Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02303485 2000-04-OS
Gaby Pagenhardt 1 of 4
136 Rouse Avenue
Cambridge ON N1R 4MB voice:519-621-3241
fax:519-621-4320
e-mail:doc.page@sympatico.ca
Safety Vest
Descri-p~ive Pmt of the Prunmy Claim
The invention idea and process allows the individual user to wear the personal
protection
device at any time without discomfort and particularly in potentially
dangerous professional
and / or recreational activity situations to help prevent serious spine
injuries.
Secon , Chm
Personal protection device as per Primary Claim and extended to include the
design and
manufacture of the necessary triggering parts and anatomical support structure
of the air
chamber.
De~tive Part ofthe Secondary Claim
'The personal protection device is further developed in such a manner as to
include the
design and manufacture of the necessary audio, mechanical and electronic
trigger modules
as well as the corresponding air chambers) conforming to natural spine shape .
Technical Description. Title
Personal protection device incorporating the invention idea and process as per
Primary and
Secondary Claim_ to help reduce or prevent actively and/or passively serious
spine injuries
sustained in accidents or mishaps_ The air bag vest's rip-away outer layer is
manufactured
from conventional materials, whereas the inflatable inner part is made from
military-type
reinforced parachute fabric enhanced with an anatomically shaped bulge
designed to
conform to the natural contours of the spine acting as a brace for the back.
The triggering
device consists of triple primary activator sensors backed up by a voice
activated secondary
or emergency circuit initiating the pyrotechnic action. Each of the twin
circuit sensors
together or separately energize a wire that sends the vest unit contained
electricity to a
heating element and into the propellant causing it to oxidize rapidly. This
chemical action
instantly produces the nitrogen gas that rapidly inflates the inner vest's
airbag .
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Application
The device covers all areas of commercial and industrial, as well as trade and
private
usage . Potentially dangerous situations are those areas which may be prone to
a fall or spill
such as in:
a) steel frame construction, housing, roofing,
b) handling of loading equipment, cranes,
c) working on scaffolding or ladders,
d) motor cycling, racing, snow mobiling,
e) down hill skiing" skating, sledding, horseback riding,
f) bicycling, skate boarding, roller skating,
g) piloting private aircra$, parachute jumping , hang gliding,,
h) power boating, water jet-skiing ,
h) football, soccer, hockey as well as most other competitive sports
Device Benefrts
With the employment of the air bag vest the following points serve to
demonstrate the
benefits to date
a) greatly improved personal protection preventing or reducing serious injury
to the spine in
case of accident ;
b) the air bag vest is a light weight vest type garment that can be
comfortably worn over or
under a jacket or shirt,
c) the air bag vest is an indispensable safety item at least equal to
head protection (safety helmets, )
eye protection, (safety goggles, welding masks
ear protection ( ear plugs)
hand (safety work gloves, wire mesh gloves)
foot wear (safety boots),
and all other occupational safety items like shin guards, breathing masks,
fire protecfion
suits etc;
d) protection of the human body's second most vulnerable part: the spine and
nervous
system
Present Level of Technical Development
As outlined above most parts of the body subject to injury can be protected by
appropriate
means to cover certain areas .
Currently virtually all safety equipment available excludes the specific
protection of the
spine. Wide leather belts are used by wrestlers or weight lifting athletes to
prevent possible
distortion of the lower part of the back Fighter pilots used to be protected
by a shrapnel
shield behind their back. The average person today ,however, is virtually open
to serious
disabilitating injury to their spine .
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Cri~icis~m of'dse PlresentLevel o~fthe Tech»~ical Developmer~
The human body's singularly most vulnerable system responsible for the
transmission of
brain signals along the spine is totally unprotected. Technology has not kept
up with the
possibilities available for the active prevention purpose. While automobile
installed airbags
have progressed from the initial driver side bag to passenger side bags and
even to side
mounted bags , the personal all time wearable air bag vest has not
materialized. While
police special forces wear bullet proof vests also restricting their natural
movements, their
backs are unprotected. Riot police, military personnel as well as fire
fighters, however,
have no spine protection from falling debrie or attack from behind when in
action.
Even hockey players wear protective head gear as does the goalie in addition
to
.demonstrating a cumbersome suit. The totally insufficient state of personal
protection is
sadly enough demonstrated by the accidental fall of the horse rider, Jim
Reeves, that lead
to complete immobility. Passive hot air balloon riders as well as extremely
active ski jump
participants risk life long disability as do thousands of young people yearly
suffer back
injuries in sports accidents, motorcycle spills and work related accidents.
Hundreds of
thousands operate power boats and marine crafts like water jet-skies , aiso
snow -mobiles
and even pilot and occupy small aircraft all subjected to the same possible
paralyzing
hazards without any specific spine protection. Kids on bicycles and youngsters
on
skateboards are facing the threat. While crash helmets for motorcycle riders
are the law,
hard hats are mandatory for construction workers. But nothing has been done to
prevent
or reduce these serious spinal injuries , because the personal air bag was not
available.
Problem Task:
Development of a personal safety air bag vest that is effective and
comfortable to wear
employing existing technology combined with conventional hardware to enable
the user
the least restrictive movement for the most personal benefit, protecting his
spine from
serious injury.
Problem Solution
The problem is solved by the invention idea and process as per Patent Primary
Claim and
Secondary Claim.
The air bag vest is designed in appropriate form and shape to support the
natural
curvature of the spine when inflated. The air vest's outer layer is made from
strong yet
fashionable materials to suit the current trends. Suitable materials such as
reinforced
parachute-type fabric are used for the inner bag to contain the gas generated
and initiated
by the pyrotechnic trigger. The air bag's side closest to the spine is extra
padded to force
the expansion outward.
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While in an automobile frontal collision the enemy is absorbed by the
vehicles' bumper,
hood and engine block, taking almost 30 to 40 milliseconds before it reaches
the vehicles
occupant. The air bag vest's primary and secondary electronic sensor packages
are designed
to begin the deploying process in only 5 to 6 milliseconds. Within 7
milliseconds the airbag
starts to inflate. The pyrotechnic device triggered by the primary mechanical
sensor as well
as the secondary auxiliary 'emergency' audio sensor override each other .
Together with
the nitrogen gas generator all parts are contained in the air vest inflating
the vest . It takes
about bicycle speed ( 16 kmlh ) to push the disc in that shields the primary
mechanical
sensor to send the pyrotechnic flash to the inflator. The sensors activate a
switch that
energizes a wire sending electricity into a heating element in the propellant
, causing it to
oxidize rapidly. This chemical reaction produces a gas that quickly fills the
bag A small
amount of gun powder is needed to cause the gas generator to inflate the air
bag . As the
gas expands it cools considerably. (Charles' law) The size of the inflated air
bag varies
from 13.000 ccm to 72.000 ccm depending on size of the vest wearer because a
bigger
bag distributes the load better. As soon as the bag is fully inflated it
starts to deflate,
cushioning the impact. 12 milliseconds after the fall the cycle is complete
and the air bag
vest deflates. This is suffciently fast because the air bag in the vest
travels only an
extremely short distance as compared to motor vehicle installed air bags.
Summorv
Ideally he wearer does not strike the air bag until it's fully inflated. If
one is in the way
when it's opening, that's when you get into trouble. Firstly, the reason is
that while the bag
is still moving towards your back it is increasing the closing speed between
the back and
the ground.
Secondly, the bag immediately starts to deflate, making it a better cushion
and thus
protecting the wearer from serious spine injury.
