Multipurpose gloves and method of producing the gloves

Abstract

The present invention relates to a nitrile coated glove, and a method of producing same. The glove comprises an inner liner, an outer liner, wherein the outer liner is snugly fitted over the inner liner, and a polymeric layer coating and covering the liners. Advantageously, each of the layers may be configured with a desired characteristic hence providing a flexibility in customising gloves.

Description

[0001]

[0002] MULTIPURPOSE GLOVES AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE GLOVES

[0003] FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0004] The present invention relates generally to the field of glove and its manufacturing process, more particularly, to a supported glove having an inner liner, an outer liner, and a layer of polymeric compound coating over and covering the liners.

[0005] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Supported glove is a glove having a fabric liner that is at least partially coated with a coating, such as a polymeric coating. It combines durability offered by the polymeric coating and comfort provided by the fabric liner which is often in skin contact with a wearer. Supported glove is further developed to provide various purpose. For example, United States Patent No. US 12035768 B2 disclosed a thin coated supported glove having a thin knitted liner and a non-foamed polymeric coating adhered to and integrally formed with the liner. Another United States Patent No. US 10292440 B2 disclosed a thin, flexible abrasion resistant glove comprising a knitted liner, a foamed nitrile coating adhered to at least a portion of the knitted liner, and a plurality of cavities disposed on a surface and within the foamed nitrile coating. Another Patent Cooperation Treaty Patent Application Publication No. WO 2017 / 031522 Al disclosed a supported glove comprising a fabric liner, a first polymeric coating adhered to at least a portion of the fabric liner, and at least one polymeric reinforcement disposed on a portion of the first polymeric coating, wherein the polymeric reinforcement comprises a polyurethane material.

[0007] The present invention provides a supported glove having an inner liner, an outer liner, and a polymeric layer coating and covering the liners.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is to provide a supported glove comprising at least two liners and a polymeric layer covering the liners. Each of the layers may be configured with one or more desired characteristics hence providing a flexibility in customising gloves.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of producing a supported glove comprising at least two liners and a polymeric layer covering the liners. The method allows production of gloves with one or more desired characteristics hence providing a flexibility in customising gloves.

[0011] At least one of the preceding aspects is met, in whole or in part, by the present invention, in which one of the embodiments of the present invention is a multifunctional glove comprising: an inner liner; an outer liner, wherein the outer liner is snugly fitted over inner liner; and at least a layer of polymeric compound roll coated over and covering the liners.

[0012] Preferably, the polymeric compound is selected from any one or a combination of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, chloroprene, polyisoprene, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, natural rubber, or any combination thereof.

[0013] Preferably, one of the glove liners is made of or configured to be cut resistant, heat resistant, or cold resistant.

[0014] Preferably, one of the glove liners has an impact resistant layer configured to it.

[0015] In one embodiment, the impact resistance layer is interposed between the inner liner and the outer liner.

[0016] In one embodiment, the polymeric compound further comprises granules to provide a textured layer.

[0017] Preferably, the inner and outer glove liner are made from at least one of cotton, terry cotton, jersey, rayon, fleece, nylon, polyester, bamboo viscose, wool, aramid, para-aramid, high performance polyethylene (HPPE), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), phenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO) fibre, basalt fibre, modacrylic, steel fibre, composite yarn, or any combination thereof.

[0018] At least one of the preceding aspects is met, in whole or in part, by the present invention, in which one of the embodiments of the present invention is a method of producing a multifunctional glove, the method comprising the steps of: preparing an inner glove liner; preparing an outer glove liner and fitting the second glove liner over the first glove liner; roll coating at least a layer of polymeric compound on the outer liner; and drying and curing the polymeric compound.

[0019] In one embodiment, the step of preparing the first or second glove liner is conducted by selecting a desired characteristic of the liner, wherein the desired characteristic includes cut resistance, heat resistance, , cold resistance features or any combination thereof.

[0020] Preferably, the step of preparing the inner or outer glove liner is conducted by configurating an impact resistant element between the inner and outer liners.

[0021] In one embodiment, the method further comprising a step of forming a textured surface on the layer of polymeric compound.

[0022] Preferably, the step of forming a textured surface is conducted by spreading granules into the polymeric compound to obtain a textured surface.

[0023] Preferably, the roll coating step is conducted by rotating the glove liner on a former in a bath of the polymeric compound to obtain a layer of polymeric compound on the outer liner.

