U.S. patent application number 13/418596 was filed with the patent office on 2012-09-20 for protective garment with comfort collar.
This patent application is currently assigned to LION APPAREL, INC.. Invention is credited to Nicholas J. Curtis.
Application Number | 20120233748 13/418596 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46827240 |
Filed Date | 2012-09-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120233748 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Curtis; Nicholas J. |
September 20, 2012 |
PROTECTIVE GARMENT WITH COMFORT COLLAR
Abstract
A protective garment including an outer shell having an outer
collar, and an inner liner configured to be worn between the outer
shell and a wearer. The inner liner includes an inner collar and a
comfort collar configured to conformingly engage a neck of the
wearer when the garment is worn.
Inventors: |
Curtis; Nicholas J.;
(Liberty Township, OH) |
Assignee: |
LION APPAREL, INC.
Dayton
OH
|
Family ID: |
46827240 |
Appl. No.: |
13/418596 |
Filed: |
March 13, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61452425 |
Mar 14, 2011 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/455 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 31/08 20190201;
A41D 13/00 20130101; A41B 3/00 20130101; A41D 27/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/455 |
International
Class: |
A41D 13/00 20060101
A41D013/00 |
Claims
1. A protective garment comprising: an outer shell having an outer
collar; and an inner liner configured to be worn between the outer
shell and a wearer, the inner liner including an inner collar and a
comfort collar configured to conformingly engage a neck of the
wearer when the garment is worn.
2. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein the inner liner is
releasably attachable to the outer shell.
3. The protective garment of claim 2 wherein said inner liner
includes a moisture barrier and a thermal barrier that are
permanently coupled together, and wherein the inner liner is
entirely removably from the outer shell.
4. The protective garment system of claim 3 wherein said thermal
barrier has a TPP of at least about twenty, and wherein said
moisture barrier is made of a material that is generally liquid
impermeable and generally moisture vapor permeable.
5. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein said comfort collar
extends radially inwardly from said inner collar such that said
comfort collar and said inner collar define an annular gap
therebetween.
6. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein a radially inner-most
portion of said comfort collar has a circumference of less than
about 15 inches.
7. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein said comfort collar is
generally elastic.
8. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein said comfort collar is
made of a material that is softer than said inner collar and said
outer collar.
9. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein said inner collar has
an upper edge extending around a periphery thereof, and wherein
said comfort collar is entirely vertically spaced below from said
upper edge.
10. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein said inner liner
includes a body portion, and wherein said inner collar and said
comfort collar are both coupled to said body portion by a common
seam.
11. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein said inner collar is
joined to said inner liner by a seam, and wherein said comfort
collar generally covers said seam such that said comfort collar is
positioned between said seam and said wearer when said garment is
worn.
12. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein said comfort collar
has a length extending circumferentially thereabout, and wherein
said comfort collar is configured to engage said neck of said
wearer along substantially the entire length.
13. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein said comfort collar
is made of a water repellent material or made of a material that is
treated to be water repellent.
14. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein said comfort collar
is the inner-most layer of said garment in the neck area of said
garment.
15. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein said inner liner
includes a moisture barrier and a thermal barrier, and wherein said
inner collar includes a moisture barrier and a thermal barrier.
16. The protective garment of claim 15 wherein said moisture
barrier of said inner liner and said moisture barrier of said inner
collar are in direct contact to provide continuous moisture barrier
protection.
17. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein said inner liner is
configured to be positioned between said outer shell and said
wearer when said garment is worn.
18. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein the comfort collar is
made of flame and heat resistant material.
19. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein said outer collar,
said inner collar, and said comfort collar are all made of separate
and discrete pieces of material, and are configured such that a
radial line extends through said outer collar, said inner collar,
and said comfort collar to provide a three-ply collar
arrangement.
20. The protective garment system of claim 1 wherein the outer
shell and outer collar are made of a material that resists
igniting, burning, melting, dripping, or separation when exposed to
temperatures of 500.degree. F. for five minutes.
21. The protective garment of claim 1 wherein the inner liner is
permanently attached to the outer shell.
22. A protective garment system comprising: an outer shell having a
torso portion and an outer collar; and an inner liner positioned
within the outer shell, said inner liner having a torso portion and
an inner liner collar, the inner liner further including a comfort
collar attached to the torso portion of the liner and being
configured and positioned to conformingly engage a neck of a wearer
of the garment system.
