Chemical protective suit

A chemical protective suit includes a head portion, a body portion, a pair of arm portions, a pair of leg portions, and a pair of foot portions. The aforementioned portions are integrated into a unitary body. The integrated portion of each two adjacent sheet fabric pieces in each of the foot portions comprises a seam line extending along peripheral edges of two adjacent sheet fabric pieces stacked on each other, with the peripheral edges opposed to each other, and a welded portion of the stacked sheet fabric pieces of a predetermined breadth extending along the seam line, with the peripheral edges and the welded portion disposed to face opposite sides of the seam line. The integrated portion of the two adjacent sheet fabric pieces in each of the foot portions is exposed to the external air.

This is a National Phase Application in the United States of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2010/064530 filed Aug. 26, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a chemical protective suit

BACKGROUND ART

A chemical protective suit is in use that comprises a head portion for covering the part of a human body extending from the top of the head to the neck, a body portion for covering the part of a human body extending from the chest to the abdomen, a pair of arm portions for covering the parts of a human body extending from the shoulders to the wrists, a pair of leg portions for covering the parts of a human body extending from the abdomen to the calves, and a pair of foot portions for covering the parts of a human body extending from the calves to the toes. The aforementioned portions are integrated into a unitary body by integrating a plurality of sheet fabric pieces.

A pair of gloves for covering the portions of a human body extending from the wrists to the fingers are connected to the chemical protective suit beforehand. Thus, the human body is shut off from the environment when the chemical protective suit is fitted on the human body.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Problem to be Solved

The integrated portion of a pair of sheet fabric pieces adjacent to each other in each of the foot portions of a chemical protective suit conventionally comprises a seam line extending along peripheral edges of two adjacent sheet fabric pieces stacked on each other, with the peripheral edges opposed to each other, a folded portion of one of the sheet fabric pieces formed by folding the said sheet fabric piece toward the seam line at a folding line close to the seam line, with the peripheral edges and the folding line disposed to face the opposite sides of the seam line, and a seal tape stuck on the folded portion of one of the sheet fabric pieces close to the folding line, the folding line and a portion of the other of the pair of sheet fabric pieces close to the folding line. The seam line is exposed to internal air of the foot portion.

The conventional integrated portion of a pair of sheet fabric pieces adjacent to each other in each of the foot portions of a chemical protective suit has problems in that the integrated portion is not easy to produce because the process of folding one of the sheet fabric pieces and the process of sticking the seal tape on the sheet fabric pieces must be carried out, and in that the seam line and the peripheral edges of the pair of sheet fabric pieces stacked on each other, which are forming a part of the integrated portion, are exposed to the internal air of the foot portion so as to form projections in the internal space of the foot portion, toes of the wearer contact the projections and make the foot portion uncomfortable to wear.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a chemical protective suit easier to produce and more comfortable to wear than a conventional chemical protective suit.

Means for Achieving the Object

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a chemical protective suit comprising a head portion for covering the part of a human body extending from the top of the head to the neck, a body portion for covering the part of a human body extending from the chest to the abdomen, a pair of arm portions for covering the parts of a human body extending from the shoulders to the wrists, a pair of leg portions for covering the parts of a human body extending from the abdomen to the calves, and a pair of foot portions for covering the parts of a human body extending from the calves to the toes, wherein the aforementioned portions are integrated into a unitary body by integrating a plurality of sheet fabric pieces, and wherein the integrated portion of each pair of adjacent sheet fabric pieces in each of the foot portions comprises a seam line extending along peripheral edges of two adjacent sheet fabric pieces stacked on each other, with the peripheral edges opposed to each other, and a welded portion of the stacked sheet fabric pieces of a predetermined breadth extending along the seam line, with the peripheral edges and the welded portion disposed to face opposite sides of the seam line, and wherein the integrated portion of the two adjacent sheet fabric pieces in each of the foot portions is exposed to the external air.

When the integrated portion of the two adjacent sheet fabric pieces forming the foot portion has the aforementioned structure, air tightness and chemical permeability resistance of the integrated portion is reliably secured.

