EP3281679B1

EP3281679B1 - Person-protecting device

Info

Publication number: EP3281679B1
Application number: EP16183238.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Dario Martinelli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-08-08
Filing date: 2016-08-08
Publication date: 2019-01-30
Anticipated expiration: 2036-08-08
Also published as: ES2718774T3; EP3281679A1

Description

The present invention relates to a person-protecting device.
Such a device is particularly suitable to be worn by people during sports that involve physical contact, such as football, rugby, soccer, etc..
In any case, the device according to the present invention is not intended to be used exclusively in sports activities, being the same used also in other kind of activities.
In contact sports, it is unavoidable that even rader violent game interventions can happen at the level of the players' lower limbs, which could lead in some cases to serious injuries to the people involved.
For this purpose, there are several protective devices, which, however, protect only some parts of people's legs, leaving instead other parts uncovered, then providing only partial protection to the wearer.
For example, to protect themselves from the game interventions, football and rugby players normally wear the so-called "shin guard", which, however, only protect some areas of the leg, among which the front of the tibia, while leaving other parts discovered, that may also be subject to impacts during sports activities.
Generally, these shin guards belong to two categories.
A first category is made by a single piece of rigid material having a contoured shape, so as to conform to the region of the leg profile, on which it is to be applied; shin-guards of this type are used interposed between the front part of the leg and the knee sock.
A second shin-guards category presents, instead, a soft structure endowed with elastic parts, to be fitted in the lower part of the leg at the height of the tibia; in this structure pockets are also formed, in which individual rigid elements arranged in such a way to act as a protective shield for the tibia itself can be inserted.
The latter type of shin guards often has, at the bottom, also an ankle brace made of flexible material, to at least partially protect the ankle.
More recently more advanced devices have been also developed, or configured in such a way as to cover the most sensitive parts of the legs to avoid the risk of injury or fractures in those areas. A leg protecting device according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from FR 2 016 711 .
These latter devices have, however, rather articulated and complex structures that reduce, in fact, the practical applicability.
It is therefore object of the present invention to provide a protection device for people that adequately protects certain areas of a lower limb.
It is also object of the invention is to provide a protection device for people, which is simple to use and also convenient and easy to wear.
Is is further object of the invention to provide a protection device for people, which is easy to manufacture and not expensive.
It is therefore specific object of the present invention a protection device for persons to protect a lower portion of a person's leg, said protection device for persons comprising a main body, in which a through cavity is obtained, configured to receive a lower portion of a person's leg, said main body comprising: a front portion configured to cover at least a portion of the person's tibia when said protection device for persons is worn by said person; and a side and rear portion configured to cover at least a portion of the fibula of said person, when said protection device for persons is worn by said person; said side and rear portion extending laterally from at least a lower region of said front portion; wherein said front portion and said lateral and rear portion are formed in one piece; wherein between said front portion and said side and rear portion a side opening is formed for allowing a person to wear said device approaching, laterally, said device to the leg of said person; and wherein said lateral and rear portion and a lower strip of said front portion jointly develop around said axis forming an angle of about 270° with respect to said axis, characterized in that said front portion has a height greater than the height of said side and rear portion.
Preferably according to the invention, said main body extends around an axis passing through said through cavity.
Still according to the invention, in said main body there could be defined an inner surface, directed, in use, towards the leg of a person, and an external surface, opposite to said inner surface, and in that said device comprises a soft element fixed on said inner surface.
Further according to the invention, said soft element could be fixed to said inner surface by gluing.
Alternatively according to the invention, in said main body a plurality of through holes could be formed and in that said soft element could be fixed to said inner surface by sewing through said plurality of through holes.
Preferably according to the invention, the holes of said plurality of through holes are located in a peripheral edge of said main body.
The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein:

figure 1 is a first perspective view of a device for protecting persons according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
figure 2 is a second perspective view of the device for protecting people according to figure 1;
figure 3 is a side view of the device for protecting people shown in figures 1 and 2;
figure 4 is a further perspective view of the device for protecting people shown in figures 1-3;
figure 5 is a top plan view of the device of figures 1-5;
figure 6 is a first side view of a protection device for persons in a second embodiment of the present invention;
figure 7 is a perspective view of the device shown in figure 6; and
figure 8 is a top plan view of the device referred to figures 6 and 7.

