This invention relates to a disposable article such for example as a disposable garment or a disposable wipe.

Disposable articles such for example as disposable garments and disposable wipes are well known and used, for example in the food industry and in operating theatres in hospitals. It sometimes happens that the disposable article becomes lost. If for example, a disposable article becomes lost in food, then it may be necessary to scrap a batch of food containing the disposable article if the disposable article cannot be found. If food is sold with a disposable article in it, then bad publicity results together with a possible lawsuit. If a disposable article should be left inside a patient in, for example, an operating theatre, then the consequences are self-evidently extremely serious.

It is known to provide some disposable articles with locating means in the form of a strand of wire, badges or clips for enabling the articles to be located in the event that the articles should become lost. The wire is difficult to secure to the articles. The badges and clips sometimes become detached from the article and when this happens, it is self-evidently not possible to locate the article. Still further, the

badges and clips are usually made of a ferrous material which tends to rust and cause irremovable contamination.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a disposable article which is provided with locating means for enabling the article to be located in the event that the article becomes lost in an object or a person, the locating means being a layer of a machine-detectable material which is stuck to the fabric from which the article is made by an adhesive provided on one of the faces of the layer.

The provision of the locating means is in the form of the layer of the machine-detectable material together with the securing of the layer to the fabric by means of the adhesive provides an advantageously simple commercial way of producing the disposable article. The disposable article has to be produced in a cost effective manner and this is permitted by using the layer of the machine-detectable material and the adhesive.

The layer is preferably in the form of at least one strip. Preferably, the strip is l-20mm wide. Thus, for example, the strip may be 6mm wide. The strip can be wider if desired so that, it can be made in widths up to

1.5 metres depending upon the size of the disposable garment.

The layer can be in a shape other than a strip. Thus, for example, the layer can be in the form of one or more separate patches. The patches can be of any suitable and appropriate shape so that, for example, the patches may be circular, eliptical or triangular in shape.

Preferably, the machine-detectable material is a metal . The metal is preferably in the form of a metal foil . The metal foil will normally be a rust proof metal foil. A presently preferred metal foil is aluminium. The aluminium foil is preferably 30 micron thick aluminium foil .

Metals other than aluminium may be employed. Generally, the metal will be chosen to be malleable, ductile and pliable. Some metal-like materials may also be employed, for example metalised plastics foils.

The machine-detectable material may be detectable by a metal detector, an X-ray machine, an ultrasound machine, a sonar machine, or by magnetism. Generally, any suitable and appropriate type of machine may be employed for detecting the machine-detectable material.

The adhesive is preferably a pressure-sensitive adhesive. The adhesive may be any suitable and appropriate adhesive.

The fabric from which the disposable article is made may be, for example, non-woven polypropylene, paper, cloth, a polyester, a polycotton, linen, silk, a rubber material or leather. Any suitable and appropriate fabric may be employed so long, as the fabric is suitable for use in forming the disposable article.

The disposable article may be in the form of a disposable garment. The disposable garment may be, for example, a hair cover, a face mask, a coat, a jacket, an apron, an oversleeve, a glove, a pair of trousers, a scarf, a pair of overshoes, or a security garment. Other disposable garments may of course be provided.

Where the disposable garment is a pair of overshoes, then the overshoes are each advantageously provided with an anti-slip sole provided with the machine-detectable material. The anti-slip sole may be a full sole or at least one part thereof. The anti- slip sole may be made of rubber or any other suitable and appropriate material.

If desired, the disposable article may be in the form of a disposable wipe. The disposable wipe may be, for example, a probe wipe, a disinfectant wipe, or a hand sanitiser wipe.

The disposable article may also be in the form of an article for use with computers and visual display units for helping to combat the effects of static

electricity and electromagnetic radiation that tends to occur with such types of apparatus.

Advantageously, the layer of the machine-detectable material is applied to the fabric from which the article is made from a roll. Where the machine-detectable material is in strip form, then the strip may be in the form of a 25 - 6,000 metre roll having a pressure sensitive adhesive applied to one face of the strip. Generally, a roll of any suitable and desired length may be employed.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l shows a disposable garment in the form of a hat;

Figure 2 shows a disposable garment in the form of a face mask;

Figure 3 shows a disposable garment in the form of a coat;

Figure 4 shows a disposable garment in the form of a glove;

Figure 5 shows a disposable garment in the form of a mitten;

Figure 6 shows a disposable garment in the form of a pair of trousers; and

Figure 7 shows a disposable garment in the form of an overshoe.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a disposable garment in the form of a hat 2 which forms a hair cover. The hat 2 is worn by a person 4 and the hat 2 is suitable for a person working in the food industry. The hat 2 is made from a polypropylene disposable fabric but is provided with a strip 6 of aluminium foil which is 6mm wide and 30 micron thick. The hat 2 is retained in position by an elasticated band 8.

In the event that the hat 2 should become lost, for example in a food mix, the hat 2 can easily be detected by an appropriate detecting machine detecting the presence of the strip 6 on the hat 2. The hat 2 can then be recovered from the food mix and it will not be necessary to scrap the food mix or to risk selling food that possibly has the hat 2 in it.

Figure 2 shows a surgical face mask 10 provided with the strip 6. The face mask 10 is normally tied in position by ties (not shown) .

Figure 3 shows a coat 12 having two of the strips 6. The sleeves of the coat 12 are provided with elasticated band 8.

Figure 4 shows a glove 14 provided with the strip 6. The glove 14 has the elasticated band 8.

Figure 5 shows a mitten 16 having the strip 6 and the elasticated band 8.

Figure 6 shows a pair of trousers 18 having two of the strips 6, there being one strip 6 along each leg 20 of the trousers 18. The trousers 18 have an elasticated waist band 22 and elasticated ankle portions 24.

Figure 7 shows an overshoe 26 fitting over a shoe 28. The overshoe 26 has a strip 6. The overshoe 26 also has an elasticated band 8.

In a modification of the invention (not shown) , the overshoe 26 of Figure 7 is provided with a thin rubber sole. The thin rubber sole extends all over the base of the overshoe 26. The thin rubber sole stops the overshoe 26 from becoming slippery and wet in working conditions. Known overshoes tend to become slippery in wet conditions, often leading to accidents. The thin rubber sole may be provided with machine-detectable material, for example in the form of a longitudinally extending and/or transversely extending strip if desired.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, garments other than those shown in the drawings may be provided. Where the garments are security

garments, then they may be any suitable security garments. Disposable articles other than garments may be provided so that, for example, the disposable article may be a surgical wipe or an anti-static article. If a sole is employed, then the sole may be made of a material other than rubber. Also, the sole need not be a full sole and it could be one or more sole portions.