This invention pertains to a protective garment for a firefighter, a chemical worker, or an emergency rescue worker, who faces a risk of being splashed, sprayed, or contacted by a hazardous or potentially hazardous substance, in a liquid or particulate form.
Occasionally, a firefighter, or a chemical worker, or an emergency rescue worker is called to respond to an incident, such as a vehicle wreck or a chemical spill, without an adequate opportunity to don protective garments designed to protect him or her against being splashed, sprayed, or contacted by blood of a victim, by a hazardous chemical, or by another hazardous or potentially hazardous substance, in a liquid or particulate form.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,717, a protective garment is disclosed, which employs leg portions including socks and which employs cuffs attached to the leg portions, whereby to prevent liquids from entering boots. Although the disclosed garment protects the lower torso, legs, and feet of the wearer, the disclosed garment does not protect the upper torso, arms, or hands of the wearer.
This invention provides a liquid-tight, pull-over, protective garment, which is adapted to be worn by a wearer, over another garment or other garments worn by the wearer. Broadly, the protective garment is adapted to cover the head, upper torso, and arms of the wearer even if the protective garment is worn without a helmet. Preferably, the protective garment is adapted to cover the head, upper torso, arms, and hands of the wearer even if the protective garment is worn without a helmet and without gloves.
In one contemplated embodiment, at least a portion of the protective garment, at least where the protective garment when worn covers the eyes of the wearer, is transparent. In an alternative embodiment, the protective garment has an open window having a margin, which coacts with a face mask of a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or of an air-breathing apparatus, so as to provide a liquid-tight seal between the margin of the open window and the face mask.
In one contemplated embodiment, substantially all of the protective garment, particularly a portion thereof that covers the eyes of the wearer when the protective garment is worn, is transparent. In an alternative embodiment, at least a portion of the protective garment, at least where the protective garment when worn covers the eyes of the wearer, comprises a transparent window.
This invention also provides a protective ensemble comprising a protective garment, as described above, a helmet, and a pair of gloves, wherein the helmet is adapted to be worn outside a head-covering portion of the protective garment and wherein each glove of the pair is adapted to be worn over a hand-covering portion of the protective garment.
This invention also provides a protective ensemble comprising a protective garment, as described above, a helmet, and, preferably, a pair of gloves, wherein the helmet is adapted to be worn either inside or outside a head-covering portion of the protective garment and wherein each glove of the pair, if provided, is adapted to be worn over a hand-covering portion of the protective garment.
As illustrated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
So as to permit the firefighter to breathe for a prolonged period, the firefighter may be equipped with a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or with an air-filtering apparatus, in a manner disclosed in U.S. patent application Publication No. U.S. 2003/0221247 A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Accordingly, as shown in
The embodiment shown in
In the protective ensemble, the helmet 10 is worn over the head-covering portion of the protective garment 100 and each of the gloves 20 is worn over a hand-covering portion of the protective garment 100. Advantageously, the protective garment 100 protects the head, upper torso, arms, and hands of the firefighter, the protective coat 30, and the protective hood 40 against being splashed, sprayed, or contacted by blood of a victim, by a hazardous chemical, or by another hazardous or potentially hazardous substance, in a liquid or particulate form, even if the helmet 10 and the gloves 20 are not worn.
Because of its construction, the protective garment 100 can be compactly stored, possibly in a pocket of the protective coat 30. Moreover, it may be cost-effective to discard the protective garment 100 after a single use, rather than to endeavor to clean the protective garment 100 for re-use.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060021107 A1 | Feb 2006 | US |