Antimicrobial Medical Glove Printing via Former Transfer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for printing images on gloves, such as offline printing on completed gloves or ink jet printing on the inner surface during manufacture, are inefficient and result in poor image quality due to the flexible and non-flat nature of the glove surface.

Innovation Solution

Ink jet printing on the former used to create gloves, transferring the image to the outer surface during the dipping process, utilizing a coagulant-coated former with specific ink types like anionic or cationic dyes and pigmented inks that bind well with rubber polymers, ensuring high-quality image transfer and visibility on the outer surface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If offline printing is performed on completed gloves, then printing can be done on the outer surface, but the process is inefficient and costly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting process efficiencyVSAvoidproduction time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the printing operation with the glove forming process by printing on the former before dipping. This integration eliminates the need for separate offline printing operations, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency and reducing production time while maintaining outer surface image visibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs printing on the former as a preliminary action before the glove dipping and formation process. By printing in advance on the rigid former surface, the method enables efficient printing that would be difficult on flexible gloves, subsequently transferring the image to the outer surface after glove formation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If ink jet printing is performed on the inner surface during manufacture, then printing can be done online, but the image visibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing efficiencyVSAvoidimage visibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by printing on the former (which becomes the inner surface after stripping) so that the image appears on the outer surface of the finished glove. This inversion maintains online printing efficiency while ensuring optimal image visibility on the outer surface where it is needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The printing process creates an image on the former that is subsequently transferred to the glove outer surface during the dipping process. This copying mechanism allows the image to be efficiently produced online while ensuring it appears in the correct location with proper visibility on the finished product.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Ease of manufacture

If printing is performed on the flexible glove surface, then the glove can be printed after formation, but the image quality decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting flexibilityVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs printing on the rigid former before glove formation, when the surface is stable and flat. This preliminary action on a rigid substrate ensures high image quality that would be difficult to achieve on flexible gloves, while the image is subsequently transferred to the finished product during the dipping process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method enables rapid, cost-effective, high-quality printing of images on the outer surface of gloves, improving efficiency and visibility, suitable for various types of gloves including medical examination and surgical gloves, with the image remaining intact after stripping and curing.

Implementation Method 1

ink jet printing on the former used to create gloves, transferring the image to the outer surface during the dipping process

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInk jet deposition:

Implementation Method 2

utilizing a coagulant-coated former with specific ink types like anionic or cationic dyes and pigmented inks that bind well with rubber polymers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCoagulation: Coagulation

Implementation Method 3

anionic or cationic dyes and pigmented inks that bind well with rubber polymers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectChemical bonding: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentUS12049095B2Antimicrobial medical glove printing method

Publication Date: 2024.07.30 BMG (BRITISH MEDICAL GRP) LTD

AI summary

A printing process for printing with ink an image on an antimicrobial medical glove formed by a dipping process, wherein the image is first printed on a former and transferred to the glove during dipping.