ES2348298T3 - PROTECTIVE GLOVE. - Google Patents

Abstract

Glove (1, 11, 20, 33, 39, 41) for the protection of the user's wrist when it hits a surface, suitable for use on a motorcycle; said glove having an upper side and a lower side, comprising: - a zone (5) of the fingers, the outermost surface of the lower side of said glove having a first coefficient of friction relative to a surface of the road; said first coefficient of friction being of the same level as that achieved by the leather typically used in motorcycle gloves; - an area of the palm (6); and - a wrist area (7); characterized in that said glove incorporates a first protective element (8) with a second coefficient of friction relative to the surface of the road; said second friction coefficient being less than said first friction coefficient, to reduce any force transmitted to the user's wrist on impact; the exposed surface area of said first protective element (8) being with said second coefficient of friction, located on the scaphoid bone of the wearer.

Description

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to protective gloves used to protect the hand and / or wrist of the wearer when they hit a surface, and therefore may have specific applications in the field of motorcycles. Background of the invention

By definition, gloves are protective, in one way or another. For example, boxing gloves incorporate an external protection to protect the user's hand when it hits (of course in such circumstances, the user's hand, without protection, would undoubtedly be damaged). Other gloves are intended to protect the user's skin, when the user frequently repeats a movement under a certain load. An example of such gloves would be those used in weightlifting.

Many prior art gloves are designed to have improved grip capabilities. An example of such a glove is presented in US Pat. No. 6055669, which features a bowling glove with improved grip to allow the ball thrower to print an improved rotation to the ball. Another example of non-slip gloves is presented in Japanese document 1216778.

Motorcycle gloves are designed, in general, to protect the wearer during a wide variety of travel situations. One of the requirements of the gloves is that they are thermally insulating, which is particularly important in severe weather conditions or at high speeds. Also, such gloves are usually equipped with a waterproof layer that can take the form of a synthetic breathable material such as GORTEX (registered trademark). However, often the outer coating of many motorcycle gloves is still made of leather, mainly because the leather offers an ideal combination of natural protection and aesthetic properties. It has sometimes been proposed the incorporation, in certain areas of motorcyclists' clothing, of a material highly resistant to abrasion (for example, located on the knees or elbows or even on the outside of the glove, which may enter contact with the traffic lane when the user maneuvers in a curve, for example during a race). An example of such a proposal is disclosed

in GB 022627.5.

However, in this proposal, the lower side of the glove is primarily designed to improve the user's grip in order to facilitate difficult maneuvers.

One of the objectives of the invention is to present a radical change with respect to the conventional prior art arrangements explained above, in which the lower side of the glove has the sole function of improving the adhesion to objects during use.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide improvements to the protective characteristics of gloves when the user receives an impact or is thrown on a surface.

The prior art gloves are shown, in general, suitable in terms of thermal insulation and being waterproof. However, in a motorcycle fall it is typical that the user of the glove has the reflection of extending his arm, in vain attempt to protect himself from the fall. When the user impacts with his arms extended on the surface of the road, his hands and wrists are subjected to forces that often result in a fracture of a metacarpal or carpal bone. Statistically, the scaphoid bone is the most likely to fracture in these cases. In the United Kingdom alone, there are usually a thousand such accidents per day, of which a high percentage results in a fractured scaphoid bone.

The scaphoid bone is crucial for the complicated function of the wrist, is the strong mechanical connection between the proximal and distal carpal rows, and can be considered a prolongation of the radius of the thumb on the wrist. It is subjected to shear, rotational and compression forces from the various surrounding structures. Therefore, any fracture of this bone is usually complex, often requiring prolonged immobilization. Normally the fracture is accompanied by a dull, deep pain in the wrist and during all its treatment a pain can periodically be felt that can take weeks or even months to mitigate.

Document DE 35 19 633 is known, but it does not disclose a reduction in friction on impact, but only after the impact in case the outer leather material has been eroded and the intermediate PTFE layer is exposed.

Therefore, another objective of the present invention is to offer specific protection to the bones in the hand and wrist, and in particular to the scaphoid bone.

The solution to this problem, presented below, is also aimed at maintaining the flexibility and grip to which the user of conventional gloves is accustomed. Characteristics of the invention.

In its broadest independent aspect, the invention discloses a glove for protecting a user's wrist when it hits a surface, suitable for use on a motorcycle; said glove having an upper and lower side, comprising:

•

an area of the fingers, the outermost surface of the lower side of said glove having a first coefficient of friction relative to the surface of the road; said first coefficient of friction being of the same level as that achieved by the leather typically used in motorcycle gloves;

•

an area of the palm; Y

• a wrist area; characterized in that said glove incorporates a protective element with a second coefficient of friction relative to the surface of the road; said second friction coefficient being less than said first friction coefficient, to reduce any force transmitted to the user's wrist on impact; the exposed surface area of said protective element having said second coefficient of friction located on the scaphoid bone of the wearer.

