Apparel apparatus – Putting on or removing garments
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-30
2001-02-27
Mohanty, Bibhu (Department: 3741)
Apparel apparatus
Putting on or removing garments
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193117
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for fitting and removal of gloves.
This invention has particular application to the fitting and removal of gloves in sterile or hygienic environments, and for illustrative purposes, reference will be made to such application. It is to be understood, however, that this invention may also be used in other applications, such as in other work environments where hands-free fitting of gloves is desirable. This invention also has application in the fitting and removal of other apparel such as mittens and such like.
In the medical industry, protective gloves are worn by surgeons and other medical practitioners to avoid contaminating a patient. Gloves may also be worn to prevent transmission of disease from the patient to the practitioner.
In sterile environments in particular, such as operating theatres and preparation rooms, surgical gloves are donned by a surgeon with the assistance of a surgeon's assistant or the like, who is already provided with gloves. In such situations, it is difficult to provide a gloved surgeon without potentially compromising the sterility of the gloves.
The present invention aims to alleviate one or more of the above disadvantages and to provide apparatus and methods for fitting of gloves which will be reliable and efficient in use.
With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in glove fitting apparatus including:
cuff holding means adapted to hold open the cuff opening of a glove, and adapted to release said glove after insertion of a user's hand, and
support means for retaining said cuff holding means.
The release of the glove may be by way of releasing the glove from the holding means, or alternatively, by release of the holding means from the retaining means.
Preferably, the cuff holding means includes stiffening means and the retaining means releasably supports the stiffening means and the glove supported thereby. In one embodiment, the stiffening means includes a light stiff ring attached to the open end of the glove; and the retaining means is constituted by a rigid bracket assembly for the location of the ring. Additionally, the glove fitting apparatus may be provided in pairs, the gloves being provided in complementary left and right hand configurations.
Suitably, the ring has an internal diameter large enough for the wearer's hand to pass through unimpeded. For example, the internal diameter is the ring may be selected to be sufficient for the wearer's closed fist to pass therethrough. The ring may be moulded as an integral part of the glove, or it may be a ring assembly comprising two hoops which fit closely one inside the other such that when the opening of the glove is fitted over the inner hoop, the outer hoop may be tightly engaged about the inner hoop to clamp the opening of the glove between the two hoops. A third hoop may also be provided to enclose the two fitted hoops and provide additional clamping force to hold the glove opening in place as well as enclose the edge of the glove opening.
The ring assembly is of a configuration consistent with permitting the wearer's hand or fist to pass therethrough, such as circular, but may be oval or other shapes to conform to the usual shape of a wearer's wrist.
The retaining means is generally in the nature of opposed longitudinally spaced apart laterally extending means for retaining the opened cuff and cuff holding means. The retaining means is preferably in the form of a locating bracket adapted to releasably hold the cuff holding means. For example, where the cuff holding means is in the form of the aforementioned ring assembly, the locating bracket assembly may consist of two thin but rigid vertical plates separated by a distance slightly wider than the width of the ring assembly. This separation of the plates is such that the ring assembly may be made to slide between them with little or no resisting force, the ring assembly being held in place by gravity.
The present invention also aims to provide apparatus and methods for removal of gloves.
In another aspect, this invention resides broadly in glove removal apparatus including:
cuff holding means adapted to hold open the cuff of a glove, and retaining means for supporting said cuff holding means for removal of a user's hand from said glove.
The glove fitting apparatus and glove removal apparatus may be incorporated into a single glove fitting and removal apparatus if required.
In another aspect, this invention resides broadly in a method of inserting a user's hand into a glove, including:
providing glove apparatus as herein before defined;
inserting the user's hand through the cuff opening means, and
releasing said glove from said cuff holding means.
In another aspect, this invention resides broadly in a method of inserting a user's hand into a glove, including:
providing glove apparatus as herein before defined;
inserting the user's hand through the cuff opening means, and
releasing said cuff holding means from said retaining means.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 4002276 (1977-01-01), Poncy et al.
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patent: 4228935 (1980-10-01), Madray
patent: 4275812 (1981-06-01), Poncy et al.
patent: 4898309 (1990-02-01), Fischer
patent: 4915272 (1990-04-01), Vlock
patent: 5058785 (1991-10-01), Rich et al.
patent: 5078308 (1992-01-01), Sullivan
Mohanty Bibhu
Seidel Gonda Lavorgna & Monaco, PC
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