Abstract:
The present disclosure provides an improved one-piece garment having a drop seat. The garment includes a jacket portion and a pants portion and fastener devices that selectively connect the pants portion to the jacket portion. The fastener devices are configured and arranged to be relatively easily manipulated by the user of the garment. The garment is configured so that the user can use the toilet without getting out of the garment. In some embodiments the garment is a fire protection coverall. A method of lowering the pants portion from the jacket portion of a one-piece garment is also provided.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to provisional application number 61/162,123 filed on Mar. 20, 2009 titled Coverall with Drop Seat, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure provides a one-piece garment having a rear release mechanism that allows for the use of a toilet without taking off the upper portion of the garment. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    One-piece garments, commonly referred to as coveralls or jumpsuits, are often worn by laborers. Some employers require that such garments be worn, as they can in some cases provide certain advantages in the work place (e.g., safety and efficiency advantages). Typically, these garments include a vertical front enclosure that is used to get into and out of the garment. If the wearer of the garment wishes to use the toilet, he or she typically need to first get completely or substantially out of the garment, which can be inconvenient. 
         [0004]    To address this issue with one-piece garments, various drop seat configurations have been developed. For, example, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,427 to Sampey titled Garment with Drop Seat; U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,026 to Sampey titled Garment with Supported Drop Seat; U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,396 to Craig titled Coverall Garment with Concealed Seat Panel; U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,356 to Tomasi-Dubois titled Dropseat Jumpsuit; U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,581 to Wong titled Unitary Clothing With An Improved Drop-Seat; U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,711 to Freeman et al. titled Unitary Garment; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,883 to Cuaz titled Jumpsuit For a Woman and Method of Use. Despite the existence of these various drop seat configurations, there remains a need for an improved configuration. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The present disclosure provides an improved one-piece garment having a drop seat. The garment includes a jacket portion and a pants portion and fastener devices that selectively connect the pants portion to the jacket portion. The fastener devices are configured and arranged to be relatively easily manipulated by the user of the garment. The garment is configured so that the user can use the toilet without getting out of the garment. In some embodiments the garment is a fire protection coverall. A method of lowering the pants portion from the jacket portion of a one-piece garment is also provided. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a garment according to the principles of the present disclosure; and 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a rear view of a garment according to the principles of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0008]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment of the garment according to the present disclosure is shown. In the depicted embodiment the garment  10  includes an upper jacket portion  12  and a lower pants portion  14 . The upper jacket portion  12  is connected to the lower pants portion  14  via closure system  56  that allows the user to partially detach the lower pants portion  14  from the upper jacket portion  12  when desired. One advantage of the garment  10  is that the wearer of the garment  10  can easily use the restroom while still wearing the upper jacket portion  12  of the garment. 
         [0009]    In the depicted embodiment the upper jacket portion  12  of the garment includes a torso portion  20  for receiving a person&#39;s torso, arm portions  22 ,  24  for receiving a person&#39;s arms, and a collar  26  for a person&#39;s head to extend through. In the depicted embodiment, the arm  24  is shown having a small pocket  34  attached thereto for storing thing such as a mobile phone and/or writing device. Also, both arm portions  22 ,  24  are shown to include reflective bands  36 ,  38  for added visibility in low light work situation. In the depicted embodiment the torso portion  20  includes two chest pockets  40 ,  42 , two reflective shoulder patches  44 ,  46 , and an elastic waistband  54 . It should be appreciated that many other alternative embodiments of the upper jacket portion  12  are possible. Alternative upper jacket portions may include different features than those shown in the above-described depicted embodiment. 
         [0010]    In the depicted embodiment the lower pants portion  14  includes a crotch portion  28  and leg portions  30 ,  32  for receiving a person&#39;s legs. The crotch portion  28  includes two side pockets  48  and two rear pockets  50 . The leg portions  30 ,  32  include adjustable ankle closures  52  so that the garment  10  can be put on or taken off over the person&#39;s footwear. The adjustable ankle closures  52  include snaps that can make the ankle opening smaller once the person has extended his or her foot through the leg portions  30 ,  32  of the garment  10 . In the depicted embodiment the leg portions  30 ,  32  also include reflective bands attached thereto for added visibility. It should be appreciated that many other alternative embodiments of the lower pants portion  14  are possible. Alternative pants portions may include different features than those shown in the above-described depicted embodiment. 
