FR2797153A1 - Knee protector esp for persons working mainly in kneeling position has miniature moulded pads on both sides of flexible membrane - Google Patents

Abstract

The knee protector (1), made from a moulded synthetic foam material, has a series of miniature cushions (4) in rows on both sides of a flexible membrane (2). The cushions are in the shape of truncated pyramids with rounded tips, measuring between 0.5 and 2 cm high and having bases with sides of between 0.5 and 1.5 cm. The cushions on one side of the protector, especially in the middle, can be lower than the remainder.

Description

The present invention relates to a protection plate intended to protect a part of the human body, and more particularly a generally rectangular plate, made of flexible synthetic material, having on at least one of its faces grooves delimiting cushions hinged together in parallel directions. or not at the edges of the plate.

Such a plate has already been described in the French patent application No. 99I10276.

This protection plate is intended to protect essentially the joints, such as knees or elbows, members of people working in support of these joints repeatedly.

A station kneeling, prolonged and repetitive causes disorders that can lead to the formation of hygroma of the knee, a disease that results in inflammation of the bursae of the knee.

The treatment of this disease may require surgery.

It is therefore essential to provide people working in a kneeling position, such as tilers, plumbers, roofers, carpet installers, knee protection.

This is why knee pads, intended to be inserted into pockets at the knees of professional clothing such as pants, suits or bib shorts, have already been of a patent application WO-A-94 18861. The plates presented in this document comprise a smooth face and a bumpy face. The smooth face is directed towards the knee, while the bumpy face is directed towards the ground when the user is in kneeling position. However, this type of plate has disadvantages - irreversibility; - difficult to adapt to other parts of the body than the knee; - lack of flexibility, malleability; - poor knee adhesion; - asymmetry hence the need to correctly place the plate to be effective.

According to a first aspect, the subject of the invention is a protective plate of flexible material, intended to protect a part of the human body, comprising a flexible membrane having on one of its two faces soft cushions molded in one piece. with said membrane, the pads being separated from each other by interstices, characterized in that the other face of the flexible membrane also comprises flexible pads molded integrally with the membrane.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the pads are delimited by grooves substantially parallel to the sides of the plate of generally rectangular shape.

According to one embodiment of the invention, at least some pads have a truncated pyramid shape.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the vertices of the pyramid trunks are substantially rounded.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the half-angle at the top of the pyramid trunks is between substantially 1 and 10.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the height of the pads is between substantially 0.5 and 2 cm.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the pads are truncated pyramids with a square base whose side length is between substantially 0.5 and 1.5 cm. According to one embodiment of the invention, the pads have different heights at at least one of the two faces of the plate. According to one embodiment of the invention, the pads of the central portion of at least one of the faces of the plate have a lower height than the other pads.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the pads of an area offset from the central zone of at least one of the faces of the plate have a height less than that of the other pads.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the protection plate comprises pads of lesser height at least one row and / or at least one column of at least one of the faces of said plate.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the point of intersection of at least one column and one row is located in the middle zone of the upper part of at least one of the faces of said plate.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the protective plate is made of a synthetic foam material selected from ethylene vinyl acetate, silicones and polyurethanes.

According to a second aspect, the subject of the invention is the use of a protection plate as described above to protect joints, such as the knee or the elbow, of members of a user.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the pads of lower height are applied vis-à-vis the articulation of the user to protect.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the plate is applied to the part of the body to be protected and held in place by fixing means. Other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent in the description which follows and in the examination of the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a top view of a protection plate according to a first embodiment of the invention. ; FIG. 2 is a side view of the row R2 of the protection plate of FIG. 1 along the arrow A of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a side view of the column C2 of the protection plate of FIG. 1 along the arrow B of FIG. 1; - Figure 4 is a side view of the row R2 of the protective plate of Figure 1 in curved position; - Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of the use of the protection plate according to the invention at the knee of the user in the working position; FIG. 6 is a side view of the row R2 in another curved position of the protection plate of FIG. 1; - Figure 7 is a schematic illustration of the use of the protection plate according to the invention at the elbow of the user in the working position; FIG. 8 is a view from above of a protection plate according to another embodiment of the invention; FIG. 9 is a side view of the row R2 of the protection plate of FIG. 8 along arrow C; FIG. 10 is a profile view of the column C2 of the protection plate of FIG. 8 along arrow D; - Figure 11 is a side view of the row R2 of the protective plate of Figure 8 in curved position; A protection plate 1 according to the invention comprises a flexible membrane 2 and two faces 3 on either side of said membrane 2.

The faces 3 of the protective plate 1 comprise a boss which may be in the form of pads 4 of regular or irregular shape and / or variable or invariable dimensions.

The pads 4 are separated from each other by gaps 5. The membrane 2 constitutes the bottom of the interstices and serves as a support for the boss. According to one embodiment of the invention, shown in Figure 1, the boss on each side of the plate 1 to the appearance of a waffle mold with pads 4 of substantially invariable dimensions.

The pads 4 of the plate 1 serve, inter alia - to increase the contact surface between the joint and the plate 1 in order to limit the pressure exerted on the joint when it bears on a hard surface in position user work 6; to increase the malleability of the plate 1.

The membrane 2 and the pads 4 are molded in one piece at the same time.

For the purpose of simplification, the description below will describe a protection plate 1 according to the invention intended to protect a knee, knowing that this use is not limiting.

The top and bottom of the plate, respectively, will be referred to as the portion 1a of the plate 1 which faces the upper part of the knee 7a and the part 1c of the plate 1 which is facing screw of the lower knee 7c of a user 6 when the latter is standing and carries such a plate held at the knee 7.

