Patent Application
20240373956
The present invention relates to the field of protective clothing, more specifically, a safety vest with protection plates.
For workers in the field of construction, maintenance, trades, and the like it is not uncommon for there to be on-the-job injuries caused by tools and/or construction materials. Hazardous objects such as sharp, blunt, heavy, or fast-moving objects can cause severe injuries to workers. As non-limiting examples, the hazardous object may be a sharp object or a flying object such as a piece of a broken tool. As the largest area of the body, which is also at working-level, the torso and arms are often the areas of the body that are injured from these hazardous objects.
Therefore, what is needed is a torso covering safety garment.
The safety vest with protection plates may comprise a torso covering garment and a plurality of protective inserts. The safety vest with protection plates may be adapted to protect a user from injury at a job site. The torso covering garment may be adapted to cover at least the user's torso. The plurality of protective inserts may be coupled to the torso covering garment and may provide a barrier between the user and a hazardous object. As non-limiting examples, the hazardous object may be a sharp object or a flying object such as a piece of a broken tool. In some embodiments, the safety vest with protection plates may be adapted to cover the user's arms with a pair of sleeves. The pair of sleeves may provide further protection in the form of a pair of shoulder protectors, a pair of elbow protectors, a pair of forearm protectors, or any combination thereof.
An object of the invention is to cover a user's torso with a torso covering garment.
Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of protective inserts that couple to the torso covering garment.
A further object of the invention is to provide one or more reflective straps coupled to the exterior surface of the torso covering garment.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a pair of shoulder protectors, a pair of elbow protectors, a pair of forearm protectors, or any combination thereof.
These together with additional objects, features and advantages of the safety vest with protection plates will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In this respect, before explaining the current embodiments of the safety vest with protection plates in detail, it is to be understood that the safety vest with protection plates is not limited in its applications to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concept of this disclosure may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the safety vest with protection plates.
It is therefore important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the safety vest with protection plates. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. They are meant to be exemplary illustrations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments of the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. As used herein, the word “or” is intended to be inclusive.
Detailed reference will now be made to a first potential embodiment of the disclosure, which is illustrated in
The safety vest with protection plates 100 (hereinafter invention) comprises a torso covering garment 200 and a plurality of protective inserts 250. The invention 100 may be adapted to protect a user from injury at a job site. The torso covering garment 200 may be adapted to cover at least the user's torso. The plurality of protective inserts 250 may be coupled to the torso covering garment 200 and may provide a barrier between the user and a hazardous object. As non-limiting examples, the hazardous object may be a sharp object or a flying object such as a piece of a broken tool. In some embodiments, the invention 100 may be adapted to cover the user's arms with a pair of sleeves. The pair of sleeves may provide further protection in the form of a pair of shoulder protectors, a pair of elbow protectors, a pair of forearm protectors, or any combination thereof.
The torso covering garment 200 may comprise a left front panel 202, a right front panel 204 and a rear panel 208. The left front panel 202 may be adapted to cover the left side of the user's torso. The right front panel 204 may be adapted to cover the right side of the user's torso. The rear panel 208 may be adapted to cover the rear of the user's torso. The left side of the left front panel 202 may be coupled to the left side of the rear panel 208 and the right side of the right front panel 204 may be coupled to the right side of the rear panel 208 to define the torso covering garment 200 as a single article of clothing.
The right side of the left front panel 202 may detachably couple to the left side of the right front panel 204 along a vertically-oriented line located at the front center of the torso covering garment 200. The right side of the left front panel 202 and the left side of the right front panel 204 may couple via a front fastener 206. As non-limiting examples, the front fastener 206 may comprise a zipper, one or more hook and loop fasteners, a plurality of buttons, a plurality of clasps, a plurality of snaps, or any combination thereof.
The torso covering garment 200 may comprise a left arm aperture 210 located at the top of the left side of the torso covering garment 200 and a right arm aperture 212 located at the top of the right side of the torso covering garment 200. The left arm aperture 210 may be adapted for the user's left arm to exit the torso covering garment 200 and the right arm aperture 212 may be adapted for the user's right arm to exit the torso covering garment 200. The torso covering garment 200 may comprise a neck aperture 214 located at the top center of the torso covering garment 200. The neck aperture 214 may be adapted for the user's neck to pass through the torso covering garment 200. The torso covering garment 200 may comprise a waist aperture 216 located at the bottom center of the torso covering garment 200. The waist aperture 216 may be adapted to surround the user's waist.
