U.S. patent application number 11/118888 was filed with the patent office on 2006-11-02 for shirt with reinforced front.
Invention is credited to William C. Vereen.
Application Number | 20060242750 11/118888 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37232988 |
Filed Date | 2006-11-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060242750 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vereen; William C. |
November 2, 2006 |
Shirt with reinforced front
Abstract
A shirt is described that uses a double layer of fabric,
strategically located across its front to protect the torso of the
wearer.
Inventors: |
Vereen; William C.;
(Thomasville, GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
J.W. GIPPLE
P.O. Box 40513
Washington
DC
20016
US
|
Family ID: |
37232988 |
Appl. No.: |
11/118888 |
Filed: |
May 2, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/115 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 13/002 20130101;
A41D 27/02 20130101; A41B 1/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/115 |
International
Class: |
A41B 1/00 20060101
A41B001/00 |
Claims
1. A torso-covering garment having a front portion comprised of at
least two plies of fire resistant fabric.
2. The torso-covering garment of claim 1, which includes a back
portion, constructed of one ply of fabric.
3. The torso-covering garment of claim 2, which includes sleeves,
constructed of one ply of fabric.
4. The torso covering garment of claim 3, which includes a neck
opening at the top of said front portion and a hem along the bottom
of said front portion; and stitching, around said neck opening and
along said hem, which holds together the said two or more plies of
fire resistant fabric which comprise the said front portion.
5. The torso covering garment of claim 4 wherein the said front
portion comprises a left panel and a right panel, which are joined
together by overlapping button hole panels; and stitching along
said button hole panels which holds together the two or more plies
of fire resistant fabric which comprise the said front panels.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention is directed to a shirt having a front that is
reinforced to protect the torso of the wearer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Workers in many industries may be subjected to sudden
thermal flashes directly in front of them. Electrical workers, for
example, may experience an electric arc of great thermal intensity.
This is particularly damaging to female workers because their
brassieres may ignite outright, or the fabric and underwire melt or
burn, causing severe injury. The traditional market solution has
been to require that female employees exposed to these types of
danger wear a brassiere made of a flame resistant fabric. This
solution had its problems for the employer because such brassieres
are expensive and are often difficult to fit and procure. There are
also problems for the female employee in that such brassieres are
made from a fabric having flame resistant fibers, which fabric is
heavier than the female employee's regular brassiere fabric, and is
somewhat stiff, uncomfortable and cumbersome.
[0003] Rather than focusing on the brassiere, the present invention
is directed to providing the necessary protection for the employee
by using a double layer of fabric strategically located across the
front of the shirt. The double layers of fabric are significantly
more protective than a single layer.
[0004] The double fabric layer is applied only in the front panels
of the shirt for reasons, including the following:
[0005] 1. Accidents involving electric arcs in work situations
generally occur while the affected employee is working with his or
her hands on a given task, and therefore generally occur in front
of the affected employee. Infrared energy is the primary heat
energy from an electric arc. It travels in a straight line and
generally does not affect the back of a garment.
[0006] 2. Most employees wear arc-rated gloves that extend to the
elbow and are often also wearing full rubber sleeves that start at
the wrists and go to the top of the shoulder (held in place with a
strap that buckles around the back of the shoulders). This leaves a
zone from the chest to the abdomen where a flame resistant shirt is
the primary means of protection. The rubber sleeves and gloves are
generally worn over a long sleeve flame resistant shirt or jacket.
The gloves and sleeves have ATPVs that range from 25-100 calories
square centimeter. Accordingly, the shirt needs little protection
in the sleeve area if gloves and rubber sleeves are being utilized.
For this reason, the main purpose for long sleeves in this
application is for comfort under the heavy rubber. Lighter
materials are the best for this purpose. Since the invention limits
shirt construction to a double layer on the front panels only, the
sleeves of the invented design are comprised of a single layer of
fabric. The resulting thinness of the sleeves allows greater
dexterity and the single layer construction of both the sleeves and
rear of the shirt allow the employee's rear shoulder and back to
ventilate heat and reduce the risk associated with heat
build-up.
[0007] 3. Typical shirts have an ATPV between 4.2-5.6 calories
square centimeter. The highest scoring shirts that are presently
commercially available are made from a flame resistant fabric known
as Indura Ultra Soft.RTM. weighing 7.0 ounce per square yard. This
fabric is desirable because it has an ATPV of 8.2 calories per
square centimeter. The main reason that shirts manufactured from
this fabric are not the industry's only choice is because they are
heavy and hot. Heavier clothing traps heat and can result in
excessive perspiration, (which can conduct electricity) heat
exhaustion, heat stroke or other serious medical conditions which
can affect the employee's judgment and dexterity on the job.
