Abstract:
A one-piece suit for protecting a wearer from at least one of paint, dirt, debris and moisture is described. The one-piece suit enables the entire body of a wearer to be protected. The one-piece suit offers a combination of features which make it useful for protecting the wearer from paint, dirt, debris and/or moisture, etc. The one-piece suit includes and upper body portion and a lower body portion integrally formed with the upper body portion. Leg portions have a forward side defining a protective outer surface and a rearward side formed of a material which provides more breathability than the forward side. A foot covering portion is also integrally formed with each of the leg portions and extends forwardly outward from the lower ends thereof to substantially cover the wearer&#39;s foot.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/565,823 filed Sep. 24, 2009, which is a continuation of PCT/CA2008/000665 filed Apr. 7, 2008, which claims priority on U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/910,371 filed Apr. 5, 2007, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to outerwear garments, such as one-piece suits, pants, chaps, leggings and the like. Particularly, the present invention relates to a garment providing protection of at least the lower legs and feet of a wearer. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Protective outerwear garments exist in a variety of different forms, and are used for an equally large variety of applications. Protective trousers and pants, for example, are used by workers in a number of fields in order to protect both the user&#39;s own legs and their clothing. 
         [0004]    Certain specific activities tend to particularly cause damage and/or cause user&#39;s clothes and shoes to become wet, dirty, etc. One such activity is cutting, trimming or “weed wacking” grass and other foliage, during which the user&#39;s shoes and legs tend to become wet, messy, moist and/or dirty from the grass and vegetation clippings created. Further, if larger plants or foliage are being cleared, there exists the risk causing injury to the user&#39;s leg, if no protective garments are worn. Another such activity is painting, during which one&#39;s shoes can become splattered with paint even if protective trousers or suits are worn. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, there exists a need to provide an improved protective garment which will help protect at least the lower legs and shoes of a wearer, particularly during such activities as painting, and cutting and trimming grass and other foliage, for example using a lawn mower, a “weed wacker”, and the like. Improvements are thus needed in order to provide a new and improved type of lightweight, low cost, lower leg and foot covering and protecting outerwear garment. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Therefore, in accordance with a first broad aspect, there is provided a one-piece suit for protecting a wearer from at least one of paint, dirt, debris and moisture, the one-piece suit comprising: an upper body portion for covering the upper body of the wearer, the upper portion comprising at least a trunk covering portion covering a wearer&#39;s chest and back and arm portions connected to and extending from the trunk covering portion to cover at least a portion of the wearer&#39;s arms; a lower body portion integrally formed with the upper body portion and connected to a lower end of the trunk covering portion thereof, the lower body portion forming trousers for covering the lower body of the wearer and comprising a pelvis covering portion covering the wearer&#39;s pelvis region and leg portions connected to and extending from the pelvis covering portion, the leg portions being substantially tubular and having an upper end and a lower end, the tubular leg portions having an enclosed circumference along their complete length between the upper and lower ends; at least the leg portions of the one-piece suit comprising a forward side entirely composed of a first material and a rearward side entirely composed of a second material different from the first material, the second material being more breathable than the first material, and the first material of the forward side defining a protective outer surface which provides greater protection than the second material, wherein the rearward side of said at least the leg portions providing greater breathability but less protection than said forward side thereof; and a foot covering portion which is integrally formed with each of the leg portions and extends only forwardly outward from the lower end thereof to cover the entirety of an upper surface of the wearer&#39;s foot, the foot covering portion being self-supporting and having a rigidity that is greater than that of the leg portions, the foot covering portion being free from fastening straps such that the foot covering portion rests on top of the wearer&#39;s foot without being fastened thereto. 
         [0007]    In accordance with a second broad aspect, there is provided a one-piece suit for protecting a wearer from at least one of paint, dirt, debris and moisture, the one-piece suit comprising: an upper body portion for covering the upper body of the wearer; and a lower body portion integrally formed with the upper body portion and connected thereto for covering the lower body of the wearer, the lower body portion including leg portions having an enclosed circumference along their complete length between upper and lower ends thereof, the leg portions having a forward side and a rearward side extending between the upper and lower ends, the forward side defining a protective outer surface and the rearward side being formed of a material which provides more breathability than the forward side of the leg portions, and wherein a foot covering portion is integrally formed with each of the leg portions and extends forwardly outward from the lower end thereof to substantially cover the wearer&#39;s foot, the foot covering portion being free from fastening straps such that the foot covering portion rests on top of the wearer&#39;s foot without being fastened thereto. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a side perspective view of a right-leg protective legging in accordance with one embodiment; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  shows a front view of a pair of the protective leggings of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  shows a rear view of the protective leggings of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4A  is a partial view of a lower, foot-covering portion of one of the protective leggings of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view of the lower, foot-covering portion of  FIG. 4A , taken through line  4 B- 4 B; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a front view of a pair of protective trousers in accordance with an alternate embodiment; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a pair of protective overalls in accordance with an alternate embodiment; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a protective one-piece suit in accordance with an alternate embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the protective garment  10  in accordance with one embodiment comprises two protective leggings  11 , of which only the right-leg legging is visible in  FIG. 1 . The protective garment  10  constitutes a lower body protective garment which helps to protect and keep clean and dry at least the lower legs and the feet/shoes of a wearer. The protective garment  10  comprises, as best seen in  FIG. 2 , a pair of separate protective leggings  11 , namely one for the right leg and one for the left leg of the user. In this embodiment, the separate leggings  11  are not attached together or otherwise inter-engaged in any way. Each is separately put on by the wearer. 
