Patent Publication Number: US-6983490-B1

Title: Protective garment comprising outer shell, outer moisture barrier, thermal liner within outer moisture barrier, and inner moisture barrier at distal edges or at hems

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention pertains to a protective garment, such as a protective garment for a firefighter or for an emergency worker, of a type comprising an outer shell, a liner providing a moisture barrier within the outer shell, and a thermal liner within the liner providing the moisture barrier, which thus is located between the outer shell and the thermal liner. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In a protective garment of the type noted above, it has been known for the liner providing the moisture barrier to be inwardly folded over the thermal liner so as to form a hem, which extends for about one inch and which is sewn to the thermal liner. 
   When a protective garment of the type noted above becomes wet with water reaching beyond such a hem at the distal edge of an arm of a protective coat, reaching beyond such a hem at the lower edge of a protective coat, or reaching beyond such a hem at the distal edge of a leg of a pair of protective pants, particularly if the thermal liner has a fibrous core, water can be wicked by and through the thermal liner, which can become damp, soggy, and uncomfortable to the wearer of the protective garment. 
   Heretofore, as an expedient to prevent water from being wicked by and through the thermal liner, it has been known to apply a water-repellant finish, such as a Teflon™ or Scotchguard™ finish, to the inwardly facing surface of the thermal liner. U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,754 B1 discloses a firefighting garment of related interest. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,153 discloses an apparel liner of related interest. The apparel liner has a first vapor barrier layer and a second vapor barrier layer, each of substantially moisture impervious material, and a layer of fibrous, thermal insulating material between the first and second vapor barrier layers. 
   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/894,187, which was filed on Jul. 19, 2004, by Alan W. Schierenbeck et al. and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a composite structure of related interest. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   As summarized in a first manner, this invention provides a protective garment comprising an outer shell, a liner providing an outer moisture barrier and having an outer surface facing an inner surface of the outer shell, a thermal liner having an outer surface facing an inner surface of the liner providing the outer moisture barrier, and a liner providing an inner moisture barrier and having an outer surface facing an inner surface of the thermal liner, wherein the inner moisture barrier extends from an edge of the protective garment, into the protective garment, for at least several inches from the edge. 
   As summarized in a second manner, this invention provides in a protective garment comprising an outer shell, a liner providing a conventional moisture barrier within the outer shell, and a thermal liner within the liner providing the conventional moisture barrier, an improvement wherein a liner providing an additional moisture barrier within the thermal liner is provided and wherein the additional moisture barrier extends from an edge of the protective garment, into the protective garment, for at least several inches from the edge. 
   In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the liner providing the outer moisture barrier and the liner providing the inner moisture barrier are respective portions of a single liner, which is folded at the edge of the protective garment. In an alternative embodiment of this invention, the liner providing the outer moisture barrier and the liner providing the inner moisture barrier are made of similar materials and are affixed to one another, as by being sewn, along the edge of the protective garment. 
   This invention contemplates that, as contrasted with a water-repellant finish applied to a thermal liner by spraying, rolling, or dipping, the liners providing the respective moisture barriers are self-supporting sheets of a suitable neoprene or other rubber or of a suitable moisture-repellant material, which may be breathable. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of a firefighter wearing protective garments, namely, a protective coat and a pair of protective pants, which garments comprise several examples of a preferred embodiment of this invention.  FIG. 2 , on an enlarged scale, is a sectional view, which is similar whether taken along any of lines  2 A— 2 A,  2 B— 2 B, and  2 C— 2 C in  FIG. 1 , in a direction indicated by arrows.  FIGS. 3A and 3B  are similar, sectional views, which illustrate alternative embodiments of this invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a firefighter is wearing an ensemble of protective garments, which include a protective coat  10  having a lower edge  12  and having two arm sleeves  14 , each having a distal edge  16 , and which include a pair of protective pants  20  having two leg sleeves  24 , each having a distal edge  26 . The edges  12 ,  16 ,  26 , are regarded as edges of the protective garment  10 ,  20 . 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the lower edge  12  of the protective coat  10 , each of the distal edges  16  of the arm sleeves  14 , and the distal edges  26  of the leg sleeves  24  has a similar construction comprising an outer shell  30 , a liner  40  providing an outer moisture barrier, a thermal liner  50 , and, as provided by this invention, a liner  70  providing an inner moisture barrier, which extends from the edge  12 ,  16 ,  26  of the protective garment  10 ,  20 , into the protective garment  10 ,  20 , for at least several inches from the edge  12 ,  16 ,  26 . 
   The outer shell  30  has an inner surface  32  and is made from a suitable fabric, such as a NomeX™ or Kevlar™ fabric. The liner  40  providing the outer moisture barrier is worn within the outer shell  30 , has an outer surface  42  facing the inner surface  32  of the outer shell  30  and an inner surface  44 , and is made from a neoprene rubber, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , or from a breathable, water-repellant fabric, such as BreatheTex™ fabric. The thermal liner  50 , which is worn within the liner  40  providing the outer moisture barrier, has an outer, fabric layer  52  defining an outer surface  54  of the thermal liner  50 , an inner, fabric layer  56  defining an inner surface  58  of the thermal liner  50 , and a fibrous fill  60  interposed between those layers  52 ,  56 , and is quilted so as to segregate the fibrous fill  60  into discrete regions. The outer surface  54  of the thermal liner  50  faces the inner surface  44  of the liner  40  providing the outer moisture barrier. 
   As provided by this invention, a liner  70  providing an inner moisture barrier and having an outer surface  72  facing the inner surface  58  of the thermal liner  50  is made from the material(s) of the liner  40  providing the outer moisture barrier. The liner  70  providing the inner moisture barrier is worn within the thermal liner  50  and extends from the edge  12 ,  16 ,  26  of the protective garment  10 ,  20 , into the protective garment  10 ,  20 , for at least several inches from the edge  12 ,  16 ,  26 . Thus, the liner  70  providing the inner moisture barrier protects the thermal liner  50  against becoming wet from water entering the protective garment  10 ,  20 , for at least several inches from the edge  12 ,  16 ,  26 . However, where the liner  70  does not cover the inner surface  58  of the thermal liner  50 , the thermal liner  50 , if made from a material capable of wicking water, is able to wick sweat away from a wearer of the protective garment  10 ,  20 . 
   In the preferred embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the liner  40  providing the outer moisture barrier and the liner  70  providing the inner moisture barrier are respective portions of a single liner, which is folded over the thermal liner  50  at the edge  12 ,  16 ,  26 , of the protective garment  10 ,  20 . In the alternative embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the liner  40  providing the outer moisture barrier and the liner  70  providing the inner moisture barrier are made of similar materials and are affixed to one another, by being sewn, along the edge  12 ,  16 ,  26 , of the protective garment  10 ,  20 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the liner  70  is folded over the thermal liner  50  so as to form a hem  80 , which is sewn to the liner  40  outwardly of the outer, fabric layer  56  of the thermal liner  50 . The liner  40  could be alternatively folded over the thermal liner  50  so as to form a comparable hem, which would be then sewn to the liner  70  inwardly of the inner, fabric layer  56  of the thermal liner  50 .