Patent Application
20200108282
Example embodiments of the present invention relate generally to protective articles and garments and, more particularly, to reducing exposure to particulate substances.
Fire response personnel, law enforcement, emergency medical service personnel (EMS), military personnel, law enforcement, and the like are often exposed to particulate substances and matter while performing their active duties. By way of example, particulates resulting from combustion, Toxic Industrial Compounds (TICs), and/or Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), some or all of which may be carcinogenic or otherwise harmful to the personnel, may be regularly encountered in these careers. Contact with these particulates may pose an immediate threat (e.g., due to lethal dosage) and/or long term threat (e.g., due to buildup of the particulates in body tissue) to these personnel. The inventors have identified numerous other deficiencies with existing technologies in this field, the remedies for which are the subject of the embodiments described herein.
The present disclosure relates to a particulate protective article and associated method of manufacturing. An example particulate protective article may include one or more structural sections that are formed of a primary material. In some embodiments, the primary material may be melt-resistant. The article may further include one or more protective sections connected with the one or more structural sections so as to form an article of clothing. Each protective section may be formed of a particulate blocking or filtering material. In an instance in which the article is worn by a user, the one or more protective sections may be configured to shield one or more corresponding areas of the user's superficial lymphatic system from particulate matter.
In some embodiments, the article may be formed as a shirt configured to at least partially cover the user's torso. In such an embodiment, the one or more protective sections may be located so as to shield a front portion of the user's torso from particulate matter. In other such embodiments, the one or more protective sections may also be located so as to shield the user's armpits from particulate matter. Still further, in some cases, the one or more protective sections may be located so as to shield the user's neck from particulate matter.
In some embodiments, the article is formed as an undergarment configured to at least partially cover the user's groin. In such an embodiment, the one or more protective sections may be located so as to shield the user's groin and lower abdomen from particulate matter. In other such embodiments, the one or more protective sections may be located so as to shield at least a portion of the user's buttocks from particulate matter.
In any such embodiment, the particulate protective article may be configured to interface with one or more additional articles of clothing so as to form a protective uniform.
The above summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some example embodiments to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above-described embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the invention in any way. It will be appreciated that the scope of the invention encompasses many potential embodiments in addition to those here summarized, some of which will be further described below.
Having described certain example embodiments of the present disclosure in general terms above, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings. The components illustrated in the figures may or may not be present in certain embodiments described herein. Some embodiments may include fewer (or more) components than those shown in the figures.
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which some but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, terms such as “front,” “rear,” “back,” “top,” etc. are used for explanatory purposes in the examples provided below to describe the relative position of certain components or portions of components. Furthermore, as would be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the present disclosure, the terms “substantially” and “approximately” indicate that the referenced element or associated description is accurate to within applicable engineering tolerances. As discussed herein, example embodiments may be described with reference to a shirt, undergarment, or similar article of clothing. However, the present disclosure may be equally applicable for use with any article, garment, covering, or the like (e.g., uniform shirt, overall, coverall, T-shirt, collar placket shirt, jacket, hood, undergarments, and the like) without limitation.
As noted above particulate protective articles and associated methods of manufacturing are described herein that provide solutions to the problems identified above, as well as others. Exposure to particulates (e.g., carcinogens, powdered drugs, chemical weapons, TICs, and/or VOCs) poses an immediate threat and ongoing threat to, for example, EMS, fire response, and law enforcement personnel. While each of these industries provide clothing and other gear adapted to their selected occupation (e.g., turnout gear for fire fighters), these items fail to provide sufficient protection from ingress of particulate substances/matter. For example, daily work uniforms, undergarments, and the like fail to provide protection from sub-micron to micro sized particulate hazards that may pass through standard working attire. Furthermore, particular areas of the body are more susceptible to particulate hazards due to the concentration of lymph nodes and/or glands at these areas. These areas of concentrated glands may also be located in areas in which conventional clothing interfaces or is otherwise left open (e.g., the waistline between a user's shirt and pants). Accordingly, the articles of the present application operate to reduce or otherwise eliminate exposure of a user's superficial lymphatic system to particulate hazards by utilizing protective sections configured to shield corresponding areas of a user's (e.g., a person wearing the article) superficial lymphatic system.
