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  Vapor permeable retroreflective garmentUSPTO Application #: 20060143772Title: Vapor permeable retroreflective garment Abstract: The disclosure describes vapor permeable retroreflective material for use on protective garments. The material may be formed in a non-continuous pattern that provides a high-level of retroreflective brightness, yet also provides adequate permeability to prevent exposure to trapped thermal energy and heated moisture. The non-continuous retroreflective pattern may include retroreflective regions and non-retroreflective regions arranged such that thermal decay through the protective garment is not substantially decreased in the regions corresponding to the retroreflective material. Rather, vapor permeation and thermal decay through the garment may be substantially the same as if the retroreflective material was not present. (end of abstract) Agent: 3m Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul, MN, US Inventors: Rino A. Feduzi, Robert L. Jensen, Jeanine M. Shusta USPTO Applicaton #: 20060143772 - Class: 002069000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Apparel, Body Garments The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060143772. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD [0001] This disclosure relates to retroreflective material, and more particularly retroreflective material for use on protective garments. BACKGROUND [0002] Retroreflective materials have been developed for use in a variety of applications, including road signs, license plates, footwear, and clothing patches to name a few. Retroreflective materials are often used as high visibility trim materials in clothing to increase the visibility of the wearer. For example, retroreflective materials are often added to protective garments worn by firefighters, rescue personnel, EMS technicians, and the like. [0003] Retroreflectivity can be provided in a variety of ways, including by use of a layer of tiny glass beads or microspheres that cooperate with a reflective agent, such as a coated layer of aluminum. The beads can be partially embedded in a binder layer that holds the beads to fabric such that the beads are partially exposed to the atmosphere. Incident light entering the exposed portion of a bead is focused by the bead onto the reflective agent, which is typically disposed at the back of the bead embedded in the binder layer. The reflective agent reflects the incident light back through the bead, causing the light to exit through the exposed portion of the bead in a direction opposite the incident direction. [0004] Retroreflective materials can be particularly useful to increase the visibility of fire and rescue personnel during nighttime and twilight hours. In some situations, however, firefighter garments can be exposed to extreme temperatures during a fire, causing the retroreflective material to trap heat inside the garment. Under certain conditions, the trapped heat can result in discomfort or even burns to the skin of the firefighter. [0005] In particular, moisture collected under the retroreflective material may expand rapidly when exposed to the extreme temperature from the fire. If the expanded moisture is unable to quickly permeate through the retroreflective material, the firefighter can be exposed to extreme temperatures. In some cases, this can result in steam burns on the skin of the firefighter underneath the portions of the garment having the retroreflective material. Conventional retroreflective materials, including perforated retroreflective materials generally exhibit this phenomenon. For example, conventional perforated retroreflective materials include standard retroreflective trim having needle punched holes, laser punched holes, slits, or relatively large holes made with a paper punch. SUMMARY [0006] In general, this disclosure describes vapor permeable retroreflective material for use on protective garments. For example, the material can be formed on the protective garment in a non-continuous pattern that provides a high-level of retroreflective brightness, yet also provides adequate permeability to prevent exposure to heated moisture and prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures. [0007] In particular, the non-continuous pattern may include retroreflective regions and non-retroreflective regions. The regions are arranged such that the retroreflective regions do not substantially decrease thermal decay or vapor permeability. Rather, vapor permeability and thermal decay through the protective garment may be substantially the same as if the retroreflective pattern was not present. [0008] In one aspect, a garment includes a protective outer layer such as an outer shell of a firefighter outfit, and a reflective material formed over a first portion of the protective outer layer. The retroreflective material can be formed in a non-continuous pattern to define retroreflective regions and non-retroreflective regions. Thermal decay through the first portion may be substantially equal to thermal decay through a second portion of the protective garment not covered by retroreflective material. Alternatively or additionally, vapor permeability through the first portion may be substantially equal to vapor permeability through a second portion of the protective garment not covered by retroreflective material. The garment may comprise an outer shell of a firefighter outfit and the first portion may comprise retroreflective trim on the outer shell of the firefighter outfit. In some aspects, the first portion formed with the non-continuous retroreflective pattern may have a reflective brightness greater than 50 candelas/(lux*meter.sup.2) or even greater than 250 candelas/(lux*meter.sup.2). [0009] In another aspect, a protective outfit includes a first layer, a second layer and a third layer. The first layer may be an outer shell including a