Reusable, rear-opening protective garment with comfort features

Abstract

A reusable, rear-opening protective gown having comfort features is provided. The gown includes a central gown body including a front panel and a back panel. The gown opens at the back panel. A plurality of fastening elements is positioned on or proximate to the back panel, with each fastening element including first and second fasteners configured to engage with one another to define a selectively releasable connection. The gown further includes a ventilation cape formed by a ventilation opening in the central gown body, wherein the ventilation opening facilitates heat management and increases comfort for a wearer within the gown while still providing splash protection at the location of heat venting. Additional features of the gown further help dissipate heat from the user while adding comfort in additional manners (including lowering visual strain) for users in medical settings such as operating rooms.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rear-opening protective gown defining a personal protective equipment garment, the protective gown comprising:
 a central gown body sized to wrap around at least a torso area of a wearer, the central gown body including a front panel and a back panel, with the back panel being separated into a right portion and a left portion such that the protective gown opens at the back panel, wherein one of the right portion and left portion includes an overlapping section and the other of the right portion and left portion includes a corresponding overlapped section, the overlapping section and overlapped section being configured to lay over one another when the protective gown is donned by the wearer and closed;   a ventilation cape formed by a ventilation opening in the central gown body, wherein the ventilation cape is secured to the overlapping section via a bar tack that partially secures the ventilation opening closed and that forms a joint between the ventilation cape and the overlapping section;   a pair of opposing left and right sleeves that cooperate with and extend away from the central gown body for receiving arms of the wearer;   a neck opening defined by the central gown body adjacent a shoulder region of the central gown body located proximate a junction of the left and right sleeves with the central gown body; and   a plurality of fastening elements positioned on or proximate to the back panel and configured to permit doffing of the gown.   
     
     
         2 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 1 , wherein the ventilation cape is located on the right portion of the back panel. 
     
     
         3 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 1 , wherein the bar tack is positioned at a middle of the ventilation cape. 
     
     
         4 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 1 , wherein the central gown body includes a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end, with the neck opening being positioned proximate to the top end, and wherein the ventilation opening is oriented to face downwards towards the bottom end. 
     
     
         5 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 1 , wherein the central gown body includes a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end, with the neck opening being positioned proximate to the top end, and wherein the ventilation opening is closer to the top end than the bottom end. 
     
     
         6 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 1 , further comprising a mesh lining, the mesh lining being of a more porous and breathable material than the central gown body and the pair of opposing left and right sleeves. 
     
     
         7 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 6 , wherein the ventilation cape covers at least some of the mesh lining. 
     
     
         8 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 7 , wherein the mesh lining is provided on other portions of the back panel beyond the ventilation opening. 
     
     
         9 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 7 , wherein a width of the ventilation cape at the ventilation opening is wider than the mesh lining arranged at the ventilation opening, thereby blousing the ventilation cape to allow the ventilation cape to hang loose and open for increased ventilation flow. 
     
     
         10 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 6 , wherein a material or materials defining the mesh lining is configured to meet snagging resistance performance metrics defined under ASTM D 3939-13 and under ASTM D 5362-13. 
     
     
         11 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 1 , wherein the central gown body includes a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end, with the neck opening being positioned proximate to the top end, wherein the central gown body further comprises angled hems at the bottom end. 
     
     
         12 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 11 , wherein the angled hems are formed in front panel and the back panel. 
     
     
         13 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 11 , wherein the angled hems are formed at opposite sides of the central gown body. 
     
     
         14 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 1 , wherein at least some portions of the central body and/or at least some portions of the pair of opposing left and right sleeves comprises electrostatic dissipative or anti-static yarns. 
     
     
         15 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 1 , wherein the neck opening defines a V-shaped collar. 
     
