GLOVE PRESSURE TESTING DEVICE

A system for determining a leak in a glove is used in conjunction with a supply of compressed air, the system including a regulator in fluid communication with the source of compressed air. The regulator comprises a housing with an air inlet and an air outlet, a two way valve connected to the air inlet and the air outlet, an air flow meter, and a pressure gauge. The system is also provided with a glove adapter that is configured to make an airtight seal with the glove while inflating and testing the glove for leaks.

BACKGROUND

Special insulated gloves are necessary when working on vehicles with high voltage batteries such as hybrid gasoline/electric and all electric vehicles. These electrical-insulating gloves are made of dielectric materials to protect the worker from electrical shock. For safety reasons the gloves are required to be tested for leaks prior to use to avoid electrical current being transferred to the worker. To check for leaks, the existing solution is a manual air pump device that fills the glove up with air, whereupon the inflated glove is sealed and transferred to soapy water and checked for bubbles. After testing the tech needs to wipe all the water off (hopefully) using a clean rag. This process is cumbersome, inconsistent, and can miss small leaks. A better solution is needed that doesn't require a hand pump and is more repeatable and reliable than the existing technology.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device used to verify the integrity of heavy duty dielectric gloves and that does not require that the gloves be dunked in water to establish the absence of holes and leaks. The device begins with a supply of compressed air and further includes a pressure regulator, a pressure gauge, and a flow meter with an indicator to display current flow rate. The regulator includes a valve with 2 positions, one to permit the glove to be filled with pressurized air, and a second position that maintains a constant elevated pressure within the glove. A hose that delivers the air to the glove is attached to an adapter that fits the wrist of the glove to provide a sealed or closed system. The adapter has multiple variations, including an adjustable inflation cuff with a bladder that expands to fit the glove, a mechanical expansion device that expands to fit, or a step adapter that fits different size gloves.

The unit is connected to air supply and the flow meter is the first method of leak check. If the flow meter shows no air passing through the system, then the glove is leak-free. To insure glove meets the specifications, the unit can be changed to position decay check and pressure gauge can be checked for any decay in pressure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS.1-3illustrate a first embodiment of the present invention for evaluating the integrity of a heavy duty glove for holes and leaks. The invention includes an inflation regulator12connected by a hose18to an air supply14that cooperate to deliver air to a controlled flow of air to an adapter16. The air supply14can be a compressed air station typically found in most vehicle service stations or a stand-alone tank of compressed air. The regulator12has a sturdy housing28and a handle20and is considered portable, and on a first forward facing surface is a plurality of gauges including pressure gauge24and an air flow meter22. The air flow meter22may be a ball valve, where a ball is disposed in a vertical tube and the presence of air flow will elevated the ball to a position related to a velocity of the flow of air. The regulator12includes an outlet air hose30that connects to the adapter16used to inflate a glove34, where in one preferred embodiment the adapter16is a cylindrical shaped base with holes32on an upper surface to allow air to pass into the glove34when the glove34is attached to the base. The adapter may include various mechanisms for expanding or contracting the outer diameter to ensure a satisfactory seal with the glove, including a frusto-conical shape that mates with multiple sized diameter gloves, a mechanical expander/contractor, an inflatable bladder, etc. The regulator also includes a switch or dial36to set the flow rate of air through the system.

As shown inFIG.2, to test a glove34for leakage, the switch36on the regulator12is moved to the “test” position to start an airflow though the hose30and into the adapter16. With the glove34placed over the adapter16to form an airtight seal, the air flowing into the adapter flows into the glove34to inflate the glove. The accumulating pressure inside the glove34is measured by the pressure meter24, which is monitored to ensure the pressure in the glove does not exceed a burst or failure value. The pressure meter24displays the pressure in the regulator corresponding to the pressure in the glove34. With the air flowing into the glove34, a test pressure is ultimately reached that will differ with each type and manufacture of glove.

Once the air pressure in the glove reaches its designated test pressure, the air flow meter22and pressure gauge24will determine whether the glove34has a leak50or whether the system is closed and no air is escaping. That is, if the air flow meter22shows a continual flow of air into the glove34without a corresponding rise in air pressure as reflected in the pressure gauge24, this indicates that air is leaving the system, presumably through a hole in the glove34. The greater the value of the airflow shown by the air flow meter22, the larger the leak. If the air flow meter indicates that the airflow has stopped, this means that no air is escaping and the glove's integrity is intact (FIG.3). Care must be used to make sure the air is not escaping through another location, such as the hose30, the connection to the adapter16, or the adapter itself. If it is determined that the glove has a leak, the glove must either be repaired or discarded to prevent injury to a worker using the glove.

The system provides a back-up check to determine a leak, where after the glove is inflated the switch is moved to “decay,” closing off the flow of air to the adapter16. If there is no leak, the pressure will remain constant since the system is designed to be a closed system. However, if the pressure begins to drop, this indicates that the closed system is in fact open and air is escaping, presumably through a leak in the glove. This secondary check ensures greater reliability when investigating the safety of the gloves being checked.

FIG.4is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention. Air is provided by the air supply14, which enters the regulator12at the inlet port13. The air may be passed through an air filter15before being directed to an air pressure regulator17and into a two-way valve19controlled by the switch36. When the switch is in the “test” position as shown inFIG.2, the air flows into a flow meter22where the mass of air flow moving through the system is measured and displayed. The air leaving the air flow meter22is directed to a T-valve21, which provides the pressure gauge24with a connection to the closed system. The other outlet of the T valve21leads to an outlet port25and a hose30that feeds the glove adapter16, which in turn is used to inflate the glove.

Although the foregoing description is based on a specific embodiment, it is to be understood that various modifications and substitutions are available and would be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to only those components depicted or described herein, but rather by using the words of the appended claims using their customary and ordinary meanings, consistent with but not limited by this description and these drawings.