Protective garment containing malleable insert

Abstract

A protective garment having plastically bendable shaping members affixed to the base fabric of the garment to facilitate shortening or lengthening of the garment by selective manipulation or bending of the shaping member or members. Such a garment is adjustable by the wearer and allows a single size garment to accommodate various wearer shapes and sizes.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to user adjustable or expandable protective apparel or garments. Such garments would be 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 used in the garments, and on...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] The shaping member may be encased within a sleeve, casing, pocket, or some other form of covering to minimize the potential of direct contact by the garment wearer. For example, the casing may be a second nonwoven material, the same as or different than the material of which the garment is made. Another possibility is that the casing may be as simple as an adhesive tape, adhering the shaping member to the fabric surface. In some embodiments, the shaping member itself may be adhesive and would thus

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 typically they tend to have less ability to conform to the body than the previously used linens or knits.

However, this creates the very obvious problem that the gown will be too big for some wearers.

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

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