AU2013100591A4

AU2013100591A4 - Clothing with a harnessing function and use thereof as a harness

Info

Publication number: AU2013100591A4
Application number: AU2013100591A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Mark Fitzgerald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-04-26
Filing date: 2013-04-26
Publication date: 2013-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 2021-04-26

Abstract

There is disclosed workwear provided with means, arranged to overlie the back of a person when he or she wears the workwear, for coupling the workwear to an anchor point, whereby the workwear can function as a safety harness for the person, the workwear being free of a harness frame structure. 14"

Description

1: \azm\Interwoen\NRPortbl\DCC\AZM\5104591- .doc-26 04/2013 Clothing with a harnessing function and use thereof as a harness The present invention relates to work clothing which provides a safety harnessing function, and to a method of using such clothing for safety harnessing purposes. 5 Workers in a number of occupations and situations are required to wear body harnesses to protect them from falling when working at heights. Typically, a safety harness comprises a webbing frame which is secured over the worker's torso, and often also around the worker's thighs, and includes an attachment, such as a ring or loop, which connects to an 10 end of a line, which may comprise a lanyard, the other end of which is attached to a fixed point. Putting on and taking off a body harness is very often cumbersome and time-consuming. In circumstances where a worker frequently relocates between a location at which there is 15 a risk of falling (necessitating use of the harness) and a location where there is no such risk, much time can be spent putting on and taking off the harness, and it is not unusual for workers simply to keep wearing the harness, even when it is not required, so as to save time. A typical downside associated with doing so is that the worker quickly becomes uncomfortable, and is unduly inhibited by the harness when it is not being used. 20 Garments with built-in harnesses or which incorporate a webbing frame structure have been proposed. Although such garments provide for time saving, in that they are designed to be continually worn, they are often relatively uncomfortable, particularly as a result of a tendency of the frame structure to cut in to the wearer's body, and can hinder the worker in 25 much the same manner as a conventional harness does. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided workwear provided with means, arranged to overlie the back of a person when he or she wears the workwear, for coupling the workwear to an anchor point, whereby the workwear can function as a 30 safety harness for the person, the workwear being free of a harness frame structure.

1: \azm\Interwoen\NRPortbl\DCC\AZM\5104591- .doc-26 04/2013 -2 According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided workwear provided with means, arranged to overlie the back of a person when he or she wears the workwear, for coupling the workwear to an anchor point, whereby the workwear can function as a safety harness for the person, the workwear being free of strapping which 5 acts to cradles any part of the person's body. In one embodiment of the invention, the workwear comprises overalls. Either or each of a torso portion and a trouser portion of the workwear may include 10 reinforcement. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the workwear comprises a garment to be worn over the person's torso ("torso garment"). The torso garment may comprise, for example, any one of a shirt, a pullover, a jacket, a singlet and a vest, and preferably includes 15 reinforcement. Preferably, the workwear further comprises a trouser garment and is provided with means for releasably coupling the torso garment and trouser garment together when they are worn by the person such that, when the torso garment is coupled to the anchor point via the 20 coupling means, the garment and pants can together function as said safety harness. The trouser garment may comprise, for example, full-length trousers or shorts. The means for releasably coupling the torso and trouser garments may comprise fasteners provided on the torso garment ("torso fasteners") and fasteners provided on the trouser 25 garment ("trouser fasteners") that are releasably connectable to the torso fasteners. Preferably, ones of the torso fasteners are provided at front and rear positions on the torso garment and ones of the trouser fasteners are provided at front and rear positions on the trouser garment to be connectable thereto. 30 The torso and trouser fasteners may comprise interconnectable clips.

