Field of the Invention The present invention relates to safety apparatus, in particular safety apparatus useful for police or other service users; more particularly but not exclusively apparatus for helping with signalling and messaging other persons.

Background

Increasing traffic on many highways can lead to increased incidence of traffic collisions, and other re-routing requirements for traffic.

Many of the current means of directing traffic are reliant on personnel, who may be services personnel such as highway officers or police. These personnel or users may have trouble attracting attention in low light conditions in particular.

Prior Art US 9 483 918 (URIARTE) discloses a personal illumination device intended for use by motorcyclists or other individuals looking to increase their visibility in environments where high visibility and safety is important. The illumination device has two illuminated strips that sit across the front and back of a user and the strips have LEDs capable of creating various illuminate patterns. A user can additionally choose to have either the front, back, or both strips illuminated at the same time. The device also has straps that provide for adjustments to create a custom fit, as well as enhancement strips placed on the straps to further increase one's visibility.

CA 2 863 484 (TANG et al) discloses clothing apparatus including a jacket and gloves with illuminating elements, a power source, a controller, and hand operated switches. The gloves are in signalling communication with the controller, such as may permit the operator to cause signalling functions to occur by use of the hands without releasing, for example, the handle bars of a bicycle., and without having to fumble with external manual switches. The power and control units may be removable and rechargeable. The jacket may be water-resistant or waterproof, and may include a hood. The apparatus may include a photo-sensitive element and running lights such as may operate automatically as dusk falls.

US 2010 0 253 501 (GIBSON) discloses a safety synchronized illuminated system including apparel items with a plurality of light strips secured to the apparel items. The wearing apparels include jacket, helmet and a pair of gloves. A power source, CPU chip for timing, sequencer for time sequential selection and turn signal box activates light strips in the jacket, helmet, a pair of boots and a pair of gloves in a one-by-one time sequential manner, and synchronized rolling fashion in light patterns and following the traffic color codes via wire or wireless link. Each of the items can be also activated individually, independently and separately.

The present invention arose in order to overcome problems suffered by existing devices.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided safety apparatus comprising a torso covering garment arranged to wirelessly coordinate with one or more peripheral coverings, so that the peripheral coverings and garment are arranged so as to provide cooperating light signals from cooperating light sources and provide an enlarged direction-providing footprint.

In some embodiments of the apparatus the peripheral coverings comprise gloves, in others they may be shoes or boots or a hat.

In some embodiments the garments and gloves are provided with a control mechanism, which mechanism may be located on the garment, on the gloves, and/or on a discrete mechanism controller.

In some embodiments the garments and gloves may be arranged to coordinate through intermachine operability such as Bluetooth (RTM), or may comprise radiowave or infrared wireless connectivity. The gloves may be arranged with plural light sources, which may subsequently be of use to indicate directions, of the travel of the user's hand or direction it is pointed in, so as to direct traffic or people. The garment may be arranged with multiple light sources, which may be dispersed across the garment to indicate the presence of the wearer.

In some embodiments the garment may comprise at least one display screen, which may be used as a large diffuse light source, or may be arranged to display lettering or graphics.

In some embodiments the garment may comprise more than one display screen. For example flexible display screens may be arranged around the torso of the user in use, and may be arrange to synchronise messages.

In some embodiments the controller may comprise an independently available electronic device, for example mobile telephone or the like.

In some embodiments the garment and the gloves may include or comprise of fluorescent, retroreflective or luminescent material, so as to enhance visibility.

In some embodiments the apparatus, screens and/or gloves and controller may comprise batteries which may be displaceable so as to be recharged, or for example may comprise wired charging ports, such as (universal serial bus) USB charging or in other embodiments the gloves in particular may comprise replaceable watch type batteries.

In some embodiments the apparatus comprises a vest/tabard and gloves designed to be used in unison wherein both comprise LED lighting or optic fibre lit by LED to be used by services such as the police to assist in controlling traffic and improving safety in situations where visibility is low. The gloves may be wirelessly linked to the displays on the front and back of the garment wherein control is at or in the garment. All of the apparatus may be battery powered, and the device and gloves may comprise size adjustment or elastomeric parts so that one size fits all.

Some embodiments of the apparatus may comprise a carry case. Some embodiments of the apparatus may comprise gloves without fingertips.