In the chemical protective suit of the present invention, the integrated portion of the two adjacent sheet fabric pieces forming the foot portion does not have a folded portion of the sheet fabric piece. Therefore, the foot portion of the chemical protective suit of the present invention is easier to produce than that of the conventional chemical protective suit. In the chemical protective suit of the present invention, the integrated portion of the two adjacent sheet fabric pieces forming the foot portion is exposed to the external air outside the foot portion and does not project into the internal space of the foot portion. Therefore, the foot portion of the chemical protective suit of the present invention is more comfortable to wear than that of the conventional chemical protective suit. A boot is fitted on the foot portion. Therefore, the integrated portion of the two adjacent sheet fabric pieces exposed to the external air outside the foot portion is concealed from the eyes of others so as not to degrade the appearance of the chemical protective suit worse during use.

In accordance with a preferred aspect of the present invention, each of the sheet fabric pieces forming the foot portions is a multi-layer sheet fabric piece comprising a front surface layer of thermoplastic resin film, a rear surface layer of thermoplastic resin film, and at least one middle layer of chemical permeability resistant resin film, and wherein the welded portion is formed using high frequency dielectric heating.

When each of the sheet fabric pieces forming the foot portions is a multi-layer sheet fabric piece comprising a front surface layer of thermoplastic resin film, a rear surface layer of thermoplastic resin film, and at least one middle layer of chemical permeability resistant resin film, the sheet fabric pieces stacked on each other can be welded and integrated by high frequency dielectric heating.

In accordance with a preferred aspect of the present invention, the thermoplastic resin film forming the front surface layer and the rear surface layer of the sheet fabric piece is polyurethane resin film.

In accordance with a preferred aspect of the present invention, the thermoplastic resin film forming the front surface layer and the rear surface layer of the sheet fabric piece is polyvinyl chloride resin film.

The polyurethane resin film or the polyvinyl chloride resin film is suitably welded by high frequency dielectric heating.

In accordance with a preferred aspect of the present invention, each of the multi-layer sheet fabric pieces further comprises a middle layer of lattice fabric.

The sheet fabric piece for use in the foot portion of a chemical protective suit is desirably provided with a middle layer of lattice fabric so as to protect the middle layer of chemical permeability resistant resin film.

In accordance with a preferred aspect of the present invention, the leg portions comprise flaps for annularly covering the top outer circumferences of boots fitted on the foot portions.

When flaps are provided on the leg portions, it becomes possible to prevent chemical matters rebounding from the floor, or flowing down along the upper portion of the chemical protective suit from entering into the spaces between the boots and the foot portions.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A chemical protective suit in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, a chemical protective suit1comprises a head portion2for covering the part of a human body extending from the top of the head to the neck, a body portion3for covering the part of a human body extending from the chest to the abdomen, a pair of arm portions4for covering the parts of a human body extending from the shoulders to the wrists, a pair of leg portions5for covering the parts of a human body extending from the abdomen to the calves, and a pair of foot portions6for covering the parts of a human body extending from the calves to the toes. The aforementioned portions are integrated into a unitary body by integrating a plurality of sheet fabric pieces.

A pair of gloves α for covering the portions of a human body extending from the wrists to the fingers are connected to the chemical protective suit1beforehand.

A pair of boots β are fitted on the foot portions as indicated by alternate long and short dash lines inFIGS. 1 and 2when the chemical protective suit1is used.

The leg portions5comprise flaps5afor annularly covering the top outer circumferences of the boots β fitted on the foot portions6.

In the chemical protective suit1, the leg portions5and the foot portions6are integrated into a unitary body. Therefore, irrespective of the level of the chemical permeability resistance of the boots β fitted on the foot portions6, the safety of operations in a working environment with chemical contaminated floors is ensured.

The flaps5aprovided on the leg portions5prevent chemicals rebounding from the floor, flowing down along the upper portion of the chemical protective suit, or the like from entering into the spaces between the boots β and the foot portions6.

As shown inFIG. 3, a sheet fabric7used in the chemical protective suit1has a multi-layer structure comprising a front surface layer7amade of polyurethane resin film to be exposed to the external air when the sheet fabric7forms the chemical protective suit1, a rear surface layer7dmade of polyurethane resin film to be exposed to the internal air when the sheet fabric7forms the chemical protective suit1, a lattice fabric middle layer7bdisposed between the front surface layer7aand the rear surface layer7dand located close to the front surface layer7a, an EVOH (ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer) film middle layer7c, which is a chemical permeability resistant resin film, disposed between the front surface layer7aand the rear surface layer7dand located close to the rear surface layer7d, and adhesives disposed between the layers to bond them to one another.

The sheet fabric7is cut into a plurality of pieces of predetermined shapes. The plurality of sheet fabric pieces are integrated into a unitary body to form a chemical protective suit1.

