Disposable safety garment with reduced particulate shedding

Abstract

A nonwoven disposable safety garment made by cutting at least one sheet of nonwoven material into a safety garment pattern, stitching the at least one sheet to define a garment, and hemming the garment. Cut edges are twice folded and hemmed under to prevent exposure of any cut edges. Stitching is characterized by a stitch density in the range of 10 to 12 stitches per inch.

1 . A nonwoven safety garment, comprising:
 a piece of cut spunbond/melt blown material having a plurality of cut edges; and   at least one seam connecting at least two of the plurality of cut edges, together defining a garment;   wherein, at one or more cut edges that are not connected at the at least one seam, the cut edges are double-folded under, then hemmed into place.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of hemmed loops extending from the garment and positioned to engage a wearer's hands. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein the hemmed loops are characterized by stitching that has a stitch density between ten and twelve stitches per inch. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the garment further includes an elastic band disposed under a hem, and wherein the garment is shaped to form a shoe covering. 
     
     
         5 . A disposable clean room safety garment, comprising:
 at least one sheet of nonwoven fabric having at least one cut edge;   a plurality of stitches formed in the at least one sheet of nonwoven fabric to define a garment with no lining; and   hems formed at the at least one cut edge;   wherein the nonwoven fabric is formed from spunbond/melt blown material; and   the plurality of stitches and the hems are characterized by stitch densities between ten and twelve stitches per inch.   
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein:
 the garment further includes an elastic band disposed under a hem, and   the garment is shaped to form a shoe covering.   
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein the hems are folded twice to encapsulate the at least one cut edge. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 5 , further comprising at least one hand-engaging loop. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one hand-engaging loop further comprises an elongated piece of cut nonwoven fabric defining a pair of generally parallel cut edges, and wherein the cut edges are folded under and hemmed into place such that the cut edges are not exposed. 
     
     
         10 . A method of making a safety garment, comprising the steps of:
 a) cutting at least one sheet of nonwoven material having at least one cut edge into a safety garment pattern;   b) stitching the at least one sheet to define a garment;   c) hemming the garment at the at least one cut edge; and   d) attaching a hand-engaging loop to the garment;   wherein all cut edges are twice folded and hemmed under to prevent exposure of any cut edge; and   wherein all stitching and hemming is characterized by a stitch density in the range of 10 to 12 stitches per inch.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the nonwoven fabric is formed from spunbond/melt blown material. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the garment has no lining. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 attaching hemmed loops to the garment that extend from the garment and are positioned to engage a wearer's hands.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the hemmed loops are characterized by stitching that has a stitch density between ten and twelve stitches per inch. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 ,
 further comprising placing an elastic band under a hem, and   wherein the garment is shaped to form a shoe covering.