PROTECTIVE GOWN WITH COLLAR EXTENSION

Abstract

A protective gown with collar extension includes a collar extension portion extending upwardly from a neckline of a protective gown to provide securement of the gown to prevent gaping an pull-away from a wearer. In one embodiment, a tie extends from each side of the collar extension to allow securement to a wearer. In another embodiment, the material of the collar extension extends beyond the region of the gown, with the extending ends of the collar extension forming ties to allow securement to a wearer. Other methods of securement are shown and described.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to personal protective equipment. More specifically, the invention relates to a protective gown having a collar extension to better protect a wearer and their clothing against potential contamination.

Background & Description of the Related Art

Various types of personal protective gowns are known in the art. Such gowns are commonly used in the medical field to cover the clothing worn by a care giver or other worker in the medical or biological fields while they have contact with patients, handle biological samples, or perform other duties that may expose them to potentially hazardous materials. The gown acts as a protective barrier to prevent the possible transmission of infectious materials to the person's clothing.

While protective gowns are generally classified as surgical or non-surgical, that nomenclature typically refers to the level of sterilization of the gown itself, with surgical gowns typically being sterile to help prevent contamination of surgical suites and patients, and non-surgical gowns being primarily intended to protect a wearer from external contamination without a requirement for the gown itself to be sterile.

Regardless of the sterilization level of the protective gowns, the general design of protective gowns is structured to cover at least the torso and arms of a wearer to protect them and their clothing from contamination. A typical protective gown is configured as an apron gown, having a large, main portion that wraps around the upper and partial lower body of a wearer, with two sleeves extending outwardly from the main portion, with a neckline collar positioned along the upper edge of the main portion.

In use a wearer inserts their arms into the gown and secures the main portion behind their back. Many gowns further include a securement means, such as tie or adhesive strip, to fasten the upper portion of the gown near the neckline of the wearer, while other gowns include a cutout so that the upper portion of the gown is pulled over the wearer's head. The protective gowns are generally configured to be worn over the street clothes or scrubs of a wearer.

Such protective gowns are intended to act as a barrier to protect the wearer's clothing from being contaminated with infectious or hazardous materials. They are most often used in conjunction with other personal protective equipment such as masks, face shields, and gloves.

Known protective gowns, however, are not without drawbacks. For example, the neckline collar of current, standard gowns provides nominal protection to a wearer's upper body and clothing while the wearer is standing in an upright position. However, the neckline collar will gape open or sag down as the wearer begins to move about, providing patient cares, or performing other routine duties, with the wearer's clothing, upper chest, and collar area thus being exposed to potential contamination. In actual use, as a wearer bends and extends and retracts their arms—e.g., as when dealing with a patient or manipulating a specimen, etc.—the low neckline collar of the protective gown flexes and pulls away from the wearer's neck, exposing their upper body and clothing to potential contamination.

Thus, it can be seen that there remains a need in the art for a protective gown that provides better and more reliable protection to a wearer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a protective gown with a collar extension configured to provide protection to the upper chest and collar area of a wearer. The collar extension extends upwardly from the neckline collar of the gown and wraps around and fastens behind the neck to further secure the upper portion of the protective gown in place even while the wearer moves about, performing their daily routines and providing care.

In one aspect, the collar extension provides securement of the upper portion of the protective gown, preventing the front of the gown from gaping or sagging as the wearer moves about, thus keeping their clothing and collar area free from contamination.

In another aspect, the collar extension provides a further securement point for the protective gown to better secure the entire gown to the wearer.

In a further aspect, the gown and collar extension are made of a flexible non-woven material configured for one-time, disposable use.

In one embodiment, the collar extension is attached to, and extends upwardly from the upper portion of an existing collar of a protective gown. In another embodiment, the collar extension is formed integrally with the collar of the protective gown such that the collar of the gown extends upwardly into the extension portion.

In one exemplary embodiment, tie strings are attached to the rear edges of the collar extension to allow a wearer to tie the extension behind their neck. In a further embodiment, the material of the collar extension extends outwardly from the collar extension into extending flaps that a wearer ties behind their neck to secure the collar extension. In further embodiments, one or more adhesive strips, pads, or other fasteners secure the collar extension.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a protective gown with collar extension in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the protective gown with collar extension of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a close-up view of the collar extension portion of FIG. 2 showing the collar extension in an open position with ties for securing the collar extension.

FIG. 4 is a view of the collar extension portion of FIG. 3 with the ties secured.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of a collar extension portion of a protective gown in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention with the material of the collar extension extending unattached at each side to form ties.