     
         16 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pair of pull loops connected to the central gown body along opposite sides of a waist region of the wearer and along connections of the front panel to the back panel, wherein the pull loops are sized and positioned to be configured to receive or be configured to be grasped by one or more fingers of hands to thereby provide convenient gripping locations to apply a doffing force to open and remove the protective gown, the convenient gripping locations also being positioned away from portions of the protective gown along the front panel most likely to be soiled during use by the wearer.   
     
     
         17 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 16 , wherein each of the pull loops is formed from a material having a highly contrasting color from a material defining the central gown body to guide a person to the location where doffing forces should be applied to remove the protective gown. 
     
     
         18 . The rear-opening protective gown of  claim 17 , wherein at least a portion of each of the pull loops is orange or red in color, and at least a portion of the central gown body is green in color. 
     
     
         19 . A rear-opening protective gown defining a personal protective equipment garment, the protective gown comprising:
 a central gown body sized to wrap around at least a torso area of a wearer, the central gown body including a front panel and a back panel, with the back panel being separated into a right portion and a left portion such that the protective gown opens at the back panel, wherein one of the right portion and left portion includes an overlapping section and the other of the right portion and left portion includes a corresponding overlapped section, the overlapping section and overlapped section being configured to lay over one another when the protective gown is donned by the wearer and closed;   a ventilation cape formed by a ventilation opening in the central gown body;   a mesh lining being of a more porous and breathable material than the central gown body, wherein the ventilation opening is formed in the overlapping section of the back panel and the overlapping section includes at least some of the mesh lining arranged underneath the ventilation cape, such that the mesh lining allows for air to pass between an interior and an exterior of the gown while the ventilation cape provides a barrier covering for the mesh lining to provide splash protection in an area of the ventilation opening;   a pair of opposing left and right sleeves that cooperate with and extend away from the central gown body for receiving arms of the wearer;   a neck opening defined by the central gown body adjacent a shoulder region of the central gown body located proximate a junction of the left and right sleeves with the central gown body; and   a plurality of fastening elements positioned on or proximate to the back panel and configured to permit doffing of the gown.   
     
     
         20 . A rear-opening protective gown defining a personal protective equipment garment, the protective gown comprising:
 a central gown body having a top end and a bottom end and being sized to wrap around at least a torso area of a wearer, the central gown body including a front panel and a back panel, with the back panel being separated into a right portion and a left portion such that the protective gown opens at the back panel, wherein one of the right portion and left portion includes an overlapping section and the other of the right portion and left portion includes a corresponding overlapped section, the overlapping section and overlapped section being configured to lay over one another when the protective gown is donned by the wearer and closed;   a ventilation cape formed by a ventilation opening in the central gown body, wherein the ventilation opening is formed in the overlapping section of the back panel, wherein the ventilation opening is closer to the top end than the bottom end, and wherein the ventilation opening is oriented to face downwards towards the bottom end;   a bar tack that secures the ventilation cape to the right portion of the back panel, wherein the bar tack at least partially secures the ventilation opening closed and forms a joint between the ventilation cape and the back panel;   a mesh lining being of a more porous and breathable material than the central gown body, wherein the overlapping section includes at least some of the mesh lining arranged underneath the ventilation cape, such that the mesh lining allows for air to pass between an interior and an exterior of the gown while the ventilation cape provides a barrier covering for the mesh lining to provide splash protection in an area of the ventilation opening, and wherein the mesh lining is also provided on at least some portion of the overlapped section;   wherein a width of the ventilation cape at the ventilation opening is wider than the mesh lining arranged at the ventilation opening, thereby blousing the ventilation cape to allow the ventilation cape to hang loose and open for increased ventilation flow;   a pair of opposing left and right sleeves that cooperate with and extend away from the central gown body for receiving arms of the wearer;   a neck opening defined by the central gown body adjacent a shoulder region of the central gown body located proximate a junction of the left and right sleeves with the central gown body, wherein the neck opening is positioned proximate to the top end; and   a plurality of fastening elements positioned on or proximate to the back panel and configured to permit doffing of the gown.