ES2825714T3 - Ergonomic service belt assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

An ergonomic service belt assembly (20) comprising: a longitudinally and laterally flexible inner belt (22) having an inner face (23) adapted to be worn adjacent to a user, and an outer face (26) provided with a hook and loop fabric (32) covering at least a part of said outer face (26); a longitudinally and laterally flexible support belt (24) adapted to be fixed on said inner belt (22), away from said user, comprising an outer face and an inner face provided with a fabric (26 ') with corresponding hooks and loops covering at least a part of said inner face; a base material (32) of each of said inner belt (22), of said support belt (24), said hook and loop fabric (26) and said corresponding hook and loop fabric (26 ') being woven with a material (34) having elastic properties, thus providing longitudinal and lateral flexibility of said service belt assembly (20); said support belt (24) being removably mountable to said inner belt (22), said hook and loop fabric (26) being adapted on said inner belt (22) to be fixed to said hook fabric (26 ') and corresponding loops of said support belt (24). characterized in that said support belt (24) further comprises at least one polymer insert (36) fixed between the base material layer and the hook and loop fabric of the support belt (24), wherein the insert (36) Polymer cannot be longitudinally stretched, although it can be somewhat flexible.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Ergonomic service belt assembly

Technical field

The invention relates to a service belt assembly having an inner belt and an outer belt. More particularly, it relates to an ergonomic service belt assembly capable of being longitudinally and laterally stretchable.

Background of the technique

Service belt sets are used by workers such as paramedics, firefighters, police officers, security personnel, firing range personnel, maintenance personnel, cleaning workers, construction workers, and others, to contain accessories ( such as hand tools, instruments and devices) and containers (such as bags and containers) at waist level for extended periods of time. Examples of accessories and containers include a gun holster, flashlight, pepper spray canister, walking stick, construction tool, mobile phone, or portable transceiver (“walkie-talkie”) bag, and so on. Because heavy and unevenly distributed equipment is worn to the side or front of the waist, workers often complain of back aches and pains and postural problems. Belt stiffness adds to the problem when workers have to maintain different upright, sitting, squatting and bending positions.

US Patent No. 8,225,976, entitled "Belt assembly and container therefor" by Paul MEUNIER, shows a belt assembly that includes an inner belt, a support belt and at least one container. The inner and support belts are cohesively attached, and the support belt is laterally flexible and longitudinally rigid. Although this belt is somewhat flexible, it does not have a longitudinal stretch capability that adjusts and adapts the belt to the movements of the body at waist level, such as twisting, bending the back, etc.

US5152443A describes a multi-segment utility belt employing a plurality of substantially rigid sections connected by flexible portions. There is a need for a flexible service belt that relieves some of the pressure on the wearer's back during body movements, bends, and twists.

WO92 / 19201 describes a lumbosacral support formed by the combination of a lumbosacral belt (adapted to encircle the wearer's torso), a separate, releasable, graspable compression belt, and a lumbar pad.

Compendium

The invention provides an ergonomic service belt assembly according to claim 1.

The ergonomic service belt offers a comfortable adaptation to the movements and positions of the body, such as bending, twisting, sitting position, bending position, squatting position, etc.

The ergonomic service belt assembly comprises an inner belt and an outer belt that are laterally and longitudinally flexible, allowing them to adapt to the movements of the user. The flexibility is provided by a combination of threads of an elastic material woven with threads of the band of the base material that constitutes the service belt. The inner and outer belts are adapted to be securely attached by means of attachment such as layers of hook and loop fasteners (Velcro® type fasteners). The stretch material is also woven with hook and loop fastening fibers to offer the same stretch properties throughout the service belt.

In accordance with an arrangement described herein, an ergonomic service belt assembly for holding bags, containers, and accessories is provided comprising; an inner belt having an inner face for wearing around the waist and an outer face covered by attachment means; and a support belt for use around the inner belt and comprising an inner face covered by corresponding fixing means that coincide with the inner belt fixing means.

