PROTECTIVE GARMENT FOR OPERATION IN CONTAMINATED AREAS

Abstract: The protective garment (1) is in the form of a suit (2) comprising gloves (6), boots (7) hood (5) and facial mask. The suit is provided on its back region with a vertically extending slit (8) which can be tightly closed by a zipper. Inside the garment, two protective skirtings (10) are respectively fastened along opposite portions of the slit; they are mutually connected by auxiliary protective portions (11) situated at the opposite ends of the slit. The protective skirtings are provided with respective gripping handles (13) able to bring them, together with the auxiliary portions, from a rest position in which they are enclosed within the garment, to an operative position in which they are reversed astride the corresponding edges of the slit.

Description: The present invention concerns a protective garment allowing operation in contaminated areas, of the type comprising an impermeable suit provided with boots, gloves, a hood and a facial mask, as well as with at least one slit to be opened, along the opposite edges of which operate tight closing means. As known, during operation in contaminated areas, it is necessary for the concerned operators to wear special protective garments constructed in such a way that the user is prevented from coming into direct contact with the contaminants present in that area, be they solid, liquid or gaseous. Garments of this kind are composed in general by a completely impermeable suit, provided with boots, gloves, hood and facial mask, worn through a wide slit which can be tightly closed by means of a suitable zipper. These garments are moreover provided with aeration means, able to covey clean air inside the garment itself. The air so admitted is then expelled through appropriate valves adjusted in such a manner as to maintain inside the garment a pressure slightly higher than the atmospheric pressure, thus preventing the air coming from the exterior from penetrating inside the garment. By virtue of these arrangements, the wearer is efficiently protected for the whole time required for his activity. When the contaminated area is left, the wearer taking off the garment must be prevented from contacting the contaminates which may have deposited on the garment's outer surface. To this end the garment, before being taken off, must be subjected to an appropriate decontamination treatment intended to remove, by washing, these contaminants. Unfortunately, it may happen that the decontamination treatment is not sufficient to eliminate all the contaminating substances deposited on the garment. In fact, there are substances which, for their own nature, adhere almost permanently on the garment and whose total elimination would require excessively long treatment times and/or the exposure of the garment to high temperatures, impossible to be withstood by the operator. As the wearer, in taking off the garment, is always liable to touch its outer surface at the slit edges, an incomplete decontamination treatment represens a risky situation for the wearer's safety. Further, it is to be taken into account that, to reduce this risk at the most, it is necessary to reduce considerably the time of stay of the operator in the contaminated area. This complicates the development of the required operations, since the latter must be effected in different successive times or by means of repeated turnover of personnel. " FR-A-1 562 097 discloses a protective garment for operation in contaminated areas comprising an impermeable suit provided with boots, gloves, a hood and a facial mask mask sealingly joined to said suit, as well as a slit which can be opened, along opposite edges of which operate tight closing means. To prevent in use the penetration of toxic gases or radioactive powders within the garment in correspondence of the ends of the closing means, the garment proposed by such patent provides for two superimposed zippers defining there-between a closed channel which is kept overpressured by the ventilation overpressure established within the garment. No technical problem concerning the taking off of the garment is mentioned in such prior art." The present invention aims at eliminating all of the above indicated disadvantages by providing a protective garment able to ensure the wearer's safety even if - when the garment is taken off - contaminating substances are still present on its outer surface. "This and other aims, which will be better explained in the present specification, are sustantially achieved by the present invention consisting in a protective garment for operation in contaminated areas comprising an impermeable suit provided with boots, gloves, a hood and a facial mask sealingly joined to said suit, as well as at least one slit which can be opened, along opposite edges of which operate tight closing means, characterized in that it comprises at least a pair of protective skirtings secured inside the garment along opposite sides of the slit, each skirting being provided with gripping means and being of sufficient width to be turned over astride the corresponding edge of the slit from a rest position in which they are enclosed flat within the garment." Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a protective garment for operation in contaminated areas in accordance with the invention itself, made with reference to the attached drawings, given by way of non-restrictive example, in which: figure 1 is a back view of the garment correctly worn: figure 2 is a perspective back view of the garment in an initial taking off phase, figure 3 is a diagrammatic section taken along line III-III of figure 1, figure 4 is a diagrammatic section of the garment, taken along line III-III of figure 1, with the protective skirtings in service position. figure 5 represents a particular of the garment of figure 1, seen from the garment inside, figure 6 is a preferred alternative embodiment of the invention referred to figure 1 and consequent to the slit opening, figures 7 and 8 present a cross section of the alternative embodiment shown in figure 6. With respect to the above indicated figures, the reference numeral 1 indicates in its whole a protective garment for operation in contaminated areas in accordance with the present invention. In a conventional manner, garment 1 comprises a suit 2 made of impermeable material and composed of a central body 3, covering waist and legs, to which are applied sleeves 4, and a hood 5. These elements are joined together to ensure a perfect and permanent seal. For example, the suit is made of a synthetic fabric coated inside and outside with a rubber compound. The suit 2 is provided in a tight way with gloves 6, boots 7 and a special mask fixed on the front of hood 5 and not shown in the figures. Garment 1 can be worn and taken off by the wearer through a slit 8, which can be opened, and extends vertically in the back region of suit 2. Slit 8 is provided with edges 8a mutually approachable and tightly engageable together by closing means, preferably represented by an appropriate zipper 9 slidable on opposite teeth. In accordance with the present invention, a protective skirting 10, also made of impermeable material, is respectively secured along each of edges 8a, at the side directed towards the garment's inside. The protective skirtings 10 are mutually connected, at their respective opposite ends, by virtue of auxiliary protective portions 11, each of wich is fixed to suit 2 at one end of slit 8. Conveniently, as shown in figure 5, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, skirtings 10 and the auxiliary portion 11 are obtained from a single rectangular piece provided with a longitudinal cut corresponding to slit 8 and secured inside garment 1, for instance by bonding, along a profile brought into evidence by dashed lines and indicated with 12, which extends around said slit 8 and is ajacent to it. To each protective skirtings 10 gripping means are associated, which comprise handles 13, each of which is fastened to a free edge 10a of the corresponding skirting 10 and, when garment 1 is correctly worn, extends towards slit 8, terminating at it. In this way each handle 13 can be easily gripped from the garment's outside through slit 8. After the above indications, the use of the garment will now be described. As clearly shown in figures 1 and 3, when garment 1 is correctly worn, zipper 9 closes slit 8 in a tight way. Further, in this situation, the protective skirtings 10, together with the auxiliary protective portions 11, are in a rest condition in which they are enclosed within garment 1, departing towards opposite directions from the corresponding edges of slit 8 (figure 3). Handles 13 are reversed on skirtings 10 and extend in accordance with the above. In this situation the skirtings 10, the auxiliary portions 11 and the handles 13, being enclosed within garment 1, are protected against the action of contaminating substances during operation in contaminated areas. As skirtings 10 and handles 13 are made of a comparatively soft material, their presence inside garment 1 is not annoying for the operator during the performance of the necessary operations. When the operations are over and, after a decontaminating treatment, garment 1 is to be taken off by the wearer, an assistant, provided with appropriate gloves, opens zipper 9 and grips handles 13 to draw them out of the garment. This operation carried out on handles 13 causes the reversal of the protective skirtings 10 and of the auxiliary protective portions 11. In this way said skirtings 10 and auxiliary portions 11 are brought from a rest position to a work position, in which skirtings 10 are reversed astride the corresponding edges 8a, as shown in figure 4, and the auxiliary portions 11 are reversed astride the respective ends of slit 8, as shown in figure 2 in respect of portion 11 situated in low position. In this condition, skirtings 10 and the auxiliary portion 11, whose surfaces have not been contaminated during operation, are able to release the wearer from the risk of contacting the garment's outer surface in proximity of slit 8 during the removal of the garment itself. The invention will now be described with reference to a preferred embodiment concerning the protective skirtings 10 and their position inside the garment. Therefore, in this embodiment, figure 1 is still referred to the garment with slit 8 in closed position. As already said, the garment comprises skirtings 10 and portions 11. Figures 6 to 8 have same reference numerals as the preceding figures in respect of the already described particulars of the garment. The main freature of the invention, in the preferred embodiment, is grounded on the fact that the extreme portions of two skirtings 10, made of impermeable material and having the task of protecting the wearer during the suit removal, are associated to two zones a-a situated in arrear (figures 7, 8) with respect to the two edges 8a of the slit. As it can be seen figure 7, skirtings 10 extend from their zone of application a-a in opposite direction with respect to each other and are mutually superimposed. Preferably, the zones of application of the two skirtings are situated at a distance from edges 8a which ranges between 2 and 5 cm. The skirtings are applied to the suit by bonding or by sewing. Further, each skirting 10 comprises, at its free end, gripping means constituted by handles 13. In a further alternative embodiment of the invention, the portions of the zippers comprising edges 8a might be joined to the suit by bonding along two zones b-b, as diagrammatically indicated in figures 7 and 8. The invention is able to achieve the purposes it aimed at. In fact, the presence of the protective skirtings 10 and of the auxiliary protective portions 11 enables the protective garment to be taken off - obviously with the appropriate care - in conditions of absolute safety, even if contaminating substances deposited during operation in contaminated areas are present on its outer surface. After removal, the protective