PARTIAL PRESSURE JERKIN

摘要

This invention proposes a partial pressure jerkin that includes a front panel and a rear panel to overlie the anterior and posterior region of the trunk respectively of a wearer. The front and rear panels are joined at selected areas of their periphery to provide head, arm and leg apertures. An opening is formed in the rear panel extending from the head aperture to one of the leg apertures to permit access to the garment and a zip fastener is provided to close the opening. A single bladder is attached to the inside of the outer garment and is positioned between the front panel and the chest of the wearer. The bladder extends between the head and arm apertures to terminate in a region adjacent to the shoulder blades of the wearer and covers the anterior portion of the trunk all the way down to the upper thighs and inguinal areas. The bladder is formed from two skins bound together along their peripheral edges and having a dissimilar elastic modulus so that the stretchier inner skin will conform to the countours of the wearer torso and the stiffer outer skin will react to prevent outward ballooning and to direct the compressive forces towards the torso of the wearer upon inflation of the bladder.