GB2604108A

GB2604108A - A personal protective garment

Info

Publication number: GB2604108A
Application number: GB2102362.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Mason Ethan; Trueman Ian
Original assignee: Contechs Trimming Ltd
Current assignee: Contechs Trimming Ltd
Priority date: 2021-02-19
Filing date: 2021-02-19
Publication date: 2022-08-31
Also published as: GB202102362D0

Abstract

In a first aspect a personal protective garment (in a form that might be referred to as a hood or mantle) comprises a front part 12 (figure 2) including an opening 14 for the wearer’s face, first and second portions 16, 18 which rest on the chest in use defining the opening; a rear part 20 connected to the front part; and an adjustment device 22 for coupling the first portion to the second portion in a manner that can adjust the size of the opening. In a second aspect (figures 5a-b) a hair covering garment comprises a first part 110 with a first end 110a and a second end 110b forming an elongate shape; a second part 120 also including corresponding first and second ends 120a-b and an opening 114; and a resiliently deformable device 130 permitting expansion or contraction of the opening; where the two parts are connected to form an enclosed space. The garments may provide PPE for a medical practitioner in a manner which covers the hair in a manner practiced by Muslim women, in the same manner as a hijab.

Description

Title: A personal protective garment

Description of Invention

The present invention relates to personal protective equipment. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to personal protective garments for use in covering a user's head and/or neck.

Personal protective equipment encompasses equipment worn by a user to protect the user from hazards that could injure the user and/or cause the user illness. The hazards may include biological hazards, for example, infectious diseases that could be airborne and/or be transmitted through physical contact with contaminated surfaces or infected persons.

Clinical staff such as doctors, nurses and care givers operating in clinical or medical environments, depending on the risks, must generally wear clothing garments that are clean and/or must be removed after use for cleaning or disposal to avoid any contaminants being spread into the clinical or medical environment, or from the clinical or medical environment to other environments.

Clinical staff may wear a form of head covering that covers the crown of the user's head and the user's hair for this purpose. For example, a single-use cap, hair net or hat. When adopting a head covering, it may be important for the user to have easy access to areas of his or her face and/or ears to permit adjustment of medical equipment such as a stethoscopes or masks.

There is a need for personal protective garments that are suitable for a wide variety of users that may have specific requirements arising from their religious observance, and/or cultural practices whilst complying with the necessary personal protective requirements and/or be easy to use.

According to a first aspect of the invention we provide a personal protective garment for a user to wear over the user's head and neck including: a front part including: an opening for the user's face, and first and second portions which rest on the user's chest during use and define at least a portion of the opening; a rear part connected to the front part; and an adjustment device for coupling the first portion to the second portion to adjust the size of the opening.

Optionally or preferably the front part has an upper side that is above the opening and a lower side that is below the opening, wherein the first portion and/or second portions form the lower side; optionally or preferably the lower side forms a free end of the front part.

Optionally or preferably the first portion has an upper side that defines a portion of the opening, a lower side that forms part of the lower side of the front part, a right side that connects the upper and lower sides; and a left side opposite the right side and/or wherein the second portion has an upper side that defines a portion of the opening, a lower side that forms a part of the lower side of the front part, a left side that connects the upper and lower sides, and a right side opposite to the left side.

Optionally or preferably the first portion overlaps the second portion when coupled by the adjustment device, and optionally or preferably the adjustment device permits the amount of overlap between the first and second portions to be varied.

Optionally or preferably the adjustment device includes first and second fasteners that can be fastened to each other, and optionally or preferably the first fastener is provided on the first portion and the second fastener is provided on the second portion.

Optionally or preferably the first fastener is positioned adjacent the lower side of the first portion and/or adjacent the right side of the first portion.

Optionally or preferably the second fastener is positioned adjacent the lower side of the second portion and/or adjacent the right side of the second portion Optionally or preferably the adjustment device includes third and fourth fasteners that can be fastened to each other and optionally or preferably the third fastener is provided on the first portion and the fourth fastener is provided on the second portion.

Optionally or preferably the third fastener is positioned adjacent the lower side of the first portion and/or adjacent the left side of the first portion.

Optionally or preferably the fourth fastener is positioned adjacent the lower side of the second portion and/or adjacent the left side of the second portion.

Optionally or preferably the first portion includes an outwardly facing surface and an inwardly facing surface and/or the second portion includes an outwardly facing surface and an inwardly facing surface Optionally or preferably the first and/or third fasteners are provided on the inwardly facing surface of the first portion and/or the second and fourth fasteners are provided on the outwardly facing surface of the second portion.