[0024] In one embodiment, the method further comprises another coating step conducted by rollcoating, dip-coating, or spraying the coated outer liner in a bath of another polymeric compound to obtain another layer of polymeric compound on the roll coated layer.

[0025] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The invention is illustrated, although not limited, by the following description of embodiments made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a cross-section view of the glove from one of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows another cross-section view of the glove from another embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 3 shows another cross-section view of FIG. 2 when worn by a user.

[0030] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] The present invention provides a multipurpose glove suitable for most application. The gloves can be ambidextrous or hand-specific.

[0032] Exemplary, non-limiting embodiments of the invention will be disclosed. However, it is to be understood that limiting the description to the preferred embodiments of the invention is merely to facilitate discussion of the present invention and it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

[0033] One embodiment of the present invention, according to FIG. 1, provided a cross-section view of a multipurpose glove which comprises an inner liner 100; an outer liner 200; and a polymeric compound 300 which has been coated and covering the liner. The inner liner 100 herein refers to a glove lining which will be in skin-contact with the wearer. The outer liner 200 refers to another glove lining sandwiched between the inner layer 100 and the coated layer 300 formed by the polymeric compound. During manufacturing, the inner liner 100 is prepared by wearing the liner on a suitable former. Later, the outer liner 200 is prepared by wearing the liner over the inner liner 100. Preferably, a metal or ceramic glove former is used. The inner layer 100 and outer layer 200 shall be understood to have similar or match-able sizing such that one can be snugly fitted or worn on the other without necessarily requiring any sewing or adhesive. For example, knitted glove lining with universal size can be used as the inner and outer liner. Nonetheless, it shall be understood that suitable sewing or adhesive may be used when necessary.

[0034] The inner liner 100 and the outer liner 200 may be made of similar material or they may vary according to a desired characteristic. The inner 100 and outer liner 200 can be of plain fabric or woven material for comfort and fit. Preferably, the liners 100, 200 are made of at least one of cotton, terry cotton, jersey, rayon, fleece, nylon, polyester, bamboo viscose, wool, aramid, para-aramid, high performance polyethylene (HPPE), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), phenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO) fibre, basalt fibre, modacrylic, steel fibre, composite yarn, or any combination thereof. Further, knitting of any one of the liners 100, 200 may vary to provide a liner with varying strength and thickness, such as an 18-gauge nylon, but not limited thereto. For example, one of the glove liners is configured to be cut resistant, heat resistant, or cold resistant by including any one or a combination of the abovementioned materials. Example of cut-resistant material includes HPPE, steel fibre or the like. Example of heat resistant material includes silicon rubber. In one embodiment, silicon rubber can be configured on the liner by coating thereon. Example of cold resistant material includes fleece and wool. Alternatively, any one of the liners 100, 200 can be configured with an impact resistant layer 101. The impact resistant layer 101 can be made of resilient material including but not limited to thermoplastic rubber (TPR), thermoplastic urethane (TPU), nitrile rubber, or the like.

[0035] In accordance to the preceding description, the present invention provides a flexibility in customising gloves according to a desired characteristic. The presence of the inner and the outer liner provides multiple interfaces for customisation. For instance, according to FIG. 2, one side of the inner liner 100 is in skin-contact with a wearer while another side of the liner can be configured with an impact resistant layer 101. Further, one side of the outer liner 200 is in contact with the impact resistant layer 101 and the polymeric coating 300. Further modification is possible by configurating any one side of the inner 100 and / or outer liner 200 to achieve a desired characteristic. Moreover, the polymeric coating 300 can also be modified to achieve a desired characteristic. The desired characteristic herein includes cut resistance, heat resistance, cold resistance features or any combination thereof.

[0036] For example, the glove in the present invention may be a heat resistant glove comprised of an inner liner made of a cotton liner, an outer liner made of or configured with heat resistant material, and a polymeric coating coated and covering the liners. In another example, the glove in the present invention may be a cold resistant glove comprised of an inner liner made of a cotton liner, an outer liner made of or configured with cold resistant material, and a polymeric coating coated and covering the liners. In another example, the glove in the present invention may be a cut resistant glove comprised of an inner liner made of a cotton liner, an outer liner made of or configured with cut resistant material, and a polymeric coating coated and covering the liners. In another example, the glove in the present invention may be an impact resistant glove comprised of an inner liner made of a cotton liner, an outer liner made of or configured with impact resistance layer, and a polymeric coating coated and covering the liners. In another example, the glove in the present invention may be an impact resistant glove comprised of an inner liner made of or configured with impact resistance layer, an outer liner made of a cotton liner, and a polymeric coating coated and covering the liners.

