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Safety outerwear with fire resistant meshRelated Patent Categories: Apparel, Body GarmentsSafety outerwear with fire resistant mesh description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070094763, Safety outerwear with fire resistant mesh. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to the field of safety clothing, and more particularly, at least to the use of open-textured materials and fabrics in secondary flame resistant garments that satisfy the safety standards for workers exposed to risks of flash fires and/or electrical arc hazards. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Each and every day, workers in the electrical maintenance, Utilities, oil, gas, petrochemical and steel industries work in environments that may expose them to hazards that could cause severe and/or fatal burn injuries. In the event of a momentary electric arc, flash fire, and/or molten metal splash exposure, standard work clothes that are not flame resistant may ignite and may continue to burn even after the source of ignition has been removed. Untreated natural fabrics may continue to burn until the fabric is totally consumed. Synthetic fabrics that are not flame resistant will also burn, with melting and dripping causing severe contact burns to the skin. In fact, various government reports may note that the vast majority of severe and/or fatal burn injuries may be due to the ignition and/or continued burning of an individual's clothing, and possibly not to exposure to the source of ignition itself. [0003] Perhaps as a direct result, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommendations, and corporate safety guidelines may have encouraged, the adoption or flame resistant clothing for worker protection where a flash fire and/or electric arc hazard may be identified. In the prior art, chemical, petrochemical, and/or utility workers may have worn flame resistant clothing as a protective barrier against the intense neat from flash fires and electric arcs, and possibly to give such wearers a few extra seconds of escape time. Shirts, pants, coveralls, sweatshirts, rain wear, insulated all-season coveralls and coats may be commonly constructed using flame resistant materials. Other end users of flame resistant clothing in single and/or multi-layered configurations may include welders, firefighters, race car drivers and their crews, as well as the military, NASA astronauts, and rocket fuel handlers. [0004] ASTM Standard F1.002, which is incorporated herein by reference, bears the title "Standard Performance Specification for Protective Clothing for Use by Workers Exposed to Specific Molten Substances and Related Thermal Hazards", and its Abstract reads at least in part as follows: [0005] "1.1 This performance specification covers textile materials to be used for protective clothing. [0006] "1.2 Materials used for both primary protection and for secondary protection are covered. [0007] "1.3 Protective properties relate to contact with molten substances and hot surfaces, and exposure to open flame and radiant heat. [0008] "1.4 This performance specification covers clothing design characteristics that relate to the unique protective requirements of working with molten substances. [0009] "1.5 This performance specification describes the properties of specific textile materials in their fabric or garment composite form as tested by laboratory methods and is not intended to be used to appraise the thermal hazard or fire risk under actual conditions. However, information on the thermal performance of clothing made from textile materials conforming to this specification may be used as an element in thermal risk assessment which takes into account all factors pertinent to the thermal hazard of a particular end use." As may be generally and/or specifically defined in ASTM Standard F1002, flame resistant clothing may be generally divided into two or more distinct categories depending upon the application for which it is intended, namely, as follows: (i) primary protective clothing, and/or (ii) secondary protective clothing. [0010] Primary protective clothing may be used when an employee may conduct tasks in a workplace where significant exposure to molten substance splash, radiant heat and/or flame may be likely to occur. Typically, these garments may have a heavier and/or multi-layer construction, and may be worn as a temporary outer layer of clothing (hereinafter, alternately referred to as "outerwear") which may be put on over top of existing clothing before entering an environment that may have known hazardous conditions, and which may then be removed after completing a required task. Not unlike common safety eyeglasses, primary protective clothing may generally be considered standard occupational Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, and may generally tend to