Optionally or preferably the first fastener is one of a hook or loop fastener, and the second fastener is the other of the hook or loop fastener, and/or wherein the third fastener is one of a hook or loop fastener and the fourth fastener is the other of the hook and loop fastener.

Optionally or preferably the first and second fasteners, and/or third and fourth fasteners, are elongate strips.

Optionally or preferably the front part and rear part are separate pieces that are connected about their respective peripheries to form the garment, optionally or preferably they are connected by an overlock seam.

Optionally or preferably wherein the front and rear parts are sheets of material, and optionally or preferably the material is a breathable fabric, and optionally or preferably the material is a non-woven fabric, and optionally or preferably the non-woven fabric is a spunbond meltdown spundbond (SMS) fabric.

According to a second aspect of the present invention we provide a personal protective garment for a user to wear over the user's head, including: a first part including a first end, a second end, and forming an elongate shape; a second part including a first end, a second end, an opening, and forming an elongate shape, a resiliently deformable device permitting expansion or contraction of the opening; wherein the first part and a second part are connected to define an enclosed space therebetween.

Optionally or preferably the resiliently deformable device extends around the 30 opening.

Optionally or preferably the resiliently deformable device extends all around the opening.

Optionally or preferably the opening is a slot or slit extending between opposing internal walls in the second part, and/or the resiliently deformable device is connected to one or more of the internal walls.

Optionally or preferably the resiliently deformable device is a resiliently deformable material connected to the second part According to a third aspect of the present invention we provide a sheet of material for forming a personal protective garment for a user to wear over the user's head, including: a first part including a first end, a second end, and forming an elongate shape; a second part including a first end, a second end, an opening, and forming an elongate shape; and wherein the first part and a second part are joined at or connected along a connecting line about which the sheet of material can be folded prior to the first and second parts being connected about their peripheries to define an enclosed space therebetween.

Optionally or preferably the first and second parts are made from a fabric material, and optionally or preferably the material is a breathable fabric, and optionally or preferably the material is a non-woven fabric, and optionally or preferably the non-woven fabric is a spunbond meltdown spundbond (SMS) fabric.

Optionally or preferably the first and second parts are the same shape and/or 30 formed from one or more sheet(s) of fabric material.

Optionally or preferably the first and second parts are part of a single piece of material and the first and second parts are folded about a connecting line between them.

Optionally or preferably the first and second parts are joined about their respective peripheries, and optionally or preferably they are sewn together, optionally or preferably by an overlock seam.

Optionally or preferably the opening is positioned closer to the first end than 10 the second end.

Optionally or preferably the resiliently deformable device causes a portion of the garment near the first ends of the first and second parts to have a smaller size than a portion near the second ends of the first and second parts, optionally or preferably the width of the first portion is less than the width of the second portion.

Optionally or preferably the resiliently deformable device causes the garment to have an asymmetric shape about an axis which extends transverse to the elongate axis of the first and second parts.

Optionally or preferably the first and second parts are generally stadium or lozenge shaped prior to being connected together.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a personal protective garment according to embodiments of an aspect of the present invention fitted to a mannequin; Figure 2 is a front view of a part of a personal protective garment shown in figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of another part of a personal protective garment shown in figure 1; Figure 4 is a front view of the personal protective garment of figure 1 with certain features annotated; Figure 5a shows a front view of a personal protective garment according to embodiments of another aspect of the present invention fitted to a mannequin; Figure 5b shows a side view of a personal protective garment according to embodiments of another aspect of the present invention fitted to a mannequin; Figure 6 shows a plan view of a personal protective garment shown in figures 5a and 5b; Figure 7 shows a plan view of a personal protective garment shown in figures 5a and 5b; and Figures 8a -8c show views of a personal protective garment shown in figures 5a and 5b fitted to a mannequin in various states of use.

With reference to figures 1 to 4, these show a personal protective garment 10 according to a first aspect of the present invention and certain parts thereof for 25 a user to wear over the user's head and neck.

The personal protective garment 10 includes a front part 12 including an opening 14 for the user's face. The opening 14 is formed generally centrally of the front part 12. The front part 12 includes first and second portions 16, 18 which rest on the user's chest during use and define at least a portion of the opening 14. The personal protective garment 10 includes a rear part 20 connected to the front part 12, and an adjustment device 22 for coupling the first portion 16 to the second portion 18 to adjust the size of the opening 14.