The torso covering garment 200 may be adapted to be donned by opening the front fastener 206, sliding the user's left arm through the left arm aperture 210, sliding the user's right arm through the right arm aperture 212, and closing the front fastener 206. The torso covering garment 200 may be adapted to be removed by opening the front fastener 206, sliding the user's left arm out of the left arm aperture 210, and sliding the user's right arm out of the right arm aperture 212.
A plurality of protective insert retainers 220 may be operable to couple the plurality of protective inserts 250 to the torso covering garment 200. In some embodiments, the plurality of protective insert retainers 220 may comprise pockets that the plurality of protective inserts 250 may slide into. The pockets may be coupled to the inside of the torso covering garment 200 such that the plurality of protective inserts 250 may be hidden from view. The plurality of protective inserts 250 may be removeable and replaceable. In some embodiments, the plurality of protective insert retainers 220 may comprise fabric panels that are larger than the plurality of protective inserts 250 such that the plurality of protective inserts 250 are sandwiched between the torso covering garment 200 and the fabric panel into the torso covering garment 200 by stitching the perimeter of the fabric panel to the torso covering garment 200.
In some embodiments, the torso covering garment 200 may comprise one or more reflective straps 230 that may be coupled to the exterior surface of the torso covering garment 200. The one or more reflective straps 230 may be adapted to increase visibility of the torso covering garment 200, and therefore, the user. As a non-limiting example, the one or more reflective straps 230 may comprise retroreflector technology to reflect a light beam back towards the source of the light beam.
In some embodiments, the torso covering garment 200 may comprise one or more front pockets 232. The one or more front pockets 232 may be operable to store small items. As non-limiting examples, the one or more front pockets 232 may store pens, pencils, notepads, a pocket knife, small tools, or any combination thereof. The plurality of protective inserts 250 may be rigid or semi-rigid plates that are shaped to fit into the plurality of protective insert retainers 220. A front left protective insert 252 may be coupled to the left front panel 202 and a front right protective insert 254 may be coupled to the right front panel 204. The plurality of protective inserts 250 may be adapted to deflect the hazardous objects that are directed towards the user's torso.
The plurality of protective inserts 250 may be made from thermoplastic, composite resin, metal, or any combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of protective inserts 250 may be made from high density polyethylene (HOPE).
In a preferred embodiment, the torso covering garment 200 may be a vest that is sleeveless. In alternative embodiments, the torso covering garment 200 may comprise a pair of sleeves. A left sleeve 260 may be coupled to the left arm aperture 210 and a right sleeve 262 may be coupled to the right arm aperture 212.
In some embodiments, the torso covering garment 200 may comprise a pair of shoulder protectors. The pair of shoulder protectors may be adapted to protect the user's shoulders. A left shoulder protector 264 selected from the pair of shoulder protectors may be coupled to the left shoulder of the torso covering garment 200. A right shoulder protector 266 selected from the pair of shoulder protectors may be coupled to the right shoulder of the torso covering garment 200. The pair of shoulder protectors may be adapted to conform to the shape of the user's shoulders.
In some embodiments, the torso covering garment 200 may comprise a pair of elbow protectors. The pair of elbow protectors may be adapted to protect the user's elbows. A left elbow protector 270 selected from the pair of elbow protectors may be coupled to the middle of the left sleeve 260 of the torso covering garment 200. A right elbow protector 272 selected from the pair of elbow protectors may be coupled to the middle of the right sleeve 262 of the torso covering garment 200. The pair of elbow protectors may be adapted to surround the middle of the pair of sleeves.
In some embodiments, the torso covering garment 200 may comprise a pair of forearm protectors. The pair of forearm protectors may be adapted to protect the user's forearms. A left forearm protector 274 selected from the pair of forearm protectors may be coupled to the distal end of the left sleeve 260 of the torso covering garment 200. A right forearm protector 276 selected from the pair of forearm protectors may be coupled to the distal end of the right sleeve 262 of the torso covering garment 200. The pair of forearm protectors may be adapted to couple to the top of the distal ends of the pair of sleeves.
