Method for producing thin film gloves using the cutting and sealing process and glove produced therefrom

Abstract

A single use disposable glove having two or more layers with a thickness which can range from 0.02 mm to 0.04 mmm for food handling with satisfactory formfitting and durability, all the way up to about 0.10 mm and above for heavy duty applications while still maintaining comfort like that of natural and synthetic rubbers. Materials such as styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene (SEBS) or styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS) may be used to produce single use disposable gloves employing the cutting and sealing method. The use of these compositions could have a thickness between about 0.02 mm and about 0.1 mm or above. More importantly, the use of these compositions in the cutting and sealing process would yield a glove having better elasticity. The film quality using the various extrusion techniques would outperform a glove produced by the dipping process, not only in integrity (pinhole rate) but also in a thickness profile (uniformity).

1 . A method of producing a disposable glove comprising the steps of:
 extruding at least two layers of planar thermoplastic elastomer films having a thickness of between about 0.02 mm and about 0.1 mm;   placing said planar thermoplastic elastomer films on top of one another on a flat surface;   providing a heated template knife in the shape of the glove to be produced on top of said planar thermoplastic elastomer films;   applying pressure to said heated template knife resulting in simultaneously cutting a hand shape from said planar thermoplastic elastomer films thereby producing a glove comprising a portion of each of said planar thermoplastic elastomer films; and   sealing a portion of the periphery of each of said planar thermoplastic elastomer films of said glove shape together to produce a glove having a thickness of between about 0.02 mm and about 0.1 mm and deformation of between 5% and 30% after a 100% stretch.   
     
     
         2 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said extruding step is accomplished by blowing, casting or calendaring said layers of planar thermoplastic elastomer films. 
     
     
         3 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the weight of each glove is between about 2.5 and 5.5 grams. 
     
     
         4 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said extruding step utilizes planar thermoplastic films primarily consisting of SEBS. 
     
     
         5 . The method in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein said thermoplastic film is between about 50% and about 100% SEBS. 
     
     
         6 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said extruding step utilizes planar thermoplastic films consisting of SIS. 
     
     
         7 . The method in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein said thermoplastic film is between 20% and 100% SIS. 
     
     
         8 . A single use disposable glove, comprising:
 at least one top layer comprising a layer of planar thermoplastic elastomer film in the form of a hand;   at least one bottom layer comprising a layer of thermoplastic elastomer film in the form of a hand; wherein a portion of the periphery of said at least one bottom layer is sealed to a portion of the periphery of said at least one top layer to form a glove;   wherein an opening is provided between said at least one top layer and said at least one bottom layer for the insertion of a human hand between said at least one top layer and said at least one bottom layer, and further wherein the thickness of each of said at least one top and at least one bottom layer is between about 0.02 mm and 0.1 mm.   
     
     
         9 . The glove in accordance with  claim 8 , further wherein the weight of each of the at least one top layer and at least one bottom layer is approximately 50% of the total glove weight. 
     
     
         10 . The glove in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein either of said at least one top and said at least one bottom layers primarily consisting of SEBS. 
     
     
         11 . The glove in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein either of said at least one top and said at least one bottom layers is between about 50% and about 100% SEBS. 
     
     
         12 . The glove in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein either of said at least one top and said at least one bottom layers primarily consisting of SIS. 
     
     
         13 . The glove in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein either of said at least one top and said at least one bottom layers is between about 20% and about 100% SIS. 
     
     
         14 . The glove in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein one of said at least one top and said at least one bottom layers accounts for 50%˜70% of the total weight of the glove and the other of said at least one top and at least one bottom layers accounts for 30%˜50% of the total weight of the glove.