[0037] One of the examples is shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. According to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the inner liner 100 is configured with an impact resistant layer 101. In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, the impact resistance layer 101 is configured on one side of the inner liner 100, such that layer 101 is interposed between the inner liner 100 and the outer liner 200. The outer liner 200 in this embodiment can be a cotton liner fitted over the inner liner 100 and the impact resistance layer 101. In the embodiment according to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the inner layer 100 is configured with an impact resistance layer 101 by adhering the resilient material on the interface between the inner 100 and the outer layer 200. According to the preceding description, the outer liner 200 is snugly fitted over the inner liner 100. Upon fitted, and a satisfactory penetration level of the polymeric compound 300 which will be coated on the outer liner 200 will suitably provide adhesion between the inner 100 and outer liner 200. .

[0038] In the present invention, the polymeric compound 300 is selected from any one or a combination of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, chloroprene, polyisoprene, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, natural rubber, or any combination thereof. More preferably, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, or commonly known as, nitrile rubber, is used. Further, the polymeric compound may comprise of suitable diluent and / or thickeners for adjustment of viscosity. For example, the diluent used can be water. The thickener used may include aqueous acrylic thickeners suitable for nitrile latex. More preferably, the thickener provides a pseudoplastic (low shear) flow behaviour and viscosity stability for the nitrile compounds used in the present invention.

[0039] It shall be understood that there can be more than one coated layer of polymeric compound 300 for the glove, if required. Further, there can be additional coated layer made of another polymeric compound, such as polyurethane, to cover the coated layer formed by the polymeric compound 300. Accordingly, the coating step on the outer liner is preferably conducted by roll coating technique to ensure suitable penetration level without compromising comfort level of the liner. Another coating step on the polymeric layer can be conducted by any suitable coating technique, such as but not limited to, roll coating, dip coating, and spray coating. In one embodiment, the polymeric compound 300 is roll-coated onto the outer liner, and another layer of the polymeric compound is dip-coated over the polymeric compound 300. For example, the coating step comprises: roll-coating a the polymeric compound 300 having a first viscosity on the outer liner 200 by rotating a former in a bath of the polymeric compound 300 to obtain a polymeric layer 300 on the liner 200; drying the roll coated polymeric layer 300; coating the polymeric layer 300 with another polymeric compound having a second viscosity which is different to the first viscosity to form a subsequent polymeric layer (not shown), followed by curing thereof. Preferably, the rotation of the former is controlled such that the rotation enables coating of whole liner 200 within a contact period between 1 to 10 seconds. This is to prevent over-penetration of the polymeric compound on the liner 200, as compared to dipping technique. Thereinafter, the polymeric layer 300 formed on the liner 200 is subjected to dip-coating in a subsequent polymeric compound.

[0040] The present invention further provides a method for producing the aforementioned glove, the method comprising the steps of preparing an inner glove liner 100; preparing an outer glove liner 200 and fitting the outer glove liner over the inner glove liner; coating at least a layer of polymeric compound 300 on the outer liner; and drying and curing the polymeric compound 300. In one embodiment, the step of preparing the inner 100 or outer glove liner 200 is conducted by selecting a desired characteristic of each liner, wherein the desired characteristic includes cut resistance, heat resistance, cold resistance features or any combination thereof. The desired characteristic can be comfort which is usually represented by a cotton liner. More preferably, the inner liner is prepared by selecting a desired characteristic, such as cotton lining for comfort, and then wearing the inner liner on a suitable former. Further, an outer glove liner is chosen, fitted and worn over the inner glove liner. For example, an outer glove liner configured to be heat resistant is chosen, fitted and worn over the inner glove liner. Accordingly, a polymeric coating is roll coated over the outer liner that also covers the inner liner but not necessarily penetrating therethrough. Preferably, the roll coating step is conducted by rotating the glove liner on a former in a bath of the polymeric compound to obtain a layer of polymeric compound on the outer liner.