In the various figures, similar parts will be indicated by the same reference numbers.
Referring now to figures 1-5, therein is shown, according to different views, a person-protecting device 1, for protecting a lower region of the leg.
The device 1 comprises a main body 2, preferably made of plastic material, in which a central through cavity 3 is defined of shape and dimensions such as to enable a person to insert thereinside the lower portion of his leg.
The main body 2 is made of one piece, i.e. in a single piece, with a substantially rigid material.
An outer surface 4a and an inner surface 4b are also defined in the main body 2, shaped in such a way as to adhere completely, when worn, to a region of the lower leg.
The main body 2 is made, in particular, by a front portion 5, having a substantially arc plan profile, which tapers progressively from top to down.
Laterally, from a lower region of that front portion 5, a portion of side and rear protection 6 develops, having a curved plan profile and a reduced height compared to the height of the front portion 5.
Furthermore, the side free end 7 of the front portion 5 and the side free end 8 of the side and rear protection portion 6 are mutually separated, in such a way as to form between them a side opening 9 communicating with the central through cavity 3, for allowing a person to wear such a device 1 by means of a movement lateral to the leg itself.
The lower part of the main body 2, the part of the body affected by both the lateral and the rear protection portion 6 and a lower strip of the front portion 5, develops around a central axis A passing through the central through cavity 3, preferably forming an angle of about 270° with respect to said axis A.
Once the device 1 is worn, the aforementioned front portion 5 arranges in front of the tibia of the person, while the lateral and rear protection portion 6 covers the lower part of the fibula, also said fibula.
According to a variant of the device 1, on the inner surface 4b of the main body 2 can adhere, for example by gluing, a soft padding - not shown in the enclosed figures - to increase the comfort of the person wearing it.
In figures 6-8 it is instead shown a further protective device 1 for persons, to protect a lower region of the leg.
The device 1' has a main body 2' is substantially identical to the main body 2 of the device 1 described above, and then made up by a front portion 5' and a rear and side protection portion 6', but with the additional provision of a plurality of through holes 10' obtained along the entire peripheral edge of the same main body 2' between its outer surface 4a' and inner surface 4b'.
The aforementioned plurality of through holes 10' allows in particular to apply, by sewing, a padding - not shown - on the inner surface 4b' of the main body 2' simply by passing a wire - not shown - through the padding and the through holes 10' along the peripheral edge of the same main body 2', in such a way as to make it completely adhere to the inner surface 4b'.
The devices 1, 1' can be employed using for example the same socks as fixing means to the person's leg; in this case, then, the person has to wear in advance the devices 1, 1' and then the knee socks, placing them above these devices 1, 1', so as to make them adhere completely to his legs.
According to further embodiments of the invention, not shown in the enclosed figures, the devices 1, 1' described above can have a respective side and rear protection portion 6, 6', which extends laterally to join up, on both opposite sides, with the corresponding front portion 5, 5', so that the front portion 5, 5' and the side and rear protection portion 6, 6' define a perimeter profile closed in view.
In the latter case, to wear such a device the person must clearly put his leg through the through cavities up to bring the device to the correct height for the correct use.
The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.

Claims

Protection device (1, 1') for persons to protect a lower portion of a person's leg, said protection device for persons (1, 1') comprising a main body (2, 2'), in which a through cavity (3) is obtained, configured to receive a lower portion of a person's leg, said main body (2, 2') comprising:
a front portion (5, 5 ') configured to cover at least a portion of the person's tibia when said protection device for persons (1, 1') is worn by said person; and

a side and rear portion (6, 6') configured to cover at least a portion of the fibula of said person, when said protection device for persons (1, 1') is worn by said person; said side and rear portion (6, 6') extending laterally from at least a lower region of said front portion (5, 5');
wherein said front portion (5, 5') and said lateral and rear portion (6, 6') are formed in one piece; wherein between said front portion (5, 5') and said side and rear portion (6, 6') a side opening (9) is formed for allowing a person to wear said device (1, 1') approaching, laterally, said device (1, 1') to the leg of said person; and wherein said lateral and rear portion (6, 6') and a lower strip of said front portion (5, 5') jointly develop around said axis (A) forming an angle of about 270° with respect to said axis (A),
characterized in that said front portion (5, 5') has a height greater than the height of said side and rear portion (6, 6').
Device (1, 1') according to claim 1, characterized in that said main body (2, 2') extends around an axis (A) passing through said through cavity (3).
Device (1, 1') according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in said main body (2, 2') there are defined an inner surface (4b, 4b'), directed, in use, towards the leg of a person, and an external surface (4a, 4a'), opposite to said inner surface (4b, 4b'), and in that said device (1, 1') comprises a soft element fixed on said inner surface (4b, 4b').
Device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said soft element is fixed to said inner surface (4b, 4b') by gluing.
Device (1') according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in said main body (2, 2') a plurality of through holes (10') is formed and in that said soft element is fixed to said inner surface (4b, 4b') by sewing through said plurality of through holes (10').
Device (1') according to claim 5, characterized in that the holes of said plurality of through holes (10') are located in a peripheral edge of said main body (2, 2').