Background Art
Underwater diving in cold water
requires a dry diving suit that is capable of
insulating the diver from the temperature of the
ambient water and its deleterious effects. A dry suit
provides physical protection against water and
obstacles that a diver may encounter. However, in cold
water dives it is necessary for the diver to wear
additional garments underneath the dry suit to keep
warm. Wet suits, on the other hand, permit water to
enter the suit forming a layer of water trapped between
the diver's body and the suit. Once the water is
trapped it is heated by the diver's body and
provides a layer of insulation around the diver. Each of
these systems has deficiencies.
Wet suites are unsuitable for cold
water dives primarily because they allow water to come
into contact the diver. Dry suits can be very
cumbersome and stiff and so restrict the movement of the
diver underwater. Furthermore, dry suits require water
tight seals around ankles, wrists and the neck in
order to prevent water from entering the dry suit and
contacting the diver's body.
There have been a number of attempts to
provide solutions to the problems of adequately
insulating a diver in a dry suit from cold in a cold
water dive. One such attempt is set out in US Patent
5,960,469 entitled LIQUID-INSULATED GARMENT FOR COLD
WATER DIVING issued to Nuckolas et el. on Oct. 5,
1999. There is described a liquid insulated garment that
supplements the internal thermal protection of
traditional diving suit. The invention comprises
bladders having insulating liquids which maybe heated.
Such a device requires additional equipment for the
diver to carry during a dive and may increase the
cumbersome nature of the diving suit. Furthermore, the
bladders may make ingress and egress from a dry suit
more difficult for the diver.
Therefore, there is an ongoing
requirement for an easily worn insulating garment for
divers to wear during cold water dives under a dry
suit which is easy to put on, easy to take off and does
not restrict diver movement inside the suit. There is
a further need for an insulating garment that can be
used in fewer sizes to fit a wider range of end users
thereby reducing inventory requirements and associated
costs for retailers and distributors.
Technical Problem
Technical Solution
It is an object of the present
invention to provide a two-layered dry diving
suit undergarment that is capable of insulating
a diver during a cold water dive. The insulating
garment would include an inner thermal dry core
which can be a stretch or non-stretch fabric and
an outer garment that comprises an elastomeric fabric.
In one embodiment of the invention,
the inner thermal core is a non-stretch fabric
such as PRIMALOFT® insulating material. In
another embodiment the inner thermal core can be an
insulating mesh or a fleece.
In another embodiment of the
invention the inner thermal core layer is
over-sized and has a larger surface area than the
outer stretch layer. Therefore the inner thermal
core layer is not required to stretch. The outer
stretch layer pulls in the internal non-stretch
layer resulting in a highly mobile streamlined
fit. It further expels excess air that may be
trapped in the looser fitting inner thermal core
layer. This increases mobility of the diver and
aids in the control of buoyancy.
It is a further object of the
invention to provide an insulating undergarment
that is streamlined to the contours of the
diver's body thereby permitting a wide range of
movement within a dry suit.
In another embodiment of the
invention, the outer stretch layer pulls in the
oversized inner insulating layer, placing the bulky
inner layer insulating materials snug in the armpits
and crotch of the diver. This also allows the
diver maximum mobility.
In another embodiment of the
invention the outer stretch layer can be made
with high stretch fleece offering additional thermal
protection in combination with an oversized inner
thermal core.
Another advantage of the invention
is that it provides for an undergarment for
insulation which can be manufactured in a
limited number of sizes to suit all body sizes of
divers in order to save on manufacturing costs
and inventory.The result is that only about half the
number of sizes typically stocked will be
required to fit the same number of body types.
In another embodiment of the
invention the insulating undergarment may
comprise a fleece inner layer and a LYCRA® outer layer.
In yet another embodiment of the
invention the outer layer can be any high
stretch material such a thin super stretch
neoprene, a non-insulating stretch mesh, or
insulating like a super stretch fleece .
In one of the embodiments of the
invention, the insulating undergarment inner
layer maybe sewn into the outer layer.
