AU2013101290A4 - Protective device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a protective device comprising a first adhesive layer having an adhesive rear surface for securing the first adhesive layer about a person's fingernail and/or over a body piercing and a second backing layer removably attached to the rear surface of the first adhesive layer for protecting the adhesive rear surface prior to use. ol Fig. 1 2 -0c g2 Fig. 2

Description

P/00/012 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: "PROTECTIVE DEVICE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 TITLE PROTECTIVE DEVICE FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 The present invention relates to protective devices worn while playing sports. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a protective device to be worn in sports such as netball, basketball and volleyball. However, it will be appreciated that the present invention has broader application and is not limited to that particular use. 10 BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Many sports have a dress code which must be adhered to by all players of the sport. Dress codes for certain sports such as Netball contain rules in relation to fingernails and body piercings. Long nails and/or body 15 piercings are considered to be a safety hazard as they can cause harm to the individual and other players on the court, causing scratches, cuts, entanglement with jewellery etc. In particular, the dress code contains rules which require players with long fingernails and/or body piercings to ensure that these are adequately taped before going onto the court. 20 Currently, fingernails are taped using an adequate sports tape, which is usually in the form of a cotton adhesive flesh-coloured tape, with one piece of tape placed over the top of the nail and one piece of tape placed around the nail. Cutting and applying the sports tape, which is commonly provided in a roll of tape, in this manner is laborious and time 25 consuming. Therefore, it is desirable to have a solution which addresses 2 this problem. In this specification, the terms "comprises", "comprising" or similar terms are intended to mean a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a protective device that comprises a list of elements does not include those 5 elements solely, but may well include other elements not listed. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is a preferred object of the present invention to provide a protective device, that addresses or at least ameliorates one or more of 10 the aforementioned problems of the prior art. It is a further preferred object of the present invention to provide a protective device for covering a person's fingernails and/or body piercings while playing sport. 15 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, embodiments of the present invention relate to a protective device for covering a person's fingernails and/or body piercings while playing sport. According to one aspect, although not necessarily the broadest 20 aspect, the present invention resides in a protective device comprising: a first adhesive layer having an adhesive rear surface for securing the first adhesive layer about a person's fingernail and/or fingertip; and 3 a second backing layer removably attached to the rear surface of the first adhesive layer for protecting the adhesive rear surface prior to use. Preferably, the protective device is in the form of a T-shaped device 5 comprising a shank portion and a pair of side flange portions. Suitably, the second backing layer further comprises at least one slit or flap or the like to assist in removal of the second backing layer. According to another aspect, although again not necessarily the broadest aspect, the present invention resides in a protective device 10 comprising: a first adhesive layer having an adhesive rear surface for securing the first adhesive layer over a body piercing; and a second backing layer removably attached to the rear surface of the first adhesive layer for protecting the adhesive rear surface prior to 15 use. Preferably, the protective device is in the form of a patch for covering a body piercing and/or jewellery. Further features and forms of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. 20 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like 4 reference numbers refer to identical elements. The drawings are provided by way of example only, wherein: FIG 1 shows a perspective view of the protective device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 5 FIG 2 shows a perspective view of the protective device of FIG 1 being applied to a fingernail; FIG 3 shows a plan view of a sheet of material from which the protective device can be pre-cut according to different embodiments of the present invention; 10 FIG 4 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the protective device of the present invention in the form of a patch. Skilled addressees will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the relative dimensions of some of the 15 elements in the drawings may be distorted to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described with 20 reference to a protective device for covering a person's fingernails and/or body piercings while playing sport. For convenience sake, the protective device will be described herein as a protective device to be worn while playing sports that require fingernails and/or body piercings to be taped for the safety of players such as netball and basketball. However, it should be 5 appreciated that embodiments of the present invention can be modified to suit any other sports where players contact the ball primarily with their hands such as volleyball or the like. It will be appreciated that variations may need to be made as required. 