23. A protective garment comprising: an outer shell made of an
abrasion-resistant material that resists igniting, burning,
melting, dripping, or separation when exposed to a temperature of
500.degree. F. for five minutes; an inner liner configured to be
worn between the outer shell and a wearer, the inner liner having a
moisture barrier, a thermal barrier, the inner liner further
including a body portion and an inner liner collar; and a comfort
collar coupled to said inner liner, and wherein said inner liner
collar and said comfort collar liner are both coupled to said inner
liner body by a single, common seam.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 61/452,425, filed on Mar. 14, 2011, the entire
contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
[0002] The present disclosure relates to protective garments, and
more particularly, to protective garments for hazardous duty
use.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Protective or hazardous duty garments are used in a variety
of industries and settings to protect the wearer from hazardous
conditions such as heat, smoke, cold, sharp objects, chemicals,
liquids, fumes and the like. Such protective or hazardous duty
garments are often used in adverse conditions, such as high heat,
exposure to smoke or chemicals and the like. The protective
garments are often constructed from sturdy and stiff materials to
provide sufficient protection. However, the stiffness of the
materials may cause chafing around the neck of the wearer.
SUMMARY
[0004] In one embodiment, the invention is a protective garment
including an outer shell having an outer collar, and an inner liner
configured to be worn between the outer shell and a wearer. The
inner liner includes an inner collar and a comfort collar
configured to conformingly engage a neck of the wearer when the
garment is worn.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a protective garment,
incorporating a cutaway section illustrating differing layers of
the garment;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a front view of a liner of the protective garment
of FIG. 1, removed from the outer shell;
[0007] FIG. 3 is a back view of the liner of FIG. 2;
[0008] FIG. 4 is a detail view of area indicated in FIG. 2;
[0009] FIG. 5 is a front view of the liner of FIG. 2, turned inside
out;
[0010] FIG. 6 is a back view of the liner of FIG. 5;
[0011] FIG. 7 is a detail view of the area indicated in FIG. 5;
and
[0012] FIG. 8 is a detail cross section view taken along line 8-8
of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] The following detailed description will illustrate the
general principles of the invention, examples of which are
additionally illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the
drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally
similar elements.
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a protective or hazardous duty garment in
the form of a firefighter's coat or garment, generally designated
10. The coat 10 may include a body portion 12 with a left front
panel 14, right front panel 16 and a back panel 18. The left and
right front panels 14, 16, when joined/overlapped, meet at a slit
19. The left front panel 14 and right front panel 16 may be
releasably attachable to each other, thus closing the slit 19, by a
fastener 20, such as a zipper, snaps, clasps, clips, hook-and-loop
fastening material (i.e., VELCRO.RTM.), combinations of the
forgoing or the like.
[0015] The body portion 12 may define a torso cavity 22 that is
shaped to receive a wearer's torso therein. The coat 10 may include
a pair of sleeves 24 coupled to and extending generally outwardly
from the body portion 12 and may be shaped to receive a wearer's
arms therein and cover at least about 90% of the arms of an average
sized adult wearer.
[0016] The coat 10 may include various layers through its thickness
to provide resistance to heat, moisture and abrasion so that the
coat 10 can be used as a protective, hazardous duty or firefighter
garment. For example, the coat 10 may include an outer shell 26, a
moisture barrier 28 located inside of and adjacent to the outer
shell 26, a thermal liner or barrier 30 located inside of and
adjacent to the moisture barrier 28, and an inner liner or face
cloth 32 located inside of and adjacent to the thermal barrier
30.
[0017] The outer shell 26 may be made of or include a variety of
materials, including material that is resistant to flame, heat and
abrasion, such as a compact weave of aramid fibers and/or
polybenzamidazole fibers. Commercially available aramid materials
include NOMEX and KEVLAR fibers (both trademarks of E.I. DuPont de
Nemours & Co., Inc. of Wilmington, Del.), and commercially
available polybenzamidazole fibers include PBI fibers (a trademark
of PBI Performance Products, Inc. of Charlotte, N.C.). Thus, the
outer shell 26 may be an aramid material, a blend of aramid
materials, a polybenzamidazole material, a blend of aramid and
polybenzamidazole materials, or other appropriate materials. If
desired, the outer shell 26 may be coated with a polymer, such as a
durable, water repellent finish (i.e. a perfluorohydrocarbon
finish, such as TEFLON.RTM. finish sold by E. I. DuPont de Nemours
and Company of Wilmington, Del.). The materials of the outer shell
26 may have a weight of, for example, between about 6-10
oz./yd.sup.2.
