GB2246282A

GB2246282A - Improvements in protective clothing

Info

Publication number: GB2246282A
Application number: GB9114681A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yrjo Heikki Vesterinen
Original assignee: VESTY
Current assignee: VESTY
Priority date: 1990-07-06
Filing date: 1991-07-08
Publication date: 1992-01-29
Also published as: GB9114681D0

Abstract

A garment has at least one region provided with impact or abrasion resistant padding laminated to the garment material. A padded shirt to be worn by a motorcross rider has a sleeve 10 to the inside of which is laminated a pad 14 comprising a foam layer 15 covered by a floc layer 16. The pad 14 is laminated to the sleeve fabric 12 by the local application of heat and pressure to form a compressed peripheral strip 18, and internal compressed strips 24, 28 which act as hinges between panels 24, 28 into which the pad 14 is thus sub-divided. The garment may, e.g. be a pair of trousers or a glove. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN PROTECTIVE CLOTHING This invention relates to protective clothing and, more particularly, to padded garments for protecting the wearer against bodily impact when engaged in a physical activity in which there is such a danger, for example in a sport such a motocross or motor racing.

It is of course known to provide pads on garments, for example as detachable pads or as pads incorporated into the garment. In a typical construction of the latter type, described in US Patent Specification No. 4,700,407 (Mattila), the basic material of the garment is apertured at the vulnerable points, eg the forearm, shoulder, hips, thigh and knee, each opening being closed with resilient shock-absorbing pad of foam material having laminated to its outer surface a layer of textile material. A compressed peripheral area of laminated foam extends over the area of the basic material surrounding the opening and is secured thereto by sewing.

Such a construction is clearly labour-intensive and poses problems of edge finishing and trimming.

It is also known to provide badges on footballers jerseys by laminating to the outside of the jersey in an area such as the middle of the chest at least the periphery of a sheet of thermoplastic foam faced with a thermoplastic sheet having a floc finish on its outer side.

According to the present invention there is provided a padded garment comprising a layer of garment material having in at least one region in which the wearer is vulnerable to injury by impact or abrasion a pad of kinetic energyabsorbent material laminated to the garment material at least around the periphery of the pad. The body regions of the wearer which can be protected by an upper garment according to the invention are the forearm, elbow, shoulder, collar and back (particularly the lower spinal region); by trousers according to the invention the hip, thigh, knee and shin regions; and by gloves according to the invention, the knuckles, metacarpal and digital regions.

Preferably the one or more pads are laminated to the inside surface of the garment material; the fabric of which the garment is formed thus extends integrally over and beyond the area of the or each pad. The garment surface may thus present a smooth and uninterrupted outer surface which does not impose any limitations on the design and colours applied to the garment material; on the other hand the lamination may be performed so as to control the garment material and emphasise the mouldings.

Preferably the pad is formed of a foam, more preferably a thermo-plastic open-cell or closed-cell foam. The use of a mouldable or compressible material such as a foam for the pad enables the pad to be divided into a series of panels joined by hinge strips of thinner material which allow relative movement of the pad panels; and the pad to have a relatively thin and tough marginal area which helps to increase the effectiveness of the bond between the pad and the garment material.

The exposed surface of the foam desirably has a protective layer which may be constituted by a skin formed on the foam; preferably however it is constituted by a separate thermoplastic layer faced with a floc, velour or fleecy material.

When the pad is located on the inside surface of the garment material a further layer of a preferably mouldable material having protective characteristics against impact or abrasion may be secured to the outer surface of the garment material opposite to the pad.

Particularly for trousers the garment material may be one which readily conforms to the contours of the pad,

for example a thicker "Lycra"-type K material which has recently become available.

According to the present invention there is further provided a method of constructing a padded garment comprising placing between mould surfaces a piece of garment fabric and a layer of kinetic energy-absorbent foam material such that the fabric extends beyond the area of the foam material, and applying heat and pressure at least around the perimeter of said foam material to laminate the foam material to the fabric. The employment of a high frequency welding technique is particularly advantageous. Lamination may be effected by adhesive, if desired.

Although the invention may be carried out in a variety of ways, one particular embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view from inside of part of a sleeve piece for a padded suit in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is a section on the line II - II in Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 1 a portion of a sleeve piece 10 for making up into the sleeve of a padded motocross shirt comprises a suitably cut piece 12 of a fabric normally used for such shirts, for example a polyester-polyamide or cotton-polyamide having a certain degree of stretch, and a forearm pad 14 laminated to the underside of the piece 12 and constituted by a layer of foam 15 having on its exposed surface a fleecy velour layer 16.

