U.S. patent application number 13/415318 was filed with the patent office on 2012-07-12 for protective one-piece suit.
Invention is credited to Eddie Majerfeld.
Application Number | 20120174295 13/415318 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41503773 |
Filed Date | 2012-07-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120174295 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Majerfeld; Eddie |
July 12, 2012 |
PROTECTIVE ONE-PIECE SUIT
Abstract
A one-piece suit for protecting a wearer from at least one of
paint, dirt, debris and moisture is described. The one-piece suit
enables the entire body of a wearer to be protected. The one-piece
suit offers a combination of features which make it useful for
protecting the wearer from paint, dirt, debris and/or moisture,
etc. The one-piece suit includes and upper body portion and a lower
body portion integrally formed with the upper body portion. Leg
portions have a forward side defining a protective outer surface
and a rearward side formed of a material which provides more
breathability than the forward side. A foot covering portion is
also integrally formed with each of the leg portions and extends
forwardly outward from the lower ends thereof to substantially
cover the wearer's foot.
Inventors: |
Majerfeld; Eddie; (St.
Laurent, CA) |
Family ID: |
41503773 |
Appl. No.: |
13/415318 |
Filed: |
March 8, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12565823 |
Sep 24, 2009 |
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13415318 |
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PCT/CA2008/000665 |
Jul 4, 2008 |
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12565823 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/456 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 17/02 20130101;
A41D 13/0543 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/456 |
International
Class: |
A41D 13/00 20060101
A41D013/00 |
Claims
1. A one-piece suit for protecting a wearer from at least one of
paint, dirt, debris and moisture, the one-piece suit comprising: an
upper body portion for covering the upper body of the wearer, the
upper portion comprising at least a trunk covering portion covering
a wearer's chest and back and arm portions connected to and
extending from the trunk covering portion to cover at least a
portion of the wearer's arms; a lower body portion integrally
formed with the upper body portion and connected to a lower end of
the trunk covering portion thereof, the lower body portion forming
trousers for covering the lower body of the wearer and comprising a
pelvis covering portion covering the wearer's pelvis region and leg
portions connected to and extending from the pelvis covering
portion, the leg portions being substantially tubular and having an
upper end and a lower end, the tubular leg portions having an
enclosed circumference along their complete length between the
upper and lower ends; at least the leg portions of the one-piece
suit comprising a forward side entirely composed of a first
material and a rearward side entirely composed of a second material
different from the first material, the second material being more
breathable than the first material, and the first material of the
forward side defining a protective outer surface which provides
greater protection than the second material, wherein the rearward
side of said at least the leg portions providing greater
breathability but less protection than said forward side thereof;
and a foot covering portion which is integrally formed with each of
the leg portions and extends only forwardly outward from the lower
end thereof to cover the entirety of an upper surface of the
wearer's foot, the foot covering portion being self-supporting and
having a rigidity that is greater than that of the leg portions,
the foot covering portion being free from fastening straps such
that the foot covering portion rests on top of the wearer's foot
without being fastened thereto.
2. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 1, wherein the foot
covering portion provides greater protection than does the
protective outer surface of the leg portions.
3. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 2, wherein the foot
covering portion is padded.
4. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 2, wherein the foot
covering portion extends from a wearer's ankle to wearer's toes and
also covers part of a front and lateral surface of the wearer's
foot.
5. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 1, wherein the foot
covering portion comprises a reinforcing member disposed therein,
the reinforcing member having a form adapted to cover at least the
majority of the upper surface of the wearer's foot.
6. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 5, wherein the
reinforcing member includes a plate having a rigidity greater than
that of a remainder of the foot covering portion.
