Patent Application
20240226614
Certain environmental, chemical, biological, and radiological agents can be destructive weapons used to terrorize, incapacitate, harm, or kill. Such agents can pose a real and growing threat to military personnel, as well as civilians. As a result, there is a growing need to protect both the military personnel and civilians, and other life (such as animals) from such agents.
Goggle and gas masks are used to protect against such agents. Gas masks in combination with other protective garments such as jackets, pants and hoods provide comprehensive protection for a user's entire body. Having discrete protective garments provides a user a way to conveniently don protective garments. The interfaces between the garments also provide opportunities to improve the protection provided.
Headwear including hoods typically use methods to tighten or secure the headwear around a user's head. One example of a method is tightening a cinch or drawstring. Tightening the headwear around a user's head can often create non-sealed surfaces. When a user wears a gas mask or goggles in combination with the headwear, non-sealed surfaces exist between the headwear and the gas mask. The need exists for a protective garment system that maintains an effective seal as the headwear is positioned and tightened around a user's head, face, and neck area.
This disclosure is directed to a garment for the protection of a user from environmental hazards. The garment comprises a hood for covering at least the user's head, face, and neck. The hood has a top portion and at least one side portion that extends downwardly from the top portion of the hood. The hood further comprises a (preferably) neoprene facial seal component that is coupled to the hood. A tensioner embedded in/connected to the seal component is adapted to move at least one portion of the hood towards the user's head.
Incorporated herein are drawings that constitute a part of the specification and illustrate embodiments of the detailed description. The detailed description will now be described further with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows:
Note that assemblies/systems in some of the FIGs. may contain multiple examples of essentially the same component. For simplicity and clarity, only a small number of the example components may be identified with a reference number. Unless otherwise specified, other non-referenced components with essentially the same structure as the exemplary component should be considered to be identified by the same reference number as the exemplary component. Further, unless specifically indicated otherwise, drawing components may or may not be shown to scale.
Aspects of the disclosed embodiments are directed to protective garments including a protective hood, and an assembly of garments as well as methods for donning the garments for protection against chemical, biological, and radiological threats in liquid, vapor, and aerosol forms.
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The seal 210 may also be coupled to both side portions 204, 206. The seal 210 may comprise multiple elements or be a single element. The seal 210 has at least a first aperture 212 where features of a gas mask, or ski mask such as goggles-type protective eye protection/goggle lenses or a separate set of goggles, and exhalation ports may be disposed. A second aperture 214 may be provided in the seal so that features may be disposed in different apertures. The seal 210 can be comprised of an elastic or stretchable material such as rubber or neoprene so that the seal achieves a secure connection (i.e. a snug fit) with the goggles-type eye protection and/or the exhalation/inhalation ports of the (preferably) gas mask 300.
For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “eye protection-type goggles” comprises goggles that at least partially cover the user's eyes. The goggles may comprise individual lenses (as shown in
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In an embodiment, the seal 210 further comprises a tightening element 230. The tightening element 230 preferably comprises a strap that lies on the outer surface 208 of the seal 210. The tightening element 230 may be integral to the seal 210 or may be fastened to the seal 210 on an end in a generally permanent, secured manner. The opposed end of the tightening element 230 is removably secured at an opposed end. The tightening element 230 performs the function of tightening a portion of the seal 210 by securing the removably secure end in a manner that causes a portion of the seal 210 to compress, fold or overlap to reduce the footprint of the seal 210 such that the seal 210 is tighter about a user's head. In an embodiment, a hook-and-loop fastener (such as Velcro™) is used to removably secure the tightening element 230. In an embodiment, tightening element 230 is located below second aperture 214, the second aperture 214 being primarily located in a lower half of the seal 210.
Example alternatives include a tensioner 240 extending from side portion 204 of the hood 200 to air intake 330b of the mask 300, a tensioner 240 extending from side portion of the hood 206 to exhalation port 320 and a tensioner 240 extending from side portion 202 to goggle lens 310b. In this embodiment, the tensioners/tensioner segments 240 may be directly or indirectly connected.