[0008] Construction of shirts with double layers of frontal shirt
fabric yields greatly increased protection in the chest/abdomen
area with greater breathe-ability and reduced heat retention. It
provides the manufacturer the ability to use double layers of
lighter material in the front panels and one light layer everywhere
else, instead of using a heavier-weight flame resistant fabric to
construct the entire shirt.
[0009] The present invention allows easier enforcement of flame
resistant uniform policies, which can be problematic for the
employer for both male and female employees. Is the female employee
wearing a Nomex IIIA.RTM. brassiere or the male employee wearing a
100% cotton undershirt? The invention's double ply construction
provides equal or better protection and will have a distinctive
front insignia to allow an employer to readily determine that the
employee is compliant with the employer's uniform requirements.
[0010] The benefits of this type of construction extend to numerous
other applications and the present application is in no way
intended to be limited solely to shirts for female employees, nor
solely to the type of sewing construction utilized in the attached
drawings as being the definitive means of construction. By way of
example, the drawings illustrate a construction that includes the
entire front panel, however because of cost or in an effort to
further reduce heat retention, a customer might direct that the
design be altered to utilize the double ply front panel
construction above the belt line and a single ply construction on
that part of the shirt that is to be tucked into the pants. Also,
in some cases it may be desirable to provide double layers in other
areas.
DISCLOSURE OF THE PRIOR ART
[0011] Applicant is aware of no prior art directly relevant to the
present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating a shirt
embodying the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a detail view from the inside of a section of the
shirt at point A of FIG. 1
[0014] FIG. 3 is a detail view from the inside of a section of the
shirt at point B of FIG. 1
[0015] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view illustrating an alternate
shirt embodying the present invention
[0016] FIG. 5 is a detail view from the outside of a section of the
shirt at point A of FIG. 4
[0017] FIG. 6 is a detail view from the outside of a section of the
shirt at point B of FIG. 4
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] In accordance with the present invention a shirt is provided
that greatly increases the frontal resistance to the thermal
effects of an electric arc with a minimum increase in weight by
strategically applying a second ply of fabric in the front of a
shirt.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Reference will now be made to the preferred embodiments of
the invention and illustrated in the drawings.
[0020] In FIG. 1, a shirt 1 comprises sleeves 2a and 2b, which
extend from armholes 3a and 3b. There is a collar 4 formed above
the neck opening 5. Shoulder seams 6a and 6b extend from armholes
3a and 3b to neck opening 5. Left front panel 7 and right front
panel 89 are constructed from two-ply of fire resistant fabric. The
plies are stitched together at the neck opening 5, the shoulder
seams 6a and 6b, at the bottom edges 9 and 10 and around the
armholes 3a and 3b. The sleeves 2a and 2b, as well as the collar 4,
and the back of the shirt (not shown) are constructed of a single
ply and not necessarily of fire resistant fabric. A principal
purpose of the invention is to provide the two-ply of fire
resistant fabric only where it is needed in the front panels.
[0021] FIG. 2, which is a detailed view from the inside of the
shirt 1, at point A of FIG. 1, illustrates the bottom ply 7a, and
the top ply 8b and how they are folded and sewed at stitch line
12.
[0022] FIG. 3, which is a detailed view of shirt 1, at point B of
FIG. 1, illustrates the bottom ply 9b, and the top ply 9a and how
they are folded in preparation for sewing. A button panel 11, is
applied above the abutted edges of plies 9a and 9b, and sewn
thereto along stitch lines 13. A strip 14 may be inserted within
the button panel 11 to provide additional bulk and strength.
[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the invention. The
knit shirt 15 has sleeves 16a and 16b, which extend from armholes
17a and 17b. It has a collar 18 formed above neck opening 19.
Shoulder seams 20a and 10b extend from armholes 17a and 17b to neck
opening 19. There is a collar 18 formed above the neck opening 19.
Shoulder seams 20a and 20b extend from armholes 17a and 17b to neck
opening 19. Front panel 22 is constructed from two-ply fire
resistant knit fabric. The plies are stitched together at the neck
opening 19, the shoulder seams 20a and 20b, at the bottom edge 21
and around the armholes 17a and 17b. The sleeves 16a and 16b, as
well as the back (not shown) are constructed of a single ply of
fabric and not necessarily fire resistant.
[0024] FIG. 5 is a detailed view of collar opening 23, taken at
point A. It illustrates the top ply 22a and the bottom ply 22b and
how they are sewn to the collar 18 at stitch line 24.
[0025] FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the bottom edge 21, taken at
point B. It illustrates the top ply 22a and the bottom ply 22b and
how they are folded and sewn together along stitch line 25 to form
the bottom edge 21.
[0026] It will be further apparent to those skilled in the art that
various modifications and variations can be made in the device and
method of the present invention without departing from the spirit
or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present
invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention
provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and
their equivalents.
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