Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SAFETY GARMENT SYSTEM
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of
safety garments and more
specifically relates to coveralls.
[0002] Oil and gas well drilling and oil and gas well servicing
involve many different
types of equipment and materials. Workers in the oil and gas industries face
the risk of fire and
explosion due to ignition of flammable vapors or gases, along with other
risks. Flammable gases, such
as well gases, vapors, and hydrogen sulfide, can be released from wells,
trucks, production equipment
or surface equipment. When an injured person is down, another person willing
to save his life will be
putting substantially more risk on their own life. Current methods are unsafe
for both parties involved.
For example, in an emergency situation a rescuer may have to pull on any loose
article of clothing of
victim in an effort to move from an unsafe situation However, the article of
clothing may tear slowing
evacuation from the dangerous situation. For a victim it is imperative to get
to a fresh air environment
as quickly as possible. A suitable and more efficient means for rescuing is
desired.
[0003] The present invention is adapted to provide a wearable
safety garment system
that appears as a typical work uniform, while having an integrated harness
system. The harness system
is positioned on an interior side of the garment and operably connected to a
first handle and a second
handle each disposed on a respective shoulder portions of the garment. The
harness system includes
a shoulder harness, a front torso harness, and a groin harness. These
harnesses cooperatively allow a
rescuer to pull the wearer at the handles without risk of the garment tearing
or otherwise being
ineffective in dragging the wearer from a dangerous situation.
[0004] In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is
submitted that the
present invention substantially diverges in design elements and methods from
the known art and
1
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-11-18
consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement
for safety garment systems.
In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known
types of safety
garment systems now present in the known art, the present invention provides a
wearable safety
garment system that appears as a typical work uniform, while having an
integrated harness system.
[0006] The safety garment system includes a garment having an
interior side, an
exterior side, a harness, a first handle, and a second handle. The garment is
defined by a body having
the interior side and the exterior side. The harness system is positioned on
an interior side of the
garment and operably connected to a first handle and a second handle each
disposed on a respective
shoulder portion of the garment. The harness system allows a rescuer to pull
the wearer at the handles
without risk of the garment tearing or otherwise being ineffective in dragging
the wearer from a
dangerous situation. A pair of patches are removably secured to the first
handle and the second handle
such that each patch conceals the first handle and the second handle,
respectively. Moreover, the
shoulder harness is distinct and independent from the front torso harness,
such that a size adjustment
of either the shoulder harness or the front torso harness does not affect a
size adjustment of the other.
In this way, pulling of the handle does not cause movement of the harness that
is affixed to the
garment.
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
garment safety system
having a harness system integrated with the garment, wherein the harness
system is operably
connected to a first handle and a second handle each disposed on a respective
shoulder portion of the
garment.
2
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-11-18
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
garment safety system
with a harness system having a shoulder harness, a front torso harness, and a
groin harness. The
harness system provides secure attachment to the garment, such that pulling of
the handles by a
rescuer applies a distributed force to the harness system. Thereby,
effectively pulling the wearer from
a dangerous situation and not causing injury to the wearer during the rescuing
act.
[0009] It is yet another objective of the present invention to
provide a garment safety
system having a pair of patches removably secured to the first handle and the
second handle, each
patch configured to conceal the first handle and the second handle,
respectively. The pair of patches
comprise a patch fastener configured to mate with a garment fastener located
on the garment and the
pair of patches are completely removeable from the garment for use of the
first handle and the second
handle.
[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide a garment
safety system
wherein the shoulder harness is distinct and independent from the front torso
harness, such that a
size adjustment of either the shoulder harness or the front torso harness does
not affect a size
adjustment of the other.
[0011] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present
invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Although the characteristic features of this invention will
be particularly
pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be
made and used may be
3
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-11-18
better understood after a review of the following description, taken in
connection with the
accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided
throughout.
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a front side of an
embodiment of the safety
garment system.
[0014] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a rear side of an
embodiment of the safety
garment system.
[0015] FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the handle of an embodiment
of the safety
garment system.
[0016] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the shoulder portion of
an embodiment
of the safety garment system with patch attached.
[0017] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the shoulder portion of
an embodiment
of the safety garment system with patch removed.
[0018] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an interior side of the
shoulder portion of
an embodiment of thee safety garments system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Reference is made herein to the attached drawings.
[0020] For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description
of the present
invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for providing a
wearable safety garment
system that appears as a typical work uniform, while having an integrated
harness system.. The figures
are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to
be limiting in any
respect.
