Glove with Free-floating Double Layer of Protective Mesh

Abstract

A protective material that prevents cut and puncture injuries using two layers of metal mesh woven from 0.2 mm or less diameter wire, with apertures of 0.45 mm or less. The mesh layers are sandwiched between two, outer layers of fabric that are attached to each other, but not to the mesh. The two mesh layers are free-floating, held in place by being sandwiched between the outer layers, and can slide past each other, mitigating buckling when the material is bent. Protective gloves can be constructed using the material to cover over 60% of the glove's palm region, or cut to match a silhouette of a human hand. In another embodiment, the glove has fastenings at the extremity that loosely attaches the mesh layers to the outer fabric layers. The metal meshes can be spot glued at one or more locations to facilitate easier handling during assembly.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A protective material, comprising:
 a first and a second protective layer, said layers being comprised of a wire mesh of woven, metal fibers having fiber diameters of 0.2 mm or less, and apertures in the wire mesh of 0.45 mm or less;   a third and a forth layer, said layers being comprised of a non-metallic fabric; and   wherein said protective layers are placed in proximity to each other, and sandwiched between said third and a forth layer, with said third and fourth layers being fixedly attached to each other, but not being fixedly attached to said first and second protective layers.   
     
     
         2 . A glove, comprising a palm region comprising 60% or more by area of said protective material of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         3 . The glove of  claim 2  wherein said palm region comprising the protective material of  claim 1  is shaped to substantially match a silhouette of a human hand. 
     
     
         4 . The glove of  claim 3  having holding stitching extending through said protective layers at an upper extremity of at least one finger portion of said protective layers, said holding stitching at an upper extremity of a thumb region of said protective layers and said holding stitching in a vicinity of a lower edge of a lower palm region of said protective layers, and wherein said holding stitching fixedly attaches said protective layers to said sandwiching third and fourth layers. 
     
     
         5 . The glove of  claim 2  wherein said woven metal fiber protective layers comprise at least one spot-glued region, said spot-glued region fixedly joining said protective layers together in a vicinity of said spot-glued region.