EP0050081B1 - Clothing article such as a protective or safety glove, process for its manufacture and device for carrying out this process - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A method of manufacturing an article of protective clothing for the body of the type comprising an inner lining having the general shape of a sheath, an intermediate backing element and an outer protective covering, in which the lining is firstly placed on a mould and a layer of covering material is then placed on the lining on the mould of the backing element, characterised in that before the application of the layer of covering material, a backing element having the general shape of a sheath section, having a certain degree of elasticity at least in the radial direction, is wound around the lining, this backing element being held in place possibly by means of its own elasticity during the outer covering stage, and in that the lining and the outer covering are then connected together.

Description

The invention relates to an article of clothing, in particular of protection or security, in particular a glove; a method of manufacturing such an article of clothing and an installation for implementing the method.

The articles of clothing which are the subject of the invention are of the type comprising, first of all, an internal lining, support having a general shape of sheath, open at one end and closed at. the other, flexible, for example of textile material, in particular knitted, and, secondly, an external protective coating, in particular in the form of a layer of plastic material, rigidly associated and covering all or part of the lining.

These articles of clothing optionally include a reinforcement generally in the form of an initially flat piece, rigidly associated with the lining by own means of association such as glue or son.

A known method of manufacturing such an article of clothing comprises the following successive phases; the reinforcement is placed in the desired location of the lining, the reinforcement is kept in this relative position to avoid any untimely displacement, the reinforcement is rigidly secured to the lining by using the own means of association, therefore by bonding or seam and finally, a layer of covering material is applied to all or part of the lining lined with the reinforcement.

Patent DE-B 1 034 114 describes a protective glove, consisting of a textile support having areas having a different absorption capacity. Thus, when this textile support is immersed in a bath to cover it with a synthetic material, the parts which must be reinforced are more absorbent and the synthetic material is deposited in greater quantity at the places which must be protected.

US Pat. No. 3,290,695 describes gloves comprising a reinforcement constituted by an extra thickness. However, this additional thickness, which may consist of a synthetic material, is secured to the lining by means of bonding.

• En ce qui concerne l'article d'habillement proprement dit, le renfort est généralisement localisé et ne concerne qu'une zone limitée de la doublure. Ainsi, dans le cas d'un gant, le renfort concerne généralement exclusivement la commissure du pouce et une partie seulement de la paume. Néanmoins, il est des cas où l'on peut souhaiter un renfort recouvrant aussi la totalité de la paume et tout ou partie du dos du gant.

However, these known articles of clothing and their known manufacturing process have many drawbacks:

• As regards the article of clothing proper, the reinforcement is generally localized and concerns only a limited area of the lining. Thus, in the case of a glove, the reinforcement generally relates exclusively to the commissure of the thumb and only part of the palm. However, there are cases where one may wish a reinforcement also covering the entire palm and all or part of the back of the glove.

Securing the reinforcement to the lining by gluing or sewing complicates the structure of the glove and its manufacturing process by requiring a phase of holding the reinforcement on the lining and of rigid association. Such a phase is long (bonding time for the glue, sewing) which is difficult to implement. Also, an installation for implementing the method must include means for carrying out this phase, which are also expensive and complex.

The present invention therefore aims to remedy these drawbacks, and, for this purpose, it provides an article of clothing of the type mentioned above which includes a reinforcement having a certain elasticity, initially associated with the lining possibly only by elasticity, without use. notable of own means of association.

A method of manufacturing an article of clothing according to the invention does not comprise any essential phase of direct and positive joining of the reinforcement on the lining, in particular by gluing or sewing. An installation for implementing the method is therefore also substantially devoid of securing means and means for holding the reinforcement on the lining.

An article of clothing according to the invention, in particular a protective or safety glove, has the same general qualities as articles of clothing of the same type known to date. However, the article of clothing according to the invention does not have the above-mentioned drawbacks or has additional qualities. Thus, the reinforcement can extend all around the article of clothing. The article of clothing according to the invention is not more expensive than those known to date. The method of manufacturing the item of clothing is much simpler, much faster and much less costly to use than the method known to date. Also, the installation for implementing the method is much simpler than known installations of the same type.

