EP1776880A1 - High visibility garment, especially high visibility vest - Google Patents

Abstract

The cloth has a back part (1) covering a back part of a wearer, and two chest sections covering a front side of an upper body of a wearer. The back part is connected with each chest section laterally and above in shoulder regions (4, 5) under formation of open armholes (8, 9). The open armholes lie upside of lateral connections (6, 7) and lie below the connection within the shoulder regions. The shoulder regions are elongated in side direction over lines (13, 14) that are predetermined by the lateral connection.

Description

The invention relates to a warning clothing made of fluorescent material and sections with retroreflective properties, with a back part to cover the back of a wearer, and two breast sections to cover together the front of the upper body of a wearer, the back of the side and top in the shoulder area with each one of the breast sections is connected to form an open armhole, which lies above the lateral connection and below the connection in the shoulder region.

Warning apparel made of fluorescent material and sections with retroreflective properties must be worn especially if the visibility of a person is to be increased. This is true for all work situations where being overlooked during the day, at dusk and in the dark is a risk.

Fluorescent materials are used for daylighting, and retroreflective materials for nighttime use.

During the daytime, daylight fluorescent colors can provide the best contrast to the environment in a wide range of visual conditions, protecting a wearer of protective clothing, as these colors most effectively stimulate the visual system, for example, by guides of approaching vehicles. The larger the area of the daylight fluorescent paint, the better it is recognizable from a greater distance or in poor visibility conditions (eg fog or spray etc.).

In this fluorescence, invisible UV light is converted from daylight into visible light by color pigments embedded in the fabric.

Retroreflective materials do not create their own light, but require an external light source such as reflective glass, e.g. the light of vehicle headlights.

The surface of such retroreflective materials consists in particular of unilaterally aluminum-coated glass spheres or microprisms which absorb the incident light, e.g. of a vehicle headlight on the reflector surface and throw back in the direction of the light source.

Thus, the wearer of warning clothing with a corresponding retroreflective trim or the like is to be seen at dusk and darkness for a driver of an approaching motor vehicle from a sufficient distance. Accordingly, warning clothing of the type described is required in many areas of the business sector by regulations, wherein the selection of the correct protective clothing must be made on the basis of a hazard analysis and the warning clothing must be adapted to the individual working environment. Specifications concerning the requirements of warning clothing are defined in particular in DIN EN 471 (2003) "Warning clothing". According to this standard, warning clothing is divided into three classes, the division being made over the areas of fluorescent background and retroreflective reflective material or their combination.

The three colors fluorescent yellow, fluorescent orange / red and fluorescent red with specific minimum luminance factors are defined as standard-compliant background colors.

High visibility warning jackets are especially widespread as warning clothing, as they were defined at the beginning. These are mandatory in many European countries as emergency equipment such as first aid kit or warning triangle for all vehicles. In DIN EN 471 they are usually categorized in the middle class 2.

These safety vests have the advantage that they can be easily pulled over any type of clothing by a user and are so quickly put on. However, they have the disadvantage that the recognizability of a carrier, in particular from the side, is very limited, since the side view of the carrier is embossed by an arm which is not covered by fluorescent or retroreflective material. This is particularly disadvantageous since, for example, in the case of flat tires, a carrier turns precisely this side toward the traffic to be rolled onto it.

The object of the present invention is therefore to further develop a protective clothing as described above in such a way that its visibility is improved and thus the wearer is better protected, without thereby making it difficult to apply the warning clothing.

This object is achieved in that the shoulder areas of the warning clothing are extended in the lateral direction beyond a line, which are determined by the lateral connections of the back and breast sections.

The advantage of the invention is that through the extensions in the shoulder region, the warning clothing has sections that come to lie laterally in the region of the upper arm of a wearer, so that thus also visible from the side sections of the warning clothing in front of the upper arm. The recognizability of a carrier from the side is thus increased considerably.

At the same time, the surface of the material of the warning clothing is increased, so that it is possible to produce a protective clothing of the higher requirements of class 3.

In order to stabilize the position of the extension in the region of the upper arm of a wearer, it is proposed to connect the extension over essentially triangular areas in a planar manner to the back part and / or a breast part. This also contributes to an increase in the base area.

A corresponding vest thus gives a visual impression as with "overcut shoulders" or perhaps comparable to a cape. It is essential in any case, that here no rudimentary tubular sleeve is created, which could significantly hinder the creation of a corresponding safety vest, especially if this example, thicker winter clothing or similar. should be created.

In particularly preferred embodiments of the warning clothing described herein, retroreflective stripes are also present in the direction of extension on the substantially fluorescent material. This increases the visibility especially at night and also can be closed by an approaching person from such recognized in the dark stripes on the posture of a person wearing the vest.

In the same way running over the said triangular areas running substantially retroreflective strips increase the safety effect, especially if they are inclined in first approximation to the ends of the extensions.

It has proven to be particularly effective if the retroreflective strips also have fluorescent properties. This gives these protective clothing not only at night but also in daylight from the side the desired protective function.

