U.S. patent application number 14/741727 was filed with the patent office on 2015-12-24 for ems garment.
The applicant listed for this patent is Stryker Corporation. Invention is credited to Clifford Edwin Lambarth, Donald Michael Mekkes, Jason James Wroblewski.
Application Number | 20150366272 14/741727 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54868451 |
Filed Date | 2015-12-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150366272 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wroblewski; Jason James ; et
al. |
December 24, 2015 |
EMS GARMENT
Abstract
A garment for medical emergency services (EMS) workers is
provided with one or more features useful to emergency personnel.
The garment may include an eyewear pocket at or near the neck of
the garment and/or a pocket on the front panel of the shirt that is
sized or configured to hold a card, such as an insurance card,
while allowing a portion of the card to remain visible. Additional
features which may be present alone or in combination with the
other disclosed features include a fastener that is off-set from
the shoulder seem of the garment and/or a sleeve pocket that is
sized to accommodate medical gloves. The various pockets may
include a material coating or lining that may increase or decrease
the frictional forces between the interior of the pocket and the
item retained there in order to assist in the retention of the item
or assist in the removal of the item as desired.
Inventors: |
Wroblewski; Jason James;
(Kalamazoo, MI) ; Mekkes; Donald Michael; (Byron
Center, MI) ; Lambarth; Clifford Edwin; (Portage,
MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Stryker Corporation |
Kalamazoo |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
54868451 |
Appl. No.: |
14/741727 |
Filed: |
June 17, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62015645 |
Jun 23, 2014 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/69 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 27/207 20130101;
A41D 13/0012 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A41D 13/00 20060101
A41D013/00 |
Claims
1. A garment comprising: a front panel having a neck opening; an
inner panel joined to said front panel forming a pocket between
said front panel and a wearer; and said pocket having a pocket
opening located at or proximate a portion of said neck opening, and
said pocket is sized to accommodate eyewear.
2. The garment of claim 1 wherein said pocket opening is formed
between said front panel and said inner panel.
3. The garment of claim 2 wherein said pocket comprises a length of
between about 5 and 6 inches and a width of between about 2 and 3
inches.
4. The garment of claim 1 wherein said inner panel is a rigid
material.
5. The garment of claim 1 wherein said pocket opening comprises a
closure.
6. The garment of claim 5 wherein said closure is a duckbill
closure.
7. The garment of claim 1 wherein said pocket includes an interior,
said interior being lined with a high friction material to
facilitate retention of the eyewear in said pocket.
8. The garment of claim 7 wherein said lined interior includes
directional elements to provide resistance to removal of the
eyewear when placed in said pocket.
9. The garment of claim 1 wherein said pocket is detachable from
said garment.
10. A garment comprising: a front panel; a pocket on said front
panel, said pocket being sized to accommodate a card, said pocket
further being sized so that when the card is fully inserted into
the pocket, a portion of the card is visible; and said pocket
includes an interior with a surface material, said surface material
being a high friction material, and wherein when the card is placed
in said pocket, the card is held in said pocket by said high
friction material.
11. The garment of claim 10 wherein said surface material is an
elastic loop, and wherein the card is held in said pocket by
securing said loop around the card.
12. The garment of claim 10 wherein said pocket has a length of
about 3 inches and a width of about 2.5 inches.
13. The garment of claim 10 wherein said pocket comprises a first
pocket, said garment further comprising a second pocket, and
wherein said second pocket is in a staggered relationship to said
first pocket.
14. The garment of claim 13 wherein said second pocket is attached
to said garment between said front panel and said first pocket.
15. The garment of claim 13 wherein said first pocket is attached
to said garment between said front panel and said second
pocket.
16. A garment for use by emergency medical services personnel, said
garment comprising: a front panel having a neck opening; an inner
panel joined to said front panel forming a first pocket between
said front panel and a wearer, said first pocket sized to
accommodate eyewear; said first pocket having an opening located at
or proximate said neck opening; and said second pocket on said
front panel, and said second pocket being sized to accommodate a
card.
17. The garment of claim 16 further comprising: a rear panel
attached to said front panel; a seam between said front panel and
said rear panel; and said garment having a shoulder and a fastener
offset from said seam and located on said shoulder.
18. The garment of claim 17 further comprising: at least one
sleeve; and a third pocket on said sleeve, and said third pocket
having a high slip interior.
19. The garment of claim 18 wherein said third pocket is sized to
accommodate a glove.
20. The garment of claim 19 wherein said high slip interior aids in
the removal of the glove from said third pocket when the glove is
in said third pocket.
21. The garment of claim 18 further comprising breathable panels
and reflective strips.