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The assembly 100 may further comprise a body 120 portion of the garment system (
In an embodiment, the tensioner 240 has multiple segments that secure to more than two points, the points including the top portion 202 or one of the side portions 204, 206 of the hood 200, a portion of the body 120, a portion of the seal 210, or to an element of a user-worn gas mask 300 including goggle lenses 310a, 310b, air intakes 330a, 330b, or exhalation port 320. In a first example/alternative embodiment, the tensioner 240 extends from the top portion 202 of the hood to under the goggle lenses 310a, 310b and then to each of the side portions 204, 206 of the hood 200. In a second example, there are two tensioners 240—the first tensioner extends from side portion 204 to intake 330b and the second tensioner which extends from side portion 206 to intake 330a. In this embodiment, the tensioners cross or overlap each other. The tensioner 240 may also extend from one side portion (for example 204) to a corresponding opposite side portion (for example 206) and may (or may not) be coupled with seal 210.
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The method may further comprise donning an exhalation port 320 and disposing the exhalation port 320 within the seal 210. The method may also comprise extending a securing cord 220 from the tensioner 240 to below an exhalation port 320. The embodiments of the methods described in reference to
For example, the methods can incorporate a seal 210 having an opening and a body 120 having an opening. In another example, the tensioner 240 is a cord or a strap, where at least one end of the tensioner 240 is coupled to one of the top portion 202 or one of the side portions 204, 206 of the hood and may (or may not) be coupled with the seal 210. The opposed end of the tensioner is secured to any of another portion of the hood, a portion of the body 120 a portion of the seal 210, or to an element of a user-worn gas mask 300 including goggle lenses 310a, 310b, air intakes 330a, 330b, or exhalation port 320. The coupling can be direct or indirect, for example, the tensioner is directly coupled to the seal by fastening or is integral, that is, the same material as the seal and an extension of it.
The headwear 200, seal 210, and body 120 may be constructed using a number of materials to create one or more layers of resistance. In one embodiment cold or fire resistant or non-fire-resistant materials, stretch or non-stretch fabrics, knit or woven fabric materials that can be, for example, aramid-based flame-resistant material, cotton, nylon, blends such as cotton blends and nylon/cotton blends, polyester or polyester blends. In another embodiment, an aerosol resistant layer, that is substantially impervious to penetration by aerosol particles (such as dust and aerosolized chemical agents, for example, dusty mustard, or biological agents), can comprise material such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), preferably microporous ePTFE, nanofibers such as polyurethane, polysulfone, nylon-6, polyvinylidene difluoride, polyether sulfone, or other polymer and microfibers such as polypropylene microfibers or microfibers of another polymer. A repellant coating or finish, such as, for example, a liquid repellant coating (such as silica based liquid repellent coatings or perfluorinated carbon based liquid repellent coatings) may be applied to a surface of one or more of the garments.
The headwear 200 and body 120 can be constructed from multiple layers including a shell, a liner and a membrane. Shell fabrics may comprise synthetic or natural fiber including nylons, cotton, polyesters, modacrylic, aramids, and blends containing any of these. One commonly used blend is a blend of nylon and cotton fibers (“NYCO”). Preferred polyesters are PET (co)polymers and blends and PPT (co)polymers and blends. A suitable aramid may be in the form of a copolymer that may have as much as 10 percent of other diamine(s) substituted for the diamine of the aramid or as much as 10 percent of other diacid chloride(s) substituted for the diacid chloride of the aramid. A p-aramid would be preferred in a fabric as used in this invention, and poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPD-T) is the preferred p-aramid. M-aramids may also find use in the present invention, and poly (m-phenylene isophthalamide) (MPD-I) is the preferred m-aramid. P-aramid and m-aramid fibers and yarns particularly suitable for use in the present invention are those sold respectively under the trademarks Kevlar® and Nomex® (E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington Del., USA), and Teijinconex®, Twaron® and Technora® (Teijin Ltd., Osaka, Japan), and equivalent products offered by others.
