Tear-Away Safety Gloves with Variable Fabric Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rotating machinery poses a danger to workers wearing gloves, as the material can get caught and pull the hand into the machinery, necessitating a glove that can tear away to release the hand safely.
Innovation Solution
The glove uses the same yarn or mix of yarns throughout, varying fabric density to create tear susceptible zones that are prone to tearing at junctions with denser zones, allowing the glove to tear away without the need for weaker yarns, and may include a laminated polymer coating for added protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pre-determined tearing zone is made with weaker yarn, then the glove tears away more easily, but the glove becomes weaker and less durable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying fabric density (not yarn strength) in different zones of the glove. High density zones provide strength and durability, while low density zones provide tear susceptibility. This resolves the contradiction by achieving localized tear-away capability without compromising overall glove strength through the use of weaker yarns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fabric density parameter rather than yarn strength to create tear zones. By adjusting density from high to low, the glove achieves variable tear resistance without changing the yarn material properties, thus maintaining durability while enabling controlled tearing.
2Reliability
If fabric density is varied to create tear zones, then the glove tears at specific locations, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality through varied fabric density zones within the glove construction. By creating distinct high-density and low-density regions, the glove achieves controlled tear locations without requiring complex yarn constructions or multiple material layers, thus limiting the increase in manufacturing complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the same yarn is used throughout the glove, then manufacturing is simpler, but creating tear zones becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by changing the fabric density parameter while using the same yarn throughout. This allows tear zones to be created through constructional variations (density changes) rather than yarn variations, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving reliable tear zone creation at specific locations.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided among other things is a safety glove for use on a hand with fingers with tear zones comprising: a seamless knitted liner (which can in embodiments substantially forms the glove) knitted throughout a safety zone with same yarn or mix of yarn, wherein one or more orthogonally knitted zones are knitted at a relatively low fabric density, wherein one or more orthogonally knitted zones are knitted at a relatively high fabric density, wherein the high and low density zones are configured to provide a four finger tear susceptibility of about 200 Newtons or less, wherein the safety zone includes the fingers.