22. The garment of claim 18 further comprising a sweat absorbing
collar.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional
application entitled EMS GARMENT, filed Jun. 23, 2014, U.S. Ser.
No. 62/015,645, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety
herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE
INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a garment for use by emergency
medical services ("EMS") personnel.
[0003] Responders to emergency medical situations often need
various tools and accessories while attending to a patient.
However, responders do not need to use all the tools at the same
time and, therefore, need to be able to store them when not in use,
but also have quick access to them when they are needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Accordingly, a garment is provided with one or more features
useful to emergency personnel in the performance of their
duties.
[0005] In one embodiment, a garment includes a front panel having a
neck opening and an inner panel joined to the front panel, which
forms a pocket between the front panel and a wearer. The pocket has
a pocket opening located at (or proximate to) a portion of the neck
opening the neck opening, with the pocket is sized to accommodate
eyewear.
[0006] In one aspect, the garment further includes the pocket
opening formed between the front panel and inner panel.
[0007] In another aspect, the pocket dimensions include a length of
between about 5 and 6 inches and a width of between about 2 and 3
inches.
[0008] In a further aspect, the inner panel forming the pocket with
the front panel is a rigid material.
[0009] In yet another aspect, the pocket opening further includes a
closure, for example, a duckbill closure.
[0010] In any of the above, the pocket may include an interior
lined with a high friction material to facilitate retention of the
eyewear in the pocket. Optionally, the lined interior includes
directional elements to provide resistance to removal of the
eyewear when placed in the pocket.
[0011] Further, in any of the above, the pocket may be detachable
from the garment.
[0012] Another embodiment includes a garment with a front panel and
a pocket on the front panel, with the pocket being sized to
accommodate a card, such as a credit card or an identification
card, for example, a driver's license.
[0013] In one aspect, the pocket is sized so that when the card is
fully inserted into the pocket a portion of the card is still
visible.
[0014] In any of the above card-sized pockets, the interior surface
of the pocket may include a high friction material, so that when
the card is placed in the pocket, the card is held in the pocket by
the high friction material.
[0015] In another aspect, the garment may include an elastic loop
so that the card may be held in the pocket by securing the loop
over the card.
[0016] In yet another aspect, the pocket has a length of about 3
inches and a width of about 2.5 inches.
[0017] Accordingly to yet another aspect, the garment may include a
second pocket in a stacked or staggered relationship to the first
pocket. For example, the second pocket may be attached to the
garment between the front panel and the first pocket. Alternately,
the first pocket may be attached to the garment between the front
panel and the second pocket.
[0018] According to another embodiment, a garment includes a front
panel and a rear panel attached to the front panel, with a seam
between the front panel and the rear panel. A fastener is offset
from the seam and located at a shoulder of the garment. For
example, the fastener may be adapted to receive a microphone.
[0019] In yet another embodiment, a garment for use by emergency
medical services personnel includes a front panel having a neck
opening and an inner panel joined to the front panel forming a
first pocket between the front panel and a wearer. The first pocket
is sized to accommodate eyewear with an opening of the first pocket
located at (or proximate) the neck opening. The front panel
includes a second pocket, which is sized to accommodate a card.
[0020] In any of the above, the garments may include a rear panel
attached to a front panel, with a seam between the front panel and
the rear panel, and a fastener offset from the seam and located at
a shoulder area of the garment.
[0021] In any of the above garments, the garment may include at
least one sleeve and a third pocket on the sleeve, wherein the
third pocket optionally has a high slip interior(e.g. with a low
friction surface). For example, the third pocket is sized to
accommodate a glove.
[0022] In any of the above garments, the garment may include
breathable panels and/or reflective strips. Further, the garment
may include a sweat absorbing collar.
[0023] Accordingly, the garments provide a variety of different
storage options that can assist EMS personal in organizing and/or
handling their various tools and/or accessories.
[0024] These and other objects, advantages, and features of the
invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by
reference to the description of the current embodiment and the
drawings.
