Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02800989 2012-12-20
Lightweight and Flexible Protective Equipment System
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to personal protective equipment and
more
specifically it relates to a lightweight and flexible protective equipment
system for effectively
protecting a person from injury without significantly limiting their body
movement or causing
fatigue.
Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no
way be
considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part
of common
general knowledge in the field.
Personal protective equipment is utilized to protect individuals from bodily
injury in
various applications such as but not limited to sports, work, law enforcement
and military events.
Protective equipment is used by various individuals such as but not limited to
athletes, workers,
law enforcement personnel, emergency personnel and military personnel.
Examples of
protective equipment include helmets, shoulder pads, gloves, shoes, thigh
pads, knee pads, neck
rolls, elbow pads, hip pads, tailbone pads, rib pads, shin pads, forearm
guard, wrist guard,
abdomen guard, protective vest, bomb suits, motorcycle armor and other
protective equipment to
be worn by an individual. The purpose of personal protective equipment is to
protect the body of
the individual from blunt impacts incurred from objects (e.g. hockey puck,
baseball, projectile,
etc.) or the individual engaging an object (e.g. falling to a ground surface,
hitting a wall, etc.).
Conventional protective equipment is constructed of synthetic materials such
as foam
rubbers and shock-resistant, molded plastic. The protective equipment is
formed into a desired
shape to protect the appropriate body region. The protective equipment may be
worn externally,
internally or within of the clothing (e.g. uniform, jersey, pants, shirt) of
an individual. For
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example, the protective equipment may be worn externally or internally of the
clothing utilizing
straps or fasteners. The protective equipment may also be inserted into
compartments or related
structures within the clothing. The protective equipment may also be directly
manufactured
within the clothing.
One of the problems with conventional protective equipment is that they are
bulky and
relatively inflexible. Another problem with conventional protective equipment
is that they
provide a substantial amount of additional weight to a person which can be
fatiguing over time.
Another problem with conventional protective equipment is that the foam rubber
material can
collect fluids over time as they breakdown thereby increasing the weight of
the protective
padding over time.
Because of the inherent problems with the related art, there is a need for a
new and
improved lightweight and flexible protective equipment system for effectively
protecting a
person from injury without significantly limiting their body movement or
causing fatigue.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention generally relates to personal protective equipment which
includes
protective padding comprised of a plurality of compartments filled with a gas.
The
compartments are formed utilizing a first membrane attached to a second
membrane at selected
sealed portions along with a sealed perimeter. The first membrane and the
second membrane are
comprised of a plastic material capable of incurring significant impacts
without rupturing. The
protective padding may be covered by a shield to protect the exterior portion
of the protective
padding. The protective padding may be worn externally, internally or within
the clothing of an
individual to protect specific portions of the individual's body.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some of the features of the
invention
in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and
in order that the
present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are
additional features of the
invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject
matter of the claims
appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of
the invention in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its
application to the details of
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3
construction or to the arrangements of the components set forth in the
following description or
illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and
of being
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that
the phraseology and
terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should
not be regarded
as limiting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present
invention will become fully
appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in
conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar
parts throughout the several views, and
wherein:
FIG. la is a front upper perspective view illustrating various representative
locations for the protective
padding.
FIG. lb is a rear upper perspective view illustrating various representative
locations for the protective
padding.
FIG. lc is a side view illustrating various representative locations for the
protective padding.
FIG. 2a is a front upper perspective view illustrating various representative
locations for the protective
padding within clothing.
FIG. 2b is a rear upper perspective view illustrating various representative
locations for the protective
padding within clothing.
FIG. 2c is a side view illustrating various representative locations for the
protective padding within
clothing.
FIG. 3a is a top view of the protective padding showing a plurality of
rectangular shaped
compartments.
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FIG. 3b is a top view of the protective padding showing a plurality of
triangular shaped
compartments.
FIG. 3c is a top view of the protective padding showing a plurality of
circular shaped
compartments.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the protective padding.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the protective padding with rectangular shaped
compartments.
FIG. 6a is a cross sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3a illustrating
the interior
cavity of the compartments filled with a gas.