be task specific. Firefighter turnout gear may comprise one such example. [0011] Secondary protective clothing may be designed for continuous wear as outerwear that may or may not be put on over top of other clothing. For example, this category of protective clothing may include apparel such as shirts, pants, and/or coveralls for designated work areas where intermittent exposure to heat, flame and/or molten substance may be possible. The flame resistant secondary protective garments may generally have a single layer construction and/or may be intended to provide the wearer with immediate thermal protection from the flash fire, electrical arc flash, and/or molten metal splash at the exposure area. As well, secondary protective garments may be constructed using fabrics with acceptable char length, afterflame and afterglow values according to the Vertical Flame Test (Federal Standard 191A, Method 5903.1 which, after the source of ignition may be removed, may not continue to burn and/or which may help to limit the overall body burn percentage which may be suffered by the wearer. [0012] From the perspective of an individual worker and/or a company's purchasing manager, the best flame resistant clothing purchase may ideally consist of garments that may be comfortable and/or offer the highest level of protection to numerous types of hazards. Also, most purchasing managers may generally agree that one of the most critical indicators of the success of a workplace protective apparel program may not necessarily reside in the protection offered by their flame resistant clothing. Rather, success may often be measured by the level of acceptance that the protective clothing may receive from the workers who may use the clothing on a daily basis, possibly without supervision and/or complaints about poor garment comfort, fit and/or style. Unfortunately, comfort and protection may long have been perceived to be mutually exclusive when it comes to flame resistant work clothing. Conventional thinking may have taught, perhaps more so than any other factor, that thermal protection may be largely a function of the thickness of an un-breached and/or non-permeable barrier between a wearer and a hazard. Also, the level of protection may generally have been thought to result from fabric composition, and/or the level of protection may have typically been thought to increase with higher fabric weights. Since higher fabric weights and/or thicknesses, combined with a general lack of breathability in a tightly woven fabric texture, may be commonly associated with poor comfort, it may not have been easy, in the prior art, to find protective clothing with both the highest level of protection and comfort, offered in the same garment, particularly as the issue of comfort may relate to worker heat prostration issues. As a result, managers and/or purchasers may long have struggled to find an acceptable balance between the two in the prior art, and manufacturers may even have taken tremendous steps to provide garment choices that are softer, lighter in weight, more breathable, and/or more comfortable. [0013] Further, in hot environments, persons may often wish to wear shorts, also known as knee breeches, and/or other highly breathable and/or exposing articles of clothing, possibly for comfort as an outer layer of clothing. However, knee breeches and/or such other breathable and/or exposing articles of clothing may not constitute suitable apparel in circumstances wherein, inter alia, there is a risk of momentary electric arc, flash fire, and/or molten metal splash exposure, and/or where the knees of persons wearing such apparel may be apt to come into contact with rough surfaces. Indeed, and as aforesaid, in many such settings, applicable legislation may prohibit the use of knee breeches and/or other such potentially exposing articles clothing. Moreover, in some environments, temperatures may plummet significantly, possibly in a relatively short period, in which case, persons wearing shorts and/or other exposing articles of clothing as an outer layer of clothing may become uncomfortably cool. [0014] The prior art may be replete with examples of jackets which may be removed and/or long pants which may be adapted to be worn as an outer layer of clothing and which include legs that may be removed from the knee down, thereby to possibly convert into an outer layer of knee breeches and/or other exposing clothing, and/or the reverse. U.S. Pat. No. 269,479 (Stretch et al.), issued Dec. 19, 1882, may be exemplary in this regard. [0015] Such clothing articles may be beneficial in that, in hot environments, the clothing may normally be worn with the leg portions and/or other covering portions removed, and/or in circumstances when the wearer anticipates that his or her knees, lower legs, and/or other exposed body portions may come into contact with a momentary electric arc, flash