In embodiments, the front part 12 and rear part 20 are separate pieces that are connected about their respective peripheries to form the garment 10. The front and rear parts 12, 20 may be planar sheets of material. For example, the material may be a breathable fabric. The material may be a non-woven fabric and it may be a spunbond meltdown spundbond (SMS) fabric. The front and rear parts 12, 20 may be connected by an overlock seam 15 (see figure 4) that extends around a top side of the garment 10 when orientated as shown in figure 4 and around the respective upper sides at the respective peripheries of the front and rear parts 12, 20.

The front and rear parts 12, 20 may have the same shape in embodiments. 15 The parts 12, 20 may be generally bell-shaped or hood-shaped and include a lower section that flares outwardly as the parts 12, 20 extend in a downward direction.

Referring to the front part 12 as shown in figure 2, the front part 12 is shown on its own prior to attachment to the rear part 20. The opening 14 is generally the shape of an inverted pentagon. The front part 12 includes an upper side 30 that is above the opening 14 and which is adjacent the user's crown during use. The front part 12 includes an opposite lower side 32 that is below the opening 14. The first portion 16 and second portion 18 form respective left and right parts 32a, 32b of the lower side 32. The lower side 32 is a free end of the front part 12 that terminates at, and rests, on the user's chest during use. The first and second portions 16, 18 are free to move relative to one another.

The first portion 16 has an upper side 16a that defines a portion, e.g. a left portion, of the opening 14, an opposite lower side 16b that forms part of the lower side 32 of the front part 12, a right side 16c that connects the upper and lower sides 16a, 16b; and a left side 16d opposite the right side 16c. The right side 16c is a free side and may be generally straight. The upper side 16a is inclined and slopes downwardly as it extends from left to right.

The second portion 18 has an upper side 18a that defines a portion, e.g. a right portion, of the opening 14, an opposite lower side 18b that forms a part of the lower side 32 of the front part 12, a left side 18c that connects the upper and lower sides 18a, 18b, and a right side 18d opposite to the left side 18c.

The left side 18c is a free side and may be generally straight. The upper side 18a is inclined and slopes downwardly as it extends from right to left.

Referring to the rear part 20 as shown in figure 3, the rear part 20 is shown on its own prior to attachment to the front part 12. The rear part 20 has the same outline shape as the front part 12 and is a continuous piece of material with no internal features or formations.

The first and second portions 16, 18 are free to move relative to one another.

The first portion 16 may overlap the second portion 18 (see figure 1) when coupled by the adjustment device 22. The adjustment device 22 permits the amount of overlap between the first and second portions 16, 18 to be varied so as to change the size of the opening 14. The first portion 16 includes an outwardly facing surface 17 and an inwardly facing surface. The second portion 18 includes an outwardly facing surface 19 and an inwardly facing surface.

Referring to figure 4, the adjustment device 22 may include first and second fasteners 22a, 22b that can be fastened to each other. The fasteners 22a, 22b may form a pair of fasteners provided at respective corresponding sides, e.g. right sides, or left sides, of the first and second portions 16, 18. The first fastener 22a may be provided on the first portion 16, e.g. on the inwardly facing surface of the first portion 16, and the second fastener 22b may be provided on the second portion 18, e.g. on the outwardly facing surface 19 of the second portion 18. The first fastener 22a may be positioned adjacent the lower side 16b of the first portion 16 and/or may be adjacent the right side 16c of the first portion 16. The second fastener 22b may be positioned adjacent the lower side 18b of the second portion 18 and/or adjacent the right side 18c of the second portion 18.

The adjustment device 22 may include third and fourth fasteners 22c, 22d that can be fastened to each other. The fasteners 22c, 22d may form a pair of fasteners provided at opposite respective corresponding sides, e.g. left sides, or right sides, of the first and second portions 16, 18 to those at which the fasteners 22a, 22b are positioned. The third fastener 22c may be provided on the first portion 16, e.g. on an inwardly facing surface of the first portion, and/or the fourth fastener 22d may be provided on the outwardly facing surface 17 of the second portion 18. The third fastener 22c is positioned adjacent the lower side 16b of the first portion 16 and/or adjacent the left side 16d of the first portion 16. The fourth fastener 22d is positioned adjacent the lower side 18b of the second portion and/or adjacent the left side 18d of the second portion 18.

