Protective clothing and methods of making same

Abstract

In some examples, a protective garment, includes a body, a pair of sleeves extending from the body, each sleeve having a cuff portion, a forearm portion, and an elbow portion, a plate connected to at least one of the cuff portion, the forearm portion, and the elbow portion, the plate having a plurality of layers and a sensor disposed between at least two of the plurality of layers, the sensor being a pressure sensor configured to detect a threshold pressure and generate a corresponding signal, and an output device in communication with the sensor and being configured to receive the signal and at least one of sound an alarm, call emergency services, and transmit a GPS coordinate when the threshold pressure has been reached.

1 . A protective garment, comprising:
 a body;   a pair of sleeves extending from the body, each sleeve having a cuff portion, a forearm portion, and an elbow portion;   a plate connected to at least one of the cuff portion, the forearm portion, and the elbow portion, the plate having a plurality of layers and a sensor disposed between at least two of the plurality of layers, the sensor being a pressure sensor configured to detect a threshold pressure and generate a corresponding signal; and   an output device in communication with the sensor and being configured to receive the signal and at least one of sound an alarm, call emergency services, activate a strobe light, and transmit a GPS coordinate when the threshold pressure has been reached.   
     
     
         2 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , wherein the cuff portion includes an extension portion having a thumb hole extending therethrough. 
     
     
         3 . The protective garment of  claim 2 , wherein the extension portion is retractable within the respective sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , wherein the cuff portion includes an extension portion having a thumb sheath extending from the cuff portion and being made from a rigid material. 
     
     
         5 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , wherein the plate is cylindrical and is releasably connectable to one of forearm portion and cuff portion. 
     
     
         6 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , wherein the plate has an outer layer, an inner layer, and an intermediate layer disposed between the outer and inner layers, the sensor being disposed between the outer layer and the intermediate layer. 
     
     
         7 . The protective garment of  claim 6 , wherein the outer layer is made from a first material and the inner layer is made from a second material, the first material being harder than the second material. 
     
     
         8 . The protective garment of  claim 7 , wherein the output device is embedded within any one of the body and one of the pair of sleeves. 
     
     
         9 . The protective garment of  claim 8 , wherein the output device has a speaker that sounds an alarm when the threshold pressure has been reached. 
     
     
         10 . The protective garment of  claim 9 , wherein the sensor and the output device are coupled via a wire. 
     
     
         11 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , wherein the output device is one of a smart phone, a tablet, and a personal computer. 
     
     
         12 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a collar extending from the body, the collar having a plate pocket therein and a collar plate disposed within the plate pocket. 
     
     
         13 . The protective garment of  claim 12 , wherein the collar has a first configuration in which the collar lays flat on the body, and a second configuration in which the collar is raised from the body, the collar plate being configured to remain disposed within the collar when the collar transitions between the first and second configurations. 
     
     
         14 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a collar extending from the body, the collar having a sheathable tool pocket and a sheathable tool disposed within the sheathable pocket. 
     
     
         15 . The protective garment of  claim 14 , wherein the sheathable tool is a flail. 
     
     
         16 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , wherein each of the sleeves comprises a slash-resistant material. 
     
     
         17 . A protective headgear, comprising:
 a crown;   a plate connected to the crown, the plate having a plurality of layers and a sensor disposed between at least two of the plurality of layers, the sensor being a pressure sensor configured to detect a threshold pressure and generate a corresponding signal; and   an output device in communication with the sensor and being configured to receive the signal and at least one of sound an alarm, call emergency services, activate a strobe light, and transmit a GPS coordinate when the threshold pressure has been reached.   
     
     
         18 . The protective headgear of  claim 17 , wherein the crown includes a front portion, a rear portion, and opposing side portions, the plate being connected to the front portion and the rear portion. 
     
     
         19 . The protective headgear of  claim 17 , wherein the output device is embedded within the crown. 
     
     
         20 . The protective headgear of  claim 17 , wherein the crown is dome shaped and the plate is correspondingly dome shaped and further comprising a cuff extending from and folded back onto the crown.