Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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AL~E l6EItA GlC3VE AND hfiANUFAC°tURING METH~D
BY
s belle ~. Chou
CRC?SS~REFERENCE
The present applicofion is a continuation ~pplicafion of
to commonly-owned U.S. patent application no. 09/898,b32, flied July 03,
2~~ 1, which is o continuation application of commonly-owned U.S patent
application no. 09/288,067 filed on April 7, 1999 ~r~ow U.S. Patent No.
b,274.,154), which are both hereby incorporated by reference_
15 ' BACKGROUND
This invention relates generally to hand care products, and
specifically relates to ~ppiying Aloe V°era on the> inner surface ef
disposable
gloves to protect and soothe the hands during and after application of
2o d9SpOSable gIOVes.
Disposable gloves ore widely used os a protective measure to
insulate hands from the objects handled by the wearer of gloves. To allow
ease in handling objects, disposable gloves ore made of thin and elastic
material to minimize the space between the skin and the glove. Due to
?s poor air circulation resulting from tight insula~on, hand sweating is a
common problem among glove wearers. Prolonged wearing of disposable
gloves causes a moist environment on the surface of the hand that allows
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sx~rrw.rcr_
viruses, bacteria, yeast, and fungus to grow_and multiply. Itchiness is a
frequent result of wearing disposable examination gloves for extended
periods.
Powders are commonly used on the: inner surface of gloves to
s alleviate sweating and to make donning, wearing and removal of gloves
easier. However, continuous sweating can easily overwhelm the thin layer
of powder that is commonly attached to the surface of the glove. This is
especially the case when continuous and frequent wearing of gloves is
required. Far example, dentists may continuously wear gloves during a
to dental surgical procedure for up to 40 minutes. In addition, hand washing
is necessary after the use of powdered gloves. Frequent hand washing to
remove powders may also cause excess dryness of the skin.
The need for disposable gloves that' can prevent adverse side
effects caused by extensive use is apparent. Various patents disclose
is different types of gloves that contain lotions. During glove use the
lotions
come into contact human skin and condition the skins. For example, U.S.
Pat. No. 5,b14,202 discloses a moisturizing glove that contains a middle
layer Saturated with lofiion. The porous inner layer allows the lotion to pass
Through and contact the skin. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,18&,445 and 4,185,330
2o disclose gloves that have inner lining made of a lotion absorbent material.
By impregnating the lotion onto the absorbent material, the lotion can
condition the hands during application of the gloves.
A common feature of the above disclosures is the use of
multiple layers in the glove design. Compared To single layer disposable
?s gloves, the complex design of multiple I~yer gloves makes production far
more costly. Most importantly, The thickness of the layers and the
complicated structures of the gloves hinder hand flexibility when the glove
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wearer tries to pick up and manipulate objects.. Such multiple layer designs
are suitable far moisturizing hands, but are not suitable for manipulating
objects, especially for professions that require handling of fine tasks with
precision.
s Disposable gloves are generally made of three types of
materials: naturad rubber latex, acrylonitrile, and polyvinyl chloride.
Natural
rubber latex is sensitive to oil-based substances. Prolonged contact
between latex and oil-based substance can adversely affect durability
and flexibility of the latex material. Most commercially available lotions
is contain oil-based substances. The use of lotions in prior arts will
substantially
shorten the shelf life of a naturod rubber glove.
There is therefore a need far low cost disposable gloves that
can apply moisturizing and therapeutic substances to the hands during the
glove use without leaving a greasy feel or look 1'~ the skin, while at the
~ s same time, retain the characteristics and functions of conventional single
layer gloves.
SUMMP,RY'
2o The present invention satisfies these needs. This invention is a
novel disposable glove with Aloe Vera uniformly applied to the inner
surface of the glove through a dehydration process, and a method for
making such a glove.
One object of this invention is to condition and soothe the
rs hands during glove use.
Another object of this invention is to produce a glove that is
equivalent to a single layer glove in the user's ability to pick up and
3
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manipulate objects. ,
Still another object of this invention is to prevent growth of
bacteria, viruses, yeast and fungi on the hands, which become more
active in a wet environment resulting from sweciting during prolonged or
frequent wearing of gloves.
A related object is to cause the anti-microbial substance to
dissociate and release from the glove surface in response to the degree of
wetness of hand.
A further object is to preserve the shelf life of glove by using
Io natural non-oil based substance and to preserve the activity of the
therapeutic substance by keeping the substance in a dehydrated state.
The above objects are accomplished by applying Aloe Vera
evenly to the inner surface of a disposable exarninatian glove through
dehydration.
v5 The objects are further accomplished by a method of
manufacturing the Aloe Vera glove. 1'he disposable gloves ore first treated
with chlorine solution to wash off any powders, extract soluble substances
in the composite material, and kill microorganisms. After drying, the gloves
are turned inside out and dipped into a prepared Aloe Vera solution to
2o saturate the outer surface. the gloves are then dried in a tumbling heater
within a controlled narrow range of temperature between 45 °C and 6~
°C,
and for a specific length of time. This causes water to evaporate ~nd the
Aloe Vera to evenly coat the glove surface. Afiher cooling to room
temperature, the gloves are inverted so that the side with Aloe Vera
?s coating is facing inside.
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DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is the front perspective vievv~ of an Afoe Vera glove
constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
s Figure 2 is ~ sectional view ta9cen along the lines 2-2 of figure 1.
