Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to a protective
device and ~ore specifically to a orotective device to
reduce the effect of impact ancl resulting trauma to a
userls spine and other parts of t:he lower back and upper
shoulder areas.
Protective e~uip~ent such as braces and shoulder
pads that are known in the art do not cover the Eull
length of the spine oE a user of such equipment. Nor do
such pieces of equipment conform to the innate curvatures
of the thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis and sacral
kyphosis. As well, ~rior art protective equipment does
not allow a full range of motion without impedance from
such equipment.
The above-described disadvantages oE prior art
spinal protective devices may be overcome in part by the
use of padding curved or curvable at its top and bottom to
conform or to be conformable to the curvature oE the
thoracic and sacral kyphosis respectively, and by
attaching strapping not only near the bot-tom and top of
the padding to respectively enqage the legs, chest and
shoulders of the user but also attaching strapping to the
padding in the region between the straps that are to
engage the user's legs and the straps that are to engage
the user's shoulders and chest. By attaching such
additional strapping to that region, known as the lu~bar
lordosis, when the straps of the present invention tautly
but not restrictively engage one another and the user, the
pad and flexible sheath of the present invention conform
to the natural curvatures oE the user's spine and afford
the user an e-Efective level of spinal protection. ~s
well, the use in the present invention oE lightweight
close cell cross-linked foam for an inner and outer layer
of such pads together with a core layer of polyethylene
plastic permits a full range oE user Inotion while also
providing an effective means oE delocalizing the forces
due to impact throug~out substantially the entire area of
the padding.
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According to the present invention then, there is
provided a protective device to reduce the effect of impact
to a user's spine, comprising unitary flexible pad means
comprising at least two layers of energy-absorbing
compressible material shaped and sized and adhered together
at their outer edges so as to envelop and enclose therebetween
a resiliently flexible non-compressible core member provided
for spreading the force of the impact, flexible sheath means
to receive the pad means therein, and strap means connected
to the sheath means to secure the protective device to the
user substantially over the midline of the user's spine.
According to a further aspect of the present
invention, there is also provided protective means for the
human spine, comprising flexible compressible pad means
comprising at least two layers of energy-absorbing
compressible closed cell cross-linked foam shaped and sized
and adhered together only at their outer edges so as to
envelop and enclose therebetween a resiliently flexible
substantially planar non-compressible core member for
delocalizing the focus of impactive forces to the pad means,
and strap means for centering the pad means along
substantially the midline of the spine.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described
in greater detail and will be better understood when read in
conjunction ~ith the following drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of the front of one
embodiment; :
Figure 2 is a plan view of the back of the
embodiment shown in Figure l;
Figure 3 is a frontal view of an alternative
embodiment of the present protector;
Figure 4 is a rear view of the back of the
embodiment shown in Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a plan view of the pad of the present
invention;
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2a
Figure 6 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view
of the pad shown in Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a back perspective view of the
embodiments shown in Figures 1 through 4 as worn;
Figure 8 is a back perspective view of the
embodiments shown in Figures 1 through 4 further comprising
shoulder pads;
Figure 9 is a back perspective view of the
embodiments shown in Figures 1 through 4 further comprising
kidney pads;
Figure 10 is a back perspective view of the
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13218~5
embodiments shown in Figures 1 through 4 further
comprising "body armour";
Figure 11 is a back perspective view of the
present device including a shortened spine protecting pad;
and
Figure 12 is a back perspective view of the
device shown in Figure 11 including kidney pads.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the protective
device 1 comprises a pad 10 re~ovably inserted into a
1exible sheath 3 through a pocket-like opening 40. The
flexible sheath 3 preferably is constructed of material
which allows for absorption of perspiration from the user,
facilitates a-ttachment of the leg straps 5, waist and
lumbar straps 7, chest and back straps 9 and shoulder
straps 11 and makes washing of the flexible sheath 3
possible. An example of such material is surgical
polycotton. ~ach oE the straps 5, 7, 9 and 11, ~hich are
preferably made of washable elastic, has fastening means
15, such as, for example, VELC~O , near its ends. Straps
20 5, 7, 9 and 11 are attached to the sheath 3 by means, for
example, of stitching.