FIG. 6 is a view of the collar extension portion of FIG. 5 showing the extended material of the collar extension tied.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of a collar extension portion of a protective gown in accordance with a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention with a adhesive strips, shown in the open position.

FIG. 8 is a view of the collar extension portion of FIG. 7 shown in a closed position and secured with the adhesive strips.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Various embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Thus, any specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

Certain terminology used in the following description is for convenience in reference only and is not limiting. For example, the words “vertically”, “horizontally”, “vertical”, “horizontal” and “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “upper”, “lower” all refer to the installed position of the item to which the reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the embodiment being designated and parts thereof. The terminology used herein may include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of a similar import.

It is further understood that terminology such as the aforementioned directional phrases may be used to describe exemplary embodiments of the protective gown as shown in the figures herein. This is for convenience only as it is understood that the exemplary embodiments of the protective gown described may be positioned other than as depicted in the drawings.

Looking first to FIG. 1, a protective gown with collar extension in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention is referenced generally by the numeral 10. The protective gown with collar extension 10 generally comprises a main body portion 12, first and second sleeves 14, 16, and a collar extension 18 extending upwardly from the neckline 20 which extends across the upper edge of the main body portion 12, along the lower neck of the wearer. The main body portion 12 extends downwardly from the neckline 20 to approximately the knees of the wearer, having a height h, and wraps and secures around the wearer's torso and hips, with a main tie 17 extending around and securing behind the wearer. First and second sleeves 14, 16 extend down to cover and protect the wearer's arms.

The gown 10 is preferably made from a lightweight, flexible, non-woven material. Most preferably the gown is made of an inexpensive disposable material to allow it to be discarded after use.

Collar extension 18 extends upwardly from the neckline 20 of the main body portion 12 of the gown in order to secure and prevent the front of the gown from sagging while the wearer moves about. In one embodiment, the collar extension 18 extends upwardly approximately four (4) inches from the neckline 20. In alternative embodiments, the collar extension 18 extends upwardly in the range of approximately one (1) to approximately five (5) inches from the neckline 20. In further embodiments, the collar extension 18 extends upwardly in the range of approximately two (2) percent of the height of the main body portion 12 to approximately ten (10) percent of the height of the main body portion 12.

Looking to FIG. 2, the main body portion 12 of the gown 10 wraps around the torso of the wearer, where opposite edges 22a, 22b of the main body portion are secured in proximity to each other. As seen in FIG. 2, the opposite edges 22a, 22b may leave a gap 24, it should be understood that the opposite edges 22a, 22b may also be pulled tightly together or may overlap depending on the size of the wearer and the wearer's preference for the tightness of the gown.

Looking to FIGS. 1 and 2 in conjunction, a main tie 17 extends across, and is attached to the front midsection of the main body portion 12 of the gown. Main tie 17 is preferably made of a strip comprising the same material as the gown 10. In alternative embodiments, the main tie 17 may be a string, and in further embodiments the opposite edges 22a, 22b may be attached by adhesive strips, snaps, Velcro tabs, and the like. In further embodiments a series of separate ties may be included along the opposite edges 22a, 22b in place of, or in addition to, main tie 17. These and other embodiments are within the scope of the present invention.

Looking to FIGS. 3 and 4, a first tie 26 extends along the upper edge of the collar extension 18, forming a hemmed edge along the upper perimeter of the extension with the loose ends of the tie extending beyond the collar extension and allowing the first tie 26 to be knotted or otherwise tied to secure the upper portion of the collar extension 18 around the wearer's neck. The ends of a second tie 28 similarly extend from the collar extension 18 at the neckline level, allowing the second tie 28 to likewise be knotted or otherwise tied to secure the lower portion of the collar extension 18 around the wearer's neck.

As just described and as seen, the collar extension 18 thus extends upwardly from the neckline 20 of the gown 10 to secure the gown and prevent gaps or pull-away from the neckline of the wearer as is common with conventional non-collared or standard collared gowns.

Collar extension 18 may be made of any flexible protective material. Most preferably the collar extension 18 is made of the same material as the protective gown with which it is used. First and second ties 26, 28, are preferably lengths of folded and hemmed cloth of the same material as the gown, or a hemmed tubular cloth. Most preferably the ties 26, 28 are flattened to conform to the flat surfaces of the collar extension 18 they are attached to.