7. A one-piece suit for protecting a wearer from at least one of
paint, dirt, debris and moisture, the one-piece suit comprising: an
upper body portion for covering the upper body of the wearer; and a
lower body portion integrally formed with the upper body portion
and connected thereto for covering the lower body of the wearer,
the lower body portion including leg portions having an enclosed
circumference along their complete length between upper and lower
ends thereof, the leg portions having a forward side and a rearward
side extending between the upper and lower ends, the forward side
defining a protective outer surface and the rearward side being
formed of a material which provides more breathability than the
forward side of the leg portions, and wherein a foot covering
portion is integrally formed with each of the leg portions and
extends forwardly outward from the lower end thereof to
substantially cover the wearer's foot, the foot covering portion
being free from fastening straps such that the foot covering
portion rests on top of the wearer's foot without being fastened
thereto.
8. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 7, wherein the foot
covering portion being self-supporting and having a rigidity that
is greater than that of the leg portions.
9. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 7, wherein the forward
sides of the leg portions are entirely composed of a first material
and the rearward sides thereof are entirely composed of a second
material that is different from the first material, the second
material being more breathable than the first material.
10. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 7, wherein the first
material of the forward side provides a protective outer surface
which provides greater protection than the second material.
11. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 10, wherein the foot
covering portion provides greater protection than does the
protective outer surface of the leg portions.
12. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 11, wherein the foot
covering portion is padded.
13. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 7, wherein the foot
covering portion extends from the lower end of the leg portion a
distance sufficient to substantially cover the entirety of an upper
surface of the wearer's foot, and also covers part of a front and
lateral surface of the wearer's foot.
14. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 7, wherein the foot
covering portion comprises a reinforcing member disposed therein,
the reinforcing member having a form adapted to substantially cover
the entirety of the upper surface of the wearer's foot.
15. The one-piece suit as defined in claim 14, wherein the
reinforcing member includes a plate having a rigidity greater than
that of a remainder of the foot covering portion.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a divisional application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 12/565,823 filed Sep. 24, 2009, which
is a continuation of PCT/CA2008/000665 filed Apr. 7, 2008, which
claims priority on U.S. provisional patent application No.
60/910,371 filed Apr. 5, 2007, the entire contents of each of which
are incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to outerwear
garments, such as one-piece suits, pants, chaps, leggings and the
like. Particularly, the present invention relates to a garment
providing protection of at least the lower legs and feet of a
wearer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Protective outerwear garments exist in a variety of
different forms, and are used for an equally large variety of
applications. Protective trousers and pants, for example, are used
by workers in a number of fields in order to protect both the
user's own legs and their clothing.
[0004] Certain specific activities tend to particularly cause
damage and/or cause user's clothes and shoes to become wet, dirty,
etc. One such activity is cutting, trimming or "weed wacking" grass
and other foliage, during which the user's shoes and legs tend to
become wet, messy, moist and/or dirty from the grass and vegetation
clippings created. Further, if larger plants or foliage are being
cleared, there exists the risk causing injury to the user's leg, if
no protective garments are worn. Another such activity is painting,
during which one's shoes can become splattered with paint even if
protective trousers or suits are worn.
[0005] Accordingly, there exists a need to provide an improved
protective garment which will help protect at least the lower legs
and shoes of a wearer, particularly during such activities as
painting, and cutting and trimming grass and other foliage, for
example using a lawn mower, a "weed wacker", and the like.
Improvements are thus needed in order to provide a new and improved
type of lightweight, low cost, lower leg and foot covering and
protecting outerwear garment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Therefore, in accordance with a first broad aspect, there is
provided a one-piece suit for protecting a wearer from at least one
of paint, dirt, debris and moisture, the one-piece suit comprising:
an upper body portion for covering the upper body of the wearer,
the upper portion comprising at least a trunk covering portion
covering a wearer's chest and back and arm portions connected to
and extending from the trunk covering portion to cover at least a
portion of the wearer's arms; a lower body portion integrally
formed with the upper body portion and connected to a lower end of
the trunk covering portion thereof, the lower body portion forming
trousers for covering the lower body of the wearer and comprising a
pelvis covering portion covering the wearer's pelvis region and leg
portions connected to and extending from the pelvis covering
portion, the leg portions being substantially tubular and having an
upper end and a lower end, the tubular leg portions having an
enclosed circumference along their complete length between the
upper and lower ends; at least the leg portions of the one-piece
suit comprising a forward side entirely composed of a first
material and a rearward side entirely composed of a second material
different from the first material, the second material being more
breathable than the first material, and the first material of the
forward side defining a protective outer surface which provides
greater protection than the second material, wherein the rearward
side of said at least the leg portions providing greater
breathability but less protection than said forward side thereof;
and a foot covering portion which is integrally formed with each of
the leg portions and extends only forwardly outward from the lower
end thereof to cover the entirety of an upper surface of the
wearer's foot, the foot covering portion being self-supporting and
having a rigidity that is greater than that of the leg portions,
the foot covering portion being free from fastening straps such
that the foot covering portion rests on top of the wearer's foot
without being fastened thereto.
