BR112018014141B1 - HUMAN WEARABLE GLOVE PRODUCED FROM A COMPOSITE PROTECTIVE FABRIC - Google Patents

Abstract

A human wearable glove (170) is produced from a composite protective fabric. The composite fabric has microflex layers (120) of woven para-aramid yarn placed in proximity to metal mesh layers (125) of woven stainless steel mesh. The individual poly-p-phenylene terephthalamide fibers in the para-aramid yarn have a denier less than or equal to 2 dtex. The metallic mesh layers are woven from stainless steel fibers that have a diameter of 0.2 mm or less and have a mesh opening of 0.45 mm or less. Garments produced using the cloth include gloves, bulletproof vests and chainsaw resistant pants.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

[001] This application claims the priority of the U.S. Patent Application. 14/992,829 entitled "Composite, Protective Fabric and Garments Made Thereof” filed on January 11, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated into this document by reference.

[002] U.S. Patent Application 14/992,829 relates to, and is a Continuation in Part of, copending U.S. Patent Application 14/992,829. 14/791,059 entitled "Stretchable Metal Mesh Protective Material and Garments" filed on July 2, 2015, the content of which is incorporated in its entirety into this document by way of reference.

FIELD OF TECHNIQUE

[003] The invention relates to a composite cloth that has superior cut and puncture resistance, and more particularly to a cloth produced from a combination of layers of stainless steel mesh and layers of para-aramid fibers fabrics and the use of such composite cloth in the construction of protective garments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[004] Cloths woven from synthetic para-aramid fibers, such as, but not limited to, Kevlar™, exhibit exceptional resistance to ballistic piercing and have been used successfully to construct lightweight body armor. The materials have, however, only average resistance to slashing, slashing, and needlestick attacks. Para-aramid-based body armor therefore provides good protection against firearm attacks, but is not particularly effective against knife or needle hazards.

[005] What is needed is a lightweight cloth that provides a combination of high resistance to ballistic piercing, slashing and slashing attacks, and piercing attacks, and that can be readily used to manufacture flexible and lightweight garments such as, but not limited to , gloves and attack-proof vests.

[006] Relevant prior techniques include:

[007] The US Patent 6,581,212 issued by Andresen on June 24, 2003 entitled "Protective garment" which describes a protective garment for protecting body parts against cuts or puncture wounds comprising an inner layer, a protective layer and an outer layer, wherein the protective layer is composed of a wire mesh of woven metal wires, wherein the thickness of the metal wires is between 0.03 mm and 0.20 mm and the openings in the wire mesh are between 0.05 mm and 0.45 mm .

[008] The U.S. Patent Application 20080307553 submitted by Terrance Jbeili et al. published on December 18, 2008 titled "Method and Apparatus for Protecting against Ballistic Projectiles" which describes a composite material comprising a multiplicity of masses and fibers supported on a flexible substrate arranged to absorb energy from a ballistic projectile and therefore protect people or property from injury or ballistic damage. An array of small, hard disc-like masses is suspended from a three-dimensional support of high-tensile elastomeric fibers, so that the energy of a fired ballistic projectile is first imparted to one or more masses and the movement of the masses is constrained by tension. tensile strength of elastomeric fibers substantially in the direction of travel of the fired projectile. The projectile is eventually slowed down to a harmless velocity through a combination of momentum transfer to the masses and elastic and plastic tensile deformation of the fibers. One or more layers of the composite material can be assembled to form a protective body armor ("bulletproof vest") or proprietary protective armor, in which the number and characteristics of the layers are adjusted according to the specific ballistic risk. anticipated.

[009] Several implementations are known in the art, but fail to address all the problems solved by the invention described herein. Various embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in greater detail herein below.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[010] The present invention relates to an inventive composite protective cloth, and garments produced from it, as disclosed in this document.

[011] A layer of woven para-aramid wire, herein called a "microflex" layer, placed next to a layer of woven stainless steel mesh, herein called a "metallic mesh" layer, produces a composite material that has the astonishing property of a puncture resistance that is 30% to 40% greater than that expected from a linear combination of the cut and puncture resistance properties of each individual layer, while maintaining ballistic and fire protection. combined needle of each layer. The unexpectedly effective composite material of the present invention, therefore, combines high levels of ballistic, cut, stab and needlestick protection while being light and flexible enough for use in body-worn protective garments.