fire, and/or molten metal splash exposure and/or rough surfaces, the leg portions and/or other covering portions may be reinstated, possibly for safety. However, in circumstances when the wearer may not be able to anticipate when his or her lower legs and/or other exposed body portions may be exposed to injury, convertible trousers and/or other convertible clothing represents no particular advantage, since, possibly for safety, the wearer may be mandated to wear the clothing with the leg portions and/or other covering portions in place at all times, possibly with consequent discomfort. [0016] By way of providing a further background of the invention, impregnated flame resistant fibers in the prior art may have undergone a process whereby flame retardant chemicals became permanently infused within the cotton and/or other natural fibers themselves. Such treated natural fibers may have been previously used in combination with aramids and/or modacrylics as well. The INDURA.RTM. Ultrasoft fabric which is manufactured by Westex Inc., of Chicago, Ill., is a flame resistant cotton,/synthetic blend. The cotton in the INDURA.RTM. Ultrasoft fabric is impregnated to the core with a flame retardant chemical. It may be generally believed, though not essential to the present invention, that the INDURA.RTM. Ultrasoft fabric offers protection with the comfort and affordability of cotton. The INDURA.RTM. Ultrasoft fabric may have industrial applications and may provide effective protection against potential risks associated with welding and similar activities. The INDURA.RTM. Ultrasoft fabric may retain the beneficial properties of natural cotton for wearer comfort and absorbency. The LENZING FR.RTM. fiber is a natural fiber that is derived from wood and/or a natural raw material. LENZING FR.RTM. fiber is provided with a flame retardant substance incorporated throughout the cross-section of the fiber, which protective substance cannot be removed by washing and/or abrasion. [0017] On the other hand, in the prior art, flame resistant "surface-treated" fabrics and/or fibers may be mainly distinguishable from other natural fabrics and/or fibers by virtue of fire retardant chemicals having been applied to the surface of the material or to the surface of the fibers themselves. The resulting flame resistance afforded to the fabric and/or fiber in this manner may generally not have been a permanent feature, and/or it may have washed out and/or have been worn off. An exemplary prior art fabric and/or fiber in this regard may be the PROBAN.TM. fabric and/or fiber manufactured and/or distributed by Rhodia. [0018] In the prior art, aramids may generally have included, among other thins, NOMEX.RTM., KEVLAR.TM. and TWARON.TM. fibers and/or fabrics--the last-mentioned one actually being a para-aramid nylon. NOMEX.RTM., KEVLAR.TM. and TWARON.TM. are trademarks of DuPont. DuPont's NOMEX.RTM. IIIA aramid is a fabric that may have generally consisted of 93% NOMEX, 5% KEVLAR, and 2% carbon. Carbon may have been in NOMEX.RTM. IIIA fabric to reduce and/or dissipate static. Though not essential to the invention, it may be generally believed. A that DuPont's NOMEX.RTM. IIIA aramid possesses the following characteristics, among others: (i) it may be an inherently flame resistant anti-static fabric engineered to reduce "nuisance" static; and (ii) it may be self-extinguishing, and may not ignite melt, drip, and/or burn. Again, though it is not essential to the invention, these characteristics may be generally thought to make NOMEX.RTM. fabrics exceptional all-around fabrics for applications such as petroleum refining, petro-chemical, fire service, and/or gas and/or electric utilities. Though not essential to the invention, DuPont's prior art KEVLAR.TM. aramid fiber and/or fabric may be generally thought to be a strong ballistic flame-resistant material. In the prior art, KEVLAR.TM. fibers may have been used in chain saw protective pants and/or in other forestry applications, and/or in bullet proof vests, etc. [0019] In the prior art, many textile manufacturers may generally have tended to use combinations or cottons, aramids and/or other synthetics. Over and above aromatic polyamides (or aramids), and though not essential to the invention, synthetic fibers and/or fabrics may have also included para-aramids, meta-aramids, polyamide-imides, polybenzimidazoles (PBI), celazoles, melamines, oxidized polyacrylonitriles and/or modacrylics. Synthetics may be petroleum-derived and/or man-made fibers. PBI is a heat and flame resistant fiber that may have a multitude of high temperature applications. Celazole is a family of high temperature PBI polymers that may be available in true polymer form. Basofil.RTM. fibers may be included in the general class of melamine fibers, which are heat and flame resistant fibers. Modacrylic fibers may have been the first flame resistant synthetic fibers, and