Safety outerwear with fire resistant mesh

Abstract

An article of safety outerwear has a main body piece that receives a portion of the body of a wearer in use. The main body piece includes a garment wall that defines inside and outside wall portions. The inside wall portion presents a smooth surface to the body of the wearer in use. The outside wall portion is adapted for constant exposure to environmental conditions and to protect against abrasion during working and/or athletic activity. The garment wall is formed at least in part from a vent portion, such that at least a portion of each of the inside and outside wall portions is defined thereby. The vent portion is constructed solely from one or more layers of a mesh material, and is safety rated with a flame resistant rating qualifying same for flame resistant use in hazardous environments. The mesh material operatively has an open texture for high breathability.

1 . An article of fire resistant safety outerwear comprising a main body piece adapted to receive in encompassing relation at least a portion of the body of a wearer in use, wherein the main body piece comprises a garment wall that defines an inside wall portion and an outside wall portion, with said inside wall portion being adapted to present a substantially smooth surface to the body of the wearer in use, and with said outside wall portion being adapted for substantially constant exposure to environmental conditions and to provide the wearer with protection against abrasion during normal activity selected from the group consisting of working activity and athletic activity; with said garment wall being formed at least in part from a vent portion, such that at least a portion of each of said inside wall portion and said outside wall portion of said garment wall is defined by said vent portion; with said vent portion being constructed solely from at least one layer of a mesh material, with said vent portion being safety-rated with a flame resistant rating that qualifies said vent portion for flame resistant use in hazardous environments, and with said mesh material operatively having a substantially open texture for high breathability.  
   
   
       2 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein a substantial entirety of said garment wall is formed from said vent portion.  
   
   
       3 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said mesh material is constructed at least in part from a synthetic flame resistant material.  
   
   
       4 . An article according to  claim 3 , wherein said synthetic flame resistant material comprises a synthetic flame resistant fiber that is characterized by low stiffness and high elongation, so as to provide textile-like characteristics, and so as to enable processing of said fiber on conventional textile equipment.  
   
   
       5 . An article according to  claim 3 , wherein said synthetic flame resistant material comprises one or more fibers selected from the group consisting of aromatic polyamide fibers, para-aramid fibers, meta-aramid fibers, polyamide-imide fibers, polybenzimidazole fibers, celazole fibers, melamine fibers, oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers, and modacrylic fibers.  
   
   
       6 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said mesh material is constructed at least in part from a natural material.  
   
   
       7 . An article according to  claim 6 , wherein said natural material comprises a material rendered flame resistant by surface treatment with a flame retardant chemical.  
   
   
       8 . An article according to  claim 6 , wherein said natural material comprises a natural fiber rendered flame resistant by impregnation of a flame retardant chemical into a substantial core thereof.  
   
   
       9 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said mesh material is selected from the group consisting of flame resistant perforated fabrics, flame resistant lattice-type fabrics, and flame resistant open-work fabrics.  
   
   
       10 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said flame resistant rating comprises char length values, afterflame values, and afterglow values compliant with the vertical flame test under Method 5903.1 of United States Federal Standard 191A.  
   
   
       11 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said flame resistant rating comprises char length values, afterflame values, and afterglow values compliant with the vertical flame test in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials D-6413 standard.  
   
   
       12 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said flame resistant rating comprises an arc thermal performance value rating substantially within the range of between about a 0.1 rating and about a 5.0 rating, and wherein said flame resistant rating further comprises a hazard/risk category rating substantially within the range of between about a 0.1 rating and about a 1.0 rating.  
   
   
       13 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said flame resistant rating comprises an arc thermal performance value rating substantially greater than about a 5.0 rating, and wherein said flame resistant rating further comprises a hazard/risk category rating of substantially greater than about a 1.0 rating.  
   
   
       14 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said flame resistant rating comprises a rating compliant with the National Fire Protection Association 2112 standard.  
   
   
       15 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said mesh material has an actual weight of substantially about 6.0 ounces per square yard, and wherein said flame resistant rating comprises a thermal protective performance rating of substantially greater than about 6.0 calories per square centimeter, with said thermal protective performance rating obtained in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials D-4108 standard.  
   
   
       16 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said mesh material retains a high visibility dye.  
   