[012] In a preferred embodiment for use in the production of garments, one or more layers of microflex can be placed next to one or more layers of metallic mesh layer, sandwiched between an inner and outer protective layer that can be joined at the periphery of the protective layers.

[013] The microflex layers are preferably produced from a woven para-aramid yarn, wherein the individual fibers in the yarn comprise fibers having a denier less than or equal to 2 dtex and, more preferably, a denier of 0.55 dtex. The para-aramid fibers are preferably comprised of poly-p-phenylene terephthalamide and can have a tenacity of at least 10 cN/dtex, an elongation at break of at least 2.7% and an initial modulus of at least 300 cN/dtex, and can be formed into a yarn of 500 or more fibers for weaving.

[014] In a preferred embodiment, the metallic mesh layers are preferably woven from stainless steel fibers that have a diameter of 0.2 mm or less and may have a mesh opening of 0.45 mm or less .

[015] As described in more detail below, the number and arrangement of the micromesh and metal mesh layers can be adjusted in various ways to suit the material for its use in the manufacture of various protective garments usable next to the body, such as , but not limited to, gloves, attack resistant vests, protective pants and protective pants and protective leggings.

[016] Therefore, the present invention is successful in conferring the following, and others not mentioned, desirable and useful benefits and purposes.

[017] It is an object of the present invention to provide body-worn protective garments capable of a combination of high-level ballistic, cut and stab, puncture and needle protection.

[018] It is another object of the present invention to provide lightweight and cost-effective materials for protective clothing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[019] Figure 1 shows a schematic cropped isometric view of the layers of a protective composite cloth of an embodiment of the present invention.

[020] Figure 2 shows a schematic plan view of a protective glove of an embodiment of the present invention, and a schematic cross-section of a selected portion of the glove.

[021] Figure 3 shows a schematic plan view of an elephant-shaped model cutout of an embodiment of the present invention.

[022] Figure 4 shows a schematic plan view of a folded elephant model layer of an embodiment of the present invention.

[023] Figure 5 shows a schematic view of an inclined cut in a woven cloth.

[024] Figure 6 shows a schematic exploded isometric view of the components of a portion of a protective vest of an embodiment of the present invention.

[025] Figure 7 shows a schematic plan view of an interwoven para-amide metal fiber cloth of an embodiment of the present invention.

[026] Figure 8 shows a schematic plan view of a folded elephant pattern layer of an embodiment of the present invention having a truncated thumb extension and truncated finger extensions.

[027] Figure 9A shows a schematic plan view of a glove model cutout in 3 fan-shaped pieces of an embodiment of the present invention.

[028] Figure 9B shows a schematic plan view of a 3-piece fan-shaped glove model assembled from an embodiment of the present invention.

[029] Figure 10A shows a schematic plan view of a glove model cutout in 3 pieces in the shape of a turkey tail of an embodiment of the present invention.

[030] Figure 10B shows a schematic plan view of a glove model in 3 pieces in the shape of a turkey tail assembled from an embodiment of the present invention.

[031] Figure 11 shows a schematic front view of protective pants of an embodiment of the present invention along a schematic view of a composite cloth construction in a section line.

BEST WAY TO CARRY OUT THE INVENTION

[032] The best mode for carrying out the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various Figures are identified with the same numerical references.

[033] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. Indeed, those of ordinary skill in the art can observe upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto.

[034] Figure 1 shows a schematic cutaway isometric view of the layers of a protective composite cloth 105 of an embodiment of the present invention.

[035] The protective composite cloth 105 can, for example, have a layer of microflex cloth 120 adjacent to a layer of metal mesh 125 with both layers sandwiched between the intermediate layers 122. The intermediate layers 122 can, for example, being an outer protective layer 115 and an inner protective layer 110. The inner and outer protective layers may be any cloth suitable for wearing in a garment such as, but not limited to, a cloth woven from cotton, wool, silk, linen, polyester or some combination thereof.

[036] In a preferred embodiment, the microflex cloth layer 120 is preferably produced from woven para-aramid yarn. Para-aramid yarns are well known and sold, for example, by E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, DE, under the trade name Kevlar™ and Teijin Aramid of Arnhem, The Netherlands, under the trade name Twaron™. Woven para-aramid cloths have become widely used in body protective clothing due to their high resistance to ballistic penetration. Such cloths are, however, susceptible to puncture-type penetration, particularly cut-and-slash penetration and syringe penetration.