FIG. 6b is a cross sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3a illustrating
the interior
cavity of the compartments filled with a liquid or gel.
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 3a.
FIG. 8a is a side view of the protective padding positioned adjacent the knee
of a user.
FIG. 8b is a side view of the protective padding positioned adjacent the knee
of a user
with an object approaching with a force Fl.
FIG. 8c is a side view of the protective padding positioned adjacent the knee
of a user
with the object impacting the protective padding with a force F2.
FIG. 9 is a side cutaway view of the protective padding positioned adjacent
the knee of
the user and positioned within a receiver structure within clothing.
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FIG. 10a is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention
wherein the
protective padding formed into a shape for protecting the tailbone of a user
and wherein the
protective padding is formed from a pair of membranes.
5 FIG. 10b is a top view of a shield positioned above the protective
padding.
FIG. lla is a side view of the alternative embodiment for the protective
padding.
FIG. 11 b is a side view of the alternative embodiment with the shield
positioned above
and adjacent to the protective padding.
FIG. 12a is a cross sectional view taken along line 12a-12a of FIG. 10a.
FIG. 12b is a cross sectional view taken along line 12b-12b of FIG. 1013.
FIG. 13 is a top view of another alternative embodiment with connecting
passages
between the compartments.
FIG. 14 is a side cutaway view along line 15-15 of FIG. 13 with the protective
padding in
a deflated state.
FIG. 15 is a side cutaway view along line 15-15 of FIG. 13 with the protective
padding in
an inflated state.
FIG. 16 is a side cutaway view of the protective padding positioned within a
receiver
structure of clothing with a shield positioned on the outside portion of the
protective padding and
an object proceeding towards it.
FIG. 17 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the protective padding
for usage in
a shin guard.
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FIG. 18 is a top view of another alternative embodiment of the protective
padding for
usage in a shin guard.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A. Overview.
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference
characters denote
similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. I through 18 illustrate a
lightweight and
flexible protective equipment system, which comprises a plurality of
compartments 30 filled
with a gas. The compartments 30 are formed utilizing a first membrane 60
attached to a second
membrane 62 at selected sealed portions 72 along with a sealed perimeter 70.
The first
membrane 60 and the second membrane 62 are comprised of a plastic material
capable of
incurring significant impacts without rupturing. The protective padding 10 may
be covered by a
shield 80 to protect the exterior portion of the protective padding 10. The
protective padding 10
may be worn externally, internally or within the clothing 16 of an individual
to protect specific
portions of the individual's body. The protective padding 10 may be attached
to an individual in
any manner utilized for conventional padding for individuals. The protective
padding 10 is
comprised of a material impermeable to gas (e.g. air, helium, etc.). The
protective padding 10
may be coated or covered fully or partially with a cut resistant material such
as para-aramid
synthetic fiber (e.g. KEVLAR0). The protective padding 10 is flexible to allow
for conforming
to various shapes of the human body and to absorb the impact forces from an
object 12.
B. Protective Padding.
i. Overview.
Figures la through 2c illustrate some exemplary shapes and locations for the
protective
padding 10 to be utilized upon a human. For example, the protective padding 10
may be utilized
to protect the chest, elbows, shins, head and the like of the individual. It
can be appreciated that
the shape of the protective padding 10 may be similar to or different to the
shapes illustrated in
Figures la through 2c which are for illustration purposes.
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First Embodiment.
Figures 3a through 9 illustrate a first embodiment of the protective padding
10 comprised
of a support panel 20 with a plurality of compartments 30 attached to the
support panel 20. The
support panel 20 is comprised of a flexible material (e.g. plastic, rubber,
etc.) and may have
various shapes (e.g. rectangular, circular, oval, etc.). The support panel 20
provides for an
interconnection of the plurality of compartments 30.
