U.S. patent application number 10/136213 was filed with the patent office on 2003-11-06 for protective pants, such as firefighter's pants, with puncture-resistant layers at below-knee regions of leg portions.
This patent application is currently assigned to Morning Pride Manufacturing, L.L.C.. Invention is credited to Grilliot, Mary I., Grilliot, William L..
Application Number | 20030204896 10/136213 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29268902 |
Filed Date | 2003-11-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030204896 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Grilliot, William L. ; et
al. |
November 6, 2003 |
Protective pants, such as firefighter's pants, with
puncture-resistant layers at below-knee regions of leg portions
Abstract
A pair of protective pants, such as firefighter's pants or
rescue provider's pants, has an upper portion, which when covers a
lower region of a wearer's torso, and two leg portions, each of
which when worn covers one of the wearer's legs. Each leg portion
has an upper region, which extends downwardly from the upper
portion, and a lower region, which extends upwardly from a lower
end of such leg portion toward the upper region and which
terminates not higher than where such leg portion when worn covers
the wearer's knee. The pair of protective pants, at the lower
region of each leg portion but not elsewhere, has an outer layer of
puncture-resistant material.
Inventors: |
Grilliot, William L.;
(Dayton, OH) ; Grilliot, Mary I.; (Dayton,
OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOOD, PHILLIPS, KATZ, CLARK & MORTIMER
500 W. MADISON STREET
SUITE 3800
CHICAGO
IL
60661
US
|
Assignee: |
Morning Pride Manufacturing,
L.L.C.
|
Family ID: |
29268902 |
Appl. No.: |
10/136213 |
Filed: |
May 1, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/227 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 1/067 20130101;
A41D 13/0543 20130101; A62B 17/003 20130101; A41D 13/05
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/227 |
International
Class: |
A41D 001/06 |
Claims
1. A pair of protective pants having an upper portion, which when
worn covers a lower region of a wearer's torso, and two leg
portions, each of which when worn covers one of the wearer's legs,
wherein each leg portion has an upper region, which extends
downwardly from the upper portion, and a lower region, which
extends upwardly from a lower end of said leg portion toward the
upper region and which terminates not higher than where said leg
portion when worn covers the wearer's knee, wherein the lower
region has a layer of puncture-resistant material.
2. The pair of protective pants of claim 1 wherein the upper
portion and the upper regions of the leg portions have an outer
layer of abrasion-resistant material and wherein only the lower
region of each leg portion has the layer of puncture-resistant
material.
3. The pair of protective pants of claim 1 wherein the upper
portion and the leg portions, from the upper portion to the lower
ends of the leg portions, have one or more inner layers.
4. The pair of protective pants of claim 1 wherein the upper
portion and the upper regions of the leg portions have an outer
layer of abrasion-resistant material, wherein the upper portion and
the leg portions, from the upper portion to the lower ends of the
leg portions, have one or more inner layers, and wherein only the
lower region of each leg portion has the layer of
puncture-resistant material.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention pertains to a pair of protective pants, such
as firefighter's pants or rescue provider's pants, which is
improved by having puncture-resistant layers at below-knee regions
of the leg portions of the pants, whereby to provide enhanced,
below-knee protection for a wearer, such as a firefighter or a
rescue provider, particularly but not exclusively for working at a
wildland site, which may have snakes, thorny or spiny plants, or
other puncture-threatening hazards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In protective garments, such as firefighter's garments or
rescue provider's garments, it is known to provide
puncture-resistant patches where the garments cover a wearer's
knees and where the garments cover the wearer's elbows. Heretofore,
because puncture-resistant materials tend to be quite stiff,
puncture-resistant materials have been regarded as unsuitable to
cover larger regions of such protective garments.
[0003] As exemplified in U.S. Pat. Re. No. 32,506 and in U.S. Pat.
No. 6,065,151, it is known for persons working at wildland sites to
wear puncture-resistant chaps over their pants. As exemplified in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,503, it is known for persons working at
wildland sites to wear puncture-resistant leggings over lower leg
portions of their pants.