[0025] Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to
the details of operation or to the details of construction and the
arrangement of the components set forth in the following
description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be
implemented in various other embodiments and of being practiced or
being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed
herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including" and
"comprising" and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items
listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional
items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in
the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly
stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting
the invention to any specific order or number of components. Nor
should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the
scope of the invention any additional steps or components that
might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or
components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 is a front view of a garment according to one
embodiment;
[0027] FIG. 2 is a right view of the garment;
[0028] FIG. 3 is left view of the garment;
[0029] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the garment;
[0030] FIG. 5 is a front view the garment just illustrating the
eyewear pocket;
[0031] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the garment illustrating
the eyewear pocket;
[0032] FIG. 7 is a similar view to FIG. 6 with eyewear shown in the
pocket;
[0033] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view a garment with another
embodiment of the pocket for eyewear;
[0034] FIG. 9 is a similar view to FIG. 8 with eyewear in the
pocket;
[0035] FIG. 10 is a rear detailed view of another embodiment of the
eyewear pocket;
[0036] FIG. 11a is a side detailed view of the eyewear pocket of
FIG. 10 in a closed position;
[0037] FIG. 11b is a side detailed view of the eyewear pocket of
FIG. 10 in an open position;
[0038] FIG. 12 is a front view of the garment illustrating just the
card pocket;
[0039] FIG. 13 is a side view of the garment of FIG. 12;
[0040] FIG. 14 is a detailed view of the card pocket of FIG.
12;
[0041] FIG. 15 is a detailed view of another embodiment of the card
pocket;
[0042] FIG. 16a is a detailed view of a third embodiment of the
card pocket;
[0043] FIG. 16b is a cross-section of the detailed view of FIG.
16a;
[0044] FIG. 17 is a detailed view of a staggered card pocket;
[0045] FIG. 18 is a detailed view of another embodiment of a
staggered card pocket;
[0046] FIG. 19 is a front view according to the garment
illustrating a fastener;
[0047] FIG. 20 is a side view of the embodiment of the garment
shown in FIG. 19; and
[0048] FIG. 21 is a detailed view of the fastener of FIG. 19.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENT
[0049] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the numeral 10 generally designates
a garment. As will be more fully described below, garment 10 may
include one or more features, such storage spaces or structures,
that can be valuable for a medical emergency responder.
[0050] As best seen on FIG. 2, garment 10 includes a front panel 12
and a rear panel 13. A neck opening 14 is formed between the front
panel 12 and rear panel 13, which may be partially or fully framed
with a collar 15. Garment 10 may include one or a combination of
features to aid in the carrying or support of items commonly
present when providing medical aid. For example, garment 10 may
include an eyewear pocket 18 as a convenient carrying space for
eyewear, such as sunglasses or spectacles. Additionally or
alternatively, the garment 10 may have a front panel pocket 20
which can be sized to accommodate an insurance card, or the like,
while leaving a portion of the card visible when it is in front
panel pocket 20. The garment 10 may also include a fastener 30
useful, for example, to fasten a radio microphone or similarly
sized item or equipment to garment 10. Sleeves 40 of the garment 10
may also have pockets 42, 46. Pocket 42 may be sized to accommodate
one or more gloves, while pocket 46 may be sized to accommodate a
writing utensil, such as a pen or pencil.
[0051] As best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, eyewear pocket 18 may be
provided between a front panel 12 of the garment 10 and a wearer 50
of the garment 10. Pocket 18 may be formed by an inner panel 16
that is joined to the front panel 12 to thereby form the pocket 18
between the front panel 12 and wearer 50. Eyewear pocket 18 may be
sized to accommodate eyewear 19, such as sunglasses, reading, or
prescription glasses. Inner panel 16 may be constructed of a
pliable material so that the pocket 18 may lay flat against the
garment front panel 12 when the pocket is empty but can expand to
accommodate the eyewear 19 when the eyewear is placed in the pocket
18.
[0052] In an alternate embodiment, garment 10 may include an
eyewear pocket 180 constructed from at least two inner panels 160,
162. Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, inner panels 160, 162 may be
pliable, or one or both inner panels 160, 162 may be rigid so that
the pocket 180 remains roughly the same shape whether or not the
eyewear 19 is present in the pocket 180.
[0053] In both embodiments, eyewear pocket 18, 180 may be placed at
or near a neck opening 14 of the garment to allow easy placement of
the eyewear 19 into the pocket 18, 180. The ease with which the
eyewear 19 may be placed in the pocket may be enhanced for wearers
50, accustomed to hanging an arm of their eyewear over their shirt
front. Specific dimensions for the pocket may vary. Generally, a
length of the pocket 18, 180 may be about 5 to 6 inches and a width
of about 2-3 inches may easily allow eyewear 19 to be carried in
the pocket 18, 180. While the pocket 18, 180 is sized to
accommodate eyewear 19 the pocket is also suitable for holding or
carrying other smaller or similarly sized items such as, but not
limited to, a smartphone, gloves, a writing utensil, paper, a
radio, a headset, and keys, etc.
[0054] In order to gain access to each eyewear pocket 18, 180, a
pocket opening 65, 165 may be provided. The pocket opening 65, 165
may be flexible if the panel 16, 160 is of pliable material, or may
be a more set or fixed shape if the panel 16 or inner panels 160,
162 are made of rigid material.
