U.S. patent application number 09/737659 was filed with the patent office on 2001-07-19 for garment.
Invention is credited to Duplock, Polly.
Application Number | 20010008027 09/737659 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32991631 |
Filed Date | 2001-07-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010008027 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Duplock, Polly |
July 19, 2001 |
Garment
Abstract
A survival garment (10) is disclosed which is suitable for
wearing under a layer of clothing. The garment is a close fitting
one piece, intermediate dry suit formed of a substantially
waterproof laminated material (30). The material (30) includes a
first thermally insulating layer (32) and a second substantially
waterproof layer (31).
Inventors: |
Duplock, Polly; (Aberdeen,
GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SMITH-HILL AND BEDELL
12670 N W BARNES ROAD
SUITE 104
PORTLAND
OR
97229
|
Family ID: |
32991631 |
Appl. No.: |
09/737659 |
Filed: |
December 13, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/69 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B32B 5/026 20130101;
B32B 2307/304 20130101; B32B 2437/00 20130101; B32B 27/12 20130101;
B32B 27/322 20130101; A41D 13/02 20130101; B32B 2307/554 20130101;
B32B 2307/7265 20130101; B32B 2327/18 20130101; A41D 31/065
20190201; A41D 13/012 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/69 |
International
Class: |
A41B 001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 15, 1999 |
GB |
9929500.8 |
Claims
1. A garment suitable for wearing under a layer of clothing, the
garment being a close fitting, one-piece, intermediate dry suit
formed of a laminated material comprising a first thermally
insulating layer and a second substantially water resistant
layer.
2. A survival garment according to claim 1, wherein the garment is
constructed that the first layer is arranged to be closest to the
wearer in use.
3. A survival garment according to claim 1, wherein the garment is
formed from a plurality of parts and the parts are interconnected
in such a way that the inner layers of each part are arranged in
engagement with each other such that the respective inner layers
engage each other and the edges face away from the wearer.
4. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the material includes a
third layer arranged on the opposite face of the second layer to
the first layer, the third layer being suitable for protecting the
second layer.
5. A garment according to claim 1 wherein the second layer is
substantially waterproof thereby substantially preventing the
passage of liquid water therethrough.
6. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is
formed of a fleece material and the second layer is formed of a
material capable of allowing the passage of water vapour
therethrough.
7. A garment according to claim 4, wherein the third layer is
formed from a synthetic polymeric material.
8. A garment according to claim 7, wherein the synthetic polymeric
material is one or more of polychal FR, polyester and nylon.
9. A survival garment according to claim 8, wherein the outer layer
is formed by knitting.
10. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the garment comprises a
torso portion to cover the torso of the wearer, arm portions to
cover the arms of the wearer and leg portions to cover the legs of
the wearer, each portion comprising one or more parts, the parts
being configured such that the movement of the wearer is
substantially unrestricted.
11. A garment according to claim 10, wherein the garment is formed
from said parts being interconnected by one or more of sewing,
gluing, and heat treatment.
12. A garment according to claim 10, wherein the arm portions
consist of one or more parts, the torso portion consists of a front
torso part and a back torso part, the leg portions consist of a
front leg part and a back leg part, the front leg part comprising
an upper front leg part, a knee part and a lower front leg
part.
13. A garment according to claim 10 wherein the arm portion
comprises a main sleeve section and an end sleeve section, a single
main body part is provided on each side of the torso portion and
comprises a torso part and a leg part, and the garment further
includes a sock part.
14. A garment according to claim 13 wherein the sock portion
comprises an ankle part, an upper foot part and a lower foot
part.
15. A garment according to claim 10, wherein the garment is
provided with sealing means at the end of the arm portions, and the
neck portion for preventing water from entering the inside of the
garment when in use.
16. A garment according to claim 15 wherein the garment is provided
with sealing means at the end of each leg portion.
17. A garment according to claim 15, wherein the sealing means is
integrally formed with the garment.
18. A garment according to claim 15, wherein the sealing means is
attached to the garment by one or more of sewing, gluing, taping,
and heat treatment.
19. A garment according to claims 15, wherein the sealing means
comprise fittings which fit closely to the skin of the wearer, the
skin-tight fittings comprise one or both of cuffs and sleeves.
20. A garment according to claim 19, wherein the skin-tight
fittings are made from an elastic material coated with a material
of a low friction for allowing easy donning and doffing of the
garment.
21. A garment according to claim 1 whereas the garment is provided
with a sealable opening for donning and doffing of the garment, and
the opening is sealable by means of a waterproof zip, the opening
being provided on the garment such that when the opening is sealed,
the zip extends around the garment in a helical configuration.
