GB1579942A - Protective suits - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO PROTECTIVE SUITS (71) We, RFD MILLS EQUIPMENT LIMITED, a British Company, of Catteshall Lane, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1LH, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to protective suits which are used to protect wearers in hazardous situations, for example where there is a spillage or leakage (or a risk of such spillage or leakage) of dangerous chemicals. In particular, the invention is concerned with protective suits which are intended to be gas-tight.

A known design of protective suit which is intended to be gas-tight in use (to protect the wearer from noxious fumes or gases) has boots sealed to the legs of the suit, cuffs intended to be sealed by separate gloves and a face mask which is either built into a hood of the suit or which is separate and mates with a flexible face seal built into the hood. In either case the face mask is provided with apertures for connecting to breathing apparatus carried on the back of the wearer. A gas-tight zip fastener extending diagonally across the front of the suit from the hip region on one side of the suit to the shoulder region on the other side enables the suit to be donned and removed.The suit must be made with sufficient material to enable the hood and face mask to be lifted over the intending wearer's head when the suit is being donned, which means that the suit when donned has folds of spare material. This not only make the suit heavier and more expensive to make because of the extra material required, but also hampers the wearer. Further, it has been found that the regions of the suit at the ends of the diagonally extending zip fastener are likely to be subjected to high stresses and strains which can damage the suit, particularly during the rough treatment which the suit is likely to receive when it is being hurriedly removed from a tired worker who is anxious to get out of the suit as quickly as possible.

The invention was devised to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of known gastight suits.

According to the invention a protective suit intended to be gas-tight in use comprises a main body portion for covering the torso of the wearer, legs, arms, a hood permanently attached to the main body portion, boots permanently attached to the lower ends of the legs, a mask connected to the hood and provided with a viewing window and apertures for connection to a supply of breathable gas under pressure, and a zip fastener enabling the suit to be donned or doffed, characterized in that the zip fastener extends between and terminates at a lower end thereof in the waist region of the main body portion of the suit and an upper end thereof at least as high as the ear region of the hood.By making the upper end of the zip fastener at least as high as the ear region, the hood is more easily fitted over the wearer's head and spare material in the suit is no longer necessary to enable the suit to be donned.

The zip fastener may extend in an asymmetrical manner (for example from the region of one hip of the main body portion to or above the region of one or other ear of the hood) but in a preferred embodiment the zip fastener extends symmetrically in the mid plane of the suit, the upper end of the zip fastener being on top of the hood and the lower end of the zip fastener being in the region of the small of the back of the main body portion.

A suit according to the invention preferably has reinforced cuffs intended to be sealed by gloves.

A gas-tight suit according to the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a worker wearing the suit, Figure 2 is a side view of the worker wearing the suit, Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the back of the suit when unoccupied, a zip fastener being shown open, and Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 but showing the zip fastener closed.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the suit has a main portion 1 which covers the torso of the wearer, legs 2 permanently sealed below the knee to wellington boots 3, arms 4 having reinforced cuffs 5 which can be sealed by separate gloves (not shown) and a hood 6 permanently attached to the main portion 1 of the suit around the neck. The main portion 1, arms 4, legs 2 and hood 6 of the suit are made from neoprene coated nylon, but any other impervious flexible material may be used. The front of the hood 6 is covered by a built-in face mask 7 having a transparent viewing window 8 and a surrounding border 9 provided with apertures 10 for connection to pipes leading to air cylinders (not shown) intended to be carried on the wearer's back.

Exhaled air leaves the mask 7 through a perforated outlet 12. An elastic spider 13 (Figure 2) with adjustable straps holds the mask 7 firmly against the wearer's face. Apart from the detachable gloves and the breathing apparatus, the suit is of one-piece form.

A gas-tight and liquid-tight zip fastener 14 (best shown in Figures 3 and 4) extends symmetrically in the mid plane of the suit, the upper end 15 of the zip fastener being on top of the hood 6 and the lower end 16 of the zip fastener being in the region of the small of the back of the main portion 1. Figure 3 shows the zip fastener 14 open, the runner 17 being at the upper end 15, whilst Figure 4 shows the zip fastener closed, the runner 17 being at the lower end 16. An internal flap 18 (Figure 3) is secured to the internal surface of the hood along one side of the zip fastener 14 to prevent the zip fastener 14 catching in the wearer's hair. Two external flaps 19 and 20, secured by press studs 22, cover and protect the zip fastener 14. The flap 19 is permanently attached to the top of the hood 6 and protects the zip fastener between the upper end 15 and the neck region.The flap 20 is permanently attached to the main portion 1 and protects the zip fastener 14 between the neck region and the lower end 16. The zip fastener is gas-tight and liquid-tight by virtue of lip seals which engage one another in the zipped-up condition of the fastener.

The positioning of the zip fastener 14 in this manner, and in particular the disposition of the upper end 15 of the zip fastener 14 on top of the hood 7, gives the following ad vantages:- 1. the hood and face mask are readily fitted over the head of the wearer when the suit is being donned, there being no necessity to provide the suit with surplus material to enable the hood to be lifted above the head of the wearer as in known constructions, 2. as a result of 1 above, the suit has less material, is lighter and cheaper, is a more comfortable fit and is easier to make in a universal size likely to fit wearers of differing stature, 3. the regions of strain present at the ends of the zip fastener in known suits are avoided, 4. the suit is more easily decontaminated after use and more quickly donned and doffed, 5. the suit has no entry openings in the front so that the vulnerable chest and abdomen of the wearer are protected, 6. the zip fastener is in use substantially covered by the air cylinders carried on the back of the wearer.

