The present invention relates to protective garments, and more particularly, to protective garments that include modular storage systems such as firefighter garments.
Protective or hazardous duty garments are widely used in various industries to protect the wearer from various hazardous conditions such as heat, smoke, cold, sharp objects, chemicals, liquids, fumes and the like. Protective or hazardous duty garments primarily rely upon permanently attached pockets for storage capacity. The wearer of such garments, however, uses a wide variety of tools, communication devices, work gloves, goggles, ropes, and rescue lines, for example, that have very different shapes and sizes. Current designs are not equipped to provide the wearer with the ability to move and customize the pockets or other storage features.
In one aspect, protective garments are disclosed herein that have a modular storage system that enables the wearer to move and customize the position of pockets and other storage features, and hence the location of tools and other necessary apparatus for performing their duties. In one embodiment, the protective garments, including the modular storage system, are fire resistant and comply with National Fire Protection Association (“NFPA”) and European Norm standards for firefighting garments set by the European Committee for Standardization (also known as Comité Européen de Normalisation). In one embodiment, the modular storage system is integral with the protective garment (i.e., it is not a separable vest, belt, rucksack, etc.). In another embodiment, the fire resistant modular storage system is separate from the protective garment and is attachable to the wearer, for example, by a connection to a belt of the wearer.
In another aspect, the modular storage system is a protective garment having a portion of material that includes a flame resistant or chembio resistant material and a field of slits therein or thereon. The field of slits contains a plurality of horizontally-oriented rows each having one or more slits that are aligned with adjacent slits in adjacent horizontally-oriented rows to create one or more columns each generally aligned with or centered on different parasagittal planes when worn by a wearer. The modular storage system also includes a removable accessory having an exterior back surface and at least one strap having a first end fixed to the accessory and a second end that is a free end. The exterior back surface includes a first portion of a releasably attachable fastening system and the strap includes a second portion of the releasably attachable fastening system on the side of the strap that faces the exterior back surface in an assembled state. When assembled, the free end of the strap has passed through at least two adjacent slits and the second portion of the releasably attachable fastening system is positioned on the strap such that it is on an exposed portion thereof protruding from the second of the two adjacent slits and the releasably attachable fastening system on the exterior back surface is mated to the exposed portion of the strap.
In one embodiment, the slits are cut into a portion of material, which is coated on one or both major surfaces with a polymer that prevents fraying or unraveling of the material after formation of the slits therein. The portion of material may be integral with the outer surface of the garment or fixed thereto. The polymer includes natural or synthetic rubber such as a chlorosulfonated polyethylene synthetic rubber or a natural or synthetic butyl rubber.
In another aspect, methods are disclosed for making the modular storage system. The methods include providing a portion of material comprising a fire resistant or chembio resistant material, coating the portion of material with a polymer that prevents fraying or unraveling of the material, and cutting a field of slits in the portion of material.
In another embodiment, the field of slits may include a plurality of spaced apart fire resistant strips that are each permanently fixed to a portion of an outer surface of the protective garment at spaced apart locations along each strip such that the spacing between locations is of sufficient distance to define openings capable of receiving straps therethrough.
In another aspect, the modular storage system is releasably attachable to a protective garment and is fire resistant. The modular storage system has one of the constructions described above except that a panel is releasably attachable to the wearer, for instance, over the outer surface of a protective garment. The panel may include a first connector capable of attaching the panel to a belt of a wearer and a second connector capable of attaching the panel to the leg of the wearer. The first connector may include an adjuster to change the length of the first connector between the belt of the wearer and the top of the panel.
The following detailed description will illustrate the general principles of the invention, examples of which are additionally illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements.
A protective or hazardous duty garment in the form of a firefighter's coat, generally designated 10, and firefighter's trouser, generally designated 50, are illustrated respectively in
Referring to
Referring to
The coat 10 and trousers 50 may include various layers through their thicknesses to provide various heat, moisture and abrasion resistant qualities to the garments so that the garments can be used as a protective, hazardous duty, and/or firefighter garment. For example, as illustrated in
The outer shell 26 may be made of or include a variety of materials, including a flame, heat and abrasion resistant material such as a compact weave of aramid fibers and/or polybenzamidazole fibers. Commercially available aramid materials include NOMEX® and KEVLAR® fibers (both trademarks of E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., Inc. of Wilmington, Del.), and commercially available polybenzamidazole fibers include PBI fibers (a trademark of PBI Performance Fabrics of Charlotte, N.C.). Thus, the outer shell 26 may be an aramid material, a blend of aramid materials, a polybenzamidazole material, a blend of aramid and polybenzamidazole materials, or other appropriate materials. The outer shell 26 can also be made of a thermostable organic polymer material, such as KERMEL® material sold by Kermel SAS of Colmar, France.