In accordance with another arrangement described herein, an ergonomic service belt assembly is provided for holding bags, containers, and accessories comprising; an inner belt having an inner face for wearing around the waist and an outer face covered by attachment means; a support belt for use around said inner belt, and comprising an inner face covered by corresponding fixing means that coincide with said fixing means of said inner belt, said support belt comprising means for locking, tightening and adjusting said belt of service around the waist, said support belt having a width at least as wide as the width of said inner belt, said support belt comprising at least one polymer insert for fixing one or more of said bags, containers or accessories; characterized in that both said inner belt and the support belt are constituted by a main material in combination with a material that has elasticity properties, said combination being carried out during weaving; the threads of said main material and the threads of said elastic material being woven together, as well as threads of said fixing means being woven together with threads of said elastic material; providing the elasticity properties a longitudinal and lateral flexibility of said service belt.

In accordance with another arrangement described herein, an ergonomic service belt assembly is provided comprising: a longitudinally and laterally flexible inner belt having an outer face provided with a hook and loop fabric; a longitudinally and laterally flexible support belt adapted to be fixed on said inner belt having an inner face provided with corresponding hook and loop fabric; a base material of each of said inner belt, of said support belt, of said hook and loop fabric and of said corresponding hook and loop fabric being woven with a material having elastic properties, thus providing longitudinal and lateral flexibility of said service belt assembly; said outer belt being removably mountable on said inner belt, said hook and loop fabric being adapted on said inner belt to be fixed to said corresponding hook and loop fabric of said support belt.

According to yet another arrangement described herein, an ergonomic service belt assembly is provided comprising: a longitudinally and laterally flexible inner belt having an inner face adapted to be worn adjacent to a user, and an outer face provided with a hook and loop fabric covering at least a part of the outer face; a longitudinally and laterally flexible support belt adapted to be fixed on the inner belt, away from the user, comprising an outer face and an inner face provided with corresponding hook and loop fabric covering at least a part of the inner face; a base material being woven from each of the inner belt, the support belt, the hook and loop fabric and said corresponding hook and loop fabric with a material having elastic properties, thus providing longitudinal and lateral flexibility of the belt assembly of service; the outer belt being removably mountable to the inner belt, the hook-and-loop fabric of the inner belt being adapted to be attached to the corresponding hook-and-loop fabric of the support belt.

In one embodiment, the support belt further includes a locking mechanism for one of the following functions, to lock, tighten and adjust the service belt around the user.

In one embodiment, the support belt has a width at least as wide as the width of the inner belt. The support belt has at least one polymer insert, the polymer insert being fixed to the support belt and provided between the outer face and the inner face.

In one embodiment, the base material is one of nylon, polypropylene, and polyester.

In one embodiment, the material having elastic properties is a polyurethane and a polyester-polyurethane copolymer.

In one embodiment, the ergonomic service belt assembly can be stretched longitudinally by a predetermined stretch factor, the predetermined stretch factor being chosen between 1% and 20% of an unstretched service belt.

In one embodiment, the material having elastic properties constitutes 5% to 25% of the weight of the service belt.

Brief description of the drawings

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which show by way of illustration a preferred embodiment thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the ergonomic service belt assembly;

FIG. 2 includes FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C, in which FIG. 2A is an enlarged partial sectional view of the encircled portion of the service belt shown in FIG. 1, showing several layers of material, FIG. 2B is an enlarged section through layer "b" indicated in FIG. 2A and in FIG. 2C is an enlarged section through layer "c" indicated in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3 is a perspective partial sectional view of the utility belt showing several layers of material;

FIG. 4 shows a stretch of a service belt; Y

FIG. 5 shows a polymer insert in the support belt.

Detailed description

The ergonomic service belt assembly comprises an inner belt to be worn around the waist like a regular belt, and an outer or equipment support belt that is cohesively attached to the inner belt.

The longitudinally and laterally flexible inner belt has an inner face adapted to be worn adjacent to a user, and an outer face provided with a hook and loop fabric covering at least a part of the outer face.