In use, the torso covering garment 200 may be donned by opening the front fastener 206 sliding the user's arms one at a time through the left arm aperture 210 and the right arm aperture 212, and closing the front fastener 206. The plurality of protective inserts 250 within the torso covering garment 200 may protect the user from hazardous objects. As non-limiting examples, the hazardous objects may comprise sharp objects directed at the user's torso and the flying objects such as shrapnel ejected from the broken tool.
Unless otherwise stated, the words “up”, “down”, “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, and “lower” should be interpreted within a gravitational framework. “Down” is the direction that gravity would pull an object. “Up” is the opposite of “down”. “Bottom” is the part of an object that is down farther than any other part of the object. “Top” is the part of an object that is up farther than any other part of the object. “Upper” may refer to top and “lower” may refer to the bottom. As a non-limiting example, the upper end of a vertical shaft is the top end of the vertical shaft.
As used in this disclosure, an “aperture” may be an opening in a surface or object. Aperture may be synonymous with hole, slit, crack, gap, slot, or opening.
As used herein, the words “couple”, “couples”, “coupled” or “coupling”, may refer to connecting, either directly or indirectly, and does not necessarily imply a mechanical connection.
As used in this disclosure, the terms “distal” and “proximal” may be used to describe relative positions. Distal refers to the object, or the end of an object, that is situated away from the point of origin, point of reference, or point of attachment. Proximal refers to an object, or end of an object, that is situated towards the point of origin, point of reference, or point of attachment. Distal implies ‘farther away from’ and proximal implies ‘closer to’. In some instances, the point of attachment may be the where an operator or user of the object makes contact with the object. In some instances, the point of origin or point of reference may be a center point, a central axis, or a centerline of an object and the direction of comparison may be in a radial or lateral direction.
As used in this disclosure, the word “exterior” may be used as a relational term that implies that an object is not located or contained within the boundary of a structure or a space.
As used in this disclosure, a “fastener” may be a device that is used to join or affix two objects. Fasteners may generally comprise a first element which is attached to the first object and a second element which is attached to the second object such that the first element and the second element join to affix the first object and the second object. Common fasteners may include, but are not limited to, hooks, zippers, snaps, clips, ties, buttons, buckles, quick release buckles, or hook and loop fasteners.
As used herein, “front” may indicate the side of an object that is closest to a forward direction of travel under normal use of the object or the side or part of an object that normally presents itself to view or that is normally used first. “Rear” or “back” may refer to the side that is opposite the front.
As used in this disclosure, a “hook and loop fastener” may be a fastener that comprises a hook surface and a loop surface. The hook surface comprises a plurality of minute hooks. The loop surface comprises a surface of uncut pile that acts like a plurality of loops. When the hook surface is applied to the loop surface, the plurality of minute hooks may couple to the plurality of loops securely fastening the hook surface to the loop surface. The hook surface may sometime be referred to as a hard side fastener and the loop surface may sometimes be referred to as a soft side fastener.
As used in this disclosure, a “perimeter” may be one or more curved or straight lines that bound an enclosed area on a plane or surface. The perimeter of a circle is commonly referred to as a circumference.
As used in this disclosure, a “pocket” may be a pouch or storage space that is formed into an object. Pockets are often formed by joining a second textile or a second sheeting to a first textile or a first sheeting, respectively, by sewing or heat sealing respectively.
As used herein, “resilient” or “semi-rigid” may refer to an object or material which may deform when a force is applied to it and which will return to its original shape when the deforming force is removed.
As used herein, “retroreflective” may refer to a property of an object that reflects light back to the light source with minimal scattering. A retroreflective device may be referred to as a “retroreflector”. A retroreflector may reflect light back to the light source over a wide range of angle of incidence.
As used herein, “rigid” may refer to an object or material which is inflexible.
As used in this disclosure, a “sleeve” may be a tube like covering that is placed over or around a rod, shaft, cable, or other cylindrical object.
As used in this disclosure, “vertical” may refer to a direction that is parallel to the local force of gravity. Unless specifically noted in this disclosure, the vertical direction is always perpendicular to horizontal.
As used in this disclosure, a “vest” may be a sleeveless garment that is worn over the torso.
As used in this disclosure, a “zipper” may be a fastening device comprising two flexible strips with interlocking components that are opened and closed by pulling a slide along the two flexible strips.
With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationship for the various components of the invention described above and in
It shall be noted that those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which can be made to the various embodiments of the present invention which will result in an improved invention, yet all of which will fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
