Stretchable Metal Mesh Protective Material and Garments

Abstract

Protective materials and protective garments make using the materials are disclosed. The protective materials include metallic mesh layers sandwiched between inner and outer layers of fabric. The mesh is joined at one or both ends to pieces of elastic material that are also sandwiched between the layers of fabric and are joined to them. The metallic meshes are woven from stainless steel fiber having a diameter of less than 0.20 mm and have a largest space between fibers of less than 0.20 mm. The meshes may be regular cut or bias cut or a combination thereof. Multiple meshes may be overlaid such that their respective warp-fiber directions are oriented at an angle of 22.5 +/−5 degrees with respect to each other. The protective material may be used protective clothing such as, but not limited to, gloves, knee and elbow guards as described in detail in the specification.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A protective material, comprising:
 an outer layer of fabric;   an inner layer of fabric;   an first elastic piece, sandwiched between said inner and outer layers of fabric, and fixedly joined in a vicinity of an upper end to an upper end of said inner and outer layers of fabric; and   a first metallic mesh sandwiched between said inner and outer layers of fabric and fixedly joined a vicinity of an upper end to a lower end of said first elastic piece.   
     
     
         2 . The protective material of  claim 1  wherein said first metallic mesh is fixedly joined in a vicinity of a lower end to a lower end of said inner and outer fabric layers. 
     
     
         3 . The protective material of  claim 1  further comprising a second elastic piece and wherein said first metallic mesh is fixedly joined in a vicinity of a vicinity of a lower end to an upper end of said second elastic piece, and wherein said second elastic piece is fixedly connected to a lower end of said inner and outer layers of fabric in a vicinity of a lower end of said outer layers of fabric. 
     
     
         4 . The protective material of  claim 3  wherein said first metallic mesh is a bias cut piece of material. 
     
     
         5 . The protective material of  claim 3  comprising a second metallic mesh adjacent to said first metallic mesh and wherein said second metallic mesh is fixedly joined in a vicinity of an upper end to a lower end of said first elastic piece and is fixedly joined in a vicinity of a lower end to an upper end of said second elastic piece. 
     
     
         6 . The protective material of  claim 5  wherein said metallic meshes are woven mesh, woven from stainless steel fiber having a diameter of less than 0.20 mm and woven such that a largest space between said fibers is less than 0.20 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The protective material of  claim 6  wherein both said first and second metallic mesh are bias cut. 
     
     
         8 . The protective material of  claim 6  wherein said first and second metallic meshes are overlaid such that said first metallic mesh has a warp-fiber direction oriented at an angle of 22.5+/−5 degrees with respect to a warp-fiber direction of said second metallic mesh. 
     
     
         9 . A protective garment comprising the protective material of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         10 . A protective garment comprising the protective material of  claim 8 . 
     
     
         11 . The protective garment of  claim 9 , wherein said protective garment is a protective glove. 
     
     
         12 . The protective garment of  claim 9 , wherein said protective garment is a garment for covering a hinged-type joint. 
     
     
         13 . A stretched-mesh protective glove, comprising:
 a palm-side, inner fabric-layer;   a palm-side, outer fabric-layer substantially the same size and shape as said palm-side,   inner fabric-layer and wherein both said inner and outer palm-side fabric-layers are fixedly joined along at least a portion of their peripheries; and   a palm-side inner metallic-mesh layer, sandwiched between said inner and outer palm layers, said palm-side inner metallic mesh layer comprising:
 a palm-side, thumb-and-palm, metallic-mesh layer; 
 a palm-side, palm-and-finger, metallic-mesh layer; 
 a palm-side, mid-hand, stretch-band joining said palm-side, thumb-and palm, 
 metallic-mesh layer to said palm-side, palm-and-finger, metallic-mesh layer; 
 a palm-side, wrist stretch-band joining said palm-side, thumb-and-palm, metallic-mesh layer to said palm-side, inner fabric-layer in a vicinity of a wrist region; and 
 wherein said palm-side, thumb-and-palm, metallic-mesh layer is joined to said palm-side, inner fabric-layer in a thumb-tip region, and said palm-side, palm-and-finger, metallic-mesh layer is joined to said palm-side, inner fabric-layer in at least one fingertip region. 
   
     
     
         14 . The stretched mesh protective glove of  claim 13  further comprising:
 thumb-tip stitches joining said palm-side, inner fabric-layer to said palm-side, thumb-and-palm, metallic-mesh layer; 
 fingertip stitches joining said palm-side, palm-and-finger, metallic-mesh layer to said palm-side, inner fabric-layer; 
 palm stitches joining said palm-side, mid-hand, stretch-band to said palm-side, palm-and-finger, metallic-mesh layer; and 
 palm-side wrist-stitches joining said palm-side, mid-hand, stretch-band to said palm-side, inner fabric-layer. 
 
     
     
         15 . A protective garment for covering a hinged-type joint, comprising:
 an upper tubular support made of a flexible fabric and shaped and sized to fit a human lower thigh;   a lower tubular support made of said flexible fabric, shaped to fit a human upper shin and joined at an upper end of said lower tubular support to a lower end of said upper tubular support; and   a protected region, comprising a sandwich of an inner flexible fabric layer and an outer flexible fabric layer and a layer of flexible metallic mesh sandwiched between said inner and outer fabric layers.   
     
     
         16 . The protective garment of  claim 15  wherein said protected region further comprises an upper layer of flexible metallic mesh and a lower layer of flexible metallic mesh sandwiched between said inner and outer fabric layers. 
     
     
         17 . The protective garment of  claim 16  wherein said upper tubular support and said lower tubular support comprise said inner flexible fabric layer.