GB2561651A

GB2561651A - A protective garment for protecting a foot and leg of a wearer

Info

Publication number: GB2561651A
Application number: GB1721697.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Davies Brian
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-12-22
Filing date: 2017-12-22
Publication date: 2018-10-24
Also published as: GB201721697D0; GB201622004D0; GB2558226A

Abstract

A protective garment for protecting the foot and leg of a wearer comprising a foot portion 110 to receive a users foot, a leg portion 120 extending up the leg and suitable to receive a trouser leg inside, the foot portion being waterproof and breathable and the leg portion being waterproof and durable. Preferably the garment comprises a gaiter portion 310 which protects the opening of a boot or shoe from the ingress of water or debris and protects the laces from snags (figure 4). Preferably the garment includes means 140 such as an elastic tie to secure the leg portion to the leg. The waterproof sock can keep the foot dry even if water does enter the footwear.

Description

(71) Applicant(s):

Brian George Davies

Iscoed Road, Hendy, Pontardulais, Swansea, SA4 0UU, United Kingdom (51) INT CL:

A41D 17/00 (2006.01) (56) Documents Cited:

GB 2445127 A US 20150327606 A1 US 20020120977 A1 KR20170093711 (58) Field of Search:

INT CLA41B, A41D Other: WPI, EPODOC

A41B 11/00 (2006.01)

US 4896437 A US 20040055074 A1 US 20020029405 A1 (72) Inventor(s):

Brian George Davies (74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

Wynne-Jones IP Limited

Ground Floor, Capital Building, Tyndall Street,

CARDIFF, CF10 4AZ, United Kingdom (54) Title of the Invention: A protective garment for protecting a foot and leg of a wearer Abstract Title: Combined sock and gaiter (57) A protective garment for protecting the foot and leg of a wearer comprising a foot portion 110 to receive a user’s foot, a leg portion 120 extending up the leg and suitable to receive a trouser leg inside, the foot portion being waterproof and breathable and the leg portion being waterproof and durable. Preferably the garment comprises a gaiter portion 310 which protects the opening of a boot or shoe from the ingress of water or debris and protects the laces from snags (figure 4). Preferably the garment includes means 140 such as an elastic tie to secure the leg portion to the leg. The waterproof sock can keep the foot dry even if water does enter the footwear.

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A PROTECTIVE GARMENT FOR PROTECTING A FOOT AND LEG OF A WEARER

The present invention relates to a protective garment for protecting a foot and leg of a wearer and to a protective arrangement incorporating such a garment.

Walkers and hikers often pass through wet, marshy ground, and streams and the water and mud typically penetrates their footwear. This is clearly undesirable and can lead to the development of abrasive sores on the walker’s feet. It is also desirable to provide protection to the legs and feet from dangers associated with rough terrain such as a risk of snagging on wires and branches, or skin scratches and cuts.

One way of providing such protection is to use gaiters which strap over a hiking boot and around a leg of a person to provide protection from branches and thorns, and to prevent mud or snow from entering the top of the boot. Current gaiters however are worn outside the boot and water can penetrate onto the walker’s socks. Conventional walking gaiters therefore do not provide a sufficient level of protection.

Another example of commonly used protective footwear include Wellington boots, which are waterproof and are most often made from rubber or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material. They are usually worn when walking on wet or muddy ground, or to protect the wearer’s feet from heavy showers and puddles. However, Wellington boots are poor at regulating a temperature within the boot, since the rubber material is not permeable to air and as such, does not offer any circulation of air into and out from the boot through the material. Moreover, Wellington boots are typically uncomfortable and do not offer the same level of foot and ankle support as a conventional hiking boot.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a technical solution to at least some of the issues outlined above and which allows the wearer to use their usual walking socks and boots, whilst offering an improved barrier to water penetration.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a protective garment for protecting a foot and leg of a wearer, the garment comprising: a foot portion arranged to accommodate a foot of the wearer and which is positionable within an item of footwear; a leg portion arranged to accommodate at least a portion of a leg of the wearer and which is arranged to extend over at least a portion of a leg of trousers worn by the wearer, wherein the foot portion comprises a waterproof and air permeable material, and the leg portion comprises a durable, waterproof material.