The plurality of compartments 30 are attached to the interior surface 24 of
the support
panel 20 in a sealed manner and extend outwardly therefrom as illustrated in
Figures 5 through 9
of the drawings. The exterior surface 22 of the support panel 20 preferably is
positioned outside
of the body part to be protected and to be engaged by an object 12 as
illustrated in Figures 8a
through 9 of the drawings. As illustrated in Figure 8c, the support panel 20
assists in distributing
the force of the object 12 over the plurality of compartments 30. The support
panel 20 is
preferably elastic thereby allow the stretching and compression of the various
locations of the
support panel 20 to provide for additional absorption of the forces from the
object 12. The
surface area of the combined engaging surfaces 34 of the compartments 30 is
preferably less than
the surface area of the interior surface 24 of the support panel 20 to provide
increased ventilation
for heat dissipation from the body of the individual.
Each of the compartments 30 includes an interior cavity 32 that includes one
or more
sidewalls 36 and an engaging surface 34 as illustrated in Figures 3a through 9
of the drawings.
The compartments 30 are formed from a flexible and resilient material capable
of receiving
impacts without rupturing such as plastic, rubber and the like. The
compartments 30 and the
support panel 20 are preferably comprised of a material that is impermeable to
gas to prevent the
gas within the interior cavity 32 from escaping and ensuring proper
compression of the gas
within the compartment 30 when struck by the object 12.
The compartments 30 may have various shapes such as rectangular (Figure 3a),
triangular
(Figure 3b), circular (3c) and the like. Various combinations of shapes may be
utilized for the
compartments 30. The compartments 30 may be comprised of the same size or
different sizes.
The compartments 30 may be aligned in rows and columns as illustrated in
Figures 3a through 3c
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of the drawings. The compartments 30 may also be positioned in an unaligned
manner upon the
support panel 20. Figure 3a illustrated the usage of compartments 30 having a
longer structure
for the center rows forming a cross-pattern with the remaining compartments 30
having a shorter
structure.
A plurality of channels 40 extend between the compartments 30 to provide for
flexibility
of the protective padding 10 and ventilation for the user as illustrated in
Figures 3a through 9 of
the drawings. The channels 40 may be comprised of a grid-pattern or other
configuration. The
channels 40 preferably exit out the perimeter portion of the support panel 20
to provide for
adequate ventilation during usage. The spacing of the channels 40 also is
sufficient to allow for
flexing of the support panel 20 without the compartments 30 significantly
engaging one another
as illustrated in Figures 8a through 8c of the drawings. The channels 40 may
be interconnected
or separate from one another. The channels 40 preferably extend to the
interior surface 24 of the
support panel 20 as illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings. The channels 40
are substantially
narrower than the width of the compartments 30.
The compartments 30 are preferably filled with a gas to provide protective
padding 10
that is lightweight and flexible. One or all of the compartments 30 are sealed
to prevent the
escape of the gas from the compartments 30. The gas allows for the absorption
of the forces
from the object 12 striking the protective padding 10. As illustrated in
Figure 6b, a gel or liquid
may alternatively fill the interior cavity 32 of the compartments 30.
iii. Second Embodiment.
Figures 10a through 16 illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention
wherein
the protective padding 10 is comprised of a first membrane 60 connected to a
second membrane
62 forming a plurality of compartments 30. U.S. Patent No. 8,277,910
illustrates an exemplary
manufacturing process suitable for producing the protective padding 10 with a
plurality of
membranes and is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The membranes 60, 62 are comprised of a plastic material that is lightweight
and flexible.
The membranes are further comprised of a material that is thin, such as the
material disclosed in
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U.S. Patent No. 8,277,910 which is incorporated by reference herein. At least
one of the first
membrane 60 and the second membrane 62 is comprised of multiple layer
coextruded low-
density polyethylene film with nylon. It is preferable that the membranes 60,
62 are both
comprised of a 7-9 layer coextruded low-density polyethylene film with nylon.
The nylon
strands are incorporated within the membranes 60, 62 to provide increased
strength.
The protective padding 10 preferably includes a sealed perimeter 70 as
illustrated in
Figures 10a and 13 of the drawings. However, the compartments 30 may be
individually sealed
without a sealed perimeter 70. The compartments 30 themselves may form a
sealed perimeter 70
for the protective padding 10.
