A Method For Analyzing The Effectiveness Of Vibration-Reducing Gloves Based On Vibration Power Absorption

The effectiveness of vibration-reducing (VR) gloves is conventionally assessed based on the vibration transmissibility of the gloves. This study proposed a method for analyzing and assessing the effectiveness of VR gloves based on how gloves affect the vibration power absorption (VPA) of the hand-arm system and its distribution. A model of the entire tool-handle-glove-hand-arm system was used to predict the VPA distributed in the glove and across the substructures of the hand-arm system. The ratio of the gloved-VPA and ungloved-VPA in each group of system substructures was calculated and used to quantify VR glove effectiveness, which was termed the VPA-based glove vibration transmissibility in this study. The VPA-based transmissibility values were compared with those determined using to-the-hand and on-the-hand methods. Three types of gloves (ordinary work glove, gel VR glove, and air bubble VR glove) were considered in the modeling analyses. This study made the following findings: the total VPA-based transmissibility spectrum exhibits some similarities with those determined using the other two methods; the VPA-based transmissibility for the wrist-forearm-elbow substructures is identical to that for the upper-arm-shoulder substructures in the model used in this study; each of them is equal to the square of the glove vibration transmissibility determined using the on-the-wrist method or on-the-upper-arm method; the other substructure-specific VPA-based transmissibility spectra exhibit some unique features; the effectiveness of a glove for reducing the overall VPA in the hand-arm system depends on the glove effectiveness for absorbing the vibration energy, which seems to be associated primarily with the glove cushioning materials; the glove may also help protect the fingers or hand by redistributing the VPA across the hand substructures; this redistribution seems to be primarily associated with the glove structural properties, especially the tightness of fit for the glove.