The outer shell 26 may also include other flame resistant material alone or in combination with those materials listed above or with those materials in the following list: flame resistant polynesic rayon, flame resistant cotton, flame resistant polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polytetrafluoroethylene, flame resistant wool, polyvinyl chloride, polyether ether ketone, polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polychal, polyimide, aliphatic polyamide, polyimide-amide, flame resistant polyolefin, polybenzoxazole, flame resistant acetone, carbon, modocrylic, melamine, and glass.
If desired, the outer shell 26 may be coated with a polymer, such as a durable, water repellent finish (i.e. a perfluorohydrocarbon finish, such as TEFLON® finish sold by E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Del.). The materials of the outer shell 26 may have a weight of, for example, between about five and about ten oz/yd2.
The moisture barrier 28 and thermal barrier 30 may be generally coextensive with the outer shell 26, or spaced slightly inwardly from the outer edges of the outer shell 26 (i.e., spaced slightly inwardly from the outer ends of the sleeves 24, the collar 34 and from the lower edge of the garment) to provide moisture and thermal protection throughout the garment. The moisture barrier 28 may include a semipermeable membrane layer 28a and a substrate 28b.
The membrane layer 28a may be generally water vapor permeable but generally impermeable to liquid moisture. The membrane layer 28a may be made of or include expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (“PTFE”) such as GORE-TEX® or CROSSTECH™ materials (both of which are trademarks of W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. of Newark, Del.), polyurethane-based materials, neoprenebased materials, cross-linked polymers, polyamide, or other materials. The membrane layer 28a may have microscopic openings that permit moisture vapor (such as water vapor) to pass therethrough, but block liquids (such as liquid water) from passing therethrough. The membrane layer 28a may be made of a microporous material that is either hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or somewhere in between. The membrane layer 28a may also be monolithic and may allow moisture vapor transmission therethrough by molecular diffusion. The membrane layer 28a may also be a combination of microporous and monolithic materials (known as a bicomponent moisture barrier), in which the microporous or monolithic materials are layered or intertwined.
The membrane layer 28a may be bonded or adhered to a substrate 28b of a flame and heat resistant material to provide structure and protection to the membrane layer 28a. The substrate 28b may be or include aramid fibers similar to the aramid fibers of the outer shell 26, but may be thinner and lighter in weight. The substrate 28b may be woven, non-woven, spunlace or other materials. In the illustrated embodiment, the membrane layer 28a is located between the outer shell 26 and the substrate 28b. However, the orientation of the moisture barrier 28 may be reversed such that the substrate 28b is located between the outer shell 26 and the membrane layer 28a.
The thermal barrier 30 may be made of nearly any suitable flame resistant material that provides sufficient thermal insulation. In one embodiment, the thermal barrier 30 may include a layer of bulk material 30a in the form of relatively thick (i.e. between about 1/16″- 3/16″) batting, felt or needled non-woven bulk or batting material. The bulk material 30a can include aramid fiber batting (such as NOMEX® batting), aramid needlepunch material, an aramid non-woven material, an aramid blend needlepunch material, an aramid blend batting material, an aramid blend non-woven material, foam (either open cell or closed cell), or other suitably thermally insulating materials. The bulk material 30a may trap air and possess sufficient loft to provide thermal resistance to the garment.
The bulk material 30a may be quilted to a thermal barrier face cloth 30b which can be a weave of a lightweight aramid material. Thus, either the bulk material 30a alone, or the bulk material 30a in combination with the thermal barrier face cloth 30b, may be considered to constitute the thermal barrier 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the thermal barrier bulk material 30a is located between the outer shell 26 and the thermal barrier face cloth 30b. However, the orientation of the thermal barrier 30 may be reversed such that the face cloth 30b is located between the outer shell 26 and the bulk layer 30a. In one embodiment, the thermal barrier 30 (or the garment as a whole) may have a thermal protection performance (“TPP”) of at least about twenty, and the garment as a whole may have a TPP of at least about thirty-five. If desired, the thermal barrier 30 may be treated with a water-resistant or water-repellent finish.
Although the moisture barrier 28 is shown as being located between the outer shell 26 and the thermal barrier 30, the positions of the moisture barrier 28 and thermal barrier 30 may be reversed such that the thermal barrier 30 is located between the outer shell 26 and the moisture barrier 28, or various other orientations or configurations may be used.
The face cloth 32 may be the innermost layer of the garment, located inside the thermal barrier 30 and moisture barrier 28. The face cloth 32 can provide a comfortable surface for the wearer and protect the thermal barrier 30 and/or moisture barrier 28 from abrasion and wear. The face cloth 32 may be quilted to the adjacent layer (i.e. the thermal barrier 30 in the illustrated embodiment). However, the face cloth 32 is optional and may be excluded if desired. In addition, the garment may not necessarily include the moisture barrier 28 and/or the thermal barrier 30 in certain cases.