         [0011]    In the depicted embodiment the garment  10  includes a vertical enclosure  16  that extends from the upper jacket portion  12  into the lower pants portion  14 . The vertical enclosure  16  can be opened to allow the user of the garment to get into or get out of the garment. The vertical enclosure in the depicted embodiment is a zipper that is concealed by a vertical flap that can be snapped over the zipper once the zipper is closed. In the depicted embodiment the zipper is configured to open downwardly in that it opens by pulling the zipper from its upper end adjacent the collar  26  to its lower end located in the crotch portion  28  of the garment  10 . It should be appreciated that many other alternative embodiments of the enclosure  16  are possible. Alternative enclosures  16  may, for example, not include a zipper that is vertically arranged in the front center of the garment as shown. 
         [0012]    In the depicted embodiment the closure system  56  includes a first closure device  58  and a second closure device  60  that cooperatively substantially connect the upper jacket portion  12  to the lower pants portion  14 . In the depicted embodiment the closure devices are typically copper or nylon zippers that open as they are pulled from their ends located at the back of the jacket to their ends located adjacent the vertical enclosure  16 . In the depicted embodiment the ends  62 ,  64  located adjacent the vertical enclosure are spaced on either side of the vertical enclosure  16 . The space between the ends  62 ,  64  is preferably between ½ of an inch to 10 inches, and more preferably between 2 inches to 6 inches. In the depicted embodiment the space between the ends of the zippers adjacent the vertical enclosure is about 4 inches. 
         [0013]    In the depicted embodiment the closure system  56  is configured so that even when the first and second closure devices  58 ,  60  are completely open, the upper jacket portion  12  and the lower pants portion  14  remain connected. This feature prevents the garment becoming separated during use intentionally by the wearer of the garment or inadvertently during laundering of the garment. 
         [0014]    In the depicted embodiment the garment  10  is fire protectant and is constructed of an aromatic polyamide material commonly referred to under the trade name Nomex®. The term fire protectant construction as used herein refers generally to any construction that inhibits or resists fire and includes, among other things, fire resistant textiles, antiflame textiles, fireproof material, non-fire resistant textiles treated with fire resistant coating, inherently fire retardant materials, permanently fire retardant materials, durably fire retardant materials, flash resistant materials, flame resistant materials, etc. Given that the garment  10  of the depicted embodiment is configured for fire protection, it is desirable that the garment  10  include features that prevent the user from only wearing portions of the garment  10 . In the depicted embodiment the first and second closure devices  58 ,  60  are concealed via a skirt of fire retardant material. It should be appreciated that in alternative embodiments the garment  10  may be constructed of materials that are not fire retardant. 
         [0015]    In use the lower pants portion  14  of the garment  10  can be partially separated from the upper jacket portion  12  by reaching around one&#39;s back and unzipping a first zipper (first closure device  58 ) with one&#39;s left hand by pulling the opening end  66  of the zipper towards one&#39;s navel and reaching around one&#39;s back and unzipping a second zipper (second closure device  60 ) with one&#39;s right hand by pulling the opening end  68  of the zipper towards one&#39;s navel. This step can be accomplished in sequence or simultaneously. Once accomplished, the rear portion of the lower pants portion  14  is free to drop downward. In the depicted embodiment the lower pants portion  14  can be dropped with or without opening the vertical enclosure  16 . The lower pants portion  14  can be easily reconnected to the jacket by pulling the first and second zippers from one&#39;s navel to the center of one&#39;s back. 
         [0016]    It should be appreciated that many other alternative embodiments of the closure system  56  are possible. Alternative pants portions may include different features than those shown in the above-described depicted embodiment. For example, in alternative embodiments the closure device can be devices other than zippers, and if they are zipper they can include construction other than copper or nylon. Also, the closure devices can be opened in directions other than from the center of the back of the jacket portion to the front of the jacket portion. 
         [0017]    The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.