The longitudinally and laterally flexible support belt is adapted to be fixed on the inner belt, away from the user. It comprises an outer face and an inner face provided with a corresponding hook and loop fabric covering at least a part of the inner face. The outer belt can be removably mounted to the inner belt, the hook-and-loop fabric of the inner belt being adapted to be attached to the corresponding hook-and-loop fabric of the support belt.

The base material of each of the inner belt, the support belt, the hook and loop fabric and the corresponding hook and loop fabric is woven with a material that has elastic properties, thus providing longitudinal and lateral flexibility of the belt assembly. of service.

The combination of threads of the belt band material with threads of an elastic material makes the belt stretchable laterally and longitudinally and is flexible enough to accommodate body movements at waist level while relieving some of the pressure on the back and / or sides of the wearer's waist. This dual flexibility does not have a substantial impact on the width or thickness of the ergonomic service belt. Both the inner belt and the support belt are made of a base material in combination with a material that has elastic properties. The combination of materials is carried out during the weaving operation in manufacturing, with the threads of the base material and the threads of the elastic material being woven together. The base material that makes up the band of the service belt can be nylon, or polypropylene, or polyester, or any combination of these. The elastic material can be a polyurethane, or a synthetic elastomeric polyester-polyurethane copolymer such as Lycra®, Spandex® or elastane that exhibits elasticity capabilities and a very good resistance to stretching before breaking.

Depending on the proportions of the base material and the elastic material used in the manufacturing process, the ergonomic service belt assembly can be stretched longitudinally by a predetermined stretch factor chosen between 1% and 20% of a service belt without stretch, a flexibility of 8% having been found to be adequate for most users. Elastomer fibers make up 5% to 25% of the total weight of the service belt.

For example, for a 32 inch (81.3 cm) service belt, the maximum longitudinal stretch could be 6.4 inches (16.25 cm) for a maximum length of 38.4 inches (97.54 cm). ). In another example, an 81.3 cm (32 in) long service belt can be stretched to 87.8 cm (34.56 in), which is approximately 8% longitudinal flexibility, depending on the shape. and the size of the user.

In most embodiments, the support belt has a width at least as wide as the width of the inner belt. In some embodiments, the support belt comprises a locking mechanism to lock, tighten and / or adjust the service belt around the user.

The containers are adapted to be placed on the support belt to retain and contain the equipment. These containers are attached to the support belt while cohesively attached to the inner belt. They can be placed in a location preferred by the user. The container includes a receiving compartment that is used to transport the necessary equipment and a fixing structure. The attachment structure may be a complementary layer of hook and loop fastener fabric that covers at least a part of the attachment structure and is adapted to be in contact with the support belt when the container is attached thereto. In other cases, the fixing structure could be a loop-type structure that allows the container to slide on the support tape.

The support belt also comprises at least one polymer insert to receive a container that requires very rigid stability in the belt, such as a pistol holster or a taser pistol container. The polymer insert can be made to be integral with the support belt or it can be a sliding piece adapted to be removable. If the polymer insert is integral, it is inserted and secured between the base material layer and the hook and loop fastener fabric. Therefore, it is attached to the support belt and is provided between the outer face and the inner face of the support belt. If removable, it can slide over the support belt and include a woven layer of hook and loop fasteners to secure it to the support and / or interior belt.

The polymer insert is of a suitable length for use. If used to hold a pistol holster, a length of 17.78 cm (7 inches) has been determined to be adequate. The width of the polymer insert is typically that of the inner or support belt, namely 3.81 cm (1.5 inches) or 5.08 cm (2 inches) per example. Other lengths and widths have been considered.

The polymer insert cannot be longitudinally stretched, although it can be somewhat flexible. An example of a material for the polymer insert is thermoplastic polyethylene, such as ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE, UHMW).

