Patent Publication Number: US-11388940-B2

Title: Auto glove device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 62/712,315 filed on Jul. 31, 2018 and entitled “Auto Glove Device”. The entirety of the disclosure of the aforementioned application is considered part of, and is incorporated by reference in, the disclosure of this application. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This application relates to devices, systems and methods for automatically custom fitting one or more glove to a hand. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The ability of arranging gloves on a user hand is an antiquated process requiring unnecessary time and energy. A user must open a glove, which is sometimes made of a flimsy latex material that requires careful focus and concentration. Then the user must insert their hand into the glove opening and make several adjustments to get the fingers and palm snugly within the glove material. This process is a nuisance, time consuming and inefficient. In several cases it also places people in jeopardy, for instance, in the case where a surgeon needs to perform emergency surgery but first spends time gloving his hands appropriately. As such, there is a need for technological improvements with the gloving process. 
     SUMMARY 
     The following presents a summary to provide a basic understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention. This summary is not intended to identify key or critical elements, or delineate any scope of the particular embodiments or any scope of the claims. Its sole purpose is to present concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. In one or more embodiments described herein, systems, devices, apparatuses, and/or methods that facilitate an automated gloving of on a user hand are disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a device can include an automated gloving device that custom fits a glove around a user hand. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of an example, non-limiting method  100  that can facilitate a user to perform an automated fitting of a glove. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a diagram of an example, non-limiting automated glove device  200  in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a block diagram of an example, non-limiting method  300  that can facilitate a user to perform an automated fitting of a glove. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit embodiments and/or application or uses of embodiments. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied information presented in the preceding Background or Summary sections, or in the Detailed Description section. One or more embodiments are now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like referenced numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the one or more embodiments. It is evidence, however, in various cases, that the one or more embodiments can be practiced without these specific details. 
     In an aspect, disclosed herein are devices, systems, and methods that fit a glove to a user hand upon demand. The use of gloves is so important for users in several industries. For instance, in a medical setting glove use reduces the risk of contaminating the hands of the user with blood and other body fluids as well as reduce the risk of germs spreading to an environment such as a patients&#39; body. Unfortunately, a range of challenges arise in association with a user putting on gloves. Some problems can include the gloves sticking to a user fingers, a glove being an improper size for the user (e.g., too large has excess material and too small causes constriction and other discomforts), and other such challenges. 
     The disclosed invention can be utilized in several industries including the medical industry with an assortment of users (e.g., physicians, hospitals, clinics, medical offices, operation theaters, etc.), grocery industry (e.g., any store where a glove is needed), car industry (e.g., mechanical car repair), and other such industries. In an aspect, the disclosed invention can minimize the time to which a glove can be custom fitted to a hand as compared to current methods of manually fitting a glove to a hand. In a non-limiting embodiment, the device can employ a single finger operation and perform such operation in a more hygienic manner than current methods of putting on a glove. 
     In a non-limiting example, a user can be a dentist that uses the automated glove device to put gloves on his hand prior to checking a patient and do so in an optimal manner within a few moments. As such, if there is a complication with a patient, the dentist can change gloves and switch servicing between patients at a quicker pace than currently possible. In another instance, a user can perform an operation and switch between glove uses within seconds. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 1 , illustrated is a device  100  and method for automatically fitting a glove to a user hand. At reference numeral  110 , the automated glove device  100  can hold N (unfitted) gloves, wherein N is a number of unfitted gloves capable of being fitted around a user hand using device  100 . The unfitted gloves can be stored as a stack of gloves within device  100  for intake and transformation into a custom-fitted glove by the device. At reference numeral  120 , the device  100  can employ a first sensor component capable of detecting the presence of a first object such as a user. For instance, the first sensor component can be a sensor that detects the presence of a user body standing in front of the device to begin deploying the release mechanism of the unfitted raw glove. In another instance the first sensor component can be a retina detector that detects the presence of a user eye in order to facilitate a triggering of the release of the unfitted glove. 
     At reference numeral  130 , the first sensor component of the device  100  can be triggered based on the presence of an object (e.g., user). At reference numeral  140 , based on the presence of the object, the device  100  can employ a release mechanism that releases at least one glove into a chamber component of device  100 . In an aspect, the chamber component of device  100  can be a cavity by which a glove can be expanded to initiate the fitting process around a second object such as a user hand. At reference numeral  150 , the device can employ an inflation component that inflates the at least one glove, wherein the inflated at least one glove comprises an opening. For instance, a vacuum mechanism of device  100  can be employed to inflate the unfitted glove that and procures an opening. At reference numeral  160 , the device can employ a second sensor component capable of detecting an insertion of a second object to satisfy a threshold level of insertion. For instance, a user can insert its hand into the opening of the inflated and unfitted glove, and upon the hand being inserted fully (e.g., satisfying a threshold level of hand insertion as measured by a second sensor) then the vacuum mechanism can be deactivated resulting in the glove shrinking to the customized size of the user hand. Thus, resulting in a custom fitted glove being fit around the user hand(s). At reference numeral  170 , the device can deactivate the vacuum component mechanism based on the threshold level of hand insertion being satisfied resulting in the at least one glove being custom fitted to the user hand(s). In another aspect, the user can remove his hands from the device with custom fitted gloves circumscribing his hands. This automated gloving device  100  and corresponding mechanism can happen in only a few moments in some non-limiting embodiments. 
