Safety glove

Abstract

A process for producing a safety glove to be worn on a conventional human hand and where the glove is of a conventional material. A glove is obtained as a unitary construct having glove finger sections to each respectively cover one finger of the hand, a glove palm section to cover the palm, and a glove back section to cover at least part of the backhand. In each glove finger section a separation zone is formed by controllably weakening the material of the glove such that all or part of the respective glove finger section is separable from the rest of the glove, wherein the separation zone retains a discernible thickness throughout.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for producing a safety glove that can be worn on a conventional human hand having fingers, a palm, and a backhand, wherein the glove is of a conventional material, the process comprising:
 obtaining the glove as a unitary construct having glove finger sections to each respectively cover one finger of the hand, a glove palm section to cover the palm, and a glove back section to cover at least part of the backhand; and   for each said glove finger section:
 forming a separation zone in the glove by controllably weakening the material of the glove such that all or part of respective said glove finger section is separable from the rest of the glove, wherein said separation zone retains a discernible thickness throughout. 
   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said separation zones are optically formed in the material.   
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein:
 said separation zones are formed with a laser.   
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the glove is fabricated from a material that is a member of a set of consisting fabrics, synthetics, hides, and composites of these; and   said separation zones are formed by heat at least partially melting, re-plasticizing, vaporizing, or altering the molecular structure of the material.   
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 turning the glove inside out; and   performing said forming on the material of the interior of the glove.   
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said separation zones are first radial separation zones each corresponding with a palmar digital crease of the hand; and   the process further comprising, for each said glove finger section:
 forming a second radial separation zone corresponding with an interphalangeal crease of the respective finger. 
   
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said separation zones are radial separation zones; and   the process further comprising, for each said glove finger section:
 forming a non-radial separation zone. 
   
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said non-radial separation zones are axial separation zones.   
     
     
         9 . A safety glove to wear on a human hand, wherein the hand conventionally has a palm, a backhand, and a plurality of fingers comprising at least two phalanxes, and wherein the glove is of a conventional material, the glove comprising:
 a unitary construct wherein said plurality of said glove finger sections each connect to said glove palm section and to said glove back section at a palmar digital crease; and   a separation zone in each glove finger section of the glove made by controllably weakening the material of the glove such that all or part of respective said glove finger section is separable from the rest of the glove, wherein said separation zone retains a discernible thickness throughout.   
     
     
         10 . The glove of  claim 9 , wherein the glove has a general thickness, said separation zones have a zone thickness and wherein:
 said zone thickness is less than said general thickness.   
     
     
         11 . The glove of  claim 9 , wherein:
 said separation zones are formed by altering the material with an optical process.   
     
     
         12 . The glove of  claim 11 , wherein:
 said optical process uses a laser.   
     
     
         13 . The glove of  claim 11 , wherein the glove has an interior surface and an exterior surface, and wherein:
 said separation zones are formed on said interior surface.   
     
     
         14 . The glove of  claim 11 , wherein said separation zone in each glove finger section of the glove is a finger first separation zone, and further comprising:
 a finger second separation zone in each glove finger section of the glove.   
     
     
         15 . The glove of  claim 14 , wherein:
 said finger first separation zone is a radial separation zone; and   said finger second separation zone is a non-radial separation zone.   
     
     
         16 . An improved safety glove to be worn on a conventional human hand having fingers, a palm, and a backhand, the glove of the type in which:
 the glove is fabricated as a unitary construct of a conventional glove material that is a member of a set of consisting fabrics, synthetics, hides, and composites of these; and   the glove includes glove finger sections to each respectively cover one finger of the hand, a glove palm section to cover the palm, and a glove back section to cover at least part of the backhand; and   
       the improvement comprising:
 each said glove finger section further has a separation zone made by controllably weakening the material of the glove such that all or part of respective said glove finger section is separable from the rest of the glove, wherein said separation zone retains a discernible thickness throughout. 
 
     
     
         17 . The glove of  claim 16 , wherein:
 said separation zones are formed by at least partially melting, re-plasticizing, vaporizing, or altering the molecular structure of the material.   
     
     
         18 . The glove of  claim 17 , wherein:
 said separation zones being formed with a laser.   
     
     
         19 . The glove of  claim 16 , wherein the glove has an interior surface and an exterior surface, and wherein:
 said separation zones are formed on said interior surface.   
     
     
         20 . The glove of  claim 16 , wherein said separation zone is a finger first separation zone, and the improvement further comprising:
 each said glove finger section further having a finger second separation zone.