Patent Publication Number: US-2007101477-A1

Title: Protective garment having outer title shell, inner liner and standards indicia

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention pertains to a protective garment, such as a protective coat, protective pants, protective coveralls, or protective overalls, which is worn by a firefighter or by an emergency rescue worker.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      As exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,410, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, it is known to provide a protective garment, which has an outer shell and a thermal liner, with a tab extending from the thermal liner. The tab is attachable detachably to the outer shell, as an indicator that the thermal liner is being worn within the outer shell.  
      Other protective garments having liner-detecting or liner-indication features are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,806, No. 4,774,725, No. 4,768,233, and No. 4,817,210 (which are discussed in columns 1 and 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,410) and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,438.  
      As exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,843 B1, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, it is known for a protective garment having an outer shell, a thermal liner, and a liner including a moisture barrier to be selectively configured with neither liner attached within the outer shell, with either liner attached within the outer shell, or with both liners attached within the outer shell.  
      At a firefighting or other emergency incident, it is important for responsible personnel, such as incident commanders and safety officers, quickly to ascertain whether the protective garments worn by personnel responding to the incident are appropriate for the incident.  
      Commonly, such personnel refer to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, which currently include NFPA 1999 (03) for “Protective Clothing for Emergency Medical Operations”, which commonly and hereinafter is abbreviated as NFPA 1999, NFPA 1992 (00) for “Liquid Splash-Protective Clothing for Hazardous Materials Emergencies”, which commonly and hereinafter is abbreviated as NFPA 1992, NFPA 1977 (98) for “Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Fire Fighting”, which commonly and hereinafter is abbreviated as NFPA 1977, NFPA 1971 (00) “Protective Ensemble for Structural Firefighting”, which commonly and hereinafter is abbreviated as NFPA 1971, and NFPA 1951 (01) for “Protective Ensemble for USAR Operations”, which commonly and hereinafter is abbreviated as NFPA 1951. USAR is an acronym for Urban Search and Rescue.  
      Broadly, for a protective garment to conform to NFPA (1977), the protective garment must have an outer shell but does not have to have a liner providing a moisture barrier or a thermal liner. Broadly, for a protective garment to conform to NFPA 1999, to NFPA 1992, or to NFPA 1951, the protective garment must have a liner providing a moisture barrier, as well as an outer shell, but does not have to have a thermal liner. Broadly, for a protective garment to conform to NFPA 1971, the protective garment must have an outer shell, a liner providing a moisture barrier, and a thermal liner.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention combines a protective garment, which has an outer shell, and a liner, which is wearable within the protective garment. The protective garment is wearable without the liner. When worn without or without the liner, the protective garment displays an indicium or indicia that the protective garment conforms to at least one standard for protective garments. The liner, when worn within the protective garment, displays an indicium or indicia that the protective garment conforms to at least one standard, which is a different standard, for protective garments.  
      Preferably, when the liner is worn within the protective garment, the indicium or indicia displayed by the inner liner is manipulatable so as to mask the indicium or indicia displayed by the protective garment when worn with or without the liner. The indicium or indicia displayed by the liner may be thus displayed on a tag, which extends from the liner and which, when the liner is worn within the outer shell, is manipulatable so as to mask the indicium or indicia displayed by the protective garment when worn with or without the liner but so as to display the indicium or indicia displayed by the liner. Preferably, the tag, when manipulated so as to mask the indicium or indicia displayed by the protective garment when worn with or without the liner, is attachable detachably to the outer shell. Preferably, the tag is attachable detachably to the outer shell, via coactive elements on the outer shell and on the tag respectively. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a fragmentary, partly broken away, front view of a protective ensemble including a protective coat, which comprises an outer shall, an intermediate liner providing a moisture barrier, and a thermal liner and in which the outer shell displays indicia (“1999” and “1951”) which are abbreviated indications that the protective coat, when worn with or without the thermal liner, conforms to two relevant standards, namely, NFPA 1999 and NFPA 1951. FIG.  2  is a similar view, wherein a tag extending from the thermal liner has been manipulated and has been attached detachably to the outer shell, via coacting hook-and-loop elements, so as mask the indicia displayed by the protective coat but so as to display an indicium (“1971”) that the protective coat conforms to a different standard, namely, NFPA 1971. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT  
      As illustrated, a protective ensemble for a firefighter comprises a protective coat  10 , a pair of protective pants  12 , and a pair of protective gloves  14 , only one of which is illustrated. The protective coat  10  comprises an outer shell  20 , an intermediate liner  22  providing a moisture barrier, and a thermal liner  30 , which is wearable within the protective coat  10  and which, as illustrated, is being worn within the intermediate liner  22 . The protective coat  10  is wearable without the thermal liner  30 .  
