Protective garments and methods of making

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10278435-B2
Application number	US-201414266130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2014
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

One or more embodiments of a protective garment and a method of manufacturing such garments are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the protective garment can include an elastic lumbar panel attached to a rear portion of a body of the protective garment in a waist region, left and right shoulder elastic straps each including a first end attached to a front portion of the body and a second end attached to the rear portion, a left side elastic waist strap attached to the front portion and extending around a left side of the garment where it is attached to the rear portion, and a right side elastic waist strap attached to the front portion and extending around a right side of the garment where it is attached to the rear portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A protective garment comprising:
a body comprising a front portion, a rear portion, and a neck opening, wherein the front portion comprises a left front portion and a right front portion, wherein the rear portion comprises a left rear portion and a right rear portion;
a left sleeve attached to the body at a left sleeve opening and a right sleeve attached to the body at a right sleeve opening;
a left leg and a right leg extending from the body;
a left shoulder region located between the left sleeve opening and the neck opening;
a right shoulder region located between the right sleeve opening and the neck opening;
a crotch region comprising a crotch point where the left and right legs meet the body;
a waist region positioned between a waist axis and the crotch point, wherein the waist axis is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the garment and intersects the longitudinal axis between the left and right sleeve openings and the crotch point;
an elastic lumbar panel positioned on the rear portion of the body and attached to the rear portion of the body in the waist region;
a left shoulder elastic strap comprising a first end attached to the left front portion of the body and a second end attached to the left rear portion proximate the elastic lumbar panel such that the left shoulder elastic strap extends from the front portion over the left shoulder region to a location proximate the elastic lumbar panel;
a right shoulder elastic strap comprising a first end attached to the right front portion of the body and a second end attached to the right rear portion proximate the elastic lumbar panel such that the right shoulder elastic strap extends from the front portion over the right shoulder region to a location proximate the elastic lumbar panel;
a left side elastic waist strap attached to the front portion of the body and extending around a left side of the garment where the left side elastic waist strap is attached to the rear portion of the body, wherein the left side elastic waist strap comprises a first end proximate the crotch point and a second end proximate the elastic lumbar panel; and
a right side elastic waist strap attached to the front portion of the body and extending around a right side of the garment where the right side elastic waist strap is attached to the rear portion of the body, wherein the right side elastic waist strap comprises a first end proximate the crotch point and a second end proximate the elastic lumbar panel.

2. The protective garment of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the left shoulder elastic strap is attached to the second end of the left side elastic waist strap and the elastic lumbar panel, and further wherein the second end of the right shoulder elastic strap is attached to the second end of the right side elastic waist strap and the elastic lumbar panel.

3. The protective garment of claim 1 , wherein the left shoulder elastic strap and the left side elastic waist strap are combined into a single continuous strap, and further wherein the right shoulder elastic strap and the right side elastic waist strap are combined into a single continuous strap.

4. The protective garment of claim 1 , further comprising left and right elastic side panels, wherein the left elastic side panel is positioned between the left sleeve opening and the left leg, and the right elastic side panel is positioned between the right sleeve opening and the right leg.

5. The protective garment of claim 1 , wherein the left and right shoulder elastic straps are adhesively attached to the body.

6. The protective garment of claim 1 , wherein the elastic lumbar panel comprises a perimeter in the shape of a triangle.

7. The protective garment of claim 6 , wherein the second end of the left shoulder elastic strap and the second end of the left side elastic waist strap are attached to the elastic lumbar panel at a first vertex of the triangle, wherein the second end of the right shoulder elastic strap and the second end of the right side elastic waist strap are attached to the elastic lumbar panel at a second vertex of the triangle.

8. The protective garment of claim 1 , wherein the left side elastic waist strap and the right side elastic waist strap are combined into a single continuous waist strap.

9. The protective garment of claim 1 , wherein the left shoulder elastic strap, right shoulder elastic strap, left side elastic waist strap, and right side elastic waist strap are sewn onto the body.

10. A method of manufacturing a protective garment that comprises a body comprising a front portion and a rear portion, a left leg and a right leg extending from the body, a left shoulder region located between a left sleeve opening and a neck opening, a right shoulder region located between a right sleeve opening and the neck opening, a crotch region comprising a crotch point where the left and right legs meet the body, and a waist region positioned between a waist axis and the crotch point, wherein the waist axis is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the garment and intersects the longitudinal axis between the left and right sleeve openings and the crotch region, wherein the front portion comprises a left front portion and a right front portion, wherein the rear portion comprises a left rear portion and a right rear portion, wherein the method comprises:
positioning an elastic lumbar panel on the rear portion of the body in the waist region;
attaching the elastic lumbar panel to the rear portion of the body in the waist region;
attaching a first end of a left shoulder elastic strap to the left front portion of the body and a second end of the left shoulder elastic strap to the left rear portion of the body proximate the elastic lumbar panel such that the left shoulder elastic strap extends from the front portion over the left shoulder region to a location proximate the elastic lumbar panel;
attaching a first end of a right shoulder elastic strap to the right front portion of the body and a second end of the right shoulder elastic strap to the right rear portion of the body proximate the elastic lumbar panel such that the right shoulder elastic strap extends from the front portion over the right shoulder region to a location proximate the elastic lumbar panel;
attaching a left side elastic waist strap to the body such that the left side elastic waist strap extends from the front portion of the body around a left side of the garment to the rear portion of the body, wherein the left side elastic waist strap comprises a first end proximate the crotch point and a second end proximate the elastic lumbar panel; and
attaching a right side elastic waist strap to the body such that the right side elastic waist strap extends around the right side of the garment to the rear portion of the body, wherein the right side elastic waist strap comprises a first end proximate the crotch point and a second end proximate the elastic lumbar panel.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising attaching left and right elastic side panels to the body, wherein the left elastic side panel is positioned between the left sleeve opening and the left leg, and the right elastic side panel is positioned between the right sleeve opening and the right leg.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising elongating the left shoulder elastic strap prior to attaching the first end of the left shoulder elastic strap to the left front portion of the body.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising elongating the right shoulder elastic strap prior to attaching the first end of the right shoulder elastic strap to the right front portion of the body.

1

Assignees

• Univ Minnesota

Inventors

• Bye Elizabeth Kersch
• Labat Karen Louise
• Gordon Linsey Ann
• Lastovich Theresa Elizabeth

Classifications

• A41D13/02 Primary

  Overalls {, e.g. bodysuits or bib overalls} (sweating suits A61H36/00) · CPC title

• A41D2300/22

  Elastic inserts · CPC title