In an embodiment, the leg portion is secured at a proximal end thereof to the foot portion and may further comprise fastening means adapted to fasten the leg portion around the leg of the wearer. The fastening means is arranged to close an opening of the leg portion around the wearer’s leg, to minimise the passage of foreign bodies such as branches and dirt, into the garment, between the garment and the wearer’s leg . The fastening means may be disposed at a distal end of the leg portion. The leg portion may extend up to a knee of the wearer, so as to maximise a protective region provided by the leg portion.In an embodiment, the garment further comprises a gaiter portion arranged, in use, to shield at least a portion of the item of footwear.

In an embodiment, the gaiter portion is integral with the leg portion such that the gaiter portion is defined by an extension of the leg portion, the extension comprising a proximal end of the leg portion.

In an embodiment, the leg portion and foot portion are sewed together using the connection seam such that the connection seam defines a proximal end of the gaiter portion and the proximal end of the leg portion defines a distal end of the gaiter portion.

In an embodiment, the gaiter portion is arranged, in use, to shield at least a portion of an interior of the item of footwear.

In an embodiment, the gaiter portion is arranged, in use, to shield at least a portion of an external surface of the item of footwear.

In an embodiment, the gaiter portion is arranged, in use, to shield fastening means of the item of footwear.

In an embodiment, in use, the gaiter portion extends around the leg of the wearer.

In an embodiment, in use, the gaiter portion is movable relative to the leg of the wearer.

In an embodiment, the gaiter portion comprises a waterproof material.

In an embodiment, the gaiter portion comprises a durable material.

In an embodiment, the distal end of the gaiter portion comprises an elastic material for tightening the gaiter portion around the item of footwear.

In an embodiment, in use, the gaiter portion outwardly extends from the leg of the wearer, so as to cover a space between the leg portion or foot portion and the item of footwear such that entry of debris into the item of footwear via the space is minimised.

In an embodiment, in use, the gaiter portion outwardly extends from the leg of the wearer, so as to cover a region of an external surface of the item of footwear comprising fastening means, such that snagging of the fastening means is minimised.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a protective arrangement for protecting a foot and leg of a wearer, the arrangement comprising a protective garment according to any preceding claim and an item of footwear.

Whilst the invention has been described above, it extends to any inventive combination of features set out above or in the following description. Although illustrative embodiments of the invention are described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise embodiments.

Furthermore, it is contemplated that a particular feature described either individually or as part of an embodiment can be combined with other individually described features, or parts of other embodiments, even if the other features and embodiments make no mention of the particular feature. Thus, the invention extends to such specific combinations not already described.

The invention may be performed in various ways, and, by way of example only, embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a garment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a schematic view of a protective arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 shows a schematic view of a garment according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a schematic view of a protective arrangement according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to figure 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a protective garment 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, for protecting a foot and leg of a wearer, such as a hiker or walker, when navigating through rough terrain.

The garment 100 comprises a foot portion 110 arranged to accommodate a foot (not shown) of the wearer and in particular, a foot with a sock positioned thereon. The foot portion 110 is arranged to fit around the foot and the sock of the wearer so that the foot portion 110 can be positioned within an item of footwear, such as a boot or shoe. The foot portion 110 id formed of a waterproof and breathable material, such as natural or synthetic fabric which may be laminated or coated with a waterproofing material such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, wax or other materials. An example of such material is Gore-Tex (RTM) - the air permeable property of the material of the foot portion 110 enables air to pass through the foot portion to minimise any sweating of the foot.

