Patent Publication Number: US-6662372-B2

Title: Coat and harness combination

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention pertains to a coat, such as a coat for an emergency care provider, for a rescue worker, or for a firefighter, which is combined with a harness. The harness has two leg straps, which are stowable in a leg strap pocket of the coat, when the leg straps are not deployed. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Commonly, a firefighter fighting a fire in a tall building not only wears protective clothing, such as a turnout coat and bunker pants, but also wears a harness, which the firefighter can use, along with a rope or ropes, to descend from an unsafe situation. 
     As exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,136,724 and 5,036,548, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, it has been known to combine firefighter&#39;s pants (trousers) and a harness, which a firefighter can don together. The harness has two leg straps, which are deployed between and around a wearer&#39;s thighs whenever the pants (trousers) and the harness are worn. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention provides a coat and harness combination comprising a coat, which has a leg strap pocket, and a harness, which has two leg straps. This invention does not require the leg straps to be always deployed between and around a wearer&#39;s thighs whenever the provided combination is worn. Rather, this invention enables the leg straps to be removably stowed in the thigh strap pocket, until such time as the wearer decides to remove the thigh straps and to deploy the thigh straps between and around the wearer&#39;s thighs, whereby to prepare to use the harness. 
     Each thigh strap has a first end, at which said thigh strap is attached permanently to other portions of the harness, preferably at a rear portion of the firefighter&#39;s coat and harness combination. Each thigh strap has a second end, at which said thigh strap is attachable detachably to other portions of the harness, preferably at a front portion of the provided combination. The thigh straps, while detached at their second ends are stowable removably in the thigh strap pocket, preferably at a rear portion of the provided combination. 
     Moreover, the thighs straps, when removed from the thigh strap pocket, are attachable detachably at their second ends to other portions of the harness. Preferably, the thighs straps are attached detachably at their second ends to those portions of the harness, via a connector on each thigh strap and a connector interfitting with the connector on said thigh strap. Preferably, moreover, the connectors that interfit with the connectors on the thigh straps are stowable in the side pockets when the thigh straps are not attached at their second ends. 
     Preferably, the coat has a flap having a first edge and a second edge. The flap is foldable along the first edge to close the thigh strap pocket and to open the thigh strap pocket. The second edge is attachable detachably to a rear portion of the coat, above the first edge, when the thigh strap pocket is closed, preferably via hook-and-loop fastening means. 
     The coat and harness combination provided by this invention can be advantageously worn by an emergency care worker, by a rescue worker, or by a firefighter. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coat and harness combination embodying this invention, as viewed from a front lower vantage. In FIG. 1, two thigh straps of the harness are stowed in a thigh strap pocket of the firefighter&#39;s coat. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the harness, apart from the coat. In FIG. 2, a wearer is suggested in broken lines. 
     FIG. 3, on a larger scale compared to FIGS. 1 and 2, is a fragmentary, perspective view of the coat and harness combination, as viewed in FIG. 1, except that the thigh strap pocket has been opened and the thigh straps have been removed from the thigh strap pocket. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5, on a larger scale compared to FIG. 3, are fragmentary, perspective views, each illustrating a given one of two side pockets of the coat and each illustrating a connector, which is stowed in the same one of the side pockets. 
     FIG. 6, on a similar scale, is a perspective view of the coat and harness combination, as worn with a pair of pants, the thigh straps having been removed from the thigh strap pocket, which is concealed in FIG. 6, and the connectors having been removed from the side pockets. 
     FIG. 7, on a similar scale, is a similar view, the thigh straps having been deployed between and around a wearer&#39;s thighs and having been attached detachably to the connectors. 
     FIGS. 8 and 10, on a larger scale compared to FIGS. 4 through 7, are fragmentary, perspective views of the thigh straps, as attached detachably to the connectors. 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional detail, as taken along line  9 — 9  in FIG. 8, in a direction indicated by arrows. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 1,  2 , and, 3  and in other views, a coat and harness combination  10  embodying this invention combines a coat  20  and a harness  30 . The coat  20  has a conventional construction except as illustrated and described herein, and has an outer, abrasion-resistant layer  22  and inner, moisture-resistant and thermally insulative layers  24 . The coat  20  has a thigh strap pocket  26 , which is novel, and two side pockets  28 . The harness  30 has a conventional construction, except as illustrated and described herein, and has plural straps made of a suitable, woven material, such as nylon. Except as illustrated and described herein, particulars of the coat  20  and particulars of the harness  30  are outside the scope of this invention. 
     Those straps include two thigh straps  32 , which when the harness  30  is being used are deployed between and around a wearer&#39;s thighs and are attached detachably to two side straps  34  of the harness  30 , via connectors  38  on the thigh straps  32  and connectors  40  on the side straps  40 . Those straps include a buttocks-encircling strap  36 , which when the harness  30  is being used encircles a wearer&#39;s buttocks. As contemplated by this invention, the thigh straps  32  are stowable in a thigh strap pocket  26  of the coat  20 , when the thigh straps  32  are not deployed, and the connectors  40  are stowable in the side pockets  28  when the thigh straps  32  are not attached to the connectors  40 . 
     Each thigh strap  32  has a first end  42 , at which said thigh strap  32  is sewn so as to be permanently attached to the buttocks encircling strap  44 , at a rear portion of the coat  20 . Each thigh strap  32  has a second end  46 , at which said thigh strap  32  is attachable detachably to an associated one of the side straps  34 , at a front portion of the coat  20 , via an associated one of the connectors  38  and an associated one of the connectors  40 . The connectors  38 ,  40 , which are used conventionally in harnesses, are held on the respective straps in a known manner and interfit in a known manner, as illustrated in FIGS. 8,  9 , and  10 . Particulars of the connectors  38 ,  40 , are outside the scope of this invention. 
     As illustrated in FIG.  1  and in FIG. 3, the thigh strap pocket  26  is defined by a flap  50 , which is sewn to and within the coat  20 , preferably to and within the outer layer  22 . The flap  50  has a first edge  52 , along which the flap  50  is sewn thereto, along which the flap  50  is foldable to close the thigh strap pocket  26 , as illustrated in FIG. 1, and to open the thigh strap pocket  26 , as illustrated in FIG.  3 . The flap  50  has a second edge  54 , which is opposite to the first edge and along which the flap  50  is attachable detachably to and within the coat  20 , preferably to and within the outer layer  22 , when the thigh strap pocket  26  is closed. 
     Preferably, as illustrated, hook-and-loop fastening means  60 , which comprise a hook-faced tape  62  sewn to and within the flap  50  and a loop-faced tape  64  sewn to and within the coat  20 , are used to attach the flap  50  detachably to and within the coat  20 . Alternatively, the hook-faced tape  62  and the loop-faced tape  64  are interchanged. Alternatively, other fastening means that are not illustrated, such as snap fasteners, buttons and buttonholes, or zippers, are used to attach the flap  50  detachably to and within the coat  20 . 
     As mentioned hereinbefore, the thigh straps  32  are stowable in a thigh strap pocket  26  of the coat  20 , when the thigh straps  32  are not deployed, and the connectors  40  are stowable in the side pockets  28  when the thigh straps  32  are not attached to the connectors  40 . Advantageously, therefore, the thigh straps  32  do not have to be always deployed between and around a wearer&#39;s thighs whenever the firefighter&#39;s coat and harness combination  10  is worn.