Whilst the runner 17 of the described embodiment is moved upwardly to open the zip fastener 14 and downwardly to close the zip fastener 14, the zip fastener 14 could be fitted in the suit so that upward movement of the runner 17 closes the zip fastener 14 and downward movement of the runner opens the zip fastener.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A protective suit intended to be gastight in use, the suit comprising a main body portion for covering the torso of the wearer, legs, arms, a hood permanently attached to the main body portion, boots permanently attached to the lower ends of the legs, a mask connected to the hood and provided with a viewing window and apertures for connection to a supply of breatheable gas under pressure, and a zip fastener enabling the suit to be donned or doffed, characterized in that the zip fastener extends between and terminates at a lower end thereof in the waist region of the main body portion of the suit and an upper end thereof at least as high as the ear region of the hood.

2. A protective suit according to claim 1, characterized in that the zip fastener extends symmetrically in the mid plane of the suit.

3. A protective suit according to claim 2, characterized in that the upper end of the zip fastener is on top of the hood and the lower end of the zip fastener is in the region of the small of the back of the main body portion.

4. A protective suit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a first flap is permanently attached to the hood and protects the zip fastener between the upper end thereof and the neck region, a second flap being permanently attached to the main body portion and protecting the zip fastener between the neck region and the lower end, the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. Figure 2 is a side view of the worker wearing the suit, Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the back of the suit when unoccupied, a zip fastener being shown open, and Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 but showing the zip fastener closed. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the suit has a main portion 1 which covers the torso of the wearer, legs 2 permanently sealed below the knee to wellington boots 3, arms 4 having reinforced cuffs 5 which can be sealed by separate gloves (not shown) and a hood 6 permanently attached to the main portion 1 of the suit around the neck. The main portion 1, arms 4, legs 2 and hood 6 of the suit are made from neoprene coated nylon, but any other impervious flexible material may be used. The front of the hood 6 is covered by a built-in face mask 7 having a transparent viewing window 8 and a surrounding border 9 provided with apertures 10 for connection to pipes leading to air cylinders (not shown) intended to be carried on the wearer's back. Exhaled air leaves the mask 7 through a perforated outlet 12. An elastic spider 13 (Figure 2) with adjustable straps holds the mask 7 firmly against the wearer's face. Apart from the detachable gloves and the breathing apparatus, the suit is of one-piece form. A gas-tight and liquid-tight zip fastener 14 (best shown in Figures 3 and 4) extends symmetrically in the mid plane of the suit, the upper end 15 of the zip fastener being on top of the hood 6 and the lower end 16 of the zip fastener being in the region of the small of the back of the main portion 1. Figure 3 shows the zip fastener 14 open, the runner 17 being at the upper end 15, whilst Figure 4 shows the zip fastener closed, the runner 17 being at the lower end 16. An internal flap 18 (Figure 3) is secured to the internal surface of the hood along one side of the zip fastener 14 to prevent the zip fastener 14 catching in the wearer's hair. Two external flaps 19 and 20, secured by press studs 22, cover and protect the zip fastener 14. The flap 19 is permanently attached to the top of the hood 6 and protects the zip fastener between the upper end 15 and the neck region.The flap 20 is permanently attached to the main portion 1 and protects the zip fastener 14 between the neck region and the lower end 16. The zip fastener is gas-tight and liquid-tight by virtue of lip seals which engage one another in the zipped-up condition of the fastener. The positioning of the zip fastener 14 in this manner, and in particular the disposition of the upper end 15 of the zip fastener 14 on top of the hood 7, gives the following ad vantages:- 1. the hood and face mask are readily fitted over the head of the wearer when the suit is being donned, there being no necessity to provide the suit with surplus material to enable the hood to be lifted above the head of the wearer as in known constructions, 2. as a result of 1 above, the suit has less material, is lighter and cheaper, is a more comfortable fit and is easier to make in a universal size likely to fit wearers of differing stature, 3. the regions of strain present at the ends of the zip fastener in known suits are avoided, 4. the suit is more easily decontaminated after use and more quickly donned and doffed, 5. the suit has no entry openings in the front so that the vulnerable chest and abdomen of the wearer are protected, 6. the zip fastener is in use substantially covered by the air cylinders carried on the back of the wearer. Whilst the runner 17 of the described embodiment is moved upwardly to open the zip fastener 14 and downwardly to close the zip fastener 14, the zip fastener 14 could be fitted in the suit so that upward movement of the runner 17 closes the zip fastener 14 and downward movement of the runner opens the zip fastener. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A protective suit intended to be gastight in use, the suit comprising a main body portion for covering the torso of the wearer, legs, arms, a hood permanently attached to the main body portion, boots permanently attached to the lower ends of the legs, a mask connected to the hood and provided with a viewing window and apertures for connection to a supply of breatheable gas under pressure, and a zip fastener enabling the suit to be donned or doffed, characterized in that the zip fastener extends between and terminates at a lower end thereof in the waist region of the main body portion of the suit and an upper end thereof at least as high as the ear region of the hood.

2. A protective suit according to claim 1, characterized in that the zip fastener extends symmetrically in the mid plane of the suit.

3. A protective suit according to claim 2, characterized in that the upper end of the zip fastener is on top of the hood and the lower end of the zip fastener is in the region of the small of the back of the main body portion.

4. A protective suit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a first flap is permanently attached to the hood and protects the zip fastener between the upper end thereof and the neck region, a second flap being permanently attached to the main body portion and protecting the zip fastener between the neck region and the lower end, the

first and second flaps being securable over the zip fastener by means of press studs.

5. A protective suit constructed and arranged substantially as herein particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.