Abstract:
A method is devised for continuous fabrication of thin membrane gloved enclosures in which a folded membrane ribbon is closed along the opposed longitudinal edges by a reversible closure comprising an interlocking set of beads. The ribbon is then repetitively stamped by a heated filament in the shape of a joined string of gloved enclosure and the interlocked beads are then separated, folded over to overlie the gaps formed and a second severing operation then parts the individual enclosures. In this manner a cuff is formed that can then be extended on top of an article grasped.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of the matter disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/074,657 filed on Feb. 14, 2002 now abandoned. Applicant claims the benefit of this earlier filing date for all matter common to this earlier application. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to containment techniques and devices for hazardous matter, and more particularly to a flexible manipulation enclosure within which articles suspected to be contaminated can be examined and thereafter stored. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Recent events have significantly affected the conduct of everyday life, particularly in those instances that are susceptible to mischief, sabotage or even terror. Amongst these are the ordinary delivery processes like the mail or parcel delivery which have been subverted for dissemination of hazardous matter to the public at large. The resulting potential for disruption of the ordinary processes of commerce has an enormous consequence on the whole economy, and the long-term effects cannot be overstated. As result, various techniques are currently sought to attenuate this threat. 
     A major aspect of any response to a chemical or biological hazard is the safe collection and storage of all articles that are suspected to have been contaminated, with the range of article suspects increasing with the virulence of the hazard. Good analytical processes then require that this collection be effected in organized logical patterns in which the individual articles are identified and separately enclosed to reduce any incidents of cross-contamination. This analytical technique is then helpful in revealing both the source of the hazardous substance and the mechanism of its delivery, information that is critical in any response. 
     In the past various techniques and structures have been devised which in one manner or another shield the person that is engaged in manipulation of hazardous tasks or matter. Most frequently such shielding structures are exemplified by devices referred to as the “glove box” in which the user inserts his hands into the interior of a cavity through affixed rubber gloves. Exemplary glove boxes useful in shielding the person from hazards of sandblasting abrasion is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,395 to Guseman; a sterile shielding structures useful in the course of surgical treatment of highly infectious maladies described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,316,541 to Fischer; an enclosure for containing welding gases in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,771 to Kleppen; and others. Each of these, while suitable for the purposes intended, entails a generally complex enclosure that is therefore expensive. This expense limits the discardable aspects of the device, particularly in a household setting. Moreover, the complexity and physical size of these structures renders such less than fully useful for sealing and conveniently storing the inspected mail article until the suspicions regarding its contamination are resolved. 
     Of course, there are other instances where manipulative convenience is desired in a discardable enclosure. For example, those engaged in home repairs often need to manipulate and thereafter discard soiled plumbing pieces and the simple task of an automobile oil filter replacement requires manipulative grasping and sealed confinement of the filter that is then discarded. Thus there are numerous instances where shielded manipulation is desired and once effected the manipulated article needs to enclosed and discarded. A technique for massproducing an inexpensive, discardable and sealable manipulation shield is therefore extensively sought and is one such shield that is disclosed herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is the general purpose and object of the present invention to provide an inexpensively fabricated flexible glove structure including a sealable edge. 
     Other objects of the invention are to provide a fabrication process for producing in multiples a flexible glove extending from an enlarged tubular wrist segment that includes a sealable edge at the opening thereof. 
     Yet further objects of the invention are to provide an inexpensively produced flexible tubular enclosure formed of a transparent polymer sheet, terminating at one end in a glove and including a sealable edge at the other end. 
     Additional objects of the invention are to provide a discardable manipulation shield that is also adapted to contain and seal the article manipulated. 
     Briefly, these and other objects are accomplished within the present invention by providing a fabrication process for producing a flexible, reversible transparent glove formed to extend at its wrist opening from one end of a tubular enclosure provided with a sealable edge at its other end. Preferably both the glove and the enclosure are fabricated as a single piece with the enclosure defining a substantially larger envelope. With the user&#39;s arm inserted, the enclosure can then be turned inside-out and pulled over to surround any article grasped by the glove. Once so aligned to envelope the grasped article the sealable edge at the enclosure can then be closed, sealing the article therein. The article thus sealed can then be taken for analysis or can be collected for safe disposal. 
     Those in the art will appreciate that the foregoing glove and arm cover combination is particularly conformed as an inexpensive article that may be fabricated by heated filament stamping of any one of the several polymer sheet material structures like, for example, clear polyethylene film. Unlike the dexterity necessary for surgical procedures the function of the present inventive shielding structure needs to accommodate only such manipulations as may be necessary to lift and then enclose the article suspected of contamination and the shielding envelope, therefore, can be effected in a form that is even less expensive than a surgical glove. The seal itself may be effected as a simple adhesive strip covered by ribbon that may be peeled off when sealing is desired, or may take the seal structure sold under the mark or symbol “ZipLoc” by S C Johnson. In this manner a convenient, inexpensive and therefore discardable shielding envelope is devised which is useful in a home to manipulate envelopes and packages delivered while such are enclosed, useful in hazardous substances collection and also in the collection of evidence or samples in the course of any criminal or scientific investigation. 