22. A garment according to claim 21 wherein the zip extends from
front of the garment around the rear of the garment to the front
thereof.
23. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the garment is provided
with a sealable opening for donning and doffing of the garment, and
the opening is sealable by means of a waterproof zip, the opening
being provided on the garment such that when the opening is sealed,
the zip partially surrounds the neck portion and extends to the
front of the garment.
24. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the material is a
breathable, laminated, lightweight material, thermally insulated to
prevent the wearer from losing heat, selected such as to prevent
the wearer of the garment from cold shock and protect the wearer
against immersion hypothermia.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a garment, and particularly but not
exclusively to a garment suitable for protecting a wearer from the
effects of immersion in cold water.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Survival suits are worn to improve the chances of survival
of the wearer in a hazardous water environment, for example in the
case of an occupant of a helicopter which has ditched at sea.
[0003] In other situations, for example on an oil rig at sea where
workers are expected to work over the side of the rig, survival
suits are cumbersome and impede normal operation. In such cases,
there is a tendency to wear lifejackets only. Lifejackets provide
buoyancy and protect the airways, but they provide little or no
protection against the effects of cold water immersion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention there is
provided a garment suitable for wearing under a layer of clothing,
the garment being configured whereby movement of a wearer is
substantially unrestricted, and the garment being formed of a
substantially waterproof material.
[0005] The garment may be a survival garment.
[0006] The garment may be suitable for wearing over a layer of
clothing. Preferably the garment is a one-piece suit. The garment
may be in the form of a close fitting suit. Further, the garment
may be suitable for wearing as an intermediate dry suit.
[0007] The garment may comprise one or more portions. The garment
preferably comprises a torso portion to cover the torso of the
wearer, arm portions to cover the arms of the wear and leg portions
to cover the legs of the wearer.
[0008] The portion or portions may consist of one or more parts.
The part or parts may be configured such that movement of the
wearer is substantially unrestricted. In one embodiment, each arm
portion consists of one arm section. The torso portion may consist
of a front torso section and a back torso section. The leg portions
may consist of a front leg section and a back leg section. The
front leg section may comprise an upper front leg section, a knee
sectoion and a lower front leg section.
[0009] In another embodiment, each arm portion consists of a main
sleeve section and an end sleeve section. A single main body part
may be provided for each leg portion and one side of the torso
portion. A neck portion may be provided to extend around the neck
and be attached to each main body part and each are part.
[0010] The garment may be provided with sealing means at the end of
the arm portions, and the neck portion, for preventing water from
entering the inside of the garment when in use. In one embodiment
sealing means may be provided at the end of the leg portion. The
sealing means may be integrally formed with the garment. The
sealing means may be attached to the garment by sewing and/or
gluing and/or taping and/or heat treatment. The sealing means
preferably comprise fittings which fit closely to the skin of the
wearer. The fittings may comprise skin-tight fittings such as cuffs
and/or sleeves. In this way the garment is made water-tight. In
another embodiment, each leg portion may include a sock to be
received over a foot of the wearer.
[0011] The skin-tight fittings may be made from an elastic
material. The elastic material may comprise a high stretch
elastomer. The high stretch elastomer may be coated with a material
of a low friction for allowing easy donning and doffing of the
garment.
[0012] The garment may be provided with a sealable opening for
donning and doffing of the garment. The opening may be sealable by
means of a waterproof zip. The zip may be provided on the garment
in such a way as to enable the wearer to open and seal the opening.
In one embodiment, the opening may be provided on the garment such
that when the opening is sealed, the zip partially surrounds the
neck portion and extends to the front of the garment. In another
embodiment, the opening may be provided on the garment such that
the zip extends around the torso portion, preferably in a helical
or corkscrew manner. The advantage of these arrangements of the zip
is that it does not impede mobility and comfort of the wearer.
[0013] The zip may be integrally formed with the garment. The zip
may be provided on the torso portion. The zip may be provided on
the front torso part and the back torso part. The zip may be
attached to the garment by means of sewing and/or gluing and/or
taping and/or heat treatment.
[0014] The material may be selected such as to protect the wearer
of the garment from cold shock and protect the wearer against
immersion hypothermia. The material may be breathable. The material
may also be thermally insulated to prevent the wearer from losing
heat. The garment may be formed of a lightweight material. The
material may be a laminated material.
