Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B71/00—Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00
  • A63B71/08—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions
  • A63B71/12—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the body or the legs, e.g. for the shoulders
  • A63B71/1225—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the body or the legs, e.g. for the shoulders for the legs, e.g. thighs, knees, ankles, feet
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F5/00—Orthopaedic methods or devices for non-surgical treatment of bones or joints; Nursing devices; Anti-rape devices
  • A61F5/01—Orthopaedic devices, e.g. splints, casts or braces
  • A61F5/0102—Orthopaedic devices, e.g. splints, casts or braces specially adapted for correcting deformities of the limbs or for supporting them; Ortheses, e.g. with articulations
  • A61F5/0123—Orthopaedic devices, e.g. splints, casts or braces specially adapted for correcting deformities of the limbs or for supporting them; Ortheses, e.g. with articulations for the knees
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B69/00—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports
  • A63B69/18—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports for skiing
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F5/00—Orthopaedic methods or devices for non-surgical treatment of bones or joints; Nursing devices; Anti-rape devices
  • A61F5/01—Orthopaedic devices, e.g. splints, casts or braces
  • A61F5/0102—Orthopaedic devices, e.g. splints, casts or braces specially adapted for correcting deformities of the limbs or for supporting them; Ortheses, e.g. with articulations
  • A61F2005/0181—Protectors for articulations
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B71/00—Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00
  • A63B71/08—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions
  • A63B71/12—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the body or the legs, e.g. for the shoulders
  • A63B71/1225—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the body or the legs, e.g. for the shoulders for the legs, e.g. thighs, knees, ankles, feet
  • A63B2071/125—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the body or the legs, e.g. for the shoulders for the legs, e.g. thighs, knees, ankles, feet for the knee
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B71/00—Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00
  • A63B71/08—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions
  • A63B71/12—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the body or the legs, e.g. for the shoulders
  • A63B71/1225—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the body or the legs, e.g. for the shoulders for the legs, e.g. thighs, knees, ankles, feet
  • A63B2071/1258—Body-protectors for players or sportsmen, i.e. body-protecting accessories affording protection of body parts against blows or collisions for the body or the legs, e.g. for the shoulders for the legs, e.g. thighs, knees, ankles, feet for the shin, e.g. shin guards

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the general field of devices for protecting the knee joint adapted to cooperate with a ski boot comprising, conventionally, a footwear portion surmounted by a collar. Such a device is intended for competitive and / or recreational skiers.
• a device is intended for competitive and / or recreational skiers.
• the direct and indirect costs for the company are very important, estimated at 300M € per year.
• Knee protection devices are designed to reduce the risk of ligament rupture in a skier's knee. The proper functioning of these devices implies that the joint is protected when it is very stressed while leaving it free of its movements in normal skiing situation.
• the ski binding In general, the only safety element that exists to protect the skier's knee is the ski binding.
• the principle is to release the shoe when the jaws of the binding record a torque greater than a certain trigger threshold. This situation poses two main problems in practice: a competitive skier or an experienced skier will tend to set the trigger threshold of these bindings very high. It will thus avoid nuisance tripping when taking abrupt edges. On the other hand, a fall will be much more risky since the bindings will release more difficult the shoe.
• a beginner skier can, in turn, be brought to make a very slow fall.
• the triggering threshold will never be reached even if it is set low enough.
• the object of the invention is to limit the risk of knee injuries including sprains and ligament rupture related to a relative axial rotation of the tibia or excessive femur and / or shear in the plane X'Y '.
• Axial rotation of the tibia at the knee level corresponds to the angle between two transverse vectors of the tibia and femur, one at the level of the tibial plateau, and the other between the two femoral condyles; projected in the plane of the tibial plateau (X'Y plane) (FIG. 11A); and
• Rotation in lateral flexion it corresponds to the angle between the two transverse vectors of the tibia and the femur, but in the plane Y'Z 'still called valgus-varus ( Figure 11C); and - The rotation in frontal flexion: this rotation corresponds to the angle between two longitudinal vectors of the tibia and the femur in the plane X'Z '( Figure 11B); and
• the natural mobility of the knee depends on its frontal flexion angle in the plane X'Z '(figurellB) in axial rotation according to ZV Indeed, if, in full extension, the knee does not allow axial rotation of the tibia relative to the femur , the amplitude of the axial, external or internal rotation of the tibia, authorized by the knee increases with its frontal flexion angle.
• the internal axial rotation of the tibia is approximately 30 °, concomitantly bearing the tip of the foot inwards, combined with the movement of adduction or abduction of the foot, the axial rotation.
