Abstract:
A high visibility garment is provided for use by fire fighters and other emergency workers, and allows for large adjustment in size to accommodate both small and large body sizes, as well as worker apparel that can vary from a t-shirt to bunker gear or other heavy duty protective outerwear.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/188,453, filed Aug. 8, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable. 
       MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE 
       [0003]    Not Applicable. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     Background of the Invention 
       [0004]    Federal regulations require that all workers within the right-of-way of a federal aid highway who are exposed either to traffic or to construction equipment within the work area wear high-visibility safety apparel. This requirement applies to firefighters and other emergency workers who are often required to wear other highly specialized protective garments, such as fire, heat, chemical and/or biohazard resistant protective garments depending upon the particular emergency situation they are responding to, and are sometimes required to also wear specialized breathing apparatus, such as a self-contained breathing apparatus having a backpack mounted oxygen/air tank. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    A high visibility garment is provided for use by fire fighters and other emergency workers, and allows for large adjustment in size to accommodate both small and large body sizes, as well as worker apparel that can vary from a t-shirt to bunker gear or other heavy duty protective outerwear. 
         [0006]    As one feature, the garment is provided in the form of a vest. 
         [0007]    In one feature, the garment has a torso covering portion made of high visibility material that completely encircles the torso of a wearer in the circumferential direction in both is smallest size state and largest size state. 
         [0008]    According to one feature, the torso covering portion has a first state wherein the high visibility material is fitted to completely encircle a torso of a first circumferential dimension, and a second state wherein the high visibility material is fitted to completely encircle a torso of a second circumferential dimension, with the second circumferential dimension be at least 40% larger than the first circumferential dimension. 
         [0009]    According to one feature, the torso covering portion includes a back panel having a transverse width sized to extend over the back of a wearer; a pair of front/side panels, each including an adjustable side portion having a transverse width sized to extend over about half or more of the transverse width of the back panel; and an adjustable connection between each of the adjustable side portions and the back panel. Each adjustable connection having a first connected state wherein the transverse width of the adjustable side portion is overlaid by about half or more of the transverse width of the back panel, and a second connected state wherein less than 75% of the transverse width of the adjustable side portion is overlaid by the transverse width of the back panel. 
         [0010]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a review of the entire specification, including the appended claims and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a high visibility safety garment embodying the invention shown in a donned position on a wearer of a larger size; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but taken from the left side; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2 , but showing an adjustment of the garment in an open state; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but taken from the back; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  but showing the garment on a wearer of a smaller size; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a perspective front view of the garment of  FIG. 1  in first size configuration; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 6 , but showing the garment in a second size configuration; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a view similar to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , but showing an adjustment of the garment in an open state. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0019]    A high visibility safety garment  10  is shown in the form of a high visibility safety vest  12  having an adjustable torso covering portion  14  made of high visibility material  16 , preferably, a fluorescent yellow-green, a fluorescent orange-red or a fluorescent red. Additionally, retroreflective trim or strips  18  are also provided and include at least one retroreflective band  18 A completely encircling the torso  14 . Preferably, the garment  10  meets the current and/or any future standards under ANSI/ISEA 107 or ANSI/ISEA 207 (high visibility garment/vest standards developed by the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) and published by the American National Standards Institute, Inc.). 
         [0020]    The torso covering portion  14  has a first state (as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) wherein the high visibility material  16  is fitted to completely encircle a wearer&#39;s torso with a first circumferential dimension C 1 , and a second state (as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 7 ) wherein the high visibility material  16  is fitted to completely encircle a wearer&#39;s torso with a second circumferential dimension C 2 . In one preferred embodiment, the second circumferential dimension C 2  is at least 40% larger than the first circumferential dimension C 1 . In another preferred embodiment, the second circumferential dimension C 2  is at least 50% larger than C 1 . It is anticipated that in some embodiments the second circumferential dimension C 2  could be twice as large as C 1 , such as, for example going from a chest size of 32 inches to a chest size of 64 inches. Even larger ratios of C 2 /C 1  are possible. 
         [0021]    In the embodiment shown in the Figs., the torso covering portion  14  includes a back panel  20  of the high visibility material  16  having a transverse width W B  in the circumferential direction sized to extend over the back of a wearer; a pair of front/side panels  22  of the high visibility material  16 , each including an adjustable side portion  24  having a transverse width W S  sized to extend over half of the transverse width W B  of the back panel  20 , and an adjustable connection  26  between each of the adjustable side portions  24  and the back panel  20 . Each adjustable connection  26  has a first connected state (shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) wherein the transverse width W S  of the corresponding adjustable side portion  24  is overlaid by half of the transverse width W B  of the back panel  20 , and a second connected state (shown in  FIGS. 2 and 7 ) wherein less than 75% of the transverse width W S  of the adjustable side portion  24  is overlaid by the transverse width W B  of the back panel  20 . 
         [0022]    Each adjustable connection  26  includes one or more releasable fasteners  28  which, in the illustrated embodiment, are shown in the form of mating hook and loop connectors  30  on the back panel  20  and each of the adjustable side portions  24 . In this regard, in the illustrated embodiment, three hook and loop strips  32  extend circumferentially across the back panel  20 , and each of the adjustable side portions  24  includes an array of hook and loop patches  34  that are arranged to allow at least three adjustment positions. It should be appreciated that any suitable releasable connector or fastener  28  could be used, include buttons, snaps, and ties. 
         [0023]    A zipper  36  or other suitable releasable connector is preferably provided at the front of the vest  12  to allow the front/side panels  22  to be connected and disconnected when donned by a wearer. 
         [0024]    While the torso covering portion  14  is shown as defining a pair of arm holes  38  for the vest  14 , it should be appreciated that while the high visibility garment  10  may also be provided as a garment that includes sleeves extending from the location of the arm holes  38 , such as for example, a garment that would satisfy Class 3 requirements under the aforementioned ANSI standards.