[037] The metal mesh layer 125 is preferably a woven metal mesh, and more preferably a woven mesh of stainless steel fibers having a diameter of 0.2 mm or less and a mesh opening of 0 .45 mm or less. Such a mesh has been found to have good resistance to cut and blunt penetration and to syringe penetration, and has been used in protective garments, such as, but not limited to, protective gloves, as described, for example, in U.S. Patent 6,581,212 issued by Andresen on June 24, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated in their entirety by reference to this document. However, the number of layers of metal mesh 125 of the type described above which may be required to provide, for example, adequate puncture penetration may result in garments, such as, but not limited to, protective gloves, which may not have as much flexibility as desired or may be more expensive to produce than desired.

[038] In the research methods of improving protective garments such as gloves, it was found that a test combination of a cloth that combines a layer of microflex cloth 120 with a layer of metal mesh 125 has an unexpected property. The puncture resistance of the combined layers was found to be 30 to 40% greater than what would be expected from an additive combination of the puncture resistance of the two individual layers. This surprising and unexpected finding could allow lighter, cheaper and more flexible garments to be constructed from the composite material.

[039] Although the exact mechanism for this unexpected improvement in the material properties of the composite material may, until then, not be fully understood, several factors may be significant.

[040] It is well known that the ballistic stopping power of polyaramid materials is a result of their absorption of missile impact kinetic energy. A bullet, for example, upon impact with the cloth, has its kinetic energy absorbed in the rupture of the poly-aramid cords as it tries to penetrate the material. The cords essentially attach themselves to the bullet, absorbing the kinetic energy of bullets as they are stretched to their breaking points. To maximize the interaction between the bullet and the material, manufacturers of polyaramid cloths try to make the polyaramid fibers as small as possible, thereby increasing the "working surface" of the fibers that interact with the bullet.

[041] The preferred Kevlar™ cloth used for bulletproof vests, for example, produced from Kevlar 29 yarn. Kevlar 29 yarn is produced from approximately 1,000 fibers wound together to form a yarn that has a denier of approximately 1,500 dtex. ("Denier" is both a standard measurement of filament size and a term used more loosely to mean merely "filament size". The unit "dtex" is an internationally recognized measure of yarn or filament size and is the weight in grams of 10,000 meters of yarn or filament). A 1000 filament yarn having a denier of 1500 dtex implies a denier for the individual fibers of about 1.5 dtex.

[042] Teijin Aramid's recommended yarn for bulletproof vest weaving is its Twaron™ Microfilament yarn. Their 2040 Microfilament fiber, for example, consists of 500 fibers wound together by a yarn that has a dernier of 550 dtex, which implies a fiber dernier of 1.1 dtex. They also supply an Ultra Micro version of Twaron™ which is a yarn that has 500 filaments and a fiber dernier of 550 dtex, which implies a filament dernier of 0.55 dtex. The puncture resistance synergy of the microflex cloth layers 120 and the metal mesh layers 125 can be further engineered when the fiber size of the para-aramid fibers is the smallest. This could be indicative that some interaction takes place between the two layers during a piercing attack. This interaction can, for example, be the para-aramid fibers that are forced through or along the metal fibers of the mesh. The kinetic energy consumed in stretching the para-aramid fibers through the mesh may be the explanation for the synergistic behavior of the two layers which produces surprisingly better puncture resistance than when the two are combined as a composite material.

[043] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the para-aramid fibers may therefore be poly-p-phenylene terephthalamide fibers having a fiber dernier of 2 dtex or less which may be baled for weaving in a yarn having 500 or more fibers, wherein the yarn has a breaking strength of 200 N or more, a breaking tenacity of 2.3 mN/tex or more, and an breaking elongation of between 3.4% and 3, 8%. In a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fiber dernier can be 1.1 dtex or less, and a most preferred embodiment can have a fiber dernier of 0.55 dtex or less.

[044] In a preferred embodiment, the microflex cloth layers 120 and the metal mesh layers 125 can be sandwiched between an outer protective layer 115 and an inner protective layer 110, and the inner and outer protective layers can be joined together in a periphery of a garment, for example, by sewing or by some other joining mechanism, such as, but not limited to, gluing, welding, stapling or some combination thereof.

[045] Figure 2 shows a schematic plan view of a protective glove 170 of an embodiment of the present invention, and a schematic cross-section of a selected portion 180 of the glove 170.

