FIREFIGHTER PROTECTIVE GARMENT HAVING VARYING COMPOSITE STRUCTURES TO INCREASE DISSIPATION OF METABOLIC HEAT

Abstract

A firefighter's protective garment including an outer shell, moisture barrier and thermal barrier in which the composite structure varies according to the sweating cartography of the human body and in so doing enhances the evacuation of metabolic heat.

Claims

1. A firefighter garment comprising: a plurality of layers, each of the layers having at least one of an outer shell property, a moisture barrier property and a thermal barrier property, wherein a weight of at least one of the layers having at least one of the outer shell property or the thermal barrier property is selectively reduced in pre-determined areas of the garment.

2. The firefighter garment according to claim 1, wherein said reduction in weight of pre-determined areas of at least one of the layers having at least one of the outer shell property or the thermal barrier property is achieved by assembling the garment with panels made of at least one of outer shell materials or thermal barrier materials having differing weights.

3. The firefighter garment according to claim 2, wherein said panels of differing weights comprise lighter weight materials and are placed in locations corresponding to bodily areas of high rates of perspiration and metabolic heat transfer.

4. The firefighter garment according to claim 2, wherein said panels of differing weights made of at least one of outer shell materials or thermal barrier materials are made of the same materials as the at least one of the layers having at least one of the outer shell property or the thermal barrier property of a body of the garment, and have a lighter weight.

5. The firefighter garment according to claim 2, wherein said panels of differing weights made of at least one of outer shell materials or thermal barrier materials are made of different materials from the at least one of the layers having at least one of the outer shell property or the thermal barrier property of a body of the garment.

6. The firefighter garment according to claim 2, wherein said panels meet all performance requirements of a NFPA 1971 standard.

7. The firefighter garment according to claim 3, wherein THL values for three layers comprising the lighter-weight panels made of the at least one of outer shell materials or thermal barrier materials and the layer having the moisture barrier property are higher than THL values for a rest of the garment.

8. A firefighter garment comprising: a plurality of layers, each of the layers having at least one of an outer shell property, a moisture barrier property and a thermal barrier property, wherein at least one of the layers comprises a performance-based composite structure positioned in pre-determined areas of the garment.

9. The firefighter garment according to claim 8, wherein the composite structure offers a higher THL value with respect to an adjacent area of the garment and is placed in a location corresponding to a bodily area of high rate of perspiration and metabolic heat transfer.

10. The firefighter garment according to claim 8, wherein a layer having a moisture barrier property offers a higher THL value with respect to an adjacent area of the garment and is placed in a location corresponding to a bodily area of high rate of perspiration and metabolic heat transfer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 1 is a front and back schematic view of a body illustrating body heat zones.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a front and back schematic view of a body with a coat garment thereon in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a front and back schematic view of a body illustrating body heat zones.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a front and back schematic view of a body with a pant garment thereon in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a front and back schematic view of a body illustrating body zones subject to high and dangerous heat from exterior sources.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a front and back schematic view of a body with a coat and pant garment thereon in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar elements. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, namely so as to not unduly burden the figures with several references numbers, not all figures contain references to all the components and features, and references to some components and features may be found in only one figure, and components and features of the present invention illustrated in other figures can be easily inferred therefrom. The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materials mentioned and/or dimensions shown in the figures are optional, and are given for exemplification purposes only.

[0039] Furthermore, although the present invention may be used with various objects, such as firefighter garments, for example, it is understood that it may be used with other types of garments or articles of clothing. For this reason, expressions such as garments, etc. as used herein should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present invention to these garments in particular. These expressions encompass all other kinds of materials, objects and/or purposes with which the present invention could be used and may be useful, as can be easily understood.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, there is provided a firefighter garment 10 including an outer shell, a moisture barrier, and a thermal barrier. Weight of the outer shell and/or thermal barrier materials are selectively reduced in pre-determined areas of the garment 10. In some implementations, a specific composite of material is used in pre-determined areas of the garment because of its increased THL value.

[0041] In other implementations, the reduction in weight of pre-determined areas of the outer shell and/or thermal barrier is achieved by assembling the garment 10 with panels 12a,12b of the outer shell and/or the thermal barrier having differing weights or based on composite structure performance. The multi panel construction allows the garment to be designed with higher protection against high heat in areas 14 (shown in FIG. 5) where it is needed and better breathability for the body when needed in difficult working conditions

[0042] In some implementations, the panels 12a,12b of differing weights comprise lighter weight materials, or are based on composite structure performance, and are placed in locations corresponding to bodily areas of high rates of perspiration and metabolic heat transfer that are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. The light weight materials, or composite structures, provide better dispersion of metabolic heat from the body.

[0043] In some implementations, the panels 12a,12b of differing weights of the outer shell and the thermal barrier are made of the same materials as the outer shell and the thermal barrier of a body of the garment, and have a lighter weight, or based on composite structure performance.

[0044] In other implementations, the panels 12a,12b of differing weights of the outer shell and the thermal barrier are made of different materials from the outer shell and the thermal barrier of a body of the garment.

[0045] In some implementations, the panels 12a,12b meet all performance requirements of a NFPA 1971 standard.

[0046] In some implementations, the THL value of the composite structure is higher than the THL value for a rest of the garment.

[0047] According to the present invention, there is also a provided firefighter garment comprising a plurality of layers, each of the layers having at least one of an outer shell property, a moisture barrier property and a thermal barrier property. At least one of the layers comprises a performance-based composite structure positioned in pre-determined areas of the garment.

[0048] In some implementations, the composite structure offers a higher THL value with respect to an adjacent area of the garment and is placed in a location corresponding to a bodily area of high rate of perspiration and metabolic heat transfer.

[0049] In some implementations, a layer having a moisture barrier property offers a higher THL value with respect to an adjacent area of the garment and is placed in a location corresponding to a bodily area of high rate of perspiration and metabolic heat transfer.

[0050] Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.