The plurality of compartments 30 formed between the membranes 60, 62 may be
separate
from one another as illustrated in Figure 10a of the drawings. Alternatively,
two or more of the
plurality of compartments 30 may be fluidly connected to one another thereby
providing a
consistent pressure for the gas within the fluidly connected compartments 30.
It is preferable
that all of the compartments 30 are fluidly connected to one another to allow
for the filling of the
compartments 30 with a pressurized gas via the inlet port 50 as illustrated in
Figures 13 through
15 of the drawings. In addition, the compartments 30 may be fluidly connected
in groups or
zones within the protective padding 10 (e.g. 3 central compartments 30
connected together, 4
outer compartments 30 connected together).
One or more sealed portions 72 between the compartments 30 forms the
compartments
as illustrated in Figures 10a through 18 of the drawings. The sealed portions
72 (and the
sealed perimeter 70) are comprised of the opposing surfaces of the membranes
60, 62 being
25 attached to one another via a heat sealing method, adhesive or other
attachment system. The
sealed portions 72 are preferably narrow and form the channels 40 for
ventilation and movement
of the compartments 30. The sealed portions 72 provide increased flexibility
for the protective
padding 10 and provide a location for significant pivoting of the protective
padding 10 when
struck by an object 12. The sealed portions 72 may have various widths but are
preferably wide
30 enough to provide sufficient spacing between compartments 30 for
ventilation and movement of
the compartments 30 with respect to one another,
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The inlet port 50 is fluidly connected to one or more of the plurality of
compartments 30
thereby allowing filling of the compartments 30 with the pressurized gas (e.g.
air, helium, air
plus helium). After the protective padding 10 is filled with the gas so the
compartments 30 are at
5 a desired level of firmness, the inlet port 50 is sealed to prevent the
escape of the gas. The gas
may be inserted into the compartments 30 via the inlet port 50 via various
well-known
pressurized gas sources (e.g. an air compressor, pressurized helium tank).
One or more connecting passages 64 fluidly connect at least two of the
plurality of
10 compartments 30 as illustrated in Figures 13 through 15 of the drawings.
The connecting
passages 64 are preferably significantly smaller in size than the compartments
30 to prevent the
rapid transfer of a gas from one compartment 30 to another when struck by an
object 12.
One or more of the plurality of compartments 30 is preferably comprised of an
elongated
tubular structure as illustrated in Figures 10 through 18 of the drawings. The
plurality of
compartments 30 may have various cross sectional shapes such as a circular
cross sectional
shape shown in Figures 12a and 12b of the drawings. Each of the compartments
30 may be the
same size or different sizes may be utilized as illustrated in Figure 10a of
the drawings. Figures
10a, 17 and 18 illustrates exemplary shapes and structures for the protective
padding 10 utilizing
the membranes 60,62.
C. Gas.
One or more of the plurality of compartments 30 are filled with a gas. It is
preferable that
the compartments 30 are all filled with the same type of gas, however,
different compartments 30
may utilize different types of gas depending upon the desired compression
characteristics. The
compression characteristics determine the damping properties created by the
increased/decreased
hydraulic pressure within the interior cavity 32 of the compartments 30.
The interior compartment 32 for each of the compartments 30 is filled with a
gas to
provide a lightweight protective padding 10 for the user. Gas also is
compressible providing a
desirable level of absorption of force from the impact of an object 12 (e.g.
hockey puck, baseball,
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weapon, floor, wall, etc.). The usage of gas within the compartments 30 also
ensures a
consistent absorption of the force from an object 12 over time without
becoming hardened or
compressed over time like foam rubber can.
The compartments 30 are preferably filled with air, a combination of air and
helium, or
helium. Various other gases may be inserted into the interior cavity 32 for
each of the
compartments 30. In addition, the gas is preferably comprised of a pressurized
gas having a
pressure greater than external atmospheric pressure, however, the gas may have
the same or
substantially the same pressure as the external atmosphere.
D. Shield.
The protective padding 10 may be utilized by itself for protecting an
individual or in
combination with a shield 80 positioned adjacent to an exterior surface 22 of
the protective
padding 10, Figures 10b and llb illustrate an exemplary shield 80 that is
shaped similar to the
shape of the protective padding 10. The exemplary shield 80 preferably is
slightly larger than
the protective padding 10 and provides a structure that distributes the forces
throughout the
plurality of compartments 30 to prevent damage to one or more of the
compartments 30.