     For those applications where two handed grasping is necessary a plastic bag may be provided with a glove in each bottom corner, with the user&#39;s arms then extending through the bag to each glove. As before, the bag opening may include a sealing strip to effect a seal once the bag is turned inside-out and extended over the article. 
     In both forms the inventive shielding envelope can be inexpensively produced in a ribbon heat stamping process which utilizes the process of heat ‘welding’ of folded ribbons of thermoplastic film, the fold being joined along one edge by a fully reversible set of interlocking beads. In the course of the fabrication sequence a series of gloved enclosures are formed adjacent the interlocked edge, by sequential heated filament stamping, the interlocked edge being then separated and folded over to partly overlie the formed enclosures. The reversed edge beads are then pressed together to interlock once again at those portions of the robbon that have been removed to be then followed by a further heat filament severing step that forms the final gloved enclosurewith the edge opening folded over for convenient use. Thus a simple and effective fabrication process is devised for producing inexpensive shielding enclosures. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of the inventive manipulation shield in its first implementation; 
     FIG. 2 is a further perspective illustration of the inventive manipulation shield shown in FIG. 1 deployed over the hand and forearm of a user; 
     FIG. 3 is a detail view, in perspective, of an alternative sealing mechanism useful with the inventive manipulation shield; 
     FIG. 4 is yet another perspective illustration of the inventive manipulation shield having a portion thereof inverted to surround an article grasped by the user; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of the inventive shield deployed to contain an article suspected to be hazardous; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective illustration of a further embodiment of the inventive manipulation shield conformed for confining articles requiring two-handed manipulation; 
     FIG. 7 is yet a further perspective view of the shield shown in FIG. 7 deployed to confine and article; 
     FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic illustration, in perspective, of an inventive heated filament stamping system useful in repetitive stamping of a folded, moving thermoplastic ribbon to form a series of inventive shields; 
     FIG. 9 is yet another diagrammatic illustration, in perspective, of a further portion of the system shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a plan view of a continuous ribbon of gloved shieding enclosures formed in the course of operation of the system shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective illustration of one gloved enclosure severed from the continuous ribbon according to the operation of the portion shoen in FIG. 9; and 
     FIGS. 12 a  and  12   b  are alternative sectional views taken along line  12 — 12  of FIG.  10 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the inventive manipulation shield, generally designated by the numeral  10 , comprises a thin film sleeve  11  extending from the wrist opening of a thin film glove  12  both combined to form a loosely fitted common envelope for receiving the hand, wrist and forearm of a user. Both the glove and the sleeve may be formed from sheet polymer material structure, for example clear polyethylene sheet, by joining or heat welding the peripheral edges of the layered polymer sheeting to define both the glove  12  and the sleeve  11 , the glove then further including individual finger envelopes  15  for each of the several digits of the hand. This manner of construction results in an inexpensive envelope or hand shield formed of a thin film that can be worn by a person when manipulating matter held by the gloved fingers. Once so used the sleeve  11  may be inverted and rolled down to extend over the gloved hand grasping any article or matter AM to surround and enclose the article and a sealing strip  21  on the interior of opening  14  into sleeve  11  is then useful to fully enclose the grasped matter. Once thus sealed off the user&#39;s hand may be withdrawn from the glove  12 , leaving the article AM fully contained either for disposal or for laboratory examination. 
     The general dimensions of the sleeve  11  and of the glove  12  extending therefrom are defined by longitudinal seams  11   a  and  11   b  joining an upper polymer sheet US to a lower sheet LS to each other to form a loose envelope for the arm and the hand, any excess longitudinal dimension of the sleeve being conveniently taken up in a plurality of folds. This general planform shape can further include excess transverse dimension in the sleeve  11  to render convenient the sleeve reversal process described above and to accommodate a variety of shapes and dimensions of the grasped article AM. To effect the sealing strip generally shown at  21  both the upper sheet US and lower sheet LS may include the interlocking beads  121  of a sealing mechanism sold under the mark ZipLoc aligned adjacent the edges forming opening  14 . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3 an adhesive strip  221   a  covered by a peelable ribbon  221   b  may be utilized, again adjacent the edges of opening  14 . 
     Those in the art will appreciate that the sealing closure of opening  14  needs to be effective only after the sleeve  11  is inverted and rolled down over the gloved hand grasping the article AM. Thus the interlocking sealing ribs  121 , or strips  221   a  and their corresponding covering ribbons  221   b , are deployed on the exterior surfaces of the sleeve  11  when it is worn on the user&#39;s arm. In the course of fabrication, however, the interlocking or sealing strips are positioned adjacent each other to assure proper sealing alignment and it is therefore contemplated that the course of fabrication is thereafter followed by a full inversion of the surfaces before vending. This both assures a good eventual seal and furthermore spreads the surfaces from each other in their vended form, thereby rendering convenient the use of the inventive shield. 
