Garment with protective collar retainer

Abstract

A coat system including a protective coat and a throat tab coupled to or forming a part of the coat. The throat tab is movable between a closed position wherein the throat tab is positioned to generally cover a front of a throat of a wearer of the coat, and a retracted position wherein the throat tab is not positioned to generally cover the front of the throat of the wearer. The coat system further includes a non-magnetic fastener system configured to retain the throat tab in the closed position, and a magnetic fastener system configured to retain the throat tab in the retracted position.

1 . A coat system comprising:
 a protective coat;   a throat tab coupled to or forming a part of the coat, wherein the throat tab is movable between a closed position wherein the throat tab is positioned to generally cover a front of a throat of a wearer of the coat, and a retracted position wherein the throat tab is not positioned to generally cover the front of the throat of the wearer;   a non-magnetic fastener system configured to retain the throat tab in the closed position; and   a magnetic fastener system configured to retain the throat tab in the retracted position.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least part of the non-magnetic fastener system is positioned on a collar of the coat. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein at least another part of the non-magnetic fastener system is positioned on the throat tab. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the coat lacks a magnetizable component positioned on a front of a collar of the coat. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the coat lacks a magnet positioned on a front of a collar of the coat. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least part of the non-magnetic fastener system is positioned closer to an upper edge of a collar of the coat than any part of said magnetic fastener system when the throat tab is in the closed position. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the magnetic fastener system includes a first magnet located on one of the throat tab or a body of the coat, and wherein the magnetic fastener system further includes at least one of a second magnet or a magnetizable portion located on the other one of the throat tab or the body of the coat. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the first magnet, or the second magnet or magnetizable portion, that is located on the throat tab, is located at or adjacent to a distal end of the throat tab, and wherein the first magnet, or the second magnet or magnetizable portion, that is located on a body of the coat, is located on a back of a neck or a collar of the coat. 
     
     
         9 . The system  claim 7  further comprising a backing member coupled to the one of the throat tab or the body of the coat, wherein the backing member is made of a non-magnetic, magnetizable material, and wherein the backing member is magnetically coupled to the first magnet or the second magnet. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the body of the coat includes a collar of the coat, and wherein the first magnet is positioned between two plies of a water-tight support strip such that the first magnet is fluidly isolated from the surrounding environment. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the non-magnetic fastener system includes a portion of hook material located on one of the throat tab or a body of the coat and a portion of loop material located on the other one of the throat tab or the body of the coat. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the non-magnetic fastener system includes a first portion on one of the throat tab or a body of the coat and a second portion located on the other one of the throat tab or the body of the coat, and wherein at least one of the first or second portions is elongated. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the elongated at least one of the first or second portions has a lateral dimension at least twice as long as its height. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the elongated at least one of the first or second portions has a lateral dimension of at least two inches. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the elongated at least one of the first or second portions has a lateral dimension that is greater than a lateral dimension of the other one of the first or second portions. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the throat tab is configured to at least partially wrap around a back of a neck of the coat when the throat tab is in the retracted position. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the coat includes a coat fastener configured to releasably couple two front panels of the coat, and wherein the throat tab extends across the coat fastener when the throat tab is in the closed position, and does not extend across the coat fastener when the throat tab is in the retracted position. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the throat tab is configured such that at least part of an upper edge of the throat tab is positioned above at least part of an upper portion of a collar portion of the coat when the throat tab is in the closed position. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the throat tab is pivotally coupled to a body portion of the coat. 
     
     
         20 . The system of any  claim 1  wherein the coat is a firefighter garment including an outer shell, a thermal liner having a TPP of at least about thirty and configured to be positioned between the outer shell and a wearer of the coat, and a moisture barrier configured to permit moisture vapor to pass therethrough but block liquids from passing therethrough, wherein the moisture barrier is configured to be positioned between the outer shell and a wearer of the coat. 
     
     
         21 . A coat system comprising:
 a protective coat;   a throat tab coupled to or forming a part of the coat, wherein the throat tab is pivotable between a closed position wherein the throat tab is positioned to generally cover a front of a throat of a wearer of the coat, and a retracted position wherein the throat tab is not positioned to generally cover the front of the throat of the wearer;   a magnetic fastener system configured to retain the throat tab in the retracted position, wherein the magnetic fastener system includes a first magnet located on one of the throat tab or a body of the coat, and wherein the magnetic fastener system further includes a second magnet or a magnetizable portion located on the other one of the throat tab or the body of the coat; and   a non-magnetic fastener system configured to retain the throat tab in the closed position, wherein the non-magnetic fastener system includes a first portion located on one of the throat tab or a body of the coat, and wherein the non-magnetic fastener system further includes second portion located on the other one of the throat tab or the body of the coat.   
     
     
         22 . A method system comprising:
 accessing a protective coat having a throat tab coupled to or forming a part of the coat; and   moving the throat tab to at least one of a closed position wherein the throat tab is positioned to generally cover a front of a throat of a wearer of the coat, or a retracted position wherein the throat tab is not positioned to generally cover the front of the throat of the wearer, wherein the coat includes a non-magnetic fastener system configured to retain the throat tab in the closed position and a magnetic fastener system configured to retain the throat tab in the retracted position.