CA2485198A1 - Fire protective trousers with horizontal attachment loops for connection of suspenders - Google Patents

Abstract

Fire protective trousers for use by emergency personnel, rescue workers and firefighters include an outer shell and horizontal attachment loops connected inside the upper edge of the outer shell through which ends of straps of suspenders can be threaded and then connected to themselves with fastening means to avoid use of metal buttons along the upper edge of the trousers which may convey heat to the wearer and which can dig into the fireman's body when a waist band of an SCBA
apparatus is placed around the waist of the wearer.

Description

FIRE PROTECTIVE TROUSERS WITH HORIZONTAL ATTACHMENT
LOOPS FOR CONNECTION OP SUSPENDERS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to fire protective trousers, and more specifically to fire protective trousers which include attachment means for connection thereto of suspenders.
THE PRIOR ART

[0002] Fire protective trousers worn by emergency personnel, rescue workers, firefighters, etc., are often designed to be supported by suspenders extending over the shoulders of the wearer, and the attachment means on the trousers for the straps of the suspenders conventionally consists of metal buttons which extend through the material of the trousers. However, under certain circumstances these metal buttons may conduct heat from the environment through the layers of the trousers to potentially contact the wearer's skin, which is very undesirable. In addition, when an SCBA apparatus is worn by the wearer, the waist strap thereof can lay against these buttons, which will result in the buttons digging into the wearer's waist.

[0003] A need exists for an improved attachment system for connecting suspenders to fire protective trousers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] According to this invention, fire protective trousers such as those worn by emergency personnel, rescue personnel and firefighters include inside horizontal attachment loops mounted at the upper edge of the trousers, preferably at the right front, left front, right rear and left rear portions of the trousers, to provide attachment means for the end portions of straps of the suspenders. The suspender straps can include first fastening means near their lower ends which are cooperable with second fastening means spaced therefrom along the strap so that after the ends of the straps and the first fastening means have been extended through respective horizontal attachment loops, the ends of the straps can be folded upward and the first and second fastening means engaged to secure the strap ends in place. The first and second fastening means can include cooperable metal or plastic snap studs and sockets, cooperable hook and loop fabric strips, metal or plastic buttons and cooperable slots in the straps, etc. The metal buttons located along the upper edge of prior art trousers are eliminated and a more comfortable interface with an SCBA waist strap is provided.

[0005] The invention will be better understood by reference to the attached drawings, taken in conjunction with the following discussion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Fig. i is a front perspective view of a pair of fire protective trousers in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present ,., CA 02485198 2004-10-19 invention, together with a rear portion of H-back suspenders connected thereto,

[0007] Fig. 2 is a view of the fire protective trousers and H-back suspenders of Fig. 1 as seen along line 2-2 therein,

[0008] Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but wherein the first and second fastening means at the end of the depicted strap of the H-back suspenders are not connected, and

[0009] Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a left rear portion of the fire protective trousers and the left rear attachment loop.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] A pair of fire protective trousers 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1, together with a connected rear portion of cooperable H-back suspenders 50.

[0011] The fire protective trousers 10 include an outer shell 20 and a removable liner 40, the outer shell being made of a fire-resistant material such a Nomex~ and the removable liner including a layer 41 of thermal material and a layer 42 of moisture barrier material (see Fig. 2).

[0012] The outer shell 20 includes a right front panel 21, a right rear panel 22 (see Fig. 3), a left front panel 23 and a left rear panel 24 (see Fig. 4). These panels are sewn together to provide right and left leg portions, thigh portions and hip portions of the trousers, the hip portions forming an upper edge 25 of the trousers. An elastic band 26 (see Fig. 3) is attached to the inside of the outer shell 20 along the upper edge 25 to help fit the trousers to the waist of a wearer. The elastic band is contained within a fire-resistant sheath.

[0013] The upper edge of an inner waistband 27 is also attached to the inside of the outer shell 20 at its upper edge 25 so as to hang down freely within the outer shell, the inner waistband including peripherally spaced fastening means, shown in the form of snap sockets 28, that cooperate with peripherally spaced fastening means, shown here as snap studs 43, at the upper end of the removable liner 40 so as to mount the removable liner 40 inside the outer shell 20. Other types of fastening means are possible. The inner waistband is made of durable, heat resistant materials.