• external tibia It is about 40 ° in external rotation.
• the aim of the invention is to provide a protective device which must not interfere with the skier in normal ski conditions, in particular in frontal flexion at the knee.
• US 4136404, GB 2436799 or US 6524110 disclose systems intended to be hung on the shoe. These systems follow the lower limb, generally on both sides of it, and allow to laterally stiffen the knee joint. For this, in all these documents, it is a question of articulating a rigid upper part on a lower part also rigid, the articulation being located at the level of the knee. These devices have generally not given rise to very limited exploitation or exploitation towards very specific audiences, particularly among people suffering from certain forms of mild disabilities. In FR 2679931, GB 2436799 and WO 2009/092452, devices are described which are intended to be fixed around the thigh, tibia and / or knee and at the shoe.
• These devices comprise pivot-type articulation systems at the knee because they are intended to accompany the frontal flexion of the femur relative to the tibia in the sagittal plane (substantially vertical). But these devices do not prevent axial rotations of the femur and tibia; at most, they stop axial rotations without controlling or blocking them.
• the devices cooperate with the shoe by tabs inserted inside the collar.
• tibia fractures may occur instead of or simultaneously with a sprained knee. Excessive flexion or torsion of the leg while the foot and ankle are almost locked in the ski boot participates in conditions leading to fracture of the tibia.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a simpler device aimed essentially or mainly at limiting shearing in the tibial plane, in particular forward shearing of the femur along the X 'axis, and relative axial rotations of the femur and tibia , without interfering with the frontal flexion at the knee and in particular without resorting to a pivot connection at the knee and / or without recourse to a device requiring a connection with the thigh.
• the main purpose of the present invention is therefore to limit the risk of ligament and / or bone injury resulting from shear, in particular forward shearing of the femur along the X 'axis, and axial or lateral rotation.
• the device essentially comprises simply a rigid shell provided with lateral cheeks at its upper part without connection with the thigh and with means for connecting the shell with the collar which allow a controlled limitation of the rotation along Z of the shell with respect to the collar.
• the invention proposes a device for protecting the knee joint of a skier intended to be installed on a ski boot comprising a footwear portion surmounted by a collar, the device comprising first connecting means for to be fixed on the collar of the shoe and a rigid shell intended to cover at least partially the front of the tibia, this shell extending between an upper part intended to be located at the knee and a low end covering a portion of the collar of the shoe, the shell comprising or supporting, on its upper part, rigid lateral cheeks capable of being brought into contact with the knee on either side of the knee while being at least in contact with the condyles of the femur, the lower part of the shell being intended to partially cover the collar of the boot and comprising second connecting means complementary to the first means of connection of the collar of the boot adapted to fastening the shell with and over the collar of the boot so that the combination of the first and second connecting means connects with a limitation of the rotation of the shell relative to the boot around an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the axis of the
• the cheeks completely cover the sides of the knee and the contact surfaces of the cheeks in internal support on the sides of the knee cover at least the lateral surfaces of the knee vis-à-vis the femoral condyles.
• the shell has in horizontal section a rounded profile shape, curved forwardly (convex face forward) so as to cover the front of the knee and tibia and extends over only part of the sides tibia and, at the bottom, part of the sides of the necklace.
• the hull can extend to a height of 30 to 55cm in practice depending on the size of the skier.
• the rigid shell has an essential main function of supporting the cheeks and transferring the support forces from the knee against the cheeks up to the shoe and thus up to the fixation of the shoe on the ski which controls the level of effort tolerated, the binding releasing the shoe beyond a certain threshold.
• the secondary function of the hull is to protect the front of the shin from possible shocks.
• the surface of the cheeks therefore has an essential role because during the support of the ribs of the knee on the cheeks, the transfer of effort is maximum if the support surface of the cheek with the side of the knee is optimal.
• said means for fixing the shell on the collar may allow reduced degrees of freedom of rotation of the shell relative to the collar along an axis of rotation parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the ski and along an axis of rotation parallel to the transverse axis Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X of the ski, in order not to prohibit and follow the possible movements of frontal and lateral flexion of the tibia with respect to the ankle in the collar as well as the movements of frontal hyper flexion from the leg to the rear, it being specified that the degree of freedom in rotation along the X axis for the forward displacement of the hull is limited by the possible connection of the upper part of the hull to the tibia described hereinafter and the degree of freedom in rotation along the X axis is limited by the overlap and the contacting of the shell on the lateral sides of the collar.
• the fastening of the lower part of the shell with the collar of the shoe provided by the combination of the first and second connecting means makes a connection to at least one degree of freedom in rotation of the shell relative to the shoe about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the shoe collar, the connecting means being such that this rotation of the shell relative to the shoe is limited to a predetermined angular sector, preferably less than 14 ° .