[0018] The coat 10/outer shell 26 may include an outer collar 34
made of the same materials as described above for the outer shell
26, which can be relatively stiff and coarse. The collar 34 is
positioned at the top of the garment 10 and may extend at least
about 270 degrees about the garment/neck opening, up to 360 degrees
or more. FIG. 1 illustrates the outer collar 34 turned down,
although the outer collar 34 can be turned upon and extend
generally vertically to cover/protect at least part of the neck of
the wearer.
[0019] The moisture barrier 28 and thermal barrier 30 may be
generally coextensive with the outer shell 26, or spaced slightly
inwardly from the outer edges of the outer shell 26 (i.e., spaced
slightly inwardly from the outer ends of the sleeves 24 and/or
lower edge of the coat 10) to provide moisture and thermal
protection throughout the coat 10. The moisture barrier 28 may
include a semi-permeable membrane layer 28a and a substrate 28b.
The membrane layer 28a may be generally moisture vapor permeable
but generally impermeable to liquid moisture.
[0020] The membrane layer 28a may be made of or include expanded
polytetrafluoroethylene ("PTFE") such as GORE-TEX or CROSSTECH
materials (both of which are trademarks of W.L. Gore &
Associates, Inc. of Newark, Del.), polyurethane-based materials,
neoprene-based materials, cross-linked polymers, polyamid, or other
materials. The membrane layer 28a may have microscopic openings
that permit moisture vapor (such as water vapor) to pass
therethrough, but block liquids (such as water) from passing
therethrough. The membrane layer 28a may be made of a microporous
material that is either hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or somewhere in
between. The membrane layer 28a also may be monolithic and may
allow moisture vapor transmission therethrough by molecular
diffusion. The membrane layer 28a may also be a combination of
microporous and monolithic materials (known as a bicomponent
moisture barrier), in which the microporous or monolithic materials
are layered or intertwined.
[0021] The membrane layer 28a may be bonded or adhered to the
substrate 28b of a flame and heat resistant material to provide
structure and protection to the membrane layer 28a. The substrate
28b may be or include aramid fibers similar to the aramid fibers of
the outer shell 26, but may be thinner and lighter in weight. The
substrate 28b may be woven, non-woven, spunlace or other materials.
In the illustrated embodiment, the membrane layer 28a is located
between the outer shell 26 and the substrate 28b. However, the
orientation of the moisture barrier 28 may be reversed such that
the substrate 28b is located between the outer shell 26 and the
membrane layer 28a.
[0022] The thermal barrier 30 may be made of any suitable material
that provides sufficient thermal insulation. In one embodiment, the
thermal barrier 30 may include a relatively thick (i.e. between
about 1/16''- 3/16'') batting, felt or needled non-woven material
30a which can include aramid fiber batting (such as NOMEX batting),
aramid needlepunch material, an aramid non-woven material, an
aramid blend needlepunch material, an aramid blend batting
material, an aramid blend non-woven material, or foam (either open
cell or closed cell) materials. The batting 30a may trap air and
possess sufficient loft to provide thermal resistance to the coat
10.
[0023] The batting 30a can be quilted to a thermal barrier face
cloth 30b which can be a weave of a lightweight aramid material.
Thus, either the batting 30a alone, or the batting 30a in
combination with the thermal barrier face cloth 30b, may be
considered to constitute the thermal barrier 30. In one embodiment,
the thermal barrier 30 may have a thermal protection performance
("TPP") of at least about twenty, or of at least about thirty-five,
although the TPP performance can vary as desired. If desired, the
thermal barrier 30 may be treated with a water-resistant or
water-repellent finish. In the illustrated embodiment, the batting
30a is located between the outer shell 26 and the thermal barrier
face cloth 30b. However, the orientation of the thermal barrier 30
may be reversed such that the thermal barrier face cloth 30b is
located between the outer shell 26 and the batting 30a.
[0024] Although the moisture barrier 28 is shown as being located
between the outer shell 26 and the thermal barrier 30, the
positions of the moisture barrier 28 and thermal barrier 30 may be
reversed such that the thermal barrier 30 is located between the
outer shell 26 and the moisture barrier 28.