The display screens and light sources may be arranged to form a display, lighting or message configuration. For example gloves' light sources may illuminate green when "GO" is seen on the front screen and red when "POLICE STOP" is seen on the front screen, wherein the gloves may not illuminate when "POLICE" is displayed on both screens. The screens may comprise flexible LED panels situated on the front and back of the garment, which may provide at least 3 message settings, wherein a first may state "POLICE", the second "POLICE STOP" and the final "GO".

In some embodiments if the front screen of the vest is displaying "POLICE STOP" the rear of the vest will display "GO" and vice versa. When on the "POLICE" setting, this may be displayed on both sides.

When "POLICE" is displayed the vest will light up white. When "POLICE STOP" is displayed this will be illuminated in red and flash slowly. When "GO" is displayed this will be illuminated in green. The gloves may light up to match the colour on the front of the vest, unless "POLICE" is shown, in which case they will not be illuminated.

Some embodiments of the apparatus may comprise a chest mounted controller and power pack where the user can choose which message configuration is displayed. The power pack and controller can be removed in order to recharge or download data or settings respectively.

In some embodiments the controller interface comprises a simple 3 point slider which will allow the user to easily alter the message configuration.

In some embodiments the garment may comprise heavy duty fabric with two rectangular LED panels centred on the front and back, and may be secured to the users with two simple short Velcro (RTM) straps on each hip. The gloves may be made without finger tips and feature a Velcro (RTM) strap at the wrist. In some embodiments the outer layer of the fabric will be a heavy duty PU coated Nylon (RTM) in both black and fluorescent yellow. The PU coated Nylon (RTM) may provide waterproofing and the pockets and straps may be high frequency welded to the tabard.

In some embodiments the garment may further comprise enhanced visibility materials, for example wherein strips of reflective tape may be applied in bands to the garment. A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the Figures in which:

Brief Description of Figures

Figure 1 shows isometric views of an embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows an exploded isometric view of the embodiment of the gloves shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a reverse isometric view of the embodiment of the glove shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 shows an isometric exploded view of the embodiment of the garment shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 shows a reverse isometric exploded view of the embodiment of the garment shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 shows an isometric view of the embodiment of the glove shown in Figure 2;

Figure 7 shows an isometric view of the embodiment of the garment shown in Figure 4; and Figure 8 shows a reverse isometric view of the embodiment of the garment shown in Figure 4.

Detailed Description of Figures

With reference to the figures there is generally shown apparatus 99 comprising a torso covering garment 100 arranged to wirelessly coordinate with one or more peripheral coverings 200, so that the peripheral coverings 200 and garment 100 are arranged so as to provide cooperating light signals from cooperating light sources and provide an enlarged direction-providing footprint.

The light sources of the garment 100 comprise two opposed display screens 3, arranged on the front of the torso and back in use. The garment comprises a tabard of two opposed panels of flexible material, joined by elastomeric material bands 11 close to the bottom at the sides, and at the neck, which comprises a hole for the user's head 1000.

The panels are thereby continuous over the shoulders, where two epaulettes 9 are provided, which may be used to indicate the user's official badging.

The front panel of the garment has two clips 10 and 8 located below the epaulettes on each shoulder. These clips allow attachment of the controller 1 to either shoulder according to preference, as well as a standard service radio 105.

The garment 100 comprises a contrasting seam 14 which may comprise a retroreflective material or a black material.

The garment further comprises retroreflective strips at the bottom 6 and at the top 7. The garment may also comprise Sillitoe tartan strips (not shown).

The gloves comprise lighting strips 21 down the back of the hand, with reference to the fingers, and are formed in a heavy duty waterproof material 21 , with a Velcro (RTM) tab adjustable closure 23 over the wrist, and the material only covers the bottom part of the fingers. The garment comprises a controller 1 with a slidable control button 12, moveable between three positions. The controller further comprises cabling 13 leading to the display screens. The glove and garment are wirelessly connected, using Bluetooth (RTM), infrared or radio waves.

The garment comprises a rear pocket 5, near the bottom of the panel of the rear, for rechargeable batteries, microcontroller or processor, and a Bluetooth (RTM) module 4.

The invention has been described by way of examples only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the scope of invention as defined by the claims, in particular but not solely combination of features of described embodiments.