Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
lX42051.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to protective devices for
players in violent games, and particularly those that
protect the whole neck, including the throat, and collar-
bones of such players.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In violent games, such as hockey, it is not uncommon
that injuries occur at the level of the neck of the
players. If the jugular vein or carotic artery is cut
by a hockey blade or a skate blade, death is a likely
c-vent.
Players usually wear some protective equi}?men~
(such as a helmet or shoulder pads), but as of today, the
neck has never been adequately protected. The prior art
discloses a few neck-protecting devices; however, players
have not been interested, in fact, in wearing these devices,
since the inventor is not aware of it being used Gr any
scale in hockey leagues. The reasons for such a situation
will be outlined below.
In the Canadian patent n 1,172,803, issued August
21, 1984 to Jean-Marc Gauthier, or corresponding U.S.
patent n 4,449,251, issued vay 22, 1984, a neck protector
i:s disclosed including inner absorbent textile pad 44, outer
r?ad 46, and a few intermediate armour members 5Q sandwiched
therebetween.
The armour members 50 are full plates, relat.vely
large and are supported by another pad 48. The weigh o'~
collar 44-50 is thus relatively high and constitutes
a non-comfortable assembly. Furthermore, a similar sheet
arrangement 24-34 is secured to the bottom of the collar
44-50, and looks like an apron. Thus, not only will the
bulk and weighl of thid device discourage potential users
,. ~2~051
to wear it, but the solid armour members 30 and 50 will
hamper movements of the head.
In the ~.S. patent n 3,825,952, issued July 30,
1974 to Roscoe Pershing, a skirt 24, made of coarse knit
material, is releasably secured to a helmet. This skirt
24 is designed to permit fresh air to flow therethrough,
so that the operator will have sufficient air for breath-
ing, together with blocking the direct entrance of air
into the helmet and to channel the body heat of the
operator up into the helmet.
Of course, this skirt 24 will not protect the
neck of the wearer against injuries.
Somehow, a lighter, very efficient, less bully
device for pre'ecting the neck below a hat or helmet
should be requ red for any game of at least ice hockeyj
and for that matter, should be of a type that would not
discourage users to wear it.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
.
The main object of the present invention is to
provide a device which is effective in protecting the neck,
including the throat and also the ears, of a helmet-wearing
person against lnjuries, and which concurrently does not
hamper natural movements of the head in any signlficant way.
Another object of the invention is that the material
constituting the said protective device has at least one
of the following characteristics:
a) soft and non irritating to the skin of a wearer;
b) capability of absorption of sweat.
Accessory objects of the above invention are to pro-
vide such a safety device having at least one of the follow=
ing characteristics:
a) ease of manufacture;
3 --
124205il.
b) low manufacturing cost;
c) lightweight
A further object of this invention is the versatility
provided by such a neck-protecting device, which can fit
any type of heImet or other hats.
A still further object of the above invention is
to concurrently protect the collarbones of the wearer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly with the objects of the invention
there is provided a neck-protecting device to be secured
to a helmet and to a garment at the level of the shoulder
portion thereof. The protecting device consists of a
main cylinder-forming layer, made of a plurality of inter-
engaged sturdy, light armour members, which are mcvable
one relative to the others, so as to facilitate movements
of the head without hampering the shielding properties thereof
for the neck against shearing action or blows.
Preferably, the armour members are small intertwined
coplanar ringsO The rings are advantageously metal]ic.
-Preferably, the main layer is covered on both sides by a
flexible sweat absorbing fabric sheet forming an outer and
inner layer. The outer sheet layer of the device can be -
releasably secured to the garment by a few connecting members,
comprising: a small strip,fixedly secured at one end to the
outer sheet layer and a pressure adhesive band, fixedly
secured to the other end of the strip.
The present protecting device would also be suitable
for a visor-equipped helmet. The visor is secured to the
front of the helmet and made of a network of metal wires
and a few large metal annuli, spacedly intertwined with a
1242~151.
corresponding number of rings and engaging the peripheral
wires of the visor, to fixedly secure the sheet layers to
the visor, through the rear edge portion of the helmet,
to fixedly secure the said sheet layers to the helmet. The
sheet layers have a front recess for receiving the visor.