garment can be subjected to suitable decontaminating treatments, even at high temperature, so as to eliminate therefrom any trace contamination. In particular, in working conditions, the protective garment described with reference to figures 6 to 8 is provided with a double protective layer formed by the two skirtings 10 superimposed to each other (figure 7). In the practice, as the skirtings' ends have been brought to a certain distance from edges 8a and said skirtings have been directed towards opposite positions, a safety barrier is originated against the contaminating substances which may have occasionally penetrated the suit through any small imperfection of zipper 9 or of teeth 9′ on which it slides. In fact, even admitting that contaminating substances may have contacted the first skirting, they will soon encounter a mechanical obstacle, difficult to be overcome, represented by the second skirting 10. Consequently, by the present solution it is possible to eliminate the risk of any harmful contact between the wearer and the contaminants during any work activity carried out in contaminated areas. Moreover, when the garment is taken off after decontamination, the possible contaminating substances penetrated through the zipper and deposited on the first skirting are prevented from contacting the wearer during the suit removal. In fact, the taking off phase is effected with the aid of an assistant, provided with perfectly clean gloves, who has the task of opening the slit by sliding zipper 9 on edges 8a and then, by gripping the two handles 13, of effecting the enlargement and the reversal of skirtings 10 towards the garment outside, as represented in figure 8. In this case the outermost surface 14 of the first skirting, carrying possible contaminating substances, is excluded from any contact with the wearer who, at the most - following the direction of arrow F during his outgoing from the suit - might come into contact with the inner surfaces 15 and 16 of skirtings 10, which are devoid of any contaminating substance, as explained above. A further relevant feature of the preferred embodiment of the invention is represented by the fact of providing two skirtings 10 whose handles 13 are in a position very near to that of edges 8a of slit 8. In fact, by this arrangement, the taking off operation, after the opening of the slit, is effected at once, thus releasing the wearer from an impermeable garment into which he had been closed for the whole time of activity in a contaminated area, with a consequent serious tiring and psychic stress. Moreover, the presence of handles 13, located in proximity of edges 8a of the slit, limits the action of the assistant to a very reduced portion of the garment, which is anyhow protected by the superimposed skirtings, avoiding the possibility that traces of contaminants occosionally deposited on the gloves of said assistant acting on the slit may come into contact with the wearer. Although some preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, it is anyhow understood that the invention includes in its scope any other alternative embodiment deriving from the above indicated inventive idea as specified in the claims.

Claims: A protective garment (1) for operation in contaminated areas comprising an impermeable suit (2) provided with boots (7), gloves (6), a hood (5) and a facial mask sealingly joined to said suit (1), as well as at least one slit (8) which can be opened, along opposite edges of which operate tight closing means (9), characterized in that it comprises at least a pair of protective skirtings (10) secured inside the garment along opposite sides of the slit (8), each skirting being provided with gripping means (13) and being of sufficient width to be turned over astride the corresponding edge of the slit from a rest position in which they are enclosed flat within the garment. A protective garment as in claim 1, characterized in that said pair of protective skirting (10) is secured inside the garment along two zones (a-a) distant from the slit edges (8a), said skirtings starting from said zones towards opposite directions and being superimposed to originate a double protective layer around the slit closed by said sealing means. A protective garment as in claim 1, characterized in that said protective skirtings are secured inside the garment, each along one edge (8a) of the slit (8), the skirtings being reversed by gripping means from a rest position, in which they are enclosed within the garment and develop in opposite directions from the edges of the slit, to said work position, in which each skirting is reversed astride the corresponding edge of the slit. A protective garment as in any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said protective skirtings are mutually connected by auxiliary protective portions (11), each located at one end of the slit and intended to be brought - together with the protective skirtings - from a rest position, in which said auxiliary protective portions are enclosed with the garment, to a work position in which each auxiliary protective portion is reversed astride the corresponding end of the slit. A protective garment as in claim 1, characterized in that said gripping means, for each of said skirtings, comprise at least a gripping handle (13) fastened to a free edge of said skirting. A protective garment as in claim 4, characterized in that said protective skirtings and said auxiliary protective portions are obtained from a single piece. A protective garment as in claim 1, characterized in that said slit extends vertically in the back region of the garment. A protective garment as in claim 2, characterized in that each skirting is fastened to said zone at a distance from the edge which ranges between 2 and 5 cm. A protective garment as in claim 2, characterized in that the ends of said skirtings are bonded to the garment along said zones.

Inventors: MOSCATELLI, ROMANO
Applicants: SEKUR S.P.A.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A62B17
IPC codes: A62B17