[0015] The laminated material may comprise at least two layers,
preferably three layers. The laminated material may comprise an
outer layer, an intermediate layer and an inner layer, the inner
layer being adapted to be worn closest to the wearer. The
intermediate layer may comprise a substantially water-proof
membrane, which may be breathable. In one embodiment, the
intermediate layer is formed from a synthetic material suitably a
fluorocarbon membrane, for example a polytetrafluoroethylene
membrane. The outer layer may comprise of a material suitable for
protecting the intermediate layer against external abrasion. The
outer layer may be formed of a suitable synthetic material, for
example, a polyester or nylon, or polychal. The outer layer is
preferably formed by knitting, and is advantageously fire
retardant.
[0016] The inner layer may consist of a material having thermal
insulating properties to prevent the wearer from losing heat. The
thermal insulating material may consist of a fleece material, for
example a polyester fleece material.
[0017] According to another aspect of this invention there is
provided a survival garment formed of a material comprising a first
insulating layer and a second water-resistant layer, the garment
being so constructed that the first layer is intended to be
arranged closest to the wearer.
[0018] The second layer is preferably substantially waterproof,
thereby preventing the passage of liquid water therethrough.
[0019] Preferably, the second layer is a material capable of
allowing the passage of water vapour therethrough, but
substantially preventing the passage of liquid water therethrough.
Such a material is generally known in the art as breathable.
[0020] Preferably, the garment includes a third layer arranged on
the opposite face of the second layer to the first layer, the third
layer being suitable for protecting the second layer, for example
from damage or abrasion.
[0021] The first layer may be formed of a fleece material, for
example a polyester fleece material. The second layer may be in the
form of a membrane, wherein the membrane is preferably breathable.
A suitable such membrane is one formed from a fluorocarbon, for
example polytetrafluoroethylene. The third layer may be formed from
a synthetic material, for example polyester or nylon, and is
preferably formed by knitting.
[0022] The garment may be formed from said parts being
interconnected by sewing and/or gluing and/or heat treatment. The
parts may be interconnected in such a way that the inner layers of
each part are arranged in engagement with each other such that the
respective inner layers engage each other and the edges face away
from the wearer. The seam may be covered by a sealing member. The
sealing member may comprise tape and/or hot melt adhesive tape. In
this way it is achieved that seams of the garment are made
waterproof, with the tape being applied to the outside layer of the
garment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described
by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic front view of an embodiment a
garment according to the invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic part sectional front view of the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1 worn by a wearer;
[0026] FIG. 3 shows a detail of a material of which a survival
garment is formed;
[0027] FIG. 4 shows a detail of a cross-section of a seam covered
by a sealing member of the garment;
[0028] FIG. 5 shows a diagrammatic front view showing the parts of
which the embodiment of FIG. 1 is formed;
[0029] FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic front view of another embodiment of
the garment according to the invention;
[0030] FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic part sectional front view of the
embodiment shown in FIG. 6 worn by a wearer;
[0031] FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic rear view of the embodiment shown
in FIG. 6;
[0032] FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic front view showing the parts of
which the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is formed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0033] Referring to the drawings of FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 a survival
garment 10 is shown, which is in the form of a survival garment,
and which consists of an article of clothing made from a
lightweight material which does not significantly impair movement
of the wearer. This allows the wearer to carry out a wide range of
physical activities.
[0034] As is shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings the garment 10 can be
worn as an intermediate layer over a layer of clothing such as
underwear 20. The garment 10 is protected by an outer layer of
clothing 21. The garment 10 does not restrict the performance of
the outer layer of clothing, nor does it impede the wearer.
[0035] Water is prevented from entering the inside of the garment
10 by sealing means in the form of a neck seal 11, wrist seals 12
and ankle seals 13. These seals consist of an elastic material
which fits closely to the skin to achieve a water-tight seal when
wearing the garment 10.
[0036] The garment 10 further comprises an opening 14 which is
provided partially around the neck seal 11. The opening 14 permits
the wearer to get easily in and out of the garment 10. The opening
14 is sealable by means of a waterproof zip 15 which is provided on
the garment. This waterproof zip 15, when closed, is shaped like a
horseshoe around the neck seal 11 with the stems of the horseshoe
being located at the front of the garment 10 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2
and 5 of the drawings. The opening 14 does affect the mobility and
comfort of the wearer.
[0037] The seals 11, 12, 13 are attached to the garment 10 by means
of gluing and taping to achieve a fully water-tight seal. The
waterproof zip 15 is connected to the garment 10 in a similar
fashion.
