Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02482494 2004-09-23
FIRE PROTECTIVE TROUSERS WITH BELT CLOSURE SYSTEM
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to fire protective clothing,
and in particular to fare protective trousers worn by firefighters,
emergency responders and rescue workers.
THE PRIOR ART
[0002] Fire protective trousers for use by firefighters, emergency
responders, rescue workers; etc., are conventionally formed of an outer
shell that is made of a fire protective material and a removable liner that
is itself formed of an outer layer of a moisture barrier material and an
inner layer of a thermal material, these layers being stitched together
along their peripheries. The outer shell includes fastening means for
attachment of the liner therein. In order to position the trousers on a
wearer, it can include buttons or other means for attachment of
suspenders, or it can include belt loops spaced around its waist area
through which a belt can be extended, or it can include an elastic band
that extends peripherally around its waist area. The use of a belt
provides a fixed circumference to the trousers and thus a desired tight
fitting around the waist of a wearer. Tha use of an elastic band provides
for a flexible fit around the waist of a wearer and thus accommodates
bending and sitting movements of the wearer. However, neither
attachment means is ideal since the use of a best does not accommodate
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bending and sitting of the wearer and the use of an elastic band may not
provide sufficient tightness around the waist of the wearer.
(0003 A need exists for a belting system in fire protective
trousers that accommodates varying waist sizes of wearers yet provides a
degree of flexure in the waist area to accommodate bending and sitting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004 According to this invention, a pair of fire protective
trousers includes an outer shell that has a belt closure system that
includes an elastic band that is attached to the outer shell around a rear
portion thereof, right and left belt guides connected to the outer shell,
and right and left belt sections that are respectively connected at rear
ends to the outer shell and extend through the respective right and left
belt guides to front ends that connect with right and left snap buckle
parts, these snap buckle parts being engagable to fixedly position the
trousers on a wearer and provide a positive closure for a fly flap at the
front of the trousers, while the elastic band along its back portion
provides a degree of flexure that accommodates bending and sitting of
the wearer. One of the belt sections can be adjustably connected to the
associated buckle part to enable adjustment to the waist size of the
wearer. The use of a snap buckle.enables easy attachment and
detachment of the belt sections even when the wearer is wearing gloves.
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[0005) Further features and advantages of the invention will be
understood by reference to the attached drawings, taken in conjunction
with the following discussion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006) Fig. 1 is a front view of an upper portion of a pair of fire
protective trousers that includes a belt closure system according to a
preferred embodiment of the present invention,
[0007) Fig. 2 is a rear view of the fire protective trousers of Fig.
I.
[0008) Fig. 3 is a cross section through the fire protective
trousers as seen along line 3-3 in Fig. 1,
[0009) Fig. 4 is a cross section through the fire protective
trousers as seen along line 4-4 in Fig. i, and
[0010) Fig. 5 is a front view of the snap buckle of the belt closure
system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0011) Figs. i and 2 show an upper of a pair of fire protective
trousers that include a belt closure system according to this invention.
The trousers, generally labeled 10, include an outer shell 20 and a
removable finer 30. The belt closure system is generally labeled 40 in Fig.
1.
[0012) The outer shell 20, which is made of a flame resistant
material such as NOMEX~ fabric, includes a right front panel 21, a right
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rear panel 22, a left front panel 23 and a left rear panel 24. As can be
seen in Fig. 2, the right front panel 21 extends laterally behind the right
side of the trousers so that the generally vertical seam 21a that connects
the right front panel 21 to the right rear panel 22 is located in the right
rear area of the trousers. likewise, the left front panel 23 extends
laterally behind the left side of the trousers so that the generally vertical
seam 23a that connects the left front panel 23 to the left rear panel 24 is
located in the left rear area of the trousers. The upper edge of the
trousers is labeled 25, and below this upper edge is a belting area 26 that
extends around the periphery of the trousers. A fly covering flap 27
attached to the left front panel 23 can be connected to the front of the
right front panel 21 by suitable fastening means, e.g., hook and loop
fasteners, to cover the fly between these panels, e.g., a zipper, buttons or
other fastening elements (not shown).
[0013] A waistband 28 is attached to the inside of the upper edge
25 of the outer shell to hang downwardly within the outer shell, this
waistband including inwardly directed snap sockets 29 at spaced locations
around its periphery. The waistband 28 includes a layer 28a of moisture
barrier material and a layer 28b of a thermal material.
[OOi4] As can be seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the liner 30 includes an
outer layer 31 of moisture barrier material and an inner layer 35 of
thermal material. The inner layer 35 includes outwardly-directed snap
studs 36 at spaced locations around its periphery for attachment to the
snap sockets 29 on the waistband 28. The upper ends of the inner layer
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35 and the outer layer 31 are otherwise detachably connected by
fastening means such as interengagable snap sockets and snap studs (not
shown) at spaced locations around their peripheries. Those locations are
preferably intermediate the locations of the snap studs 36 on the inner
layer 35.
[0~15] The belt closure system 40 of the invention include various
elements on.the belting area 26 of the outer shell 20 to enhance fitting
and tightening the trousers around the waist of a wearer. As seen in Figs.
1, 2 and 4, an elastic band 4~ is attached (sewn) to the inside surface of
the back portion of the outer shell 20 along its belting area 26 between
the seams 2ia and 23a to provide a flexible enclosure area that can
accommodate movements of the wearer such as torso bending which
occurs regularly during use. A right belt guide in the form of a sheath 42
is connected (sewn) to the outer side of the outer shell 20 along its
belting area 26 so as to extend from the seam 2Ia to a mouth 43 near
the fly covering flap 27 at the front of the trousers. A right belt section
44 extends through the right sheath 42 from a rear end 45 that is sewn to
the outer shell to a front end 46 that extends freely beyond the mouth 43.
This front end 46 is adjustably threaded through a first part 61 of a snap
buckle 60 (see Fig. 5). Likewise, a left belt guide in the form of a sheath
52 is connected (sewn) to the outer side of the outer shell 20 along its
belting area 26 so as to extend from the seam 23a to mouth 53 near the
closure flap 27 at the front of the trousers. A left belt section 54 extends
through the left sheath 52 from a rear end 55 that is sewn to the outer
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shell to a front end 56 that extends freely beyond the mouth 53. This
front end 56 is fixedly connected to a second part 62 of the snap buckle
60. The first and second parts 6~., 62 of the snap buckle 60 can be
connected to fixedly mount the trousers around the waist of a wearer and
to provide a positive closure over the fly covering flap 27, or be
disconnected for easy removal of the trousers even when the wearer may
be wearing gloves. The sheaths 42 and 52 are made of a flame
protective material such a NOMEX~ fabric so as to protect the portions of
belt sections 44 and 54 therein from environmental exposure. The belt
sections 44 and 54 are made of a durable and flame resistant material
such a NOMEX~ webbing.
[0016 While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been
described in detail, modifications therein can be made and still fall within
the scope of the appended claims. For example, the sheaths 42 and 52
can be replaced by one or more loops that are located between the rear
and front ends of the respective belt section that extend therethrough. In
addition, the belt sections 44 and 54 can respectively include at least one
elasticized portion, if desired, to provide additional flexibility in the
waist
area of the trousers when the snap buckle 60 is closed.
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