PROTECTIVE/WORKING GARMENT

Abstract: A coverall-type protective/working garment sealing against the wearer's neck, arms and legs, comprises two separate layers (1, 2), of which the inner layer (2) next to the body is breathable and capable of letting through moisture/vapors (sweat) from its inner side to its outer side, and the outer layer (1) is substantially airtight, except in at least one lower region (1e) located above the leg seal, and at least one upper region (1f) located below the neck seal, in which regions the outer layer is air-permeable, such that surrounding air admitted through said air-permeable lower region (1e) to the space between said layers (1, 2) will carry along, by chimney effect, any moisture/vapors admitted by said inner layer to said space, out through the air-permeable upper region of said outer layer (1f).

Description: PROTECTIVE/WORKING GARMENT The present invention relates to a protective/working garment intended primarily for work in the vicinity of water, such as off-shore work in cold weather. Known garments for these purposes, when combined with an insulating material, suffer from the disadvantage that they are poorly ventilated, which means that the user's transpiration is not effectively led away from the body and the garment, but remains on the body and is ab¬ sorbed by the material of the garment, thereby causing the wearer to feel uncomfortable. It is the object of this invention to provide a garment which does not suffer from this disadvantage, i.e. a garment which is ventilated and, at the same time, is thermally insulated as well as water and air tight. To achieve this object, the garment according to the invention has been given the characteristic features defined by the appended claims. , The invention will be described in greater detail below, reference being made to the accompanying drawing illustrating an embodiment of the garment in a transparent view. The coverall-type protective garment illustrated comprises an outer layer 1 and an inner layer 2 next to the body and spaced from said outer layer. The outer layer 1 covers the entire body, except the face, and the inner layer 2 covers the entire body, except the feet, the hands and the face. The outer layer 1 thus has a body portion la; a hood portion lb, shoe portions lc and glove portions Id, and the inner layer 2 has a body portion 2a and a hood portion 2b. The body portion la of the outer layer 1 consists of watertight material, except in a preferably circumfe¬ rential region le directly above the respective shoe por- OMPI tion lc and a relatively larger shoulder portion If where the outer layer 1 consists of a watertight, hydrophobic and breathable material. The connection between these regions le. If and the remainder of the outer layer 1 is watertight. Also the hood portion lb, the shoe portions lc and the glove portions Id are at least watertight, as is the connection of these portions with the body portion la. The inner layer 2 consists of a thermally insula- ted, breathable material letting through oisture/vapors, without any appreciable capacity to absorb moisture/ apors. At its ankle and wrist portions, the inner layer 2 has means 3 for substantially sealing adhesion to the inner sides of the shoe portions lσ'and the glove portions Id, said adhesion being established by means of, for example, a Velcro tape. Water and air tight zip fasteners or other opening/closing means (not shown) in/at the outer layer 1 give access to these fastening arrangements and permit, together with zip fasteners or other opening/closing means in/at the inner layer 2, the wearer to cliψb into the garment. By this arrangement, it is achieved that air ad¬ mitted through the region le into the space between the outer layer 1 and the inner layer 2 is caused to flow upwardly under the action of the chimney effect promoted by the body heat and to carry along the moisture/vapors permeating through the inner layer 2 from the inner side to the outer side thereof, out through the shoulder region If. This function of the garment is shown by arrows A (air) , S (sweat) and A+S. The garment can be supplemented with a face protec¬ tion sealing between the outer and inner layers 1, 2, pockets, padding in, for example, the region of the knees, life-jacket etc. , to suit the contemplated use of the garment. Regions similar to the regions le and If may be provided in the outer layer 1 in other parts thereof. O PI for instance in the glove portions and the crotch portions Suitable materials for the outer layer 1 and the inner layer 2 are already available on the market. In one embodiment of the invention, the body portion la of the outer layer 1 consists, except for the regions le and If, of heat-weldable fiberglass fabric coated with poly- urethane or silicone affording the desired water and air tightness in this portion. The active component of the regions le and If is a layer of a micro-porous, hydrophobic, breathable and, at least in the inward-outward direction, vaporpervious semi- permeable membrane. One example of such membranes is {§) GORE-TEX w (W.L. Gore & Co.) , consisting of or containing expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. The membrane can be ex- ternally laminated with some knitted or woven flame- resistant fabric, such as Nomex*-' (Dupont) and, internally, with a self-extinguishing flame-protecting fabric such as SEF^ (Monsanto) . This laminate is a suit¬ able material for the regions le. If of the outer layer 1 and is beinq used already in the manufacture of survival clothing, tent-canvas, sleeping-bags etc, 'and can be sewn together with the above-mentioned fiberglass material, whereupon the seams are sealed by means of some suitable, tight and sealing adhesive strip. in this embodiment, the active component of the inner layer 2 consists of Thinsulate (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company) , which comprises 65% olefin fibers and 35% polyether fibers. This material is light, washable and allergy-tested and, furthermore, has the characteristics desired for the present invention, i.e. breathability, low moisture/ apor absorbability, but high moisture/vapor permeability and insulation capacity. Laminated with non-woven paper pulp on the outer side, it effectively prevents the return of moisture/vapors back to the body side. The laminate is available on the market with a nylon layer on the inner and outer sides and is being used already for the manufacture of, for example. OMPΓ outdoor garments.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A coverall-type protective/working garment seal¬ ing against the wearer's neck, arms and legs, characterized in that it comprises two separate layers (1, 2) of which the inner layer (2) next to the body is breathable and capable of letting through moisture/vapors (sweat) from its inner side to its outer side, and the outer layer (1) is substantially airtight, except in at least one lower region (le) located above the leg seal, and at least one upper region (If) located below the neck seal, in which regions the outer layer is air-permeable, such that sur¬ rounding air admitted through said air-permeable lower region (le) to the space between said layers (1, 2) will carry along, by chimney effect, any moisture/vapors ad¬ mitted by said inner layer to said space, out through the air-permeable upper region of said outer layer (If) . 2. A garment as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the neck and/or arm and/or leg seal comprises a hood portion (lb) , a glove portion (Id) and' a shoe por¬ tion (lc) which are connected with the outer layer (1) and seal against the inner layer (2) at (3). 3. A garment as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the inner layer (2) is thermally insulating. 4. A garment as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the outer layer (1) is watertight. 5. A garment as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the air-permeable regions (le. If) comprise, as the active constituent, a micro-porous membrane material. OMPI

Inventors: FORSBERG OVE, FORSBERG, OVE
Applicants: FORSBERG OVE, FORSBERG, OVE
Application year: 1983
Main classification: A41D13
IPC codes: A41D13