In embodiments, the adjustment device 22 may be in the form of Velcro fasteners. For example, the first fastener 22a may be one of a hook or loop fastener, and the second fastener 22b may be the other of the hook or loop fastener. Similarly, the third fastener 22c may be one of a hook or loop fastener and the fourth fastener 22 may be the other of the hook and loop fastener. In embodiments the fasteners 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d may be elongate strips that may extend horizontally. In embodiments, the fasteners 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d may be other shapes or configurations, e.g. there may be a single fastener 22a on the first portion 16 and a plurality of co-operating fasteners 22b that are spaced apart the second portion 18 so that the fastener 22a may be fastened to the different fasteners 22b to adjust the amount of overlap between portions 16, 18. The first and second fasteners 22a, 22b, and/or third and fourth fasteners 22c, 22d may be spaced apart along a line.

In embodiments, the adjustment device 22 may be formed of different fasteners, e.g. snap buttons, magnets or the like without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The personal protective garment 10 as described may be suitable for use as a hijab that practicing female Muslims may wish to wear in discharging their professional duties whilst observing personal protection guidelines.

The user may wear the personal protective garment 10 by placing it over the user's head and neck. The user then adjusts the personal protective garment by pulling the first portion 16 in the desired direction across the second portion 18 until the garment 10 fits the user in a satisfactory manner before then fixing the garment 10 in place by fastening the respective fasteners 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d together. Should the user wish to have access to the area around user's ears, for example to adjust a mask or insert the ends of a stethoscope into the user's ears, the user can simply open the first portion 16 by separating the first fastener 22a from the second fastener 22b and then refastening them once the user is finished.

An advantage of the present invention as described is that it can be easily adjusted to fit different users of different sizes and it fully encloses the user's hair and neck whilst providing a firm fixing of the first and second portions so that they do not come apart accidentally during normal use. Also, in having the first and second portions 16, 18 overlap around the chest, a double layer of protection is provided around this area.

An advantage of the present invention is that it can be manufactured relatively straightforwardly from two sheets of material as a single use disposable product making it suitable for use in environments where the garment 10 must be free from any contamination at the point of use.

With reference to figures 5 to 8, these show a personal protective garment 100 according to a second aspect of the present invention and at certain states thereof for a user to wear over the user's head.

The personal protective garment 100 includes a first part 110 including a first end 110a, a second end 110b, and forms an elongate shape. The personal protective garment 100 includes a second part 120 including a first end 120a, a second end 120b, an opening 114, and forms an elongate shape. The first and second parts 110, 120 are connected to define an enclosed space therebetween and the opening 114 is in communication with the enclosed space.

The garment 100 also includes a resiliently deformable device 130 permitting expansion or contraction of the opening 114. The resiliently deformable 20 device 130 may be connected to the second part 120.

Referring to figure 7 this shows a planar sheet of material that may be used to form the personal protective garment 100. The first part 110 and second part 120 join or connect along a connecting line 140 about which the sheet of material can be folded prior to the first and second parts 110, 120 being connected about their peripheries to define an enclosed space therebetween. The first and second parts 110, 120 may be the same shape in embodiments. The parts 110, 120 may be stadium or lozenge shaped. In embodiments, the sheet of material is symmetric about the connecting line 140. The first and second parts 110, 120 may be sown together through an overlock seam along respective lines 142a, 144b which extend around the respective peripheries of the first and second parts 110, 120.

In embodiments, the sheet of material may be a fabric material. The fabric material may be a breathable fabric. The material may be a non-woven fabric, for example, a spunbond meltdown spundbond (SMS) fabric.

In embodiments, the opening 114 may be a slot or slit formed in the second part 120. The opening 114 may extend linearly and horizontally across the second part 120. The opening 114 may be positioned nearer the first side 120a than the second side 120b. The opening 114 may extending between opposing internal walls 114a, 114b in the second part 120.

The garment 100 may, in certain embodiments, be made from separate sheets of material that are connected together to form the first and second parts 110, 120. The first part 110 has an external surface that faces towards the user in use, thus becoming a lower or inward surface of the garment 100, and the second part 120 has an external surface that faces away from the user in use, thus becoming an upper or outward surface of the garment 100.