• the connecting means allow a connection to at least one degree of freedom in rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of the tibia. The skier thus retains a satisfactory amplitude of movement in a ski situation.
• the device comprises means for adjusting the predetermined angular sector for limiting this rotation.
• the connection of the device over the collar according to the present invention has the following advantages:
• the device is such that the predetermined angular sector of rotation of the shell relative to the collar along an axis parallel to the Z axis of the collar is less than 14 °, preferably less than 10 ° and preferably still less than 7 °.
• the axial rotation amplitude between the tibia and the femur is respectively limited to less than 45 °, advantageously less than 30 ° and preferably less than 14 °.
• An angular sector located between 45 and 30 ° makes it possible to limit the risks of knee sprains for certain positions of sag while preserving an optimal skiability.
• An angular sector of between 30 ° and 14 ° gives a wider protection spectrum of the knee with a minor detriment to the skiability.
• Such an angular limitation makes it possible in particular not to reach the limit of rupture of the tibia. This provides increased protection for the tibia and knee joint while allowing considerable movement latitude in certain ski situations.
• an angular limitation of 14 ° corresponds on average to the admissible angular amplitude between the tibia and the femur.
• the protection of the knee is then optimal because it is ensured not to reach it regardless of otherwise the behavior of the tibia.
• the whole foot / ankle / tibia is constrained in such a way in the ski boots that the adduction and abduction are very limited.
• the movement of the foot relative to the tibia is very limited.
• the skier can not benefit from this angular margin.
• the limits of rupture of the femur being, in the general case, well beyond those of the sprain of the knee, this risk is low.
• the device according to the invention may include a mechanical fuse in order to postpone the load on the knee at the risk of seeing a sprain appear.
• the device according to the invention stops or, in the worst case, slows the movement of the thigh in rotation with respect to the shoe, that is to say the angle of the longitudinal axis of the femur relative to the axis of the ski.
• the first connection means comprise at least one guide piece intended to be installed in a fixed manner on the collar of the boot, this guide piece being able to cooperate with the second means of connection. connecting the complementary shell of this guide piece to limit the rotation on the predetermined angular sector.
• This implementation which involves the installation on each shoe of at least one particular element allowing the operation of the connecting means of the shell allows to control exactly the behavior of the shell relative to the shoe.
• these first binding means installed on the shoe are elements present by default on the shoe as a fastener or other element with respect to which the shell will be positioned to be limited in rotation.
• only ski boots must be provided beforehand with connecting means to implement the complementary connection means of the shell without the need to change anything at the level of the pair of skis.
• one and the same hull can be perfectly used by the same skier with any of a plurality of pairs of shoes, all equipped with at least one guide piece according to this implementation.
• the guide piece comprises at least one rail intended to be fixed on the collar of the boot substantially parallel to the axis of the collar, the second connecting means constituting a groove complementary to the rail, the groove having a spacing wider than the rail width, this spacing allowing the limited rotation around the axis substantially parallel to the collar of the shoe.
• Such a guide piece forming a rail along the axis of the collar of the shoe in cooperation with a groove carried by the connecting means of the shell allows that, when the groove has a wider spacing. that the width of the rail, it can be mobilized in rotation on a limited angular portion and, in this case, on an angular sector less than 14 ° or preferably less than 10 ° or preferably less than 5 °.
• the spacing of the groove and the width of the rail will then be determined according to the desired rotation limitation of the shell on the collar of the shoe.
• the guide piece comprises at least one groove intended to be fixed on a lateral side of the collar of the boot substantially parallel to the axis of the collar, the second connecting means constituting a complementary rail of the groove , the groove having a spacing wider than the width of the rail, this spacing allowing limited rotation around the axis substantially parallel to the collar of the shoe.
• the collar of the shoe bears, this time, a groove and the shell which carries a rail capable of being mobilized in the groove through a spacing of the groove greater than the width of the rail.
• the difference between the spacing of the groove and the width of the rail is variable along these structures, this difference in variable width ensuring a forward / backward bending angle between the shell and the shoe.
• a variable difference in widths between the two structures, grooves and rails ensures a forward / backward bending angle between the shell and the boot. Indeed, in the case where the top of the groove is wider than the bottom of the groove with a rail of constant width, the shell can have a tilting movement on the front freely.
• the spacing of the groove and the width of the rail being constant, the length of the rail is sized to provide a forward / backward bending angle between the shell and the shoe.
• This embodiment allows pivoting of the groove around the rail.