[0025] The face cloth 32 may be the innermost layer of the coat 10,
located inside the thermal barrier 30. The face cloth 32 can
provide a comfortable surface for the wearer and protect the
thermal barrier 30 and/or moisture barrier 28 from abrasion and
wear. In some cases, the face cloth 32 can be considered part of
the thermal barrier 30.
[0026] Each layer of the coat 10, and the coat 10 as a whole, may
meet the National Fire Protection Association 1971 standards ("NFPA
Standards") for protective firefighting garments ("Protective
Clothing for Structural Firefighting"), which standards, as of the
filing date of this application, are entirely incorporated by
reference herein. The NFPA standards specify various minimum
requirements for heat and flame resistance and tear strength. For
example, in order to meet the NFPA standards, the outer shell 26,
moisture barrier 28 and thermal barrier 30 must be able to resist
igniting, burning, melting, dripping and/or separation at a
temperature of 500.degree. F. for at least five minutes.
Furthermore, in order to meet the NFPA standards, all combined
layers of the coat 10 must provide a thermal protective performance
("TPP") rating of at least thirty-five.
[0027] The coat 10 may include an inner liner 100 (shown in FIGS.
2-4) including the moisture barrier 28 and thermal barrier 30 (and
face cloth 32, if utilized) joined together to form the inner liner
100. The moisture barrier 28, thermal barrier 30 and face cloth 32
can be permanently coupled together, such as by stitching or the
like, to form the integral inner liner 100. The inner liner 100 may
be separable and removable from the outer shell 26 of the coat 10
so that the inner liner 100 can be cleaned separately, replaced
when worn, or replaced by an inner liner having different thermal
properties. The inner liner 100 can be releasably or removably
coupled to the outer shell 26 by a variety of systems/devices, such
as hooks, clasps, zippers, slide fasteners, snaps, clips,
hook-and-loop fastening material (i.e., VELCRO.RTM.), and other
well-known fasteners. Such a system is described generally in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,687,913 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0209611;
the contents of both of these publications are incorporated herein
in their entireties. However, the inner liner 100 may not
necessarily be removable/separable from the outer shell 26, and
instead the inner liner 100 may be permanently coupled to the outer
shell 26, or coupled in a non-manually-removable manner, such as by
stitching, rivets, etc. In the illustrated embodiment the moisture
barrier 28 is positioned outside the thermal barrier 30/face cloth
32 such that the moisture barrier 28 forms the outer-most surface
of the inner liner 100.
[0028] FIGS. 2-4 show the inner liner 100 removed from the garment
of FIG. 1. The moisture barrier 28 faces outward (away from the
wearer) and covers the thermal barrier 30/inner liner 32. In the
illustrated embodiment, the inner liner 100 includes a body portion
104 having a front slit 105, which is generally aligned with slit
19 of the shell 26 to facilitate donning and doffing the liner
100.
[0029] The inner liner 100 also includes an inner collar or collar
portion 106 positioned at the top of the inner liner 100/slit 105,
which may extend at least about 270 degrees about the liner
100/neck opening, up to 360 degrees or more. The inner collar 106
may be attached to the body portion 104 along a seam 108 that
extends the entire circumferential length of the collar 106. The
collar 106 may be made of the same combination of materials as the
remainder of the inner liner 100, namely the moisture barrier layer
28, thermal barrier layer 30 and/or face cloth 32. In the
illustrated embodiment, the collar 106 lacks the outer shell
material, as this can be provided by the collar 34 which can, in
some cases, be turned up and positioned adjacent to the collar 106,
substantially or entirely covering the collar 106 and providing
protective qualities thereto.
[0030] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 the face cloth 32 faces inwardly
facing the neck of the wearer. The collar 106 can be, as a whole,
relatively stiff such that, for example, the collar 106 (which can
have a height of at least about one inch (2.54 cm) or at least
about 2 inches (5.08 cm) extends generally vertically and retains
its shape and positioning. The relative stiffness of the collar 106
may cause the collar 106 to not conform closely to the neck of a
wearer, such that gaps are formed between the collar 106 and the
neck of a wearer. Moreover, in some cases the face cloth 32
material is relatively rough against the relatively sensitive,
exposed skin of the neck of a wearer.