   
       17 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said main body piece includes: 
 a trunks outerwear part, adapted to receive in encompassing relation the lower region of the torso of a wearer in use and having apertures through which the legs of said wearer protrude in use; and    a pair of tubular leg parts, each adapted to receive therethrough a respective protruding leg of said wearer in use and extending between a respective upper end, connected to said trunks outerwear part, and a respective lower end, disposed adjacent to the ankle of said respective protruding leg,    wherein one said vent portion is provided in each leg part as a tubular vent portion, extending, with respect to the respective protruding leg received in said each leg part in user from about mid-leg to about the ankle.    
   
   
       18 . An article according to  claim 17 , wherein said main body piece is trouser outerwear.  
   
   
       19 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said main body piece includes: 
 a trunks outerwear part, adapted to receive in encompassing relation the lower region of the torso of a wearer in use and having apertures through which the legs of said wearer protrude in use;    a pair of tubular leg parts, each adapted to receive therethrough a respective protruding leg of said wearer in use and extending between a respective upper end, connected to said trunks outerwear part, and a respective lower end, disposed adjacent to the ankle of said respective protruding leg; and    a bib part securely attached to the trunks outerwear part;    wherein said bib part, said trunks outerwear part, and said leg parts together forming a bib overall; and with at least one said vent portion being provided in said bib overall.    
   
   
       20 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said main body piece includes: 
 a trunks outerwear part, adapted to receive in encompassing relation the lower region of the torso of a wearer in use and having apertures through which the legs of said wearer protrude in use;    a pair of tubular leg parts, each adapted to receive therethrough a respective protruding leg of said wearer in use and extending between a respective upper end, connected to said trunks outerwear part, and a respective lower end, disposed adjacent to the ankle of said respective protruding leg; and    a front closure jacket part securely attached to said trunks outerwear part;    wherein said jacket part, said trunks outerwear part, and said leg parts together forming a coverall; and with at least one said vent portion being provided in said coverall.    
   
   
       21 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said main body piece comprises: 
 an upper torso outerwear part, adapted to receive in encompassing relation the upper region of the torso of a wearer in use and having apertures through which the arms of said wearer protrude in use; and    a pair of tubular arm parts, each adapted to receive therethrough a respective protruding arm of said wearer in use and extending between a respective upper end, connected to said upper torso outerwear part, and a respective lower end, disposed in a wrist-ward direction from said respective upper end along said respective protruding arm;    with at least one said vent portion being provided in at least one of said upper torso outerwear part and said arm parts.    
   
   
       22 . An article according to  claim 21 , wherein said upper torso outerwear part is shaped to define a front opening, and wherein said upper torso outerwear part comprises a front-closure means for securing said front opening of said upper torso outerwear part in a closed configuration.  
   
   
       23 . An article according to  claim 1 , further comprising a covering shell substantially secured to said main body piece for covering said vent portion, with said covering shell adapted to be turned back from said vented portion into an opened configuration, wherein said covering shell is selectively securable in said opened configuration by securement means affixed to said main body piece.  
   
   
       24 . An article according to  claim 1 , further comprising a covering shell detachably secured by securement means affixed to said main body piece for covering said vent portion.  
   
   
       25 . An article according to  claim 24 , wherein said covering shell is constructed of a fabric material of substantially closed texture.  
   
   
       26 . An article according to  claim 25 , wherein said fabric material is formed at least in part from a high temperature flame resistant petrochemically-based manufactured fiber.  
   
   
       27 . An article according to  claim 25 , wherein said fabric material is formed at least in part from a natural fiber rendered flame resistant by a process selected from the group consisting of surface treatment with a flame retardant chemical, and impregnation of a flame retardant chemical into a substantial core thereof.  
   
   
       28 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein said main body piece includes a pocket means for temporarily storing items during a normal activity selected from the group consisting of workplace activities and athletic activities; and wherein said pocket means comprises at least one pocket that is sized to receive and store a covering shell which is detachably securable to said main body piece for covering said vent portion.  
   
   
       29 . An article according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of pads attached to said main body piece to cover a first pair of body parts of said wearer in use, with said first pair of body parts being selected from the group consisting of a pair of knees and a pair of hips of said wearer.  
   
   
       30 . An article according to  claim 29 , wherein said pads are removably attached to said main body piece.