On the other hand, the method according to the invention allows to realize articles of clothing in which a portion of the liner is devoid of coating materials, in particular, part e ^ï liner having a portion of the reinforcement.

• La figure 1 est une vue schématique d'un article d'habillement tel qu'un gant, suivant l'invention vu en élévation et de dessus; la figure 2 est une vue schématique du gant illustré sur la figure 1 vu de dessous; la figure 3 est une vue schématique en coupe selon la ligne III-III de la figure 1; la figure 4 est une vue schématique en coupe selon la ligne IV-IV de la figure 2. Les figures 5A à 5D sont des vues schématiques illustrant les phases du procédé de fabrication selon l'invention.

The invention will be clearly understood from the description which follows with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic view of an article of clothing such as a glove, according to the invention seen in elevation and from above; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the glove illustrated in Figure 1 seen from below; Figure 3 is a schematic sectional view along line III-III of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a schematic sectional view along the line IV-IV of Figure 2. Figures 5A to 5D are schematic views illustrating the phases of the manufacturing process according to the invention.

According to the invention, there is provided an article of clothing, in particular of protection or security, of the type comprising in the first place, a lining 1, internal, support, having a general shape of flexible sheath, of longitudinal axis-2 , having an open end 3 and a closed end 4.

The article of clothing secondly comprises an external protective coating 5, in particular in the form of a layer of plastic material, rigidly associated and covering at least part of the lining 1.

The article of clothing comprises in the third place a reinforcement 6, local, intermediate, flexible, attached to the lining 1, therefore distinct from the latter, interposed between the latter and the covering 5.

In a particular embodiment illustrated by the drawings, the article of clothing is a protective or safety glove, the longitudinal axis corresponding to the general direction of the fingers, the open end 3 corresponding to the wrist of the glove, the closed end 4 corresponding to the ends of the fingers. In the rest of the text, reference will be made, for reasons of simplification, to the case of an article of clothing such as a glove. Naturally, the invention applies, however, to any other form of clothing article.

As regards a glove, its back is designated by the reference 7, its palm by the reference 8, the thumb by the reference 9, the other four fingers; index, middle, annular, auricular, by the references 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, the commissure of the thumb 9 by the reference 11 and, finally the three other commissures defined by the fingers 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, by the references respective 12a, 12b, 12c. The internal lining 1 is preferably fine, made of textile material, fabric or knitted fabric, in particular interlock.

The coating 5 is in the form of a sufficiently thin, flexible layer to allow deformation of the glove. The coating 5 is preferably made of plastic and comprises a single layer or several superimposed layers. The plastic material constituting the coating 5 can comprise, for example, and without limitation, polyvinyl chloride, plasticizers and adjuvants.

The coating 5 is preferably continuous and relates to the entire lining 1 or only part of it. For example, all or part of the back 7 of the glove can be devoid of coating 5, the glove then being of the so-called "ventilated back" type.

According to the invention, the reinforcement 6 has a certain elasticity and is initially associated with the lining 1, possibly and in particular only by taking advantage of this elasticity and without significant use and in particular without any use of own means of association such as those used in the prior art (glue or wire).

In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcement 6 is in the general form of a section of sheath, of axis 2, open at its two ends 13a, 13b, thus surrounding the lining 1 and having a radial elasticity , in particular elastically biased in the centripetal radial direction, (arrows f in the figures) so as to come normally to apply naturally to the lining 1, this application being such that it prevents any reciprocal translation or any untimely disengagement of the lining 1 and the reinforcement 6.

Naturally, the axis of the reinforcement 6 can only be close to the axis 2.

The reinforcement 6 is preferably made of flexible material, for example knitted, in particular in rib 1 and 1 and all its derivatives.

In one possible embodiment, the reinforcement 6 may comprise several knitted layers.

Preferably, the knit constituting the re'n-fort 6 is wider mesh than those constituting the lining 1, in itself not very stretchy.

According to a possible variant, not shown,. the glove also includes an intermediate media, interposed between the lining 1 and the reinforcement 6 and / or in the same thickness of the reinforcement 6 and / or, possibly between the reinforcement 6 and the external coating 5. This intermediate media can relate to all or only part of the reinforcement 6. For example, the intermediate media can be provided on the back 7, the palm 8 being devoid of it or vice versa. This intermediate media is preferably of the type having elasticity in the transverse direction, that is to say in its thickness. Such an intermediate media can thus be constituted by a part, in particular a strip or sheath of cellular plastic material, flexible, or even a strip of knitted textile material. Any other material, also composite, falls within the scope of the present invention.