The leg straps 5 are loops, each of which is
capable of engaging a corresponding le~ of the user, to
anchor the pad 10 in the sheath 3 over the user's spine,
restrict lateral movement of the pad 10 and ~lexible
sheath 3 and to protect the user's coccyx. The waist and
lu~bar straps 7 cause the pad 2 to conform to the
curvature of the user's lumbar lordosis. The chest and
back straps 9 and shoulder straps 11 further secure and
conform the flexible sheath 3, and hence the pad 10, on
the user's body over the midline of the upper spine.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4, in an alternative
embodiment of the present invention, respective chest and
back straps 9 and shoulder straps 11 ar~ replaced by upper
torso harness straps 13.
Trade Mark
~321~
~ eferring to Figures 5 and 6, pad 10 has an
inner layer 2, a core layer 4, and an outer layer 6, which
are joined to one another by means~ for example, of glue.
Preferably, inner layer 2 and outer layer 6 are of closed
cell cross-linked foam that will not remain compressed
after impact and will dampen the traumatic forces which
would otherwise be applied directly to the user. Pad
width, foam cell size and density allow the pad 10 to fit
into the spinal groove between the user's paraspinal
musculature. In one embodiment constructed by the
applicant, layer 2 and outer layer 6 are each a 3/8 inch
thickness of closed cell polyethylene foam. As depicted
in Figure 6, the edges of layers 2 and 6 overlapping core
4 are not glued together and are therefore spaced apart.
In use however, these edges typically are glued together
so that layers 2 and 6 totally envelop and enclose the
core.
As is known to those skilled in the art,
polyethylene plas-tic is resiliently flexible and retains
its shape with use. Constructing core layer 4 of
polyethylene plastic thereEore results in pad 10 being
flexible to accommodate the user's motion and also spreads
the focus of the traumatic forces, which would otherwise
be localized at the point of impact, outwards fro~ the
point of impact over the re~aining area of pad 10. Core 4
may suitably be 0.085 inches thick.
In the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6,
upper and lower ends 20 and 21 of pad 10 are inwardly
curved by forming core 4 at its respective ends to have
the required degree of curvature, the purpose of the
curvature being to better conform the shape of pad 10 to
the shape of the user just beneath the neck and below the
base of the buttocks. Such additional preformed curvature
is not required or in some cases even desired, depending
upon the sport, and in another embodiment contemplated and
constructed by the applicant, the cross-sectional profile
of pad 10 is substantially straight, as shown in dotted
lines in Figure 6.
13~
Referrinq to Figures 7 through 11, the
embodiments of the present invention shown in Figures l
through 4 mav be attached, for exam~le by means oE
stitching, respectively, to shoulder pads 17 (Figure ~) or
kidney ~ads 19 (Figures 9 and 1~) or a combination of
shoulder and kidney pads 25 to form "body armour" as shown
in Figure 10. Referring to Figure 8, shoulder straps 11
and shoulder pads 17 are attached to one another and to
the flexible sheath 3 by means, for example, of stitching.
Referring to Figure 9, kidneY pads 19 are attached to
waist and lumbar straps 7 (not shown) and to flexible
sheath 3 by means, for example, of stitching.
As will now be apparent to those skilled in the
art, the present invention reduces the incidence of
contusion and concussion to the thoracic, lumbar and sacro
coccygeal areas of the spine by absorbing initial trauma,
and spreading the force of blows through the core layer 4
and over a greater area than the focal point of the trauma
and thus reducing the incidence of injury or fracture of
the transverse processes of the spine.
` As will also be apparent to those skilled in the
art, the pad 10 and flexible sheath 3 may be constructed
in a shorter length, and without leg straps 5, as shown
most clearly in Figures 11 and 12, to accommodate, for
example, football running backs.
As will also be appreciated, pad 10 may consist
entirely of compressible foam material without core layer
4, particularly for sports and activities where the risk
of relatively high impact traumas is lower.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art
tha-t the scope of the present invention is not restricted
to the embodiments disclosed above, but may instead be
varied within the scope of the following claims without
dep~rting from the spirit and scope of -the invention.