     In another non-limiting embodiment, the device  100  can include a removal component that removes and/or disposes gloves from a user hand based on a user inserting one or more gloved hand into the device  100 . Furthermore, in an aspect device  100  can inflate the glove that is around the user hand and remove such glove and then dispose of such glove in an automated manner. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , illustrated is a non-limiting automated gloving device  200 . In an aspect, referenced are glove element  210 , glove device chamber  220 , glove presence sensor  230 , vacuum deactivate switch  240 , air in/out pipe  250 , vacuum motor holder  260 , vacuum hole  270 , power cord  280 , level holder element  290 . In an aspect, glove element  210  can be any type of glove having a range of material compositions and a range of uses. For instance, glove element  210  can be a disposable or non-disposable glove having a material composition of one or more of nitrile, latex, chloronite, rubber (e.g., butyl rubber), neoprene, viton and/or vinyl (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol). Furthermore, glove element  210  can comprise a range of thicknesses such as 400-1000 microns thickness for example. In another aspect, glove element  210  can comprise various styles such as cuff length variations (e.g., longer vs. shorter), material compositions (e.g., permeability variations, resistance variations, etc.). In another aspect, glove element  210  can be gloves configured for a range of uses such as medical uses, gardening uses, cleaning uses, and other such uses. 
     In a non-limiting embodiment, gloving device  200  can be configured to automatically apply glove element  210  onto a user hand in a fast, efficient and fitted manner. As such, gloving device  200  overcomes issues associated with ill fitted gloves such as injury, contamination susceptibility, reduced grip, dexterity impediments, puncture vulnerabilities, hand inflexibility, contaminant transfer onto the glove by use of an ungloved hand to assist with glove fitting. As such, in a non-limiting embodiment gloving device  200  can employ glove chamber  220  that contains gloving device  200  components including glove element  210 . In a non-limiting embodiment, gloving chamber  220  can be configured as a rectangular compartment with a roof portion, a floor portion, a first wall portion, a second wall portion, a third wall portion, and a fourth wall portion. In a non-limiting embodiment, the fourth wall portion can include a hole that includes a sleeve (e.g., a rubber sleeve) that has a glove element  210  circumscribing the end portion of the sleeve. As such, the glove can detach from the end of the sleeve to which it circumscribes. 
     In another non-limiting embodiment, gloving device chamber  220  can integrate with a glove presence sensor  230  that detects object data representing the presence of glove element  210 . For instance, upon insertion of a glove element  210  into gloving device chamber  220 , presence sensor  230  can detect the presence of glove element  210  and trigger a vacuum mechanism that inflates glove element  210  based on a pressure difference created between the inner cavity of gloving device chamber  220  and the outside environment of gloving device chamber  220 . In an aspect, glove presence sensor  230  can be mounted to a wall of gloving device chamber  220  in order to be proximally situated to any glove element  210  that enters the gloving device chamber  220 . In one or more embodiments, glove presence sensor  230  can sense movement of an object such as a glove or hand within the inner cavity of the chamber. For instance, if a movement of half a centimeter occurs from the rest position of the glove or hand, then glove presence sensor  230  can detect such movement. In some embodiments, a detection of movement determined to be above a threshold movement value (e.g., movement of a certain distance) can trigger the sensor to transmit a signal to a vacuum motor to activate. However, in some instances a movement below such threshold may not trigger such vacuum motor to activate. 
     In an aspect, upon the detection of an object (e.g., glove) by glove presence sensor  230 , such sensor  230  can generate object data that can be transmitted (e.g., as an electrical signal or via a executable instruction executed by a processor communicatively connected to device  200 ) to vacuum motor holder  260 . In an aspect, vacuum motor holder  260  configured to house a vacuum motor element configured to create a low pressure inside the cavity of gloving device chamber  220 . For instance, the vacuum motor can utilize turbine energy to create a vacuum pull force that pulls the air from inside the inner cavity of gloving device chamber  220  and transmits the air into the outside environment of gloving device chamber  220 . 
     In an aspect, the air from inside the chamber cavity can be pulled through vacuum hole  270 , pass through vacuum motor holder  260  and exit in the outside environment through air in/out pipe  250 . In a non-limiting embodiment, the vacuum motor holder  260  (e.g., controller box) can be mounted (e.g., to a floor of the chamber) inside the cavity of gloving device chamber  220  as well as a vacuum motor encapsulated by such motor holder  260 . Furthermore, the vacuum hole  270  can be configured as an opening that interfaces between the vacuum motor holder  260  and the inner cavity environment of gloving device chamber  220 . In yet another aspect, air in/out pipe  250  can be connected to a surface of vacuum motor holder  260  (e.g., one end of the pipe opens into the holder cavity) and another end of air in/out pipe can be connected to a wall of gloving device chamber  220  and the pipe opening can open into the environment outside of the inner cavity. Accordingly, upon activation of the vacuum mechanism (e.g., powered by electricity through a power cord) the air inside the cavity of gloving device chamber  210  can be vacuumed through vacuum hole  270 , into vacuum motor holder  260 , through air in/out pipe  250  and outside of the chamber. 
