AU615896B2 - A protective pad and method of forming same - Google Patents

Description

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6158 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 Form COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: Priority: Related Art: 9.

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: NEPTUNE AQUASUITS LIMITED Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Te Roto Drive, Paraparaumu, NEW ZEALAND John Yeats Gordon and Paul Bedwell GRIFFITH HASSEL FRAZER 71 YORK STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000

AUSTRALIA

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: A PROTECTIVE PAD AND METHOD OF FORMING

SAME

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 9827A:rk I -N j ig i n I f-

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r L C bsM -2 The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to a protective pad and method of forming same.

There are many instances where the wearer of an item of clothing (which term for the purposes of this specification including specialised items of equipment, eg. sports or safety equipment), requires protection from impact but without imposing thereby limitations on the wearer's movement.

To the present time various proposals have been put forward including rigid or semi-rigid guards for joints such as elbows and kness and alternative solutions, such as the stitching into the olothing of one or more layers of a resilient material such as foam rubber or like.

i!!i 'These and other solutions to the problem available at the present time have all to a greater or lesser extent resulted in a restriction on the movement of the wearer.

It is thus an aim of the present invention to provide a protection pad for an item of clothing (as herein defined) which overcomes or at least obviates the above disadvantages.

i According to one aspect of the present invention there .is thus provided a method of forming a protective pad for jI an item of clothing, said method comprising: securing directly or indirectly to the item of clothing a layer of at least partially flexible material, the layer of material being secured at a plurality of locations to provide a plurality of closed compartments, with the material forming each closed compartment being in a substantially untensioned state; 8833S/KLS/29.07.91 ,1 -3providing within each closed compartment an impact absorbing means, and whereby upon movement of the wearer of the item of clothing said at least partially flexible material is able to accommodate said movement and the tensile forces imposed thereon.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a protective pad formed by the above method.

According to a still further aspect of the invention there is provided a protective pad for an item of clothing, said pad comprising: a layer of an at least partially flexible material secured directly or indirectly to the item of clothing, said securement being such that said material is in a substantially untensioned state; said securement being such as to provide a plurality of closed compartments; and eoeo "impact absorbing means provided within said closed compartments.

Further aspects of the invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects, will become apparent S'from the following description given by way of example of a possible embodiment and in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 shows part of a knee pad according to one i possible embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a rear view of the knee pad of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a view along arrows A-A of Figure 1.i 8833S/KLS/29.07.91 8 3 3 S/KLS/ 2 9 0 7.i 9 1 j 4 In one particular use of the present invention it may be provided as a protective pad or cap for the knee and other joints of a wearer in a wetsuit for use by divers and skiers.

As will be appreciated from the following description and from the comments above, this use is by way of illustration only and the protective pad an method of forming same of the present invention could be utilised in any item of clothing (as hereinabove defined) or could be 10 provided as a discrete protective member which, by means of straps or other securement means, could be fitted to a Sg. wearer such as in the form of a shield or cap.

In the accompanying drawings, one possible embodiment of the invention is shown wherein an item of clothing, 15 such as a wetsuit, is constructed of a material 1, which in a case of wetsuit would be water resistant and i l S 8833S/KLS/29.07.91 1 flexible material such as neoprene rubber.

Secured to the material, directly or indirectly, is shown a layer of an at least partially flexible material 2 such as neoprene rubber. The securement in the embodiment of the drawing is shown by means of stitching 3. The securement is such that the material 2 is in a substantially untensioned state or in what could be called a "loose state" where the material is in compression. The securement 3 provides a hinging arrangement between the material 2 and the material 1 to facilitate the flexing of the material 2 in order to accommodate the wearer's 0 *o movements. The securement 3 also defines one or more channels or compartments 4 between an inner surface of the material and the inner surface of a layer of material which may or may not be a continuance of the material 1.

In the embodiment shown the material 1 and the material comprise separate strips which have been secured together such as by bonding and/or stitching along their conjoined -edges 6.

