ES2333663T3 - BACK PROTECTOR. - Google Patents

Abstract

The protector has a long protector plate (2) from a shock-absorbing material, and shoulder-and-abdominal belts (3, 5) as a part of harness (1) that is attached on a body of a user. The harness has a back part (4), in which the protector plate is removably fastened at its outer side. Two shoulder pads (9) within an upper region and a lumbar pad within a pelvic-lumbar-region are adjustably attached at an inner side of the harness. An independent claim is also included for a backpack consists of a back protector.

Description

Back protector.

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a protector to protect the back of bikers, cyclists, riders, snowboarders, skiers and similar athletes, which includes an elongated protective plate of a shock absorbing material, as well as shoulder and abdomen straps.

A back protector reduces the risk of suffer serious injuries in the dorsal area such as soft tissue, muscle and bone lesions, as it absorbs, retards and distributes between a larger surface forces incidents

State of the art

In the market there are protectors of back of very different types. A type back protector mentioned at the beginning is known from document DE69802695T2. The embodiment described there, which is also found in the market, it has two vertically oriented supports that are provided with devices to fix them to the user's body, carrying each of the supports a multitude of elements substantially rigid, fixed thereto, and the bottom support articulated, by means of a spike, with the Top support. This back protector has two tapes of shoulder that when carried extend from the back, passing over the shoulders, to the user's waist area, as well as a belt of abdomen that extends to the height of the lumbar area, and is carried as a backpack on top of a jacket, suit or other garment.

From document DE29621778U1 a known protector for a biker, which is composed of a motherboard flexible elastomer and elevations made in it and arranged at a distance from each other. This construction allows make a relatively thick elastomer layer with an expense relatively low material and a reduced limitation of the freedom of movement, however obtaining the effect shock absorber of a solid material protector. Thanks to intermediate spaces between elevations, the protector is capable to adapt to the body shape of the person wearing it.

A similar protector is known by the document EP0591575B1, which consists of a base with segments shock absorbers, applied on it, and a layer of Overlay coating, made of a flexible material, as well as grooves of cuneiform cross section, located between the segments As in the protector according to the document DE29621771U1, the slots allow the adaptation of the segments from the protector to the body shape of the person wearing it.

From document 19543566C2 a known protector intended to be carried along the spine, which comprises a multitude of shock resistant elements, articulated in a limited way, which are arranged one above other and joined together and have at least one hole aligned in the longitudinal direction, through which it extends a tensile element that presses the elements against each other others in the longitudinal direction, the area of Elastic contact of the elements in the direction longitudinal. Therefore, this protector is articulated so similar to a spine and is fixed, by tapes, to chest and trunk of the person wearing it. This protector does not guarantees soft tissue protection, for this it is too narrow.

Document AT006444U1 describes a protector which looks like a turtle's shell, but is made up of several shield elements that are fixed to each other so articulated and fixedly connected with a flexible carrier element. Using a abdomen tape, this protector is fixed to the back of the person who carries it.

Document AT005957U2 describes a protector body for riders to protect the internal organs of the chest and of the upper abdomen and is constituted by a protective vest of plastic with padding, which incorporates two pieces of Coal. This protector is relatively rigid and its size has to be adapted as a shell to the person who wears it, for what manufacturing and storage result correspondingly expensive

All protectors mentioned above have in common that after fulfilling their protection function in case of an accident they all become unusable having to discarded, since by fulfilling their intended function they have lost its protective effect, comparable to a rope for mountaineering, to which a mountaineer has fallen and who has lengthened thus.

The document GB-A-2225708 describes a protector back that extends along the spine and that it presents between two compressible layers a non-protective layer compressible The protector is fixed to the back to through an opening, being able to release again. The protector of back must be as tight as possible to the body, that is, above the bottom layer of clothing, to achieve the maximum effect of protection.

EP0134727A1 describes a protector back for ice hockey and football players, to be brought as close as possible to the body and to which they are Directly fixed shoulder and abdomen straps and in whose area upper padded shoulders can be arranged. The protector will adapts to the curvature of the spine, particularly because of its construction, offering high protection.

Overview of the invention

The invention aims to provide a back protector of the type mentioned at the beginning, which is lightweight, that allows versatile use and that can continue being used for the most part after fulfilling its function of protection.

This objective is achieved by a protector of back presenting the characteristics of claim 1. Some forms of advantageous embodiments of the invention are Subject of the subordinate claims.

