FOLDED PROTECTIVE GARMENT

Abstract: A folded protective garment (16) is enclosed in a wrapping (10) maintaining sterility. The folded garment has its entry opening (22) at one edge of the package formed by the folded garment. The entry opening is surrounded by a collar (25) obtained by turning the end edge portion of the garment inside out so that the outside of the collar is formed by the inside of the garment. For the remainder, the garment is folded such that the outside of the collar has uncovered surfaces (A) which can be gripped by unprotected hands when the garment is folded out and put on, the garment also having front and back portions which are alike and joined together at the edges.

Description: The present invention relates to a folded, protective garment, which is enclosed in a wrapping maintaining sterility, the garment being provided with sleeves and being folded such that presumptive user's hand can grip the garment without the fingers coming into contact with the surfaces forming the outside of the garment, and in its folded-out state having a front and back which are substantially alike and joined together at their side edges, the folded-out garment having a length such that it at least covers the user's trunk. A garment of this kind is known from the US-PS 3,625,206. Such garments are used in hospitals, particularly during operations, and are delivered folded and enclosed in a wrapping maintaining sterility, herinafter referred to as a sterilitiy-wrapping. The known garment is made from a material impermeable to bacteria, dust or epithelial scale or the like such as a close woven cotton fabric or even plastic or paper. The known garment is provided with tabs which are attached to the inside of each sleeve (about half way along the length on the back of the sleeve) being adjacent to the wearer's elbow when the garment is in use, and also a tab on the inside on the back of the garment situated about halfway along its length. These tabs enable the wearer to don the garment in the cramped dimensions of the sterile operating room enclosure. The garment is sterilized in a usual manner after being folded into a "first folding position" and then into secondary folds. To attain this "first folding position", the tab on the inside of the rear of the body part is gripped to allow the bottom of the garment to be folded back until the lower part of the body part is turned inside out and surrounds the upper half. Each sleeve is then turned inside out by gripping its tab and pulling the sleeve until the half nearest its free end surrounds the other half and the tab is visible. Starting from this position the garment can be folded further in any other way in order to reduce its size and make it convenient for sterilizing and for packaging into the wrapping. When the garment is to be put on, the secondary foldings are undone to present the garment in its "first folding position" in which the three tabs are visible at the opening of the body part which leads into the interior. The known garment suffers from the disadvantage that in order to put on the garment in the sterile conditions of an operationg room, an assistant is required with sterile hands or a sterile pair of forceps. The person by whom the garment is to be worn stands facing the fold leading to the interior of the garment and inserts one hand into the aperture formed by the fold in one sleeve holding the tab of this sleeve in his other hand. By exerting countertraction on the tab he pushes his first hand up in the folded sleeve until it penetrates e.g. an elasticated cuff. He now inserts his other hand into the other sleeve but not being able to longer offer countertraction himself to the tab, he now depends on an assistant to hold the tab to offer countertraction and to allow to push his hand through the associated elastic cuff of the other sleeve. Another type of usual protective garment is a disposable-type gown which is thrown away after use or a gown which is washed after use and maybe used several times. The back of the gown is made in two halves which may mutually overlap, and is kept in place with the aid of tying ribbons or other fastening means. The gown is folded into a package in the sterility wrapping, which usually comprises two plastics films welded together along their edges, which may be torn apart to release the contents of the wrapping In certain cases, the folded gown is wrapped in protective paper. The doctor or other person who is to put the gown on cannot do this alone with his unprotected hands and must therefore have assistance. It is seen that these further types of garments are suffering from the same disadvantages as explained in connection with the known garment according to the US-Patent 3,625,206, e.g. where an extra person is required to help the user put the garment on. The object of the present invention is to eliminate this disadvantage by having a protective garment in the wrapping folded in such a manner that the garment can be opened out by the user without his unprotected hands needing to come into contact with the surfaces forming the outside of the garment when he has put the garment on, the garment being of such design that the user can lift it above his head with his hands and arms and take the garment over his head and body into the position of use. In order to avoid the disadvantages with a gown of the kind described above, the folded