[0038] As shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings the material 30 from
which the garment 10 is made is laminated and may be in the form of
a trilminate. The intermediate layer is formed by a waterproof
breathable membrane 31. This membrane 31 prevents liquid water from
entering the inside of the garment 10, but allows moisture and
perspiration to pass through to the outside of the membrane 31. The
membrane 31 consists of a polytetrafluoroethylene material, for
example as sold under the trade mark GORE-TEX. The inside of the
garment 10 closest to the wearer is formed by an inside layer of an
insulating material 32. This material prevents the wearer from
losing too much body heat when immersed in cold water. The
insulating material 32 consists of a polyester fleece material. The
outside layer of the material 30 consists of a protective material
33 for protecting the membrane 31 against abrasion, wear and tear.
This material 33 is in the form of a knitted polyester or polychal
FR. This has the advantage that it does not obstruct the pores of
the membrane 31 and thus does not impair the functioning of the
membrane 31.
[0039] In FIG. 4 of the drawings the connection of two parts 40 and
41 of the material 30 is shown at the end portions of the
respective parts 40, 41. The inside layers 32 are placed together.
The respective parts are sewn together by means of stitching 42 to
form a seam 43. The seam 43 then lies on the outside of the
material 30, with the edges of the respective end portions lying
outside the outside layer of protective material 33. To prevent
water from entering the garment 10 via the seam 43, more in
particular via the exposed inside of insulating material 32, a
sealing member in the form of a tape 16 is applied over the seam
43. The tape 16 extends across the seam 43 onto the outside layer
33 of the material 30. In FIGS. 1 and 5 of the drawings the various
taped seams 16 are also shown. In this way it is achieved that the
edges of the material 30 and the tape 16 lie on the exterior of the
garment 10. This prevents any discomfort, which may arise from bulk
of seams 43 lying next to the skin of the wearer.
[0040] In FIG. 5 of the drawings there is shown the shape and
configuration of the various parts 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 65, 66 of
which the garment 10 is formed. The parts 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 65,
66 are interconnected by stitching and sealing as discussed above
and shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The shape of the various parts
56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 65, 66 is chosen such that the garment 10 does
not impede mobility of the wearer.
[0041] The torso portion 50 consists of a front part 56 and a back
part 58, thereby substantially forming a vest. In dotted line, the
position of the zip 15 on the parts 56, 58 is also shown. The arm
portions 52 consist each of one integral arm part 60. The arm parts
60 are of an approximately trapezoidal shape with one side being
approximately rounded.
[0042] The leg portions 54 consist of a back leg part which covers
the back of the legs of the wearer. This back leg part 62 is of an
approximate trapezium shape. The front leg part consists of an
upper front leg part 64, a knee part 65 and a lower front leg part
66. The upper front leg part 64 is of an approximately rectangular
shape. The knee part 65 is approximately trapezium shaped with
rounded sides. The lower front leg part 66 is also approximately
trapezium shaped. The leg portions 54 constructed from the parts
62, 64, 65, 66 offer comfort and unrestricted movement to the
wearer.
[0043] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 9, there is shown a further
embodiment in the form of a garment 110 formed from the same
material as described in respect of the garment shown in FIGS. 1 to
5 above.
[0044] As can be seen from FIG. 7, the garment 110 can be worn as
an intermediate layer over a layer of clothing such as underwear
20, and is protected by an outer layer of clothing 21.
[0045] The garment 110 comprises first and second arm portions or
sleeves 112, 114, a trunk portion 116, first and second leg
portions 118, 120 and first and second sock portions 122, 124. A
neck portion 126 is also provided which surrounds the neck of the
wearer.
[0046] Water is prevented from entering the inside of the garment
by sealing means in the form of a neck seal 128 and first and
second wrist seals 130, 132. The neck seal 128 and the wrists seals
130, 132 are formed of an elastic material, for example neoprene,
and are resiliently flexible to fit closely against the skin to
achieve a watertight seal when the garment 110 is worn.
[0047] The garment 110 further includes an opening 134 which is
provided around the torso portion of the garment. The opening 134
extends in a helical manner from the upper region of the front of
the torso portion around the back to the lower region of the front
of the torso portion 116 of the garment 110. The opening permits
the wearer to get easily in and out of the garment 110 and is
sealable by means of a waterproof zip 136. The zip is in the form
of a plastic coil mounted on a polyurethane coated fabric. Each
coil is embedded and secured in a plastics material. A suitable
such zip is sold under the trade name Tizip Super-Seal.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 9, there is shown the shape and
configuration of the various parts from which the garment 110 is
formed. As can be seen, the arm portion or sleeve 112 is formed
from a first main sleeve section 138 and a second wrist sectopm
140. The wrist section 140 is connected to the main sleeve section
138, and the wrist sealing means 130 is connected to the wrist
sleeve part 140. A similar arrangement, although this is not shown,
is provided for the other arm portion or sleeve 114.
