Patent Publication Number: US-6990687-B2

Title: Fire protective trousers with belt closure system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to fire protective clothing, and in particular to fire protective trousers worn by firefighters, emergency responders and rescue workers. 
   2. The Prior Art 
   Fire protective trousers for use by firefighters, emergency responders, rescue workers, etc., are conventionally formed of an outer shell that is made of a fire protective material and a removable liner that is itself formed of an outer layer of a moisture barrier material and an inner layer of a thermal material, these layers being stitched together along their peripheries. The outer shell includes fastening means for attachment of the liner therein. In order to position the trousers on a wearer, it can include buttons or other means for attachment of suspenders, or it can include belt loops spaced around its waist area through which a belt can be extended, or it can include an elastic band that extends peripherally around its waist area. The use of a belt provides a fixed circumference to the trousers and thus a desired tight fitting around the waist of a wearer. The use of an elastic band provides for a flexible fit around the waist of a wearer and thus accommodates bending and sitting movements of the wearer. However, neither attachment means is ideal since the use of a belt does not accommodate bending and sitting of the wearer and the use of an elastic band may not provide sufficient tightness around the waist of the wearer. 
   A need exists for a belting system in fire protective trousers that accommodates varying waist sizes of wearers yet provides a degree of flexure in the waist area to accommodate bending and sitting. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to this invention, a pair of fire protective trousers includes an outer shell that has a belt closure system that includes an elastic band that is attached to the outer shell around a rear portion thereof, right and left belt guides connected to the outer shell, and right and left belt sections that are respectively connected at rear ends to the outer shell and extend through the respective right and left belt guides to front ends that connect with right and left snap buckle parts, these snap buckle parts being engagable to fixedly position the trousers on a wearer and provide a positive closure for a fly flap at the front of the trousers, while the elastic band along its back portion provides a degree of flexure that accommodates bending and sitting of the wearer. One of the belt sections can be adjustably connected to the associated buckle part to enable adjustment to the waist size of the wearer. The use of a snap buckle enables easy attachment and detachment of the belt sections even when the wearer is wearing gloves. 
   Further features and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the attached drawings, taken in conjunction with the following discussion. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of an upper portion of a pair of fire protective trousers that includes a belt closure system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, 
       FIG. 2  is a rear view of the fire protective trousers of  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 3  is a cross section through the fire protective trousers as seen along line  3 — 3  in  FIG. 1 , 
       FIG. 4  is a cross section through the fire protective trousers as seen along line  4 — 4  in  FIG. 1 , and 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of the snap buckle of the belt closure system. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  show an upper of a pair of fire protective trousers that include a belt closure system according to this invention. The trousers, generally labeled  10 , include an outer shell  20  and a removable liner  30 . The belt closure system is generally labeled  40  in  FIG. 1 . 
   The outer shell  20 , which is made of a flame resistant material such as NOMEX® fabric, includes a right front panel  21 , a right rear panel  22 , a left front panel  23  and a left rear panel  24 . As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the right front panel  21  extends laterally behind the right side of the trousers so that the generally vertical seam  21   a  that connects the right front panel  21  to the right rear panel  22  is located in the right rear area of the trousers. Likewise, the left front panel  23  extends laterally behind the left side of the trousers so that the generally vertical seam  23   a  that connects the left front panel  23  to the left rear panel  24  is located in the left rear area of the trousers. The upper edge of the trousers is labeled  25 , and below this upper edge is a belting area  26  that extends around the periphery of the trousers. A fly covering flap  27  attached to the left front panel  23  can be connected to the front of the right front panel  21  by suitable fastening means, e.g., hook and loop fasteners, to cover the fly between these panels, e.g., a zipper, buttons or other fastening elements (not shown). 
   A waistband  28  is attached to the inside of the upper edge  25  of the outer shell to hang downwardly within the outer shell, this waistband including inwardly directed snap sockets  29  at spaced locations around its periphery. The waistband  28  includes a layer  28   a  of moisture barrier material and a layer  28   b  of a thermal material. 
   As can be seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the liner  30  includes an outer layer  31  of moisture barrier material and an inner layer  35  of thermal material. The inner layer  35  includes outwardly-directed snap studs  36  at spaced locations around its periphery for attachment to the snap sockets  29  on the waistband  28 . The upper ends of the inner layer  35  and the outer layer  31  are otherwise detachably connected by fastening means such as interengagable snap sockets and snap studs (not shown) at spaced locations around their peripheries. Those locations are preferably intermediate the locations of the snap studs  36  on the inner layer  35 . 
   The belt closure system  40  of the invention include various elements on the belting area  26  of the outer shell  20  to enhance fitting and tightening the trousers around the waist of a wearer. As seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 , an elastic band  41  is attached (sewn) to the inside surface of the back portion of the outer shell  20  along its belting area  26  between the seams  21   a  and  23   a  to provide a flexible enclosure area that can accommodate movements of the wearer such as torso bending which occurs regularly during use. A right belt guide in the form of a sheath  42  is connected (sewn) to the outer side of the outer shell  20  along its belting area  26  so as to extend from the seam  21   a  to a mouth  43  near the fly covering flap  27  at the front of the trousers. A right belt section  44  extends through the right sheath  42  from a rear end  45  that is sewn to the outer shell to a front end  46  that extends freely beyond the mouth  43 . This front end  46  is adjustably threaded through a first part  61  of a snap buckle  60  (see  FIG. 5 ). Likewise, a left belt guide in the form of a sheath  52  is connected (sewn) to the outer side of the outer shell  20  along its belting area  26  so as to extend from the seam  23   a  to mouth  53  near the closure flap  27  at the front of the trousers. A left belt section  54  extends through the left sheath  52  from a rear end  55  that is sewn to the outer shell to a front end  56  that extends freely beyond the mouth  53 . This front end  56  is fixedly connected to a second part  62  of the snap buckle  60 . The first and second parts  61 ,  62  of the snap buckle  60  can be connected to fixedly mount the trousers around the waist of a wearer and to provide a positive closure over the fly covering flap  27 , or be disconnected for easy removal of the trousers even when the wearer may be wearing gloves. The sheaths  42  and  52  are made of a flame protective material such a NOMEX® fabric so as to protect the portions of belt sections  44  and  54  therein from environmental exposure. The belt sections  44  and  54  are made of a durable and flame resistant material such a NOMEX® webbing. 
   While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, modifications therein can be made and still fall within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the sheaths  42  and  52  can be replaced by one or more loops that are located between the rear and front ends of the respective belt section that extend therethrough. In addition, the belt sections  44  and  54  can respectively include at least one elasticized portion, if desired, to provide additional flexibility in the waist area of the trousers when the snap buckle  60  is closed.