DETAILED DESCRI1'Tl~N OF THE INVENTION
The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of
to the invention and several variations of fhat embodiment. This discussion
should not be construed, however, as limiting they invention to those
particular embodiments. Practitioners skilled in tine art will recognize
numerous other embodiments as well. For a definition of the complete
scope of the invenfion, the reader is directed to the appended claims.
Is The invention is a disposable glove as illustrated in FiG. l, which
has Aloe Vera 1a evenly coated on the inner surface in a dehydrated
state, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The glove retains the features of a
disposable
examination glove, which is simple and convenient to use and allows the
wearer to handle fine flasks with precision. The invenfion also discloses a
zo manufacturing method for modifying a disposaL>ie glove by coating Aloe
Vera on the inner surface of the glove. The giove is coated with Aloe Vera
1~ through dehydration that is accomplished by a well-controlled heating
process.
A disposabde glove is made of various materials to form a layer
's 12. Resinous materials such as vinyl or polymer materials such as
acrylonitrile are common choices. Three commonly used materials for
making disposable gloves are n~tural rubber latex, acrylonitrile and
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polyvinyl chloride.
In one preferred embodiment, the glove is made of nat~iral
rubber latex. Since natural rubber latex is sensitive to oil-based substances,
gloves mode of natural rubber latex should not be exposed to oil-based
s substances. In this invention, Aloe Vera is used to coat the gloves and it
does not contain any detectable oi!-based substances. Coating gloves
with Aloe Vera does not affect the glove°s shelf life. In another
preferred
embodiment the glove is made of acrylonitrile polymer.
Aloe Vera is a natural plant extract that has a long history of
fo folk medicine usage. Aloe Vera has been used for external treatment of
wounds, burns and skin irritations, and internal treatment of various
conditions. Aloe Vera is a popular ingredient in skin-care products. It is
also
o powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agent. Aloe Vera is
soluble in water and contains non-detectable ail content.
is Aloe Vera glove retains the characteristic of a disposable
glove without any visible modification, and is easy and convenient to use.
The affiliation between Aloe Vera and the glove surface is through a force
provided by dehydration. Such affiliation is loosened when sweat dissolves
Aloe Vera. The longer a glove is worn, the more likely the hand will sweat.
2o and consequently more Aloe Vera will be dissolved and disassociated from
the glove surface, and be applied to hand. The active ingredients in Aloe
Vera can then condition hand skin and prevent microorganisms from
growing under the wet condition.
In one preferred embodiment, 100°,4 Aloe Vera gel is used to
's coat the gloves. Aloe Vera is evenly and uniformly distributed on the inner
surface of the glove at a thickness of about 0.01 millirr~eter. The
association
between Aloe Vera and the surface is achieved by a non-covalent force
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provided through dehydration.
' The method of manufacturing glovers involves treating a
commercially available disposable glove ~to eliminate residue powders ,
soluble substances, and microorganisms, turning the glove inside out,
s dipping it into on Aloe Vera solution and heating the glove to cause water
to evaporate.
A glove is preferably first treated witlh a chlorine solution or
chlorine gas. Chlorine solution can heip to sterilize the gloves, to wash off
powders, and most importantly for natural latex gloves, to dissolve residual
~o proteins that could potentially trigger severe allergic reactions among
repeat users. After the outside surface of the glcwe is treated with the
chlorine solution, it is turned inside out, and the glove is again treated
with
the chlorine solution. The residue chlorine is neui~rairted by using arromonia
and the gloves are then dried.
is An Aloe Vera Solution will then be prepared. One hundred
percent concentrated Aloe Vera gel is dissolved) in distilled w~ter fio
generate an Aioe Vera solution. The preferred concentration of the
solution is about 20%. To associate Aloe Vera wii~h the surface of the glove,
Aloe Vera solution can be sprayed onto the surface of the glove.
?o Alternatively, the glove can be immersed into the Aloe Vera solution. The
latter method is preferred because it creates a complete and even
distribution of the Aloe Vera solution.
1n one preferred embodiment, the dipping process is
accomplished by grouping a number of gloves in a batch to achieve
?s higher manufacturing efficiency. The gloves are immersed in the solution
for at feast 10 minutes to allow adequate obsorbency_ .
Aloe Vera is ~ttached to the surfoce~ of the glove Through a
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controlled dehydration process. The water in the Aloe Vera solution is
caused to evaporate through heating. Although a higher temperature will
cause water to evaporate quicker, excess heat may damage the gloves.
For example, gloves exposed to excessive heat of over 70°C may
turn
s brownish and become brittle. To shorten the heat exposure time, a heating
oven is preheated to about 4S°C before the gloves are introduced. The
oven has a temperature control mechanism to maintain a maximum
temperature. In a preferred embodiment the rr~axirnum temperature is set
at approximately 65°C and the heating process lasts ft°om about
35 to 40
~o minutes. The dehydration process provides an affiliation force so that Aloe
Vera can remain associated with the glove surface for an extensive period
of time.
Even distribution of Aloe Vera on the glove surface maximizes
therapeutic treatment of the hand and minimizes contact between the
I~ skin and the glove's composite material. Stationary drying is not preferred
because the Aioe Vera solution tends to flow in the direction of the force of
gravity. In a preferred embodiment the heating oven has a device to
tumble during the heating to make Aloe Verc~ distribute evenly on the
glove surface and to form a uniform coating.
?o Afferward the gloves are cooled to room temperature. The
gloves are then inverted so that the surface with the Aloe Vera faces
inside.