The above configuration has the advantage of improving the distribution of forces when the hand and / or wrist of a wearer hits a surface. In addition, the skill of the wearer is not harmed in any way, which allows him to freely maneuver objects such as the controls of a motorcycle. These configurations will also reduce the severity of the carpal fractures and, therefore, allow the wearer to suffer a fall to have a faster recovery. Also, in many cases it will prevent any fracture from occurring. Also, these configurations will be advantageous since the force can even be diverted to the wearer's forearm, which is composed of bones that heal relatively directly when they fracture.

In a secondary aspect, the surface area with a low coefficient of friction is located on the scaphoid bone of the user's wrist.

Simply by modifying the surface area on the scaphoid bone of a patient's wrist, the chances of damage to this bone can be reduced or even prevented.

Advantageously, the surface area with the low coefficient of friction may comprise fibrous material, the fibers generally extending in the direction of the forearm. This would allow the glove to be especially ergonomic, while diverting force towards the forearm.

In another aspect, the description covers a glove to protect the hand and / or wrist of a wearer when it hits a surface, which comprises, as part of the cover of his hand, wrist or forearm, a single camera or a series of chambers, which contain fluid or may contain fluid and are arranged so that any fluid flow remains, during conventional use of the glove, inside the chamber or the series of chambers, and which are located in a position that protects a section of the hand, wrist, or forearm absorbing, at least in part, the force of impact.

This configuration is especially beneficial in absorbing the force resulting from the impact and, therefore, limits the incidence of fractures in the bones below the chamber, and in many cases can totally prevent the production of said fractures.

In a secondary aspect, the camera or the series of cameras cover an area that essentially corresponds to the palm and / or the lower side of the wrist, the fingers being relatively limited in their movement such as in a conventional glove.

This configuration offers a particularly practical solution to the incorporation of a camera in a conventional glove.

In another secondary aspect, a chamber is located, during use, essentially on the lower side of the scaphoid bone of the user's wrist. Covering this relatively small area greatly reduces the extent of fractures and immobilization, which often results from the impact of a carrier against a surface, for example during a fall from a motorcycle.

In another secondary aspect, any chamber in a section of the glove above the wrist crease is primarily empty during conventional use of the glove, and at least one adjacent chamber protrudes beyond any of said chambers above the wrist crease. , so that after impact fluid flows from the chamber adjacent to the chamber in the glove section above the wrist crease.

This configuration is particularly advantageous since it combines, in a particularly unconventional way, ergonomic and protective properties.

In another secondary aspect, a chamber with pressure fluid and control means adapted to release said fluid under pressure upon impact is disclosed, so that the fluid fills a protective chamber.

This aspect allows a rapid expansion of the protective zone without hindering the movements of the wearer during conventional use.

In another secondary aspect, a single chamber protrudes from the glove, essentially on the palm and / or wrist and is essentially triangular seen in cross section.

This configuration will allow the protection zone to extend rapidly to a wide area and facilitate the transfer of impact force from the wrist and / or palm area to the user's forearm. Transferring force from the wrist to the area of the forearm can force the forearm and even fracture the forearm. However, any of these fractures can heal relatively quickly in the face of the more complex recovery that would follow the fracture of, say, a carpal bone.

In another secondary aspect, the walls of the chamber or of each chamber are elastic enough for the chamber

or each camera, stretch after the impact on the area to be protected. This configuration allows the cameras to be relatively unobtrusive, while offering enhanced protection during impact.

In another secondary aspect, during conventional use, the fluid is mainly contained in the forearm area, and after extending the hand, the circulation of fluid from the forearm to the palm glove and / or wrist areas is achieved. One of the advantages of this provision is that the forearm itself can be protected as well as the critical areas of the palm and / or wrist of the glove when the hand is extended. Another advantage of this arrangement is evident when the wearer grabs objects such as the handlebar of a motorcycle, because in such a mode of operation under the pressure of the grip, the fluid is retained mainly in the area of the forearm to thus allow an unlimited precise grip of objects.

In another secondary aspect, the fluid circulates from each chamber to an adjacent chamber through limiting means. This allows a gradual absorption of force throughout the duration of the impact. Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 shows a schematic view, in

perspective, from the bottom side of a right glove,

according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 represents, in a perspective view, the

lower side of the right glove, according to a second

realization.

Figure 3 shows a schematic view in

perspective, from the bottom side of the right glove,

according to a third embodiment.

Figure 4 represents a sectional view

transverse, through areas of reduced friction

of the glove.