The back protector according to the invention is it consists of several individual pieces fixed to each other being able to let go again The protective plate that performs the protection in yes of the person wearing the protector, it is fixed so removable on the back side of the harness, that is, on that side that during use it is oriented outwards, being inserted preferably in pockets made in it and, if necessary, additionally secured in the harness with the help of at least one tape or elements joined by velcro. Therefore also It can be easily replaced in case of damage. The possibility of changing the plate allows at the same time also use with the same harness protective plates of different designs, so that in the trade can be offered protective plates of various designs external, among which the consumer can choose according to their personal wishes, while the other pieces of the protector, to Know, the harness and padding are unitary. The harness is equipped of anchoring elements, for example ratchet closures, for the removable attachment of a backpack that is placed on top of the plate protective covering it.

If the padding has to be arranged Adjustable in the shoulder area and lower back, it is possible to use the same harness on people of different body heights, being able to ascend the range of variation of sizes easily to 20 cm and more

For a simple adjustment of the quilts, these are mounted to the harness preferably by means of Velcro connection.

So that the protector can be used from the same way for men than for women, according to a form of preferable embodiment, shoulder straps meet in the area of the sternum and clavicle by a lock that can be released, from where a central belt of adjustable length extends to cover the sternum vertically, at whose free end it is arranged a central joining device that can be released. The pelvis tapes are adjustable in length and they are arranged joining elements, with which the pelvis tapes can be arranged in the central joining device, being able to let go again Therefore, a central closure is available in the lower area of the sternum, where all the bands meet.  Also the sternum tape can be provided with an element connection for removable attachment to the attachment device central.

Alternatively, it is also possible to provide a tape system comparable to that of regular backpacks, of which a abdomen belt is part that secures the protector to the person who carries it. To further secure, the two shoulder straps may be provided with a provision of Chest straps with closure, as known by the backpacks of mountaineering and climbing and that prevents shoulder straps from get off your shoulders, which is especially important in case of a fall.

According to a variant of the invention, the harness it has a dorsal part in which the tapes of are arranged shoulder and pelvis and in which a support skeleton is integrated of a flexible material. The support skeleton can widen the dorsal part in the areas of the chest and kidneys performing in these an additional protection function if it has ribs lateral extension reinforcement.

The protective plate is preferably composed of a polystyrene foam plate covered by a sheath. This allows to give the case any desired design, for example, provide it with letters and emblems of clubs.

It is also advantageous that the tapes of shoulder have a widened padding on its lower side or that are incorporated in a widened padding. In this way, it is even more comfortable to wear the protector, particularly if He is riding a backpack. A backpack of this type has joining devices, with which it is arranged so removable in corresponding binding devices of the harness protective.

Brief description of the drawings

Next, the invention is described in detail referring to an embodiment represented in the drawings. They show:

Figure 1 a side elevation of a protector of back according to the invention with protective plate;

Figure 2 a view of the back protector of figure 1; from behind;

Figure 3 a view of the back protector of figure 1; from the front, without a protective plate;

Figure 4 a side elevation of the protector of back of figure 1, with a backpack attached to it;

Figure 5 a side elevation only of the backpack, and

figure 6 a view of the backpack of figure 5, from behind.

Detailed description of an embodiment example of the invention

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the back protector according to the invention. It consists of a harness that has to be placed in a person's body and that as a whole It is characterized by 1, and a protective plate 2 fixed to its back side Harness 1 has shoulder straps 3 relatively widths that are arranged high in a dorsal part 4 of the harness 1, and abdomen ribbons 5 extending from the end bottom of the dorsal part 4. On the dorsal part 4 are arranged a bottom pocket 6 open at the top and a pocket upper 7 open at the bottom, in which the ends of the protective plate 2. In the example shown, the shoulder straps 3 and abdomen straps 5 are attached to each other removable, in a central closure 8. On the inner side of dorsal part 4, in the upper end zone of the latter, are arranged two shoulder pads 9. As you can see in the Figure 1, the protective plate 2 is slightly curved to adapt to the shape of the user's body.

More details of the protector are represented in figure 2. There you can see the protective plate 2 that is mounted on the back side of dorsal part 4 and whose ends they are housed by pockets 6 and 7, as well as the two quilts shoulder 9 arranged on the inner side of the dorsal part 4, in the upper zone of these. As you can also see, the tapes of Shoulder 3 are relatively wide, being made in a way similar to a wide neck, and in this way they are able to distribute the forces absorbed by the protector in case of a fall evenly between the shoulders of the person who carries.