[0041] In another embodiment, the step of preparing the inner 100 or outer glove liner 200 is conducted by configurating an impact resistant layer 101 on the inner 100 or outer liner 200. For example, the inner liner 100 is prepared by selecting a desired characteristic, such as being cold resistant, and then the resilient material is configured on one side of the inner liner to form an impact resistant layer 101. Further, an outer glove liner is chosen, fitted and worn over the inner glove liner. For example, a cotton outer glove liner is chosen, fitted and worn over the inner glove liner. Accordingly, a polymeric coating is roll coated over the outer liner that also covers the inner liner but not necessarily penetrating therethrough. Further, there is another coating step conducted by roll-coating, dip-coating, or spraying the coated outer liner (or the polymeric coating) in a bath of another polymeric compound to obtain another layer of polymeric compound on the roll coated layer, as explained in preceding description.

[0042] In accordance to the preceding description, the method further comprising a step of forming a textured surface (not shown) on the layer of polymeric compound 300. Preferably, the step of forming a textured surface is conducted by spreading nitrile granules into the polymeric compound to obtain a textured surface upon curing. According to the preceding description, the polymeric coating 300 can be modified by including material such as nitrile granules (not shown) to provide a textured layer on the glove. The nitrile granules may be provided at palm and fingers areas. Alternatively, the nitrile granules can be provided at only certain area of the gloves, such as at the thumb and fingers areas only, or only at the palm area. The nitrile granules can be provided in a random manner or in a specific pattern according to needs, such as a plurality of granules formed into patches in zigzag, geometrical shapes, or the like. The nitrile granules can have an average size between 10 to 60 mesh, more preferably 10 to 25 mesh. The granules can be a mixture of fixed mesh sizes, or a mixture of a plurality of sizes, so as to form protrusions of various dimensions at the friction area. Preferably, the nitrile granules are solid granules derived from acrylonitrile butadiene rubber. More preferably, the granules are ground into the aforementioned sizes, and then spread on the polymeric compound 300, followed by drying thereof. Preferably, the step of spreading the granules is conducted by sprinkling or spraying the granules at a desired area of the glove, thereby forming the textured area.

[0043] The steps of drying and curing the polymeric compound can be conducted by heating. Further, the method in the present invention may further comprised steps of leaching the cured gloves to remove chemical remains thereof.

[0044] The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all aspects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is therefore indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes, which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims, are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A multifunctional glove comprising: an inner liner; an outer liner, wherein the outer liner is snugly fitted over the inner liner; and at least a layer of polymeric compound roll coated over and covering the liners.

2. The glove according to claim 1, wherein the polymeric compound is selected from any one or a combination of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, chloroprene, polyisoprene, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, natural rubber, or any combination thereof.

3. The glove according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one of the glove liners is made of or configured to be cut resistant, heat resistant, or cold resistant.

4. The glove according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one of the glove liners has an impact resistant layer configured to it.

5. The glove according to claim 4, wherein the impact resistance layer is interposed between the inner liner and the outer liner.

6. The glove according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the polymeric compound further comprises granules to provide a textured layer.

7. The glove according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the inner and outer glove liner are made from at least one of cotton, terry cotton, jersey, rayon, fleece, nylon, polyester, bamboo viscose, wool, aramid, para-aramid, high performance polyethylene (HPPE), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE),phenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO) fibre, basalt fibre, modacrylic, steel fibre, composite yarn, or any combination thereof.

8. A method of producing a multifunctional glove, the method comprising the steps of: preparing an inner glove liner; preparing an outer glove liner and fitting the second glove liner over the first glove liner; roll coating at least a layer of polymeric compound on the outer liner; and drying and curing the polymeric compound.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of preparing the first or second glove liner is conducted by selecting a desired characteristic of the liner, wherein the desired characteristic includes cut resistance, heat resistance, cold resistance features or any combination thereof.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the step of preparing the inner or outer glove liner is conducted by configurating an impact resistant element between the inner and outer liners.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10 further comprising a step of forming a textured surface on the layer of polymeric compound.

12. The method according to claim 11 is conducted by spreading granules into the polymeric compound to obtain a textured surface.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the roll coating step is conducted by rotating the glove liner on a former in a bath of the polymeric compound to obtain a layer of polymeric compound on the outer liner.

14. The method according any one of claims 8 to 13 further comprises another coating step conducted by roll-coating, dip-coating, or spraying the coated outer liner in a bath of another polymeric compound to obtain another layer of polymeric compound on the roll coated layer.

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