Glove thermal protection system

Abstract

A construction for a glove or other article of clothing for use in hazardous environments is disclosed, comprising a first layer comprising a laminate that includes an inner layer comprising a woven, nonwoven, or knit material, an intermediate layer comprising a barrier to the passage therethrough of liquids that overlies the inner layer, and a thermal layer affixed to and overlying the intermediate layer in at least a portion of a bridge area. The thermal layer is approximately 0.30 mm thick. The construction also includes a second layer attached to and overlying the first layer to form an outer portion for the glove or other article of clothing. The first layer and the second layer combined provides a thermal protection performance (TPP) of at least approximately 75% greater than a reference combination of the first and the second layer that does not include the thermal layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A glove layer for a glove configured for use in hazardous environments, comprising:
 a substrate comprising a palm portion, a dorsal portion opposite the palm portion, and a plurality of finger portions extending from the palm and dorsal portions; and   a thermal layer comprising a tape adhesively affixed to the dorsal portion of the substrate,   wherein the thermal layer extends over a plurality of knuckle portions of the dorsal portion of the substrate and at least partially over a dorsal side of the plurality of finger portions, and from the plurality of knuckle portions toward a wrist portion of the dorsal portion,   wherein each of the plurality of finger portions includes an attachment tab extending from each of the finger portions for connecting the finger portions to another glove member.   
     
     
         2 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal layer extends from the plurality of knuckle portions to a wrist portion of the dorsal portion. 
     
     
         3 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal layer extends from the plurality of knuckle portions to at least the fingertips of the plurality of finger portions. 
     
     
         4 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal layer extends from one lateral side of the dorsal portion to an opposing lateral side of the dorsal portion. 
     
     
         5 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal layer is 0.20 to 0.35 mm thick. 
     
     
         6 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal layer is configured without dry edge. 
     
     
         7 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal layer comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
         8 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein at least one attachment tab comprises an attachment adhesive tape. 
     
     
         9 . The glove layer of  claim 8 , wherein the attachment adhesive tape and the thermal layer comprise an identical material. 
     
     
         10 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein each attachment tab of the plurality of finger portions extends from a location adjacent an end point of the thermal layer. 
     
     
         11 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein each attachment tab of the plurality of finger portions extends from a knuckle side of each finger portion. 
     
     
         12 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein each attachment tab of the plurality of finger portions extends from a fingerprint side of each finger portion. 
     
     
         13 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein each attachment tab of the plurality of finger portions extends from a lateral side of each finger portion. 
     
     
         14 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a flame inhibiting material. 
     
     
         15 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a self extinguishing fleece. 
     
     
         16 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a liquid impermeable barrier. 
     
     
         17 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , further comprising an inner layer, wherein the thermal layer comprises a shell that encases the inner layer. 
     
     
         18 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , further comprising a barrier layer, wherein the thermal layer comprises a shell that encases the inner layer. 
     
     
         19 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , further comprising an inner layer and a barrier layer, wherein the thermal layer comprises a shell that encases the inner layer and the barrier layer. 
     
     
         20 . The glove layer of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal layer is characterized by the absence of stitching to an adjacent layer.