To describe more details of the protector of back according to the invention reference is made to figure 3. The Figure 3 shows the back protector according to Figure 1, from in front of. Also here, you can see the 3 shoulder straps very wide that, according to an advantageous variant of the invention are gathered together in the center of the arrangement, by closing 10 that can be released. Starting from closure 10, down, it extends a sternum tape 11, at whose end it is arranged an adjustable connecting element 12. Junction Elements 13 corresponding are arranged in an adjustable way in the ends of the abdomen straps 5. The joining elements 13 and 13 they are removably anchored in the central closure 8.

However, it should be noted that the type of guidance of belts has only an example character. It is also possible wear guided shoulder straps over the shoulders, passing laterally along the torso, to the lower end of the back protector, performing a closure abdomen belt, fixed to the lower end of the back protector, on the side forward the anti-displacement assurance function, if necessary, in combination with a chest strap with closure, which Attach the shoulder straps.

In addition, on the inner side of harness 1, on the lower end of the dorsal part 4, a padding is arranged lumbar 15 that serves to cushion the protector in the vertebral zone lumbar of the user. It is also worth mentioning a support skeleton 16 that has ribs 17 that protrude laterally and that is incorporated in dorsal part 4 of harness 1. The connecting elements  12 and 13 are preferably ratchet closures, such as those generally known for backpack straps and braces pants.

Preferably, the padding in the area of the shoulder and lower back are arranged in an adjustable way, by example, by Velcro joining elements.

Figure 4 shows a side elevation of the protector according to the invention, comparable to Figure 1, but to which a backpack 18 is mounted. Also, on the abdomen straps, in the front side of harness 1 is mounted by buckles and clips a belly bag 19, in a way that describes continuation. Velcro fastening is also possible.

For fixing backpack 18, in the area of the shoulder and in the lumbar area of harness 1 are arranged, by example sewn or riveted, joining elements 20, in which matching clips 21 can be fitted, attached to backpack 18. How to you can see, the backpack 18 covers the protective plate 2 on its side later. The backpack 18 may have a size corresponding to the wishes of the user, being able to be reduced for example to a mere drink bag for cyclists or be of sufficient size for mountaineering.

Figures 5 and 6 show from the side or from behind the backpack 18 used in the combination of figure 4. It appreciate shoulder parts 22, intended to be attached to the straps shoulder harness 1, and basic parts 23 intended to be fixed to the belt area of the harness's abdomen 1. In the example represented, the backpack has two braces 24 longitudinal extension sides, which are used to fix the position next to the protective plate 2 covered by the backpack 18 (see figure 4). The backpack 18 also has two covers 25 and 26 that allow access to its interior.

Claims (12)

1. Protector to protect the back of motorcyclists, cyclists, riders, snowboarders, skiers and similar athletes, comprising an elongated protective plate (2) of a shock-absorbing material, as well as shoulder and abdomen straps (3, 5) , the shoulder and abdomen straps (3, 5) being part of a harness (1) that is placed on the user's body and that has a dorsal part (4), on whose outer side, opposite the body, is fixed in a removable way the protective plate (2) and on whose inner side, in the upper area, two shoulder pads (9) are arranged, a lumbar padding (15) being arranged in the pelvic-lumbar area, characterized in that the harness (1) ) a backpack (18) that covers the plate is removably fixed by means of anchoring elements (20)
protective (2). 2. Protector according to claim 1, characterized in that the protective plate (2) is fastened, in its final areas, in pockets (6, 7) made in the back (4) of the harness (1). 3. Protector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the protective plate (2) is secured in the harness (1) additionally with at least one tape. 4. Protector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the protective plate (2) is additionally secured in the harness (1) by velcro fasteners. 5. Protector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the padding (9, 15) is arranged in an adjustable manner in the harness. 6. Protector according to claim 5, characterized in that the quilts (9, 154) are arranged in the harness (1) by means of velcro fasteners. 7. Protector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shoulder straps (3) are joined in the sternum-clavicle area by means of a closing device (10) that can be released, from where a sternum tape (11) extends ) central, of adjustable length, to cover the sternum, at whose free end a central joining device (8) that can be released is arranged, and because the abdomen straps (5) are made so that they can be adjusted in length and in they are arranged connecting elements (13) for removable fixing to the central joining device (8). 8. Protector according to claim 7, characterized in that a connecting element (12) for removable fixing on the central joining device (8) is arranged on the sternum tape (11). 9. Protector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shoulder and abdomen straps (3, 5) are arranged in the dorsal part (4) and a support skeleton (16) of a flexible material is incorporated therein. 10. Protector according to claim 9, characterized in that the support skeleton (16) has ribs (17) extending laterally. 11. Protector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the protective plate (2) is composed of a foamed polystyrene plate, covered by a sheath. 12. Protector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shoulder straps (3) are provided, on their lower face, with a widened padding or are incorporated in a widened padding.