In a further embodiment, the inner
insulating layer may be attached to the outer
layer by means such as a hook and loop system.
In other embodiments, buttons, magnets and, sticky
adhesive may be used.
In yet another embodiment of the
invention the layers of the garment are not
attached and just placed one over the other.
Another advantage of the present
invention is that it allows use of technical
thermal fabrics that traditionally would have
resulted in a very bulky low mobility garment.
Yet another advantage of the
invention is that byadding the secondary form
fitting stretch outer layer over an oversized inner
thermal core, maximum mobility is achieved while
using non stretch, or low stretch bulky thermal fabrics.
Advantageous Effects
Mode for Invention
Referring to Figure 1, the invention
10 is a dual-layered insulating garment for covering a
wearer's 22 torso, arms and legs in order to
provide thermal protection for the wearer during a cold
water dive. The invention is worn under a dry suit.
The dual-layered insulating garment 10 comprises an
inner thermal insulating layer 12 showing in solid line,
an elastomeric outer layer 14 shown in broken line.
The outer layer can be an insulating or a
non-insulating layer. The garment further comprises a
torso portion 13 for covering the wearer's torso,
a left 15 and right 17 arm portion attached to the
torso portion and for receiving the wearer's left
and right arms up to their respective wrists, a left
19 and right 21 leg portion attached to the torso
portion for receiving the wearer's left and right
leg up to their respective ankles and a neck portion
23 attached to the torso portion including a neck
receiving portion 25. The garment also comprises an
entry system 27 for entry and exit. The inner layer 12
is internally secured to the elastomeric outer layer
14 as further explained below. The elastomeric outer
layer 14 comprises a stretch fabric such as Lycra®,
high stretch thin neoprene, high stretch mesh and high
stretch fleece.
Still referring to Figure 1 and Figure
2 the inner layer 12 is secured to the elastomeric
outer layer 14 at the ankles, wrists and neck
receiving portion by respective ankle 18, wrist 16 and
neck 20 seals. Figure 2 shows an enlarged diagram of a
wrist seal 16. The respective ankle, wrist and neck
seals are laminated seals formed from alternating inner
layer material and elastomeric outer layer material.At
the anklesthe lamination seal 18 connects the bottom
ankle cuff of the insulating layer and the outer layer.
In other embodiments of the invention socks, gloves and
hoods can be made in a similar fashion from similar
materials and used as accessories to the diving suit.
Therefore, rather than terminating at an ankle or wrist
laminated seal, the garment would join a boot or a
glove connected to the garment by a laminated seal
formed between the garment and the boot or glove. As
illustrated in Figure 2, at the wrists the lamination
seal 16 connects the insulating thermal inner layer 12
with the outer stretch material 14. Referring to Figure
1, the neck lamination seal 20 connects the insulating
thermal core layer 12 and the outer elastomeric layer
14. Figure 2 shows, for one embodiment of the
invention, a drawing of one of the diver's 22 arms
15 inside the insulating thermal core inner layer 12
covered by elastomeric layer 14. The wrist 16
lamination forms a seal around the wrist of the diver.
As shown in Figure 1, the wrist lamination seal 16 may
also attach to a glove or mitt 31. Referring to Figure
1, a similar configuration can exist for the leg 19/21
of the insulation garment with the ankle 18 lamination
forming a seal around the ankle of the diver. This
seal may be joined to a boot 33.
Still referring to Figure 1, the torso
portion 13, the left and right arm portions 15 and 17
and the left and right leg portions 19 and 21 of the
inner layer 12 have at least one pleat 24. The at least
one pleat comprises at least one fold of inner layer
material. When the dual-layered garment is worn by the
wearer, the at least one pleat 24 is operative to
create a sufficient amount of tension in the torso
portion, the left and right arm portion and the left
and right leg portion of the inner layer to urge the
inner layer material to conform to the wearer's
body over a range of wearer sizes.It is anticipated
that a minimum of five sizes will be needed to fit all
customers. This will significantly reduce inventory
costs for retailers and distributors.Furthermore when
the dual-layered garment is worn by the wearer under a
dry suit and in the water, the at least one pleat is
operative to accommodate the movements of the wearer
without causing movement restrictions. To further
improve mobility of the garment when the dual-layered
garment is worn by the wearer, the elastomeric outer
layer is operative to compress the inner layer
material to further conform to the wearer's
movements and expel any air pockets trapped between
the wearer's body and the garment. This will
greatly improve buoyancy control of the diver.
