Personal protective equipment

Abstract

An apparatus for providing a seal between a sleeve of a garment and a glove, the apparatus including a cuff body and a glove insert, the cuff body comprising a surrounding wall which defines an internal space, and the cuff body having a first distal open end and a second distal open end, the first distal open end comprising a resiliently deflectable sealing lip, which defines an opening of said first distal end, the glove insert is hollow and has a respective opening at each distal end, the glove insert comprises an outer surface which is provided with a locating channel which extends around the outer surface, the cuff body arranged for attachment to the sleeve of a garment, and the glove insert arranged to be inserted inside a glove, the sealing lip arranged to resiliently engage with glove material within the locating channel and thereby seal against the glove material.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a seal between a sleeve of a garment and a glove, the apparatus comprising: a cuff body and a glove insert; the cuff body comprising a surrounding wall which defines an internal space, and the cuff body having a first distal open end and a second distal open end; the first distal open end comprising a resiliently deflectable sealing lip, which defines an opening of the first distal open end; the glove insert is hollow and has a respective opening at each distal end of the glove insert; the glove insert comprises an outer surface which is provided with a locating channel which extends around the outer surface; the cuff body arranged for attachment to the sleeve of a garment, and the glove insert arranged to be inserted inside a glove, the sealing lip arranged to resiliently engage with glove material within the locating channel and thereby seal against the glove material, wherein the cuff body includes at the first distal open end of the cuff body a thickened wall portion, and wherein the resilient sealing lip extends from a junction with a radially inner portion of the thickened wall portion, the thickened wall portion forming a first end region and a thinner wall portion forming an opposite end region.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the locating channel is defined by two spaced apart relief formations.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the relief formations comprise two ribs, which are spaced apart from each other and extend around the glove insert.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which one of the relief formations has a greater outward extent that the other relief formation.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which one of the relief formations is at or proximal to a rearward distal end of the glove insert, and the relief formation has the greater outward extent.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the locating channel is provided towards one of the distal ends of the glove insert.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the glove insert is of substantially frusto-conical shape.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the resilient sealing lip is located radially inwardly of the cuff body.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the resilient sealing lip, in an unbiased/undeflected condition, is orientated at an incline.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the resilient sealing lip circumscribes an opening of the first distal open end of the cuff body.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient sealing lip is connected to a radially inner portion of the thickened wall portion.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which an outer surface of the wall structure is of overall cylindrical shape.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the cuff body is formed of resiliently deformable material.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the glove insert is configured to be received through the internal space of cuff body, and then into a connected condition to effect the seal by way of a push-fit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The following drawings show one embodiment of the invention, by way of example only, and are described, along with other embodiments, in the description below:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cuff body and a glove insert,

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the cuff body of FIG. 1 along a central longitudinal axis,

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-section the glove insert of FIG. 1 along a central longitudinal axis,

(5) FIG. 4 shows schematically compressive forces applied to the cuff body of FIG. 1,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of the glove insert received in a glove, and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a cross-section of the combination of the glove and glove insert of FIG. 5, received by the cuff body of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) There is now described a novel apparatus for effecting a seal between an arm sleeve of a garment and a glove. In overview, the apparatus comprises two components, one of which is to be inserted into a glove, and second is a cuff piece which is affixed to the opening an arm sleeve of a garment. As is described in more detail below, the apparatus achieves a reliable seal, and ensures comfort for the wearer.

(9) With reference to FIG. 1 there is shown an apparatus comprising a cuff body 1 and a glove insert 2. Both elements are of open-ended hollow construct.

(10) With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the cuff body 1 at a (forward) distal end thereof comprises a sealing lip 5. The sealing 5 lip is of circular shape and defines an opening 1a at the respective distal end. As best seen in FIG. 2, the sealing lip is of tapered shape, when viewed in radial cross-section. In this, the free-end region is of greater width as compared to its fixed end region. The fixed end region comprises a connector or junction 7 which connects the lip to a support structure 6. The support structure 6 comprises a wall of greater thickness as compared to the adjacent cylindrical wall portion of the cuff body. The junction 7 allows for the free-end region of the sealing lip to be resiliently deflectable relative to support structure 6. In an unbiased condition, the sealing lip 5 is oriented at an incline (of approximately forty-five degrees), as is best shown in FIG. 2.

(11) The external shape of the cuff body 1 is essentially cylindrical, and as mentioned above, the cuff body 1 further comprises a wall portion 9 of lesser thickness. The outer surface of the wall portion 9 includes a roughened or abraded surface 9a to facilitate the bonding of an arm sleeve of a garment thereto.