      A fabric tab  40  is attached, as by stitching, to the thermal liner  30  so as to extend from a lower edge  32  of the thermal liner  30 . The fabric tab  40  has an expansive surface  42  facing outwardly when the fabric tab  40  is allowed to hang freely from the thermal liner  30  and an expansive surface  44  facing inwardly when the fabric tab  40  is allowed to hang freely from the thermal liner  30 .  
      A hook-and-loop attaching means, such as a Velcro™ fastener, is provided, which comprises a hook-faced, fabric panel  52  and a loop-faced, fabric panel  54 . The hook-faced, fabric panel  52  is attached, as by stitching, adhesively, or in both ways, to an end portion  46  of the fabric tab  40 , so as to face facing outwardly when the fabric tab  40  is allowed to hang freely from the thermal liner  30 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The loop-faced, fabric panel  54  is attached, as by stitching, adhesively, or in both ways, to the outer shell  20  so as to face outwardly.  
      A smaller, fabric panel  60  is attached, as by stitching, to the loop-faced, fabric panel  54 , so as to cover a central portion of the loop-faced, fabric panel  54  but so as not to cover outer, marginal portions of the loop-faced, fabric panel  54 . In an alternative embodiment, which is not illustrated, the smaller, fabric panel  60  is sewn to the outer shell  20 , beneath the loop-faced, fabric panel  54 . The fabric tab  40  can be upwardly folded (manipulated) from its freely hanging position, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , to an upwardly folded position, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . In the upwardly folded position of the fabric tab  40 , the end portion  46  of the fabric tab  40  covers the loop-faced, fabric panel  54 , so as to mask the smaller, fabric panel  60 , and outer, marginal portions of the hook-faced, fabric panel coact with outer, marginal portions of the loop-faced, fabric panel  54 , so as to attach the end portion  46  of the fabric tab  40  detachably to the outer shell  20 .  
      The smaller, fabric panel  60  displays two indicia, namely, “1999” and “1951”. The indicium “1999” is an abbreviated indicium that the protective coat  10 , when worn without the thermal liner  30 , conforms to NFPA 1999. The indicium “1951 is an abbreviated indicium that the protective coat  10 , when worn without the thermal liner  30 , conforms to NFPA 1951. In the upwardly folded position of the fabric tab  40 , the hook-faced, fabric panel  52  masks the indicia displayed by the smaller, fabric panel  60 .  
      The fabric tab  40  displays an indicium “1971” on the end portion  46 , so as to face inwardly when the fabric tab  40  is allowed to hand freely, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . In the upwardly folded position of the fabric tab  40 , when the end portion  46  of the fabric tab  40  masks the indicia displayed by the smaller, fabric panel  60 , the indicium “1971” displayed by the fabric tab  40  faces outwardly. The indicium “1971” is an abbreviated indicium that the protective coat  10 , which comprises the outer shell  20  and the thermal liner  30 , conforms to NFPA 1971.  
      Although this invention, as illustrated and as described above, is embodied in a protective coat, this invention can be similarly embodied in protective garments of different types, such as protective pants, protective overalls, or protective coveralls.