With reference to
As shown, these structural sections may be disposed at locations in which exposure to particulate hazards are lower. By way of example, in an instance in which the particulate protective shirt 100 is worn by a user, the chest section 102 and the shoulder sections 104 may be located in areas not associated with the superficial lymphatic system. As such, these areas may be covered by the structural elements of the chest section 102 and the shoulder sections 104 comprised of the primary material. While illustrated with structural sections located at the chest section 102 (e.g., that also wraps around a user and covers a user's back as shown in
With continued reference to
In some embodiments, the one or more protective sections may include an armpit section 108 configured to shield the superficial lymphatic system at the user's armpits from particulate matter and a neck section 110 configured to shield the superficial lymphatic system located at a user's neck from particulate matter. As described above with reference to a user's torso, a high concentration of lymph nodes proximate the surface of a user's skin as well as a high concentration of sweat glands are present at these locations. As such, the particulate protective shirt 100 of the present application includes protective sections at these locations to prevent the ingress of particulate hazards at these locations. Similar to the location of the torso section 106, the armpit section 108 and the neck section 110 may also be located at an interface between articles of clothing (e.g., gloves, hood, helmet, etc.). As such, the armpit section 108 and the neck section 110 may operate to shield the user's lymph nodes and sweat glands at these interface locations. While the armpit sections 108 are illustrated as a single section attached to the structural sections, the present disclosure contemplates that the armpit section 108 may be configured as underarm gussets, single or multi-piece, inset sleeves, raglan sleeves, dolman sleeves, or the like. Furthermore, while the neck section 110 is illustrated as a single section attached to the structural sections, the present disclosure contemplates that the neck section 110 may be configured as a stand collar, a mock neck, a turtleneck, or the like.
With reference to
With reference to
As shown, these structural sections may be disposed at locations in which exposure to particulate hazards are lower. By way of example, in an instance in which the particulate protective undergarment 400 is worn by a user, the leg sections 402 may be located in areas not associated with the superficial lymphatic system (e.g., the exterior of the leg). As such, these areas may be covered by the structural elements of the leg sections 402 comprised of the primary material. While illustrated with structural sections located at the leg sections 402, the present disclosure contemplates that any number of different designs, patterning, etc. of the structural sections may be used based upon the implementation of the particulate protective undergarment. By way of example, if additional support (e.g., a heavier weight fabric, additional stitching, etc.) are needed for an application of the particulate protective undergarment 400, the structural sections may be dimensioned (e.g., sized and shaped) so as to provide additional support for the application. Furthermore, the present disclosure contemplates that the one or more structural sections (e.g., leg sections 402) may be modified for aesthetic appeal. By way of example, the one or more structural sections may be contoured, dimensioned (e.g., sized and shaped), colored, etc. so as to accommodate a particular design, logo, or the like.
With continued reference to
With reference to
As would be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art, the articles of the present application may be further configured to be mesh with, connect to, or otherwise interface with one or more additional articles of clothing so as to form a protective uniform. By way of example, the particulate protective shirt 100 may be configured to attach to an outer protective jacket, be received by protective trousers, and/or attach to the particulate protective undergarment 400. In this way, the articles of the present application may be adaptable to accommodate applications requiring varying levels of protection from particulate hazards. Furthermore, by targeting the areas of a user's body associated with the superficial lymphatic system (e.g., high concentrations of lymph nodes, glands, etc.), the articles of the present disclosure provide improved breathability, portability, and durability without compromising the particulate protection described herein. For example, an article comprised solely of a particulate filtering or blocking material may, in some instances, prove to lack the breathability required in certain applications (e.g., responding to a wildfire). Furthermore other materials (e.g., thick films and the like) fail to provide the required breathability for certain applications and/or further create auditory issues (e.g., increased noise, reduced hearing). These materials are often required to be sandwiched between layers of knit fiber material so as to further compound the breathability and auditory issues attributable to these materials. As such, the articles of the present application provide for targeted particulate protection, features not found in conventional devices.
The articles of the present application may further be manufactured by providing one or more structural sections, such as those described above, and patterning one or more protective sections connected with the one or more structural sections so as to form an article of clothing. In some embodiments, the article may be formed such that the protective sections are patterned as distinct sections or elements, while, in other embodiments, the protective sections may be formed such that the transition from structural sections to protective sections is indistinguishable. In some embodiments, the protective sections may be detachable from the structural sections such that the articles of the present disclosure may operate as modular components. By way of example, in some instances, increased particulate protection may be required for the neck of the user. In such an example, a shirt without a neck section (e.g., particulate protective shirt 200) may be fitted with a neck section (e.g., neck section 110 in
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Although the figures only show certain components of the methods and systems described herein, it is understood that various other components may also be part of any article described herein. In addition, the method described above may include fewer steps in some cases, while in other cases may include additional steps. Modifications to the steps of the method described above, in some cases, may be performed in any order and in any combination.
Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
