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Polymer-coated protective garmentRelated Patent Categories: Apparel, Body Garments, Gloves, MaterialsPolymer-coated protective garment description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070083980, Polymer-coated protective garment. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] Many types and styles of protective gloves are known in the art. Depending on the type of environment, nature of work, or desired properties, these gloves are made from a variety of materials, including woven cloth fabrics, leather, natural latex or synthetic polymer elastomeric materials, or combinations of such materials. [0002] Gloves made of woven fabrics generally allow the user's skin to breathe through the fabric such that perspiration from the hand may be wicked away by the fabric. Knit gloves are often desirable in that they allow for a relatively comfortable fit on the hand of the user. Additionally, knit gloves demonstrate at least some degree of inherent flexibility in order to accommodate movement of the user's hands. Knitting processes used to create woven knit gloves, however, are typically slow and expensive. [0003] Gloves that require greater protection against fluids, chemicals, or microscopic pathogens typically incorporate a barrier layer that is impervious to the undesirable substances. For example, surgical, examination, or work gloves typically are made using natural or synthetic rubber latex or other elastic polymer membranes. [0004] In still other embodiments, gloves have been made in the past that include a combination of textile materials with elastomeric or film materials. For example, gloves have been made in the past that include an elastomeric shell that includes an internal lining composed of fibrous material, such as cotton flock. For instance, the flock may be composed of finely divided, ground, fibrous particles that are applied as a lining by spraying the flock particles onto an adhesive covered shell. The cotton flock lining is intended to provide a smooth, comfortable feel that cushions the hands and absorbs perspiration. The cotton flock lining may also insulate against hot and cold temperatures and may facilitate donning of the glove. [0005] The cotton flock lining, however, may have various disadvantages and drawbacks. For instance, the flock particles and fibers may become detached from the internal lining and can migrate out of the glove. The cotton flock lining, in some applications, may also be difficult to attach to the inside surface of an elastomeric article. Further, in order to attach the cotton flocking to the inside surface of the article, a glue or adhesive is used that adds complexity to the process for making the glove. [0006] In still other embodiments, multi-layered gloves have been produced that include a woven interior layer coated with a rubber-like material. Such gloves, however, generally have little elasticity and are typically reserved for heavy duty uses. [0007] In view of the above, a need currently exists for an improved composite garment, such as a glove, that includes a cloth-like glove body that is at least partially coated with an elastomeric material. Specifically, a need exists for a composite glove that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, that possesses both the benefits of a cloth-like lining and an elastomeric coating and that still has relatively good tactile properties such as elasticity and feel. Definitions [0008] As used herein, the term "nonwoven fabric or web" means a web having a structure of individual fibers or threads which are interlaid, but not in an identifiable manner as in a knitted fabric. Nonwoven fabrics or webs have been formed from various processes such as, for example, meltblowing processes, spunbonding processes, and bonded carded web processes. The basis weight of nonwoven fabrics is usually expressed in ounces of material per square yard (osy) or grams per square meter (gsm) and the fiber diameters are usually expressed in microns. (Note that to convert from osy to gsm, multiply osy by 33.91). [0009] As used herein, the term "spunbonded fibers" refers to small diameter fibers that are formed by extruding molten thermoplastic material as filaments from a plurality of fine, usually circular capillaries of a spinneret with the diameter of the extruded filaments then being rapidly reduced to fibers as by, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,563 to Appel et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,618 to Dorschner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,817 to Matsuki et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,338,992 and 3,341,394 to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,763 to Hartman, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,615 to Dobo et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. Spunbond fibers can be continuous and have diameters generally greater than about 7 microns, more particularly, between about 10 and about 20 microns. [0010] As used herein, the term "meltblown fibers" means fibers formed by extruding a molten thermoplastic material through a plurality of fine, usually circular, die capillaries as molten threads or filaments into converging high velocity, usually hot, gas (e.g. air) streams which attenuate the filaments of molten thermoplastic material to reduce their diameter, which may be to microfiber diameter. Thereafter, the meltblown fibers are carried by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited on a collecting surface to form a web of randomly disbursed meltblown fibers. Such a process is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,241 to Butin et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. Meltblown fibers are microfibers that may be continuous or discontinuous with diameters generally less than 10 microns. [0011] As used herein, the term "stretch-bonded laminate" refers to a composite material having at least two layers in which one layer is a gatherable layer and the other layer is an elastic layer. The layers are joined together when the elastic layer is extended from its original condition so that upon relaxing the layers, the gatherable layer is gathered. Such a multilayer composite elastic material may be stretched to the extent that the material gathered between the bond locations allows the elastic material to elongate. One type of stretch-bonded laminate