[0004] A need has been ascertained, to which this invention is
directed, to provide a pair of protective pants, such as
firefighter's pants, with enhanced, below-knee protection for a
wearer, such as a firefighter, particularly but not exclusively for
working at a wildland site, which may have snakes, thorny or spiny
plants, or other puncture-threatening hazards, whereby to eliminate
a need for the wearer to wear separate chaps or separate
leggings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] This invention provides a pair of protective pants, such as
firefighter's pants or rescue worker's pants, which provides
improved, below-knee protection for a wearer. The pair of
protective pants has an upper portion, which when covers a lower
region of a wearer's torso, and two leg portions, each of which
when worn covers one of the wearer's legs.
[0006] Each leg portion has an upper region, which extends
downwardly from the upper portion, and a lower region, which
extends upwardly from a lower end of said leg portion toward the
upper region and which terminates not higher than where said leg
portion when worn covers the wearer's knee. The lower region of
each leg portion has a layer of puncture-resistant material.
[0007] Preferably, the upper portion and the upper regions of the
leg portions have an outer layer of abrasion-resistant material and
the the upper portion and the leg portions, from the upper portion
to the lower ends of the leg portions, have one or more inner
layers. Preferably, moreover, only the lower region of each leg
portion has the layer of puncture-resistant material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a simplified, elevational view of a pair of
protective pants, such as firefighter's pants, which embodies this
invention.
[0009] FIG. 2, on a larger scale compared to FIG. 1, is a sectional
view, as taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1, in a direction indicated
by arrows.
[0010] FIG. 3, on a similar scale, is a sectional view, as taken
along line 2-3 in FIG. 1, in a direction indicated by arrows.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
[0011] As shown in the drawings, a pair of protective pants 10,
such as firefighter's pants or rescue worker's pants, has an upper
portion 12, which when covers a lower region of a wearer's torso,
and two leg portions 14, each of which when worn covers one of the
wearer's legs. Each leg portion 14 has an upper region 16, which
extends downwardly from the upper portion 12, and a lower region
18, which extends upwardly from a lower end 20 of said leg portion
14 to the upper region 16 and which terminates not higher than
where said leg portion 14 when worn covers the wearer's knee. As
contemplated by this invention, the lower region 18 of each leg
portion 14 has an outer layer 22 of puncture-resistant
material.
[0012] The upper portion 12 and the upper regions 16 of the leg
portions 14 have an outer layer 24 of abrasion-resistant material,
which is conventional in firefighter's pants. The upper portion 12
and the leg portions 14, from the upper portion 12 to the lower
ends 20 of the leg portions 14, have one or more inner layers,
which are conventional in firefighter's pants, such as a
moisture-resistant layer 26 and a thermally insulative layer 28.
The lower region 18 of each leg portion 14 has the outer layer 22
of puncture-resistant material.
[0013] A suitable material for the outer layers 22 of
puncture-resistant material is available commercially from HDM,
Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., under its SUPER FABRIC trademark. An
alternative material for the outer layers 22 of puncture-resistant
material is available commercially from Warwick Mills, Inc. of New
Ipswich, N.H., under its TURTLESKIN trademark. U.S. Pat. Re. No.
32,506, No. 5,170,503, and No. 6,065,151 disclose
puncture-resistant materials that may be also suitable for the
outer layers 22 of puncture-resistant material.
[0014] Because only the lower regions 18 of the leg portions 14
have the outer layers 22 of puncture-resistant material, the
wearer's movements are not impaired, even if the outer layers 22 of
puncture-resistant material are stiff. Nonetheless, the outer
layers 22 of puncture-resistant material provide enhanced,
below-knee protection for a wearer, such as a firefighter or a
rescue provider, particularly but not exclusively for working at a
wildland site, which may have snakes, thorny or spiny plants, or
other puncture-threatening hazards.
* * * * *