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  Gloves with enhanced anti-cuff-slip surfaceUSPTO Application #: 20060218697Title: Gloves with enhanced anti-cuff-slip surface Abstract: An elastomeric article encompassing an enclosure with an interior surface having at least two regions or zones is described. The first region has a higher coefficient of friction than the second region, in which an average coefficient of friction (COF) ratio between the first and second regions of the wearer-contact surface ranges from about 1:1.2 to about 1:3.8 or 4.0. The first region has either the same or smaller surface area than the second region, and is situated at or near an opening to the enclosure. The second region is coated with a hydrogel-based donning layer. A process of making the elastomeric article is also provided. Examples of elastomeric articles according to the invention include surgeons' gloves that exhibit good lubricity and donning characteristics, and have an improved cuff-slippage control. (end of abstract) Agent: Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah, WI, US Inventors: Shantilal H. Modha, Lin-Sun Woon USPTO Applicaton #: 20060218697 - Class: 002161700 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Apparel, Body Garments, Gloves, Work Glove, Medical Glove The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060218697. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to elastomeric articles. In particular, the invention relates to certain work, medical, or surgical gloves that have a modified surface, which reduces cuff-slip down, for enhanced protection of wearers. BACKGROUND [0002] Tight-fitting elastomeric articles, such as examination, medical, or surgical gloves, are usually made from either natural rubber or synthetic latex materials. Typically, such natural or synthetic latex materials are tacky and have a high coefficient of friction. This does not allow for easy introduction of a hand into the glove. Hence, some sort of surface treatment is required on the inner surface of the glove to facilitate donning, which may also involve lubricating the interior surface to enable ease of donning by a wearer because of undue clinging or friction between the surface of the article and that of the wear's skin. Traditionally, powdered lubricants have been applied to the inside surface of the glove to reduce friction between the skin and the glove. Unfortunately, the use of powdered lubricants may not be appropriate for specific situations, such as the case of surgical gloves. Specifically, if some of the powder escapes from the inside of the glove into the surgical environment, as for example if the glove is torn during the surgery, the powder may enter the surgical wound and cause further complications for the patient. [0003] As a result, other solutions have been developed to aid in the donning of elastomeric gloves. Polymeric lubricant coatings have been developed to modify the interior surface of the gloves in an effort to provide a safe and effective donning for medical practitioners. To date, the surface modification coating that has had the best success and that is most accepted is a hydrogel polymeric coating. [0004] Several kinds and ways of applying lubricating coatings, such as silicones or hydrogels, have been developed in the past; many with great success at alleviating the problem of donning. Coating the inner surface of elastomeric gloves with lubricant or donning layers, however, is believed to have unintentionally aggravated the tendency of the cuff regions of gloves to slip or roll down along the wrist during use. The problem is particularly burdensome with surgical gloves, in view of the critical nature of the surgeon's activities, and also in view of the danger that sterile field on the gloves may be compromised by attempts to re-roll the glove backup along the surgeon's arm. Surgical gloves currently on the market experience significant cuff slippage during use. [0005] Attempts that solving the glove-cuff slippage problem have traditionally focused on changing the physical shape or design of the glove. For instance, some commercially available gloves are provided with relatively thick, circumferential or longitudinal bands, ribs, fluting, or beaded cuffs, in an attempt to minimize cuff roll-down. Alternatively, others have suggested applying an adhesive strip to inside of the cuff, and still others have suggested employing rather cumbersome straps and pegs to secure the cuff tightly to the wear's wrist and forearm. Some manufactures have remedied this issue by narrowing the diameter of gloves at the cuff opening or its immediate area, which has resulted in more constrictive force on the arms producing discomfort and often a compression band on the skin. Hence, these efforts have not been very successful. [0006] A need exists for a better alternative that does not constrict the glove cuff, nor substantially change the gross physical configuration of the glove from designs which medical, surgical, or laboratory workers have become accustomed. The present invention satisfies this need and can provide such an alternative. