Performance duty uniform for law enforcement and other uniformed personnel

Abstract

For uniformed personnel a shirt having a concealed belly pocket which overlies the inside surface of one of said front left and right panels of the shirt, this pocket being closed at the top, bottom and one end, and having an opposite open end which can be closed with a zipper that is located along the seam between one front panel and the back panel and extending generally vertically downward from beneath the arm to an area near the waist of the shirt.

Description

[0001]This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119, 120 based upon applicant's Provisional Application, Ser. No. 60 / 800,968 filed May 16, 2006.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]This invention is in the field of uniforms worn by law enforcement, fire and other uniformed personnel, and particularly by persons who need to carry special equipment such as a two-way radio, a weapon, a bullet-proof vest or other body armor inside or on the uniform and to have a concealed pocket in the uniform. This invention pertains to both Class A “Dress” or “Appearance” uniforms and Class B “Utility” or “Work” uniforms.[0004]2. Background of the Invention[0005]In police departments across the country police personnel Class A or “dress” uniforms are the standard for normal workdays, whereas Class B or “work or utility” uniforms are usually limited in use for tactical functions, SWAT team, search, rescue and emergency service units and the like. The Class B “work” uniforms tend to be ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021]It is thus an objective of this invention to provide a Class A duty uniform that has improved functionality and performance in any or all of the above-described three features, while maintaining a neat and official dress appearance. Since a police officer, for example, may wear a bullet proof vest and wear a microphone and carry so much equipment that a cargo pocket is needed, all the novel features of this invention are included and coordinated with the shirt and pants combinations; however, these three features could be employed in different combinations or separately. In all cases, an official and neat appearance can now be better maintained. Excellent appearance of the uniform helps maintain respect from the community and self-respect and pride by the wearer.

[0024]The new microphone sling will avoid the prior art procedure where a microphone is clipped onto a collar, or an epaulet, or a pocket which causes the look of patchwork or “jerry rigging” with unsightly pulling on one of these attachment points, as opposed to an official uniform appearance.

[0027]The closed end of the pocket is sewn into the area of and concealed by the front placket strip, with the stitching hidden beneath the narrow marginal flap of the placket. The opposite open end is sewn to adjacent and mating zipper strips which in turn are sewn to adjacent edge of the front and back panels in the area of the seam which joins these panels beneath an arm part of the shirt. In the area of the zipper this seam joining the front and back panels is open (unsewn) to allow access to the pocket interior. With a shirt and pocket of this structure, the user can access the pocket interior without unbuttoning the front of the shirt, and thus without even partially undressing.

[0030]The new duty uniform of this invention provides the comfort and functionality of a Class B uniform with the neat and professional appearance of a traditional Class A dress uniform.

Problems solved by technology

In actual use, however, Class A uniforms must also accommodate numerous items of special equipment which basic Class A shirt-and-pants uniforms were never intended to hold or hide.

For example, a bulletproof vest, of necessity, is thick, bulky and somewhat stiff, so that shirttails of a uniform shirt covering such vest will tend to pull out from the pants' waistband.

These uniforms will not only appear sloppy, which is inconsistent with typical police or military philosophy, but it may interfere with a policeman's ability to carry out his duties with his weapons, communication or other equipment.

For many, shirttails even partially hanging out of a waistband are annoying, uncomfortable, and / or aesthetically displeasing.

Obviously, a pants-and-shirt uniform will have numerous pockets, but there are practical limits.

In shirts, for example, pockets are essentially limited to the upper front area, with the back, waist and collar being impractical areas for pockets and the sleeves being too small for useful pockets and also impractical for pockets if an outer jacket will be worn.

Rear patch pockets, as seen on typical dungarees, are not considered acceptable dress for Class A uniforms, and furthermore have very limited capacity, because they lie flat and close to the seat portion of the pants.

However, such external cargo pockets are not acceptable for use in Class A uniforms for police departments and for many other governmental or business organizations or military dress uniforms.

A third problem area with current Class A uniforms is the conventional but awkward attachment of a microphone to a shirt collar or front breast pocket.

Placement on collars and pockets is often not optimum for voice communication, and such placement with conventional clips eventually damages the fabric and thus damages the appearance of these most visible portions of the shirt.

a. shirttails coming out of waistbands because of active running, bending or squatting, or because of body armor and / or other equipment pulling or protruding,

b. dress pants having insufficient large capacity pockets for the greater amount of hidden utility equipment required to be carried,

c. awkward and fabric damaging attachment of microphones to shirt collars and / or front pockets, and

d. pockets that are concealed but readily accessible from the outside of the shirt portion of a Class A uniform.

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