[046] The partial cross section 180 of the glove is shown as taken in a line 175. The partial cross section 180 of a glove shows a top portion 185 of a glove and a bottom portion 190 of a glove separated by a space 195 for one hand. The top portion 185 of the glove is shown to have an outer protective layer 205 and an inner protective layer 210 between which a plurality of metal mesh layers 125 and a microflex cloth layer 120 are sandwiched. a glove is similarly shown with metal mesh layers 125 and microflex cloth layers 120 sandwiched between an outer protective layer 205 and an inner protective layer 210. In both the top and bottom portions of the glove, the inner protective layer 210 is shown closest to space 195 for a hand and microflex cloth layers 120 are shown closest to inner protective layer 210. Such an arrangement can, for example, provide a material well suited to resisting attack with perforation from the outside of the glove.

[047] Figure 2 shows four layers of metal mesh 125 and a layer of microflex cloth 120.

[048] Although such an arrangement may, for example, yield an economical glove that complies with certain performance levels, such as, but not limited to, the EN388 test for abrasion resistance, blade cut resistance, tear resistance and resistance to drilling, there may be other arrangements that may be more advantageous in terms of factors such as, but not limited to, cost, performance, flexibility and comfort, or some combination thereof.

[049] The composite material can, for example, have a plurality of layers of microflex cloth 120 and layers of metal mesh 125 that can be alternated with each other. Such an arrangement can, for example, increase the presumed synergy between the layers described above.

[050] The composite material may, for example, have one or more layers of microflex cloth layers 120 adjacent to both the outer protective layer 205 and the inner protective layer 210 on either one or both of the top portion 185 of a glove and of the lower portion 190 of a glove. Such an arrangement can, for example, increase the resistance of the inside of the glove to rupture through bending.

[051] Figure 3 shows a schematic plan view of an elephant-shaped template cutout 130 of an embodiment of the present invention.

[052] The elephant-shaped model 130 may, for example, have a first palm region 135 with an entire thumb extension 140 that can be attached via a lower palm edge 155, to a second palm region 145 having one or more finger extensions 150. Affixing the first palm region 135 to the second palm region 145 may, for example, be via a lower palm edge 155.

[053] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cloth to be cut into the elephant-shaped template 130 can be arranged so that one or more of the finger extensions 150 have an inclined cut 165 with respect to a direction 160 of such finger extension. Such an arrangement can have the advantage of increased flexibility of the finger portion of the glove.

[054] In a preferred embodiment of the elephant-shaped model 130, the shape is such that when the cloth is arranged so that one or more of the finger extensions are in slanted section with respect to the direction of such finger extension, the thumb extension 140 is also cut at an angle with respect to a direction 162 of the thumb extension.

[055] In a preferred embodiment, angled cutting can only be used for layers of metal mesh 125 since angled cutting tends to produce more waste. There may, however, be situations where the additional flexibility introduced by angled cutting makes this a preferred method for even one or more of the layers of microflex cloth 120. For example, in an application that required multiple layers of microflex cloth 120, the combined effect of many layers can be to provide a cloth that is too stiff in a particular direction, and the skewed cut of one or more of the layers of microflex cloth 120 can provide a more acceptable and wearable garment.

[056] Figure 4 shows a schematic plan view of a folded elephant model layer 215 of an embodiment of the present invention.

[057] The folded elephant pattern layer 215 is shown folded along a lower palm edge 155 that joins the two palm regions of the elephant pattern, so that the structure is now ready to be used in a glove. The folded elephant pattern layer 215 has the added advantage that the palm region of the glove, which may be the most vulnerable portion of the glove with respect to puncture, has a double layer of metal mesh.

[058] Figure 5 shows a schematic view of an inclined cut in a woven cloth 230.

[059] As shown, the angled cut 165 is at approximately forty-five degrees with respect to both the warp seam line 220 and the weft seam line 225 of the woven cloth.

[060] Figure 6 shows a schematic exploded isometric view of the Components of a portion of a protective vest 260 of an embodiment of the present invention.

[061] As shown in Figure 6, a chest or back portion of a protective vest 260 may have an outer protective layer 115, a plurality of microflex layers 240 adjacent to the outer protective layer 115, a plurality of metal mesh layers 245 and an inner protective layer 110.

[062] When clothing is worn with the inner protective layer 110 closest to the wearer, this arrangement can provide good protection against a ballistic attack on the wearer.

[063] The outer and inner protective layers may be produced from a suitably wearable cloth, such as, but not limited to, cotton, denim, wool, silk, linen, bamboo or some combination thereof.

