SUIT FOR TO BE WORN IN OR ON A BODY OF WATER

Abstract

The invention relates to a suit such as a wetsuit or drysuit for use in or on a body of water. The wall of the suit includes an inner layer of wool or wool blended material, an intermediate membrane which is substantially impermeable to the passage of water therethrough and an outer layer which acts as a protective layer. There is no need to provide a layer of foam rubber and hence the thickness of the suit wall can be reduced in comparison to conventional suits. The invention also relates to the method of manufacture of the wool or wool blended layer and the provision of one or more panels including said layer which can be attached to the inner face of suits.

Description

The invention to which this application relates is a suit for use in or in association with water, said suit being worn by a person when in or on water and/or in conjunction with other diving apparatus. For ease of reference, but in a non-limiting manner, reference to the suit of the invention includes wetsuits, drysuits, emergency suits, deep diving suits and are hereafter referred to as a suit in this application.

There are typically two types of suits worn by persons when participating in a leisure pursuit or sport either immersed within a body of water when diving or on the surface of a body of water such as, for example, surfing, wind surfing or the like. It should therefore be appreciated that the advantages as described herein, are applicable to both types, wet suits and dry suits, which are worn in any of these pursuits and indeed any form of suit, such as emergency suits, which are typically required to be worn by a person who is likely to come in contact with water during the pursuit of their leisure interest or sport.

The basic structure of suits of this type is provided to allow a limited amount of water to enter, and be held, within the suit to improve the insulation of the same and hence improve the warmth of the wearer. The water is not permitted to flush in and out of the wetsuit as, if this occurred, a large percentage of the retained diver heat energy would be lost. This control is typically achieved by the provision of relatively snug fitting cuffs in the wrist and ankles and a snug collar or attached hood around the neck or head. Zippers can also be provided and, in conjunction with sealing flaps, can be adjusted to limit the passage of water through the zipper and hence the wetsuit. A drysuit can be formed of similar materials but does not allow the passage of water into the same. However a dry suit can provide warmth via perspiration from the diver which can be retained in the suit.

The suits are conventionally manufactured using at least one layer of a closed cell foam rubber such as, for example, using neoprene or chloroprene. The foam rubber material includes closed cells which act to trap air or gas therein and afford thermal protection and benefit to the wearer. However, during diving, the water pressure increases on the suit, and hence the rubber foam, and acts to crush the closed cells in the rubber foam material, thus reducing the volume of trapped air and depleting the thermal protection offered by the suit as the wearer descends and, when one considers that the water itself is likely to get colder as the wearer goes deeper, it will be appreciated that the wearer can experience discomfort due to the temperature drop which can act as a limitation on the activities of the wearer. Typically, every 10 metres of added depth adds another atmosphere of pressure exerted on the suit and, as the majority of diving activity occurs at depths of 25-50 metres so the pressure exerted can be relatively large and in the order of 11000 to 23000 lbs per square foot in that depth range. The effect of this on the rubber foam material used for the suit is to, for example, crush a 7 mm thick neoprene suit to under 2 mm at the 30 metre depth range, thereby significantly crushing the closed cells in the foam rubber and hence significantly reducing the thermal protection provided.

In addition to thermal loss caused by the increase in pressure, another result of the crushing of the closed cells in the suit material is that there is a corresponding loss of buoyancy for the wearer as they descend. This buoyancy loss can be significant and, as a result, the diver is often required to wear a buoyancy compensator which is typically worn about the upper torso in a similar manner to a life jacket. As required, air is forced into the compensator from the diver's air tank under the control of the diver. While the buoyancy compensator is effective it does represent another piece of apparatus required to be carried by the diver and can, in certain instances, limit the degree of access which the diver has to certain confined areas. As such, the buoyancy compensator is regarded as being necessary, but inconvenient.

It is known to provide suits which have many layers of different materials but all typically require at least one layer of the foam rubber material and the conventional requirement to have many layers in these suits, such as 10 or more layers, means that the walls of the suit are thick and, as a result, the overall suit becomes bulky and difficult for the user to manoeuvre in. The applicants, in their patent EP1590235 disclose a suit in which the inner layer of the same is formed from wool or a wool blend and which is provided in conjunction with a layer of the foam rubber material.

The aim of the present invention is to provide an improved suit for use on or in water and to provide the same in a configuration which allows the thermal advantage provided to the wearer to be improved, particularly when pressures of the extent discussed are exerted on the wetsuit and also allowing the flexibility and comfort of the suit to the wearer to be improved.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided a suit to be worn by a person when in contact with water, said suit including at least an outer layer of material, an intermediate layer and at least a portion of the suit includes an inner layer of wool, or wool blended with other fibres or materials, said layer provided to contact with the person and retain at least some of the liquid which enters the suit from an external source and/or from the person wearing the suit and wherein the intermediate layer is provided in the form of a membrane which is substantially impermeable to the passage of liquid therethrough.

Preferably the suit comprises only three layers as specified above, namely an outer layer, an intermediate membrane layer and an inner layer including wool.

In one embodiment, the intermediate layer can be provided as a breathable membrane to allow the passage of air therethrough. In an alternative embodiment, the membrane is non breathable but in either case, it is substantially impermeable to the passage of liquid therethrough.

Typically, the membrane is elastic in at least one direction.

Typically, the membrane is formed at least partially of polyurethane or urethane based material.

Typically, when the membrane is provided to be breathable, it can be either or both of chemically breathable in which it allows air to pass therethrough and/or microscopically breathable in that it includes porous openings which are large enough to allow molecules of air to pass therethrough but not water.

The provision of the membrane, to form the intermediate layer rather than the conventional use of a foam rubber, is particularly advantageous in relation to the wearing of the suit for activities which require greater physical exertion and in particular, those activities which are performed on the surface of a body of water as the thickness of the wall of the suit is considerably reduced than the case when it includes a layer of foam rubber. Furthermore, in warm and hot environments, where there is not such concern with regard to maintaining the warmth of the wearer of the suit, it is found that the use of the membrane intermediate layer rather than the foam rubber intermediate layer is of particular advantage duet o the ability for the same to be breathable. Furthermore, the membrane can be provided to be thinner than the equivalent foam rubber intermediate layer and still allow the same benefits in terms of thermal efficiency to be achieved. There is therefore provided in accordance with the invention, a suit which can be worn in or on water and which is provided without any layer of foam rubber or neoprene.

In one embodiment the membrane is a hydrophilic monolithic material provided as a film which is laminated to either or both of the inner and/or outer layer of the suit.

In one embodiment the membrane is provided with a microporous structure

In one embodiment the intermediate layer of material of the suit is manufactured by knitting or weaving to form the membrane.

In one embodiment, solely wool is provided in the inner layer but in alternative embodiments the wool can be provided mixed with other fibres or materials to add or provide specific features to the wool. For ease of reference hereonin, reference is made to a wool blend, but it should be appreciated that the embodiments are equally applicable to all possible wool combinations or wool on its own and fall within the scope of this patent application.

Typically, the wool blended material is positioned to form the inner layer at least over portions of the suit which include any or any combination of the torso, legs and/or arms, or alternatively forms an inner layer extending across substantially all of the suit

Variations can be made to the suit design to suit particular uses. For example, when the suit is provided for use on the surface of a body of water, the need for the seams of the suit to be watertight is reduced as the person wearing the suit may only come into irregular contact with the water and indeed may never actually be submersed within the body of water. Furthermore, the intermediate layer and/or inner wool blend layer, may be reduced in thickness in comparison to a suit for wear by a person in an underwater activity.

With regard to a suit for use by a diver, the thickness of the wool blend layer and/or intermediate layer may be increased to provide particular advantages to the person wearing the suit at greater depths in the body of water.

In one embodiment at at least a portion, or portions, of said suit, water can pass between the inner surface of the said intermediate layer and the person wearing the suit. Typically the wool blend layer is provided at said portion or portions to lie between the person and the said intermediate layer in order to allow the wool blend layer to absorb the water and form an insulating and substantially non-compressible layer of the suit.

In one embodiment if water does enter the suit, the same will come into contact with the wool blend layer.

In one embodiment, the wool blend layer is provided wherever water is permitted to pass between the diver and intermediate layer of material. Typically water is permitted to enter and pass into the same locations as in a conventional wetsuit.

In one embodiment the wool blend layer is separate to the intermediate layer of material and worn as a separate layer, although the same is more typically attached to the said layer at one or several locations. Preferably the wool blend layer is provided attached, typically by lamination or other adhesion means, to the inner surface of the intermediate layer of material so as to lie adjacent the diver's skin when the suit is worn.

Typically the wool blend layer is knitted and provided in a laminated arrangement with the layer of material so as to provide an even thickness lining on the interior of the suit. The wool blend layer acts to absorb and contain the water or other fluids which is permitted to pass within the suit and between the layer of material and the wearer.

In a preferred embodiment the wool used is Merino wool.

In one embodiment the suit includes an outer layer, said outer layer formed of a suitable material to provide required protection from the external environment in which the suit is to be worn. In one embodiment the outer layer is formed of lycra and/or a polyester stretch fabric.

In one embodiment the wool blend is knitted into a layer and laminated to the intermediate layer. Typically for at least one of the knitting needles used to knit the inner layer, wool and one or more synthetic yarns to be used to form the wool blend are introduced simultaneously and separately without previously having being twisted, wound or otherwise joined together or with the wool.

One advantage of forming the inner layer of a wool blend is a gain in strength, especially if the material added is synthetic. A further feature is that by adding selected material or fibres, the cost of the wool blend layer can be reduced by the use of material which is cheaper than the wool. A yet further advantage is to improve the stretch of the inner layer whilst maintaining the strength of the same.

In one embodiment the wool blend includes a synthetic yarn in a proportion of about 1% to 40% more preferably 10-20% by weight of the overall weight of the blend

Another feature is to add a material to the wool which is at least partially elasticated to offer improved elasticity (stretch) to the layer and hence the suit.

Although the preferred manner of providing the wool inner layer is as a knitted layer of material, an alternative is to form the inner layer from tufts or groups of wool or wool blend threads which are secured to a backing material. In a further embodiment, the tufts or groups may be spaced apart in a predefined manner so as to cause the formation of a network of channels between said tufts or groups of wool or wool blend which may, for example, aid the flow of liquid through the inner layer of the suit.

In whichever form therefore the provision of the intermediate layer acts to form one side of a volume, the other side of which is defined by the wearers skin and in which the inner layer is located, with the wool blend inner layer acting to retain the liquid in said volume and hence provide the thermal efficiency to the wearer.

Typically, in all embodiments the synthetic and/or other natural materials added to the wool are added in such a manner so as to ensure that the performance and advantages of added comfort, improved feel and look are maintained along with the inherent advantages of using a natural material. The provision of the wool material in the inner layer ensures that the inner layer acts to lock in liquid when wetted in the interior of the suit, and, when dry, to act as a hollow fibre insulating layer.

There is therefore provided a method of manufacturing a suit for use with water, said method comprising forming outer and intermediate layers of material into a shape for wearing by a person, and providing an inner layer of wool or wool blend to lie between the person and the layer of material when the suit is worn and laminating the wool blend inner layer material as a lining to the inner surface of the intermediate layer of material which is provided as a liquid impermeable membrane.

When in the form of a wetsuit the method includes the step of providing means in the said material to permit the flow of water between the inner surface of said intermediate layer and the divers skin when the wet suit is worn and providing control means to allow the control of the quantity of water and in a manner to ensure that the water passing into the area between the diver and the layer of material contacts and is absorbed by the wool material.

Typically the inner layer includes wool in a blend with other material or fibre, such as a synthetic and includes a material to provide elasticity to the inner layer.

In one embodiment the wool used is Merino wool and the synthetic yarn is any of the range of yarns available such as polyester and the like.

In whichever embodiment, the advantages of improved hygiene, due to the wool blend layer being antibacterial, the ability for the suit to be worn for a relatively long period of time, and the improved thermal capacity, are achieved and provided to the wearer of the suit, regardless of whether the suit is worn and used on the surface of, or within, the body of water.

In whichever embodiment, the method of manufacturing the wool blend inner layer, includes the step of setting the synthetic yarn so as to define the level of extension or elasticity of the wool blend layer in subsequent use. Preferably, the synthetic yarns are only set when they have already been provided and integrated into the wool blend inner layer, typically by knitting. At this stage, the wool blend inner layer is stretched to the required amount and passed through heated calendared rollers with opposing ends of the inner layer being restrained and kept under tension so as to ensure that the setting of the yarn by the heat takes place with the layer held at the required extent of stretch.

Typically, the setting by applying the heat by using the calendared rollers, is performed after the dying and drying of the wool blend layer.

In one embodiment, the synthetic yarns which are added to the wool are spandex or a similar elastic yarn, and/or nylon. Typically the wool and all of the synthetic yarns, are separately supplied to at least some of the needles of the knitting machinery used to form the inner layer, together and simultaneously such that the blend is effectively created at the time of knitting.

In one embodiment, the inner layer has a stretch capacity in at least one direction of 100% or more than its original length. More preferably, the stretch of the inner layer in one direction is 130% or greater and in a further direction is 200% or greater. This therefore means that where the stretch is for example, 220%, the inner layer which has a normal, relaxed length of 10 cm can be stretched to up to 320 cm.

It is therefore provided in accordance with the invention that there is provided a suit which includes an inner wool blend or wool layer in combination with an intermediate layer which is formed of a membrane of sheet material.

In one embodiment the said inner layer of wool, or wool blended with other fibres or materials, is provided as a panel provided of a dimension which typically, but not necessarily, is less than that of the overall suit, said panel provided to be positioned adjacent to the wearers body when the suit is worn and the face of the panel opposing the wearer of the suit, is attached or attachable to the inner face of the suit at a selected location.

In one embodiment the panel can be supplied as a separate component and be available for purchase separately from the suit and applied to the suit by retrofitting the same at the desired position. In one embodiment the panel includes a backing layer which is formed of a membrane of the form as described herein.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided A suit to be worn by a person when in contact with water, said suit including at least an outer layer of material, and at least a portion of the suit includes at least at one portion thereof an inner panel of wool, or wool blended with other fibres or materials, said panel provided to contact with the person wherein the said panel is of a dimension which is less than that of the overall suit, said panel provided to be positioned adjacent to the wearers body when the suit is worn and the face of the panel opposing the wearer of the suit, is attached, or attachable, to the inner face of the suit.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a panel provided to be applied to an inner face of a suit to be worn on or in a body of water said panel including a layer of wool or wool blend and a backing layer, said backing layer attachable to the said inner face of the suit to allow the panel to form part of the suit and the wool or wool blend layer to be positioned adjacent the body of the wearer of the suit when worn.

In one embodiment the said panel is applied directly to the inner face of the suit.

In another embodiment the said panel is provided with a backing layer which is a membrane as described herein.

Typically, the panel is attached to the inner wall of the suit using suitable attachment means, such as laminating and using an adhesive such as heat activated adhesive.

Typically, the panel can be located on the interior of the suit so as to be located at a particular location with regard to the anatomy of the wearer of the suit to provide additional warmth and/or comfort at that particular location as desired by the wearer.

In one embodiment, the panel can be attached to the inner face of the suit so as to straddle two or more panels of the suit such that the panel in accordance with the invention will extend across seams or joins between the panels of the suit.

The provision of the panel in accordance with the invention, allows the additional warmth which the panel will provide to be specifically located on the suit and to be located without regard to the particular manufacture or shape of the panels which form the suit. The panel can be applied at the time of manufacture of the suit or alternatively, can be applied at the time of sale of the suit such as the panel can be applied at a retail outlet or yet further, the panel can be obtained separately from the suit and attached to the suit separately so as to allow the panel to be retrospectively applied to an already existing suit.

The provision of the backing layer in conjunction with the wool or wool blend layer, can be provided to allow greater thermal resistance and/or provide greater structural strength to the panel whilst, at the same time being sufficiently thin to allow heat to pass therethrough.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein,

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross section of part of a wetsuit in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, being worn;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section through part of the wetsuit in accordance with the invention in more detail in which the cross section is through a portion of the suit of FIG. 1 in which the inner layer is provided;

FIGS. 3a and b illustrates a further embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of part of suit of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a wearer 2 wearing a suit 4 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. In this case the example given is of a wetsuit however the same principles of the invention construction apply when provided as part of a drysuit. The FIG. 1 illustrates the suit with the wall of the same cut through in section for the purpose of illustration.

In accordance with the invention the wetsuit comprises, in this embodiment, an outer protective layer, an intermediate layer of a polyurethane or urethane membrane 6 and on the inner surface of the same is a layer of Merino wool blend 8 laminated to the layer 6. The wool blend layer acts to at least partially absorb the water which passes between the inner surface 20 of the layer 6 and the skin 10 of the wearer 2. The water is absorbed and held by the wool fibres in the inner layer 8 to form a thermal barrier between the diver's skin and the membrane layer 6.

In the wetsuit form there is also included control zones in the form in this case smoothskin seals at the collar 12 and cuffs 14 which serve to restrict and control the flow of water in and out of the inner volume 24 of the suit. The head portion 16 of the wetsuit is permanently attached to or can be sealed with the same by the collar 12 and may also include the wool blend lining 8. The control zones prevent and/or control the flushing of water in and out of the suit and hence minimise heat loss and ensure that the water enters the interior of the wet suit in a controlled manner by allowing the restriction of the flow as required at selected locations on the wetsuit.

FIGS. 2 and 4 illustrates a typical portion of the material wall of the wetsuit in accordance with one embodiment of the invention in cross section. The wall includes the intermediate membrane layer 6 which acts as a barrier to prevent the flow of at least water therethrough. The layer can be provided to be air permeable so as to be breathable and has an “inner” surface 20 which, when worn, faces towards the wearers skin 10. To this surface is laminated a wool blend layer 8, preferably including knitted Merino wool, which in turn contacts the divers skin 10. The outer protective layer 22 is typically a Lycra or similar material which is a 180 gm/sqm knitted nylon warp Tricot with a water repellent treatment laminated to the outer surface of the intermediate layer 6 as shown to improve the strength and durability of the suit and FIG. 4 illustrates the manner in which water droplets 26 are retained on the outer surface 30 of the suit.

In one embodiment the inner layer is provided to extend across the interior of substantially the whole suit and in this case the inner layer will typically be laminated to the intermediate layer as part of the manufacturing process for the wetsuit or drysuit.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 3a and b the wool blend layer can be provided as a panel 40 which is shaped as appropriate and provided for attachment at a selected location on the interior of the suit and in this case the panel can be attached at the time of manufacture or alternatively can be purchased separately to the suit and then be subsequently attached to the suit, for example, at the time of purchase of the suit or thereafter by the owner of the suit. In this case the panel 40 comprises an inner layer 42 of wool blend as described herein and also, optionally a backing layer 44 in the form of a membrane of the type used in the intermediate layer of the suit as described herein.

Thus it will be appreciated that the provision of the one or more panels as separate entities allows the same to be bought separately from a suit and then applied to that suit to allow the advantages of the provision of the inner wool blend layer and also the membrane backing layer, if provided, to be obtained on suits which originally did not include the same. Thus the same advantages in terms of comfort and insulation are obtained and as the panels can be attached selectively they can be used to provide the advantages to specific areas of the suit as required by the specific user and on suits of any design and layer configuration and other than that defined herein a.

The membrane which is used to form the intermediate layer 6 and backing layer 44 can comprise a polyurethane or urethane layer which acts as a barrier to the passage of water therethough and also acts to prevent the effect of wind passing through the suit when it is worn on the surface of water rather than in the same. Typically the membrane is provided as a film and is microporous with high stretch characteristics. Typically the layer and preferably the suit as a whole is neutrally buoyant. The intermediate layer thus forms one side of the volume 24 which allows the retention of the water in the same and which in turn is held by the wool in the wool blend layer 8 and is controlled through the use of control zones 12, 14.

Thus, in any embodiment, in use, when worn, the wool blend inner layer faces and contacts the skin 10 of the diver. The layer is typically knitted and laminated using gluing/laminating techniques, to the inner face 20 of the intermediate layer. The weight of the wool lining can be, but is not limited to, 50 to 500 grammes per square metre. The water, when it enters the volume 24 between the inner surface 20 of the intermediate layer 6 and the skin 10 in which the inner layer is located is thus absorbed by the wool and this has several advantageous effects.

In the first instance the water and inner layer forms a layer of, for example 3-5 mm, which is substantially non-compressible. This layer and in particular the water held in the layer acts as a very efficient thermal barrier which, because it is substantially non compressible is not significantly acted upon the increased pressure as the depth of the diver in the water increases and therefore maintains its thermal efficiency at increasing depths. The water is absorbed by the inner layer and retained by the wool fibres to form the thermal barrier between the diver skin and the intermediate, non-water permeable layer. As the wool is natural, the highly intricate surface scale structures that are inherent in the wool yarn is significantly better than the synthetic yarn surface structures which are substantially homogeneous.

Thermal testing at BTTG laboratories in Manchester UK has taken place using saturated 260 g/sq metre Merino wool lining in comparison with the densest most absorbent polyester loop pile lining of a similar or slightly heavier weight. The comparison has revealed that with thermal testing in saturated conditions on 7 mm neoprene the Merino wool/neoprene laminate was 35% more efficient with a TOG reading of 1.7 as opposed to the polyester loop pile/neoprene laminate that had a TOG rating of 1.26.

Furthermore the Merino wool in the inner layer will absorb typically a 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm layer of water into the fibre of the wool such that as a diver descends, the layer of water in the wool is substantially non compressible, it is not crushed and hence the thickness of the layer and hence thermal efficiency and benefits are maintained for the diver.

Another important advantage is that as the water has a relatively high thermal inertia, it is able to absorb a large amount of heat energy and thus effectively a heat sink is created around the diver which absorbs the heat emitted by the diver during periods of work, retains the same and emits the same back to the diver during periods of lower exercise.

A further result of the use of a wool including inner layer in accordance with the invention is that the level of buoyancy loss as the diver descends is reduced in comparison to the conventional wetsuits. There is less requirement for inflation and deflation in use of the buoyancy compensator and an easier, more comfortable, and safer diving profile can be maintained by the diver. This can be particularly used to advantage with the inner layer increased in thickness thereby retaining and improving the thermal efficiency of the wetsuit while at the same time improving the buoyancy of the wetsuit as the compressible element of the wetsuit is reduced.

The use of Merino breed wool is preferred as this gives greater advantage. Specifically, the Merino wool provides an exothermic reaction during the wetting process which can be referred to as the heat of sorption. Merino wool also has high wrinkle and crush recovery thus further enhancing the thermal properties. It is also known that the Merino wool is resistant to odour, hydrophilic, highly elastic with excellent recovery characteristics and relatively non itchy and comfortable in wet or dry condition which is obviously advantageous when the layer is to be positioned close to the skin. It is therefore preferred that the wool layer is formed of or contains elements of Merino wool therein, although it will be appreciated that this should not limit the scope of the patent application to this form of wool alone as all wools contain to some degree all of the aforementioned advantages.

Typically the wool blend inner layer 8 is knitted to a weight of between around 50 to around 500 grammes per sq. metre but can be anything from as fine as less than 50 and upwards of 500. It is found that ribbed knit has typically better water absorbing properties than any other knit for a given weight of wool and therefore this is the preferred knit. If required lycra can be added, (typically 1 to 2%) and can significantly improve the elasticity and strength of the final knit without detracting from the thermal and other advantageous properties of the wool. In another feature the wool or wool blend can be knitted such that there is a relatively coarse/heavy/bulky weave to the back face, and a finer micron yarn to the face that will be placed onto the wearer's skin when the suit is worn. This allows an increase in the bulk and therefore the water absorption ability whilst still keeping a “soft” and non-itchy surface to the diver's skin.

In accordance with the invention the Merino wool fibre is spun into yarn on a worsted spinning system and to ensure comfort next to the skin the fabric surface in contact with the skin is preferably made from fibre with an average micron of finer than 19. As required, different yarn counts are used to achieve varying fabric weight and structures depending upon the final type of suit that the lining will be used in (i.e a surface wetsuit, a cold water wetsuit, a warm water wetsuit, or a drysuit).

The Merino and lycra and/or other synthetic yarns are blended at the time of the knitting process to increase strength and stretch rather than preblending the same. Typically, the blending of synthetic yarns or materials with the wool is in the 1 to 40% range but this is not exclusive and blending with other synthetics may be employed to reduce costs. The knitting structures are selected which allow for maximum extension and recovery in both length and width direction. Structures selected may also vary in “end counts” and “picks”. Preferably the structures are weft knitted using Rib and Double Knit machines, and the fabric weight typically ranges from approximately 50 gms or below through to upwards of 500 gms depending on the quality and function of the suit style. The yarn weight can be varied on each side of the weave in order to achieve weights in excess of 400 gms without impairing or compromising the soft fine “feel” next to the skin. These are particularly useful in drysuits and deep diving cold water wetsuits. Typically, in order to achieve the desired fabric performance a process of heat setting the synthetic fibre or yarns is performed while maintaining very low extension during the dyeing and subsequent drying processes when preparing the wool blend.

Once the wool blend inner layer is formed, the same is attached, typically by lamination, to the inner face 20 of the membrane layer 6 which, in turn, has been, or is, laminated to the inner face 32 of the outer layer 22 to form a unitary wall structure, as shown in FIG. 2, of the suit in accordance with the invention.

The wetsuit structure in accordance with the invention therefore provides a solution to the thermal and buoyancy problems conventionally experienced.

When used as an internal lining of a drysuit, advantages are obtained in that in its dry and natural state the crimp and bulk of the wool yarn is resilient and is less compressible than synthetic yarns and so offers better thermal qualities in a diving situation. Also, as the drysuit is typically non-breathable it tends to hold body odour. The yarn of wool blend has surface scales that naturally open and close and thereby reduce to a minimum odour problems, rendering the garment more hygienic. The wool is naturally “exothermic” when water vapour is absorbed into the yarn structure. Thus as the diver perspires the perspiration causes a chemical reaction within the yarn emitting a significant amount of heat back to the diver. With Merino type wools this is particularly noticeable. As the wool dries after the diver has removed the suit the chemical reaction is reversed; so that this “exothermic” reaction is a sustainable ongoing advantage of a wool lined drysuit which is equally applicable to a wetsuit. The wools “Scaley” yarn fibre surface can work to lock into the yarn up to 3.5 times its own weight in water without feeling “wet”.

There is therefore provided in accordance with the invention a suit for use in or on a body of water and which suit is provided in a form such that the wall of the same can be relatively thin in terms of a small number of layers, most typically three, and furthermore that each of the layers can be relatively thin due to the nature and characteristics of each of the layers which allow the requirements of warmth, stretchability and durability to be provided as required to the wearer whilst overcoming the need for relatively thick foam rubber layers to be provided and ensuring that the flexibility and comfort of wear is improved over conventional suits of this type.

Claims

1. A suit to be worn by a person when in contact with water, said suit comprising:

at least an outer layer of material;

an intermediate layer being provided in the form of a membrane which is substantially impermeable to the passage of liquid therethrough; and

at least a portion of the suit includes an inner layer of wool, or wool blended with other fibres or materials, said layer provided to contact with the person and retain at least some of the liquid which enters the suit from an external source and/or from the person wearing the suit.

2. A suit according to claim 1 wherein the intermediate layer allows the passage of air therethrough.

3. A suit according to claim 2 wherein the intermediate layer is chemically breathable to allow air to pass therethrough.

4. A suit according to claim 2 wherein the intermediate layer includes porous openings which are large enough to allow molecules of air to pass therethrough.

5. A suit according to claim 1 wherein the intermediate layer prevents the passage of air therethrough.

6. A suit according to claim 1 wherein the intermediate layer is elastic in at least one direction.

7. A suit according to claim 1 wherein the intermediate layer is formed of polyurethane or urethane based material.

8. A suit according to claim 1 wherein at at least a portion or portions of said suit, water can pass from the exterior of the suit into the volume between the inner surface of the said intermediate layer and the person wearing the suit and be retained therein.

9. A suit according to claim 1 wherein the wool or wool blend layer is provided wherever water is permitted to pass between the person and the intermediate layer of material.

10. A suit according to claim 1 wherein the wool blend layer is attached to an inner surface of the intermediate layer of material so as to lie adjacent the skin of the person wearing the suit.

11. A suit according to claim 1 wherein the suit includes an outer layer formed of lycra and/or a polyester stretch fabric.

12. A suit according to claim 1 wherein the wool blend includes a synthetic yarn in a proportion of about 1% to 40% more preferably 10-20% by weight of an overall weight of the blend.

13. A suit according to claim 1 wherein a material is added to the wool which is at least partially elasticated to offer improved elasticity to the inner layer and the suit.

14. A suit according to claim 1 wherein the inner layer is provided as a panel of wool blended with other fibres or materials, said panel provided in attachment to a selected region of an inner surface of the suit and positioned such that the wool blend contacts the person's body when the suit is worn.

15. A suit according to claim 14 wherein the panel and face of the panel opposing the person wearing the suit is attached, or attachable, to the inner face of the suit.

16. A method of manufacturing a suit for use with water, said method comprising the following steps:

forming outer and intermediate layers of material into a shape for wearing by a person;

providing an inner layer of wool or wool blend to lie between the person and the layer of material when the suit is worn; and

laminating the wool blend inner layer material as a lining to an inner surface of the intermediate layer of material which is provided as a liquid impermeable membrane.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the wool blend inner layer includes a synthetic yarn which is set to define the level of extension or elasticity of the wool blend layer.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the synthetic yarns are set once they have been integrated into the wool blend inner layer, at which stage the wool blend inner layer is stretched to a required amount and passed through heated calendared rollers, with opposing ends of the inner layer being retained and kept under tension so as to ensure that setting of the yarn by heat takes place with the inner layer at the required amount of stretch.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the setting by applying heat is performed after dying and drying of the wool blend inner layer.

20. A method according to claim 18 wherein the wool and synthetic yarns are separately supplied to at least some needles of a knitting machinery used to form the inner layer, together and simultaneously.

21. A suit to be worn by a person when in contact with water, said suit comprising:

at least an outer layer of material, and

at least a portion of the suit includes at least at one portion thereof being an inner panel of wool, or wool blended with other fibres or materials, wherein the panel further includes: being in contact with the person, having a dimension which is less than that of the overall suit, being positioned adjacent to the person's body when the suit is worn, and a face of the panel opposing the person wearing the suit being attached, or attachable, to an inner face of the suit.

22. A panel provided to be applied to an inner face of a suit to be worn on or in a body of water said panel comprising:

a layer of wool or wool blend positioned adjacent to the body of the person wearing the suit; and

a backing layer attachable to said inner face of the suit to allow a panel to form part of the suit.

23. A panel according to claim 21 wherein the panel is attached to the inner face of the suit so as to extend across at least one seam or join between panels of the suit.

24. A panel according to claim 22 wherein the backing layer is a water impermeable membrane.

25. A panel according to claim 22 wherein the panel is laminated to the inner face of the suit.