1: \azm\Interwoen\NRPortbl\DCC\AZM\5104591- .doc-26 04/2013 -3 The torso and trouser fasteners may comprise buckles and straps which are releasably receivable by the buckles. Preferably, the trouser garment includes reinforcement. 5 Preferably, the means for coupling the workwear to an anchor point comprises a loop or ring. Preferably, the reinforcement comprises at least one layer of material, which is preferably 10 applied to an inside of the garment(s) Preferably, the workwear comprises high visibility clothing, i.e. clothing which has highly reflective properties and/or a colour that is easily discernible from a background, particularly in conditions of limited visibility (including dark and/or rainy conditions). In a 15 preferred embodiment of the invention either or each of the trousers and torso garments is a high visibility garment. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a combination comprising workwear as defined above and an anchor line, such as a lanyard, coupled to 20 the workwear via the means for coupling the workwear to the anchor point. A preferred embodiment of the invention provides said combination in which the workwear is being worn by the person. In such an embodiment, the anchor line is preferably coupled to a support sufficiently sturdy to serve as a fall arrester for the person. 25 According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of harnessing a person, wherein the person wears workwear as defined above and the workwear is coupled to the anchor point via the means for coupling the workwear to an anchor line. 30 The present invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 1: \azm\Interwoen\NRPortbl\DCC\AZM\5104591- .doc-26 04/2013 -4 Figure 1 is a front view of a work shirt having a harnessing function, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a rear view of the shirt; Figure 3 is a front view of a pair of work trousers, to which the shirt is able to be 5 coupled whereby the shirt and trousers form an outfit which has a safety harnessing function in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 is a rear view of the pair of trousers; Figure 5 is a side view of the outfit being worn by a worker; Figure 6 is a front view of the outfit being worn by the worker; 10 Figure 7 is a rear view of the outfit being worn by the worker, to which a lanyard is connected; and Figure 8 shows the worker as depicted in Figure 7 tethered to a support via the lanyard. 15 Shown in the drawings is workwear, comprising a heavy duty work shirt 1 and heavy duty work trousers 30, which is specially configured for providing a safety harness function. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the shirt 1 which, when worn by a worker, can operate to harness the worker to eliminate a risk of the worker falling when working at height. The 20 shirt 1, consistent with a typical work shirt, comprises front 3 and rear 5 panels which extend from the shoulder and neck region to the worker's waist (see Figure 5), covering the front and back, respectively, of the worker's torso. The shirt 1 further comprises sleeves 7, which may be long, extending to the worker's wrists, or short, extending to a position between the shoulder and elbow on each arm. The shirt 1 may further comprise a collar 9. 25 An upper portion of the front panel 3 is openable down the middle, and to this end comprises overlapping portions, one of which is provided with buttons, and the other of which is provided with button holes which receive the buttons. 30 The shirt 1 is provided with means for coupling it to the pair of trousers 30 (see Figures 3 to 7) whereby the shirt 1 and trousers 30 form an integrated outfit for harnessing the : \am\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\AZM\5104591- .doc-26 04/2013 -5 worker, as will be described in further detail later. The connection means in the present embodiment comprises a pair of fasteners disposed on opposed lateral sides of the shirt 1, each of which comprises a webbing strap 14, an upper end of which is stitched or otherwise attached to the front panel 3, and a buckle 12 through which the strap 14 is 5 trained. Although the shirt 1 as described in detail and illustrated herein operates in conjunction with the trousers for the purposes of harnessing the worker, it is capable in its own right of functioning as a harness, whereby it need not be coupled to the trousers 30 (or any other 10 pair of trousers). Accordingly, the fasteners with which the shirt 1 is provided may be omitted without departure from the invention. The shirt 1 may include reinforcement, which may, for example, be in the form of fabric panelling or a layer of fabric, which is preferably interior, stitched or otherwise attached to 15 the panels 3, 5. In another embodiment, it may, alternatively or additionally, be stitched or otherwise attached to the sleeves 7. In the illustrated embodiment, the reinforcement comprises a lining of fabric which is provided on the inside of the shirt trunk section defined by the front 3 and rear 5 panels and also extends over the inside surfaces of the shoulder sections, where it forms bridges between the front and rear sections of the lining. 20 In this embodiment the reinforcement is configured in the general shape of a vest. Referring to Figures 2, 5 and 7, the shirt 1 is further provided with a webbing loop 16, securely stitched, or otherwise attached, to an upper part of the rear panel 5, at a central position thereof, to connect to a connector provided at an end of a line, such as a 25 lanyard 20, as shown in Figure 7, an opposite end of which attaches to a support structure 100, as shown in Figure 8, which is sufficiently sturdy to arrest falling of the worker. The trousers 30 resemble conventional heavy duty work pants, though may, like the shirt 1, 30 include reinforcement, which may take the form of a lining of fabric 32. The lining 32 is stitched or otherwise attached to the front and rear (seat) panels of the trousers 30 and 1: \azm\Interwoen\NRPortbl\DCC\AZM\5104591- .doc-26 04/2013 -6 extends over the crotch where it bridges between the front and rear sections of the lining 32. Either or each of the trousers and torso garments may be predominantly formed from 5 fabric comprising natural fibres, such as wool or cotton, and/or synthetic fibres. In particular, either or each garment may comprise main, or exterior, panelling of such fabric(s). The fabric may comprise, for example, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fabric (including such fabric comprising fibres promoted under the trade mark Dyneema) or poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide fabric (including such fabric promoted under the 10 trade mark Kevlar). The reinforcement incorporated into either of each of the trousers and torso garments can comprise one or more layers of fabric, which may comprise, for example, any fabric as referred to in the preceding paragraph, and particularly the ultra-high molecular weight 15 polyethylene fabric or poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide fabric. The pair of trousers 30 is provided with means for coupling it to the shirt 1 (see Figures 3 to 7), comprising fasteners disposed on opposite lateral sides of the trousers, each of which comprises a webbing loop 34 stitched, or otherwise attached, to a waist portion of the 20 trousers 30, and a ring 36, held by the loop 34, through which a respective one of the straps 14 can be trained and subsequently trained back through the buckle 12 on the strap and pulled tight so as to draw the shirt 1 downwardly and trousers 30 upwardly, whereby they firmly engage the worker's body to form an integrated outfit for harnessing the worker, as will be described in further detail later. The connection means in the present 25 embodiment comprises a pair of fasteners disposed on opposed lateral sides of the shirt 1, each of which comprises a webbing strap 14, an upper end of which is stitched or otherwise attached to the front panel 3, and a buckle 12 through which the strap 14 is trained. 30 In other embodiments, the means whereby the shirt and trousers are coupled may vary; for example, there may be a different number and/or distribution of fasteners, and the fasteners 1: \azm\Interwoen\NRPortbl\DCC\AZM\5104591- .doc-26 04/2013 -7 may be differently configured; e.g., they may be provided in the form of interengageable clips, such as zipper-type clips, or comprise buckles such as click-in buckles or pull through buckles. Any the fasteners may comprise fasteners which are formed from steel or plastic 5 The shirt 1 and trousers 30 are designed to be sufficiently loose-fitting to be comfortable for the worker but sufficiently tight to engage the worker satisfactorily to harness him or her. 10 With the shirt 1 and pants 30 firmly secured together, and the lanyard 20 attached to the loop 16 as previously described (see Figure 7), the worker can, when reaching a work location at which he or she is at risk of falling, attach the free end of the lanyard to the sturdy support 100 which is located at or adjacent that location, whereby he or she is tethered to that support and safely harnessed. In the event the worker falls, parts of the 15 outfit, which may include in particular either or each of the underarm/armpit and crotch portions of the shirt 1 and trousers 30 respectively, can engage the worker, whereby his or her weight is transferred, via the lanyard 20, to the support 100. Advantageously, the shirt 1 does not incorporate any strapping which is received under the 20 arms, and the trousers 30 do not incorporate any strapping which is received around/between the legs, whereby there is no strapping, serving to cradle any part of the worker, which could cut or bite into his or her body. While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should 25 be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments. 30 l: \azm\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\AZM\5104591- .doc-26 04/2013 -8 Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. 5 The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of 10 endeavour to which this specification relates.

