Pre-formed Disposable Gloves with Biased Open Cuff for Fast Donning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional disposable gloves, whether elastomeric or two-layer plastic, are difficult and time-consuming to don, uncomfortable to wear, and not environmentally friendly due to contamination issues that prevent recycling.
Innovation Solution
A disposable glove design featuring a first and second layer of thermoplastic material with a biased open cuff configuration, allowing easy donning and storage, and a dispenser system that facilitates minimal contact with the glove's outer surface, along with features like mounting features and opening reliefs for improved usability and recyclability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional two-layer plastic gloves are used, then cost-effectiveness is improved, but donning difficulty increases due to resistance to transitioning to three-dimensional shape
Solution Approach 1:
The glove is pre-formed into a three-dimensional shape that closely resembles the hand shape before use. This preliminary formation eliminates the need for the user to manually mold or stretch the glove during donning, as the glove is already in its final operational configuration. The pre-formed state includes properly positioned fingers, palm, and cuff, allowing immediate donning without resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The glove utilizes curved and three-dimensional geometric forms throughout its structure, including rounded finger tips, arched finger joints, and a contoured palm area. These curved forms naturally accommodate the anatomy of the hand, eliminating flat surfaces that would resist conforming to the hand's three-dimensional shape during donning.
2Ease of operation
If elastomeric gloves are used, then fit and comfort are improved, but donning process becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The glove is pre-formed into its final three-dimensional hand shape during manufacturing, eliminating the time-consuming process of manually stretching and molding elastomeric gloves during donning. Users simply insert their hand into the pre-shaped glove without needing to work the material over their fingers or joints.
Solution Approach 2:
The glove incorporates dynamic elements such as flexible finger joints and expandable cuff regions that automatically adjust to the user's hand shape and size during donning. These dynamic features allow the glove to adapt to different hand dimensions without requiring manual manipulation or stretching by the user.
3Quantity of substance
If flattened two-layer gloves are used, then material usage is optimized, but donning comfort decreases due to bending and kinking resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The glove is formed with three-dimensional curved surfaces including rounded finger tips, arched finger joints, and a contoured palm area that follows the natural anatomy of the hand. These curved forms eliminate flat surfaces that would bend and kink during donning, providing immediate comfort and proper fit upon insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The glove transitions from a two-dimensional flat sheet during manufacturing to a fully three-dimensional form that encompasses the hand's complex geometry. This dimensional transformation includes creating depth in the fingers, curvature in the palm, and volume in the overall glove structure, allowing the material to conform naturally to the hand without bending resistance.
4Reliability
If disposable gloves are used frequently, then cross-contamination is reduced, but environmental impact increases due to inability to recycle
Solution Approach 1:
The glove is constructed entirely from thermoplastic materials with specific physical and chemical parameters that enable recyclability. The material composition, thickness, and molecular structure are optimized to maintain protective barriers against cross-contamination while being compatible with existing plastic recycling streams, allowing the glove to be processed along with other thermoplastic waste.
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable glove and system are provided that has features and characteristic that enable a cuff opening of the glove to more easily open, thereby assisting in donning the glove. The disposable glove system includes stacked glove configurations for mounting and storage. The disposable glove system also includes features that make the disposable gloves easier to dispense from a dispenser with minimal user contact with the outer surface of the disposable gloves.