[0007] In accordance with a second broad aspect, there is provided
a one-piece suit for protecting a wearer from at least one of
paint, dirt, debris and moisture, the one-piece suit comprising: an
upper body portion for covering the upper body of the wearer; and a
lower body portion integrally formed with the upper body portion
and connected thereto for covering the lower body of the wearer,
the lower body portion including leg portions having an enclosed
circumference along their complete length between upper and lower
ends thereof, the leg portions having a forward side and a rearward
side extending between the upper and lower ends, the forward side
defining a protective outer surface and the rearward side being
formed of a material which provides more breathability than the
forward side of the leg portions, and wherein a foot covering
portion is integrally formed with each of the leg portions and
extends forwardly outward from the lower end thereof to
substantially cover the wearer's foot, the foot covering portion
being free from fastening straps such that the foot covering
portion rests on top of the wearer's foot without being fastened
thereto.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Further features and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken
in combination with the appended drawings, in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 shows a side perspective view of a right-leg
protective legging in accordance with one embodiment;
[0010] FIG. 2 shows a front view of a pair of the protective
leggings of FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the protective leggings of FIG.
2;
[0012] FIG. 4A is a partial view of a lower, foot-covering portion
of one of the protective leggings of FIG. 2;
[0013] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the lower,
foot-covering portion of FIG. 4A, taken through line 4B-4B;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a front view of a pair of protective trousers in
accordance with an alternate embodiment;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pair of protective
overalls in accordance with an alternate embodiment; and
[0016] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a protective one-piece suit
in accordance with an alternate embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the protective garment 10 in
accordance with one embodiment comprises two protective leggings
11, of which only the right-leg legging is visible in FIG. 1. The
protective garment 10 constitutes a lower body protective garment
which helps to protect and keep clean and dry at least the lower
legs and the feet/shoes of a wearer. The protective garment 10
comprises, as best seen in FIG. 2, a pair of separate protective
leggings 11, namely one for the right leg and one for the left leg
of the user. In this embodiment, the separate leggings 11 are not
attached together or otherwise inter-engaged in any way. Each is
separately put on by the wearer.
[0018] In this embodiment, unlike many chaps and/or other leg
protection garments which exist, each of the leggings 11 wraps
around the entire circumference of the wearer's leg, i.e. it is not
an open-backed type of chap, but rather each is an enclosed pant
leg. As such, each of the leggings 11 is formed by tubular leg
portions which have an enclosed circumference. Existing chaps
typically cover only the front portions of the wearer's legs, and
thus have open-backs which require a number of straps, buckles,
etc. to close and to fasten the chaps in place on one's leg. The
protective leggings 10 however completely encircle the wearer's
legs, from a point near the midpoint or upper end of the wearer's
thigh. In this embodiment, the protective garment 10 thus
constitutes only lower-body protection.