it is generally believed, though not essential to the present invention, that they do not support combustion, are self-extinguishing, and do not drip. [0020] By way of providing a still further background of the invention, ASTM document D3217-01a, which is incorporated herein by reference, is entitled "Standard Test Methods for Breaking Tenacity of Manufactured Textile Fibers in Loop or Knot Configurations". This ASTM document may be considered relevant to assessing whether particular fibers may be considered to have a high elongation. [0021] ASTM document D3822-01, which is also incorporated herein by reference, is entitled "Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Single Textile Fibers". This ASTM document may be considered relevant to assessing the tensile properties of particular fibers. Its abstract reads, at least in part, as follows: [0022] "1.1 This test method covers the measurement of tensile properties of natural and man-made single textile fibers of sufficient length to permit mounting test specimens in a tensile testing machine." [0023] ASTM document D1388-96(2002), which is still further incorporated herein by reference, is entitled "Standard Test Method for Stiffness of Fabrics". This ASTM document may be considered relevant to assessing whether particular fabrics and/or clothing items may be considered to have a low stiffness. Its abstract reads, at least in part, as follows: [0024] "1.1 This test method covers the measurement of stiffness properties of fabrics. Bending length is measured and flexural rigidity is calculated." [0025] Though American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) Test Method 124-2005--which is similarly incorporated herein by reference and is entitled "Appearance of Fabrics after Repeated Home Laundering"--describes smoothness after repeated home launderings, this document may be helpful to define, with any such variations as may be necessary in the context, what may be meant by the phrase a "substantially smooth surface". Its abstract reads, at least in part, as follows: [0026] "1.1 This test method is designed to evaluate the smoothness appearance of flat fabric specimens after repeated home laundering. [0027] 1/2 Any washable fabric may be evaluated for smoothness appearance using this method. [0028] "1.3 Fabrics of any construction, such as woven, knit and nonwoven, may be evaluated according to this method." [0029] ASTM document D3886-99(2006), which is also incorporated herein by reference, is entitled "Standard Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Textile Fabrics (Inflated Diaphragm Method)". This ASTM document may be considered relevant to assessing whether particular fabrics and/or clothing items may be considered to offer protection against abrasion. Its abstract reads, at least in part, as follows: [0030] "1.1 This test method covers the determination of the resistance to abrasion of woven and knitted textile fabrics, both conditioned and wet, using the inflated diaphragm tester. This procedure is not applicable to floor coverings." Of course, other procedures for measuring the abrasion resistance of textile fabrics are given in ASTM Test Methods D 3884, D 3885, D 1175, and in AATCC Test Method 93, each of which documents is also incorporated herein by reference. [0031] ASTM document D737-04, which is additionally incorporated herein by reference, is entitled "Test Method for Air Permeability of Textile Fabrics". This ASTM document may be considered relevant to assessing whether particular fabrics and/or clothing items may be considered highly breathable. Its abstract reads, at least in part, as follows: [0032] "1.1 This test method covers the measurement of the air permeability of textile fabrics. [0033] "1.2 This test method applies to most fabrics including woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, air bag fabrics, blankets, napped fabrics, knitted fabrics, layered fabrics, and pile fabrics. The fabrics may be untreated, heavily sized, coated, resin-treated, or otherwise treated." [0034] AATCC documents 132 and 158, which are likewise incorporated herein by reference, may be considered relevant to assessing whether particular fabrics and/or clothing items have good dimensional stability and/or low shrinkage and/or stretching, whether subjected to regular laundering or dry cleaning. ASTM document G 21-80, which is incorporated herein by reference and bears the title "Determining resistance to Synthetic Polymeric Materials to Fungi", may be considered relevant in assessing the resistance of a particular fabric and/or clothing item to insects and/or fungi. [0035] It may be an object of the present invention to obviate and/or mitigate one or more of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art. Continue reading about Safety outerwear with fire resistant mesh... 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