For a stronger outfit, the outer and inner layers
are interconnected by top and bottom lines of stitching
extending slightly short of the edges. The Ann engaging
rings project through the outer and inner layers at the
level of the top line of stitching.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hockey player,
with the helmet whereof being provided with the neck-
protecting device of the invention;
Figure 2 is " perspective view of the helmet and neck-
protecting device of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the above-
neck-protecting device.
Figure 4 is a cross-section taken along line 4-4
of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the wall o_ the
above-mentioned neck-protecting device, also showing in
perspective view a pressure adhesive band secured thereto;
Figure 6 is a fragmented perspective view of the
above-mentioned necX-protecting device, showing the two
layers of textile material and the intermediate layer of
e armour members; and
Figure / is a plan view of the above-men-tioned
intermediate layer.
DÆTAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
. _ .... _ . .. _
A hockey player 10 usually protects his head during
a game by a helmet, such as the one shown at 12. This helmet
l'Z~O~l.
oomprises a main, generally semi-spherical rigid shell
14. The front edge of the helmet 12, at 16, is upwardly
offset relative to the rear edge thereof, at 18, to accom-
modate a frort open visor 20, secured thereto and made
of intercrossed rigid horizontal and vertical wires 22,24,
respectively. A peripheral wire 26 encloses wires 22, 24.
According to the features of the invention, a neck-
. protecting device 28 is secured to the helmei.r~ar edg_ 18
to the visor peripheral wire 26, and to the upper portion
of the sweater 30, but preferably of the undergarments of the
hockey player 10. Device 28 consists of inner and outer
layers of absorhent flexible material, at 32, 34, respect-
ively, and of an intermediate open layer 36, made of a
plurality of small intertwined metallic rings 38.
Rings 38 are substantially coplanar. Layers 32, 34
are sewn together along lines of stitching slightly short
of the top and bottom edges thereof, at 40, 42, respectively,
and across layer 36.
Layers 32-36 form a neck-surrounding collar, wherein
the rings 38 are relatively movable along a plane parallel
to that of layers ~2-34, so as to facilitate movemer.ts of
the head without hampering the shielding properties therlof
for the neck against blows, such as hockey pucks, hockey
blades et al, which directional vector is normal thereto.
Sheet layers 32, 34 define a front recess (see figure
2) for receiving the lower portion of the visor 20. The
material of layers 32, 34 is sweat-absorbing, must be soft
for the skin a the wearer and should have the property of
preventing glare from the metallic rings 38.
A few large annuli 44 are spacedly intertwined to
a corresponding number of small rings 38A at the upper line
of stitching 40, the latter rings projecting outwardly
from outer layer 34. Some of annuli 44 engage around
3L;~4~
peripheral wire 26, or around one horizontal wire 22, as seen
in figure 2, which laterally protrudes outwardly of wire 26,
while other annuli hookingly engage mating bores 46 made
in shell 14 slightly short of rear edge 18 Annuli or rings 44
form fasteners which are preferably releasable, such as key
rings or spring clips.
A few attachment hands 48 spacedly project from the
lower end of layers 32, 34-. Each band 48 consists of a
narrow strip 50 stitched at one end against the lower end of
outer layer 34, and a pressure adhesive member 52 stitched
on its back face to the other end of strip 50.
As clearly seen in figure 5, the stitches that secure
strip 50 to layers 32, 34 are of four types. The firs-t
type of stitch secures layers 32-36 to strip 50, at 54.
The second type of stitch secures layer 34, a ring 38 and
strip 50 together, at 56. A third type of stitching
secures layers 34 to strip 50, at 58. And the fourth type
of stitching secures layers 32, 34 at the lower line of
stitching 42, at 60.
Pressure adhesive member 52 may be of hook- and
loop-fastening type, such as disclosed under the VELCRO regis-
tered trademark, whereby the sweater 30 being of a material such
as wool or cotton, the male-type VELCRO band will be adapted
to releasably hookingly fasten to a female-type VELCRO
band secured to the sweater.
Of course, this neck-protecting device is not limited
to helmets for the game of hockey, since players in lacrosse,
handball and other such games, where agressiveness in
between players can be expected, would also benefit from
this safety device. In fact, any type of hat could be pro-
vided with this device.
Other uses for this safety device are also envisioned
without departing from the spirit of the invention.
I; - 7 -
f',