[0031] Thus, in one embodiment the collar 106/coat 10 includes a
comfort collar 110 positioned inside the collar 106. The comfort
collar 110 is shown as extending the same circumferential distance
as the collar 106, on an inner surface thereof, but can extend more
or less of the circumferential distance of the collar 106. The
comfort collar 110 thus can extend at least about 270 degrees about
the liner 100/neck opening, up to 360 degrees or more. The comfort
collar 110 can be made from a separate, discrete piece of material
relative to the collar 106 and that is joined to the collar 106 and
may, for example, lack a moisture barrier and/or thermal barrier.
In one case the comfort collar 110 is joined to the body portion
104 of the inner liner 100 along substantially its entire length by
the same seam 108 that joins the collar 106 to the body portion
104. However, the comfort collar 110 can also, or instead, be
joined directly to the collar 106, or joined to the body portion
104 by a separate seam.
[0032] In the illustrated embodiment, the comfort collar 110
extends radially inwardly from the radially inner surface of the
collar 106, and may be shaped and positioned to conformingly engage
the neck of a wearer in a substantially gapless manner. In
particular, in one case the comfort collar 110 has a length
extending circumferentially thereabout, and the comfort collar 110
is configured to engage the neck of a wearer along substantially
the entire length. Such engagement with the neck helps to seal out
external moisture and prevent embers, liquids, and other debris
from falling into the garment 10 via the neck.
[0033] FIGS. 5-7 illustrate the inner liner 100 of FIGS. 2-4 turned
inside out. This orientation shows the comfort collar 110 extending
along substantially the entire length of the collar 106. As shown
in FIGS. 5 and 7, the ends 112, 114 of the comfort collar 110 taper
generally downwards towards the seam 108 (reducing the
height/thickness of the comfort collar 110). However, the comfort
collar 110 may lack the tapered ends 112, 114, or may taper along
the entire length of the comfort collar 110, depending on the shape
desired. As shown in FIG. 7, the comfort collar 110 may have a
height (or width 116) that is less than the height (or width) 118
of the collar 106. In addition, the upper edge of the comfort
collar 110 is spaced away from (e.g. below) the upper edge of the
collar 106. This configuration enables the collar 106 to protect
the comfort collar 110 from thermal and moisture exposure and
abrasions. However, if desired the height 116 of the comfort collar
110 may be equal to, or even greater than, the height 118 of the
collar 106.
[0034] FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the collar 106 and comfort
collar 110 shown in FIGS. 2-7. The comfort collar 110 and collar
portion 106 may be joined at the seam 108, and in one case the
collars 106, 110 are not be joined physically at any points higher
than the seam 108. This feature enables the comfort collar 110
extend radially inwardly to close around the wearer's neck while
the collar portion 106 may remain straight and away from the
wearer's neck. In one case, then, the comfort collar 110, or at
least an upper end thereof, may have a smaller diameter than that
of the collar 106, or than lower portions of the comfort collar
110, and the comfort collar 110 may generally have a truncated-cone
shape. In this manner the comfort collar 110 extends radially
inwardly from the collar portion 106 such that the comfort collar
110 and collar portion 106 define an annular gap 109 therebetween
that is open at its top end.
[0035] As can be seen in FIG. 8, the moisture barrier portion 28 of
the inner collar 106 lies flush against, and is directly stitched
to, the moisture barrier portion 28 of the body portion 104 of the
garment 10. This arrangement helps to provide continuous moisture
barrier protection to the garment 10.
[0036] The comfort collar 110 may be positioned on the
inner/thermal barrier 30 side of the liner 100 of the coat 10.
However, the comfort collar 110 can be positioned in various other
manners without departing from the scope of the invention. For
example, in a so-called reverse orientation, the moisture barrier
28 may form the inner-most layer of the inner liner 100, and in
this case the comfort collar 110 may be secured to the moisture
barrier 28, and the stitching line 108 sealed with a moisture
resistant tape. Alternately, the comfort collar 110 may be attached
directly to the collar 34 of the outer shell 26, or to one of the
liner layers 28, 30 of the coat 10 if the coat does not include a
separate liner 100.
[0037] The comfort collar 110 can be made of a variety of
materials, including a knitted, woven or fleeced material, or a
soft, non-woven material, and may be softer, less abrasive, less
stiff and/or more comfortable against the skin of a wearer than the
materials of the outer shell 26, moisture barrier 28, thermal
barrier 30 and/or face cloth 32. This material of the comfort
collar 110 may be a knit fabric, such as a material knitted from an
aramid material such as NOMEX or KEVLAR, a blend of such aramid
materials, a PBI material, or a blend of aramid and PBI materials.