[0055] In an alternate embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 10 and
11a-b, a pocket 280 may include two inner panels 260, 262 and an
opening 265 that may form a duckbill closure 267.
[0056] Each pocket 18, 180, 280 may include an interior surface 70,
170, 270 that is lined or coated with material that can increase
the friction between the eyewear 19 and the interior surfaces 70,
170, 270 to aid in the retention of the eyewear 19 or other item
placed in the pocket 18, 180, 280. The lined or coated surface may
include for example, but are not limited to, a material with
directional fibers oriented to retain objects in the pocket, or may
be a tacky or static, or semi-tacky or static coating that aid in
securing items in the pocket 18, 180, 280. The lining or coating,
if present, may provide additional frictional forces that are
readily overcome by manually grasping the eyewear 19 or other item
contained in the pocket 18, 180, 280 and moving the eyewear 19 or
item through the pocket opening 65, 165, 265.
[0057] Further, each pocket 18, 180, 280 may be detectable from the
garment. For example, the pocket 18, 180, 280 may be removably
fixed to the front panel by coupling pocket fasteners 91, 191, 291
to front panel fasteners 92, 192 (none shown for pocket 280). The
pocket fasteners and the front panel fasteners may be any type of
fastener suitable for this purpose. Suitable fasteners may include,
but are not limited to, snaps, Velcro, pins and the like.
[0058] During emergency medical situations it is frequently
necessary for emergency medical personnel to obtain evidence of
identification, proof of insurance, and/or blood type, etc. for a
person requiring attention. The attending medical professional may,
for a short time, need or desire to retain the card until the
person requiring attention is transferred to the care of another
attendee or caregiver. In these often fast-pasted transactions, the
emergency medical personnel who has retained the card may overlook
the card and retain it while the person being treated moves to
another location. By providing a pocket on the garment of EMS
personnel that is configured to allow at least a portion of the
card or cards to remain visible, the likelihood of separating a
person from their identifying information may be decreased.
[0059] Referring now to FIGS. 12-16b, an another embodiment of a
garment 300 is shown, which includes a pocket 318, 418, or 518 for
holding one or more cards such as but not limited to, an insurance
card, blood donor card, a driver's license, an identification card,
a credit card, or a debit card, etc. Each pocket 318, 418, 518 may
be sized so that the card is at least partially visible when it is
completely inserted into the pocket 318, 418, 518. As illustrated
in FIGS. 11-13, the pocket 318 may include a large pocket panel 320
and a small pocket panel 322 attached to the front panel 312 of the
garment 300. The small pocket panel 322 may be attached to the
garment front panel 312 above the large pocket panel 320 creating a
pocket opening 324 between the large panel 320 and small panel 322.
The card 330 may be inserted through the pocket opening 324 between
the larger pocket panel 320 and garment front panel 312 leaving a
portion of the card visible above the larger pocket panel 320. The
small pocket panel 322 may be positioned to cover a part of the
card 330 thereby diminishing, but not completely obscuring, the
visible portion of the card 330. If desired, the smaller pocket
panel may be eliminated.
[0060] For example, card pocket 418 as shown in FIG. 15 includes a
pocket panel 420 attached to the garment front panel 412. The card
430 may be inserted into the pocket 418 through the pocket opening
424 and remain partially visible. The large pocket panel 320 and
the pocket panel 420 may be any shape and may include dimensions of
about 3 inches in length and about 2.5 inches in width.
[0061] Alternatively, the card may be secured in the pocket by a
loop. As shown in FIGS. 16a and 16b, the card pocket 518 may be
formed between the garment front panel 512 and a pocket panel 520.
The card 530 may be inserted into the pocket through the pocket
opening 524. When fully inserted into the pocket 518, a loop 522
fixed to the garment front panel 512 above the pocket panel 520 may
be provided to releasably attach to the pocket panel 520. The loop
may secure the card 530 in the pocket 518 by securing the loop 522
around the end of the card 530. The loop 522 may be constructed
from an elastic material. One end 527 of the loop 522 may include a
fastener 526 that joins with a fastener 528 on the outside of the
pocket panel 520. The fasteners 526, 528 may be any suitable
fasteners for this purpose. Suitable fasteners may include, but are
not limited to, snaps, Velcro, pins and the like.
[0062] In the pocket arrangements shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the
card pocket is in a stacked or staggered relationship to another
pocket. Specifically, FIG. 17 depicts the card pocket 618 stacked
on an auxiliary pocket 650 that is attached to the garment front
panel 612. The card 630 may be inserted into the card pocket 618
which may be defined by an outer surface of the auxiliary pocket
650 and a pocket panel 619. The card 630 may remain partially
visible when completely inserted into the card pocket 618.