[064] The plurality of layers of microflex 240 can be joined together by sewing that extends along the interior 255. The plurality of layers of metal mesh 245 can, on the other hand, be joined together by being peripherally sewn 250. Joining may also or instead be achieved by means such as, but not limited to, gluing, welding, stapling or some combination thereof.

[065] In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of layers of metal mesh 245 may also have one or more layers of microflex cloth 120 affixed thereto by being peripherally sewn 250. These layers may be on either side of the plurality of layers of mesh. 245 metal mesh or on both sides. The layers of microflex cloth 120 peripherally affixed to the peripherally sewn ones 250 can, for example, provide improved protection against piercing attacks such as, but not limited to, thrusting, slashing, slashing and needle attacks or some combination thereof.

[066] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention there may be between 20 and 28 layers of microflex cloth 120 and between 8 and 12 layers of metal mesh 125, and in a more preferred embodiment there may be 24 layers of microflex cloth 120 and 10 layers of 125 metal mesh.

[067] A person of ordinary skill in the art will note, however, that the composite protective cloth illustrated in Figure 6 and described above can be used in a variety of other protective garments. For example, pants or leggings produced incorporating such material can, for example, offer significant protection against piercing attacks, such as those from industrial cutting machinery, such as, but not limited to, a chainsaw. Similarly, the material, or variants thereof, may be incorporated into other items of protective clothing, such as, but not limited to, shoes, boots, gloves, headgear or sleeves.

[068] Figure 7 shows a schematic plan view of an interwoven para-amide metal fiber cloth 265 of an embodiment of the present invention.

[069] As discussed above, the applicant observed an unexpected increase of 30 to 40% in puncture resistance when layers of microflex cloth 120 were combined with layers of metal mesh 125. One conjecture is that this unexpected increase may be due to such a combination that results, even during low speed drilling, in most of the para-aramid fibers being stretched or torn along a longitudinal axis of the fiber, rather than being torn in shear.

[070] Para-aramid fibers typically have a tensile strength of about 36% more than an equivalent sized steel fiber. Since para-aramids are typically only about 18% as dense as steel, this gives them a tensile strength advantage of about a factor of 5, which is why they are often quoted as being " five times as strong as steel". However, para-amide fiber typically has a shear strength that is only about 24% that of steel. This means that they are much easier to cut or stab with a sharp instrument or needle. One conjecture for the unexpected 30 to 40% increase in puncture resistance when layers of microflex cloth 120 are combined with layers of metal mesh 125 is that the para-amide fibers are bent and then stretched through the mesh. of metal. This will allow a fraction of its superior tensile strengths to be realized even in resistance to a low speed piercing, cutting or sting.

[071] A similar synergy of the properties of metal and para-aramid fibers may therefore also be possible by weaving the fibers into a single layer of cloth.

[072] In the interwoven para-aramid fiber/metal fiber cloth 265 shown in Figure 7, the cloth has alternating warp para-aramid yarn fibers 272 and warp metal fibers 277, as well as para-aramid yarn fibers alternating 270 weft aramid and 275 weft metal fibers. One skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that alternative types of weaving can also be used to create such a composite, such as, but not limited to, having all warp fibers of para-aramid yarn and all warp fibers of para-aramid yarn. metal, or vice versa. In addition to the plain weave pattern illustrated in Figure 7, other well known weave patterns, such as, but not limited to, a basket weave, a cross weave, or a statin weave, or some combination thereof, can be used since some may provide possible advantageous results with regard to material protection ratios or cost advantages.

[073] In a preferred embodiment, the interwoven para-aramid fiber/metal cloth 265 can be produced from para-aramid yarn produced from a plurality of individual poly-p-phenylene terephthalamide fibers having a denier of 2 dtex or less, while the metal fibers may be stainless steel fibers having a diameter of 0.2 mm or less.

[074] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the interwoven para-aramid fiber/metal cloth 265 can be woven so that the mesh opening is 0.45 mm or less.

[075] Figure 8 shows a schematic plan view of a folded elephant pattern layer of an embodiment of the present invention having a truncated thumb extension and truncated finger extensions.

[076] The folded elephant-shaped template layer 215 of Figure 8 is shown as having a first palm region 135 with a truncated thumb extension 142. The template can be folded into a lower palm edge 155 that can be connected to a second palm region (not shown in this view) which may have one or more finger extensions 150 and one or more truncated finger extensions 152 affixed thereto.

