Glove having crush-resistant fingertips

Abstract

A thin flexible glove that includes a fabric support liner, crush-resistant fingertips, and an elastomeric or polymeric shell disposed thereon and manufacturing methods for making the glove.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thin flexible glove, comprising:
 a fabric support liner;   crush-resistant fingertips; and   an elastomeric or polymeric shell disposed over the liner and crush-resistant fingertips, wherein the crush-resistant fingertips may be on the inside of the liner or the outside of the liner.   
     
     
         2 . The glove of  claim 1  wherein the elastomeric or polymeric shell comprises a material chosen from one of natural rubbers, guayule, synthetic rubbers, natural or synthetic polyisoprene, butadienes, styrene-butadienes, nitriles, poly (vinyl chloride), polyurethanes, polychloroprene, or blends or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The glove of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric support liner comprises a knitted liner. 
     
     
         4 . The glove of  claim 3 , wherein the knitted liner has a gauge of 7 to 18. 
     
     
         5 . The glove of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric or polymeric shell is foamed. 
     
     
         6 . The glove of  claim 5 , wherein the elastomeric or polymeric foamed shell comprises about 70% open celled air content upon collapse of the foamed shell after curing. 
     
     
         7 . The glove of  claim 1 , wherein the crush-resistant fingertips are made of metal, plastic, or reinforced composite materials such as carbon-reinforced fiber composites. 
     
     
         8 . The glove of  claim 7 , wherein the crush-resistant fingertips are open-ended. 
     
     
         9 . A method of making a glove, comprising:
 providing a fabric support liner;   placing the liner onto a former; and   attaching crush-resistant fingertips onto or within the finger stalls of the liner.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of dipping the fabric support liner on the former into an elastomeric or polymeric emulsion, to form a coating on the fabric support liner; and
 curing the coating.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of disposing a coagulant on the liner before the dipping step. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the elastomeric or polymeric mixture is foamed to about 150-200% air content by volume. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the attaching step is chosen from gluing, using adhesives, using frictional forces, or molding. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the crush-resistant fingertips are made of metal, plastic, or composite materials. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the crush-resistant fingertips are closed- or open-ended. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein an elastomeric coating is molded over the liner. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the crush-resistant fingertips comprise a plurality of rings having varying diameters and joined at one or more points. 
     
     
         18 . A method of making a glove, comprising:
 providing a fabric support liner;   placing the liner onto a former; and   molding crush-resistant fingertips onto or within the finger stalls of the liner.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the fabric support liner further comprises dipping the glove into a latex composition to form an outer polymeric coating. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the glove having molded, crush-resistant fingertips and an outer polymeric coating further comprises the step of dipping the glove into a latex composition to form a second polymeric coating.