protective garment in accordance with the invention in the wrapping is of the kind known per se, in which the front and back are substantially alike and are mutually attached at their edges while leaving openings for the passage of the wearer's body at the lower end of the garment, his head at the upper end and hands at the ends of the sleeves, the garment in its folded-out state having a length reaching down to at least cover the trunk of the user. This garment is folded in accordance with the invention into a package lying inside the wrapping. A suitable embodiment of the folded garment in accordance with the invention is distinguished in that both the front and back of the garment at its lower end portion is folded outwards and backwards to form a collar around the lower entry opening. The outside of the collar will thus be the inside of the garment. The width of the collar in the longitudinal direction of the garment is such that a hand may grip about the outer and folded end edge of the collar without the fingers reaching over the collar and coming into contact with the remaining portions of the garment. It is acceptable if the user comes into contact with the outside of the collar, since the outside of the collar will form a portion of the inwardly facing side of the garment after folding down the collar when the user has put the garment on. In addition, the garment is preferably folded in such a way that the outer end edge portion of the collar is folded laterally about at least one folding line parallel to the longitudinal direction of the garment such that the thus-folded end edge will form one side edge of the package or folded garment. The outer end edge of the collar is situated around the entry opening the user is to thrust into when he puts the garment on. When the user puts the garment on, he can thus take hold of the collar and put his hands into the opening situated at the side edge of the package. The folded garment can then be lifted up with the hands such that the garment folds out, allowing hands and arms to thrust further into it, after which it can be lifted up further and eased down over the head simultaneously as the arms are moved out into its sleeves and it falls down around the waist of the user. All these operations can be carried out without the user's fingers coming into contact with the outside of the garment. Since the garment has the shape of a long shirt, it is not necessary to have any fastening ribbons to tie the garment together. These and other distinguishing details and advantages of the invention will be described in more detail in some embodiments illustrated on the accompanying drawings of a protective garment folded in accordance with the invention and kept in a wrapping. Figure 1 is a schematic, perspective view of a wrapping containing a protective garment folded in accordance with the invention, and of the embodiment illustrated in Fig 4. Figure 2 illustrates the folded garment taken from the wrapping and lying on a table. Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 in Fig 2. Figure 4 illustrates the garment in a folded-out state. Figure 5 is a section along the line 5-5 in Fig 4. Figures 6-9 illustrate different folding operations to arrive at the folded garment in Figs 10 and 2, respectively. Figure 11 is a perspective, enlarged fragmentary end view of the end edge portion of the folded garment, where the user is to insert his hands and arms for putting on the garment. Figure 12 illustrates further alternative folding of the folded garment in Fig 10 for reducing the size of the package. Figure 13 illustrates further alternative folding backwards of the garment in Fig 12 for decreasing still further the size of the folded garment. Figure 14 is a perspective, enlarged fragmentary end view of the folded garment in Fig 13. Figure 15 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the garment with a lower end edge cut straight and in a folding situation with the sleeves folded inwards and the upper portion of the garment folded down. Figure 16 further illustrates downward folding of the upper portion of the garment with the sleeves, and the lower end portions of the front and back folded to form a collar. Figure 17 is a section along the line 17-17 in Fig 16 for illustrating that the relatively narrow collar in this case can be slit at its end edges. Figures 18 and 19 are the same Figures as in Figs 4 and 5, although here a large number of transverse chain-dotted lines are depicted in Fig 18 to denote where the front and back of the garment are folded when the side edges are pleated. Figure 20 illustrates how the garment has been folded together and that the sleeves have been folded in over each other. Figure 21 illustrates the portion with the sleeves folded double and the flaps at the lower end of the garment folded up. Figure 22 is a section of the garment in Fig 20, with the difference that the sleeves have not been folded in but have been turned inside out and pulled out at the lower end of the garment. Figure 23 is a section illustrating how the sleeves in Fig 23 have been turned inside out along a part of their length to form two muffs. Figure 24 illustrates the folded or pleated garment in Fig 23 after folding up the end flaps and with the muffs projecting out upwardly and downwardly in the Figure. The wrapping 10 illustrated in Fig 1 maintains sterility and conventionally comprises two