The garment 100 further comprises a leg portion 120 which is arranged to accommodate at least a portion of a leg of the wearer. In particular, the leg portion 120 flexibly extends around the wearer’s leg so as to cover a front and rear of the lower leg of the wearer. The leg portion 120 is formed of a waterproof and durable material, such as a plasticised synthetic polyester, nylon or cordura (RTM).

The leg portion 120 is further arranged to extend over at least a portion of a leg of a pair of trousers worn by the wearer, so as to protect the leg of the trousers from absorbing water while walking, and from snagging on wires, branches and the like. In particular, the leg portion 120 may extend up to a knee of the wearer. However, the skilled person will be aware that the leg portion 120 may extend beyond the knee, such as up to a middle of a thigh of the wearer. The durability of the leg portion 120 ensures that the material of the leg portion 120 is not easily damaged.

The leg portion 120 is coupled at a proximal end thereof to the foot portion 110, via a stitching or bonding for example, to define a connection seam 130 at a region which is arranged to extend substantially adjacent an ankle of the wearer. It will be apparent to the skilled person that different seam locations may be exploited, however, in all embodiments, the connection seam provides a watertight coupling between the foot and leg portion of the garment.

The leg portion 120 further comprises fastening means 140, such as a draw string or

Velcro (RTM) fastener, disposed at the distal end thereof, which is adapted to fasten the leg portion 120 around the leg of the wearer. Although the garment 100 may be formed of a resilient, elastic material which enables the garment to grip around the leg of the wearer, the fastening means 140 is arranged to further ensure the adherence of the leg portion around the wearer’s leg , in particular during vigorous walking when the leg and the foot frequently move relative to each other.

Referring to figure 2 of the drawings, there is illustrated a protective arrangement 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention which incorporates the above described garment 100. The wearer first positions their foot (not shown) within a sock 250 and subsequently inserts their foot with sock 250 positioned thereon, through an opening 260 disposed at the distal end of the leg portion 220. The wearer inserts their foot along the leg portion 220, into the foot portion 210 and pulls the leg portion upwardly of the wearers leg, over at least a portion 270 of a leg of a pair of trousers worn by the wearer. The flexible materials comprised in the garment ensure that the leg portion 220 and foot portion 210 may be stretched so as to accommodate legs and feet of different sizes. To secure the garment to the leg and foot, the wearer subsequently pulls the draw string 240 so that the distal end of the leg portion 220 becomes fastened around the leg of the wearer. The garment is arranged to tightly fit around the foot of the wearer and the foot portion 210 assumes the shape of the foot so that the wearer may freely position their foot into an item 280 of footwear, such as a hiking boot. The connection seam 230 ensures that the foot portion 210 and leg portion 220 form a watertight coupling, even upon stretching the garment.

During use, the garment ensures that the wearer’s foot remains dry as water cannot penetrate the foot or leg portion, while the leg portion further protects the wearer’s leg and trousers from barbs and the like. From the foregoing therefore, it is evident that the protective garment and protective arrangement provide an improved protection for hikers from water and rough terrain.

Referring to figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, there is illustrated a protective garment

300 according to a further embodiment of the present invention. The garment 300 further comprises a gaiter portion 310, such as a flap 310, arranged, in use, to shield at least a portion, such as an interior or an external surface, of the item 280 of footwear. The gaiter portion 310 can be integral with the leg portion 120 such that the gaiter portion 310 is defined by an extension of the leg portion 120, the extension comprising a proximal end of the leg portion 120. The leg portion 120 and foot portion 110 may be sewed together using the connection seam 230 such that the connection seam 230 defines a proximal end of the gaiter portion 310 and the proximal end of the leg portion defines a distal end 311 of the gaiter portion 310. The gaiter portion may be arranged, in use, to shield at least a portion of an interior of the item 280 of footwear. In particular, the gaiter portion 310 may be arranged to shield a top of a boot through which a foot enters the boot 280. The gaiter portion 310 may be movable relative to the leg of the wearer. The distal end 311 of the gaiter portion 310 may further comprise an elastic material for tightening the gaiter portion 310 around the item

280 of footwear.

