Cold weather garment structure

A cold weather garment system includes an upper body garment and a lower body garment. Each garment has three layers, an outer wind resistant shell fabric, an inner loosely knit or woven lining fabric, and a non-flat foam layer between the fabric layers. The face of the foam layer abutting the inner lining fabric is convoluted, having peaks and valleys. The peaks are disposed in a grid-like arrangement, with ridges between the peaks, and four peaks surrounding a valley, and four valleys surrounding a peak. The foam is open cell polyurethane or polyether foam, and has a thickness of at least 1/2 inch, and preferably about one inch. The thickness of the valley portions of the foam is about 1/2 that of the peak portions. The convoluted form of the foam increases flexibility and reduces material and weight, and provides added surface area for moisture transfer.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A known cold weather garment system which has been proven effective over 
the last decade and a half, is commonly known as the Phillips system. This 
system typically includes an upper body garment and a lower body garment, 
the single garments providing all the necessary cold weather protection 
for a human being's body, legs, and arms (other equipment being worn on 
the feet, hands, and head). Such a system includes an outer fabric of 
military camouflage nylon or the like, an inner lining fabric of loosely 
knit or woven construction, and an approximately one inch layer of open 
cell foam disposed between the inner and outer fabrics, and connected to 
the fabrics by stitching formed at the edges (and elsewhere if required) 
of the garment. 
While the Phillips system has been very useful and effective for many cold 
weather situations, it is known to have relatively poor wind resistance. 
However, its poor wind resistance characteristics can be overcome by 
utilizing as the outer or shell fabric a high density woven fabric, the 
fabric woven from fine denier multi-filament polyester yarn or the like. 
Also, it is desirable to enhance the properties of the garments in a 
number of other ways, as long as the warmth and moisture transport 
properties thereof are not adversely affected. 
According to the present invention, a simple change in the construction of 
the Phillips system cold weather garments results in a number of 
advantages. According to the present invention, by utilizing as the foam 
layer a slab of foam having a first face and having a second face that is 
convoluted, a number of advantages can be achieved. For instance, 
utilizing the foam layer according to the invention one is able to 
increase the flexibility of the garment, and reduce the amount of material 
and weight of the garment. Also, since added surface area is provided by 
the convoluted face, moisture transfer during sweating by the wearer is 
enhanced. This is all accomplished without a decrease in the warmth 
retention properties of the garment, and in fact the moisture transport 
capabilities thereof are actually increased. 
The convoluted foam sheet used according to the present invention 
preferably includes a flat face as the first face thereof. The convoluted 
face abuts the inner lining of the garment, while the flat face abuts the 
other fabric. While the convoluted face may take a number of different 
forms, it preferably basically has a form like that of an egg carton, 
having peaks and valleys, with the peaks disposed in a generally grid-like 
arrangement, with ridges between the peaks, and with four peaks 
surrounding a valley, and vice-versa. The foam preferably is about one 
inch thick, that is, the distance between the flat face and each peak is 
about one inch, while the distance between the flat face and each valley 
is about half of that (that is, about 1/2 inch). The foam is preferably of 
the same type as used in the Phillips system, being an open cell foam of 
polyurethane, polyether, or the like. 
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved 
cold weather garment system. This and other objects of the invention will 
become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the 
invention, and from the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
Exemplary cold weather garments according to the invention are illustrated 
schematically in FIG. 1, an upper body garment being illustrated by 
reference numeral 10, and the lower body garment by reference numeral 11. 
The upper body garment 10 protects the upper part of the wearer's body, 
and has arm portions 12 which cover the wearer's arms. The lower body 
garment 11 protects the lower portion of the wearer's body, and includes 
leg portions 13. Utilizing the garments 10, 11, the wearer needs not other 
garments in order to provide sufficient cold weather protection for the 
wearer's body, arms, and legs, although additional garments will be 
utilized to protect the wearer's hands, feet, and head. While no other 
additional garments are necessary for cold weather protection, the wearer 
can, if desired, wear underwear, or like garments, although it is 
necessary that the wearer avoid wearing any other type of garment (whether 
inner or outer) which has poor moisture vapor transmission properties. 
