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  Textured surface coating for gloves and method of makingUSPTO Application #: 20070192929Title: Textured surface coating for gloves and method of making Abstract: There is provided, in accordance with the principles of the present invention, a glove having a textured surface or textured foam coating produced by embedding a layer of discrete particles, such as a salt, into a previously formed liquid layer, gelling or curing the layer and dissolving the discrete particles to leave a textured or textured foamed surface. (end of abstract) Agent: Diehl Servilla LLC - Clark, NJ, US Inventors: Michael Flather, Paul Saunders USPTO Applicaton #: 20070192929 - Class: 002159000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Apparel, Body Garments, Gloves The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070192929. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/639,017, filed Dec. 14, 2006, which is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/882,016, filed Jun. 30, 2004, which claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/484,602, filed Jul. 2, 2003, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference thereto. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a glove with a textured surface and methods for making the glove. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Unsupported gloves are manufactured by dipping glove formers shaped like hands into tanks of liquid latex and admixed chemicals. The latex may contain vulcanization agents that are used to cure the rubber, and a dry rubber film is produced. The formers are first precoated with a coagulant to gel the latex and to facilitate the subsequent removal of the glove from the former. The precoated formers are then dipped in the tanks of chemicals necessary to make the gloves. While still on the formers, the latex gloves also go through one or more rinses to leach out proteins and residual chemicals. The wet gel is dried and cured in a heated oven and the latex glove cures on the former before they are reversed stripped off the former, packaged, and/or sterilized. The inside surface of the stripped glove is smooth whilst the outside surface of the glove takes the impression of the texture from the glove former. [0004] Supported gloves are manufactured by dip coating a supporting liner dressed on a glove former. The inside of the glove can be made of a knit material, a non woven fabric or other suitable material. After drying and curing in a heated oven the glove is removed from the former but not reversed hence a smooth outside surface of the glove results from the latex dip coating process. Alternatively, supported gloves can be made by dip coating the supporting liner with a layer of foamed latex material. Prior art gloves include dip coating with a foamed latex material that is unevenly applied to provide texture, but this surface levels out in the heating and curing process, leaving a closed cellular surface structure with a smooth surface layer. [0005] Smooth layers of latex create problems with the wearer's ability to grip objects, especially when wet. The prior art includes unsupported gloves made using formers having embossed patterns designed to improve the wearer's grip. These patterns create designs on the finished glove product, however, they contribute little to improving grip and are primarily aesthetic. Additionally, the prior art shows that post-processing of the gloves to remove excess surfactants from the latex by washing may marginally improve the wet grip. Alternatively, surface treatment by a halogen, such as chlorine, will not only remove the surfactant but also chemically modifies the latex surface. The surface treatment provides a more chemically resistant surface that retards the rate of chemical absorption and perhaps material degradation, resulting in a marginal improvement in wet grip. In supported gloves, an overcoat of polymeric latex optionally containing rubber or mineral fillers may slightly improve grip. These processes also add to the cost of glove production and may require additional machinery. [0006] In prior art gloves where the smooth latex is on the inside of the glove, the smooth surface is in close contact with the skin and it does not absorb sweat. This creates a clammy feeling on the wearer's hands. The prior art has included cotton flock on the inside of unsupported gloves to aid in sweat absorption, yet flock only absorbs small amounts of sweat. [0007] Foam material with a closed cellular surface layer does little to aid circulation of air inside the glove but can absorb sweat. Also, a foam material on the outside of either unsupported or supported gloves has a closed cellular surface layer that does little to enhance the ability to grip wet or slippery objects. [0008] It is therefore desirable to have a glove with a textured surface coating that is easily produced in the normal course of glove manufacture. A glove of this type would improve grip, such as wet/oil grip, when introduced to the outside of the glove. When included on the inside of the glove a textured surface would increase sweat absorption and reduce the degree of direct skin contact hence reducing the clammy feeling against the skin. It is therefore desirable to have a foam material layer with an open cellular structure with a textured surface. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] There is provided, in accordance with the principles of the present invention, a glove having a textured surface coating produced by embedding a layer of discrete particles, such as a common salt, into a liquid surface of a dipped latex film, gelling or drying the dipped latex layer, dissolving away the discrete particles to leave a textured surface, thereafter leaching, drying and curing and finally removing the glove from the former. In one embodiment, the present invention may provide a textured surface coating on the outside of the glove to improve wet gripping, on the inside of the glove to improve comfort, or both. In another embodiment, the present invention may also provide a textured surface produced by applying a foam material to a woven, knit or other substrate layer, embedding a layer of discrete particles into the liquid foam material layer, processing the foam layer and dissolving the embedded discrete particles. In another embodiment, the present invention further provides a process by which gloves with textured surface coatings or open celled foamed surface coatings may be produced. In a further aspect of the present invention, gloves, including nitrile gloves, having multifaceted cavities are described. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0010] FIG. 1 is a photograph of a plan view of a textured surface coating in a glove made according to one embodiment of the present invention. [0011] FIG. 2 is a photograph of a plan view of a surface in a SOLVEX 3 7-676 nitrile glove. [0012] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a two-layer glove made according to an embodiment of the present invention having a textured surface layer as a second layer. [0013] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a single layer SOLVEX 3 7-676 nitrile glove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0014] The present invention is directed to a glove with a textured surface coating made from either non foamed latex or foamed latex produced by embedding discrete particles in a layer of ungelled latex. The latex layer is ideally gelled on contact with the discrete particles. The process is completed by drying and curing the glove. The discrete particles may be removed from the layer either after gelling or curing by dissolving the particles in a suitable solvent. This process leaves impressions where the discrete particles were embedded, resulting in a textured surface coating that can improve grip, air circulation within the glove with less direct skin contact and a degree of sweat absorption. For example, wet/oil grip is improved in the textured gloves of the present invention. Foam material may be used in place of non foamed latex to produce the textured surface layer, providing better grip, higher sweat absorption and a flexible layer of insulation. [0015] The discrete particles used include, but are not limited to, various salts, including sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, zinc chloride, calcium nitrate, zinc nitrate, or other soluble compounds such as sugar (sucrose). A salt that is substantially soluble in a solvent, such as water, is preferred. A preferred salt is sodium chloride. Sodium chloride has several advantages in that it is inexpensive, readily available, easily disposed of and recycled, or reused. One useful commercial preparation of sodium chloride, 99% purity, is available from BSS International Ltd., Peterborough, England. Useful mean particle sizes can range from about 50 microns to about 6000 microns. A preferred mean particle size range is from about 50 microns to about 2000 microns. While all of these salts can be used to provide a similar physical textured appearance, chloride salts provide a distinct improvement in wet/oil grip and chemical resistance of the textured surface of the present invention. [0016] A salt, such as, for example, sodium chloride, upon contact with a liquid latex used in the present invention, immediately destabilises the latex to form a wet gel, and hence "freezes" that shape of the salt particle in the surface of the rubber. When the salt is removed a surface texture is created. This surface texture is the reverse image of the salt particle. [0017] The desired texture will be controlled by the choice of discrete particle. For example, a dendritic salt will produce a multi-faceted impression because it is a many-pointed crystal. Different impression sizes will result from the particles chosen as well. Crushed salt will produce various sizes of impressions, while the very fine particles of table salt will produce a dense, more even distribution of small impressions. Mixtures or combinations of particle size can be used. The solvent used to dissolve away the discrete particles will depend on the solubility of the particles, and may be water, an acid or an alkaline compound. [0018] According to embodiments of the present invention, gloves may be manufactured using a variety of different techniques. According to a preferred embodiment, the gloves are produced in a mass production line where a great plurality of gloves is sequentially, rapidly and consistently produced. Such a technique conveys and manipulates multiple glove formers through a series of chemical solutions and process steps to make the glove. The formers are made of porcelain, steel or plastic. According to the standard manufacturing process, gloves may be produced directly on the formers that are conveyed from one station to the next. For example, the formers are dipped into surfactants, waxes, coagulants and natural or synthetic elastomers to obtain a layer of the desired characteristics. The technique allows for altering the composition, the order of application, and the method of application of ingredients that make up the layer of the glove. Continue reading... Full patent description for Textured surface coating for gloves and method of making Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Textured surface coating for gloves and method of making 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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