[0019] In contrast, each of the leggings 11 of the protective
garment 10 includes leg portions 12, which are tubular and
full-circumference, and therefore resemble more like detached pant
legs which the user will have to put their feet through and pull up
in order to put them on. At least the frontward facing side of the
tubular leg portions 12 have a protective outer surface and/or or
made of a material which is preferably lightweight, waterproof and
relatively flexible, such as to be comfortable to wear. Any
suitable material may be used, however preferably is one of
relatively good resistance to wear and tear, given that grass,
sticks, and other materials may be projected thereon by a mower,
weed wacker, or other device which the wearer may be operating. The
material may also be breathable in order to make the leggings more
comfortable for wear outside in warm weather. Both the front (i.e.
covering the front of the wearer's leg) and back (i.e. covering the
back of the wearer's leg) sides of the leg portions 12 may be made
of the same material, however alternately the back side may be made
of a different material, for example one which is perhaps less
protective, waterproof, and/or more breathable. As best seen in
FIG. 3, the rear of the leg portions 12 may be provided with an
opening 14 along a portion of their length, the opening 14 being
preferably covered with a mesh or screen-type material 16, or
alternately another material which is more breathable than that of
the main surfaces of the leg portions 12. The mesh 16 is
advantageous as it allows improved ventilation and breathability,
while nonetheless preventing insects from easily being able to bite
the wearer's legs. It is to be understood that the mesh covered
opening 14 in the back surface of the leg portions 12 may be larger
or smaller, as required.
[0020] As best seen in FIGS. 1-3, at the upper end 18 of each of
the leg portions 12 is provided an attachment member 20 used to
removably fasten the legging 11 to an article of clothing of the
wearer, such as a belt for example. In at least one embodiment,
this attachment member 20 includes a single strap 21 which extends
upwards and is wrapped around the wearer's belt and then fastened
to the outer surface of the side of the legging, such as by using a
Velcro.TM. type releasable attachment 22 having one part disposed
on the inside of the strap 21 and the other mating part disposed on
the outer surface of the side of the legging. Although in the
present embodiment the attachment member 20 is disposed on the
outer sides of each of the leg portions 12, they can be similarly
located further toward the front or back of each of the leg
portions 11. The strap 21 is preferably integrally formed with the
material of the leg portions 12, however could also be made of a
separate strap material which is fastened in place on the upper end
18 of the leg portions 12.
[0021] As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4A, each of the protective
leggings 11 includes a foot or shoe covering portion 24, which is
fixed to a lower end 26 of the leg portions 12. In one embodiment,
the foot covering portion 24 has a greater rigidity than that of
the leg portion 12 and offers a greater protection that does the
outer surface of the leg portion 12. Alternatively, both the foot
covering portion 24 and the leg portion 12 have the same rigidity
and offer a comparable protection. They can either be made of the
same material or of different materials. The foot covering portion
24 extends outwardly from the base of the pant leg portion 12 in
order to cover at least a majority of the instep of the wearer's
foot. Preferably, the foot covering portion 24 extends completely
the length of the wearer's foot, such as to reach to or just over
the toes (or more specifically the tips of the shoes) of the
wearer. Alternatively, the foot covering portion 24 covers
completely the forepart of the wearer's shoe, including a part of
the shoe's sole. However, the foot covering portion 24 is not
attached to the wearer's shoe at any location, but remains in place
thereon due to its self supporting structure as described further
below. The foot covering portion can also cover and protect the
rear part of the wearer's foot, including the heel by descending
completely to the ground level proximate the wearer's heel. The
foot covering portion 24 is self supporting, in that it retains its
shape and structure without requiring it to be fastened, such as be
by straps or the like, directly to the wearer's foot. In at least
one embodiment, as seen in FIG. 4B, the foot covering portion 24
comprises a more padded material 25 that provides more padding
relative to that of the pant leg portions 12. Alternately, a rigid,
or semi-rigid reinforcing insert 27 may be provided within the
enclosed material of the foot covering portion 24, in order to
provide improved protection and resistance to impacts, etc. For
example, the reinforcing insert 27 can be a plate 29 having a form
adapted to cover at least the forepart of the wearer's foot and to
be self-supporting. This plate can be made of any rigid or
semi-rigid material such as plastic, composites, metal or any
combination thereof In this case, the reinforcing plate offers a
greater rigidity than that of the remainder of the foot covering
portion 24. In one embodiment, the reinforcing insert is removable
from the enclosed material. The cut and shape of the panels making
up the foot portion 24 are also preferably formed such that the
overlying foot portion 24 of the leggings 11 retains its shape and
remains substantially in place on top of the shoe or boot 30 of the
wearer, as seen in FIG. 4A. Thus, the foot covering portion 24 is
retained in place, without the need of any fastening means, such as
heel, instep or toe straps for example. The foot covering portion
therefore merely sits on top of the instep of the wearer's foot,
permitting a good range of motion and freedom of movement for the
wearer's foot, angle and leg.
