Elastomeric glove containing a foam donning layer

• US 20070136926A1
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: O&M Halyard, Inc. (Owens and Minor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Shamis, Martin, Bagwell, Alison, Johnson, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,353,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 2/159
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/0058 Three-dimensional gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 42/00 Surgical gloves; Finger-stalls specially adapted for surgery; Devices for handling or treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/14 Dipping a core B29C41/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/0461 by having different chemical compositions in different places, e.g. having different concentrations of foaming agent, feeding one composition after the other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/12 Incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/148 Applying the foaming resin, moulding the lining or the like, with the lining turned inside out
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/4864 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/10 Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/302 Water
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4833 Polyethers containing oxyethylene units
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2101/00 Manufacture of cellular products

Abstract

Elastomeric articles, such as gloves are disclosed. The gloves include a primary matrix made from one or more elastomeric materials and a foam donning layer. In one embodiment, for instance, the donning layer can be formed from a polyurethane foam. The polyurethane foam can be created from the reaction product of a polyurethane prepolymer and a solution containing water. The resulting foam can be hydrophilic and can absorb moisture for preventing moisture from being trapped between the primary matrix and a user'"'"'s skin.

Claims

1. A glove comprising:

a primary matrix comprising an elastomeric polymer, the primary matrix being in the shape of a glove, the glove having an inside hand-contacting surface and an exterior surface; and

a foam layer located on the inside surface of the glove.

2. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the foam layer comprises a polyurethane foam.

3. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the foam layer comprises an open cell foam.

4. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the foam layer is capable of absorbing moisture.

5. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the primary matrix comprises a nitrile polymer.

6. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the primary matrix comprises a natural rubber latex polymer.

7. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the primary matrix comprises a polyvinyl chloride polymer.

8. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the primary matrix comprises a block copolymer.

9. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the primary matrix comprises more than one layer.

10. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the foam layer is hydrophilic.

11. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the foam layer is made from a material comprising a polyether polyurethane.

12. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the foam layer contains an additive incorporated into the foam layer, the additive comprising a material selected from the group consisting of anti-microbial agents, bacteriostatic agents, liquid absorption agents, medicaments, therapeutic agents, and mixtures thereof.

13. A glove as defined in claim 12, wherein the additive comprises an anti-microbial agent.

14. A glove as defined in claim 13, wherein the anti-microbial agent comprises a composition comprising silver.

15. A glove as defined in claim 12, wherein the additive comprises aloe.

16. A glove as defined in claim 1, wherein the foam layer comprises a reaction product of a prepolymer with a solution comprising water, the prepolymer comprising an isocyanate-capped polyoxyethylene polyol.

17. A glove as defined in claim 16, wherein the solution comprises water and at least one surfactant.

18. A method for producing a glove product comprising:

forming a primary matrix on a former in the shape of a hand to form a glove, the primary matrix comprising one or more layers of an elastomeric material;

forming a foam layer on the primary matrix while on the former;

stripping the glove from the former, the glove having an inside hand-contacting surface and an exterior surface, the foam layer being located on the interior surface of the glove.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the foam layer is formed by:

dipping the former containing the primary matrix into a prepolymer composition containing a polyurethane prepolymer and a diluent in order to form a prepolymer coating on the primary matrix; and

contacting the prepolymer coating with a solution comprising water causing the foam layer to form.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the prepolymer coating is contacted with the solution comprising water by spraying the solution onto the prepolymer coating.

21. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the solution comprising water further contains a surfactant.

22. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the polyurethane prepolymer comprises an isocyanate-capped polyoxyethylene polyol.

23. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the prepolymer composition further contains an additive, the additive comprising a material selected from the group consisting of anti-microbial agents, bacteriostatic agents, liquid absorption agents, medicaments, therapeutic agents, and mixtures thereof.

24. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the foam layer is hydrophilic.

25. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the elastomeric material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a nitrile polymer, a natural rubber latex polymer, a polyvinyl chloride polymer, and a block copolymer.

26. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the diluent comprises a material selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylformamide, tetrahydrofuran, toluene, and acetone.