     In yet another non-limiting embodiment, gloving device  200  can be configured with a vacuum deactivate switch  240 . In an aspect, the vacuum deactivate switch  240  can be communicatively connected or electrically connected to the vacuum motor. As such, a trigger of vacuum deactivate switch  240  can deactivate the vacuum mechanism and stop the glove element  210  from inflating. In an aspect, the glove element  210  can expand to a range of different pressure levels based on variations in glove types (e.g., material composition, glove strength, etc.) and such pressure level can be maintained or varied in various embodiments. As an example, upon the vacuum motor creating low pressure in the gloving device chamber  220 , glove element  210  can inflate based on such pressure differentiation. A user can insert his or her hand through the sleeve in the side of gloving device  200  and into the inflated glove. Furthermore, the user (now with hand inserted into the inflated glove) can trigger (e.g., trip or push a button) the deactivate switch which can deactivate the vacuum motor and end the generation of the vacuum suction and external air enters the cavity of chamber glove device chamber  220 . As a result of the pressure loss, glove element  210  can constrict around the user hand thus creating a custom fitted glove that surrounds the user hand (e.g., fingers, palm, sleeve, etc.). Furthermore, the user can pull the glove fitted hand out of the chamber cavity. Accordingly, such process occurs expediently and seamlessly overcoming traditional challenges associated with applying gloves to hands. 
     In another non-limiting embodiment, glove presence sensor  230  or a proximity sensor can detect the proximity of object data (e.g., closeness of the hand inside the glove to the proximity sensor) to automatically trigger (via transmission of an electrical or network signal) the vacuum motor to activate a vacuum mechanism (e.g., using air in/out pipe  250 ) that inflates glove element  210 . Furthermore, in an aspect, vacuum deactivate switch  240  can be triggered (e.g., a user hand pushing the switch button while wearing the glove inside the cavity chamber) by a user hand. In other embodiments, a deactivation of the vacuum mechanism can be based on a change in object data values detected by glove presence sensor  230 . For instance, the absence of the object data being detected or the absence in motion associated with object data (e.g., a hand detection in a different position, a glove detection at a different location) can trigger the vacuum deactivate switch  240  to deactivate the vacuum mechanism. 
     Upon such vacuum deactivation, glove element  210  can shrink to the shape of the hand within the cavity of the glove element  210  thus allowing for a fitted glove to encase a user hand. Furthermore, the fitted glove element  210  around a user hand is free from contamination (e.g., no other hand or object touched the glove exterior to effectuate the glove fitting around the hand), the glove is fitted perfectly to the user hand (no odd stretching, slack or undesired wrinkles, etc.). In another aspect, vacuum motor holder  260  can include a motor that supplies motion power (e.g., via a turbine, rotating fan, or other mechanism) to generate the vacuum force within the chamber cavity to expand glove element  210  for insertion of a user hand. 
     In another aspect, device  200  can employ a vacuum hole  270  configured to adjust the force of the vacuum suction mechanism to generate areas of low pressure and areas of high pressure within the glove chamber  220 . For instance, a partial or full opening of such hole can allow high pressure air outside of glove chamber  220  to enter inside the glove chamber  220 . In another aspect, the vacuum hole  270  can be opened and closed to various degrees to vary the suction level of the vacuum for various time periods (e.g., temporarily) and to various strengths. As such, the vacuum mechanism can be carefully calibrated to accommodate the opening of fragile glove element  210  to accommodate a hand to enter. In yet another aspect, power cord  280  can be connected to glove chamber  220  to supply power such as electricity to device  200  components such as a vacuum motor and other components. In yet another aspect, device  200  can employ level holder element  290  integrated into the exterior portion (e.g., underside) of glove chamber  220  to stabilize and support the entire glove chamber  220  portion of device  200 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , illustrated is method  300  for performing an automated fitting of a glove. At reference numeral  310 , a detection sensor mounted within an inner cavity of gloving device chamber, detects (e.g., using presence sensor  230 ) object data based on a presence of a glove within the inner cavity. At reference numeral  320 , a vacuum motor is activated based on detection of the object data. At reference numeral  330 , a glove is automatically expanded based on a vacuum pull force within the inner cavity generated by the activated vacuum motor. At reference numeral  340 , a deactivation switch is triggered that terminates the vacuum pull force. At reference numeral  350 , the glove constricts around a hand based on the deactivation switch triggering. 
     In one or more non-limiting embodiments, devices  100 ,  200 , and  300  can be integrated with computer implemented system components to execute operable instructions by a processor where such instructions are stored on a memory device. As such, the system instructions can include executing operations that control data logging operations, calibration mechanisms, vacuum force adjustments, remote monitoring and controlling of device  200 . The descriptions of the various embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.