The comfort collar 110 can be treated with a durable,
water-repellant finish to substantially prevent the absorption or
penetration of liquid moisture therethrough. The comfort collar 110
can be made of a material the same as or similar to that used for
the wristlets described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,700, hereby
incorporated herein in its entirety.
[0038] The comfort collar 110 may include elastic properties such
that, for example in one case, the comfort collar 110 can stretch
at least about 10% in its plane when stretching forces are applied
and return to its pre-stretched shape when such stretching forces
are removed. Such elastic properties may ensure that the comfort
collar 110 stretches and closes about the neck of the wearer when
the liner 100 is worn. The elastic properties may be accomplished
in a variety of ways, including but not limited to incorporating an
elastic band within the comfort collar 110, incorporating elastic
fibers into the fabric/material of the comfort collar 110, or
pleating the fabric. The comfort collar 110 may be undersized
relative to the expected neck size so that the comfort collar
stretches when worn to closely conform to the neck of a wearer. For
example, in one case the radially innermost portion of the comfort
collar 110 may have a circumference of less than about 15 inches
(less than about 38.1 cm), or less than about 13 inches (less than
about 33.02 cm).
[0039] The comfort collar 110 also has been described and shown as
being joined to inner liner 100 (or other portion of the coat 10)
at the seam 108 (or a corresponding seam in another portion of the
coat 10) between the body portion 104 and collar 106 and extending
upwardly therefrom. However, the comfort collar 110 may be attached
to the body portion 104/collar 106 at other positions and achieve
similar results. For example, the comfort collar 110 may be
attached to the body portion 104 at a position below the seam 108
and extend upwards to cover the seam 108 to provide further comfort
to the wearer. Alternately, the comfort collar 110 may be attached
to the collar 106 above the seam 108 and extend downwards for all
or part of its width 116, potentially covering the seam 108.
[0040] Further, while the comfort collar 110 has been generally
described as attached at its lower edge, the comfort collar 110 may
feature additional attachment(s) at other point along its length,
such as a seam running parallel, perpendicular, or angled relative
to the seam 108, to ensure that the comfort collar 110 stays
upright and does not bunch, fall, or become uncomfortable for the
wearer. The comfort collar 110 can be attached to the liner 100 in
other manners, including but not limited to attaching the comfort
collar 110 at the top edge or along a seam in the middle of the
comfort collar 110. In one case, the various collars 34, 106, 110
are configured in an overlapping manner such that a radial line
extends through the outer collar 34 (i.e. when the outer collar 34
is folded up from its configuration shown in FIG. 1), the inner
collar 106, and the comfort collar 110 to provide a three-ply
collar arrangement. In other cases, when the outer collar 34 is
folded down, a two-ply collar may be provided (although the inner
collar 106 itself can be made of various plies).
[0041] The comfort collar 110 is illustrated as being attached to
the liner 100 by the stitched seam 108. However, the comfort collar
110 may be attached to the liner 100 (or shell 26, or other part of
the coat 10) by means other than by stitching. Such attachment may
include, but is not limited to, adhesives, rivets or the like, or
releasable fastening devices such as zippers, slide fasteners,
snaps, clasps, clips, hook-and-loop fastening material (i.e.,
VELCRO.RTM.), and other well-known fasteners.
[0042] The comfort collar 110 also may have protective properties
to increase the overall protection offered by the hazardous duty
garment 10. In one case, as noted above, the comfort collar 110 is
treated with a water-resistant, water-proof, or water-repellant
finish. Such a feature can increase the comfort and safety of the
overall garment 10 by preventing rain, snow, water from
firefighting hoses, or other moisture from entering or wicking
through the neck of the hazardous duty garment 10. The comfort
collar 10 can be constructed from a flame or thermal resistant
material or treated with an additive to increase flame or thermal
resistance, such that the comfort collar 110 complies with NFPA or
other relevant regulations. Other variations of protective
properties, either alone or in combination, may be added to the
comfort collar 110, based on the intended use of the hazardous duty
garment.
[0043] Having described the invention in detail and by reference to
preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that
modifications and variations are possible without departing from
the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended
claims.
* * * * *