Looking to FIGS. 5 and 6, in a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the collar extension 18 comprises first and second tie straps 30a, 30b, extending outwardly from each side of the collar extension. The tie straps are preferably formed integrally with, or are an extension of, the material of the collar extension itself. As seen in FIG. 6, in use the tie straps 30a, 30b are knotted or tied together to secure the collar extension 18 around the neck of the wearer in a manner as previously described.

Turning back to FIG. 5, each tie strap 30a, 30b preferably comprises a narrower portion n₁, n₂, respectively, at the junction of the tie strap with the main portion of the collar extension 18. The narrower portion provides a natural guide for tying the two tie straps 30a, 30b together, and prevents bunching of excess material when tied.

Turning to FIGS. 7 and 8, in a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention first and second adhesive strips 32a, 32b are affixed to one side of the collar extension 18 and are adhered to the opposite side of the collar extension to secure the collar extension in place around the neck of a wearer. In alternative embodiments, a single or multiple adhesive strips may be used. In further embodiments, an adhesive pad on one side of the collar extension 18 may be used to adhere to the opposite side. It should be understood that in a preferred embodiment the protective gown is a single-use, disposable gown such that the adhesive strips need not be removable as the entire gown will be disposed of after use.

In further embodiments, other methods of securement may be employed to secure the collar extension around the neck of the wearer, such as snaps, bands, Velcro strips and the like. These and other attachment methods are anticipated by and within the scope of the present invention.

As just described, it can be seen that the protective gown with collar extension of the present invention is well adapted to overcome deficiencies of protective gowns known in the art. The protective gown of the present invention provides an additional collar extension not offered by conventional protective gowns that allows the gown to be secured to prevent gaping and pull-away of the upper section of the gown as occurs in conventional gowns. The configuration of the gown with collar extension thus prevents potential exposure to contamination a conventional gown allows.

It should be understood that while certain forms and embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, the present invention is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown, and that the various features described may be combined in ways other than those specifically described without departing from the scope of the present invention. The terms “substantially”, “generally”, “approximately”, or any other qualifying term as used herein may be applied to modify any quantitative representation which could permissibly vary without resulting in a change to the basic function to which it is related and if the variance does not materially alter the capability of the invention.

Claims

1. A one-time use protective gown with collar extension, comprising: a gown having a main body portion with first and second sleeves extending therefrom for insertion of a wearer's arms; anda collar extension extending upwardly from a neckline of the gown.

2. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 1, wherein the collar extension comprises a tie attached to an upper edge of the collar extension and extending beyond the collar extension at each end to allow securing the collar extension around the neck of the wearer.

3. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 1, wherein material of the collar extension extends outwardly from each side of the collar extension such that the extending ends form ties to allow securing the collar extension around the neck of a wearer.

4. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 1, wherein the collar extension comprises one or more fasteners configured to secure the collar extension around the neck of a wearer.

5. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 4, wherein the fasteners comprise adhesive strips, adhesive pads, snaps, bands, buckles, Velcro strips, and combinations thereof.

6. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 1, wherein the collar extension extends upwardly approximately four inches from a neckline of the gown.

7. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 1, wherein the collar extension extends upwardly in a range of approximately one inch to approximately five inches from a neckline of the gown.

8. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 1, wherein the collar extension extends upwardly in a range of approximately two percent to approximately ten percent of a height of the gown.

9. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 1 wherein the gown and collar extension comprise a flexible non-woven material.

10. A single use, disposable protective gown with collar extension, comprising: a gown comprising a main body having first and second sleeves extending therefrom for insertion of a wearer's arms; anda collar extension extending upwardly from a neckline of the gown;

11. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 10, wherein the collar extension comprises at least one tie attached to an upper edge of the collar extension and extending beyond the collar extension at each end to allow securing the collar extension around the neck of the wearer.

12. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 10, wherein a portion of the collar extension material extends outwardly from each side of the collar extension such that the extending ends form ties to allow securing the collar extension around the neck of a wearer.

13. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 10, wherein the collar extension comprises one or more fasteners configured to secure the collar extension around the neck of a wearer.

14. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 13, wherein the fasteners comprise adhesive strips, adhesive pads, snaps, bands, buckles, Velcro strips, and combinations thereof.

15. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 10, wherein the collar extension extends upwardly approximately four inches from a neckline of the gown.

16. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 10, wherein the collar extension extends upwardly in a range of approximately one inch to approximately five inches from a neckline of the gown.

17. The protective gown with collar extension of claim 10, wherein the collar extension extends upwardly in a range of approximately two percent to approximately ten percent of a height of the gown.