GB1583181A

GB1583181A - Protective clothing

Info

Publication number: GB1583181A
Application number: GB222977A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: TAK CHEMICALS Ltd
Current assignee: TAK CHEMICALS Ltd
Priority date: 1977-12-23
Filing date: 1977-12-23
Publication date: 1981-01-21

Description

(54) PROTECTIVE CLOTHING (71) We, TAK CHEMICALS LI MITED, a British Company of Hayes Lane, Lye, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY9 8PJ, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to protective clothing, and in particular for the protection of the hands and, in some cases, the arm.

The invention resides in a protective garment in the form of a mitt made from laminated sheet material which incorporates an impervious layer of plastics material and a layer of an absorbent material, at least a major part of the periphery of the mitt, apart from a wrist opening, being defined by a seam whereat the plastics layers of the material from which the front and back faces of the mitt are formed are bonded together, wherein the mitt is shaped to afford a main portion adapted to receive the palm and fingers of the wearer's hand and a lateral portion adapted to receive the wearer's thumb, the thumb portion being formed as a lateral extension of the main portion with webs extending between the extreme end of the thumb portion and the closed end of the main portion, and the seam extending continuously along the peripheral edges of the extreme end of the thumb portion and said webs.

As explained the shape of the thumb portion enables the entire mitt to be turned inside out without rupture of the seam.

Since the mitt is reversible, it can be used either as made, that is to say with the absorbent material outwards, or it can be reversed and used with the absorbent material inwards. In the former case the absorbent material provides for an improved grip and/or can be used for wiping oil, grease or the like from components to be handled. In the latter case, the absorbent material serves as a lining which increases the wearer's comfort where the improved grip which is afforded by having the absorbent material outwards is not required. Moreover, since the laminated sheet material is essentially thin, it would be possible for two such mitts to be worn one inside the other, the innermost with the absorbent layer inwards and the outermost with the absorbent layer outermost so as to provide for both wearer comfort and an improved grip.

The mitt may be formed trom two separate pieces of the laminated material with the seam extending around the entire periphery thereof apart from the wrist opening. Alternatively, a single piece of the laminated material may be folded on itself, plastic-to-plastic, so that the fold thereby formed defines part of the periphery of the mitt.

In a normal mitt of this general type, the thumb portion is shaped so as to conform fairly closely to the user's thumb and accordingly the thumb portion is defined by a pair of edges which extend generally transverse to the main portion and that nearest the closed end of the mitt is usually joined to the main portion at a rather large acute angle. We have found that with such an arrangment it is generally impossible to turn the mitt inside out without rupturing the seam. However, as hereinbefore defined, in order to make it possible to reverse the mitt, we provide a thumb portion which is formed as a lateral extension of the main portion and includes webs extending between the extreme end of the thumb portion and the closed end of the main portion.The portion of the seam defined by such webs where they are joined together is preferably either substantially straight over most of its length so as to extend directly between the extremities of the thumb portion and the main portion or of somewhat convexly curved form. However, it may alternatively be slightly concave in shape providing the degree of concavity is not such as to render the seam liable to splitting on reversal of the mitt. In all cases the sharply re-entrant part of the periphery which previously constituted the main obstacle to reversal of this type of mitt is eliminated.

The mitt may additionally include a wrist portion which widens in a direction away from the main portion to facilitate entry of the user's hand, and such wrist portion may be made integral with a sleeve extension so as to provide protection for the whole, or part of the, length of the wearer's arm. It will be appreciated that such sleeve extension may itself form part of a larger garment designed to protect the wearer's body.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: - Figure 1 shows one embodiment of mitt in accordance with the invention, as made, with the layer of absorbent material outwards; Figure 2 shows the same mitt when turned inside out; and Figures la and 2a respectively show transverse sections through the seams in the two conditions.

In accordance with the invention a mitt which is indicated generally at 10 is formed from two pieces of laminated sheet material 11 and 12 each comprising a layer of thin flexible plastics material ila or 12a and a layer of absorbent tissue, lib or 12b bonded thereto. The two pieces are shaped as shown in Figure 1 and placed together with the plastic layers in face-to-face contact. A seam 14 is then formed around the shaped part of the periphery. preferably by uniting the plastics materials by a process of fusion arising from the application of heat, ultrasonic energy, or the like. However. it is alternatively possible for the two plastics layers to be bonded together in some other manner, for example by the use of a bonding agent or solvent adhesive.Instead of cutting the two pieces to the desired shape before joining it would alternatively be possible to start with rectangular pieces or even continuous webs of material and sever the individual mitts only after the seam is formed.

As can be seen. the mitt includes a main portion 15 which is adapted to receive the arm and fingers of the wearer's hand, and at one side thereof a thumb portion 16 which merges smoothly with the main portion by virtue of the fact that a web of material extends between the outermost end of the thumb portion and the closed end of the main portion.

Due primarily to the shape of the web which integrally connects the thumb portion 16 and the main portion 15. it is readily possible to turn the mitt inside out into the configuration shown in Figure 2 in which the seam 14 and the plastics layers 11a and 12a are outside the mitt and the absorbent layers 11b and 12b are inside. For this, the part of the seam 14 afforded by the web should be substantially of non-re-entrant form, i.e.

only slightly concave or preferably straight (as shown) or of convexly curved shape.

Whilst the mitt is conveniently formed from two separate pieces of the laminated material, it would alternatively be possible to form it, in a slightly modified shape, from a single piece of such material folded onto itself. In this case, the edge of the main portion on the opposite side from the thumb portion would be straight over the major part of its length as indicated in chain dot lines at 13 in Figures 1 and 2.

