Protective body suit

Abstract

A body-protective article comprising matched portions of a rigid, non-shattering, high-impact resistant polymer, interiorly lined with an adherent high-impact absorbing elastomer. A protective body suit may comprise a series of interconnected segments providing a unitary suit, made up of such matched portions. The polymer is chosen from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, and polyester, and each of a sufficient molecular weight to make it rigid and non-shattering. The elastomer comprises flexible polyurethane of essentially linear structure containing unsatisfied hydroxyl groups, and having a compression set less than 15%, an elongation at break of at least 500% and a recovery which is delayed after compression by at least 0.7 sec. The matched portions have fixed adjacent interlocking edges that enable the user to enclose a body portion therein. Closures hold the matched portions together. Adjacent segments are usually connected together.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.