         [0018]    In this embodiment, unlike many chaps and/or other leg protection garments which exist, each of the leggings  11  wraps around the entire circumference of the wearer&#39;s leg, i.e. it is not an open-backed type of chap, but rather each is an enclosed pant leg. As such, each of the leggings  11  is formed by tubular leg portions which have an enclosed circumference. Existing chaps typically cover only the front portions of the wearer&#39;s legs, and thus have open-backs which require a number of straps, buckles, etc. to close and to fasten the chaps in place on one&#39;s leg. The protective leggings  10  however completely encircle the wearer&#39;s legs, from a point near the midpoint or upper end of the wearer&#39;s thigh. In this embodiment, the protective garment  10  thus constitutes only lower-body protection. 
         [0019]    In contrast, each of the leggings  11  of the protective garment  10  includes leg portions  12 , which are tubular and full-circumference, and therefore resemble more like detached pant legs which the user will have to put their feet through and pull up in order to put them on. At least the frontward facing side of the tubular leg portions  12  have a protective outer surface and/or or made of a material which is preferably lightweight, waterproof and relatively flexible, such as to be comfortable to wear. Any suitable material may be used, however preferably is one of relatively good resistance to wear and tear, given that grass, sticks, and other materials may be projected thereon by a mower, weed wacker, or other device which the wearer may be operating. The material may also be breathable in order to make the leggings more comfortable for wear outside in warm weather. Both the front (i.e. covering the front of the wearer&#39;s leg) and back (i.e. covering the back of the wearer&#39;s leg) sides of the leg portions  12  may be made of the same material, however alternately the back side may be made of a different material, for example one which is perhaps less protective, waterproof, and/or more breathable. As best seen in  FIG. 3 , the rear of the leg portions  12  may be provided with an opening  14  along a portion of their length, the opening  14  being preferably covered with a mesh or screen-type material  16 , or alternately another material which is more breathable than that of the main surfaces of the leg portions  12 . The mesh  16  is advantageous as it allows improved ventilation and breathability, while nonetheless preventing insects from easily being able to bite the wearer&#39;s legs. It is to be understood that the mesh covered opening  14  in the back surface of the leg portions  12  may be larger or smaller, as required. 
         [0020]    As best seen in  FIGS. 1-3 , at the upper end  18  of each of the leg portions  12  is provided an attachment member  20  used to removably fasten the legging  11  to an article of clothing of the wearer, such as a belt for example. In at least one embodiment, this attachment member  20  includes a single strap  21  which extends upwards and is wrapped around the wearer&#39;s belt and then fastened to the outer surface of the side of the legging, such as by using a Velcro™ type releasable attachment  22  having one part disposed on the inside of the strap  21  and the other mating part disposed on the outer surface of the side of the legging. Although in the present embodiment the attachment member  20  is disposed on the outer sides of each of the leg portions  12 , they can be similarly located further toward the front or back of each of the leg portions  11 . The strap  21  is preferably integrally formed with the material of the leg portions  12 , however could also be made of a separate strap material which is fastened in place on the upper end  18  of the leg portions  12 . 