Within the compartments or channels 4 is shown an impact absorbing means which in the embodiment of the drawings is shown comprising a strip 7 of foam or the like suitably secured by suitable means to the material 5 and providing a buffer protection for the wearer's joint. i i It will also be seen that the securement 3 of the ij material 2, which may be enhanced by additional bonding or I| stitching such as 9, may be diagonally applied so as to -6 form substantially diagonal compartments or channels in which diagonally positioned impact absorbing means 7 may then be provided. "Diagonal" in this context relates to compartments orientated at an angle to the major axis of the garment. For example, for knee protection the compartments may run at an angle to the axis of the leg.

It is envisaged that such diagonal arrangement may provide better protection for the wearer's joint by enhancing the impact absorption capability. It is seen therefore that S' upon flexing of the wearer's joint the "loose" material 2 has the ability to accomodate this movement by hinging :about the item of clothing along the securement lines 3 and by absorbing the tensile forces imposed thereon by its initially being in a substantially untensioned state.

As mentioned previously, the pad of the present invention and method of forming same could be utilised for a discrete cap, pad or shield member which by means of straps, velcro or the like can then be fitted about the wearer as required. It is pointed out that the wearer need not necessarily be human in that in many instances animals, such as horses particularly, need to be protected against injury or against aggravation of an existing injury.

Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to specific integers of the invention which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention t MIo'f -7 relates then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Although this invention has been described by way of example and with reference to one possible embodiment thereof it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (16)

1. A method of forming a protective pad for an item of clothing, said method comprising: securing directly or indirectly to the item of clothing a layer of at least partially flexible material, the layer of material being secured at a plurality of locations to provide a plurality of closed compartments, with the material forming each closed compartment being in 10 a substantially untensioned state; providing within each closed compartment an impact absorbing means, and whereby upon movement of the wearer of the item of clothing said at least partially flexible material is able to accommodate said movement and the 15 tensile forces imposed thereon.

2. A method of forming a protective pad according to claim 1 wherein said at least partially flexible material is secured to the item of clothing by stitching and/or bonding.

3. A method of forming a protective pad according to claim 2 wherein additional stitching is provided for enhanced strength.

4. A method of forming a protective pad according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said closed compartments are orientated diagonally.

5. A method of forming a protective pad according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising attached velcro fastening straps to allow securement of the item of clothing to an area to be protected.

6. A method of forming a protective pad according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said at least partially flexible material is neoprene. i i, i:i ;i I a -:ii i i i t-. 1. .r ~a:~a ii; :iii;i:ii* -a :r i ':ciBa L ZYS 8833S/KLS/29.07.91 p- 9

7. A method of forming a protective pad according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said absorbing means is foam.

8. A protective pad formed by the method of any one of the preceding claims.

9. An item of clothing including at least one pad formed according to the method of any one of claim 1 to 6. An item of clothing according to claim 9 wherein said item of clothing is a skisuit or wetsuit.

11. A protective pad for an item of clothing, said pad I 15 comprising: a layer of an at least partially flexible material secured directly or indirectly to the item of clothing, said securement being such that said material is in a 4 substantially untensioned state; 20 said securement being such as to provide a plurality of closed compartments; and impact absorbing means provided within said closed compartments. 25 12. A protective pad according to claim 11 wherein said closed compartments are orientated diagonally.

13. A protective pad according to claim 11 or claim 12 wherein said at least partially flexible material is neoprene.

14. A protective pad according to any one of claims 11 to 13 wherein said impact absorbing means is foam.

15. A protective pad according to any one of claims 11 i; to 14 wherein the pad is separately secured. -1 I8833S/KLS/29.07.91 1 1y I~ 10

16. A protective pad according to claim 15 wherein said pad is secured to a joint by velcro straps.

17. A protective pad for an item of clothing substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. A method of forming a protective pad for an item of clothing substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 31st day of July 1991 NEPTUNE AQUASUITS LIMITED By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK CO 8833S/KLS/29.07.91 t 1 I- i, i: ~i F~ i~li i I i ii;~ 1 ~-a OV 9'