The gaiter portion 310 can be arranged, in use, to shield at least a portion of an external surface of the item 280 of footwear. In particular, the gaiter portion 310 may shield fastening means 281 such as laces 281 or Velcro(RTM) of the item 280 of footwear. In use, the gaiter portion 310 may outwardly extend from the leg of the wearer, so as to cover a region of an external surface of the item 280 of footwear comprising fastening means 281, such that snagging of the fastening means 281 is minimised.

Claims

1. A protective garment for protecting a foot and leg of a wearer, the garment comprising:

a foot portion arranged to accommodate a foot of the wearer and which is positionable within an item of footwear;

a leg portion arranged to accommodate at least a portion of a leg of the wearer and which is arranged to extend over at least a portion of a leg of trousers worn by the wearer, wherein the foot portion comprises a waterproof and air permeable material, and the leg portion comprises a durable, waterproof material.

2. A protective garment according to claim 1, wherein the leg portion is secured at a proximal end thereof to the foot portion.

3. A protective garment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the leg portion further comprises fastening means adapted to fasten the leg portion around the leg of the wearer.

4. A protective garment according to any preceding claim, wherein the leg portion extends up to a knee of the wearer.

5. A protective garment according to claim 3, wherein the fastening means is disposed at a distal end of the leg portion.

6. A protective garment according to any preceding claim, wherein the foot portion and leg portion are sewed together so as to define a connection seam at a region which is arranged to extend substantially adjacent an ankle of the wearer.

7. A protective garment according to claim 6, wherein the connection seam is waterproof.

8. A protective garment according to any preceding claim, further comprising a gaiter portion arranged, in use, to shield at least a portion of the item of footwear.

9. A protective garment according to claim 8, wherein the gaiter portion is integral with the leg portion such that the gaiter portion is defined by an extension of the leg portion, the extension comprising a proximal end of the leg portion.

10. A protective garment according to claim 9 when appended to any of the claims 6 to 7, wherein the leg portion and foot portion are sewed together using the connection seam such that the connection seam defines a proximal end of the gaiter portion and the proximal end of the leg portion defines a distal end of the gaiter portion.

11. A protective garment according to any of the claims 8 to 10, wherein the gaiter portion is arranged, in use, to shield at least a portion of an interior of the item of footwear.

12. A protective garment according to any of the preceding claims 8 to 11, wherein the gaiter portion is arranged, in use, to shield at least a portion of an external surface of the item of footwear.

13. A protective garment according to claim 12, wherein the gaiter portion is arranged, in use, to shield fastening means of the item of footwear.

14. A protective garment according to any of the preceding claims 11 to 13, wherein, in use, the gaiter portion extends around the leg of the wearer.

15. A protective garment according to claim 14, wherein, in use, the gaiter portion is movable relative to the leg of the wearer.

16. A protective garment according to any of the preceding claims 8 to 15, wherein the gaiter portion comprises a waterproof material.

17. A protective garment according to any of the preceding claims 8 to 16, wherein the gaiter portion comprises a durable material.

18. A protective garment according to any of the preceding claim 10, wherein the distal end of the gaiter portion comprises an elastic material for tightening the gaiter portion around the item of footwear.

19. A protective garment according to any of the preceding claims 8 to 18, wherein, in use, the gaiter portion outwardly extends from the leg of the wearer, so as to cover a space between the leg portion or foot portion and the item of footwear such that entry of debris into the item of footwear via the space is minimised.

20. A protective garment according to any of the preceding claims 8 to 19, wherein, in use, the gaiter portion outwardly extends from the leg of the wearer, so as to cover a

5 region of an external surface of the item of footwear comprising fastening means, such that snagging of the fastening means is minimised.

21. A protective arrangement for protecting a foot and leg of a wearer, the arrangement comprising a protective garment according to any preceding claim and an item of footwear.

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Intellectual

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Office

Application No: GB1721697.9 Examiner: Mr Chris Morris