Each layer of the garment disclosed herein, including the layers and components described above, as well as those described below, and the garment as a whole, may meet the NFPA 1971 standards for protective firefighting garments (“Protective Clothing for Structural Firefighting”), which are entirely incorporated by reference herein. The NFPA standards specify various minimum requirements for heat and flame resistance and tear strength. For example, in order to meet the NFPA standards, the outer shell 26, moisture barrier 28, thermal barrier 30 and face cloth 32 must be able to resist igniting, burning, melting, dripping, separation, and/or shrinking more than 10% in any direction after being exposed to a temperature of 500° F. for at least five minutes. Furthermore, in order to meet the NFPA standards, the combined layers of the garment must provide a thermal protective performance rating of at least thirty-five.
Alternately or in addition to the NFPA Standard 1971, the garment disclosed herein may also meet European Norm (“EN”) standards for firefighting garments set by the European Committee for Standardization. These standards include EN 469:2005 Level 1 and Level 2 certification. The EN standards for firefighter and protective garments are entirely incorporated by reference herein.
As shown in
The strips 104 are preferably fire resistant. The fire resistance may be provided by including or forming the strips with outer shell material or fire resistance webbing. While the figures illustrate two, three, four, or five strips oriented parallel to one another in a horizontal configuration relative to the donned orientation of the garment, there is no limit to the number of strips or the orientation of the strips. In another embodiment, the strips may be oriented vertically (not shown) or at an angle less than 90° relative to the donned orientation of the garment.
The accessory 120 has an exterior back surface 122 and at least one strap 124. The strap 124 has a fixed end 126 fixed to the accessory 120 and a free end 128 available for passage through the openings 108 in the strips 104. The exterior back surface 122 includes a first portion of a releasably attachable fastening system 130 and the strap 124 includes a second portion of the releasably attachable fastening system 132 on the side of the strap 124 that faces the exterior back surface 122 when the strap 124 is connected to the exterior back surface 122. In an assembled state, as shown in
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
In one embodiment, the releasably attachable fastening system includes hook-and-loop material. The hook portion, the loop portion, or a combination thereof may be included on or may form the exterior back surface 122 of the accessory and the opposite configuration of hook portion, loop portion, or a combination thereof is included on or forms the strap 124 such that the exterior back surface 122 and the strap 124 are releasably attachable to one another. In another embodiment, the releasably attachable fastening system may be a plurality of snaps or other such fasteners.
As shown in
The free end 128 of the strap 124 may be tapered gradually inward to form a generally pointed end 137 as illustrated for one of the straps 124 in
As depicted in
Still referring to
The accessory 120 is not limited to a pocket such as pocket 150. In other embodiments, the accessory 120 may be a pouch, a holster for example for a tool or flashlight, an identification holder, a rope holder or rope clip, or other equipment support feature that has a similar exterior back panel and strap configuration as described above for connection to a plurality of strips.
In one embodiment, as shown in
In another aspect, the modular storage system 100 includes a panel of fire resistant material 102 (
The first connector 160 may be one or more straps that include a permanent loop or a loop formed by means of closing a releasably attachable member for receiving a belt, or an attachment member having a slot therein for receiving the belt. The releasably attachable member may be hook-and-loop material, snaps, hook and eye, magnets, or other similar members. The strap may include a buckle, clasp, snaps, generally D-shaped loops, magnetic clasps, or hook-and-loop releasably attachable members, but is not limited thereto, as or included in the adjuster 166.
The second connector 162 may include tie-able straps, a hook-and-loop releasably attachable strap, a belt having a buckle, clasp, snaps, generally D-shaped loops, or magnetic clasps, but is not limited thereto. The second connector 162 may include a plurality of straps that have stretch properties (are generally elastic or have elastic properties) while maintaining conformance to the performance and design requirements of NFPA 1971 or the other regulations disclosed herein.
In another embodiment, referring to
Still referring to
Accordingly, the field of slits 202 may be made by providing a portion of material that includes one or more of aramid fibers, polybenzamidazole fibers, and thermostable organic polymer material, coating the portion of material with a polymer that prevents fraying or unraveling of the material; and thereafter forming, such as by cutting, a field of slits in the portion of material. The field of slits 202 includes a plurality of horizontally-oriented rows 204 each having one or more slits 206, which are further aligned with slits 206 in adjacent horizontally-oriented rows to create one or more columns 208 each aligned with or centered on a different parasagittal plane P. The coating cutting may be as described above.
The field of slits 200 are shaped and configured to receive one or more straps 124 of an accessory to be releasably attached to the garment. In
Having described the invention in detail and by reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that modifications and variations thereof are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/600,343, filed Feb. 17, 2012.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61600343 | Feb 2012 | US |