Patent Application
20100313336
The present invention is directed to uniform trousers with an integrated duty gear support system wherein the waistline of the trousers features a reinforced padded lining and a belt attachment system.
Law enforcement personnel require an extensive array of accessories to perform their assigned duties. For example, police officers carry a wide range of accessories such as a night stick, a flashlight, a chemical agent dispenser, handcuffs, communications radio, firearms, and extra ammunition magazines for their firearm. The total weight of these accessories can often reach up to 25 lbs. Typically, these accessories are attached to a belt worn around their waist and commonly referred to as a duty gear belt. Typical duty gear belts are formed of a semi-rigid material, such a leather having a constant width of about 2-2½ inches. Each of the various accessories contained within a holster or other container and are attached to the duty gear belt through the use of loops or other fasteners which connect them to the duty gear belt.
Previously the duty gear belt and all of its attachments were supported around the waist of the wearer by being attached to a traditional narrow belt positioned through belt loops of the uniform trousers of the police officer. Although this method of attaching the duty gear belt around the waist of the wearer was effective in connecting the accessories, it was not designed for ergonomic comfort or to provide desirable weight distribution of the accessories around the waist of the user. The entire weight was being supported by the narrow belt extending through the belt loops on the trousers. Due to the heavy weight of the accessories and the non-ergonomic design of attachment this system became a health hazard in the form of fatigue, pinched nerves, sore back and bruises. Back injuries and nerve damage lead to prolonged absences or permanent disability from their duties.
Consequently, there is a need for a uniform trouser having an integrated duty gear support mechanism.
The present invention is an ergonomically improved duty gear support system for police uniform trousers. The waistline of the trousers feature a reinforced padded lining and a belt attachment system. The internal padded load transfer system built into the waistline of the uniform trousers helps support the load of the accessories carried on the duty gear belt. The reinforced padded lining in the waistline of the trousers supports the load of the duty gear belt and accessories over a larger surface area of the wearer reducing stress on the body. Being fully integrated into the uniform trousers also makes donning and doffing of the duty gear belt easier and holds the belt securely. The integrated duty gear support system incorporates individual ergonomically-shaped pads sewn into the inside of the waistline of the trousers and a plurality of horizontal belt loops positioned around the waistline on the exterior surface of the trousers. A plurality of individual duty gear belt keepers are positioned around the waist through the horizontal loops at desired locations through which the conventional duty gear belt is threaded. The integrated duty gear support trousers of the present invention provides improved comfort and safety by securing and supporting the heavy load of the duty gear around a larger surface area of the waist of the wearer.
Located on the exterior surface 18 of the trousers is a plurality of vertical loops 26 formed by a single strip of fabric sewn to the exterior surface by rows of vertical stitching 28. Each row of stitching 28 provides an opening along the top and the bottom of the vertical loop 26 through which a belt keeper 30 can be positioned. Although
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The hem 14 of the trousers 10 typically would be made of fabric having a moisture wicking property to move perspiration away from the skin of the wearer. The materials including the pads would be washable and durable for repeated use. The waist portion of the trousers including the pads are ergonomically designed to be contoured to be worn around the hips of the wearer to distribute the load over a wider area of the hips. Alternatively, the hem and waist portion of the trousers can be made of a stretchable fabric to further conform to the anatomy of the wearer. The integrated duty gear support trousers effectively transfers the load of the duty gear components across a wider area of the hips of the wearer and provide additional support for the lumbar or lower back region of the wearer. The integrated duty gear support trousers of the present invention improves load distribution, increases comfort and reduces stress on the lower back of the wearer.
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that changes and modifications can be made therein which are within the full intended scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. For example, although the invention is illustrated with respect to uniform trousers, the invention is equally applicable to other types of uniform apparel such as shorts or skirts.
