Latex glove with fabric-adherent cuff region

Abstract

A dipped and cured latex glove article, the inner cuff surface of which is fabric-adherent, and a method of making such a glove comprising dipping a coagulant-coated glove former into an aqueous latex emulsion thereby forming a latex first layer on the former, partially coating the latex first layer on the former with a non-tacky aqueous polymeric emulsion, heating the former to cure the first layer with the second layer, stripping from the former and inverting the article, washing the article, dressing the inverted latex glove article on a glove former such that the fabric-adherent inner cuff surface contacts the former, treating the surface of the article to minimize tackiness, stripping the article from the former, washing the article, and drying the article, after which the article can be packaged and sterilized by exposing the packaged latex glove article to gamma radiation.

1 . A dipped and cured latex glove article comprising an integral glove region and a cuff region, 
 wherein said integral glove region comprises an inner glove surface and an outer glove surface,    wherein said cuff region comprises an inner cuff surface and an outer cuff surface, and    wherein said inner glove surface is coated with a non-tacky lubricious polymeric coating whereas said inner cuff surface is not coated and is left in the dipped and cured latex state, which is tacky, and    wherein said outer glove surface and said outer cuff surface are treated to minimize the tackiness of the dipped and cured latex state,    whereby said inner glove surface enables easy dry- and wet-donning of the glove and the tacky inner cuff surface adheres to a fabric sleeve when the glove is donned over the end of the sleeve.    
   
   
       2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said inner cuff region has a width of about 0.5 cm to about 10 cm.  
   
   
       3 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said inner cuff region has a width of about 1 cm to about 3 cm.  
   
   
       4 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein said non-tacky lubricious polymeric coating is a cured dip-coated film-forming polymeric emulsion.  
   
   
       5 . The article of  claim 4 , wherein the polymeric emulsion comprises a wax and a surfactant.  
   
   
       6 . The article of  claim 4 , wherein the polymeric emulsion is an aqueous polyurethane polymeric emulsion.  
   
   
       7 . The article of  claim 6 , wherein the polymeric emulsion comprises a wax and a surfactant.  
   
   
       8 . The article of  claim 4 , wherein the polymeric emulsion is an aqueous acrylic polymeric emulsion.  
   
   
       9 . The article of  claim 8 , wherein the polymeric emulsion comprises a wax and a surfactant.  
   
   
       10 . The article of  claim 4 , wherein the polymeric emulsion is an aqueous siliconized polymeric emulsion comprising silicone particles.  
   
   
       11 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the latex is natural.  
   
   
       12 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein the latex is polyisoprene.  
   
   
       13 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the latex is synthetic.  
   
   
       14 . The article of  claim 13 , wherein the latex is polyisoprene.  
   
   
       15 . The article of  claim 13 , wherein the latex is nitrile rubber.  
   
   
       16 . The article of  claim 13 , wherein the latex is styrene-isoprene-styrene block co-polymer.  
   
   
       17 . The article of  claim 13 , wherein the latex is chloroprene.  
   
   
       18 . The article of  claim 13 , wherein the latex comprises nitrile, styrene-isoprene-styrene block co-polymer, chloroprene, polyisoprene, or a combination of one or more of the foregoing.  
   
   
       19 . A dipped and cured synthetic latex glove article, 
 wherein the synthetic latex comprises nitrile, styrene-isoprene-styrene block co-polymer, chloroprene, or a combination of one or more of the foregoing,    wherein the glove article comprises an integral glove region and a cuff region,    wherein said integral glove region comprises an inner glove surface and an outer glove surface,    wherein said cuff region comprises an inner cuff surface and an outer cuff surface, and    wherein said inner glove surface and inner cuff surface are coated with synthetic polyisoprene, which is tacky,    wherein said inner glove surface is then coated with a non-tacky lubricious polymeric coating whereas said inner cuff surface is not coated and is left tacky, and    wherein said outer glove surface and said outer cuff surface are treated to minimize the tackiness of the dipped and cured latex state,    whereby said inner glove surface enables easy dry- and wet-donning of the glove and the tacky inner cuff surface adheres to a fabric sleeve when the glove is donned over the end of the sleeve.    
   
   
       20 . A method of making a latex glove article comprising an integral glove region and a cuff region, which method comprises: 
 (i) dipping a coagulant-coated glove former into an aqueous latex emulsion, thereby forming a latex first layer on the former,    (ii) partially coating the latex first layer on the former with a non-tacky aqueous polymeric emulsion, thereby forming a second layer on top of the latex first layer in the integral glove region but not in the cuff region of the latex glove article,    (iii) heating the former with the first layer and the second layer to cure the first layer with the second layer, after which the cuff region remains tacky and the integral glove region becomes non-tacky,    (iv) stripping from the former and inverting the latex glove article,    (v) washing the latex glove article to remove coagulant, aqueous latex surfactants, stabilizers, pH modifiers, and offensive proteins,    (vi) dressing the inverted latex glove article on a glove former such that the surface of the glove with the tacky cuff region and the non-tacky integral glove region contacts the former,    (vii) treating the surface of the latex glove article, which is not in contact with the former and which comprises a tacky integral glove region and a tacky cuff region, to minimize tackiness,    (viii) stripping the latex glove article from the former,    (ix) washing the latex glove article to remove any residue from (vii), and    (x) drying the latex glove article at 80° C. for 1 hr, whereupon a latex glove article is made.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the partially coating in (ii) is done by partially dipping.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the treating in (vii) is with a chlorination solution.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the treating in (vii) is with a chlorination solution.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , which further comprises packaging the latex glove article.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , which further comprises sterilizing the packaged latex glove article by exposing the packaged latex glove article to gamma radiation.  
   
   
       26 . A method of making a synthetic latex glove article comprising an integral glove region and a cuff region, which method comprises: 
 (i) dipping a coagulant-coated glove former into an aqueous synthetic latex emulsion comprising nitrile, synthetic styrene-isoprene-styrene block co-polymer, chloroprene, or a combination of one or more of the foregoing, thereby forming a latex first layer on the former,    (ii) dipping the former with the latex first layer into a synthetic polyisoprene latex emulsion, thereby forming a latex second layer on top of the latex first layer in the integral glove region but not in the cuff region of the latex glove article,    (iii) partially coating the first layer and the second layer on the former with a non-tacky aqueous polymeric emulsion, thereby forming a third layer on top of the latex first layer and the latex second layer in the integral glove region but not in the cuff region of the latex glove article,    (iv) heating the former with the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer to cure the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer together, after which the cuff region remains tacky and the integral glove region becomes non-tacky,    (v) stripping from the former and inverting the latex glove article,    (vi) washing the latex glove article to remove coagulant, aqueous latex surfactants, stabilizers, pH modifiers, and offensive proteins,    (vii) dressing the inverted latex glove article on a glove former such that the surface of the glove with the tacky cuff region and the non-tacky integral glove region contacts the former,    (viii) treating the surface of the latex glove article, which is not in contact with the former and which comprises a tacky integral glove region and a tacky cuff region, to minimize tackiness,    (ix) stripping the latex glove article from the former,    (x) washing the latex glove article to remove any residue from (viii), and    (xi) drying the latex glove article at 80° C. for 1 hr, whereupon a latex glove article is made.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the partially coating in (iii) is done by partially dipping.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the treating in (viii) is with a chlorination solution.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the treating in (viii) is with a chlorination solution.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 26 , which further comprises packaging the latex glove article.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , which further comprises sterilizing the packaged latex glove article by exposing the packaged latex glove article to gamma radiation.