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention pertains to the development of elastomeric articles, such as medical, surgical, or work gloves, that have a natural rubber latex or synthetic polymer latex substrate with a final interior surface that is differentiated into at least two major zones or regions, each with a different surface characteristic. At least one zone, a first region, of the elastomeric article is directed to achieving improved anti-slip or anti-roll-down characteristics when worn by a user against fabric or skin. To the extent that this first region of a glove has anti-slip properties, the surface of the glove is modified to have a higher coefficient of friction (COF) relative to the other, second region. In some embodiments, the higher COF may be achieved by either providing a more tacky surface in the first region or generating a slicker surface in the second region, each of which may involve the application or removal of a coating, such as of a hydrogel or other lubricating cover, to the respective zone. According to certain embodiments, the surface of the first region can be left substantially bare of any coating. That is, the elastomeric material (e.g., natural rubber or synthetic polymer) surface is exposed, or the region can be coated with a layer of adhesive or tackifying material (e.g., rubber cement). The difference in relative coefficient of friction helps prevent the glove from slipping down off of a sleeve of a surgical gown or other garment surface. Hence, the anti-slip first region preferably should be situated at or near the cuff portion of the glove. The difference in relative coefficients of friction between the two regions or zones of the inner, wearer-contacting surface can be expresses as a ratio in a range of at least about 1:1.2, up to about 4.5, more typically about 1:1.3 to about 1:3.8, preferably, about 1:1.4 to about 1:3.35. The first region, depending on the physical dimensions or size of the glove, can cover a distance or width that extends inwardly, from the terminal edge of the glove cuff, about 1 inch (2 cm) to about 5 or 6 inches (.about.12-13 cm), and around laterally over a surface area that encompasses the entire periphery of the cuff area. [0008] Just as the first region of the glove, absent a slick coating, will exhibit a relatively more tacky surface, it is envisioned that the second region of the glove includes a donning layer, such as a hydrogel or lubricating silicone layer, which will exhibit a low friction, sleek surface. This may be accomplish in the second region through application of a variety of different kinds of donning coatings that, for example, may either completely or partially cover the surface to assist donning requirements. [0009] In another aspect, the present invention also pertains to an online method of fabricating an elastomeric article having a surface with differentiated coefficients of friction. That is, one can create the different surfaces while the elastomeric article is still on its mould, according to a dipped-goods technique. The method encompasses: forming or providing a natural or synthetic rubber latex substrate; subjecting the latex substrate to a first water leach; applying an aqueous AlSO.sub.4-containing solution to a surface of the latex substrate; applying a donning coating over a part of the AlSO.sub.4-coated surface, such that a region of about at least 1 inch (.about.2.5 cm) from a terminal edge of the latex substrate remains uncoated with the donning coating. After the donning coating is dried and cured, second layer of AlSO.sub.4 is applied over the donning coating, followed by at least a second water leach. This application seals the donning coating, and prepared the coated latex substrate surface for exposure to a dilute solution of an oxidizing agent under alkaline conditions of about pH 9-11. The oxidizing agent can be a hypochlorite (e.g., NaOCl) solution, which is adapted to impart a sleek or smooth finish to the donning coating. [0010] Additional features and advantageous of the present invention will be revealed in the following detailed description. Both the foregoing summary and the following detailed description and examples are merely representative of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview for understanding the invention as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES [0011] FIG. 1 is a representation of a glove according to the present invention, as worn on the hand. [0012] FIG. 2 shows the cuff region of the glove depicted in FIG. 1, partially rolled back over the hand portion of the glove. [0013] FIG. 3 is a stylized depiction of the glove depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, showing differentiated surface regions or zone on the donning side of the glove. In one zone, near the cuff, the article has an anti-slip surface that has a higher relative coefficient of friction than the other zone. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Section I--Article [0014] In general the present invention is directed to an elastomeric article. As used herein, the term "elastomeric article" refers to an article formed predominantly from an elastic or elastomeric polymer latex. An "elastomeric polymer" refers to a polymeric or rubber latex material that is capable of being stretched or expanded, and upon release of the stretching or expanding force, will return to substantially (e.g., .