The separable liner may comprise an adsorbent material, that is, a material capable of adsorbing species against which protection is desired. Adsorbent materials may be inorganic, such as one or more of silica gel, alumina or other metal oxides, metal hydroxides, molecular sieves, and zeolites; or they may be organic, such as activated carbon.
Chemically Protective Membrane
The chemically protective membrane may be any of a variety known in the manufacture of chemically protective garments, shelters, and coverings and is selected based on the nature of protection required. Additionally, the chemically protective membrane can extend the useful life of the adsorptive liner by protecting it from many external adsorbates.
The membrane can be a chemically protective membrane that is a barrier to liquid. The membrane may comprise any of a variety of polymers, including without limitation polyurethanes; polytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene, polyether block polyamide copolymers (“PEBA”), polyether block polyester copolymers (“PEBE”); cellulose-based polymers; vinyl alcohol(co)polymers; perfluorinated sulfonic acid tetrafluoroethylene copolymers (such as Nafion® perfluorosulfonic acid tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, butyl rubber, tetrafluoroethylene (co)polymers, fluoroelastomers, polychloroprene, vinylidene chloride(co)polymers, PET film, metallized polymer film, vinyl chloride(co)polymers, acrylic(co)polymers, acrylonitrile(co)polymers, and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymers.
A stretch protective composite fabric may include a fabric cover layer that stretches (for example a knit fabric material) and, thereby, provides a protective composite fabric that can stretch. Example of a stretch fabrics and stretch composite fabric include rubber, Buna-N/Nitrile/NBR, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), silicone, Fluoroelastomer/Viton, and polychloroprene.
While the methods disclosed herein are shown and described as a series of blocks, it is to be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the methods are not restricted by the order of the blocks, as some blocks can take place in different orders. In one example, for the method 600 of
For the foregoing reasons, it is clear that the subject matter described herein provides an innovative protective headwear garment system that may be used in multiple types of applications—including cold weather-type functions such as skiing. The current system may be modified in multiple ways and applied to various technological products/functions. The disclosed method and apparatus may be modified and customized as required by a specific operation or application, and the individual components may be modified and defined, as required, to achieve the desired result.
Although the materials of construction are generally described, they may include a variety of compositions consistent with the function described herein. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
The amounts, percentages and ranges disclosed in this specification are not meant to be limiting, and increments between the recited amounts, percentages and ranges are specifically envisioned as part of the invention. All ranges and parameters disclosed herein are understood to encompass any and all sub-ranges subsumed therein, and every number between the endpoints. For example, a stated range of “1 to 10” should be considered to include any and all sub-ranges between (and inclusive of) the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10 including all integer values and decimal values; that is, all sub-ranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more, (e.g., 1 to 6.1), and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less, (e.g. 2.3 to 9.4, 3 to 8, 4 to 7), and finally to each number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 contained within the range.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as molecular weight, reaction conditions, and so forth as used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the implied term “about.” The (stated or implied) term “about” indicates that a numerically quantifiable measurement is assumed to vary by as much as 30 percent, but preferably by at least 10%. Essentially, as used herein, the term “about” refers to a quantity, level, value, or amount that varies by as much 10% to a reference quantity, level, value, or amount. Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, the numerical properties set forth in the following specification and claims are approximations that may vary depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained in embodiments of the present invention.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are now described.
The term “consisting essentially of” excludes additional method (or process) steps or composition components that substantially interfere with the intended activity of the method (or process) or composition, and can be readily determined by those skilled in the art (for example, from a consideration of this specification or practice of the invention disclosed herein). The invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein. The term “an effective amount” as applied to a component or a function excludes trace amounts of the component, or the presence of a component or a function in a form or a way that one of ordinary skill would consider not to have a material effect on an associated product or process.
The innovation described herein may be manufactured, used, imported, sold, and licensed by or for the Government of the United States of America.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20240131371 A1 | Apr 2024 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63419076 | Oct 2022 | US |
