Abstract:
For a firefighter or for an emergency rescue worker, a protective ensemble comprises a protective garment, such as a protective coat, a face mask, which mounts a respirator having an exhalation valve, a housing member, which is coupled to the exhalation valve, and a flexible conduit, which is coupled to the housing member for conducting exhaled gases from the exhalation valve of the respirator into a space within the protective garment. In one contemplated embodiment, the space within the protective garment is a space between layers of the protective garment. In an alternative embodiment, the space within the protective garment is a space between the protective garment and inner clothes of a wearer of the protective ensemble and between the bare skin of the wearer where said skin is not covered by inner clothes of the wearer.
Abstract:
For a firefighter or for an emergency rescue worker, a protective garment comprises an arm-covering or leg-covering sleeve, which comprises an outer shell, a lining system within the outer shell, a wristlet or an anklet, which is attached non-detachably to the lining system, and a cuff-forming member, which is attached non-detachably to the lining system, which extends beyond the lining system, and which is attached detachably, as via a hook-and-loop fastening device, to an outer or inner surface of the outer shell. The cuff-forming member can be thus attached at any location within a range of possible locations along the garment sleeve. The cuff-forming member, if visible at the cuff end of the outer shell, provides a visible indication that the lining system is present.
Abstract:
In an ensemble for a firefighter or for an emergency rescue worker, protective trousers and a protective coat are provided with elastomeric gaskets, such as neoprene gaskets, one of which lines an inside surface of a distal margin of each leg of the protective trousers and is adapted to be snugly stretched around a protective boot, another of which lines an inside surface of a distal margin of each arm of the protective coat and is adapted to be snugly stretched around a protective glove, and another of which lines an inside surface of a lower margin of the protective coat and is adapted to be snugly stretched around the protective trousers. Such gaskets extend from and, preferably, are unitary with liners, such as neoprene liners, which provide moisture and/or chemical barriers. When stretched snugly, such gaskets inhibit ingress of potentially harmful materials, whether gaseous, liquid, or particulate.
Abstract:
In a protective glove for a firefighter, an emergency rescue worker, or another worker in a high-heat area, a leather face has a peripheral edge, a leather back has a peripheral edge, a leather forchette has a peripheral edge sewn to the peripheral edge of the leather face and a peripheral edge sewn to the peripheral edge of the leather back, and a heat-resistant cover made from an aramid or polybenzamidazole fabric has a peripheral edge sewn to the peripheral edge of the leather back. The heat-resistant cover covers the leather back so as to protect the leather back against direct exposure to high heat that would tend to shrink the leather back if the leather back were not protected by the heat-resistant cover.
Abstract:
A protective combination wearable by a firefighter or by an emergency worker comprises a face mask, a fluid-impervious protective hood, and a fluid-impervious, elastomeric gasket. The face mask has a face-conformable gasket and a transparent window projecting from the face-conformable gasket. The protective hood has a peripheral edge, to which the elastomeric gasket is attached directly. The elastomeric gasket is adapted, when the protective combination is worn, to be tightly drawn against the face mask, along the face-conformable gasket, and to allow at least a substantial portion of the transparent window projecting from the face-conformable gasket to project through the elastomeric gasket. A preferred material for the elastomeric gasket is neoprene.
Abstract:
A protective garment, such as a protective coat, for a wearer who is a firefighter or an emergency rescue worker and who carries a self-contained breathing apparatus including a supply of compressed air, a face mask, which is arranged to intake air supplied by the supply for the wearer to breathe, is equipped to direct air supplied by the supply and/or air exhaled by the wearer, so as to maintain positive air pressure within a space between the protective garment and inner clothes where worn by the wearer within the protective garment and between the protective garment and bare skin of the wearer where such skin is not covered by inner clothes being worn by the wearer within the protective garment. The space is vented at edges of the protective garment.
Abstract:
In a protective combination wearable by a firefighter or by an emergency worker, a face mask (20) has a face-conformable gasket (26) defining an outwardly opening trough (28). Further, a protective garment (40) has a hood (42), which has a peripheral edge (46) and which defines a tubular hem (48) along the peripheral edge (46). Moreover, an inflatable tube (50), which extends through the tubular hem (48), is adapted to form a seal between the face-conformable gasket (26) and the peripheral edge (26) of the hood (42), when inflated so as to press the tubular hem (48) along the peripheral edge (46) of the hood (42) into the outwardly opening trough (28), whereby to provide a seal between the face mask (20) and the hood (42).
Abstract:
For a firefighter, rescue worker, or chemical worker or for a person engage in an outdoor activity, a protective garment wearable with a pair of boots having leg-encasing portions comprises a pair of leg portions. Fitting into an associated one of the pair of boots, each leg portion has an attached sock, which may be detachably detached. The garment further comprises a pair of cuffs, each being attached to and around an associated one of the leg portions so as to extend downwardly over and around an upper area on the leg-encasing portion of an associated one of the boots.
Abstract:
For and in a protective garment having an outer shell, a liner having a barrier side and an opposite side and having, on the barrier side, a moisture barrier or a barrier against chemical or biological agents is folded along two folds, which are parallel when laid flat and straightened, so as to form a fin projecting from the opposite side. A seal providing a similar barrier is provided between the folds. A plural-part fastener, such as a snap fastener or a hook-and-loop fastener, is used to fasten the liner having the barrier to and within the outer shell. One part of the plural-part fastener is mounted to the liner and another part of the plural-part fastener is mounted to the outer shell. Moreover, the liner may have a barrier on each side and be similarly formed with a similar fin projecting oppositely, having a similar seal, and mounting one part of a similar fastener, whereby a thermal liner mounting another part of the similar fastener may be similarly fastened to and within the liner having the barriers.
Abstract:
For a protective garment, a composite structure comprising an outer shell, a moisture barrier within the outer shell, a thermally insulative liner within the moisture barrier, and a moisture absorber within the thermally insulative liner, a hydrophobic liner or a thermally insulative liner having a hydrophobic cover facing the moisture absorber is interposed between the moisture barrier and the moisture absorber. Preferably, if a hydrophobic liner is used, a thermally insulative liner is interposed between the moisture barrier and the hydrophobic liner.