+-.5%) its previous size and configuration. An article according to the present invention, for example, may include clean-room, surgical, work, and/or industrial gloves, that general exhibit a tendency to slip down over time when worn or used. Hence, the present invention is adapted to combat this problem, by providing, in part, a glove with at least two zones on its inner surface with differentiated surface characteristics. One of the zones is adapted to prevent slippage of the article when in contact with either human skin, or a fabric material by engaging with the skin or fabric material. [0015] FIG. 1 depicts a glove 10 that has a flexible, substrate body formed largely from an elastic, natural or synthetic latex material. The substrate body has a first surface and a second surface. For purposes of description, the first surface refers to the inner surface of the glove substrate body which when worn by a user in use is proximal or near to the body or skin of the wearer. The second surface refers to the outer surface of the article, which is remote from the body and skin of the wearer. The inner first surface is differentiated into at least a first and a second zone or region. FIG. 2 shows a partially inverted view of the glove 10 of FIG. 1, according to the present invention, which includes an elastomeric substrate body 12 with an donning side inner surface 14 made up of at least a first 16 and a second region 18. Each zone or region has a coefficient of friction, such that the coefficient of friction for the first zone or region 16 is greater than the coefficient for the second zone or region 18, according to a ratio in a range from about 1.2:1 to about 4.5:1. More typically, an average coefficient of friction ratio of the first zone to the second zone is about 1.3:1 to about 3.5 or 3.8:1. Desirably, the ratio is about 1.4:1 to about 2.75:1. More desirably, the coefficient of friction ratio is about 1.5:1 to about 2.5:1. [0016] In the present invention, as a general observation an inner surface of a glove that has a higher coefficient of friction is more desirable because of friction to retain the glove against the material of a garment. Yet, this observation has caveats that were surprisingly unexpected. Gloves, especially surgeon's gloves, should not restrict the natural movement and flex of a wearer's hands and wrist. Hence, the glove should not be too stiff and the coefficient of friction ratio should not be too large. In our experience, generally, a COF ratio that exceeds about 1:4.0 or 4.1 can overly restrict the ability of the user to freely move and flex the user's hands and wrists. Further, a high COF will hinder the ability of the wearer to easily don the glove, especially under damp-skin conditions. The wear's hand will catch against the high friction surface of the cuff region. To strike a balance between maintaining a natural feel, without binding the movement of hands and wrists, and better donning, while preventing the glove-cuff from slipping down, an optimized range for the COF ratio is between about 1:1.4 up to about 1:3.4 or 3.5, preferably about 1:2.0-3.0. [0017] As depicted in FIG. 2, the first region 16 is at least part of the inner surface 14 at or about a cuff portion 11 of the glove, and is adapted to exhibit a tendency to retard the tendency of the glove cuff slipping down from a wearer's wrist 2 or forearm 4 when in use. The glove may have a bead 6 at the terminal edge of the cuff, which further retards slippage. The first region 16, according to an embodiment, is absent the donning coat layer. The surface of the first region 16 may be either a bare, uncoated elastomeric material; or alternatively, may be covered with at least a layer of a tackifying material. In other words, the surface characteristics of the first zone can be modified to create a higher relative coefficient of friction than the second zone, by means of either taking away or adding coating layers. The inner surface at the first region 14a can contact an article of protective clothing, such as a surgical gown, coverall, smock, or other garment, and engage with the garment because of the first region's relatively higher coefficient of friction. The higher coefficient of friction can, in some embodiments, be derived from a greater tackiness on the first zone. Since the second region 18 forms at least part of a surface that contacts the wearer's skin, typically the hand 1 and wrist 2 portions of the glove, the second region 18 can be either substantially larger or about equal in surface area than the first region 16, and include at least a partial coating of a donning material, such as a hydrogel-based polymer. Alternate donning layer materials may include or be selected from, for example, polyurethanes, polymers from the poly-acrylate family, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) condensation products, poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene) (SBS), or poly(styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene) (SEBS). [0018] According to the present invention, the donning coat covers only partially the interior surface of a glove. That is, in an embodiment, a region of one to several inches (e.g., 1-5 or 6 inches) at or about the cuff portion of a glove is left free of a hydrogel coating, which covers the hand-donning portion around and/or below the wrist to the finger tips. The area of rubber film without hydrogel coating provides a tacky surface to adhere to gown fabric and this prevents the glove from slipping under normal use by the wearer. The tacky surface may also provide a seal against fluids draining under and into the glove, and afford more protection to the user. This is more easily illustrated, as shown in FIG. 3, with a glove 10 that is prepared just before being stripped from its mould 20 and inverted, with what will become in the inner surface 14 on the outside, away from the mould. Continue reading... Full patent description for Gloves with enhanced anti-cuff-slip surface Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Gloves with enhanced anti-cuff-slip surface 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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