[0021] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary
embodiment (s) of the
invention. References to "one embodiment," "at least one embodiment," "an
embodiment," "one
4
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-11-18
example," "an example," "for example," and so on indicate that the
embodiment(s) or example(s) may
include a feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation
but that not every
embodiment or example necessarily includes that feature, structure,
characteristic, property, element,
or limitation. Further, repeated use of the phrase "in an embodiment", "first
embodiment", "second
embodiment", or "third embodiment" does not necessarily refer to the same
embodiment.
[0022] Referring now to FIGs. 1 and 2, there is shown a perspective
view of a front
and rear side of an embodiment of the safety garment system, respectively. The
safety garment system
100 comprises a garment 110 having an interior side 112, an exterior side 116,
a harness or harness
system 120, a first handle 124, and a second handle 130. In the illustrated
embodiment, the garment
110 is defined by a body having the interior side 112 and the exterior side
116. In the shown
embodiment, the harness system 120 is disposed on an interior side 112 thereof
and operably
connected to a first handle 124 and a second handle 130each disposed on a
respective shoulder portion
117 of the garment 110. The first handle 124 and the second handle 130 are
configured on the exterior
side 116 and are positioned on opposing sides (left and right) at a shoulder
portion 117 of the garment
110. The garment 110 is configured to be used to drag a victim to safety using
the harness 120, the
first handle 124, and the second handle 130. More handles may be used in
alternate embodiments.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 2, the safety garment system 100 includes
the garment 110
which may be used for effectively dragging a victim in a life-threatening
environment. In one
embodiment, the garment 110 is a pair coveralls. The garment 110 may be
provided in a summer or
winter design for around the year use. The garment 110 further includes a pair
of patches 140
configured to be secured on top of both the first handle 124 and the second
handle 130 and conceal
the first handle 124 and the second handle 130. In the shown embodiment, the
pair of patches 140
are each substantially rectangular. The pair of patches 140 comprise a patch
fastener 142 (see Fig. 3)
which is configured to mate with a garment fastener 144 located on the garment
110. The patch
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-11-18
fastener 142 and the garment fastener 144 include hook-and-loop fasteners,
snap fasteners, or other
suitable fastening means. In the shown embodiments of FIGs 3 and 4, the
garment fastener 144 is
positioned around a perimeter of the first handle 124 and the second handle
130 and is configured to
receive the patch fastener 142. In alternative embodiments, the patch and
garment fasteners 142, 144
may have any shape and configuration for semi-permanently securing the patch
140 to the garment
110. The patches maintain the handles in a stored configuration and prevent
the handles from being
accessed, thereby preventing the handle from becoming caught or ensnared on an
object when not in
use.
[0024] In the shown embodiment, the harness system 120 comprises a
shoulder
harness 121 encircling an arm portion 118 of the garment 110, wherein the
shoulder harness 121 is
coupled to a lateral end 132 of each the first handle and the second handle
124, 130, respectively. In
this way, the shoulder harness 121 is adapted to receive the arm of the wearer
therethrough. A front
torso harness 122 extends between a groin harness 126 and a medial end 134 of
each of the first handle
and the second handle 124, 130, respectively. As shown, the groin harness 126
extends between the
front torso harness 122 and a groin portion 115 of the garment, wherein the
groin harness 126
encircles a leg portion 119 of the garment to provide strength to the garment
110 allowing a rescuer
to drag the wearer.
[0025] In the shown embodiment, the first handle and the second
handle 124, 130 are
each permanently configured on an exterior side 116 of the garment 110, such
that each handle 124,
130 are adapted to provide a gripping portion in operation.
[0026] In one embodiment, the shoulder harness 121 is distinct and
independent from
the front torso harness 122, such that a size adjustment of either the
shoulder harness 121 or the front
torso harness 122 does not affect a size adjustment of the other. In this way,
as the rescuer pulls the
handles 124, 130 so as to drag the wearer of the garment safety system 100,
the shoulder harness 121
6
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-11-18
and/or the front torso harness 122 remains affixed to the garment 110. In this
way, the pulling force
of the rescuer occurs at the shoulder portions 117 and is evenly distributed
throughout the garment
110. In one embodiment, the front torso harness 122, the rear torso harness
123, the shoulder harness
121, and the groin harness 126 are permanently affixed to the garment. In one
embodiment, the
harness 110 is stitched to the interior side 112 of the garment.
[0027] Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a close-up view of
the handle of an
embodiment of the safety garment system. In one embodiment, the first handle
124 and the second
handle 130 are configured to fold under the patch 140. The first handle 124
and the second handle
130 are substantially flat on top of a shoulder during non-use. In the shown
embodiment, the handles
124, 130 comprise a strap having an arc length extending between a lateral end
132 and a medial end
134 of each handle 124, 130. The lateral end 132 of the handles 124, 130 is
the outer side or distal side
thereof. The medial end 134 of the handles 124, 130 are towards the middle of
the garment. The arc
length of the handles 124, 130 is greater than a linear length between the
lateral end 132 and medial
ends 132 (as shown in FIG. 5). In this way, for the handle 124, 130 to lay
flat on the shoulder portion
117, the handles 124, 130 are folded onto itself. Therefore, when the patch
140 is secured to the
garment 110, the handles 124, 130 lay substantially flat thereunder.