• the rail then acts as a pivot within the groove that pivots around the rail.
• the first and / or second fastening means comprise at least one strap fastened, on the one hand, to the collar of the boot and, on the other hand, to the shell for securing the shell on the collar of the shoe.
• This implementation uses either the elasticity of the strap adapted according to the desired rotational limitation, or a particular adjustment of the tightening of the strap then inextensible to allow a limited rotation of the shell relative to the shoe.
• Such particular adjustment of the tightening of the strap allowing limited rotational movement on a predetermined angular sector is achieved by means of a mechanical element to lengthen or shorten or maintain a predetermined length of the strap. This type of device facilitates the establishment of the connection between the shell and the collar.
• the first or second fixing means comprise two straps, each of which has one end attached to the collar and the other end to the shell, the extension of the straps limiting the rotation in each of the two directions. of rotation.
• the use of the two straps makes it possible to adjust the rotational movement of the shell in both directions of rotation and to limit this movement in both directions of rotation.
• the fastening of the lower part of the shell to the collar of the shoe provided by the combination of the first and second connecting means immobilizes the shell in rotation relative to the boot around a axis substantially parallel to the axis of the collar of the shoe.
• said first and second connecting means comprise non-elastic straps first two straps fixed or removably attachable on each side of the rear of the collar, two second straps fixed or removably attachable on each side of the shell, said first and second straps having at their free ends complementary reversible connection means adapted to secure reversibly the free ends of the first straps with those of the second straps.
• the device further comprises at least one abutment piece intended to be fixed on the collar of the boot, the shell further comprising a stop element of the collar complementary to the abutment piece of the collar and able to cooperate with this one to ensure the vertical positioning of the hull along the tibia.
• the stop piece makes it possible to control the correct vertical positioning of the shell with respect to the tibia and therefore with respect to the lower limb, in a general manner.
• the cheeks apply a force on the condyles substantially normal to the sides of the thigh intensity in the range] 0.100N].
• the cheeks can exert a non-zero force on the condyles of the femur, so that the movement of the latter with respect to the cheeks of the shell is minimal.
• the only degree of freedom in rotation about the Z axis is offered by the hull connecting means on the collar of the shoe and the deformability of the shell material and the deformability of the soft tissues.
• the cheek in its most general definition, has an outline on its rear part and on its upper part, of any shape and the cheek is of sufficient size to cover the surface of the condyles of the femur. More particularly, the cheeks each have a surface capable of covering the entire surface of the sides of the knees, preferably an area of at least 50 cm 2, preferably at least 100 cm 2. In a preferred embodiment, the cheeks have a contour substantially in the shape of an ellipse portion, especially on the upper and rear parts of the cheek. More particularly, the cheeks have an outer contour of substantially at least semi-ellipse shape at the top and at the rear.
• the major axis of the ellipse is inclined at an angle of between 45 ° and 135 ° relative to the main longitudinal axis of the shell parallel to the rectilinear section of the front face of the shell in a plane medial longitudinal of the hull. More preferably, the major axis of the ellipse portion is inclined at an angle of 70 ° to 110 ° preferably about 90 ° with respect to said main longitudinal axis of the shell.
• the preferential use of elliptical contoured cheeks is particularly adapted to a lateral support at the lateral flanks of the thigh, the orientation of the cheeks allowing correct maintenance of the skier's femur in ski position without any discomfort for the latter.
• each cheek substantially corresponds to the surface of the upper lateral part of the shell located above the lower tangent of the ellipse parallel to the major axis of the ellipse, and on the back of a axis parallel to the minor axis of the ellipse (and therefore perpendicular to the major axis of the ellipse) located about half of the large radius of the ellipse from the rectilinear front section of the shell in a longitudinal median plane of the shell. More particularly, the center of the ellipse is disposed substantially vis-à-vis the condyle to ⁇ 20mm according to the flexion at the knee.
• the lower tangent of the ellipse parallel to the major axis of the ellipse is located substantially vis-à-vis the tibial plane when the major axis of the ellipse is substantially 90 ° of said longitudinal axis of the hull parallel to the rectilinear section of the front face of the hull in section in a longitudinal median plane of the hull.
• the large radius of the ellipse is at least 5 cm, preferably 6 to 15 cm and the small radius of the ellipse is at least 2 cm, more particularly 3 to 10 cm.
• the major axis of the ellipse is located 2 to 5cm from the upper end of the shell and the center of the ellipse is located 5 to 10cm from the rectilinear section of the front face of the shell. section in a longitudinal median plane of the hull.
• Such dimensions of the ellipse and such an inclination of the major axis of the ellipse from 70 ° to 110 ° make it possible to maintain the ratio between the cheeks and the end of the lower femoral epiphysis despite the displacements of the condyles during the knee flexion / extension movements.
• This inclination also corresponds to an intermediate inclination of the positions of the thigh in motion or at rest.
• the cheeks each have a surface capable of covering the entire surface of the sides of the knees, preferably an area of at least 50 cm 2, preferably at least 100 cm 2.
• the shell supports at least one tibia binding element at the top, including a third strap provided with a self-gripping tape for its maintenance around the tibia.
• a feature is the simplest way to maintain the shell relative to the shin of the skier in addition to its attachment to the shoe. It has the advantage of being easy to implement and simple handling for the skier.
• the contact of the lateral cheeks on the condyles of the femur is ensured by means of ergonomic wedges inserted on the inner face of the cheeks.
• the device comprises cheeks that cooperate or have ergonomic wedges against the inner faces of the cheeks.
• This characteristic makes it possible to adapt the same shell to various dimensions of condyles by interposing spacers.
• the same molded shell can thus be used for different sizes of devices but also to achieve personalized devices. In this case, only the shims must be modified to obtain various sizes or a personalized device.
• the inner surface of the wedges can actually be made to measure to fit the shape of the lower limb of the skier without hindering the flexion / extension of the knee.
• the cheeks have ergonomic wedges on its internal surfaces which partly conform to the shape of the rib morphology of the knee without interfering with the frontal flexions of the knee.
• the surface delimited by the contour of the wedges thus corresponds to the surface defined by the contour of the cheek as described above and therefore has a surface area of at least 50 cm 2 , preferably at least 100 cm 2 .
• the ergonomic wedges have a surface resulting from the melting of the surfaces observed at the level of the condyles of the skier for at least two privileged angular positions of the lower limbs of the skier. This personalization feature allows the device to be particularly pleasant to use in all ski positions.
• this customization of the protective device according to the invention is very interesting insofar as it ensures a very good connection of the lateral cheeks with the knee. This prevents a penalizing game is present at this level of the device, such a game involving an angle of rotation of the femur relative to the shoe greater than the maximum angle provided by the device according to the invention.
• said cheeks and / or said wedges comprise flexible material linings intended to be in contact with the sides of the skier's knee (S).
• said wedges comprise a rigid support covered with flexible material linings intended to be in contact with the knee of the skier, that is to say on the part intended to bear on the sides of the knee.
• the trimmings are arranged on the inner faces of the cheeks or, preferably, wedges when they are present.
• This feature increases the comfort of the skier without affecting the effectiveness of the invention in terms of lateral rotation.
• said wedges comprise a rigid support covered knee pad side of flexible materials intended to be in contact with the knee of the skier.
• the fittings may be made of flexible material of the cellular material type (foam, etc.), or of the gel type (silicone, etc.).
• the filling is advantageously made from at least an elastomeric or plastic material of EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) or other type and thermoformable or not and of sufficient thickness and density to allow comfort during movements of the lower limb during skiing.
• EVA ethylene-vinyl acetate
• the material may be a silicone gel in the form of a plate of 1 to 10 mm and preferably 2 to 5 mm.
• the shell and shims are advantageously made from a rigid inorganic or organic material, in monolithic or composite form, chosen from the following materials: magnesium, aluminum, titanium, metal alloys, filled or uncoated polymers, reinforced or not, resins composite or not, loaded or not, reinforced or not.
• the composite consists of a matrix based on epoxy, polyester or other thermosetting resin, or a thermoplastic resin of the polyamide (PA) or polycarbonate (PC) type, or the like, and at least one reinforcing material.
• the reinforcement may be based on carbon fiber, and / or fiberglass, and / or aramid, for example Kevlar * brand from the company Dupont de Nemours and or Poly p-phenylene-2,6-bezobisoxazole (PBO) * trademark of the company Toyobo Japan and / or the PIPD M5 from the company Dupont de Nemours, and / or the Ultra High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene (UHMWPE) DYNEEMA brand of the company DSM Holland.
• the degree of reinforcement in the composite is between 0% and 70%.
• the reinforcement may be woven or knitted or braided, of the 2D or 3D or unidirectional type, or of cut fiber.
• Organic or inorganic fillers can be added to the matrix according to the desired specifications.
• the polymer materials of the matrix as well as the reinforcing fibers may contain carbon nanotubes in order to improve the mechanical characteristics. These materials in general make it possible to ensure good rigidity of the hull and shims while ensuring a good lightness and a certain comfort.
• a film or fabric of spandex or elastic type with a thickness of at least 10 ⁇ may be affixed by gluing on the said surface to conform to the shape of the hold.