Figur 1

die Rückansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Warnkleidung;

Figur 2

die Vorderansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Warnkleidung.

Further advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment. Showing:

FIG. 1

the rear view of a warning clothing according to the invention;

FIG. 2

the front view of a warning clothing according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows the rear view of a warning clothing according to the invention. It consists of a back part, which consists of a fluorescent material, in particular in the colors fluorescent yellow, fluorescent orange / red or fluorescent red. In Figure 2 can be seen the front view of this warning clothing with a left and a right chest section 2, 3, which consist essentially of the same fluorescent material as the back part.

The back part and the breast sections collide at the top in the shoulder region 4 or 5, where they are connected to each other in particular by means of a seam. In addition, the back part 1 and the breast sections 2, 3 are connected to each other in the same way at lateral connections 6, 7, here also for example by means of a seam.

Above this lateral connection can be found on the warning clothing side armholes 8, 9, through which a wearer of warning clothing can pass his arms.

Subsequently, the breast sections 2, 3 are closed at the front by the user, for example by means of snaps or Velcro, thus forming a neckline 10 at the top of the warning clothing.

In the area of the lateral connections, the warning clothing illustrated here is occupied adjacent to its lower end by substantially transversely or horizontally extending strips 11, 12 with retroreflective properties which circulate around the closed warning clothing.

In the case of the warning clothing illustrated here, the shoulder regions 4, 5 are extended in the lateral direction beyond lines 13, 14, which are determined by the lateral connections 6, 7. The lines are in particular extensions of the addressed lateral connections, if they run parallel to each other or lie parallel to each other and cross the lateral connections, if these lateral connections are not aligned parallel to each other.

The extensions 15, 16 are integrated into the warning clothing both on the front side (in the breast sections) and on the back side (to the back part) over triangular areas 17, 18, 19, 20, whereby the total of the warning clothing is available standing floor area increased accordingly to a value of more than 0.8 square meters in the smallest size. In order to a corresponding warning clothing can not only be classified as a vest in the protection class 2, but in the higher requirements sufficient protection class 3 of DIN EN 471.

The illustrated vest has adhered, sewn or similarly secured on the shoulder and in the direction of the extensions 15, 16 strips 21, 22 which have retroreflective and fluorescent properties. Also on the triangular area are corresponding elements 23, 24, 25, 26, which are inclined outwards and in a first approximation run upwards in the direction of the end of the extension.

These strips have sufficient retroreflective property because they are purely retroreflective in the outer regions while being both retroreflective and fluorescent in the central region. When illuminated from a greater distance, the band is perceived as a whole as retroreflective, since the central, even fluorescent acting area is perceived in the dark at greater distance substantially as retroreflective.

During the day, the fluorescent effect of these strips dominates, whereby the corresponding signal effect can be intensified in particular by the fact that this central region of the strips can be in a different fluorescent color than the base material of the warning clothing.

The parts of the retroreflective and fluorescent strips 21, 22, which are mounted in the extensions 15, 16, fall in a carrier substantially over the upper arms, so that the wearer is so well visible even in the dark from the side.

It should be noted that the armholes 8, 9 are so large that they do not act like sleeves. This is achieved, in particular, by virtue of the fact that the armhole on the lines 13 and 14 has at least the same, preferably at least twice the length as the lateral connections 6, 7.

In addition, the triangular areas 17 to 20 with their lower pointed ends terminate substantially at the upper ends of the lateral connections 6, 7, so that the armholes 8, 9 are also sufficient for the warning clothing described herein to be e.g. can also be put on over-wearing winter clothing.

It should be noted that due to the extensions in the shoulder region, the attached seams, etc. approximately double in length.

Claims (6)

Reflective clothing made of fluorescent material and sections (11, 12) with retroreflective properties,
with a back (1) to cover the back of a wearer, and two breasts (2, 3) to cover together the front of the upper body of a wearer, the back (1) being laterally (6, 7) and uppermost in Shoulder region (4, 5) with one of the breast sections (2, 3) is connected to form an open armhole (8, 9) which lies above the lateral connection (6, 7) and below the connection (4, 5) in shoulders
characterized,
in that the shoulder region (4, 5) extends laterally beyond a line (13, 14) (15, 16) defined by the lateral connection (6, 7). Warning clothing according to claim 1,
characterized,
in that the extension (15, 16) is connected via essentially triangular regions (17, 18, 19, 20) to the back part (1) and / or a breast part (2, 3). Warning clothing according to claim 1,
characterized,
that in the direction of the extension (15, 16) on the material are retroreflective strips (21, 22). Warning clothing according to claim 2,
characterized,
that over the triangular areas (17, 18, 19, 20) retroreflective strips (23, 24, 25, 26) run. Warning clothing according to claim 3 or 4,
characterized,
that the retro-reflective strips (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) also have fluorescent properties. Warning clothing according to claim 1,
characterized,
that the total surface of the warning clothing is more than 0.8 square meters, in particular up to 1.4 square meters.

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