         [0021]    As best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 4A , each of the protective leggings  11  includes a foot or shoe covering portion  24 , which is fixed to a lower end  26  of the leg portions  12 . In one embodiment, the foot covering portion  24  has a greater rigidity than that of the leg portion  12  and offers a greater protection that does the outer surface of the leg portion  12 . Alternatively, both the foot covering portion  24  and the leg portion  12  have the same rigidity and offer a comparable protection. They can either be made of the same material or of different materials. The foot covering portion  24  extends outwardly from the base of the pant leg portion  12  in order to cover at least a majority of the instep of the wearer&#39;s foot. Preferably, the foot covering portion  24  extends completely the length of the wearer&#39;s foot, such as to reach to or just over the toes (or more specifically the tips of the shoes) of the wearer. Alternatively, the foot covering portion  24  covers completely the forepart of the wearer&#39;s shoe, including a part of the shoe&#39;s sole. However, the foot covering portion  24  is not attached to the wearer&#39;s shoe at any location, but remains in place thereon due to its self supporting structure as described further below. The foot covering portion can also cover and protect the rear part of the wearer&#39;s foot, including the heel by descending completely to the ground level proximate the wearer&#39;s heel. The foot covering portion  24  is self supporting, in that it retains its shape and structure without requiring it to be fastened, such as be by straps or the like, directly to the wearer&#39;s foot. In at least one embodiment, as seen in  FIG. 4B , the foot covering portion  24  comprises a more padded material  25  that provides more padding relative to that of the pant leg portions  12 . Alternately, a rigid, or semi-rigid reinforcing insert  27  may be provided within the enclosed material of the foot covering portion  24 , in order to provide improved protection and resistance to impacts, etc. For example, the reinforcing insert  27  can be a plate  29  having a form adapted to cover at least the forepart of the wearer&#39;s foot and to be self-supporting. This plate can be made of any rigid or semi-rigid material such as plastic, composites, metal or any combination thereof In this case, the reinforcing plate offers a greater rigidity than that of the remainder of the foot covering portion  24 . In one embodiment, the reinforcing insert is removable from the enclosed material. The cut and shape of the panels making up the foot portion  24  are also preferably formed such that the overlying foot portion  24  of the leggings  11  retains its shape and remains substantially in place on top of the shoe or boot  30  of the wearer, as seen in  FIG. 4A . Thus, the foot covering portion  24  is retained in place, without the need of any fastening means, such as heel, instep or toe straps for example. The foot covering portion therefore merely sits on top of the instep of the wearer&#39;s foot, permitting a good range of motion and freedom of movement for the wearer&#39;s foot, angle and leg. 
         [0022]    Given the relative simplicity of the protective leggings  10 , the lack of a multitude of fastening straps required to keep them in place, as well as their flexibility and light weight, these protective leggings are much more comfortable and less complex and time consuming to put-on, take-off and wear. 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a protective garment  50  in the form of a pair of trousers of an alternate embodiment is shown. The protective garment  50  comprises two leg portions  52  connected together at the level of a wearer&#39;s crotch. A pelvis covering portion  54  covers at least the front surface of the wearer&#39;s pelvis and is connected to each one of the leg portions  52 . Alternatively, the pelvis covering portion  54  can cover both the front and back surfaces of the wearer&#39;s pelvis. Each one of the two leg portions  52  is provided with a self-supporting foot covering portion  24 . The foot covering portion  24  is exactly as that described above with respect to the leggings  10 . The leg portions  52  are tubular to completely encircle a wearer&#39;s legs. The rear of the leg portions  52  may be provided with an opening along a portion of their length and this opening can be covered with a breathable material. Any mechanical fastening means, such as a belt, a strap, a zipper, buttons, etc, can be used to fasten the protective garment  50  on the wearer. 
         [0024]      FIG. 6  illustrates another embodiment of a protective garment having the form of an apron or overall  60 . The overall  60  comprises two leg portions  62  and a bib  64  which covers at least part of the wearer&#39;s torso. The leg portions  62  are tubular to completely encircle the wearer&#39;s legs. The protective garment  60  is provided with a self-supporting foot covering portion  24  at the end of each leg portions. The foot covering portion  24  is exactly as that described above with respect to the leggings  10 . The bib  64  covers at least a front portion of the wearer&#39;s chest and can also cover a portion of the wearer&#39;s back. A pair of suspenders  66  extend over a wearer&#39;s shoulders are used to fasten the overall  60  in place. Alternatively, a neck strap can be used in replacement of the suspenders  66 . The rear of the overall  60  can be made of a material being less resistant than the front. Additionally, openings can be provided in the rear side of the overall  60  and these openings can be covered by a breathable material. 
         [0025]      FIG. 7  illustrates a one-piece suit protective garment  70  according to another embodiment. The protective garment  70  comprises a trunk covering portion  72 , two arm covering portions  74  and two leg portions  76 . The covering portions  72 ,  74 , and  76  are connected together such that the assembly form a one piece suit such as an overall. The trunk covering portion  72  covers both the chest and the back of the wearer. Each one of the arm covering portions  74  and the leg covering portions  76  is tubular to completely encircle the wearer&#39;s arm and leg, respectively, and the arm covering portions  74  cover at least a portion of the wearer&#39;s arms. The protective garment  70  is provided with a foot covering portion  24  at the end of each leg portions  76 . The foot covering portion  24  is exactly as that described above with respect to the leggings  10 . 
         [0026]    The embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7  offer a greater protection to the wearer in comparison to the protective leggings  10  and trousers  50  as they also cover at least part of the wearer&#39;s chest. For example, the one-piece suit protective garment  70  can be used to protect entirely the wearer from paint splashes. 
         [0027]    The embodiments described above are intended to be exemplary. Those skilled in the art will therefore appreciate that the forgoing description is illustrative only, and that various alternatives and modifications can be devised without departing from the present invention as defined in the claims. Accordingly, the present is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.