Figure 6 shows a front view of the garment 100 when the first and second parts 110, 120 have been connected together. The garment 100 has a first end 100a and an opposing second end 100b which correspond to the first ends 110a, 120a and second ends 110b, 120b respectively. The resiliently deformable device 130 may be connected to the garment 100 once the parts 110, 120 have been connected. The resiliently deformable device 130 may extend around the opening 114. The device 130 may extend all around the opening 114. In embodiments, for which the opening 114 is a slot or slit extending between opposing internal walls 114a, 114b in the second part 120, the device 130 may be connected to both of the walls 114a, 114b. The device 130 may be made from a resiliently deformable material. The device 130 may be made from an elastomeric material. The device 140 may include first and second resiliently deformable parts 130a, 130b that are connected to the respective walls 114a, 114b, e.g. sewn to the walls 114a, 114b. The first and second parts 130a, 130b of device 130 may be of a shorter length than the walls 114a, 114b and may be stretched to extend across the entire lengths of the respective walls 114a, 114b prior to being connected to them so that the device 130 biases the garment 100 towards enlarging the opening. The device 130 biases the walls 114a, 114b away from each other.

Due to the biasing force of the device 130 pulling the respective lateral sides of the garment 100 towards each other, a first portion A of the garment 100 near the first end 100a has a smaller size than a second portion B near the second end 100b. The first portion A has a smaller width W1 than the width W2 of the second portion B. The device 130 causes the garment 100 to have an asymmetric shape about an axis F which extends perpendicularly to the elongate axis E of the garment, i.e. the axis that defines the elongate shape of the garment 100 and which intersects the first end 100a and the second end 110b.

The user may fit the garment 100 over his or her head by firstly placing his or her loosely hanging hair through the opening 114 so that the hair sits within the enclosed space of the garment 100. In particular, a substantial length of the hair may extend within a portion of the space defined by the second portion B. Once this has been done, the user may pull the first end 100a over the top of his or her head causing the opening 114 to stretch from the back of user's head or neck to the front of the user's head around the forehead. In this state, the wall 114a abuts the user's forehead and the opposite wall 114b abuts the rear of the user's head or neck. Due to the device 130 being resiliently deformable, the opening 114 can be enlarged in this way and also provide a positive fit against the user's head to hold the garment 100 in place.

Figures 8a to 8b show the garment 100 in different states of use when fitted to a mannequin having loose, long hanging hair that is dreadlocked. Once the garment 100 has been fitted, should the user need to have access to the area around, for example, his or her ears, the user may simply fold the portion A backwards as shown in figure 8a to expose the ears, or the user may lift the left side of the portion A to expose his or her left ear as shown in figure 8b. Due to the device 130 being resiliently deformable, the garment 100 will remain fixed in place at the adjusted configuration even though the portion A has been moved to a different position. Once the user has made the necessary adjustments and no longer requires access, the portion A can be moved back into its original fitted state as shown in figure Sc.

The garment 100 may be advantageous for use with a variety of hair-styles, particularly those for which the user's hair is long or voluminous and which cannot be tied into a compact style. For example, hair that has been dreadlocked, e.g. as part of the Rastafarian tradition, can be readily accommodated within the garment 100.

The garment 100 is also readily manufactured using a relative minimal number of process steps and can be made from a single sheet of material making it relatively cost effective. This permits the garment 100 to be provided as a single use disposable product making it suitable for use in environments where the garment 100 must be free from any contamination at the point of use.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Although certain example embodiments of the invention have been described, the scope of the appended claims is not intended to be limited solely to these embodiments. The claims are to be construed literally, purposively, and/or to encompass equivalents.

