Electrostatic discharge protection garment

Abstract

An electrostatic discharge protection garment for preventing sudden discharges of static electricity includes a shirt made of a fabric formed of a plurality of fibers. Some of the fibers are coated with an electrically conductive material. The coated fibers are in electrical communication with at least some uncoated fibers such that any electrostatic charge accumulated on the uncoated fibers is constantly dissipated to the environment via the electrically conductive material.

1 . An electrostatic discharge protection garment being configured to prevent accumulation of an electrostatic charge in the garment, the garment comprising:
 a shirt comprising a fabric formed of a plurality of fibers, the plurality of fibers including:
 a set of uncoated fibers distributed across an entirety of the shirt, each uncoated fiber of the set of uncoated fibers comprising a fiber material, the set of uncoated fibers not having an electrically conductive coating surrounding the fiber material; and 
 a set of coated fibers being embedded into the set of uncoated fibers, each coated fiber of the set of coated fibers being in electrical communication with one or more uncoated fibers of the set of uncoated fibers, each coated fiber of the set of coated fibers comprising the fiber material and a coating which encloses the fiber material, the coating comprising an electrically conductive material, the set of coated fibers being configured to facilitate a dissipation of electrostatic charge from the set of uncoated fibers to an environment, each of said coated fibers being perpendicular to each of said uncoated fibers. 
   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material comprises silver. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the shirt has a body portion with a bottom edge, the set of coated fibers being positioned in a bottom band positioned adjacent to and extending along an entirety of the bottom edge of the body portion of the shirt. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the shirt has a pair of sleeves, each of the sleeves having a cuff, the set of coated fibers being positioned in a pair of cuff bands, each cuff band of the pair of cuff bands being positioned adjacent to and extending around the cuff of an associated one of the pair of sleeves. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the shirt has a pair of sleeves, each of the sleeves having an elbow region, the set of coated fibers being positioned in a pair of elbow portions, each elbow patch of the pair of elbow portions being positioned at the elbow region of an associated one of the pair of sleeves. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric is formed in a single layer. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the shirt has a body portion and a pair of sleeves, the coated fibers of the set of coated fibers being distributed across an entirety of the body portion and an entirety of each sleeve of the pair of sleeves. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the fibers of the plurality of fibers are woven together. 
     
     
         9 . An electrostatic discharge protection garment being configured to prevent accumulation of an electrostatic charge in the garment, the garment comprising:
 a shirt having a body portion and a pair of sleeves, the body portion having a bottom edge, each of the sleeves having a cuff and an elbow region, the shirt comprising a fabric formed of a plurality of fibers, the plurality of fibers being woven together, the plurality of fibers including:
 a set of uncoated fibers distributed across an entirety of the body portion and an entirety of each sleeve, each uncoated fiber of the set of uncoated fibers comprising a fiber material, the set of uncoated fibers not having an electrically conductive coating surrounding the fiber material; and 
 a set of coated fibers being embedded into the set of uncoated fibers, each coated fiber of the set of coated fibers being in electrical communication with one or more uncoated fibers of the set of uncoated fibers, each coated fiber of the set of coated fibers comprising the fiber material and a coating which encloses the fiber material, the coating comprising an electrically conductive material, the electrically conductive material comprising silver, the set of coated fibers being configured to facilitate a dissipation of electrostatic charge from the set of uncoated fibers to an environment, each of said coated fibers being perpendicular to each of said uncoated fibers; 
 wherein the fabric is formed in a single layer. 
   
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 9 , wherein the coated fibers of the set of coated fibers are positioned in a plurality of zones of the shirt, the plurality of zones including:
 a bottom band positioned adjacent to and extending along an entirety of the bottom edge of the body portion of the shirt;   a pair of cuff bands, each cuff band of the pair of cuff bands being positioned adjacent to and extending around the cuff of an associated one of the pair of sleeves; and   a pair of elbow portions, each elbow patch of the pair of elbow portions being positioned at the elbow region of an associated one of the pair of sleeves.   
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 9 , wherein the coated fibers of the set of coated fibers are distributed across an entirety of the body portion and an entirety of each sleeve of the pair of sleeves.