FR2594653A1 - Method and devices for protecting individuals following an accident and against the cold - Google Patents

Abstract

Method and devices for protecting individuals following an accident and against the cold. The invention relates to a method and devices (clothing elements) protecting the body principally of sportsmen or professionals exposed to accidents, ensuring, in a complementary manner, protection against the cold and, optionally, a reduction in the effects of gravity. This result is obtained by means of a layer of air or of gas, compressed between two flexible walls of the garment, or of a protective garment element, used independently, or in combination with a conventional garment.

Description

 ls increasingly popular practice of amateur or professional sports, or the exercise of certain trades presenting risks cues of bruises, fractures or others due to violent shocks, or falls, Dose the problem of the protection of the anatomy people against trauma.

-In particular for winter sports, trauma protection must be complemented by effective thermal protection.

In addition, in the case of nautical sports or trades, the navi gaveur6 must be fitted with devices ensuring buoyancy
in the event of an accident.

Kidney pain and in general the problems linked to a deficiency of the spine force many people to wear sheaths when playing sports or traveling by car.

The known means for ensuring the protections mentioned above are by way of example: - Plastic or other helmets for motorcycle-cyclists, skiers, mountaineers or hockey players.

Padded winter sports clothing providing a certain thermal insulation, sometimes supplemented by partial reinforcements in synthetic foam, to protect exposed members in the event of a fall or impact.

- Sailors' lifejackets filled with expanded products.

- Baléées sheaths to support the kidneys.

These devices have the following shortcomings or drawbacks - Insufficient mechanical protection, since the forces developed during a shock concentrated on the surface of the impact are considerable.

If the protective surface is rigid, e.g. ex. even a helmet fitted internally, the shock barely absorbed is still passed on to the head.

In the case of a flexible protection (foam or similar), with a reasonable thickness, the shock is slightly absorbed, but it is still strongly reflected on the limb to be protected and the numerous fractures and bruises during winter sports show the very reduced effectiveness of this kind of protection.

20 - To ensure a minimum of anatomical protection in the case of winter sports clothing, large thicknesses of flexible products would be required, superimposed on that of the already thick quilted fabric to provide thermal protection, increasing in an ineligible manner , the clothes spreader.

sar elsewhere, these flexible protective products age ra
Didation losing their qualities of flexibility.

 - - The lifejackets of sailors often exposed to shocks and bruises, in particular on sailing boats, do not constitute trauma protection, moreover because of their bulk hindering movements, we hesitate to wear them.

40 - The sheathed or other sheaths support the spine but in the event of a shock, the latter is fully passed on to the body and does not protect in the event of a car accident, for example.

The present invention comprises a process and devices for remedying the shortcomings and drawbacks mentioned above by replacing the known anatomical and thermal protection layers with a layer of compressed air with adjustable flexibility or another gas contained between two flexible walls formed generally by air-impermeable fabrics, and which we will call a "shield".

In fact, a shield with a spread thickness came out at least 3 to 4 times better a shock than a single layer of flexible and compressible material currently used.

Indeed, during a catch against the shield, the latter rebounds and thus avoids the impact on the member to be protected with the solid, cause of the shock, p. ex. during a car accident, fall on a rock or shock between two skiers.

Note that unlike the known devices, in the case of the shield, the force exerted during the impact is not concentrated on the surface of the impact but is distributed immediately due to the relative incompressibility of the air, over a large surface, ensuring excellent damping.

Likewise, the air layer of the shield is a good thermal insulator making it possible to reduce or even replace the mattress layer of clothing, without exhibiting the phenomenon of aging.

Furthermore, by more or less inflating the shield, the desired flexibility is obtained over a well-defined region of the body.

The shield can be completed with an additional insulating layer, such as felt and aluminum foil, or any other thin insulating material.

 By replacing the air contained in the Tar shield, a very damaging gas, such as gelius, the effect of gravity is reduced, reducing the effort to be provided by an athlete and also allowing increased performance in races, jumps or other exercises. .

In this case, there is no valve, the gas filling orifice being sealed.

Finally, the invention provides - An anatomical and thermal protection which is very effective under a small thickness, not presenting the phenomenon of aging.

- Effective anatomical protection of people particularly exposed to shocks and accidents in general, such as skiers, motorcyclists, motor racers or mountaineers, by a garment comprising the shield enveloping most of the body, forming a real protective shell.

