Improvements in and relating to protective clothing/workwear garments

Abstract

 A protective clothing or workwear garment made of non-woven material has no material joining members (e.g. seams or blanket stitches) in the shoulder blade stress area of the clothing/garment, the shoulder stress area being that portion of the garment/clothing where during use stress is applied by the shoulder blades of the wearer.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to protective clothing/­workwear garments.

[0002] Some known workwear garments have afforded little actual protection to a wearer in hazardous environments, and have also tended to tear easily along seams or blanket stitches at points of stress.

[0003] A protective clothing or workwear garment in accordance with the invention is made of non-woven material and has no material joining members (e.g. seam(s) or blanket stitch(es)) in material and has no seam(s) or blanket stitch(es) in the shoulder blade stress area (as defined below) of the garment.

[0004] Such a garment affords excellent protection to a wearer in hazardous environments, and also tends not to tear easily along seams or blanket stitches.

[0005] The shoulder blade stress area of the garment is that portion of the garment where during use stress is applied by the shoulder blades of the wearer.

[0006] Suitably, the two arm and torso portions of the garment are integral whereby the garment has no seams or blanket stitches at all therebetween. Alter­natively, the two arm and torso portions of the garment are joined by seams or blanket stitches which are provided at a distance away from the shoulder blade stress areas. Preferably, the two arm and torso portions of the garment are joined by seams or blanket stitches in the "drop shoulder" fashion.

[0007] The two arm and torso portions of the garment may form a generally T shape (when the garment is laid flat), the inside edge of the arms forming an angle between 8O and llO° (preferably around lOO°) with the side of the torso portion. Such allows the wearer of the garment to raise their arms without the torso of the garment being lifted up.

[0008] The garment is advantageously made from a laminate non-woven material comprising two webs of spunbonded fibres sandwiching a central web of melt-­blown fibres. In particular, the garment may be made from the material disclosed in European Patent Application No.873O2683.5 (the contents of which are incorporated herewith by reference). Such provides a garment which will afford excellent protection to a wearer.

[0009] The garment is preferably used as a functional, lightweight outer garment for mechanics, painters, asbestos strippers, sewage personnel, chemical personnel, tyre fitters and the like.

[0010] The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front view of a garment in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a rear view of the garment of Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a front view of a further garment in accordance with the invention.

[0011] The functional, lightweight outer protective clothing/workwear garment lO shown in the drawings has a torso portion l2 in four parts l2a, l2b, l2c and l2d, two leg portions l4 and l6, and two arm portions l8 and 2O. The various portions of the garment lO are joined together by the various seams and blanket stitches as shown in Figures l and 2. Such seams and stitches can be sewn to either the outside or inside of the garment. The front of the torso portion l2 is also provided with a zip fastener 22.

[0012] In Figure 2, the shoulder blade stress areas of the garment are indicated by circles and the arrows A and B, and it will be noted that no seam or blanket stitch extends within these stress areas. The blanket stitches that are shown in Figures l and 2, are all positioned at a distance away from these stress areas, in a "drop shoulder" fashion.

[0013] The two arm portions l8 and 2O, and torso parts l2a to d are arranged to form a generally "T" shape when the garment is laid flat, and the inside edge of the arm portions form an angle around lOO° with the sides of the torso portions.

[0014] The garment is made from a laminate non-woven material comprising two webs of spunbonded fibres sandwiching a central web of melt-blown fibres. In particular, the three web layer is pattern or ultra­sonically bonded together and the surface(s) hot calendered, to provide a garment having a particle, fibrous and liquid barrier.

[0015] The garment lO is made from material having a basis weight of less than about 4 ounces per square yard, whereby the garment can be used as a lightweight outer protective clothing/workwear garment.

[0016] In Figure 3, a similar garment to that shown in Figures l and 2 is illustrated, except that the garment 24 of Figure 3 has a torso portion 26 in two parts 26a and 26b which are folded over and joined together front and back thereby eliminating the need for a shoulder seam.

Claims

1. A protective clothing or workwear garment made of non-woven material and having no material joining members in the shoulder blade stress area of the clothing/garment.

2. A protective clothing or workwear garment as claimed in claim l wherein the two arm and torso portions of the clothing/garment are integral.

3. A protective clothing or workwear garment as claimed in claim l wherein the two arm and torso portions of the clothing/garment are joined by material joining members which are provided at a distance away from the shoulder blade stress areas.

4. A protective clothing or workwear garment as claimed in claim l or 3 wherein the two arm and torso portions of the clothing/garment are joined by material joining members in the "drop shoulder" fashion.

5. A protective clothing or workwear garment as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the two arm and torso portions of the clothing/garment form a generally T shape (when the clothing/garment is laid flat).

6. A protective clothing or workwear garment as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the inside edge of the arms form an angle between 8O and llO° with the side of the torso portion.

7. A protective clothing or workwear garment as claimed in any preceding claim which is made from a laminate non-woven material.

8. A protective clothing or workwear garment as claimed in claim 7 wherein the laminate comprises two webs of spunbonded fibres sandwiching a central web of meltblown fibres.

9. A protective clothing or workwear garment as claimed in any preceding claim which is used as a functional and lightweight outer clothing/garment.

lO. A protective clothing or workwear garment as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawing