Internally Belted Coveralls

Abstract

A unitary coverall garment with integral jacket and trouser section incorporates a separate belt held by interior belt loops or a belt tube within the garment. The belt has a fastening buckle and adjustable strap that is fed through the interior belt loops or a tube. A closing means is provided to close the garment to cover the interior belt. Adjusting the belt to pull the garment inward toward the wearer and closing the garment to cover the belt will minimize the risks associated with snagging the belt or garment on moving equipment. The coverall garment is worn by opening the jacket section, stepping into the trouser section, positioning the jacket section on the wearer's upper body, fastening the internal belt around the wearer's waist, tightening the adjustment strap, and closing the jacket section opening over the belt.

Description

PRIORITY

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/795,085 filed Oct. 10, 2012 entitled “Belted Coveralls”, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to a unitary coverall garment with a concealed belt fed through belt loops or a belt tube inside the waist portion of the coverall and, more particularly, to a coverall which protects the wearer from catching loose clothing or belts in hazardous work conditions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Coveralls have been a part of the history of the United States for as long as there has been hard work to do. A unitary garment, i.e. coverall, is needed to protect an individual and his regular clothing from the dirt, grime, and in some instances, the hazardous chemicals or conditions to which a worker could be exposed.

Coveralls are used in a variety of settings including industrial plants as well as oil field operations; environments where large reciprocating devices such as pumps or drills are present. In these types of environments, where machinery is roving and projecting conditions ripe for snagging belts or loose material, it is necessary that these coveralls be made of material that will continue to protect the wearer from hazards while not projecting a surface or loose piece of clothing that could become entangled in the machinery and potentially cause harm. For example, a belt buckle made of any material has the potential to become entangled on a pump which could result in serious personal injury to the wearer.

Without a belt, the garment would simply not stay up. Where suspenders are employed, the pulling force upward gathers the garment uncomfortably in the crotch area. An elastic cord whose ends are tied securely together on the outside at the front of the garment could become undone or entangle in operating machinery. An elastic band fixed inside the waist of a coverall will wear out over time requiring replacement of the entire coverall, thus incurring additional costs.

Thus it can he appreciated that there is an ongoing need in the industry for a proper way to secure a pair of coveralls along the waist of a wearer while not exposing the wearer to safety concerns.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved coverall which secures the coveralls along the waist of a wearer while not becoming a safety hazard when worn around machinery, pumps, or other means which could catch on a coverall surface. The improved coverall allows for pulling the loose material of the coverall in around the waist of the wearer to reduce the risk of catching upon safety hazards.

The coverall garment includes an internally disposed adjustable belt which is fed through belt loops or a belt tube inside the waist of the coverall. The belted coverall allows for the belt to be fastened around and adjusted fitting about a wearer's waist. Once fastened, the outside of the coveralls can be closed over the internal belt by use of a zipper or other fastening means which will conceal the internal belt from catching on safety hazards.

To use the internally belted coveralls, a wearer will first put their legs into the leg portion of the coveralls, pull the opening of the coveralls up and onto their shoulders, then place their arms within the arm portions of the coveralls. The wearer may then fasten the internal belt about their waste and adjust it to fit through use of the adjustable strap. After the internal belt has been fastened and adjusted to fit the wearer, a zipper or other fastening means arranged along the coverall opening may then be fastened to close the opening and conceal the internal belt from catch in on hazardous work conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the internal belt of the internally belted coverall garment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the internal waistband section of the internally belted coverall garment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cut away illustration of the internal waistband section of the internally belted coverall garment of the present invention depicting the belt as fed through a belt tube at the waistband section.

FIG. 4 is a larger illustration of the waistband section of the internally belted coverall garment of the present invention depicting the belt fed through the internal belts loops at the waistband section of the coverall garment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an internal belt 14 for use with an internally belted coverall garment 10 of applicant's invention. Specifically, the belt 14 is comprised of a strap 20 and a buckle 12. Strap 20 is best envisioned as a flat webbing strap composed of flat nylon, heavyweight polypropylene, lightweight polypropylene, polyester, cotton, or the like. Buckle 12 is best envisioned to be a side releasing buckle having a female end portion 32 configured to be releaseably coupled or connected with a corresponding buckle male end portion 34. The buckle female end portion 32 is attached to one end to the strap 20. The buckle male end portion 34 has a slotted belt feed attachment 38 for adjustably coupling the buckle male end portion 34 with the end of the strap 20 opposite the buckle female end portion 32. While Buckle 12 is shown as a side releasing buckle the buckle 12 may be any suitable buckle mechanism such as a traditional frame-and-prong or clasp belt buckle.

The effective length of the belt 14 may be adjusted to fit a wearer's waist by means of the slotted belt feed attachment 38 of the buckle male end portion 34. The effective length of the belt 14 may be shortened by pulling strap 20 through feed attachment 38 to re-position the male end 34 of the buckle 12 to a desired position on the strap 20. Similarly, the effective length of the belt 14 may be lengthened by pushing strap 20 through feed attachment 38 to re-position the male end 34 of the buckle 12 to a desired position on the strap 20.

Garment 10 is provided with a waistband section 26 an embodiment of which is shown in FIG. 2. The waist band section 26 as shown is comprised of internal belt loops 18 and a back inner belt loop 16. While the waist band section 26 is shown having a back inner belt loop 16 and internal belt loops 18, any number of belt loops 18 and 16 may be provided along the interior of the waistband section 26 as may be required to secure and support the garment 10 around a wearer. Belt 14, otherwise separate from the garment 10, is fed through internal belt loops 18 and inner back belt loop 16 to secure the waistband section 26 of the garment 10 around the waist of a wearer when the ends 32 and 34 of buckle 12 are fastened together. The fit of belt 14 and waistband section 26 may be adjusted by pulling or pushing strap 20 though the feed attachment 38 of buckle 12. Shorting the effective length of the belt 14 by pulling strap 20 though the feed attachment 38 of buckle 12 will pull the outside of coverall 24 inward to fit around the waist of a wearer.

FIG. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of the waistband section 26 of garment 10. In this embodiment the waistband section 26 is comprised of a single belt tube 22 which runs inside garment 10 along the waistband section 26. Tube openings 23 at the ends of the belt tube 22 allow belt 14 to be fed into and out of belt tube 22.

FIG. 4 shows a detail the internally belted coverall garment 10 at the waistband section 26. The garment 10 will typically be a loose fitting, one piece, coverall garment with a jacket section having arm sleeves and an integrally formed trouser section 24 having trouser leg sections. The from of the jacket section is provided with opposing closing flaps 30 that run from the crotch of coverall trouser section 24 on each side of the garment jacket section up to the neck of the garment jacket section.

The closing flaps 30 of the garment 10 create an opening 36 in the front of coverall garment 10 to provide access to a wearer for dressing. A closing means 31, such as zippers, buttons, ties, clasps, buckles, or other suitable closing device, is provided so that the closings flaps 30 may be secure together at the front of the garment to close the opening 36. It is thought that the closing means 31 will be covered by the flaps 31 when the flaps are secured together.

For the sake of clarity, FIG. 4 depicts the garment 10 with the jacket section eliminated and with the coverall flaps 30 shown in an open position. Only the portion of the flaps 30 that extend to the crotch of coverall trouser section 24 are depicted. It will he understood that the coverall flaps 30 and closing means 31 will extend upward along opposite sides of the jacket section of the garment 10.

For use the coverall garment 10 may be slipped upon a wearer through opening 36 in the front of coverall 24 so that a wearer's arms and legs ma be placed into the appropriate arm sleeves and leg sections of coverall garment 10. Belt 14 may then be fastened around a wearer's waist by placing the male end 34 of buckle 12 into the female end 32 of buckle 12. By fastening buckle 12 and pulling strap 20 through feed attachment 38, belt 14 passing through belt loops 16 and 18 will re-position the male end 34 of the buckle 12 on the strap 20 and thereby pull the outside of coverall 24 inward to fit around the waist of a wearer. This will move excess garment fabric inward to avoid the risk of catching the garment fabric on safety hazards.

After the garment 10 is placed upon a wearer, the flaps 30 may be closed and secured by closing means 31, such as a zipper or other fastening device, so that the belt 14, strap 20, buckle 12, and loops 16 and 18, or belt tube 22 are concealed within garment 10. Concealing the belt 14, strap 20, and buckle 12 within the interior of garment 10 will serve to prevent their exposure to objects in the environment around the wearer and their catching upon a safety hazard.

Claims

1. A garment comprising:

(a) a unitary coverall having an opening extending down its front from the neck opening to the crotch;

(b) at least three inner garment belt loops concealed within the waist section of said unitary converall;

(d) a belt unsecured to said unitary coverall, said belt fed through said inner garment belt loops;

(d) a buckle composed of male and female buckle ends attached to opposite ends of said flat webbing belt;

(e) a belt feed attachment on said male buckle end of said buckle, said;

(f) a flat webbing belt strap extending from said flat webbing belt and through said belt feed attachment for adjustment of said flat webbing belt around a user's waist; and

(g) a closing means for closing said opening thereby concealing said fiat webbing belt, said buckle, and said strap.

2. The garment as recited in claim 1 wherein said flat webbing belt is fed through a single inner garment belt tube.

3. A garment comprising:

(a) a unitary coverall having a waistband, a jacket section and a trouser section, said jacket section having a closable opening;

(b) at least one belt loop on the interior of said coverall at said waistband section;

(c) a belt strap positioned through said belt loop;

(d) a buckle adjustably attached to said belt strap whereby the effective length of said belt strap may be adjusted; and

(e) a means for closing said closable opening of said jacket section of said garment.

4. The garment as recited in claim 3 wherein said buckle has a first buckle connection end configured to be releasably coupled to a second buckle connection end, said first buckle connection end adjustably attached to said belt strap whereby the length of said belt strap may be adjusted.

5. The garment as recited in claim 4 wherein said interior of said coverall has a plurality of belt loops.

6. The garment as recited in claim 4 wherein said belt loop is a single inner garment tube.

7. The garment as recited in claim 5 wherein said belt strap is a flat webbed belt.

8. The garment as recited in claim 6 wherein said belt strap is a flat webbed belt.

9. The garment as recited in claim 4 wherein said means for closing said closable opening of said jacket section of said garment is a zipper.

10. The garment as recited in claim 5 wherein said means for closing said closable opening of said jacket section of said garment is selected from the group comprising zippers, buttons, ties, clasps, and buckles.

11. A garment comprising:

(a) a unitary coverall having a waistband, a jacket section and a trouser section, said jacket section having a closable opening;

(b) at least one belt loop on the interior of said coverall at said waistband section; and

(c) a separate adjustable belt strap positioned through said belt loop whereby the length of said belt strap may be adjustably fitted around a user.

12. The garment as recited in claim 11 further comprising a means for closing said closable opening of said jacket section of said garment.

13. The garment as recited in claim 12 further comprising a buckle attached to said belt strap wherein said buckle has a first buckle connection end configured to be releasably coupled to a second buckle connection end, said first buckle connection end adjustably attached to said belt strap.

14. The garment as recited in claim 13 wherein said means for closing said closable opening of said jacket section of said garment is selected from the group comprising zippers, buttons, ties, clasps, and buckles.

15. The garment as recited in claim 14 wherein said interior of said coverall has a plurality of belt loops.

16. The garment as recited in claim 15 wherein said belt strap is a flat webbed belt.

17. The garment as recited in claim 12 wherein said means for closing said closable opening of said jacket section of said garment is a zipper.

18. The garment as recited in claim 17 wherein said interior of said coverall has a plurality of belt loops.