• the material of the film or fabric may have a low coefficient of friction.
• the material may be manufactured from polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE (former Teflon brand DUPONT from Nemours USA).
• the thickness of the film or fabric is selected according to the desired mechanical characteristics.
• said connecting means may not allow a degree of freedom of the shell relative to the shoe around a Z axis substantially parallel to the axis of the collar of the shoe, because the femoral condyles are held by the shims positioned at the cheeks and the wedges allow reduced axial rotation relative movements of the femur and tibia because the tissues between the condyle and the wedges deform during a rotational movement.
• the clamping of the angular sector is then sufficiently made by the shape and play of the wedge which is in contact with the soft tissues at the level of the condyles of the femur.
• the adjustment and adaptation capabilities of the device by the use of wedges make it possible to adapt the device to the variability of the skiers: age, sex, physical condition, muscle tone and contraction levels etc.
• the conditions predicted loads are also so many parameters of adjustment of the device: shear, lateral bending, velocities, position of the skier, vertical acceleration, prestressing between the device and the knee etc.
• FIGS. 2A to 2E show a first embodiment of the invention
• FIGS. 3A to 3E show a second embodiment of the invention
• FIGS. 4A to 4E show a third embodiment of the invention
• FIGS. 5A to 5C show schematically the principle of a fourth embodiment according to the invention.
• FIGS. 6A and 6B show a preferred embodiment of the invention
• FIGS. 7A to 7C show shims as used in the preferred embodiment of the invention.
• FIGS. 9A and 9B show a perspective view of a preferred embodiment without a shoe (FIG. 9A) and fixed on the shoe (FIG. 9B);
• FIG. 10 represents a shell equipped with non-elastic straps
• FIG. 11 represent the axial rotations along the axis of rotation Z '(FIG. 11A), front rotation along Y' (FIG. 11B) and lateral rotation according to X '.
• Figures 11C femur and tibia
• FIG. 12 represents the reference XYZ at the level of the shoe
• FIG. 13 shows variations of angle of the femur with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ski resulting from axial rotation of the tibia with and without the device of the invention illustrating the effectiveness of the invention.
• FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the invention.
• the skier S wears a ski boot 2, itself attached to a ski 1, via a fastener 1a.
• the shoe 2 has a footwear part and a collar 21.
• the foot P, the tibia T and the femur F of the skier S are represented.
• the femur F has CF condyles at its distal end. These condyles C F take a plurality of intermediate positions between two extremal positions shown in Figure 1 as a function of the bending position of the skier S.
• the skier S carries a device according to the invention.
• This device comprises a rigid shell 10 comprises an upper part 11 and a lower part 12.
• the lower part 12 comprises connecting means for securing the shell 10 with the collar 21 of the boot 2.
• the upper part of the shell 10 has two lateral cheeks which cover the condyles C F of the femur F on either side of the leg of the skier S, this overlap being provided by the lateral cheeks irrespective of the flexion position of the skier S.
• the lateral cheeks are of contour 11c in ellipse portion, their major axis Xi being oriented around 70 ° with respect to Z '. This orientation included between 45 ° and 135 ° provides a satisfactory support femoral condyles and therefore a good femur restraint in axial and lateral rotations relative to the tibia.
• the following embodiments show preferential orientations of the lateral cheeks between 70 ° (FIG. 1) and 90 ° (FIG. 10).
• the height H of the hull will be 300 to 600 mm, more particularly from 350 to 500 mm depending on the size of the skiers.
• the contour 11c of the upper and the rear portions of the cheek has a shape that includes substantially an upper half-ellipse and a half-lateral ellipse of the same virtual ellipse centered in Ci substantially opposite the condyle CF.
• the major axis Xi of the ellipse is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal principal axis of the hull and perpendicular to the rectilinear section of the boundary of the front face 10a of the hull in a plane of longitudinal median section of the hull.
• Each cheek is delimited by the lower tangent X 2 of said ellipse substantially vis-à-vis the tibial plane X'Y 'parallel to the major axis of the ellipse Xi.
• the large radius R of the ellipse is 65mm and the small radius r of the ellipse is 50mm.
• each cheek 11a, 11b as delimited by the surface located above the line X 2 of the lower tangent of the ellipse parallel to Xi and on the rear of an axis Z 2 parallel to the minor axis Zi the ellipse is located at about Vi R from the rectilinear section of the front face 10a of the hull in section in a longitudinal median plane of the hull, and said surface being about 100cm 2 .
