Radiation shield vest and skirt

• US 4,196,355 A
• Filed: 01/03/1978
• Issued: 04/01/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Shielding Corporation
• Original Assignee: The Shielding Corporation
• Inventors: Maine, Gayle J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Harold A.
• Application Number:
  US05/866,526
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 2/2, 2/48, 250/516, 250/519
• US Class Current: 250/516.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/107 Protection against radiation, e.g. shielding
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 3/03 Aprons

Abstract

A two-piece radiation shield garment for the human body is disclosed comprising an adjustably overlapping vest to protect the upper body and a wraparound skirt to protect the lower body. The vest and skirt are constructed of multiple inner layers of flexible radiation shielding material covered with nonshielding fabric or other material. The vest and skirt may be attractively fashioned and decorated to encourage their use as a shield garment for women. The vest includes a rear shield panel joined to a pair of overlapping front shield panels. Similarly, the skirt includes a rear shield panel connected to a pair of overlapping front shield panels. The overlapping front panels of the vest and skirt have wide cooperating horizontal bands of Velcro-type tape closures providing an adjustable fit and a secure closure for the heavy materials. The vest and skirt overlap in the waist region when worn to provide continuous vertical and all-around protection to the body while allowing freedom of movement to the wearer.

Claims

1. A radiation shield garment for shielding the human body from radiation comprising in combination:

a vest for shielding the upper body and a skirt for shielding the lower body;

said vest including, when worn, overlapping front panel portions covering a front portion of the upper body and a rear panel portion forming a continuation of the front panel portions covering a back portion of the upper body, said front and rear panel portions including at least one layer of flexible radiation shielding material substantially coextensive with such portions so as to provide all-around radiation protection to the upper body from the waist area to the shoulder and neckline area of said upper body;

said skirt including, when worn, overlapping front skirt panel portions covering a front portion of the lower body and a rear skirt panel portion forming a continuation of the front panel portions covering the back portion of said lower body, said front and rear skirt panel portions including at least one layer of flexible radiation shielding material substantially coextensive with said portions so as to provide all-around radiation protection to the lower body from the waist area downwardly over at least the upper leg area of said lower body;

said vest and skirt each including closure means to adjustably secure their respective front panel portions in overlapping relationship;

said vest and skirt being dimensioned vertically so as to overlap one another when worn, thereby together providing vertically continuous radiation protection to the body.

2. A radiation shield garment according to claim 1 wherein said vest and skirt are constructed of nonshielding fabric material covers covering a plurality of layers of flexible inner sheets of radiation shielding material, said nonshielding covers being coextensive with said inner sheets.

3. A radiation shield garment according to claim 1 wherein said overlapping front panel portions of said vest and skirt are detachably and adjustably connected to one another respectively by at least one pair of complementary adhering closure tabs providing adjustable closure and size fitting of said vest and skirt.

4. A radiation shield garment according to claim 1 wherein said rear skirt panel portion of said skirt comprises a single large panel and said front skirt panel portions comprise a pair of smaller panels of substantially equal length to said large panel, each said smaller panel connected to said large panel at an opposite peripheral side edge of said large panel, thereby being separated by such single large panel and forming an adjustably overlapping wraparound skirt.

5. A radiation shield garment according to claim 1 wherein said closure means of said vest comprises a plurality of vertically spaced pairs of complementary adhering closure tabs extending in horizontal bands across said overlapping front panel portions so as to provide adjustable closure of said vest and resist opening of said panel portions induced by the weight of said vest.

6. In a radiation shield garment, a vest comprising:

a rear panel covering the back of the upper body extending continuously vertically from the top of the shoulder line and neckline of said body downwardly to at least body waist level and having generally vertical opposite side edges;

a pair of overlapping front panels for covering the front of said upper body, each said front panel connected to one of said opposite side edges of said rear panel and extending continuously vertically from said top shoulder line and neckline to at least body waist level;

said rear and front panels being constructed of nonshielding fabric material covers covering a plurality of layers of flexible inner sheets of radiation shielding material;

and said overlapping front panels being detachably and adjustably connected to one another by at least one pair of complementary adhering closure tabs providing adjustable closure and size fitting of said vest.

7. In a radiation shield garment, a skirt comprising:

a rear skirt panel for covering the rear of the lower body extending continuously vertically from the waistline downwardly over at least the upper leg area of said lower body and having a pair of generally vertical opposite side edges;

a pair of overlapping front skirt panels for covering the front of said lower body of substantially equal length to said rear panel, each said front skirt panel connected to one of said opposite side edges of said rear panel, thereby forming an overlapping wraparound skirt;

said rear and front skirt panels being constructed of nonshielding fabric material covers covering a plurality of layers of flexible inner sheets of radiation shielding material providing a flexible shielding material;

and said overlapping front panels detachably and adjustably connected to one another by at least one pair of complementary adhering closure tabs thereby providing adjustable closure and size fitting of said skirt.

8. A radiation shield garment according to claim 7 wherein said closure tabs of said skirt extend in horizontal bands across said overlapping front skirt panels so as to provide adjustable closure of said skirt and to resist opening of said overlapping panel portions induced by the weight of said skirt.

9. A radiation shield garment for shielding the human body from radiation comprising in combination:

a vest for shielding an upper body region extending from the waist area through the shoulder and neckline area and a skirt for shielding a lower body region extending from the waist area downwardly over at least the upper leg area;

said vest including, when worn, overlapping vest outer portions covering a portion of the upper body region and a vest central portion forming a continuation of said vest outer portions and covering remainder portions of the upper body region, said vest outer and central portions including at least one layer of flexible radiation shielding material so as to provide all-around radiation protection to the upper body regions;

said skirt including, when worn, overlapping skirt outer portions covering a portion of the lower body region and a skirt central portion forming a continuation of said skirt outer portions covering remainder portions of the lower body region, said skirt outer and central portions including at least one layer of flexible radiation shielding material so as to provide all-around radiation protection to such lower body regions;

said vest and skirt each including closure means associated with said vest and skirt outer portions, respectively, to adjustably secure their respective outer portions in overlapping relationship;

said vest and skirt being dimensioned vertically so as to overlap one another when worn, thereby together providing vertically continuous radiation protection to the body.