- Anatomical protection ensuring at the same time a certain buoyancy in the case of the use of the shields by navigators.

- Adjustable flexibility of the shield adapted to the members to be protected.

- Reduced weight.

Low volume that can be further reduced for transport, for example, by deflating the shield.

- Decrease in physical effort and increase in performance cn replacing the shield air with helium.

EXECUTION FORCES, for example: 10 - Complete independent garment comprising the air shield over its entire surface, fitted with one or more inflation devices, corresponding to well-defined sections - Fig. I - 2 and 3
Fig I- represents the entire protective clothing.

Fig 2- section along I-I - 1 and the, the flexible walls.

Fig 3- is the section along Il-Il; 1 and 1 a being the flexible walls, 2 the inflation valve and 3 the closure.

 29 -: same as under N I, but the air shield limited to certain surfaces only and corresponding to the parts of the body to be protected in a particular way, the rest of the garment having a single wall Fig. 4 - 5 - 6 and 7.

Fig.4 shows the entire protective clothing.

 Fig. 5 section along III-III; 1 and 1 has flexible walls.

 Fi.6 section following IV-IV; 1 and 1 have flexible walls, 2 the valve, and 5 the closure.

Fig 7 section along V-V, the flexible walls being 1 and 1 a.

 39 - Air shield elements constituting the complementary part of another garment and preferably secured inside the latter. fig. from b to 13 inclusive show a garment in 2 nieces.

Fig. S - represents the whole of the upper part of the combined garment.

Fig. 9 - the cut according to VI-VI - 1-conventional clothing - 2 double-walled shield.

Fig. IO- section following Vil-Vil; l-being conventional clothing.

2-the shield; 3-the closure and 4-the inflation device.

Fig.ll - the entire lower part of the combined garment
Fig. I2 - section along VIII-VIII, with-1; conventional clothing 2, the shield; 3, -closure and -4, -the inflation device.

Fig. I5 - section along IX-IX; 1, -conventional clothing and 2-shield.

40 - Independent air shield elements with their inflation devices and adjustable fasteners to be used as, or secured inside a garment, by any conventional means, such as the "VELCRO" system as example.

 In the latter case, the elements to be shielded, comprise "VELCRO" bands and are supplied with counter-bands to be fixed on the garment, so as to secure the shield by simple pressure on the vertically.

Example: independent shield, leg protector. Fig I4 and 15.

Fig. I4 - assembly of the protective shield rig. I5 - section along X-X; 1 simple flexible wall i 2, shield a-inflation device and 4, closure.

50 - Helmet protecting the head and neck, with adjustable J'ig. I6 and 17
Fig. 16 - Helmet with valve l and clip 2
Fig. 17 - section along XI-XI; with shield and conventional rigid exterior 4-shell.

 6. - Partitions or ribs connecting the 2 walls of the air shield, provide the necessary rigidity against deformation. This arrangement is applicable to the different kinds of shield mentioned under L0 - 2nd - 30 - 40 - 50 above.

A kidney shield is shown as an example according to Figs. It and I9.

These partitions do not, however, extend over the entire height or width of the corresponding element and allow communication between the portions to be inflated by the same device.

Fig IS - shows the entire protective shield with valve l and closure 2.

Fig. I9 - section along XII-XII, with-l, vertical partitioning, extending only along the dotted line in Fig. 18, allowing the assembly to be inflated by the same inflation device 1.

The flexible walls of the air shield, are made of elastic rubberized fabric, synthetic fabric reinforced with neoprene, or any other material impermeable to air.

The air shield is inflated by known means such as a valve and a small bicycle-like pump, or by pumps integrated in the shield, such as those of inflatable boats, or by simple tubing with an attached plug for gulping. by mouth.

It is understood that the above embodiments are not limiting and that other variants can be envisaged on the principle of the invention.

Claims (1)

I -Waterproof double-walled clothing in one or more pieces, the space between the walls being filled with a light gas, characterized in that it comprises means for being filled with a light gas under pressure at the time its manufacture. 20-Double-walled clothing according to revenication N I  characterized in that it is equipped with valves  light gas filling corresponding to each of the  pieces of clothing, these valves being sealed after  filling with gas, allowing even injection  subsequent only by an appointed supplier.