Firefighter Glove Assembly Comprising Flame and Heat-Resistant Outer Glove and Flame and Particulate-Resistant Glove Insert

A particulate-resistant glove insert comprising glove insert finger stalls and a glove insert tubular portion forming palm, side, and back-of-hand areas of said glove insert, the glove insert tubular portion ending in a glove insert opening, and

• wherein the glove insert finger stalls and glove insert tubular portion comprise a particulate-resistant barrier laminate, said laminate comprising an exterior layer, a middle layer, and an interior layer, wherein each layer is flame resistant, and
• a) the exterior layer comprises a knit fabric having a basis weight of 33.9 to 101.7 grams per square meter (1 to 3 ounces per square yard) and a tightness factor of 0.9 to 1.9;
• b) the middle layer comprises nonwoven fabric having a basis weight of 5 to 30 grams per square meter (0.15 to 0.88 ounces per square yard), the nonwoven fabric comprising of a plurality of filaments having a diameter of less than 1000 nm, wherein the flame resistant nonwoven fabric has stretch and recovery;
• and
• c) the interior layer comprises a knit fabric having a basis weight of 33.9 to 101.7 grams per square meter (1 to 3 ounces per square yard),
• wherein one surface of the exterior layer is adhesively attached to a first surface of the middle layer, and one surface of the interior layer is adhesively attached to a second surface of the middle layer, the adhesive discontinuously present between each of the attached layers, and
• wherein the total basis weight of the laminate is 93 to 294 grams per square meter (2.7 to 8.6 ounces per square yard).

A method of protecting hands of workers from a combination of flame, heat, and particulate hazards, comprising:

• i) providing a flame and heat-resistant outer glove, said outer glove having outer glove finger stalls and an outer glove tubular portion forming palm, sides, and back-of-hand areas of said outer glove, the outer glove tubular portion ending in an outer glove wrist opening, and
• ii) providing a flame and particulate-resistant glove insert, said glove insert having glove insert finger stalls and a glove insert tubular portion forming palm, side, and back-of-hand areas of said glove insert, the glove insert tubular portion ending in a glove insert opening,
• wherein the particulate-resistant glove insert is configured to fit over a person's hand and inside the flame and heat-resistant outer glove, the particulate-resistant glove insert being separable from the flame and heat-resistant outer glove, and
• iii) forming a glove assembly by inserting the flame and particulate-resistant glove insert into the outer glove wrist opening of the flame and heat-resistant outer glove,
• wherein each one of the glove insert finger stalls is inserted into and is in contact with a corresponding outer glove finger stall, and
• wherein the glove insert tubular portion is inserted into and is in contact with the outer glove tubular portion,
• the flame and particulate-resistant glove insert comprising a particulate-resistant barrier laminate comprising an exterior layer, a middle layer, and an interior layer,
• wherein each layer is flame resistant, and
• a) the exterior layer comprises a knit fabric having a basis weight of 33.9 to 101.7 grams per square meter (1 to 3 ounces per square yard) and a tightness factor of 0.9 to 1.9;
• b) the middle layer comprises flame resistant nonwoven fabric having a basis weight of 5 to 30 grams per square meter (0.15 to 0.88 ounces per square yard), the nonwoven fabric comprising of a plurality of fibers having a diameter of less than 1000 nm, wherein the flame resistant nonwoven fabric has stretch and recovery;
• and
• c) the interior layer comprises a knit fabric having a basis weight of 33.9 to 101.7 grams per square meter (1 to 3 ounces per square yard),
• wherein one surface of the exterior layer is attached to a first surface of the middle layer by adhesive, and one surface of the interior layer is attached to a second surface of the middle layer by adhesive, wherein the adhesive is discontinuously present between the attached layers, and
• wherein the total basis weight of the laminate is 93 to 294 grams per square meter (2.7 to 8.6 ounces per square yard).