Naturally, the covering 5 has at the edge of the reinforcement 6 a recess 14, the shape of which corresponds to that of the reinforcement 6.

The two ends 13a, 13b of the reinforcement 6 can be of general direction either perpendicular to the axis 2 (case of FIGS. 1 and 2) or inclined with respect to the perpendicular. The ends 13a, 13b, can be of general direction either parallel to each other (case of Figures 1 and 2) or diverging from one another. Each end 13a, 13b can either be substantially rectilinear (case of Figures 1 and 2), or tormented. Optionally, one of the two ends 13a, 13b, in particular that associated with the end 4 can be closed, the other end remaining open.

Thus, according to certain possible variants and not shown, the reinforcement 6 has in elevation a general shape of a rectangular trapezoid so as to come and cover the thenar 15 of the glove. According to another possible variant, the reinforcement 6 comprises three notches placed side by side, at one of its ends, corresponding to the commissures 12a, 12b, 12c. Optionally, the reinforcement 6 can be extended by strips covering the fingers of the glove.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated by the figures, the reinforcement 6 extends between the commissures 12a, 12b, 12c or their vicinity and the wrist 3 or its vicinity, thus substantially covering the back 7 and the palm 8 of the glove . Experience has shown that it can be advantageous to have a protective glove with a reinforced back and palm. In this form of execution, the reinforcement 6 comprises a hole 16 or notch, allowing the passage of the thumb 9 of the glove so that the reinforcement 6 comes to apply to the commissure 11 of the thumb 9, without however covering the thumb 9 so- even. Naturally, the shape of the hole 16 can be such that the reinforcement 6 covers the areas of the glove subjected to a particular force.

The reinforcement 6 can be in one piece or in several superimposed and / or juxtaposed pieces. In particular, the reinforcement 6 may comprise two sections of sheath spaced axially from one another, placed end to end or, on the contrary, spaced from one another (not shown).

The reinforcement 6 may also include cutouts or holes at the desired locations. For example, the reinforcement 6 may include a hole in the back 7 of the glove.

In the same way as with regard to the lining 1 proper, the coating 5 relates to all or only part of the reinforcement 6, this reinforcement then being apparent.

As already indicated above, the article of clothing according to the invention is preferably a glove, the reinforcement 6 covering at least substantially the palm 8, and at least part of the back 7.

In the method of manufacturing an article of clothing such as that which has just been described, in a known manner, a lining 1 is first placed on a form 17 by axial sliding (FIG. 5A) and later on ( arrow G, FIG. 5D) on the lining 1 thus covering the form 17 a coating material 5 in the form of a layer in particular by dipping or by coating, deposit, etc. (Figure 5D).

In the process according to the invention, before applying the layer of coating material, the reinforcement 6 is threaded around the lining 1 filling the form 17 (FIG. 5B). As indicated above, this reinforcement 6 has a general shape of sheath section and has a certain elasticity in the radial direction. To carry out the reinforcement 6 on the lining 1 filling the form 17, action is taken on the reinforcement 6, in the centrifugal radial direction to open it (arrow h, FIG. 5B) and allow the introduction of the lining 1 by reciprocal translation (arrow k figure 5B). Once the reinforcement 6 is located at the right of its final position, it ceases to exert this tension towards the opening, in the centrifugal radial direction. Due to its own elasticity, the reinforcement is then applied to the lining 1 (arrow f Figure 5B).

The process according to the invention therefore does not include any essential phase of direct and positive connection of the reinforcement 6 to the lining 1, in particular by gluing or sewing, prior to the installation of the covering 5.

Where appropriate, the method includes a phase of placing the intermediate media.

It is clear that all the possible variants with regard to the application to the lining, respectively the reinforcement of the layer of coating material fall within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention finally relates to an installation for implementing the method which has just been described. Such an installation comprises at least one and generally a plurality of forms 17 and means for applying a coating material to a lining filling such a form. These application means may comprise, for example, a container containing the coating material in the liquid or pasty state and means for suspending the forms placed above the container and making it possible to soak the forms in the container. Such a machine includes means for placing liners on the forms, possibly manual.