Figure 5 shows the bottom side of a glove

left in a perspective view, according to a fourth

embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 shows the bottom side of a glove

left in a perspective view, according to a fifth

realization.

Figure 7 represents a schematic view in

perspective, from the bottom side of a left glove,

according to a sixth embodiment. Detailed description of the figures

Figure 1 shows a protective glove, in general with reference -1-, comprising an upper side -2- (visible only partially in the drawing) and a lower side -3-, the glove having covers such as the cover - 4-, with four fingers scrollable separately and the thumb.

The glove -1- can be divided approximately into three general zones; the zone -5- of the fingers, the zone -6- of the palm and the zone -7- of the wrist. On part of the palm area and the lower side of the wrist area, two protective elements -8- and -9- are provided. The friction coefficient of the area -5- of the fingers can be equivalent, for example, to that of the leather normally used in motorcycle clothing. By contrast, the coefficient of friction of the protective elements -8- and -9- will be selected by those skilled in the art to be considerably less, at least, than the coefficient of friction of the area -5- of the fingers, so that when the user is thrown to a surface with his arms extended, the impact force normally transmitted mainly to the area of the palm and wrist of the glove can be reduced and even transferred in fact to the wearer's forearm.

The protective elements -8- and -9- are composed of fiber materials that are oriented in the direction of the forearm. While this construction is especially advantageous, other materials are contemplated within the scope of the present invention, and these can be used by a person skilled in the art to design the glove. An especially useful material is considered to be a rigid PVC or a nylon. Other reduced friction materials may be a metal such as titanium, silicon, silicon copolymers, silicon elastomers, polytetrafluoroethylene, homopolymers, graphites, boron, polypropylene and / or polyethylene. It is also contemplated the use of a material that has a reduced coefficient of friction similar to the previous materials, but that is deformable enough to allow the wearer to use the glove conventionally without a noticeable limitation.

Returning to the specific description of Figure 1, advantageously, the typical friction coefficient of the material of the protective element with the average road surface will be below 0.5.

The position of the protective elements -8- and -9- and their shape are selected to improve the ergonomics of the glove. The protective elements -8- and -9- are, in general, C-shaped with a separation -10- located between the protective elements -8-and -9-, so that movements around the movement are not prevented at all. wrist crease.

The geometry of the protective element -8- is designed to cover, in general, the scaphoid and semilunar bones of the user's carpal. The protective element 9 is designed to cover the inner region of the last metacarpal bone, which may also be subject to fracture in a conventional glove.

Figure 2 shows a glove -11- with a protective element -12- of shock absorption, which may be located below protective elements -8- and -9- of reduced friction of the glove -1-. The protective element -12- is constituted by two chambers -13- and -14- of fluid containment, which correspond in size to the protective elements -8- and -9- of the glove -1-. The fluid contained in the chambers -13- and -14- can have a high viscosity being, for example, a silicon gel. The walls of the chambers -13- and -14- can be elastic in general to stretch, preferably without breaking in most of the load conditions under impact. Another chamber -15- may be located between chambers -13- and -14-, and designed to be empty of fluid during normal use. The walls -16- and -17 can be adapted to allow the passage of fluid from the chambers -13- and -14- to the chamber -15- in an impact, being sufficiently closed during the conventional use of the glove to effectively prevent said fluid passage. This last feature of the glove allows it to be particularly ergonomic while being protective enough.

Figure 3 shows a glove -18- with a single protective element of reduced friction that covers the carpal region and the inner part of the metacarpal region of the user's hand, when inserted into the glove. The protective element -19- incorporates a matrix of fibers that cross each other to form a mesh-like structure.

The protective element -19- may be integral with the glove or may be constructed to be detachable from the glove if suitable detachable coupling means are provided between the protective element and the main body of the glove. These removable coupling elements can be selected by one skilled in the art from known alternatives.

Figure 4 shows a cross section -20- of a glove similar to the gloves presented in Figure 1 and Figure 2, following the section line essentially a line through the protective elements of reduced friction, located on a protective element of absorption. There are two protective elements -21-and -22-of reduced friction from which fibrous elements such as the so-called -23- protrude, and are designed to achieve a reduced coefficient of friction on a typical road surface schematically illustrated and called -24-. The glove wraps a waterproof layer -25- that can be selected by the person skilled in the art to be of the breathable type. Above the friction protective elements -21- and -22-, a protective element -26- is disposed inside the layer -25-. The protective absorption element 26 can incorporate a single chamber or, alternatively, incorporate a series of identical cameras to those presented with reference to Figure 2, and in which the separation of the wrist crease can be filled by fluid after impact on the surface of the road.

Further towards the receiving chamber -28- of the hand of the glove, a thermal layer -29- of standard type is provided.

Figure 4 also shows schematically, inside the glove, the position of the scaphoid bone -30- as well as the semilunar bone -31- and the lower area of another member -32- of the wrist.