[077] One purpose of having one or more layers of metal mesh or one or more layers of para-aramid protective material that has a truncated finger or thumb extension may be to allow additional flexibility of a wearer's corresponding fingers. The glove can, for example, be used by an agent who wants to use a firearm while wearing the glove. Having additional flexibility and less bulk in the thumb and index finger of a glove can, for example, allow a user to hold and fire a pistol more easily.

[078] In an alternative version of the glove with truncated protection, there may be additional pieces of material sized and shaped to cover the rest of the thumb, but which are disconnected from the rest of the elephant-shaped model. In this way, flexibility can be maintained while protection can be provided for most of the thumb and finger.

[079] Figure 9A shows a schematic plan view of a glove model cutout in 3 fan-shaped pieces 280 of an embodiment of the present invention.

[080] As shown, the 3-piece fan-shaped glove model 280 may have a thumb piece of a fan-shaped glove model 281, a finger piece of a fan-shaped glove model 282 and a palm piece of a fan-shaped glove template 283. The 3-piece fan-shaped glove template 280 can be used to cut through microflex cloth layers or metal mesh layers, or both. In a preferred embodiment, the fan-shaped 3-piece glove pattern pieces 280 may be arranged so that either or both of the thumb or finger extensions are in slanted cut for reasons such as those described above.

[081] Figure 9 B shows a schematic plan view of a 3-piece fan-shaped glove model assembled 285 of an embodiment of the present invention. Thumb piece 281, finger piece 282, and palm piece 283 may be assembled together by any suitable means, such as, but not limited to, sewing, gluing, stapling, welding, spot gluing, stitch sewing, spot welding or some combination thereof. The parts may also, or instead, be held in place by suitably shaped inner and outer protective layers which may be joined peripherally, for example by stitching, or which may be joined by stitching extending along the inside of the model. .

[082] Figure 10A shows a schematic plan view of a glove model cutout in 3 pieces in the shape of a turkey tail 290 of an embodiment of the present invention.

[083] As shown, the 3-piece turkey tail glove model 290 may have a thumb piece from a turkey tail glove model 291, a finger piece from a turkey tail glove model 291, a finger piece from a turkey tail glove model 291 turkey tail glove template 292 and a palm piece of a turkey tail glove template 293. The 3 piece fan shaped glove template 290 can be used to trim the microflex cloth layers or mesh layers metal, or both. In a preferred embodiment, the turkey tail 3-piece glove pattern pieces 290 can be arranged so that either or both of the thumb or finger extensions are in slanted cutaway for reasons such as those described above. .

[084] Figure 10B shows a schematic plan view of a second glove model pivot in 3 pieces in the shape of a turkey tail mounted 295 of an embodiment of the present invention. Thumb piece 291, finger piece 292 and palm piece 293 may be assembled together by any suitable means, such as, but not limited to, sewing, gluing, stapling, welding, spot gluing, stitch sewing, spot welding or some combination thereof. The parts may also, or instead, be held in place by suitably shaped inner and outer protective layers which may be joined peripherally, for example by stitching, or which may be joined by stitching extending along the inside of the model. .

[085] Figure 11 shows a schematic front view of a pair of protective pants 305 of an embodiment of the present invention along a schematic view of a composite cloth construction 355 seen in a line 330.

[086] The protective pants 305 may, for example, have a conventional design that has features such as, but not limited to, a pants belt 320 and the zipper fastener 325 or some combination thereof. The protective pants 305 may be fabricated in whole or in part from a composite fabric of the present invention which has a composite fabric construction 335 as schematically illustrated in Figure 11.

[087] The composite fabric construction 335 can, for example, be illustrative of the in-line construction of section 330 in the protective pants. The composite cloth construction 335 may include an inner lining cloth 340, an inner microflex bale 345, an inner metal mesh bale 350, an outer metal mesh bale 355, an outer microflex bale 360, and a outer casing 365.

[088] In a preferred embodiment, the inner microflex bale 345 and the inner metal mesh bale 350 may be joined together, but may be separated from the outer metal mesh bale 355 and the outer microflex bale 360, wherein the themselves can be joined. The two separate inner and outer groups of bales can then be sandwiched between the inner lining fabric 340 and the outer lining fabric 365 which can be joined at the periphery of the garment producing sections.