Claims

1. Workwear provided with means, arranged to overlie the back of a person when he or she wears the workwear, for coupling the workwear to an anchor point, whereby the 5 workwear can function as a safety harness for the person, the workwear being free of a harness frame structure.

2. Workwear provided with means, arranged to overlie the back of a person when he or she wears the workwear, for coupling the workwear to an anchor point, whereby the 10 workwear can function as a safety harness for the person, the workwear being free of strapping which acts to cradles any part of the person's body.

3. Workwear according to claim 1 and/or 2, comprising overalls. 15

4. Workwear according to claim 3, wherein either or each of a torso portion and a trouser portion of the workwear includes reinforcement.

5. Workwear according to claim 1 and/or 2, comprising a garment to be worn over the person's torso ("torso garment"). 20

6. Workwear according to claim 5, wherein the torso garment comprises a shirt.

7. Workwear according to claim 5, wherein the torso garment comprises a pullover. 25

8. Workwear according to claim 5, wherein the torso garment comprises a jacket.

9. Workwear according to claim 5, wherein the torso garment comprises a singlet.

10. Workwear according to claim 5, wherein the torso garment comprises a vest. 30 1: \azm\Interwoen\NRPortbl\DCC\AZM\5104591- .doc-26 04/2013 - 10

11. Workwear according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the torso garment includes reinforcement.

12. Workwear according to any one of claims 5 to 11, further comprising a trouser 5 garment and being provided with means for releasably coupling the torso garment and trouser garment together when they are worn by the person such that, when the torso garment is coupled to the anchor point via the coupling means, the garment and pants can together function as said safety harness. 10

13. Workwear according to claim 12, wherein trouser garment comprises full-length trousers.

14. Workwear according to claim 13, wherein the trouser garment comprises shorts.

15 15. Workwear according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the means for releasably coupling the torso and trouser garments comprises fasteners provided on the torso garment ("torso fasteners") and fasteners provided on the trouser garment ("trouser fasteners") that are releasably connectable to the torso fasteners. 20

16. Workwear according to claim 15, wherein ones of the torso fasteners are provided at front and rear positions on the torso garment and ones of the trouser fasteners are provided at front and rear positions on the trouser garment to be connectable thereto.

17. Workwear according to claim 16, wherein the fasteners comprise clips. 25

18. Workwear according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the fasteners comprise buckles and straps which are releasably receivable by the buckles.

19. Workwear according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein the trouser garment 30 includes reinforcement. l: \azm\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\AZM\5104591- .doc-26 04/2013 - 11

20. Workwear according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said means for coupling the workwear to an anchor point comprises a loop or ring.

21. Workwear according to any one of claims 4, 11 and 19, wherein the reinforcement 5 comprises layering.

22. A combination comprising workwear according to any one of the preceding claims and an anchor line coupled to the workwear via the means for coupling the workwear to the anchor point. 10

23. A combination according to claim 22, wherein the workwear is being worn by the person.

24. A combination according to claim 23, wherein the anchor line is coupled to a 15 support.

25. A method of harnessing a person, wherein the person wears workwear according to any one of claims 1 to 21 and the workwear is coupled to the anchor point via the means for coupling the workwear to an anchor line.