[0028] In one embodiment, the pair of patches 140 comprise a
material which is the
same or similar to that of the garment 110. The pair of patches 140 are
removeable from the garment
110 for use of the first handle 124 and the second handle 130. The patches 140
protect the first handle
124 and the second handle 130 from flash fires and potential snags.
[0029] In the shown embodiment, the harness system 120 further
comprises a rear
torso harness 123 comprising a first strap 125 and a second strap 125B. The
first strap 125 extends
from a waist portion 127 between a first side 128 of a waist portion of the
garment 110 and the medial
end 134 of the first handle 1124 disposed on a second side 112 of the garment.
The second strap 125B
7
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-11-18
extends between a second side 129 of the waist portion of the garment and the
medial end 143 of
each the second handle 130 disposed on a first side 111 of the garment. The
first side 111 of the
garment and the second side 112 of the garment are disposed on left and right
sides of the garment,
respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the groin harness terminates at a
waist portion of the rear
side.
[0030] Referring now to FIGs. 4 and 5, there is shown a perspective
view of the
shoulder portion of an embodiment of the safety garment system with patch
attached and removed,
respectively. In the shown embodiment, a pair of patches 140 are each
configured to be removably
secured to the first handle 124 and the second handle 130, such that each
patch 140 is configured to
conceal the first handle and the second handle, respectively. The pair of
patches 140 comprise a patch
fastener 142 configured to mate with a garment fastener 144 located on the
garment 110. The pair of
patches 140 are completely removeable from the garment 110 for use of the
first handle and the
second handle 124, 130.
[0031] In the shown embodiment, the harness 120 is connected to the
first handle
124 and the second handle 130. The first handle 124 and the second handle 130
each comprise the
shoulder strap 150 and handle strap 151 include an opening suitable for
receiving a hand for dragging
the victim to safety using the first handle 124 and the second handle 130. The
first handle 124 and the
second handle 130 each comprise a length of flexible material.
[0032] In one embodiment, the harness 120 is lightweight and is
configured to
support a weight of the victim. The safety garment system 100 allows a rescuer
to drag another person
(wearer) to a fresh air environment in a safe and timely manner. The rescuer
is able to drag the wearer
while walking forward in an upright position, unlike other current methods.
The person will have total
control of the victim and be able to easily get the person out of a ditch or
up/down a set of stairs,
8
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-11-18
when gripping and using the first handle 124 and the second handle 130. The
coveralls will naturally
cradle the victim's neck and head.
[0033] Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown a perspective view
of an interior side
of the shoulder portion of an embodiment of thee safety garments system. In
the shown embodiment,
the shoulder harness 121 and the front and rear torso harnesses 122, 123 are
fixed to a shoulder strap
150. The shoulder strap 150 is sewn directly to the harness 121, 122, 123,
such that the shoulder strap
150 remains fixed in position relative to the garment and the harnesses 121,
122, 123.
[0034] In the shown embodiment, the first and second handle 124,
130 each comprise
the shoulder strap 150 and handle strap 151, wherein the shoulder strap 150 is
directly affixed to the
shoulder harness 121 and the front torso harness 122, wherein the handle strap
151 is directly affixed
to the shoulder strap 150. The shoulder strap and handle strap 150, 151 form
an opening suitable for
receiving a hand for dragging a victim to safety, wherein the handle strap 151
a fixed length. The
harness 120 is approximately 1-inch wide.
[0035] Since the handles 124, 130 are directly secured to the
harness and the harness
is affixed entirely to the interior side of the garment, the harness system is
adapted to not tension
when the pair of patches fastened to the first handle and the second handle,
respectively, is uncoupled
therefrom. Moreover, when the handles 124, 130 are pulled by a rescuer the
harness system is adapted
to remain affixed to the garment throughout the entire interior side of the
garment. In this way, the
handle 124, 130 position is independent of the position of the harness system
120.
[0036] It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has
been shown and
described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiments. It is recognized,
however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and
that obvious
modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the
above description then, it is
to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the
invention, to include
9
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-11-18
variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation,
assembly and use, are
deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all
equivalent relationships to those
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to
be encompassed by the
present invention.
[0037]
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles
of
the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily
occur to those skilled
in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction
and operation shown and
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be
resorted to, falling within
the scope of the invention.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-11-18
