Apparel with telescoping sleeves

Abstract

An extensible sleeve having a first sleeve portion and a second sleeve portion is provided. The extensible sleeve is adapted to be used in a protective garment. A plurality of creases are disposed along one of the sleeve portions forming pleats. The other sleeve portion is placed internal and coincident to the first and the pleats are affixed to an outer surface of this internal sleeve portion. Pulling upon the sleeve portion would cause a partial to a total unfolding of at least one pleat resulting in a lengthening of the sleeve. The pleats may also prove useful in retaining a glove upon the sleeve.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to user adjustable protective apparel or garments. More specifically, an adjustable protective garment is disclosed capable of providing some protection for an individual in a hazardous environment while permitting easy size adjustability. Protective apparel or garments, such as coveralls and gowns, designed to provide barrier protection to a wearer are well known in the art. Such protective garments are used in situations where isolation of a wearer from a particular environment is desirable, or it is desirable to inhibit or retard the passage of hazardous liquids and biological contaminates through the garment to the wearer. [0002] For example, in the medical and health-care industry, particularly with surgical procedures, a primary concern is isolation of the medical practitioner from patient fluids such as blood, saliva, perspiration, etc. Protective garments rely on the barrier properties of the fabrics ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] To address the issue of channeling, the pleats may be situated on the garment sleeve so that the circumferential arrangement of each of the successive pleats along the sleeve may be used to form a barrier to the flow of liquid on the sleeve. Arranging the pleats such that each of the radial folds is directed toward the wearer's shoulder, that is, away from the wearer's hands, will have a tendency to cause liquids to be trapped in the folds of the pleats. Additionally, conventional surgical gloves and other types of stretchable protective gloves often have a thickened portion or “bead” at the glove cuff itself. The present invention takes advantage of this feature by providing the bead with a surface to catch upon or otherwise form a more secure seat. That surface is the pleat or the series of successive pleats on the gown sleeve. The pleats may act as a stop against which the bead of the glove contacts should it start to slide or roll down the garment sleeve, thus inhibiting further movement of the glove on the sleeve.

Problems solved by technology

Openings or seams in the garments may be unsatisfactory, especially if the seams or openings are located in positions where they may be subjected to stress and / or direct contact with the hazardous substances.

Linen gowns were not capable of preventing “strikethrough” of various liquids encountered during surgical procedures.

Additionally, linen gowns, due to their high cost, had to be used a number of times, thus necessitating laundering and sterilization between successive uses.

However, due to the generally inextensible nature of these nonwoven fabric constructions, they tend to have less ability to conform to the body than the previously used linens or knits.

Unfortunately blousing often occurs in or at regions which may be undesirable for the intended use of the gown.

This results in a problem known as “channeling”.

The fluids may then contaminate the gown cuff, which lies directly against the wearer's wrist or forearm, particularly if the cuff is absorbent or fluid pervious, or the wearer's skin directly.

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