The shield 80 is comprised of a material having a rigidity substantially
greater than the
protective padding 10. The shield 80 may be resilient and flexible, or the
shield 80 may be rigid
in structure. The shield 80 is preferably comprised of a flat structure as
illustrated in Figure 11
of the drawings, however, the shield 80 may be comprised of a configuration
having openings,
support ribs and the like. The shield 80 may also be formed to various shapes
(e.g. shin guards,
curved, planar, etc.) to conform to the shape of the human body part to be
protected. The shield
80 may be comprised of various materials such as but not limited to plastic
(e.g. ABS plastic,
polypropylene, polyethylene, etc.), composite materials, metal and the like.
The shield 80 may be attached to the protective padding 10 utilizing various
types of
connection devices such as but not limited to fasteners, straps, adhesive,
welding and the like.
The shield 80 may also be positioned adjacent to the protective padding 10
without direct
attachment such as within the receiver structure 14 (e.g. a pocket) within the
clothing 16 worn by
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the individual as illustrated in Figure 16 of the drawings. The shield 80 is
preferably positioned
on the side of the protective padding 10 opposite of the individual as
illustrated in Figure 16,
however, the shield 80 may alternatively be positioned between the individual
and the protective
padding 10. More than one shield 80 may also be utilized wherein the shields
80 may be
positioned near one another and/or attached to one another. Utilizing a
plurality of shields 80
connected together provides for articulation of the shield 80 along with the
articulation of the
protective padding 10.
E. Usage of Invention.
The compartments 30 may be initially pressurized with gas (Figure 15) or
deflated
(Figure 14). If the compartments 30 are initially deflated, the user may ship
the protective
padding 10 in a compact manner thereby reducing shipping costs. In addition,
when the
protective padding 10 is deflated, the protective padding 10 is easier to
insert into a receiver
structure 14 (e.g. pocket, vest, etc.) during the manufacturing process. After
the deflated
protective padding 10 is inserted into the receiver structure 14 of the
clothing 16, pressurized gas
is input into the inlet port 50 thereby filling the fluidly connected
compartments 30. More than
one inlet port 50 may be utilized if a plurality of zones for the compartments
30 are used (i.e. one
inlet port 50 for each zone of compartments 30). After the compartments 30 are
filled with the
pressurized gas to a desired pressure level, the user then removes the
pressurized gas source and
immediately seals the inlet port 50 to prevent the escape of the gas. A shield
80 may be
positioned within the receiver structure 14 adjacent to the protective padding
10 as illustrated in
Figure 16 of the drawings. The receiver structure 14 may be closed or
otherwise secured to
prevent the accidental removal or movement of the protective padding 10
within. The individual
then wears the protective padding 10 (e.g. on their knee 18) similar to
conventional padding used
today.
When an object 12 strikes the shield 80 or the protective padding 10 directly,
one or more
of the compartments 30 are compressed by the force Fl of the object 12 with
the remaining force
F2 which is the energy not absorbed by the protective padding 10 as
illustrated in Figure 8c of
the drawings. The gas within the compartments 30 is compressed based upon the
location of the
force from the object 12. The greater the force F2 of the object 12, the more
the gas will be
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compressed within the respective compartments 30 until the force applied
outwardly by the
protective padding 10 equals the force of the object 12 thereby stopping the
movement of the
object 12 towards the user. The force is distributed through the area of the
protective padding 10
thereby preventing injury to the user. In addition, when the user moves their
body the channels
40 between the compartments 30 allows for the free movement of the body part
without
obstruction.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have
the same
meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which
this invention
belongs. Although methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those
described herein can
be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods
and materials are
described above. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other
references mentioned
herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent allowed
by applicable law and
regulations. In case of conflict, the present specification, including
definitions, will control. The
present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing
from the spirit or
essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present
embodiment be considered
in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Any headings utilized
within the description are
for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.
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