5 Referring to Fig. 1, the protective device 100 is provided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The protective device 100 comprises a first adhesive layer 110. The first adhesive layer 110 has a front outer surface 111 and a rear surface 112. The first adhesive layer 110 is made of a durable, flexible material which can be 10 worn comfortably on the finger without having any sharp edges that can injure someone. The material can be chosen from a variety of materials including, but not limited to, rubber, fabric, paper, plastic, synthetic materials, leather, and polyurethane foam. It is preferred that the material is non-latex based to prevent any allergic reactions. However, it is 15 envisaged that any suitable material may be adopted. The protective device has a neutral colour such as beige or the like to adhere to current sporting dress code requirements. However, it is envisaged that any suitable colour may be adopted to suit particular sporting association playing and safety guidelines and/or team requirements. In an alternative 20 embodiment, the front surface 111 can be decorated for viewing by third parties who will see the decoration. The decoration may be in the form of color, pattern, text, advertising, design and texture, and/or combinations thereof. The protective device 100 is in the form of a T-shaped device for 6 quick and easy application over an individual's fingertip and/or fingernail. However, it is envisaged that any other suitable shape which achieves the advantages and objects of the present invention may also be adopted. It is envisaged that the protective device of the present invention will be 5 provided in a couple of standard sizes to suit adult and junior sized fingers. However, the exact style and dimensions can be varied to better suit different applications and/or particular sports. The T-shaped device 100 comprises a shank portion 101 and a pair of side flange portions 102 which extend outwardly from an upper end 103 of the shank portion 101. 10 The protective device 100 has an adhesive coating 120 provided on the rear surface 112 for enabling the first adhesive layer 110 to be secured about a person's fingernail and/or fingertip. The adhesive coating 120 is a suitable substance which enables the first adhesive layer 110 to be self-adhesive. The adhesive selected should be of sufficient strength to 15 hold the first adhesive layer 110 in contact with the finger during normal play and use of the protective device 100. However, the adhesive must not be so strong as to prevent removal of protective device 100 by the user when the user has finished wearing the protective device 100. It is desirable that the adhesive selected be waterproof to tolerate sweating 20 during play as well as being compatible with the skin. The protective device 100 comprises a second backing layer 130 removably attached to the rear surface 112 of the first adhesive layer 110 for protecting the first adhesive layer 110 prior to use. The backing layer 130 is removed to reveal the adhesive rear surface 112 before adhering 7 the device 100 to the finger, and following use, the device 100 may be removed and optionally reaffixed with the same backing before discarding, although it is preferred to dispose of the backing layer 130 after a single use. The second backing layer 130 is in the form of a peelable film made 5 of any suitable material such as wax paper or the like. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, it is envisaged that the backing layer may have at least one slit or flap or the like to assist in removal of the backing layer to further facilitate the quick and easy application of the protective device 100. 10 Once the second backing layer 130 is removed, a fingertip can be positioned over the adhesive rear surface 112 of the first adhesive layer 110 laid in an inverted "T" position such that the shank portion 101 is extending upwardly from the fingertip and the pair of side flange portions 102 are positioned beneath the fingertip, as illustrated in Fig. 2. To apply 15 the protective device 100 over the fingernail, the exposed shank portion 101 is pulled downwardly over the nail and then each side flange portion 102 is wrapped over and around the shank portion 101 of the protective device 100 to secure the protective device 100 about the fingernail and/or fingertip. 20 Referring now to Fig. 3, it is envisaged that the protective device 100 can be easily produced in a sheet format whereby a number of T shaped devices can be stamped out and/or pre-cut from a single sheet of material. However, it will be acknowledged that any suitable method of manufacturing can be adopted. It is envisaged that the extra sheet 8 material could be used to create additional protective devices in the form of patches 200 which can be square or any other suitable shape. The patches 200 are used to cover body piercings that may be worn while playing sport. For example, the patch 200 can be applied over a nose 5 stud, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Hence, the protective device provides a solution to the aforementioned problems of the prior art by providing to a protective device for covering a person's fingernails and/or body piercings while playing sport. The style and design of the protective device of the present 10 invention facilitates the quick and easy application of the protective device around the fingernail and/or finger tip. The present invention provides a simple solution to the common problem of playing sports where longer length fingernails and/or body piercings must be covered or taped. The protective device of the present invention can be quickly and easily 15 applied to a fingernail in a single application instead of two or more applications using existing tapes and methods. The protective devices are cost-effective to manufacture and purchase and convenient to use. The reference to any prior art in this specification is and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form or suggestion that the prior 20 art forms part of the common general knowledge. Throughout the specification the aim has been to describe the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features. Persons skilled in the relevant art may realize variations from the specific embodiments that will nonetheless fall within 9 the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

1. A protective device comprising: a first adhesive layer having an adhesive coating on a rear surface 5 for securing the first adhesive layer about a person's fingernail and/or fingertip; and a second backing layer removably attached to the rear surface of the first adhesive layer for protecting the first adhesive layer prior to use. 10

2. The protective device of claim 1, wherein the protective device is in the form of a T-shaped device comprising a shank portion and a pair of side flange portions.

3. A protective device comprising: a first adhesive layer having an adhesive rear surface for securing 15 the first layer over a body piercing; and a second backing layer removably attached to the rear surface of the first adhesive layer for protecting the adhesive rear surface prior to use.

4. The protective device of claim 3, wherein the protective device is in 20 the form of a patch.

5. The protective device of claim 1 or claim 3, wherein the second the backing layer further comprises at least one slit or flap or the like to assist in removal of the second backing layer.