In one embodiment of the invention,
the inner layer is an insulating layer 12 and the
elastomeric outer layer 14 is a protective
non-insulating layer. In another embodiment of the
invention the inner layer 12 is an insulating layer
and the elastomeric outer layer is also an insulating
layer 14.
Referring now to Figures 3A to 3C, in
one embodiment of the invention there are temporary
internal connecting sites 30 between the inner layer
12 and the elastomeric outer layer 14. These sites
permit the elastomeric outer layer to lie in a flattened
manner proximate to the inner layer. The result is
that the garment fits snuggly against the form of the
wearer permitting maximum mobility of the wearer. The
plurality of temporary connecting sites may be
disposed over the torso portion, the left and right
arm portion and the left and right leg portion of the
inner layer and the outer layer so that the connecting
sides on both layers align.For example, the rump of
insulating garment may have connecting sites so that
this area of the garment is snug fitting. In one
embodiment of the invention the plurality of temporary
connecting sites comprise one of adhesive sites, hook
and loop connection sites, magnetic connector sites
and snap button sites.
Referring back to Figure 1, the
dual-layered garment entry system 27 is disposed
between the neck portion 23 and the torso portion 13.
The entry system 27 comprises a shoulder to opposite
shoulder closable opening 26 descending downwards from
a first shoulder then arcing across wearer's
chest and then rising to an opposite shoulder. In one
embodiment of the invention the closable opening is a
zipper. At the closable opening the inner layer and
the elastomeric outer layer are sealed by a laminate
seal 28. Entry zippers can be run in both directions and
so this embodiment is not to be limiting. There could
also be an embodiment with no zipper where closure is
achieved by overlapping flaps. The inner insulating
layer and the outer elastomeric layer are jointed at the
zipper lamination 26. In other embodiments of the
invention the inner and out layers may utilize
different closure systems. For example, the inner
thermal core layer may use a zipper system and the
outer stretch layer may user another closure system such
as a hook and loop system. The inner thermal core layer
and outer stretch layer may both use zippers that run
in opposite directions.
In one embodiment of the invention,
when the zipper connects both the inner thermal core
layer and the outer stretch layer, and when the zipper
is opened the top neck portion 23 of the garment is
separated from the torso portion 13 along the
lamination line 26. The top neck portion 23 can then
be folded back. This permits the wearer to enter garment
in a feet-first fashion. The wearer pulls the garment
over legs, torso and arms. If boots/socks and
gloves/mits are fixed to the ankle and wrist seals of
the garment then the wearer will insert feet and hands
into them. The garment is pulled up over the torso 13.
The neck portion 23 of the insulating garment unzipped
will be hanging over the back of the diver 22. The neck
portion 23 is then flipped forward over the head of
the diver and the neck cuff 25is pulled down over the
head of the wearer and so that it sits on the shoulder
portion of the wearer. The wearer will then close the
zipper 28 there by closing the insulating garment.The
neck cuff 25 is sealed by lamination seal 20. The wearer
is then free to put on the dry suit.
Although the above description is
specific, it should not be considered as a limitation
on the scope of the invention, but only as an example
of the preferred embodiment. Many variations are
possible within the teachings of the invention. For
example, the garment can be made in a variety of
fabric type materials. It can be made of a variety of
sizes. The relative positions and shapes of the
elements can vary. It may be provided with surface
indicia, such as crests, logos, emblems, etc. Therefore,
the scope of the invention should be determined by the
appended claims and their legal equivalents, not by
the examples given.