     By further reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 an alternative implementation  110  of the inventive manipulation shield may include an enclosure of substantially larger dimensions useful in confining larger articles. Like numbered parts functioning in a like manner to that earlier described, this enclosure is once more effected by the surfaces of sleeve  11 , this time enlarged as a rectangular envelope of substantial dimensions and designated by the numeral  111 . As before envelope or sleeve  111  communicates with the glove  12  but because of the difficulty of one handed manipulation of larger articles a second glove  112  is also provided, gloves  12  and  112  being generally deployed at the respective corners of the envelope. 
     In the course of use the lower surface LS of envelope  111  is allowed to drape onto ground next to the article AM while the user&#39;s hands are received within the respective gloves  12  and  112 . While thus shielded the user then rolls or otherwise manipulates article AM onto the lower surface LS of envelope  111  and thereafter seals it within the envelope by way of the above described sealing sequences of the interlocking ribs  121  or the exposed adhesive strips  221   b . The article can then be further visually inspected through the transparent surfaces forming the enclosure  111 , may be disposed or may be sent away for further laboratory examination. 
     In both forms the inventive shield  10  and/or  110  is particularly useful in handling questionable articles delivered by post or other public means of delivery. The recipient can thereby confine the questioned article in an envelope of substantial integrity and may either transfer same to such public agencies assigned to investigate, or may simply defer inspection until the suspicion of terrorist activity is fully resolved. Of course, the inventive shields are also useful to facilitate evidence collection or even as containers for collecting and disposing unsanitary objects or matter. 
     Both the above described forms, moreover, are particularly suited for high volume production as more precisely described by reference to FIGS. 8 through 11 inclusive. While these illustrations focus on the fabrication of the manipulation shield form designated by the numeral  10  in FIGS. 1-5, it will be appreciated that the same process is also fully useful in forming the envelopes  110  shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. More precisely, the continuous fabrication process illustrated in FIGS. 8 through 11 advances a folded membrane  410  along the direction AA defining a ribbon folded by a longitudinal interlocking edge strip  421 . In this form the ribbon is passed subjacent an articulated heater filament carriage generally at  450  from which a heater filament  451  is deployed. While various shapes can be achieved with the use of a heated filament, the filament convolutions illustrated herein are those useful in forming the general planform of the single gloved envelope  10 . Of course the planform of the envelope  110  can be similarly implemented in the filament convolutions and no intent to confine the instant fabrication process to a particular envelope shape is expressed by these illustrations. 
     In its various forms filament  451  is preferably a resistive member bridging across a source of electrical power E that is transported along with the filament carriage  450  along the direction AA of the folded membrane  410  and also cycled periodically along the orthogonal direction BB in the course of each stamping stroke. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the duration of the filament travel along the path AA with the folded ribbon is determined by the heat levels necessary to effect local ribbon melting and therefore is determined by the membrane thickness, material selection and similar parameters, resulting in a heat welded edge cut  411  approximating the general planform shape of the sleeve  11  and its associated glove  12 . Once the ribbon is thus partly severed the carriage  450  is returned to its next starting point to repeat the process. Thus the folded ribbon is severed in a sequence of contiguous edge cuts  411  adjacent the interlocked edge strips  421  with the remainder discarded. 
     Further along the path of the folded membrane ribbon, now heat stamped into a sequence of edge cuts  411 , the interlocked edge strip  421  is separated into the interlocking beads  421   u  and  421   l  by passing over a wedge shaped spreader  431  with each separated edge bead  421   u  and  421   l  then passing into the interior of a corresponding rolling shoe  432   u  and  432   l . In this manner that portion of the membranes that forms the cuff of each sleeve  11  is reversed and folded over onto a portion of the rest of the sleeve, shown as cuff folds  418   u  and  418   l . By implementing each of the bead strips  421  as a fully reversible set of interlocking beads permits opposed bead engagement spanning the gaps between the adjacent edges  411 . To insure a full bead engagement in this reversed position a set of opposed rollers  433   u  and  433   l  is pressed over the cuff folds  418   u  and  418   l  as the ribbon is advanced from shoes  432   u  and  432   l , engaging the opposed beads to each other. A further articulated carriage  460  then periodically applies a V-shaped heating filament  461  into these gaps, severing again by heat welded cuts  465  the ribbon  410  into the individual gloved enclosures  10 . As particularly illustrated in FIG. 11 the resulting gloved envelope thus obtains the desired bias in the course of fabrication by way of the edge welded and turned cuff segments of the cuff folds  418   u  and  418   l.    
     As illustrated in FIG. 12 a  the reversible beaded edge  421  can be conveniently effected by way of opposed bead pairs  521  and  522  on both the surfaces of membrane fold  418   u  and a similarly opposed single bead  523  on both sides of the lower membrane fold  418   l . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12 b , opposed troughs  531  on both sides of the membrane edge  418   u  may receive one of the opposed matching projections  533  on both sides of membrane  418   l . Thus the simple reversing convenience allows for the use of a heated filament cutting process that provides the desired biases in the resulting structure. As result a fabrication process is devised for the mass production of the gloved envelopes, in any of their several forms. 
     Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention can be effected without departing from the spirit of the foregoing teachings. It is therefore intended that the scope of the instant invention be determined solely by the claims appended hereto.