Claims

CLAIMS1 A personal protective garment for a user to wear over the user's head and neck including: a front part including: an opening for the user's face, and first and second portions which rest on the user's chest during use and define at least a portion of the opening; a rear part connected to the front part; and an adjustment device for coupling the first portion to the second portion to adjust the size of the opening.
2. A personal protective garment wherein the front part has an upper side that is above the opening and a lower side that is below the opening, wherein the first portion and/or second portions form the lower side; optionally or preferably the lower side forms a free end of the front part.
3 A personal protective garment according to claim 2, wherein the first portion has an upper side that defines a portion of the opening, a lower side that forms part of the lower side of the front part, a right side that connects the upper and lower sides; and a left side opposite the right side and/or wherein the second portion has an upper side that defines a portion of the opening, a lower side that forms a part of the lower side of the front part, a left side that connects the upper and lower sides, and a right side opposite to the left side.
4. A personal protective garment according to any preceding claim wherein the first portion overlaps the second portion when coupled by the adjustment device, and optionally or preferably the adjustment device permits the amount of overlap between the first and second portions to be varied.
A personal protective garment according to any preceding claim wherein the adjustment device includes first and second fasteners that can be fastened to each other, and optionally or preferably the first fastener is provided on the first portion and the second fastener is provided on the second portion.
6 A personal protective garment according to claim 5 when directly or indirectly dependent on claim 3 wherein the first fastener is positioned adjacent the lower side of the first portion and/or adjacent the right side of the first portion
7. A personal protective garment according to claim 6 wherein the second fastener is positioned adjacent the lower side of the second portion and/or adjacent the right side of the second portion.
8 A personal protective garment according to claim 5, 6, or 7 wherein the adjustment device includes third and fourth fasteners that can be fastened to each other and optionally or preferably the third fastener is provided on the first portion and the fourth fastener is provided on the second portion.
9. A personal protective garment according to claim 8 wherein the third fastener is positioned adjacent the lower side of the first portion and/or adjacent the left side of the first portion.
10.A personal protective garment according to claim 8 or 9 wherein the fourth fastener is positioned adjacent the lower side of the second portion and/or adjacent the left side of the second portion.
11.A personal protective garment according to any preceding claim wherein the first portion includes an outwardly facing surface and an inwardly facing surface and/or the second portion includes an outwardly facing surface and an inwardly facing surface
12.A personal protective garment according to claim 11 when directly or indirectly dependent on any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the first and/or third fasteners are provided on the inwardly facing surface of the first portion and/or the second and fourth fasteners are provided on the outwardly facing surface of the second portion.
13.A personal protective garment according to any one of claims 3 to 12 wherein the first fastener is one of a hook or loop fastener, and the second fastener is the other of the hook or loop fastener, and/or wherein the third fastener is one of a hook or loop fastener and the fourth fastener is the other of the hook and loop fastener.
14.A personal protective garment according to claim 13, wherein the wherein the first and second fasteners, and/or third and fourth fasteners, are elongate strips.
15. A personal protective garment according to any preceding claim, wherein the front part and rear part are separate pieces that are connected about their respective peripheries to form the garment, optionally or preferably they are connected by an overlock seam.
16. A personal protective garment according to any preceding claim wherein the front and rear parts are sheets of material, and optionally or preferably the material is a breathable fabric, and optionally or preferably the material is a non-woven fabric, and optionally or preferably the non-woven fabric is a spunbond meltdown spundbond (SMS) fabric.
17. A personal protective garment for a user to wear over the user's head, including: a first part including a first end, a second end, and forming an elongate shape; a second part including a first end, a second end, an opening, and forming an elongate shape, a resiliently deformable device permitting expansion or contraction of the opening; wherein the first part and a second part are connected to define an enclosed space therebetween.
18.A personal protective garment according to claim 17 wherein the resiliently deformable device extends around the opening; and optionally or preferably the resiliently deformable device extends all around the opening.
19. A personal protective garment according to claim 17 or 18 wherein the opening is a slot or slit extending between opposing internal walls in the second part, and/or the resiliently deformable device is connected to one or more of the internal walls.
20.A personal protective garment according to any one of claims 17 to 19 wherein the resiliently deformable device is a resiliently deformable material connected to the second part
21.A sheet of material for forming a personal protective garment for a user to wear over the user's head, including: a first part including a first end, a second end, and forming an elongate shape; a second part including a first end, a second end, an opening, and forming an elongate shape; and wherein the first part and a second part are joined at or connected along a connecting line about which the sheet of material can be folded prior to the first and second parts being connected about their peripheries to define an enclosed space therebetween
22.A personal protective garment or sheet according to any one of claims 17 to 21 wherein the first and second parts are made from a fabric material, and optionally or preferably the material is a breathable fabric, and optionally or preferably the material is a non-woven fabric, and optionally or preferably the non-woven fabric is a spunbond meltdown spundbond (SMS) fabric.
23.A personal protective garment or sheet according to any one of claims 17 to 22 wherein the first and second parts are the same shape and/or formed from one or more sheet(s) of fabric material.
24.A personal protective garment according to claim 23 wherein the first and second parts are part of a single piece of material and the first and second parts are folded about a connecting line between them, and optionally or preferably the first and second parts are joined about their respective peripheries, and optionally or preferably they are sewn together, optionally or preferably by an overlock seam.
25.A personal protective garment or sheet according to any one of claims 17 to 24 wherein the opening is positioned closer to the first end than the second end; and/or the resiliently deformable device causes a portion of the garment near the first ends of the first and second parts to have a smaller size than a portion near the second ends of the first and second parts, optionally or preferably the width of the first portion is less than the width of the second portion; and/or the resiliently deformable device causes the garment to have an asymmetric shape about an axis which extends transverse to the elongate axis of the first and second parts.