As shown inFIG. 4, the foot portion6is produced by integrating a sheet fabric piece8for forming a sole and a heel and a sheet fabric piece9for forming an instep. At first, the sheet fabric piece8is folded along a symmetry axis X as indicated by arrows inFIG. 4(a), then portions of the sheet fabric piece8close to peripheral edges8aand8bof the heel are stacked on each other, with the peripheral edges8aand8bopposed to each other, and then the portions stacked on each other are integrated as shown inFIG. 4(b). Thereafter, a portion of the sheet fabric piece9close to a peripheral edge9aof the instep is stacked on a portion of the sheet fabric piece8close to a peripheral edge8cof the sole, with the peripheral edge9aand the peripheral edge8copposed to each other as shown inFIG. 4(b), and then the portions stacked on each other are integrated as shown inFIG. 4(c). The integrated portions are directed to the outside of the foot portion6so as to be exposed to external air.

As shown inFIG. 5, the sheet fabric piece8is integrated with the sheet fabric piece9so as to form the instep by a method comprising the steps of (a) making the peripheral edge9aof the sheet fabric piece9, whose front surface layer7ais directed upward, oppose the peripheral edge8cof the sheet fabric piece8, whose front surface layer7ais directed downward, (b) stacking the peripheral portion of the sheet fabric piece9including the peripheral edge9aon the peripheral portion of the sheet fabric piece8including the peripheral edge8c, (c) seaming the stacked sheet fabric pieces9and8at a portion close to the peripheral edges9aand8calong the peripheral edges9aand8cso as to make a seam line10, (d) high frequency dielectric heating the stacked sheet fabric pieces9and8at a band portion of predetermined breadth L close to the seam line10along the seam line10, with the peripheral edges9aand8cand the band portion disposed to face opposite sides of the seam line10, thereby welding and integrating the stacked sheet fabric pieces9and8with each other at the band portion.

The sheet fabric pieces9and8are welded and integrated with each other at the band portion of predetermined breadth L along the seam line10so as to drive out spaces between the stacked sheet fabric pieces9and8at the band portion of predetermined breadth L. Spaces between the stacked sheet fabric pieces9and8are driven out at the band portion closer to the internal air than the seam line10. Thus, air tightness and chemical permeability resistance of the integrated portion between the sheet fabric pieces9and8are reliably secured.

The portions of the sheet fabric piece8for forming the heel are integrated with each other by the same method as aforementioned.

Stacked sheet fabric pieces can be welded and integrated with each other by high frequency dielectric heating because the sheet fabric7for forming the foot portion6comprises the front surface layer made of thermoplastic polyurethane resin film and the rear surface layer made of thermoplastic polyurethane resin film.

The integrated portion of the two adjacent sheet fabric pieces forming the foot portion6does not have a folded portion of the sheet fabric piece. Therefore, the foot portion6of the chemical protective suit of the present invention is easier to produce than that of the conventional chemical protective suit.

The integrated portion of the two adjacent sheet fabric pieces forming the foot portion6is exposed to the external air and does not project into the internal space of the foot portion6. Therefore, the foot portion6of the chemical protective suit1is more comfortable to wear than that of the conventional chemical protective suit, wherein a part of the integrated portion is exposed to the internal air of the foot portion so as to form a projection in the internal space of the foot portion. The boots β are fitted on the foot portions6. Therefore, the integrated portions of the two adjacent sheet fabric pieces exposed to the external air are concealed from the eyes of others so as not to degrade the appearance of the chemical protective suit1worse during use.

The lattice fabric middle layer7bis located closer to the external air than the EVOH film middle layer7c. Thus, the EVOH film middle layer7cis prevented from damage due to external force.

Polyurethane resin film is used for the front surface layer and the rear surface layer of the sheet fabric in the aforementioned preferred embodiment. However, not only polyurethane resin film but also any other type of thermal plastic resin film which can be welded by high frequency dielectric heating can be used for the front surface layer and the rear surface layer of the sheet fabric. Polyvinyl chloride resin film can preferably be used for the front surface layer and the rear surface layer of the sheet fabric.

The breadth L of the welded and integrated band portion is suitably decided for the particular type of resin film used.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention can be widely used for production of a chemical protective suit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

7Sheet fabric for use in chemical protective suit

8Sheet fabric piece for use in sole

9Sheet fabric piece for use in instep