Protective garment adapted to be selectively configured

A protective garment comprises an outer shell, which provides abrasion resistance and puncture resistance, a thermal liner, and a liner including a moisture barrier. Each liner being adapted to be separately and detachably attached to and within the outer shell. The garment is adapted to be selectively configured with neither said liner so attached or with the thermal liner so attached, for a firefighter fighting a wildland fire, with both said liners so attached, for a firefighter fighting a structural fire, or with the liner including the moisture barrier so attached, for a firefighter engaging in a technical rescue.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to a protective garment, such as a protective garment for a firefighter, which has an outer shell and which can be selectively configured so as to have no liner, one liner, or two liners. Herein, all references to protective garments are to be broadly construed to refer to pants, coats, jackets, overalls, and coveralls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has promulgated standards—see NFPA 1971 Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Firefighting (2000 Edition)—for protective clothing for firefighters fighting structural fires. The National Fire Protection Association has promulgated standards—see NFPA 1977 Standard on Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Firefighting (1998 Edition)—for protective clothing for firefighters engaged in fighting wildland fires. Presently, the National Fire Protection Association is contemplating standards for protective clothing for firefighters engaging in what are known as technical rescues, such as extracting victims from automobile wrecks.

As contemplated by the aforenoted standards for protective clothing for firefighters fighting structural fires, a protective garment has an outer shell, which provides abrasion resistance and puncture resistance, a liner including a moisture barrier, and a thermal liner. Conventionally, as known heretofore, the liner including the moisture barrier and the thermal liner are sewn together or are bonded together, and the sewn-together or bonded-together liners are attached detachably to and within the outer shell by suitable fasteners, such as zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, and snap fasteners. Thus, if the moisture barrier fails while the thermal liner remains useful, the liner including the moisture barrier cannot be easily replaced, apart from the thermal liner.

Alternatively, as known heretofore, the liner including the moisture barrier is sewn to and within the outer shell and the thermal liner is attached detachably to the outer shell, within the liner including the moisture barrier. Thus, if the moisture barrier fails while the outer shell remains useful, the moisture barrier cannot be easily replaced, apart from the outer shell.

As contemplated by the aforenoted standards for protective clothing for firefighters fighting wildland fires, a protective garment has an outer shell, which provides abrasion resistance and puncture resistance. Although a liner including a moisture barrier and a thermal liner are not needed, a thermal liner may be optionally included, as for wearing under cold winter conditions. If a thermal liner is included, the thermal liner is attached detachably to and within the outer shell by suitable fasteners, such as zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, or snap fasteners.

The aforenoted standards contemplated for protective garments for firefighters engaging in technical rescues are expected to provide that a protective garment has an outer shell, which provides abrasion resistance and puncture resistance, and a liner including a moisture barrier. Furthermore, the contemplated standards are expected to permit the liner including the moisture barrier to be detachably attached to and within the outer shell by suitable fasteners, such as zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, or snap fasteners.

Protective garments conforming to the aforenoted standards for protective clothing for firefighters fighting structural fires and protective garments conforming to the aforenoted standards for protective clothing for firefighters fighting wildland fires are available commercially from Morning Pride Manufacturing, L.L.C. of Dayton, Ohio, and from other sources.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Broadly, this invention provided a protective garment comprising an outer shell and two liners. Each said liner is adapted to be separately and detachably attached to and within the outer shell. The garment is adapted to be selectively configured with neither said liner so attached, with either one of said liners so attached, or with both said liners so attached. Preferably, one such liner is a thermal liner and the other liner includes a moisture barrier. Preferably, moreover, the outer shell provides abrasion resistance, puncture resistance, or both.

Specifically, this invention provides a protective garment that can be selectively configured so as to be particularly suited for a liner fighting a wildland fire, for a firefighter fighting a structural fire, or for a worker engaging in a technical rescue. Thus, the garment comprises an outer shell, which provides abrasion resistance, puncture resistance, or both, a thermal liner, and a separate liner, which includes a moisture barrier. Each said liner is adapted to be separately and detachably attached to and within the outer shell.