[0014] As can be seen in Fig. 1, the fire protective trousers also include a right front attachment loop 29 connected to the inside of right front panel 21 of the outer shell, a right rear attachment loop 30 connected to the inside of the right rear panel 22, a left front attachment loop 31 connected to the inside of the left front panel 23, and a left rear attachment loop 32 connected to the inside of the left rear panel 24.
These attachment loops, which are horizontally oriented, provide attachment means for the straps of the H-back suspenders 50 (only the rear portions of straps 51 and 55 are shown in Fig. 1). The loops can be made of a strong, flexible, heat and flame resistant fabric material.

[0015] As can be best seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the rear segment of strap 51 includes first fastening means in the form of snap studs 53 near its lower end 52 and second fastening means in the form of snap sockets 54 located further up the strap, so after insertion of the end 52 of the strap through the left rear attachment loop 30, it can be folded upwardly to enable the snap studs 53 to snap fit with the snap sockets 54 and thereby lock the strap to the trousers. The snap sockets and snap studs can be made of flame and heat resistant plastic. Similar snap studs and snap sockets are located at the bottom of the rear segment of strap 52 for attachment to the left rear attachment loop 32, and similar snap studs and snap sockets are located at the front ends of straps 51 and 52 (not shown) to connect the front right and left attachment loops 29 and 31.
This provides an easy and secure attachment of the H-back suspenders to the trousers 20. Of course, suspenders of other types can likewise be attached to the trousers.

[0016] Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has now been shown and described, modifications can be made therein and still fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (11)

The embodiments of an invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. Fire protective trousers which include an outer shell that defines an upper edge and a first horizontal attachment loop connected to an inside of said outer shell near said upper edge for attachment of a strap of suspenders.

2. The fire protective trousers according to claim 1, wherein said outer shell includes a right front portion, a right rear portion, a left front portion and a left rear portion, and including a right front horizontal attachment loop connected to an inside of said right front portion, a right rear horizontal attachment loop connected to an inside of said right rear portion, a left front horizontal attachment loop connected to an inside of said left front portion, and a left rear horizontal attachment loop connected to an inside of said left rear portion.

3. The fire protective trousers according to claim 2, including an elastic band attached to the inside of said outer shell and between said outer shell and said right front and rear horizontal attachment loops and said left front and rear attachment loops to help fit the trousers to a wearer.

4. The fire protective trousers according to claim 2, including an inside waistband attached along an upper edge to the inside of said outer shell, said waistband including spaced fastening means along a lower edge thereof for connection to fastening means on a removable liner.

5. The fire protective trousers according to claim 4, wherein said fastening means on said inner waistband are snap sockets.

6. A combination of fire protective trousers and suspenders for mounting the fire protective trousers on a wearer, said fire protective trousers including an outer shell that defines an upper edge and a first horizontal attachment loop connected to an inside of said outer shell near said upper edge for attachment of a strap of suspenders, and said suspenders including a first strap having a lower portion that fits through said horizontal attachment loop and can be attached to itself to secure connection to said attachment loop.

7. A combination according to claim 6, wherein the lower portion of said first strap includes first fastening means near a lower end thereof and second fastening means spaced upwardly from said first fastening means, said first and second fastening means being detachably engageable after said lower portion has been extended through said first horizontal attachment loop.

8. A combination according to claim 6, wherein said outer shell of said fire protective trousers includes a right front portion, a right rear portion, a left front portion and a left rear portion, and including a right front horizontal attachment loop connected to an inside of said right front portion, a right rear horizontal attachment loop connected to an inside of said right rear portion, a left front horizontal attachment loop connected to an inside of said left front portion, and a left rear horizontal attachment loop connected to an inside of said left rear portion, and wherein said suspenders include a second strap, each of said first and second straps including front and rear ends that can fit through respective front and rear horizontal attachment loops on said outer shell and be attached to themselves for secure connection to the respective attachment loops.

9. A combination according to claim 8, wherein said front and rear ends of said first and second straps each include first and second fastening means for attachment to one another after said front and rear ends have been respectively extended though an attachment loop of said fire protective trousers.

10. A combination according to claim 9, wherein said first and second fastening means comprise snap studs and snap sockets, respectively.

11. A combination according to claim 10, wherein said snap studs and said snap sockets are made of flame and heat resistant plastic.