Abstract
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.
Highlights
Vibration-reducing (VR) gloves have been used to help control vibration exposures of the hand–arm system [1,2]
The human hand–arm system was simulated using five lumped mass elements: M0 represents the effective mass of the upper arm and part of the shoulder; M1 represents the effective mass of the palm, wrist, and forearm; M2 represents the effective mass of the fingers grasping half a cylindrical handle; M3 represents the effective mass of the palm skin contacting the handle; and M4 represents the effective mass of the finger skin contacting the handle
The method is based on the modeling predictions of the vibration power absorption (VPA) by a glove and the VPA distributed in the substructures of the human hand-arm system
Summary
Vibration-reducing (VR) gloves have been used to help control vibration exposures of the hand–arm system [1,2]. The on-the-hand approach measures the vibrations on the dorsum of a finger or hand or on the skin of the wrist or arm substructures using a laser vibrometer or an accelerometer with and without wearing a glove; the ratio of the gloved and ungloved vibrations is used to assess VR glove effectiveness [8,9,10,11,12,13,14] This vibration ratio is equivalent to the glove vibration transmissibility at the glove–hand interface [14,15], and it can be termed as equivalent glove vibration transmissibility. Depending on the location of the vibration measurement, the on-the-hand approach may be called the on-the-finger method, on-the-hand-dorsum method, etc
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