In the construction of the sleeve piece 10 the cut out sleeve piece 12 is placed on a flat press bed and overlaid by a shaped piece of polyethylene foam sheet 15 and a floc-faced PVC sheet 16. The configured upper mould is then closed, and radio frequency welding performed so that the foam layer 15 is both locally laminated to the sleeve piece 12 and to the PVC layer 16 to form the pad 14 having the configuration as shown in Fig. 1, and which will now be described.

Around the perimeter of the pad 14 there runs a marginal strip 18 of compressed foam which forms a tough, low-profile edge for the pad 14. The central area of the pad 14 comprises a larger longitudinally-extending panel 20 and a similar smaller panel 22, the foam layer 15 having its original thickness in the central areas of the panels 20,22 and being contoured around their edges down to a surrounding, fully compressed foam strip 24, as best seen in Fig. 2. Surrounding the panels 20,22 is a series of similar panels 26, each joined to its neighbour by a similar, fully-compressed strip 28. The strips 24,28 act to allow the panels 20,22,26 to hinge relatively to one another in accordance with the arm movements of the wearer, thereby providing greater comfort. The sub-division of the pad 14 into panels 20,22,26 stabilizes the fabric 12 against stretching, thus not only affording greater protection to the wearer but also helping to protect the foam against rupture. If the foam should become ruptured for any reason, for example by external forces or by frequent washing it can tend to roll up within its pocket. The sub-division of the pad 14 into panels thus limits the area in which the foam layer 15 can roll up. Similarly if the foam 15 should become degraded and crumble it will similarly tend to acumulate in one area of its pocket; the sub-division of the pad 14 into isolated panels similarly limits the area in which there can be less or no foam.

If desired, the compressed and laminated areas may be arranged to form a logo or decorative device.

Moreover a moulded polyethylene shell (not shown) may be secured over the panel 14, for example by being bonded to the outer surface of the fabric during the moulding process.

In another, unillustrated embodiment of the invention a pre-heated velour faced foam sheet is placed velour face down on a flat mould surface and then covered with a layer of garment fabric. After the configured upper mould has been closed heat and pressure are applied to form a pad in which the fabric conforms to the moulded configuration.

A type of foam sheet which is particularly suitable for certain applications is the open-celled, impact-absorbent type sold under the name of TEMPERFOAM.

It will be appreciated that the described construction is much simpler than known constructions while still allowing a pad to be placed at any vulnerable location, and can be utilised to produce a protective garment of very good quality.

Claims

1. A padded garment comprising a layer of garment material having in at least one region in which the wearer is vulnerable to injury by impact or abrasion a pad of kinetic energy absorbent material laminated to the garment material at least around the periphery of the pad.

2. A garment as claimed in claim 1, in which the garment is an upper garment and a pad is provided in at least one of the forearm, albow, shoulder, spine and collar regions.

3. A garment as claimed in claim 1, in which the garment is a pair of trousers and a pad is provided in at least one of the hip, thigh, knee and shin regions.

4. A garment as claimed in claim 1, in which the garment is a glove and a pad is provided in at least one of the metacarpal knuckle and finger regions.

5. A garment as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the one or more pads are laminated to the inner surface of the garment material.

6. A garment as claimed in claim 4 and having a layer of impact- or abrasion-resistant material secured to the outer surface of the garment material opposite at least one pad.

7. A garment as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the kinetic energy absorbent material is a foam material.

8. A garment as claimed in claim 7, in which the foam material is a thermoplastic foam material.

9. A garment as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the pad is divided into a plurality of panels each connected to one or more adjacent panels by a strip of material which is thinner than the general thickness of the pad and permits relative hinging movement.

10. A garment as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the peripheral area of the pad laminated to the garment material is relatively thin and tough so as to enhance the effectiveness of the bond between the pad and the garment material.

11. A garment as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the pad comprises a layer of sheet material at its outer surface.

12. A garment as claimed in claim 11, in which the layer is a floc, velour or fleecy material.

13. A garment as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the pad is embossed.

14. A method of constructing a padded garment comprising placing between mould surfaces a piece of garment fabric and a layer of kinetic energy-absorbent foam material such that the fabric extends beyond the area of the foam material, and applying heat and pressure at least around the perimeter of said foam material to laminate the foam material to the fabric.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, in which the heat is generated within the material to be laminated by the application of high-frequency radiation.

16. A padded garment as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described.

17. A padded garment substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. A method of constructing a padded garment as claimed in claim 14 and substantially as herein described.

19. A method of constructing a padded garment substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. The features herein described or their equivalents, in any novel, patentable selection.