The construction of each of the garments 10, 11, is illustrated in FIG. 2, 
each of the garments comprising (or consisting of) three layers, 
comprising an outer or shell fabric layer 15, an inner fabric layer 16, 
and a layer of foam 17' disposed between the fabric layers 15, 16. 
The outer fabric layer 15 is the component of the garment which provides 
desired wind resistance. The fabric 15 may be any suitable fabric which 
has air permeability of less than 15 cubic feet per minute per square foot 
at 0.5 inches head of water, and preferably has less than 10 ft.sup.3 
/min./ft.sup.2. Despite its low air permeability, the fabric 15 must has 
good moisture vapor transmission, that is it should be at least about 
1,000 grams per square meter per 24 hours. 
One particular fabric 15 which has the desired air permeability and 
moisture vapor transmission properties, comprises a high density woven 
fabric, woven from fine denier, multi-filament, synthetic yarn (preferably 
polyester yarn). Such a fabric is available commercially from Burlington 
Industries, Inc. under the trademark "VERSATECH". A piece of VERSATECH 
fabric, at a magnification of 50 times, is illustrated in the photograph 
of FIG. 3. Note in particular the fine denier multi-filament yarns 19, 
which make up the weave of the fabric. 
The inner fabric 16 may be of any suitable conventional type. For instance 
both knit or woven fabrics can be utilized. The major purpose of the inner 
fabric 16 is just to prevent the foam 17' from directly contacting the 
body, and allowing free moisture vapor transmission from the body to the 
foam. One particular fabric that is especially suitable for the inner 
lining 16 is a loosely knit nylon or polyester tricot fabric. 
The foam 17' of the garment is an open cell soft and flexible polyether or 
polyurethane foam, non-flat foam sheet. The foam layer 17' has a thickness 
of at least 1/2 inch, and preferably a thickness of at least about 3/4 of 
an inch, and desirably a thickness of about one inch. Instead of the foam 
having a uniform thickness, as is conventional in the Phillips system, it 
is advantageous to provide the foam having a convoluted construction, as 
illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 through 6. 
The convoluted foam 17' of FIGS. 2 and 4 through 6 has a first face, 21, 
which is adapted to abut the outer fabric 16, and a second, convoluted 
face 22, having peaks 23 and valleys 24, the peaks 23 adapted to abut the 
inner lining fabric 16. For the particular embodiment illustrated in the 
drawings, note that the peaks 23 are disposed in a substantially linear 
grid-like arrangement, with ridges 25 interconnecting the peaks 23 with 
four peaks 23 and associated ridges 25 surrounding each valley 24. In the 
preferred embodiment of the invention, the entire thickness A (see FIG. 5 
in particular) of the foam layer is about one inch, while the thickness of 
the base of the foam layer 17', and the spacing between the bottom of each 
valley and the top of each peak, are each approximately of the dimension 
B, which is approximately 1/2 inch. One such suitable convoluted foam is 
commercially available from Technical Foam Products of Charlotte, N.C. 
The convoluted foam layer 17' has a number of advantages. It increases the 
flexibility and reduces the material and weight of the entire garment. 
Also, the peak and valley surface 22 provides added surface area for 
moisture transfer during sweating since moisture transfer includes 
permeation of water vapor. 
The three layers of the garments according to the invention are connected 
together by suitable connecting means to form the garment. A preferred 
form that the connecting means takes is illustrated schematically in FIGS. 
1 and 2, and comprises stitching 30, the stitching 30 being provided at 
the edges of the garment for stitching the outer fabric 15 and inner 
lining 16 to the foam layer 17. Stitching 30 is provided wherever 
necessary in order to construct a particular garment. If desired, an 
additional ridge of material may be provided at the edges of the garment 
at the area of the stitching. 
It will thus be seen that according to the present invention a method and 
garment system have been provided for protecting a human from cold 
weather, even under windy conditions. While the invention has been herein 
shown and described in what is presently conceived to be the most 
practical and preferred embodiment thereof, it will be apparent to those 
of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications may be made thereof 
within the scope of the invention, which scope is to be accorded the 
broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all 
equivalent garments and systems.