• the lateral cheeks completely cover the distal femoral epiphysis by coming to bear each on either side of the end of the femur, namely on the condyles of the femur C F of each side of the knee. They make it possible to limit the lateral rotation of the femur F relative to the foot P of the skier S.
• FIGS. 2A to 2E show a first embodiment of the invention. These figures respectively show a front view of the device 10, a side view, a top view and, after installation on a skier's boot, a side view and a perspective view.
• the device 10 comprises two lateral cheeks 11a and 11b, intended to be placed on either side of the knee of the skier to come and grip it at the level of the condyles of the femur C F.
• the lateral cheeks 11a and 11b may themselves be in contact with the garment covering the condyles C F or come into contact with these same condyles C F via wedges, as will be described later.
• the lower part 12 of the device 11 comprises second connecting means 12a and 12b.
• the second connecting means of the shell 12a and 12b are complementary first connecting means, denoted 22a and 22b, making guide pieces on the collar 21 of the shoe 2.
• Such first connecting means 22a and 22b are shown on the Figures 2D and 2E.
• the first connecting means 22a and 22b consist of a guide piece formed of two elements denoted M1 and M2 jaw.
• the second connecting means 12a and 12b consist of two tabs denoted La and Lb each slipping between the two pairs of jaws Ml and M2 placed on either side of the collar 21 of the shoe 2. Note here that it can be envisaged to use only a single pair of jaws Ml, M2 placed on one side of the collar 21 of the shoe 2, preferably the outer side.
• this pair of jaws associated with a tongue of the type shown in Figure 2B is sufficient, strictly speaking, to limit the rotation of the shell relative to the shoe when the upper part of the shell is otherwise secured the skier's tibia using a simple hook and loop tape 15 located just below said upper portion 11 and intended to surround the tibia as shown in FIG. 9B.
• the use of two pairs makes it possible to make the behavior of the shell more robust and in particular to avoid its global pivoting around the tongue La.
• the width of the open space between the two jaws Ml and M2 being greater than the width of the tongue La, the latter can move slightly, this movement causes a rotational movement on a limited angular sector of the shell 10.
• the fixing the shell 10 on the collar 21 of the shoe 2 offers a degree of freedom in rotation relative to the shoe 2 on a predetermined angular sector and limited.
• the jaws Ml and M2 may also be positioned so that the tongue is immobilized in rotation. In this case, the attachment of the shell with the shoe is maximum and the protection of the knee is optimal.
• the knee then abuts on the lateral cheeks 11A and 11b and prevents torsion of the knee. This can, however, affect skiability.
• Figures 3 show a second embodiment of the invention.
• the shell 10 comprises two lateral cheeks 11a and 11b on its upper part 11 which is comparable to the upper part of the previous embodiment.
• the shell 10 comprises second connecting means 12a and 12b different from those of the previous embodiment.
• These connecting means 12a and 12b have holes for hanging a strap 13 visible in Figures 3D and 3E.
• the strap 13 is typically riveted into the orifices 12a and 12b.
• the strap 13 is also attached to a support noted 23 mounted on the shoes 2, the support 23 constituting the first connecting means attached to the collar 21 of the shoe.
• FIG. 3 shows a single side strap for the sake of simplicity. of representation. We understand that the Implementing two straps on each side of the shoe 2 is necessary to limit the rotation in both directions. Note however that a single strap attached to the second connection means 12a and 12b of the shell shown in Figure 3 may be used with first connection means adapted to the shoe 2 to completely adjust the rotation of the hull 10 with respect to the shoe 2.
• FIG. 4 show a third embodiment slightly different from the second embodiment.
• This embodiment uses a strap 13 to secure the lower part 12 of the shell 10 with the shoe.
• the strap is fixed in a light 12a but its function is substantially identical to that performed by the strap 13 of FIG.
• the strap 13 can not really prevent a movement of the hull 10 upwards. This movement would interfere with the operation of the invention and could be giant for the skier. Also, a stop piece 24 is placed on the shoe 2.
• This abutment piece 24 is complementary to an abutment element 14, here an orifice of the shell 10.
• This abutment piece 24 makes it possible to position the shell 10 with respect to the collar 21 of the boot 2 in its vertical position and to prevent the vertical movements of it along the skier's tibia.
• Such a stop piece 24 is also used in the embodiment of FIG. 5.
• This figure shows a guide piece 22a that can be directly attached to a lateral side of the collar 21 of the shoe 2.
• the guide piece 22a comprises a rail marked R, terminated by a second abutment piece 25, complementary to the abutment piece 24. It is in fact understood that the abutment piece 25 prevents any downward movement of the shell 10, a portion of the part 12 is shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C.