[089] The microflex bale layers can, for example, be joined together by sewing which extends along the inside of said microflex cloth layers, while the metal mesh bale layers can, for example, be sewn together along a periphery of the metal mesh layers.

[090] In an alternative embodiment, the inner and outer linings can also be directly joined to the inner and outer groups of cloth bales.

[091] The inner and outer microflex bales may be produced from layers of woven para-aramid yarn microflex cloth, and may comprise para-aramid yarn having some or all of the characteristics of the yarn types and para-aramid fibers detailed above.

[092] The inner and outer metal mesh bales may be produced from woven stainless steel fibers, and may comprise layers of metal mesh having the fiber composition and characteristics of some or all of the metal meshes described above .

[093] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the inner and outer microflex bales and the inner and outer metal mesh bales may have 3 to 8 layers of cloth. In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the inner and outer microflex bales and the inner and outer metal mesh bales may have 5 layers of cloth, wherein the microflex layers are woven from paraffin fibers. aramid which may be poly-p-phenylene terephthalamide fibers having a fiber dernier of 2 dtex or less which may be baled for weaving into a yarn having 500 or more fibers and wherein the metal mesh layer is produced from woven mesh of stainless steel fibers that has a diameter of 0.2 mm or less and a mesh opening of 0.45 mm or less.

[094] As shown in Figure 11, the protective pants 305 may include extra protective regions, such as, but not limited to, the additional protective knee region 310 and/or the additional protective crotch region 315. Having regions of Extra protection can, for example, allow garments to be produced cost-effectively while still providing the desired levels of protection in the regions most in need of protection.

[095] The various embodiments of the present invention have been described above primarily with reference to garments that are protective gloves, protective vests, protective pants and protective pants and protective leggings. A person skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that the materials and methods of the invention described above can all also be applied to a wide range of protective garments including, but not limited to, protective headgear, protective sleeves, protective knee pads, protective shoe covers, protective shoe soles and protective boots. In addition, the materials described above may be used to provide protective clothing for animals, such as, but not limited to, police dogs and horses. In addition, the materials described above may also be used to provide protective structures to protect vulnerable items, such as, but not limited to, portable electronic devices, computers, piping, electronic equipment, portions of vehicles, and liquid transport containers.

[096] Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it should be understood that the present disclosure has been produced by way of illustration only and that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts can be rearranged without departing from of the spirit and scope of the invention.

[097] The present invention has applicability in the clothing industry, particularly in the protective clothing sector of the clothing industry.

Claims (6)

1. A human wearable glove (170) having an inner protective layer (110), an outer protective layer (115) and, sandwiched between said inner and outer layers, a plurality of intermediate layers (122), the said glove is characterized in that: said intermediate layers comprise: one or more layers of microflex fabric (120), wherein said microflex fabric is comprised of woven para-aramid yarn, wherein said yarn comprises polyp fibers -phenylene terephthalamide having a denier of 2 dtex or less; one or more mesh layers (125) of a woven metal mesh, said woven metal mesh comprising stainless steel fibers having a diameter of 0.2 mm or less and a mesh opening of 0.45 mm or less ; and wherein said inner and outer protective layers are joined at a periphery (250) of said protective layers, and wherein said metal mesh layer is formed in the shape of an elephant pattern (130), wherein said pattern elephant comprises a first palm region (135) having a thumb extension (140) and a second palm region (145) having four finger extensions (150), and wherein said first and said second palm regions palm are joined along a lower palm edge (155), and wherein said layer of metal mesh is cut at an angle (165) with respect to a direction (160) of at least one of said lengths of finger and wherein said metal mesh layer is folded along said lower palm edge of said elephant pattern when located within said glove. 2. Glove, according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said layers of microflex fabric is shaped in the form of an elephant pattern and is cut at an angle to a direction of at least one of said extensions finger. 3. Glove, according to claim 2, characterized in that it additionally comprises four of said layers of folded mesh, cut at an angle and shaped in an elephant pattern and one of said layers of microflex. 4. Glove according to claim 3, characterized in that it additionally comprises a second one of said layers of microflex, and in which said layers of folded mesh, cut at an angle and shaped in an elephant pattern are sandwiched between said two layers from microflex. 5. Glove, according to claim 4, characterized in that said layer of microflex is sandwiched between said layers of folded mesh, cut at an angle and shaped in an elephant pattern so that there are two of said layers of mesh on any side of said microflex layer. 6. Glove according to claim 5, characterized in that at least one of said finger extensions is a truncated finger extension (142).

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