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  GloveUSPTO Application #: 20060048268Title: Glove Abstract: The invention describes a fireproof glove (1) with a layered structure comprising at least one liquid-tight functional layer (18) and a heat-resistant and/or fire-retarding layer (20) with low thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the invention describes a glove (1) comprising a material precut (3) with one or more reinforced areas (24). Moreover, the invention describes a glove (1) with a shaft (15) extending over a wrist area (16) and conically widening in the direction of the open face end area (10) of the shaft, whereby provision is made in the area of the shaft (15) for a first and one other adjusting device (39, 42). Furthermore, the invention describes a glove (1) that is formed by at least one material layer (17) consisting of an inelastic and non-expanding material, and comprising a tubular and cylindrical shaft (15). In its face end area (10) with a slip-in opening (11), said shaft has a circumference on the external surface (23) in the range of from 20 cm to 40 cm. (end of abstract) Agent: William Collard Collard & Roe, P.C. - Roslyn, NY, US Inventor: Paul Loos USPTO Applicaton #: 20060048268 - Class: 002161600 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Apparel, Body Garments, Gloves, Work Glove The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060048268. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119 of AUSTRIAN Patent Application No. A 1368/2004 filed on 12 Aug. 2004. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The invention relates to a fireproof glove as specified in the introductory clause of claim 1, as well as to gloves and the possible application of a glove as described in detail in the introductory clauses of claims 15, 25, 34 and, respectively, 40. [0004] 2. Prior Art [0005] Fireproof and heat-resistant gloves that are structured from a number of layers of material, are known in the prior art. In connection with such gloves, at least one of said layers of material is formed by a functional layer that is impermeable to liquid, for example by a waterproof membrane, and where at least another layer of such a layered structure is formed by a fire- and heat-resistant insulating layer. It is possible with such a glove to protect the hand of the user up to a certain degree against burns caused by contact with flames or elevated temperatures. [0006] In connection with the known type of designs of fireproof gloves, the layers of material are structured in such a way that the heat-resistant insulating layer is extending in the direction of the external side of the glove on top of the waterproof functional layer being disposed underneath such upper layer. The safety glove disclosed in EP 0 724 848 B1 is cited herein as an example, where the external side of the glove with low thermal conductivity, which is important for its resistance to heat, and an intermediate layer consisting of a fleece material, are arranged on top of an actively breathing waterproof membrane. [0007] Gloves with a layered structure as specified above have the drawback that they are resistant to heat or fire retarding only to a limited degree, and incapable of withstanding any longer-lasting heat and flame radiation, for example during a fire extinguishing operation, which poses the substantial risk that the hand of the user is exposed to suffering burns. This is substantiated mainly by the fact that the insulating material disposed on the outermost side, or any intermediate layers that may be present, absorb and store liquid acting thereon from the outside, so that any liquid stored in the glove may get heated by the ambient heat above the boiling point, which may cause hot water vapors to penetrate through the liquid-tight functional layer and the inner lining of the glove, so that the hand of the user is directly exposed to the steam and ambient heat, and the hand of the user cannot withstand scalding and burns. [0008] Furthermore, gloves are known in the prior art that have reinforcing elements on the outer cover layer in the area of the upper hand in order to increase the dimensional stability of the glove and to better protect the interior of the glove from external influences. [0009] The disadvantage afflicting gloves with reinforcing elements as known in the prior art, is that such elements are formed as separate components of the precut material of the outer cover or top layer of the glove, and that such material precuts have to be additionally pieced together and sewn on, and/or the reinforcing elements have to be fastened on or sewn to the upper hand part of the glove with the help of special connecting means and methods. When separate reinforcing elements are used, therefore, high material costs are incurred, raising the expenditure for the production process, so that the overall manufacturing costs of the glove are substantially increased. Furthermore, separate reinforcing elements for the material precuts are disadvantageous in that within the area of the seams connecting the reinforcing element with the precuts, weak points are present with respect to the resistance of the glove, and when the latter is subjected to higher stress, the risk one faces is that the seams may get unraveled, with the result that the reinforcing element is inadequately secured on the material precuts. [0010] Furthermore, gloves are known in the prior art where a shaft is extending across the area of the wrist in the direction of the area of the elbow of the user. Known are primarily sanitary and medical gloves made of elastic, i.e. gloves produced from expandable and yielding plastic material with a tubular and cylindrical shaft. [0011] A glove with a long, widening cuff consisting of an inelastic or unyielding material is known from the above-mentioned EP 0 724 848 B1. Such gloves are disadvantageous in that the shaft extending across the lower arm of the user is only loosely resting on the lower arm, and that the shaft is not fixed on the lower arm in any other way between the first strap and the face end area of the glove. Thus the problem posed here is that the shaft of the glove fits poorly on the lower arm, and may easily slip, limiting the wearing comfort and the functionality of the glove. Most importantly of all, the danger thus faced is that foreign material may undesirably penetrate the interior of the glove, and protection of the hand and lower arm of the user is not or only inadequately assured. