretching the inter-finger portions 32, 33, 34, 35 is unlikely to act. Therefore, according to the glove 1 of this embodiment, the strength of the inter-finger portions 32, 33, 34, 35 can be sufficiently increased while using a biodegradable film.

[0047] However, if the angles between the finger portions 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are too large, the glove 1 loses its feel when worn and becomes difficult to wear. Also, if the angles between the finger portions 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are too large, the glove 1 becomes too wide overall and does not fit the hand well. For this reason, there is an appropriate range for the angles between the finger portions 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 of the glove 1.

[0048] For example, the angle θ1 between the thumb portion 22 and the index finger portion 23 is preferably 25° < θ1 ≤ 35°. Also, the angle θ2 between the index finger portion 23 and the middle finger portion 24 is preferably 20° < θ2 ≤ 30°. Further, the angle θ3 between the middle finger portion 24 and the ring finger portion 25 is preferably 18° < θ3 ≤ 35°. Moreover, the angle θ4 between the ring finger portion 25 and the little finger portion 26 is preferably 13° < θ4 ≤ 20°. When the angles θ1 to θ4 are less than or equal to the lower limit values of the above-described angle ranges, the finger crotch portions 32 to 35 are likely to tear during use. When the angles θ1 to θ4 exceed the upper limit values of the above-described angle ranges, the glove 1 becomes difficult to fit on the hand and the usability is impaired.

[0049] Also, for the same reason, there are appropriate values for the radii of curvature of each of the finger crotch portions 32 to 35. For example, the radius of curvature R1 of the first finger crotch portion 32 between the thumb portion 22 and the index finger portion 23 is preferably 6 mm < R1. Also, the radius of curvature R2 of the second finger crotch portion 33 between the index finger portion 23 and the middle finger portion 24 is preferably 3.5 mm < R2. Further, the radius of curvature R3 of the third finger crotch portion 34 between the middle finger portion 24 and the ring finger portion 25 is preferably 3.5 mm < R3. Moreover, the radius of curvature R4 of the fourth finger crotch portion 35 between the ring finger portion 25 and the little finger portion 26 is preferably 3.5 mm < R4.

[0050] In order to examine the strength during use of the glove 1 of the present embodiment, the present inventors conducted the following test. First, 20 samples A which are the glove 1 of the present embodiment were prepared, 10 samples B of gloves manufactured from the same biodegradable films f1 and f2 as the glove 1 using the mold for producing the current product 20 were prepared, and 20 samples C of the current product 20 manufactured using a polyethylene film were prepared. Each of the samples A, B, and C was manufactured under the same conditions (mold temperature 215 degrees, number of shots 50, stop time 0.5 seconds).

[0051] The bag-breaking strength of each of samples A, B, and C was then measured. The bag-breaking strength of each of samples A, B, and C was measured by feeding air into each of samples A, B, and C at a supply pressure of 0.2 MPa and a flow rate of 10 L / min, inflating each sample while it was sealed, and measuring the internal pressure [kPa] when each of samples A, B, and C broke. The locations at which each of samples A, B, and C broke (bag-breaking locations) were also recorded. The measurement results are shown in [Table 2].

[0052] [Table 2]

[0053] Sample A, which is the glove 1 of this embodiment, has the highest tear strength compared to other samples B and C, and there were also some cases where the film part, not the welded edge 1a, was torn. In other words, compared to sample B, which was made using the same material (biodegradable polymer) and a conventional mold, sample A, which has wider angles between the finger parts 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26, can be said to have exceptionally high strength during use. Also, in sample A, there were some cases where the film was torn, not the welded edge 1a, so it can be seen that the strength of the welded edge 1a is particularly high in sample A.

[0054] Even when compared to sample C, which is the current product 20, the bag-breaking strength of sample A is clearly higher, and it can be seen that even though glove 1 of sample A is manufactured using a film formed from a biodegradable polymer, by widening the angles between each finger portion 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26, it is possible to have sufficient strength higher than that of the current product 20.

[0055] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a glove 1 having sufficient strength by using a film formed from a copolymer such as a biodegradable polymer.

[0056] In the above-mentioned embodiment, a polyester-based copolymer is exemplified as a copolymer containing a crystalline component and an amorphous component, but the copolymer containing a crystalline component and an amorphous component may be a copolymer other than a polyester-based copolymer, for example, a polyvinyl alcohol-based copolymer. Also, a film made of a copolymer containing a crystalline component and an amorphous component may contain one or more additives such as a plasticizer, or may not contain any additives.

[0057] While the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1...glove, 1a...welded edge, 10...mold, 10a...cutting / welded blade, 10b...blade tip, 10c...inclined surface, 20...current product, 21...palm portion, 22...thumb portion, 22a...first welded edge, 22b...second welded edge, 23...index finger portion, 23a...third welded edge, 23b...fourth welded edge, 24...middle finger portion, 24a...fifth welded edge, 24b...sixth welded edge, 25...ring finger portion, 25a...seventh welded edge, 25b...eighth welded edge, 26...little finger portion, 26a...ninth welded edge, 26b...tenth welded edge, 32...first finger crotch portion, 33...second finger crotch portion, 34...third finger crotch portion, 35...fourth finger crotch portion, θ1 to θ4...angles between each finger portion, R1...radius of curvature of first finger crotch portion, R2...radius of curvature of second finger crotch portion, R3...radius of curvature of third finger crotch portion, R4...radius of curvature of fourth finger crotch portion, f1, f2...film.

Claims

1. A glove manufactured by heat-welding the periphery of two films made of a copolymer containing a crystalline component and an amorphous component, The angle θ1 between the welded edge on the index finger side of the thumb part where the thumb fits and the welded edge on the thumb side of the index finger part where the index finger fits is 25°<θ1≦35°. gloves.

2. The angle θ2 between the welding edge on the middle finger side of the index finger portion and the welding edge on the index finger side of the middle finger portion into which the middle finger is inserted is 20°<θ2≦30°.

2. The glove of claim 1.

3. The angle θ3 between the welding edge on the ring finger side of the middle finger portion and the welding edge on the middle finger side of the ring finger portion into which the ring finger is inserted is 18°<θ3≦35°. The glove according to claim 2.

4. The angle θ4 between the welding edge on the little finger side of the ring finger portion and the welding edge on the ring finger side of the little finger portion where the little finger is inserted is 13°<θ4≦20°. The glove according to claim 3.

5. The radius of curvature R1 of the first finger crotch portion between the thumb portion and the index finger portion is 6 mm < R1; 2. The glove of claim 1.

6. The radius of curvature R2 of the second finger crotch portion between the index finger portion and the middle finger portion is 3.5 mm < R2; The glove according to claim 2.

7. The radius of curvature R3 of the third finger crotch portion between the middle finger portion and the ring finger portion is 3.5 mm < R3; The glove according to claim 3.

8. The radius of curvature R4 of the fourth finger crotch portion between the ring finger portion and the little finger portion is 3.5 mm < R4.

5. The glove according to claim 4.

9. The copolymer is a polyester copolymer.

2. The glove of claim 1.

10. The copolymer is a biodegradable polymer.

10. The glove of claim 9.

11. The crystallinity of the welded portion of the two films is 50% to 70%.

2. The glove of claim 1.

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