Flexible Gloves Having Internal Passages

Abstract

Flexible gloves having passages formed along the inside thereof to provide cooling, maximum flexibility and sensitivity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns gloves made from resilient material such as rubber, whether natural or synthetic, and polyvinyl chloride or like plastic material, and intended especially for industrial, household, or surgical use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention improves the characteristics of flexible gloves and accordingly, the glove material is so shaped that passageways extend internally of the glove, at least from the cuff to the roots of the fingers. The passageways may be formed by virtue of certain portions which are thinner than other portions of the glove, the passageways occurring in the glove material at spaced intervals. The passageways are preferably each approximately one-eighth of an inch wide by one-sixteenth of an inch deep and occur at intervals of approximately one-eighth of an inch whereby readily to allow at least 10 percent lateral expansion in use. The passageways preferably extend, at the back of the glove, from the cuff to the tips of the stalls of the fingers and thumb, and at the front of the glove, from the cuff to the roots of the finger stalls and along the thumb stall and may be formed by suitable shaping of the glove former when the glove is made (as will often be the case) by a dipping process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of the front of a glove made according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the back of the glove of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line III--III of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Gloves of the type referred to, and when made in accordance with our invention, have certain improved characteristics compared with conventional such gloves. The hands of the wearer are kept cool and free from restriction thus allowing the wearer protection with maximum sensitivity for long periods without discomfort from perspiration or fatigue. This is believed due, at least in part, to what may be described as a pumping action whereby air is continually circulated through the passageways due to normal hand movements. Also, the gloves have substantial lateral or transverse stretch and resilience, and this has the advantage that one glove gives a near-perfect fit over the whole range of normal hand sizes. In addition, the gloves are quite comfortable for wear in conditions in which hand swelling is likely to occur--as in high temperature conditions.

The glove constituting this embodiment of the invention is made from natural rubber latex by dipping an approximately shaped former first in a coagulant, then in a suitable natural rubber latex mix, withdrawing same, subjecting the coacting on former to a vulcanizing process, and stripping the glove so formed from the former. The former has corrugations on its surface capable of causing the glove material to have internal formations at the back and front as will now be described.

Referring to the drawings, the glove 10 has corrugations 12 at the front thereof which extend from the cuff to the roots of the finger stalls and along the thumb stall, and corrugations 14 on the back thereof which extend from the cuff to the tips of the stalls of the fingers and thumb.

These corrugations cause longitudinal passageways 16 to be formed internally of the glove which are approximately one-eighth of an inch wide and one-sixteenth of an inch deep, and occur at intervals of approximately one-eighth of an inch. The thickness of the glove material is about 0.02 inch with the passageways of thickness and we find that in use a lateral lesser expansion in excess of 10 percent readily occurs without any discomfort to the wearer.

In addition the front regions of the stalls of the fingers have wavy longitudinal ridges 18 of substantially lesser depth and at greater frequency than the corrugations 13, 14 amounting in fact to what is really a roughening of the finger stall surfaces to aide the wearer's grip.

The invention is not limited to the specific feature of the particular embodiment just described. In particular the dimensions of the passageways will need to be varied according to the thickness of the glove material in order to obtain the best effect. The glove may assume various basic forms; for example it may have a long or short cuff; one or more of the finger stalls may be combined to give a mitten effect; and the composition of the glove material may be modified so that the glove has certain desirable properties, such as resistance to certain acids. Again, manufacture of the glove may be otherwise than by a dipping process: for instance, it may be by casting, moulding, vacuum forming or heat sealing.

Claims

I claim:

1. A glove having finger stalls and a thumb stall, said glove being of the type formed of resilient material and having a front and a back, passageways formed by corrugations in said front and back and extending internally of the glove, the passageways on the back of the glove extending from the glove cuff to the tips of the finger and thumb stalls, the passageways on the front of the glove extending from the cuff to the roots of the finger stalls and along the thumb stall, said passageways being of lesser thickness than the remainder of the glove.

2. The glove set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said passageways are approximately one-eighth of an inch wide and one-sixteenth of an inch deep and spaced apart approximately one-eighth of an inch, said finger stalls at their front having wavy longitudinal ridges of substantially lesser depth and at a greater frequency of spacing than said passageways to thereby form a roughening of the finger stall surface.

3. The glove set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that the resilient material of the said remainder of the glove has a thickness of 0.02 inch.

4. The glove set forth in claim 2 further characterized in that the resilient material of the said remainder of the glove has a thickness of 0.02 inch.

5. A glove of the type formed of resilient material and having a front and back, said front and back having passageways formed by corrugations and extending internally of the glove, the passageways on the back of the glove extending from the glove cuff to the tips of the finger stall and thumb stall, the passageways on the front side of the glove extending from the cuff to the roots of the finger stalls and along the thumb stalls, said passageways each being approximately one-eighth of an inch wide and one-sixteenth of an inch deep and spaced apart approximately one-eighth of an inch, said finger stalls on their front having wavy longitudinal ridges of substantially lesser depth and at a greater frequency of spacing than said passageways to thereby form a roughening of the finger stall surface.