non-continuous retroreflective portion that has retroreflective regions and non-retroreflective regions and a second portion that does not have retroreflective regions. Moreover, vapor permeability and/or thermal decay through the non-continuous retroreflective portion may be substantially equal to vapor permeability through the second portion. The protective outfit may be a firefighter outfit in which the second layer is a moisture barrier and the third layer is a thermal liner. Alternatively, the protective outfit may be a thermal control outfit in which the second layer is a liquid retaining layer and the third layer is a waterproof vapor permeable layer. Again, the non-continuous retroreflective portion may have a reflective brightness greater than 50 candelas/(lux*meter.sup.2) or even greater than 250 candelas/(lux*meter.sup.2). [0010] In other aspects, an article may include a first material, such as a durable cloth backing made of the same material as an outer shell of a firefighter outfit. In addition, the article may include retroreflective material formed on the first material according to a non-continuous pattern defining retroreflective regions and non-retroreflective regions,. The retroreflective material can be arranged such that it does not substantially decrease thermal decay through the article. These retroreflective regions and vapor permeable non-retroreflective regions may form any of a variety of different configurations as described in greater detail below. The presence of the retroreflective regions may not substantially decrease thermal decay and or vapor permeability through the article. In one particular case, the article comprises a retroreflective patch for use on a garment. The material defining the non-continuous pattern may have a reflective brightness greater than 50 candelas/(lux*meter.sup.2) or even greater than 250 candelas/(lux*meter.sup.2). [0011] In still other aspects, this disclosure describes one or more methods. For example, a method may include screen printing an adhesive pattern on a protective garment and pressing retroreflective beads on the adhesive pattern to create a retroreflective pattern. Vapor permeability and/or thermal decay through the protective garment in portions having the retroreflective pattern may be substantially the same as vapor permeability and/or thermal decay through the protective garment in portions of the garment that do not have the retroreflective pattern. [0012] Alternatively, a method may include mixing retroreflective beads into an adhesive material and screen printing a pattern on a protective garment using the mixture. Again, vapor permeability and/or thermal decay through the protective garment in portions having the screened pattern may be substantially the same as vapor permeability and/or thermal decay through the protective garment in portions of the garment that do not have the screened pattern. [0013] Non-continuous vapor permeable material can provide several advantages. In particular, unlike conventional retroreflective material, including perforated retroreflective material, the non-continuous vapor permeable material can provide improved thermal and vapor transfer through protective garments having retroreflective material thereon. Unlike conventional perforated retroreflective material that can decrease vapor permeability and thermal decay, this disclosure provides techniques for fixing retroreflective material to protective garments without substantially effecting the permeability of the garment, thereby reducing the risk of injury due to heated moisture and extreme temperatures. In addition, the techniques described herein can provide improved thermal decay through an outer shell versus the use of conventional retroreflective material, such as perforated retroreflective material, thereby allowing any heat trapped within the protective outfit to escape. [0014] Other advantages of the non-continuous retroreflective material include the ability to use highly retroreflective material on a protective garment without risking potential injury to the wearer of the garment due to extreme temperatures. The use of retroreflective material is particularly important during nighttime and twilight hours when visibility is low. The disclosure below can provide for the creation of non-continuous retroreflective material having a reflective brightness greater than 50 candelas/(lux*meter.sup.2) or even greater than 250 candelas/(lux*meter.sup.2) without substantially changing the vapor permeability and thermal decay of the garment. [0015] In addition, providing retroreflective material on protective outfits using screen printing techniques or other techniques described herein can improve the production of protective outfits. Moreover, the retroreflective patterns created as described below may be thinner and much less bulky that more conventional retroreflective material used on conventional protective garments. [0016] Additional details of these and other embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects and advantages will become apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a protective garment incorporating a non-continuous retroreflective material. [0018] FIGS. 2-5 further illustrate exemplary non-continuous vapor permeable retroreflective patterns. [0019] FIGS. 6 and 7 are flow diagrams illustrating processes for creating material having the non-continuous vapor permeable retroreflective patterns. [0020] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-layer firefighter outfit that includes an outer shell incorporating a non-continuous retroreflective material. Continue reading... Full patent description for Vapor permeable retroreflective garment Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Vapor permeable retroreflective garment patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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