The mitt illustrated also includes a flared wrist portion 17 which may, if desired, be integral with a sleeve extension for the purposes previously mentioned and such sleeve could form part of a larger protective garment.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A protective garment in the form of a mitt made from laminated sheet material which incorporates an impervious layer of plastics material and a layer of an absorbent material, at least a major part of the periphery of the mitt, apart from a wrist opening, being defined by a seam whereat the plastics layers of the material from which the front and back faces of the mitt are formed are bonded together, wherein the mitt is shaped to afford a main portion adapted to receive the palm and fingers of the wearer's hand and a lateral portion adapted to receive the wearer's thumb, the thumb portion being formed as a lateral extension of the main portion with webs extending between the extreme end of the thumb portion and the closed end of the main portion, and the seam extending continuously along the peripheral edges of the extreme end of the thumb portion and said webs.

2. A protective garment according to Claim 1 wherein the portion of the seam defined by such webs where they are joined together is substantially straight over most of its length so as to extend directlv between the extremities of the thumb portion and the main portion.

3. A protective garment according to Claim 1 wherein the portion of the seam defined by such webs where they are joined together is of slightly convexly curved form over most of its length.

4. A protective garment according to Claim l wherein the portion of the seam defined by such webs where they are joined together is of slightly concavely curved form.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. be slightly concave in shape providing the degree of concavity is not such as to render the seam liable to splitting on reversal of the mitt. In all cases the sharply re-entrant part of the periphery which previously constituted the main obstacle to reversal of this type of mitt is eliminated. The mitt may additionally include a wrist portion which widens in a direction away from the main portion to facilitate entry of the user's hand, and such wrist portion may be made integral with a sleeve extension so as to provide protection for the whole, or part of the, length of the wearer's arm. It will be appreciated that such sleeve extension may itself form part of a larger garment designed to protect the wearer's body. The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: - Figure 1 shows one embodiment of mitt in accordance with the invention, as made, with the layer of absorbent material outwards; Figure 2 shows the same mitt when turned inside out; and Figures la and 2a respectively show transverse sections through the seams in the two conditions. In accordance with the invention a mitt which is indicated generally at 10 is formed from two pieces of laminated sheet material 11 and 12 each comprising a layer of thin flexible plastics material ila or 12a and a layer of absorbent tissue, lib or 12b bonded thereto. The two pieces are shaped as shown in Figure 1 and placed together with the plastic layers in face-to-face contact. A seam 14 is then formed around the shaped part of the periphery. preferably by uniting the plastics materials by a process of fusion arising from the application of heat, ultrasonic energy, or the like. However. it is alternatively possible for the two plastics layers to be bonded together in some other manner, for example by the use of a bonding agent or solvent adhesive.Instead of cutting the two pieces to the desired shape before joining it would alternatively be possible to start with rectangular pieces or even continuous webs of material and sever the individual mitts only after the seam is formed. As can be seen. the mitt includes a main portion 15 which is adapted to receive the arm and fingers of the wearer's hand, and at one side thereof a thumb portion 16 which merges smoothly with the main portion by virtue of the fact that a web of material extends between the outermost end of the thumb portion and the closed end of the main portion. Due primarily to the shape of the web which integrally connects the thumb portion 16 and the main portion 15. it is readily possible to turn the mitt inside out into the configuration shown in Figure 2 in which the seam 14 and the plastics layers 11a and 12a are outside the mitt and the absorbent layers 11b and 12b are inside. For this, the part of the seam 14 afforded by the web should be substantially of non-re-entrant form, i.e. only slightly concave or preferably straight (as shown) or of convexly curved shape. Whilst the mitt is conveniently formed from two separate pieces of the laminated material, it would alternatively be possible to form it, in a slightly modified shape, from a single piece of such material folded onto itself. In this case, the edge of the main portion on the opposite side from the thumb portion would be straight over the major part of its length as indicated in chain dot lines at 13 in Figures 1 and 2. The mitt illustrated also includes a flared wrist portion 17 which may, if desired, be integral with a sleeve extension for the purposes previously mentioned and such sleeve could form part of a larger protective garment. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A protective garment in the form of a mitt made from laminated sheet material which incorporates an impervious layer of plastics material and a layer of an absorbent material, at least a major part of the periphery of the mitt, apart from a wrist opening, being defined by a seam whereat the plastics layers of the material from which the front and back faces of the mitt are formed are bonded together, wherein the mitt is shaped to afford a main portion adapted to receive the palm and fingers of the wearer's hand and a lateral portion adapted to receive the wearer's thumb, the thumb portion being formed as a lateral extension of the main portion with webs extending between the extreme end of the thumb portion and the closed end of the main portion, and the seam extending continuously along the peripheral edges of the extreme end of the thumb portion and said webs.

5. A protective garment according to

any one of the preceding claims including a wrist portion which widens in a direction away from the main portion to facilitate entry of the user's hand.

6. A protective garment according to Claim 5 wherein said wrist portion is integral with a sleeve extension so as to provide protection for the whole, or part of the, length of the wearer's arm.

7. A protective garment according to Claim 6 wherein said sleeve extension forms part of a larger garment designed to protect the wearer's body.

8. A garment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the mitt is formed from two separate pieces of the laminated material with the seam extending around the entire periphery thereof apart from the wrist opening.

9. A protective garment according to any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein the mitt is formed from a single piece of the laminated material folded onto itself, plastic-to-plastic, so that the fold thereby formed defines part of the periphery of the mitt.

10. A protective garment in the form of a mitt substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.