Figure 5 represents a glove -33- with a single chamber -35- extending from the area of the forearm -34- of the glove to the tips of the areas -36- of the fingers of the glove.

The walls of the chamber -35- and the properties of the fluid -38- are combined so that, when the user holds the handlebar of the motorcycle, the fluid contained inside the chamber -35- migrates, under the action of grip, towards the area -34- of the forearm. When the handlebar grip is released, such as when the arms are extended during a fall, the fluid tends to flow into the wrist and palm area of the glove, as shown by the arrow -37-, to absorb thus, at least in part, the force of the impact.

In addition, when protective elements of reduced friction are disposed on the palm or wrist of the user, the impact force will be reduced and will tend to deviate towards the forearm, which may also be protected by the lower region of the chamber -35-.

Figure 6 illustrates another embodiment of the invention, in which a glove -39- incorporates a single chamber -40- protruding from the glove and is generally triangular in cross-sectional view. This configuration is especially advantageous since it increases the area over which the impact forces extend, and therefore will reduce the pressure exerted on a given bone.

Figure 7 shows a glove -41- that incorporates in the forearm area a chamber -42- that can contain a pressurized fluid. The chamber fluid -42- can be released to the channel -43- and the impact absorption section -44-, after an impact, when the appropriate control means (not illustrated in the figure) orders the chamber to open - 42-.

The chamber -42- can be provided with an inlet valve (not illustrated in the figure) through which air can be pumped by the user, or other appropriate fluid selected by the person skilled in the art, to the chamber through of conventional means, and retained therein. This last feature would allow the glove holder to individually adjust the properties of the camera.

The impact absorption part of the glove of any appropriate embodiment described above may advantageously incorporate a part of one or more chambers occupied by a first fluid, which works in conjunction with a second part of one or more chambers occupied by a second fluid, being selected the second fluid so that during the impact, when the first fluid is caused to move along with the second fluid, the second fluid is compressed so that, when the force of the impact ceases to be applied, the second fluid tends to return the first fluid to its position prior to impact. This can be achieved, for example, by the second fluid being air and the first fluid being relatively less understandable, such as a gel.

Claims (9)

1. Glove (1, 11, 20, 33, 39, 41) for the protection of the user's wrist when it hits a surface, suitable for use on a motorcycle; said glove having an upper side and a lower side, comprising:

•

an area (5) of the fingers, the outermost surface of the lower side of said glove having a first coefficient of friction relative to a surface of the road; said first coefficient of friction being of the same level as that achieved by the leather typically used in motorcycle gloves;

•

an area of the palm (6); Y

• a wrist area (7); characterized in that said glove incorporates a first protective element (8) with a second coefficient of friction relative to the surface of the road; said second friction coefficient being less than said first friction coefficient, to reduce any force transmitted to the user's wrist on impact; the exposed surface area of said first protective element (8) being with said second coefficient of friction, located on the scaphoid bone of the wearer.

2.

Glove (1, 11, 20, 33, 39, 41), according to claim 1, wherein said glove incorporates a second protective element (9) that covers a different surface of the glove located on the lower zone of the last zone metacarpal bone of a carrier.

3.

Glove (1, 11, 20, 33, 39, 41), according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said protective element (8) respectively incorporates said first and said second protective element (8, 9) incorporating fibrous material with fibers; generally extending the fibers in the direction of the forearm.

Four.

Glove (1, 11, 20, 33, 39, 41), according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein said first protective element (8) respectively incorporates said first and second protective element (8, 9) incorporating material of polyethylene.

5.

Glove (1, 11, 20, 33, 39, 41), according to any of claims 1 and 2, wherein said first element

protector (8) is respectively said first and second protective elements (8, 9) that are made of rigid PVC material or nylon material.

6.

Glove (1, 11, 20, 33, 39, 41), according to claim 2, comprising a gap (10) located between said first and second protective elements (8, 9) corresponding to the fold of the wearer's wrist, where the protective elements (8, 9) generally have a C shape.

7.

Glove (1, 11, 20, 33, 39, 41) according to claim 1, wherein said first protective element (8, 19) has a C-shape in a plan view.

8.

Glove (1, 11, 20, 33, 39, 41), according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one chamber (13, 14, 26) that can be filled with fluid corresponding to each protective element, and which It is located below said protective elements.

9.

Glove (1, 11, 20, 33, 39, 41) according to claim 6, further comprising a chamber (15) in a section of the glove located above the wrist crease; and two adjacent chambers (13, 14) that contain fluid; and wherein said chamber (15) of the wrist crease is mainly empty while riding a motorcycle, and after an impact fluid flows from said adjacent chambers (13, 14) to said chamber (15) of the wrist crease .