The means of attaching the inner and outer belts may include a woven layer of hook and loop fasteners, such as Velcro®-type fasteners. A layer of hook (or loop) fabric appears on the outside of the inner belt, while a corresponding layer of loop (or hook) fabric appears on the inside of the outer belt. By pressing the two fabric layers of the hook and loop fasteners against each other, the outer belt is cohesively attached to the inner belt. The hook and loop fastener fabric layer may cover the width and longitudinal dimension of the outer surface of the inner belt and the inner surface of the outer belt partially or completely, as long as a substantial part of the layers of tissue can cooperate to allow complementary hook and loop fasteners to contact and interconnect.

The layers of hook and loop fasteners are also formed by a combination of threads of elastic material woven with threads of the base material that constitute the closures; thus allowing stretch properties throughout the service belt.

With reference to FIG. 1, the ergonomic service belt assembly 20 for supporting containers and accessories therefore comprises an inner belt 22 that is worn at the user's waist, around the user's waist. It can be slipped into the belt loops of a utility garment, such as pants. The inner belt 22 has an inner face 23 facing the waist and an outer face 26 comprising a layer of Velcro®-type fastener fabric. The service belt assembly also comprises an outer or support belt 24 comprising a corresponding layer 26 'of Velcro®-type closure fabric, on its inner face, intended to be fixedly attached to the Velcro-type fabric layer. ® from the inner belt and to be worn over it.

In some embodiments, the ergonomic service belt assembly 20 also includes a polymer insert 36 attached to the inside face of the outer belt 24. It may be formed of polymer and is typically used to position, hold and / or secure a bag, container, or accessory, eg, a gun holster or a taser gun holder on the outer belt 24. FIG. 5 shows a polymer insert 36 attached to a support belt 24 between the base material layer 32 and the hook and loop fabric layer 30.

In most embodiments, the inner belt is designed in such a way that it buckles on itself, without requiring any locking mechanism or buckle. In some embodiments, a fastening mechanism (not shown) is provided on the inner belt 22 to size, secure, and / or position it around the wearer's waist to account for the wearer's various physiognomies. Different widths of the inner belt may also be available to aid comfort.

In some embodiments, a locking mechanism 28 (such as a buckle or other male-female arrangement) is provided on the support belt 24 to size and secure it around the inner belt 22 and the wearer's waist. It can also be used to adjust a length of the support belt.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the material 32 of the inner belt 22 is woven with threads of an elastic material 34. The outer belt 24 is also made of material 32 combined with threads of the same elastic material 34 as in the inner belt 22. The elastic material 34 is also woven into fabric layers 26 and 26 'of Velcro®-type closures 30 to offer the same stretch properties throughout the service belt. FIG. 2B illustrates the inner face 23 of the inner belt 22 which is composed of base material yarns 32 combined with elastic yarns 34 and the outer layer of the outer belt 24 which is made of base material 32 combined with elastic yarns 34. FIG. 2C illustrates the outer layer 26 of Velcro® type closures 30 of the inner belt 22 combined with elastic threads 34 and the inner layer of a Velcro® type closure 26 'of the outer belt 24 combined with elastic threads 34.

FIG. 3 shows the layers of material that make up the belts 22 and outer 24 in the unstretched configuration. Each belt comprises a band 32 of base material combined with elastic material 34, closures 30 of the Velcro® type, which constitute the fixing layers 26 and 26 ', which have their fibers combined with the elastic material 34.

In this embodiment, the outer belt 24 has a polymer insert 36 secured between the base material web layer and the Velcro® type closure.

FIG. 4 shows a 32-inch length service belt assembly stretched lengthwise by 2.50 inches (6.35 cm) to achieve a length of up to 34.5 inches.

The service belt assembly is manufactured in parts that are then assembled. The material of the base of the belt is woven first with the elastic material. In parallel, the fixing layers that have Velcro® type closures they are also woven with elastic material. A tie layer is then attached to a belt base layer to create an inner or outer belt.