plastics films 11 and 12 which are joined along a frame 13 by welding. Along one side edge there are two gripping flaps 14,15. The weld is yielding, such as to open when the flaps are drawn away from each other. Inside the wrapping there is a protective garment 16 which is folded in accordance with the invention, and in its folded condition it forms a package within the wrapping. The garment is illustrated in Fig 4 in its folded out state and comprises a front 17 and back 18 of non-woven material, which are fastened along certain portions 19 of their edges by welding or sewing such as to leave openings at the ends of the sleeves 20 for the user's hands, and an opening 21 at the upper end of the garment for the user's head. The lower end of the garment has an entry opening 22 (Fig 3) so that it can be put on in the same way as a dress. The lower end portions of the front and back are each extended with a flap 23 in the illustrated embodiment, but the end portions can also be cut off straight as indicated by the chain-dotted line 24. The latter embodiment is illustrated in Figs 15-17. Distinguishing for the folded garment is that it has been folded in accordance with the invention in a manner such that the folded garment 16 inside the wrapping 10 always has a narrower or wider collar 25 obtained by turning the lower end edge portion of the garment inside out and folding it against the rest of the garment so that the outside of collar 25 will be the inside of the garment, which is denoted by dotted areas in the appropriate Figures. This collar 25 is situated along one side edge of the folded garment, where the collar is folded forwards and backwards sideways in a desired manner to reduce the size of the package formed by the folded garment in the wrapping. The outer edge 25A of the collar thus lies around the entry opening 22 to the garment. To enable the user to grip the folded garment with his unprotected hands, which could cause contamination of the surfaces they come into contact with, the collar forms uncovered surfaces A (those denoted by dots) which can be gripped with the hands without risk. The width of these surfaces from the outer end edge of the collar is so great that it is possible conveniently to grip the outer end edge of the collar without coming into contact with the more remotely situated surfaces B which are on the outside of the garment. In order to put on the folded garment, the user grips the outer end edge 25A of the collar 25 and puts in his hands at the two places C and D in Figs 2 and 11, where both the insides 17A and 18A of the entry opening 22 and the outside A (Fig 3) in the areas of the free surfaces of the collar are on the inside of the garment. The user puts in his hands at the place C and D in Figs 2 and 11 or at C and D in Fig 14, whereupon the garment is lifted up so that it becomes unfolded while the hands are moved sideways and the arms are thrust into the garment. Finally, the garment is moved upwards so that the user can put in his head and arms far enough for his head to come through the head opening 21 and the arms into the sleeves 20. While this is being done, the garment falls downwards along the trunk of the user. It is usually only necessary to shake the body a little so that the garment falls down to an entirely folded-out state, but if necessary the flaps 23 (Fig 7) can be gripped to straighten out the garment. The garment in Fig 4 is folded by beginning with folding in the sleeves 20, and then turning the lower edge portion inside out into a collar 25 which is pulled up into the position illustrated in Fig 6. In this embodiment, the collar has two flaps 23 which are folded down from the position in Fig 6 to the position in Fig 7 such as to leave the required free surfaces A on the outside of the collar, i.e. the areas denoted by dots which are on the inside of the garment when it has been put on. In Fig 8 the portion with the sleeves has been folded down over one of the flaps 23. A folding line 26 has been indicated in this Figure by a chain-dotted line which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the garment, or substantially at right angles to the outer end edge 25A of the collar. By folding sideways about this folding line the intermediate position illustrated in Fig 9 is reached, where a further folding line 27 is denoted by a chain-dotted line. By folding sideways back again about this line the position in Fig 10 is reached, corresponding to the folded garment illustrated in Fig 2. If so desired, the sideways folding can be continued about a folding line 29 in Figs 10 and 11 to reduce the size of the package. As illustrated in Fig 2, the free surfaces A of the collar are of a generous size to allow being gripped with the hands without the latter coming into contact with portions B, which are on the outside of the garment when it is in use. However, the size of the future packet can be further decreased if the upper portion in Fig 12 is folded backwards about the folding line 30, to form the small package in Fig 13. A protective garment of the same embodiment as the one in Fig 4 is illustrated in Fig 15, but with the difference that the lower end edge 32 of the garment is cut off straight. The sleeves are folded inwards and the corresponding portion of the garment folded down. A folding line 33 is indicated in Fig 15, and the lower end portions of the front and back are folded up about