[0022] Given the relative simplicity of the protective leggings 10,
the lack of a multitude of fastening straps required to keep them
in place, as well as their flexibility and light weight, these
protective leggings are much more comfortable and less complex and
time consuming to put-on, take-off and wear.
[0023] Referring now to FIG. 5, a protective garment 50 in the form
of a pair of trousers of an alternate embodiment is shown. The
protective garment 50 comprises two leg portions 52 connected
together at the level of a wearer's crotch. A pelvis covering
portion 54 covers at least the front surface of the wearer's pelvis
and is connected to each one of the leg portions 52. Alternatively,
the pelvis covering portion 54 can cover both the front and back
surfaces of the wearer's pelvis. Each one of the two leg portions
52 is provided with a self-supporting foot covering portion 24. The
foot covering portion 24 is exactly as that described above with
respect to the leggings 10. The leg portions 52 are tubular to
completely encircle a wearer's legs. The rear of the leg portions
52 may be provided with an opening along a portion of their length
and this opening can be covered with a breathable material. Any
mechanical fastening means, such as a belt, a strap, a zipper,
buttons, etc, can be used to fasten the protective garment 50 on
the wearer.
[0024] FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of a protective
garment having the form of an apron or overall 60. The overall 60
comprises two leg portions 62 and a bib 64 which covers at least
part of the wearer's torso. The leg portions 62 are tubular to
completely encircle the wearer's legs. The protective garment 60 is
provided with a self-supporting foot covering portion 24 at the end
of each leg portions. The foot covering portion 24 is exactly as
that described above with respect to the leggings 10. The bib 64
covers at least a front portion of the wearer's chest and can also
cover a portion of the wearer's back. A pair of suspenders 66
extend over a wearer's shoulders are used to fasten the overall 60
in place. Alternatively, a neck strap can be used in replacement of
the suspenders 66. The rear of the overall 60 can be made of a
material being less resistant than the front. Additionally,
openings can be provided in the rear side of the overall 60 and
these openings can be covered by a breathable material.
[0025] FIG. 7 illustrates a one-piece suit protective garment 70
according to another embodiment. The protective garment 70
comprises a trunk covering portion 72, two arm covering portions 74
and two leg portions 76. The covering portions 72, 74, and 76 are
connected together such that the assembly form a one piece suit
such as an overall. The trunk covering portion 72 covers both the
chest and the back of the wearer. Each one of the arm covering
portions 74 and the leg covering portions 76 is tubular to
completely encircle the wearer's arm and leg, respectively, and the
arm covering portions 74 cover at least a portion of the wearer's
arms. The protective garment 70 is provided with a foot covering
portion 24 at the end of each leg portions 76. The foot covering
portion 24 is exactly as that described above with respect to the
leggings 10.
[0026] The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 offer a greater
protection to the wearer in comparison to the protective leggings
10 and trousers 50 as they also cover at least part of the wearer's
chest. For example, the one-piece suit protective garment 70 can be
used to protect entirely the wearer from paint splashes.
[0027] The embodiments described above are intended to be
exemplary. Those skilled in the art will therefore appreciate that
the forgoing description is illustrative only, and that various
alternatives and modifications can be devised without departing
from the present invention as defined in the claims. Accordingly,
the present is intended to embrace all such alternatives,
modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the
appended claims.
* * * * *