[0063] Another stacked or staggered relationship is shown in FIG.
18. The card pocket 718 is similar to that depicted in FIG. 15.
Here, the pocket panel 720 is attached to the garment front panel
712. The card 730 may be inserted into the pocket 718 through the
pocket opening 724 and remain partially visible when in the pocket
718. Included over the card pocket 718 of FIG. 18 is an auxiliary
pocket panel 750 that forms a primary pocket 752 which may at least
partially cover the card pocket 718.
[0064] Any of the card pockets 318, 418, 518, 618, 718 described
herein may include an interior surface material. The surface
material may have a construction and/or coating that increases the
frictional forces between the card 330, 430, 530, 630, 730 and the
pocket so that, when the card is placed in the pocket 318, 418,
518, 618, 718 the interior surface material aids in retaining the
card in the pocket. The increased frictional forces created if the
interior surface material is present may be readily overcome by
manually grasping the card 330, 430, 530, 630, 730 in the pocket
318, 418, 518, 618, 718.
[0065] It may be useful for EMS personnel to be provided a garment
with a fastener. The fastener may enable items that are needed or
desired during the performance of their duties to be kept ready for
use while allowing hands to remain free. Referring to FIGS. 19 and
20, a garment 800 includes a front panel 812 and rear panel 813.
The front panel 812 and rear panel 813 may include a front sleeve
portion 814 and rear sleeve portion 815, respectively. The front
panel 812 and the front sleeve portion 814 may be joined to the
rear panel 813 and the rear sleeve portion 815. The front panel 812
and sleeve portion 814 may be joined directly to the rear panel 813
and sleeve portion or may be indirectly joined through intermediate
garment panel 816 and intermediate sleeve portion 817. Whether the
front panel 812 and sleeve portion 814 is joined directly or
indirectly to the rear panel 813 and sleeve portion 815, a seam 819
may be formed at or near a shoulder area 820 of the garment 800.
Off-set from the seam there may be provided a fastener 830 to
secure items, such as, for example, a radio and/or microphone to
the garment 800.
[0066] The fastener 830, as shown in FIG. 21, may be a loop with a
base portion 835 that can be secured to the front panel 812 or
front sleeve portion 814 by stitching or pinning, for example. The
fastener 830 may have one or more flexible arms 832, 834 with
connectable ends 836, 838. The connectable ends may include Velcro,
snaps or other attachment devices so that the fastener 830 may be
repeatedly opened and closed to secure and release a device as
desired.
[0067] Any of the features of the garment described herein may be
included alone or in combination with other of the features in an
EMS garment. For example, the eyewear pocket shown in FIGS. 5-8 may
be included on a garment with the card pocket of FIGS. 12-18. The
garment may include either or both of eyewear pocket and card
pocket along with the fastener of FIGS. 19-21.
[0068] Additional other features of the garment may include a
sleeve pocket 42 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. The interior of the
sleeve pocket 42 may include a high slip interior surface to aid in
the removal of gloves from the pocket. As stated herein above, the
pocket 42 may be sized to accommodate one or more gloves such as
latex, nitrile, or acrylic based gloves which provide barrier
protection to medical workers. Gloves of this type may tend to
adhere to the interior of the pocket 42 such that the gloves are
unable to readily slip from the pocket when needed in an urgent
situation. In order to lessen the hindrance of removal of the
gloves from the pocket 42, one or more panels that define the
pocket 42 may be treated or coated with a material, film or other
substance that will allow the gloves to more easily slip from the
pocket 42.
[0069] Referring again to FIGS. 1-4, any of the garments described
herein may also include breathable panels 22 of material and/or
reflective strips 24. The collar 15may be a sweat absorbing
collar.
[0070] The above description is that of current embodiments of the
invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without
departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as
defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in
accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine
of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative
purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description
of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the
claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in
connection with these embodiments. For example, and without
limitation, any individual element(s) of the described invention
may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially
similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This
includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such
as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art,
and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such
as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development,
recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments
include a plurality of features that are described in concert and
that might cooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The
present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that
include all of these features or that provide all of the stated
benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the
issued claims. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for
example, using the articles "a," "an," "the" or "said," is not to
be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
[0071] Directional terms, such as "vertical," "horizontal," "top,"
"bottom," "upper," "lower," "inner," "inwardly," "outer" and
"outwardly," are used to assist in describing the invention based
on the orientation of the embodiments shown in the illustrations.
The use of directional terms should not be interpreted to limit the
invention to any specific orientation(s).
* * * * *