According to the invention, the installation also includes means, possibly manual, for the establishment of a reinforcement such as that described above on the lining. These means comprise first means for opening the reinforcement, by exerting traction on it in the centrifugal radial direction and means for axially sliding the reinforcement on the lining.

Furthermore, the installation according to the invention is substantially devoid of any specific means of direct and positive connection of the reinforcement on the lining such as bonding or welding device.

The invention finally relates to the new application of a material having a certain elasticity, as reinforcement for an article of clothing such as a glove, of the type described above, in particular, the invention relates to the application specific, as reinforcement of a knitted fabric, especially in rib 1 and 1 and all its derivatives.

Of course, the present invention can be the subject of many other alternative embodiments which all remain in its essence.

Claims (15)

1. A method of manufacturing an article of protective clothing for the body of the type comprising an inner lining having the general shape of a sheath, an intermediate backing element and an outer protective covering, in which the lining is firstly placed on a mould and a layer of covering material is then placed on the lining on the mould of the backing element, characterised in that before the application of the layer of covering material, a backing element having the general shape of a sheath section, having a certain degree of elasticity at least in the radial direction, is wound around the lining, this backing element being held in place possibly by means of its own elasticity during the outer covering stage, and in that the lining and the outer covering are then connected together.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it comprises no direct and positive attachment of the backing element to the lining, in .. particular by adhesion or sewing, before the application of the covering layer.

3. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2, characterised in that it includes a stage in which an intermediate element is positioned.

4. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that in order to draw the backing element around the lining, this backing element is opened out by exerting a stretching action in the radial, centrifugal direction.

5. Apparatus for carrying out the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 of the type comprising at least one mould and means for applying a layer of covering material to a lining provided on the mould, these means comprising in particular a tank for the covering material and means for immersing the mould provided with the lining in the tank, characterised in that it comprises means for drawing a backing element having the general shape of a sheath section about the lining, these means comprising means for opening out the backing element, by exerting a stretching action thereon in the radial, centrifugal direction and means for sliding the backing element radially along the lining, and in that it is not provided with means for attaching the backing element to the lining in a direct and positive manner, in particular means using sewing or adhesive techniques.

6. An article of protective clothing for the body produced in accordance with the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, of the type firstly comprising an inner lining, having the general shape of a sheath, open at one end and closed at the other end, which is flexible and is made, for example, from textile material, in particular knitted material, secondly comprising an outer protective covering, in particular in the form of a layer of plastic material, which is rigidly attached and covers at least part of the lining, and thirdly, an intermediate local backing element, which is disposed on the lining and interposed between the lining and the covering, characterised in that the backing element (6) has a certain degree of elasticity and is associated initially with the lining (1) essentially by means of its elasticity, with no particular joining techniques involving, for example, adhesive or thread.

7. An article as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the backing element (6) has the general shape of a sheath section surrounding the lining (1) and being elastic at least in the radial direction.

8. An article as claimed in any one of claims 6 and 7, characterised in the general axis of the backing element (6) and the longitudinal axis (2) of the lining (1) are close to one another or merge together.

9. An article as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, characterised in that the backing element (6) is of textile material and is knitted, having larger stitches than those of the lining (1).

10. An article as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, characterised in that the backing element is in one or several portions.

11. An article as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 10, characterised in that the backing element comprises at least one opening or hole (16).

12. An article as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 11, characterised in that it also comprises at least one intermediate medium interposed between the lining (1) and the backing element (6) and/or in the thickness of the backing element (6) and/or between the backing element (6) and the covering (5), involving all or part of the backing element (6) and preferably being elastic in the transverse direction.

13. An article as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 12, characterised in that the covering (5) involves all or simply part of the lining (1) and/or of the backing element (6).

14. An article as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 13, characterised in that it has the shape of a glove, the backing element (6) extending at least partially over the back (7) and the palm (8).

15. An article as claimed in claim 15, characterised in that the backing element (6) extends from the junction points (12a, 12b, 12c) of the fingers up to the wrist (3), a hole or opening (16) being provided for the thumb (9).

Images