The combined material is then dyed and heated / cured to give it the required flexibility and elasticity. The heating temperature can be between 87.77 ° C (190 ° F) and 121.11 ° C (250 ° F) for a period of the heating sequence of approximately 30 to 120 min.

In an exemplary dyeing sequence, a length of 1646 meters (1800 yards) of belt material is dyed at 27.43 meters (30 yards) per minute producing a total duration on the dyeing machine of approximately 60 minutes with the temperature of the belt being vaporizer of approximately 104.04 ° C (220 ° F).

The width and amount of material (its volume) placed in the staining container, as well as the outside temperature and humidity will affect the duration of the heating sequence.

Any additional components, such as a polymer insert, container, locking mechanism or other, are attached to the belts before or after the dyeing step, depending on the required characteristics of the material.

As will be readily understood, although the user is normally expected to be a human worker, service belts could be manufactured to fit animals, such as service dogs or mules, for example, without departing from the invention.

EXAMPLES

The following tables show exemplary production data for the fabrication of an ergonomic service belt assembly. Two examples are given, a 1.5-inch (3.81-cm) wide and 32-inch (81.3-cm) long belt and a 2-inch (5.08-cm) wide 81-inch (5.08 cm) belt. 3 cm (32 inches) long.

One skilled in the art will readily understand that other combinations of width, thickness, weight, and length could be used. Other materials could be used. In addition, tolerances will be determined based on the application.

TABLE 1. Dimensional Information for a 1.5-inch (3.81-cm) wide, 32-inch (81.3-cm) long belt.

TABLE 2. Fabric information for a 1.5 inch (3.81 cm) wide and 32 inch (81.3 cm) long belt.

TABLE 3. Dimensional Information for a 2-inch (5.08-cm) wide, 32-inch (81.3-cm) long belt.

TABLE 4. Fabric information for a belt 2 inches (5.08 cm) wide and 32 inches (81.3 cm) long.

The embodiments described above are intended to be exemplary only. Therefore, the scope of the invention is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims (7)

1. An ergonomic service belt assembly (20) comprising: a longitudinally and laterally flexible inner belt (22) having an inner face (23) adapted to be worn adjacent to a user, and an outer face (26) provided with a hook and loop fabric (32) covering at least one part of said outer face (26); a longitudinally and laterally flexible support belt (24) adapted to be fixed on said inner belt (22), away from said user, comprising an outer face and an inner face provided with a fabric (26 ') with corresponding hooks and loops covering at least a part of said inner face; a base material (32) of each of said inner belt (22), of said support belt (24), said hook and loop fabric (26) and said corresponding hook and loop fabric (26 ') being woven with a material (34) having elastic properties, thus providing longitudinal and lateral flexibility of said service belt assembly (20); said support belt (24) being removably mountable to said inner belt (22), said hook and loop fabric (26) being adapted on said inner belt (22) to be fixed to said hook fabric (26 ') and corresponding loops of said support belt (24). characterized in that said support belt (24) further comprises at least one polymer insert (36) fixed between the base material layer and the hook and loop fabric of the support belt (24), wherein the insert (36) Polymer cannot be longitudinally stretched, although it can be somewhat flexible. The ergonomic service belt assembly (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that said support belt (24) further includes a locking mechanism (28) for locking, tightening and adjusting said service belt (20) around of said user. The ergonomic service belt assembly (20) according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said support belt (24) has a width at least as wide as the width of said inner belt (22). The ergonomic service belt assembly (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said base material (32) is one of nylon, polypropylene and polyester. The ergonomic service belt assembly (20) according to one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that said material having elastic properties (34) is one of a polyurethane and a polyurethane-polyester-polyurethane copolymer. The ergonomic service belt assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that said ergonomic service belt assembly (20) can be stretched longitudinally by a predetermined stretch factor, said predetermined stretch factor being chosen from the 1% and 20% of an unstretched service belt (20). The ergonomic service belt assembly (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that said material having elastic properties (34) constitutes 5% to 25% of the weight of said belt (20) of service.