• This lower part 12 of the shell 10 comprises a slideway or groove G which is positioned relative to the rail R by sliding along it.
• the rail R has a width such that the slideway or groove G can move forward and backward at a greater or lesser angle. This bending angle depends on the play present between the rail R and the slide G. This makes it possible to maintain a satisfactory skiability.
• the spacing between the rail R and the slide G is therefore advantageously adjustable to allow control of a few degrees of rotation of the system around the axis of the shoe 2.
• FIG. 6A shows a shell 10 completed with a single spacer support 30 that is useful for positioning the hull 10 relative to the skier's leg S.
• FIG. 6B shows the device of FIG. 6A installed on the skier's leg represented for two extremal flexion positions.
• FIGS. 7A to 7C show different perspective views of the functional lateral parts of shim 30, denoted 30a and 30b. Note that the surfaces of these functional parts of the wedge 30 are molded into very specific shapes. These forms correspond to the fusion of the surfaces observed at the CF condyles of the femur F between the two positions, preferred, which may for example be the extreme bending positions of the thigh of the skier S shown in Figure 6B.
• FIG. 8 shows a preferred embodiment where the shell 10 is provided with two functional parts 30a and 30b. This is the hull adapted for the right knee.
• the shell of the left knee will advantageously be symmetrical with the shell shown in FIG. 8.
• the shell 10 has a central stop orifice 14 and grooves G, here oblong orifices. These grooves G cooperate with a stop or a rail as shown in Figure 5 to provide an angularly limited rotation.
• the shell 10 of Figure 8 also includes loops or holes O to allow the placement of a mechanical element which ensures the attachment of a strap 13.
• This strap 13 is a strap of the type shown in Figures 3 and 4
• the two types of rotation limitation of the shell according to the invention coexist within the same object.
• a particularly simple and preferential version uses only one strap 13 on each attached side of permanently in the hull or at the rear of the boot on a hook 23 as shown in FIG. 9. In this case, it is the adjustment of the strap fixed in the orifices 0 which entirely determines the angular sector on which the shell can rotate relative to the shoe.
• FIGS. 9A, 9B and 10 there is shown an embodiment of the shell with said means for attaching the shell to the collar, wherein said first and second connecting means comprise non-elastic straps comprising two first straps 13a. fixed or removably attachable to an element 23 on each side on the back of the collar, and two second straps 13b, 13b-1, 13b-2 are fixed or removably attachable (in an orifice O) on each side of the shell, said first and second straps 13a, 13b having at their free ends complementary connecting elements 13c, 13d able to reversibly join the free ends of the first straps 13a with those of the second straps 13b .
• said first and second connecting means comprise non-elastic straps comprising two first straps 13a. fixed or removably attachable to an element 23 on each side on the back of the collar, and two second straps 13b, 13b-1, 13b-2 are fixed or removably attachable (in an orifice O) on each side of the shell
• FIG. 13 shows a modeling of the axial internal rotation of the tibia, resulting in an angular displacement in degrees in the horizontal plane, between the femur and the axis of the tibia with respect to time for a skier equipped with a device according to the invention on the curve AKG and for a skier devoid of device according to the invention on the curve SKG. It can be seen here that the internal rotation is drastically reduced when the device according to the invention is worn by the skier.
• the invention although particularly simple manufacturing and installation on the leg of the skier, provides some improvements in accidents causing a sprained knee related to this type of axial rotation relative tibia and femur.
• the invention makes it possible to reach a wide audience. Indeed models carrying standardized lateral cheeks and, preferably, a wedge of functional surfaces calculated from an average of the surfaces of the femoral condyles observed on the population between the two extreme bending positions in ski conditions.
• the invention also makes it very easy to customize the protection device according to the invention. It suffices to use a hull used for consumer products in combination with functional wedge portions specifically designed and shaped to match the particular morphology, for example of a ski champion.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Nursing (AREA)
• Orthopedic Medicine & Surgery (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
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• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
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• Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
• Orthopedics, Nursing, And Contraception (AREA)

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• 2011
  • 2011-11-04 FR FR1160020A patent/FR2982167B1/fr active Active
• 2012
  • 2012-10-25 US US14/347,880 patent/US20140230828A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-10-25 JP JP2014539378A patent/JP2014532495A/ja active Pending
  • 2012-10-25 EP EP12790621.2A patent/EP2773434A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 2012-10-25 WO PCT/FR2012/052448 patent/WO2013064770A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2012-10-25 CN CN201280053695.9A patent/CN103945910A/zh active Pending
  • 2012-10-25 CA CA2852094A patent/CA2852094A1/fr not_active Abandoned

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