is disclosed, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,415 to Vander Wielen et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Other composite elastic materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,699 to Kieffer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,966 to Taylor and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,657,802 and 4,652,487 to Morman and U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,760 to Morman et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. [0012] As used herein, the terms "necking" or "neck stretching" interchangeably refer to a method of elongating a nonwoven fabric, generally in the machine direction, to reduce its width (cross-machine direction) in a controlled manner to a desired amount. The controlled stretching may take place under cool, room temperature or greater temperatures and is limited to an increase in overall dimension in the direction being stretched up to the elongation required to break the fabric, which in most cases is about 1.2 to 1.6 times. When relaxed, the web retracts toward, but does not return to, its original dimensions. Such a process is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,513 to Meitner and Notheis, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,965,122, 4,981,747 and 5,114,781 to Morman and U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,482 to Hassenboehier Jr. et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. [0013] As used herein, the term "reversibly necked material" refers to a material that possesses stretch and recovery characteristics formed by necking a material, then heating the necked material, and cooling the material. Such a process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,122 to Morman, commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. [0014] As used herein, the term "neck bonded laminate" refers to a composite material having at least two layers in which one layer is a necked, non-elastic layer and the other layer is an elastic layer. The layers are joined together when the non-elastic layer is in an extended (necked) condition. Examples of neck-bonded laminates are such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,226,992, 4,981,747, 4,965,122 and 5,336,545 to Morman, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. [0015] As used herein, the term "coform" means a meltblown material to which at least one other material is added during the meltblown material formation. The meltblown material may be made of various polymers, including elastomeric polymers. Various additional materials may be added to the meltblown fibers during formation, including, for example, pulp, superabsorbent particles, cellulose or staple fibers. Coform processes are illustrated in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,464 to Lau and U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,324 to Anderson et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. [0016] As used herein, the term "ultrasonic bonding" refers to a process in which materials (fibers, webs, films, etc.) are joined by passing the materials between a sonic horn and anvil surface, such as a roll. An example of such a process is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,888 to Bornslaeger, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. [0017] As used herein, the term "elastic" refers to any material, including a film, fiber, nonwoven web, or combination thereof, which upon application of a biasing force, is stretchable to a stretched, biased length which is at least about 150 percent, or one and a half times, its relaxed, unstretched length, and which will recover at least 15 percent of its elongation upon release of the stretching, biasing force. [0018] As used herein, the terms "elastomer" or "elastomeric" refer to polymeric materials that have properties of stretchability and recovery. [0019] As used herein, the term "stretch" refers to the ability of a material to extend upon application of a biasing force. Percent stretch is the difference between the initial dimension of a material and that same dimension after the material has been stretched or extended following the application of a biasing force. Percent stretch may be expressed as [(stretched length +initial sample length)/initial sample length].times.100. For example, if a material having an initial length of one (1) inch is stretched 0.50 inch, that is, to an extended length of 1.50 inches, the material can be said to have a stretch of 50 percent. [0020] As used herein, the term "recover" or "recovery" refers to a contraction of a stretched material upon termination of a biasing force following stretching of the material by application of the biasing force. For example, if a material having a relaxed, unbiased length of one (1) inch is elongated 50 percent by stretching to a length of one and one half (1.5) inches the material would have a stretched length that is 150 percent of its relaxed length. If this exemplary stretched material contracted, that is recovered to a length of one and one tenth (1.1) inches after release of the biasing and stretching force, the material would have recovered 80 percent (0.4 inch) of its elongation. [0021] As used herein, the term "polymer" generally includes but is not limited to, homopolymers, copolymers, such as for example, block, graft, random and alternating copolymers, terpolymers, etc. and blends and modifications thereof. Furthermore, unless otherwise specifically limited, the term "polymer" shall include all possible geometrical configurations of the molecule. These configurations include, but are not limited to isotactic, syndiotactic and random symmetries. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Continue reading about Polymer-coated protective garment... Full patent description for Polymer-coated protective garment Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Polymer-coated protective garment 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. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Polymer-coated protective garment or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Polymer-coated protective garment Next Patent Application: Hat having elasticity and method of manufacturing the same Industry Class: Apparel ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Polymer-coated protective garment patent info. 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