this line to form the collar 34 illustrated in Fig 16, this collar having substantially less width than the collar in Fig 6. The upper portion in Fig 15 has been turned down about a folding line 35 in Fig 16. In this Figure the end edge 36 of the downwardly folded portion is under the collar 34, but it can also lie on top of the collar without any drawback. To facilitate downwardly folding the collar 34 when putting on the garment, the collar can be slit at either end edge, which is illustrated in Fig 15 by the seam or weld 19 not going all the way down to the end edge 32, which is also illustrated in the section in Fig. 17. Transverse chain-dotted lines 37 are indicated in Fig 18 to illustrate where the front 17 and back 18 are folded if the side edges of the garment are wrinkled. In Fig 20 it will be seen how the front and back have been pleated into a bellows-like packet 38. The sleeves 20 have been folded in over each other and this sleeve portion 39 has then been folded double downwards along a folding line 40, whereafter both end flaps 23 have been folded up into the position illustrated in Fig 21. The hands can now be taken into the entry opening end edge 25A to fold out the sleeve portion 39 and to thrust the hands into the sleeves. The folded or pleated garment in Fig 21 can, as previously, be folded sideways once or more times to reduce the size of the folded garment in the wrapping. A folding modification is illustrated in Fig 22. In this Figure there is the bellows-like 38, as in Fig 20, but instead of folding the sleeves in on top on each other according to Fig 20, the sleeves have been turned inside out and these sleeves 20A have been pulled down through the packet 38. From this position the sleeves 20A have been turned inside out along a portion of their length to form two muffs 20B according to Fig 24. Finally, in Fig 24 it is illustrated how the end flaps 23 have been folded up over the bellows-like packet 38. In Fig 24, it is also shown how the ends 41,42 of each muff are completely free so that the hands can conveniently be inserted into the ends 42 and out through the ends 41 without coming into contact with the rest of the garment. The folded garment in Fig 24 is suitably folded once or more times sideways in the same way as described above.

Claims: A folded, protective garment, which is enclosed in a wrapping (10) maintaining sterility, the garment being provided with sleeves and being folded such that the presumptive user's hand can grip the garment without the fingers coming into contact with the surfaces forming the outside of the garment, and in its folded-out state having a front and back which are substantially alike and joined together at their side edges, the folded-out garment having a length such that it at least covers the user's trunk, characterized in that the two side edges diverge towards the lower end of the garment, that the lower end portions of the front (17) and the back (18) of the folded garment (16) inside the wrapping (10) are folded backward to form a collar (25,34) round the entry opening (22) of the garment, the outside (A) of the collar being inside of the folded-out garment, and the collar having the length in the longitudinal direction of the garment such that the presumptive user's hand can grip around the outer and folded end edge (25A) of the collar without the fingers reaching over the collar, and in that the folded garment inside the wrapping (10) is folded such that the outer end edge (25A) of the collar is preferably folded sideways about at least one folding line (28,27,29) parallel to the longitudinal direction of the garment. Garment as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the collar (25) extends up to the sleeve area. Garment as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the sleeves are folded in towards each other and that the collar extends over the folded-in sleeves. Garment as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that the lower end edges of the garment are each extended by an end flap (23) and in that these flaps are folded outwards and back again over the front and back of the collar while leaving sufficient free surfaces (A) on the collar at the sides of, and below the end flaps, so that these free surfaces can be gripped by the user's fingers when putting the garment on, said surfaces being on the inside of the garment after putting it on, putting on the garment being terminated, if required, by pulling the end flaps to stretch the garment on the user. Garment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is split at least along a part of its side edges. Garment as claimed in claim 1, 4 or 5, characterized in that the front and back of the garment are pleated, the pleats being transverse between the side edges of the garment to form a bellows-like (38) packet, and in that the sleeves are turned so that their outsides are inside (20A) along their entire length and are pulled through the pleated packet, thereafter to be turned inside out (20B) along a portion of their free length from the ends of the sleeves to form two muffs (20B) having their ends (41,42) outside both ends of the folded packet so that the user can insert his hands directly into the muffs at one side edge of the packet.

Inventors: BJOERKLUND, MATS, Björklund, Mats
Applicants: LIC CARE AKTIEBOLAG
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A41D13
IPC codes: A41D13