(12) The cuff body 1 is made from an elastomeric material, such as rubber, or similar. This imparts a resiliently deformable attribute. For example, and with reference to FIG. 4, if two opposing compression forces are applied to the cuff body 1, as depicted by the two arrows, it will adopt a deformed condition, as long as the forces remain. Once the forces are removed the cuff body will return to its initial, unbiased condition.

(13) Turning to the glove insert 2, this is of frusto-conical shape, having a narrower front distal end and a wider rearward distal end. The forward distal end of the glove insert 2 is the end which is first received by a glove, as will be described in more detail below.

(14) The glove insert 2 is provided with two (external) ribs, 11 and 12. Both are of circular shape and extend around the outward facing surface of the insert, and are spaced apart relative to the longitudinal extent of the inert. Intermediate of the ribs 11 and 12, there is defined a gap which forms a channel 13. The rib 11 is located at the rearward distal end, whereas the rib 12 is located between the rearward distal end and the forward distal end. As best seen in FIG. 3, the rib 11 extends further outwards as compared to the rib 12.

(15) The use of the apparatus is as follows. The glove insert is first fitted into a glove, and reference is made to FIG. 5. This is done by pulling the cuff of a glove over the forward end of the glove insert 2, until the entire insert is within the glove, with the glove cuff material covering the two ribs. This is shown in FIG. 5, and in fact the cuff portion 20a of the glove 20 extends beyond the rearward distal end of the glove insert. It can be seen that the glove forms a close fit over the glove insert 2, with the glove material largely conforming to the external shape of the insert, including that of the two ribs 11 and 12. The same process is repeated for a second glove, using a second glove insert.

(16) The user the places each hand into each of the respective gloves. The user then inserts each hand through a respective sleeve of a garment. The garment (not illustrated) has affixed to each sleeve opening a cuff body 1. This is achieved by bonding an inner surface of a sleeve to the external surface 9a of the cuff body. As the user's hands reach the cuff body 1 at the end of each sleeve, the user is required to push the rib 12, and the glove material which covers the same, past the resilient lip 5. This requires a certain amount of force by the user in order to deflect the lip sufficiently, and can be termed a push-fit. Once this is achieved, the lip 5 locates (or snaps) in the channel between the rib 11 and the rib 12, as is shown in FIG. 6. The presence of the support structure 6 and that of the rib 11, prevents the user from pushing the glove beyond the cuff body 1.

(17) As can be seen in FIG. 6, the lip 5 engages with the glove cuff material, in a deflected condition. This in essence clamps the glove material between the cuff body and the insert, and so preventing any movement of the glove. Furthermore, the engagement between the lip 5 and the glove material (on the insert 2) forms a fluid seal, and so prevents any fluid from entering into the sleeves of the garment. As is also evident from FIG. 6, the channel 13 accommodates both the seal lip 5 (in a deflected condition) as well as the thickened wall portion, 6. The rib 11 being of increased height serves to prevent the user inadvertently pushing the glove (with insert) completely through the cuff body, which would then comprise the fluid seal, in view of engagement between the rib 11 and the surface of the thickened wall portion 6. In the condition shown in FIG. 6, the glove and the cuff body can be said to be locked or mated to each other, so that the integrity of the fluid seal in maintained during use, and that the relative position between the glove and the cuff body is fixed. When the user wishes to remove the glove they can simply pull the glove against the cuff body, and so deflecting the lip 5 over the rib 12.

(18) Although in the above described embodiments the insert is disclosed as being removably receivable in the glove, in another embodiment, the insert may be incorporated or integrated with the glove (and so obviating the step of requiring the user to push the insert into a glove).

(19) Advantageously, the above described apparatus can be used with a variety of different gloves from thin- to thick-walled, as well as with thick stitched and flock lined gloves.

(20) The apparatus allows for its flexure during use and so enhances comfort to the user, especially when a wearer is lifting items. The inherent flexure of the apparatus also ensures the integrity of the seal e.g. liquid tightness is retained, should engagement with an external object, such as a heavy weight, cause distortion during use. This may be termed flexural tolerance.

(21) The above described apparatus advantageously allows for rapid and straightforward glove changes, should these be required. This can be contrasted with the known arrangement of wrapping adhesive tape around the sleeve and glove, which is both cumbersome and does not result in a reliable seal being formed.

(22) It will be appreciated that the apparatus may be used in a clinical setting, such as in hospitals, when for example staff may need to wear protective clothing when treating or otherwise in close proximity to an infectious patient. When a staff member is required to place their arm underneath a patient to lift them, the above described cuff body will not dig into the patient's body, but rather will flex and to some extent conform to the area of lifting contact with the patient's body.