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0012] The problem of the invention is to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks and deficiencies, and to provide a glove that assures high wearing comfort and enhanced protection of the hands and arms of the user. A part problem of the invention is to provide a glove that exhibits increased resistance to heat and flames without significantly limiting the wearing comfort of the user. A further part problem of the invention is to equip a glove in such a way that it assures increased mechanical and thermal resistance, whereby the goal is to reduce also the expenditure for producing such a glove. A further part problem of the invention is to provide a glove that is more flexible in the area of the shaft, and more precisely adaptable to the covered body parts of the user, for enhancing the wearing comfort and for protecting the lower arm and hand of the user. [0013] The problem of the invention is independently resolved by the features specified in the characterizing clause of claim 1. Owing to the fact that the heat- and flame-resistant insulating layer with low thermal conductivity is arranged beneath the liquid-tight functional layer, the insulating layer is protected against contact with a liquid acting on the glove from the outside, and absorption of liquid by the insulating layer is thus prevented. This is advantageous particularly if the glove as defined by the invention is used in the field of fire-fighting because the hand of the user is constantly in contact with extinguishing water, whereby according to the invention, the water cannot penetrate the glove up to the insulating layer. Storage of water in the insulating layer is consequently prevented, which means that the glove remains wearable with comfort without deterioration of its tactile properties on the hand of the user. Furthermore, the generation of steam from absorbed water can be prevented if heat acting on the glove from the outside should rise, which prevents steam particularly from any explosion-like penetration of the inner material layers of the glove, and the hand of the user is better safeguarded against heat and flames acting on the glove from the outside. It has been found in test series that the glove is thus capable of withstanding higher thermal influences over a longer period of time, whereby the glove as defined by the invention is capable of meeting the requirements defined in European norm EN 659:2003. It is advantageous in connection with such a glove that owing to the special arrangement of its layers of material, a relatively thin and compact structure of the layers suffices in order to satisfy its adequate protective function, which provides a tactile and comfortably wearable safety glove. [0014] Claim 2 specifies an advantageous embodiment of the structure of the layers of the glove, which, in addition to the required tightness to water, ensures additionally increased resistance to heat and flames, and the well-tested wearing feeling of a glove, to which the user is accustomed to, remains preserved. The further requirements which gloves, and particularly safety gloves for fire-fighting personnel are expected to satisfy in addition to thermal stability, such as, e.g. good wearing comfort, safe protection from mechanical and chemical influences, etc., are thus satisfied. [0015] The design variation according to claim 3 is advantageous in that synthetic fibers, particularly aramide fibers, represent a time-tested insulation material that can be processed for producing deformable, flexible layers, which consequently can be used also for items of garments such as gloves that are anatomically adaptable, and do not restrict the mobility of the hand of the user. Claims 4 and 5 specify other useful insulation materials. [0016] Claims 3 to 12 each specify possible design variations of the glove as defined by the invention, which each, per se or in combination among one another, permit particularly effective protection for the hand of the user against heat and fire in a beneficial manner, such design variations being adaptable to different user requirements with respect to material composition and wearing comfort. [0017] Due to the embodiment of the glove specified in claim 13, at least the area of the user's hand exposed closest to the source of a fire in a fire-fighting mission, is protected against heat and flames. In this connection, the zones or areas of the glove may have their own structure of layers deviating from the structure of layers in the heat-resistant zone, so that different zones or areas of the glove are adaptable to different requirements with respect to tightness, resistance to heat and open flames, and tactility etc. [0018] The embodiment specified in claim 14 is advantageous in that owing to an insulating layer with the thickness within the specified range, the layered structure of the glove can be kept relatively thin, and the glove can be worn by the user with comfort and without significant restriction of the freedom of mobility in spite of adequate resistance to heat and flames. [0019] Another independent solution as defined by the invention is specified in the characterizing clause of claim 15. The advantage ensuing from said solution primarily lies in that the manufacturing costs for producing such a glove can be reduced due to the use of a reinforced piece of material precut in one piece jointly with at least one reinforced area, as well as owing to the special way in which such a one-piece material cut is sewn together. Additional reinforcing or protecting elements thus can be omitted on the external side of the glove, and it is possible to produce in this manner a functioning glove at favorable cost. Another benefit lies in that no different material precuts have to be connected with each other, or no individual reinforcing elements have to be connected with the precuts for forming the reinforced area, so that weak points such as, for example sewing threads can be avoided in the sites of connection. The glove is consequently more resistant to external stress and also to wear. [0020] A glove embodied according to the features of claim 16 is advantageous because the areas of the back of the hand, particularly the area of the finger knuckles and the wrist of the hand of the user, are always exposed to external influences, and may come into direct contact with foreign bodies, for example in order to knock away interfering obstacles, so that such areas are consequently particularly in need of protection. Such protection is made possible in an advantageous manner by the upper hand component of the glove, which is realized as specified in claim 16. [0021] An advantage is gained with the features specified in claim 17 in that the reinforced area of the glove can be obtained with a very simple structure of one material precut, and without requiring any additional components, solely on account of the special way it is precut, and the special way in which such a precut is secured. Only one piece of precut material with larger dimensions is required for said purpose. For the purpose of forming elevations, such a material precut is compressed and placed in folds or corrugations, and correspondingly secured on the other material precuts or material layers, as it is described by the advantageous features of claims 18 and 19. Continue reading... Full patent description for Glove Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Glove patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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