Specifically, moreover, the garment is adapted to be selectively configured with neither said liner so attached or with the thermal liner so attached, so as to be particularly suited for a firefighter fighting a wildland fire, with both said liners so attached, so as to be particularly suited for a firefighter fighting a structural fire, or with the separate liner including the moisture barrier so attached, so as to be particularly suited for a firefighter engaging in a technical rescue.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

As illustrated inFIG. 1A, a protective garment comprising an outer shell10, a thermal liner20, and a separate liner30is configured so as to be particularly suited for a firefighter fighting a structural fire. The outer shell10is woven from fibers, e.g. Kevlar™ fibers, which provide abrasion resistance and puncture resistance. The thermal liner20has a fibrous matrix22, which is disposed between an inner cover24and an outer cover26. The covers24,26, may be woven or non-woven and are quilted so as to segregate discrete regions of the fibrous matrix22.

The separate liner30, which is interposed between the outer shell10and the thermal liner20, has a fabric matrix32and a moisture barrier34, e.g. a neoprene layer, which is laminated to the fabric matrix32, on an outer surface36of the fabric matrix32. The outer surface36faces the outer shell10. An inner surface38of the fabric matrix32faces the outer cover26of the thermal liner20.

As illustrated inFIG. 1B, a liner30a including a moisture barrier34a is substituted for the liner30in the protective garment. The liner30a has a fabric matrix32a, which is similar to the fabric matrix32of the liner30, which has an outer surface36a facing the outer shell10, and on an inner surface38a of which the moisture barrier34a, e.g. a Breathe TeX™ layer, is coated.

As illustrated inFIG. 2, the protective garment is configured so as to be particularly suited for a liner engaging in a technical rescue. As compared to the protective garment in its configuration illustrated inFIG. 1A, the thermal liner20is omitted, whereas the liner30including the moisture barrier34is included. In an alternative embodiment, which is not to illustrated, the liner30a including the moisture barrier34a is substituted for the liner30including the moisture barrier34.

As illustrated inFIG. 3, the protective garment is configured so as to be particularly suited for a firefighter fighting a wildland fire under cold winter conditions. As compared to the protective garment in its configuration illustrated inFIG. 1A, the liner30including the moisture barrier32is omitted, whereas the thermal liner20is included. In an alternative embodiment, which is not illustrated, the protective garment has two thermal liners, each similar to the thermal liner20and each attached similarly to the outer shell10, whereby the protective garment is configured so as to be particularly suited for a firefighter fighting a wildland fire under severely cold conditions. As illustrated inFIG. 4, the thermal liner20can be also omitted, whereby the protective garment is configured so as to be particularly suited for a firefighter fighting a wildland fire under comparatively warmer conditions.

InFIG. 5A, zippers40are used to attach the liner30including the moisture barrier34detachably to the outer shell10and to attach the thermal liner20detachably to the liner30including the moisture barrier34, whereby the thermal liner20is considered to be detachably, albeit indirectly, to the outer shell10. InFIG. 5B, hook-and-loop fasteners (e.g. VELCRO™ fasteners) are used where zippers40are used in FIG.5A. InFIG. 5C, snap fasteners60are used where zippers40are used in FIG.5A.

InFIG. 6A, zippers40are used to the liner30including the moisture barrier34detachably to the outer shell10and to attach the thermal liner20detachably, here directly, to the outer shell10. InFIG. 6B, hook-and-loop fasteners (e.g. VELCRO™ fasteners) are used where zippers40are used in FIG.6A. InFIG. 6C, snap fasteners60are used where zippers40are used in FIG.6A.

Because the liner including the moisture barrier is detachable from the outer shell, apart from the outer shell and apart from the thermal liner, the liner including the moisture barrier can be easily replaced, if the moisture barrier fails while the outer shell and the thermal liner remain useful.