[0049] The neck part 126 of the garment is formed from a single
piece 142 which is connected to the main sleeve part 138 of both
sleeves 112, 114 at the shoulders 146, 148.
[0050] The torso portion 116 of the garment 110 is formed from two
main body parts, only one of which 150 (the left part when viewed
from a point of view of the wearer) is shown. The main body part
150 comprises a section 152 for the left side of the torso, and a
section 154 which corresponds to the leg part 120 of the garment
110. A similar arrangement is provided for the right hand side of
the garment Each of the sock portions 122, 124 is formed from three
parts, namely an ankle part 156 an upper foot part 158 and a lower
foot part 160.
[0051] Each of the edges of the parts forming the garment is
attached either to an adjacent edge of an adjacent part or to an
adjacent edge of the same part by seams 162 which are sealed. The
seams 162 are the same as described above and shown in FIG. 4. As
can be seen, the seams 162 extend outwardly from the garment
110.
[0052] The neck part 142 defines an aperture 143 through which the
head can be received and the neck sealing portion 128 is attached
thereto.
[0053] There is thus described a survival garment for protecting a
wearer from the effects of cold water immersion. The garment is
suitable for preventing cold shock and provides limited protection
against immersion hypothermia. Usually survival suits are
considered too restrictive for wearing during normal operations in
the offshore industry. The advantage of the survival garment as
hereinbefore described, is that the garment does not significantly
impair movement of the wearer. Further, the garment does not affect
the performance of the outer layer of clothing.
[0054] The material from which the sock portions 122, 124 are
formed maybe a trilaminate material and is preferably stretchable.
The outer layer maybe formed from nylon and an elastomeric
material, for example spandex. The outer layer maybe, for example
70% nylon 6, 6 and 30% spandex.
[0055] The middle layer may be a waterproof breathable membrane,
for example formed from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene or for
example as sold under the trade mark Gore-Tex. The inner layer may
also be a stretchable material formed from nylon and an elastomeric
material for example 89% nylon 6,6 and 11% Spandex.
[0056] Referring to FIG. 3, the tape 16, which is used in the seams
43, 162 is a polyamite tape having a polytetrafluoroethylene
membrane on the inside but the membrane is provided with a thin
coating of polyurethane and includes a polyurethane adhesive.
[0057] The seals used in the wrist seals 12, the ankle seals 13 and
the neck seal 11 of the garment 10, and the wrist seals 130, 132
and the neck seal 128 is formed of a single faced neoprene, for
example formed of Du Pont Polychloroprene Polymer which has a low
friction inner surface and an outer surface which is formed from a
nylon textured yarn, for example 220g/YD70 denier the connection
between the seals and the main body of the material having similar
construction to the seals shown in FIG. 4, but differ in that the
tape used around the seals is formed from rubber.
[0058] The method of sealing each of the seams, including the seams
around the neck, ankle and wrist seals is by applying the tape to
the garment and then applying heat to the tape to heat the adhesive
to temperatures of up to 600.degree. C. A pressurised roller is
then applied to the tape on the seam to fix it thereto.
[0059] The method of applying the rubber tape to the seals is to
apply the rubber tape using a two part adhesive and then a further
seam seal tape as described above is then applied under heat and
pressure overlapping the rubber tape and the main garment material.
The seam seal tape is applied in the same way as the application of
the tape as described in the preceding paragraph.
[0060] The zip 136 is attached to the garment by first sewing the
garment together. Thereafter the oppening 134 is cut to the
appropriate size and shape in the garment. The zip 136 is then sewn
into the garment such that the edge of the zip is maintained on the
outer face of the material. The tape 16 is then applied to the seam
between the zip and the material in the manner as described above
to seal the seam.
[0061] Various modifications may be made without departing from the
scope of the invention. For example, the material of the garment
could comprise more layers, to improve the insulating properties
and/or the breathable properties and/or the water-resistant
properties of the material.
[0062] The seals could be made of other elastic materials such as
rubber. Further, the garment could be provided with buoyancy aids
to provide buoyancy when the wearer is immersed in water. In this
way it is achieved that the wearer need only wear a single garment
which includes everything necessary for surviving in cold water.
The garment could also consist of two or more parts, such as an
upper part and a lower part. The parts could be interconnectable by
means of a water-resistant seal.
[0063] Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw
attention to those features of the invention believed to be of
particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant
claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or
combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in
the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed
thereon.
* * * * *