The central part of the plate is the part 1b of the plate which extends between the upper part 1a and the lower part of the plate 1 and which faces the central part of the knee 7b of a user 6 when the patient is standing up and has such a plate held at the level of the knee 7.

The bottom, center and top of the plate 1 therefore correspond to parts 1a, 1b, 1c of the plate extending along the direction indicated by the arrow Y in FIGS. 8 and 10.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of the invention in which the plate 1, seen from above, is substantially rectangular with a small side 2a at the top 1a and a small side 2c at the bottom 1c of the plate 1. The two large lateral sides 2b are substantially perpendicular to the short sides 2a and 2c.

The two small sides 2a and 2c, of substantially identical length, are substantially parallel to the direction indicated by the arrow X.

The two large lateral sides 2b, of substantially identical length, are substantially parallel to the direction indicated by the arrow Y.

In this embodiment, the portion of the membrane 2 of the upper part 1a of the plate is substantially rounded.

The boss of the protection plate 1, shown in Figure 1, is regular. It consists of pads 4 succeeding in rows Rx and Cy columns. According to Figure 1, the plate 1 has - rows Rx with x between 1 and 10; R1 designating the row of pads 4, adjacent the small high side 2a of the protection plate 1 and R10 designating the row of pads 4, adjacent to the small bottom side 2c of the protection plate 1; columns Cy with y between 1 and 4; C1 designating the two pillar columns 4, adjacent to the long lateral sides 2b of the protection plate 1 and C4 designating the two pillar columns 4, adjacent to the plane of symmetry P2 of the protection plate 1.

The central zone of the plate 1 extends from the upper part 1a to the lower part 1c through the central part 1b of the plate 1. The plane P2 passes through this central zone which comprises the pillar columns Cy 4 and the grooves 5b of columns in the vicinity of the plane P2.

The number of rows Rx is generally greater than the number of columns Cy.

The rows Rx are substantially parallel to the direction indicated by the arrow X and the columns Cy are substantially parallel to the direction indicated by the arrow Y.

The rows Rx and the columns Cy are separated, respectively, by row grooves 5a and by column grooves 5b, grooves of depth h.

The row grooves 5a, separating two successive rows Rx and R (x + 1), are substantially parallel to each other and to the direction indicated by the arrow X. The column grooves 5b, separating two successive columns Cy and C (y + 1), are substantially parallel to each other and to the direction indicated by the arrow Y. The pads 4, shown in FIGS. 1 to 11, are in the form of a truncated pyramid with a square base of height h extending from the base of the pyramid to the top 12 of the truncated pyramid 4. The height h truncated pyramid 4 is substantially parallel to the direction indicated by the arrow Z.

The half-angle at the top 12 of the truncated pyramid 4 may be between substantially 1 and substantially 10, and in particular be of the order of 3. The boss of the faces 3 of the protection plate 1, shown in Figure 1, is symmetrical in a plane P1 in which the membrane 2 of the protection plate 1 when it is placed on a flat surface.

The plate 1 having a regular boss on both sides 3 has the advantage - to be able to be worn indifferently, the upper part 1a or the lower part 1c with respect to the upper part 7a or low 7c of the knee 7 of a user 6 standing up; - to be able to be reversible.

Figures 5 and 7 show a protection plate, according to the invention, which can be used to protect the knee joint 7 or the elbow 8. This plate 1 can be maintained in relation to the knee 7 or the elbow 8 by inserting said plate 1 into a pocket 9 integrated in the workwear 10, for example.

On the other hand, Figures 4 and 5 show the protection plate 1 in the curved position in contact with a curved surface.

The curved surface SCa of FIG. 4 represents the curved surface of the knee 7 of a user 6 in the kneeling position, as represented in FIG. 5. When the user 6 is wearing a protection plate 1 at the knee 7, according to the invention, kneels, the plate 1 passes from a flat position, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, to a curved position. The protection plate 1 then undergoes a curvature of its lateral edges 2b according to the arrows C, as shown in FIG. 4, for example. The curved surface SCb of FIG. 6 represents the curved surface of a bend 8 of an arm 11 in flexion as represented in FIG. 7.

When the user 6 carrying a protection plate 1 at the elbow 8 flexes the arm 11, the protection plate 1 moves from a flat position as shown in Figure 1 to a curved position by bending the lateral edges 2b of the protection plate 1 according to the arrows D, as shown in Figure 6, for example.

The radius of curvature ra of the knee 7, shown in FIG. 4, is greater than the radius of curvature rb of the elbow 8, represented in FIG. 6.

Two truncated pyramids 4 are called successive, when they are part of the same row Rx or a same column Cy and they are separated by the same groove 5a or 5b.

The edges, facing each other, with vertices 12 of successive pyramid trunks 4, can touch each other and thus come into contact.

This contacting depends on the importance of the curvature of the plate 1. The protection plate 1 of Figure 6 has reached its maximum degree of curvature. All the edges, vis-à-vis, vertices 12 of truncated pyramids 4 successive, forming part of the face in direct contact with the curved surface, touch.

The degree of curvature is related to the curved surface to be protected as well as to the radius of curvature.

According to the direction of curvature of the protective plate 1, it is the edges, vis-à-vis, successive pads 4 of the same row Rx and / or the edges, vis-à-vis pads 4 successive Cy of the same column that can come into direct contact depending on the importance of curvature. The presence of the boss on both sides 3 of the protective plate 1 and the truncated pyramid shape 4 of the boss has the advantage of making the plate 1 more malleable, more flexible and allow a degree of bending.

The spacing e is the gap between the edges, vis-à-vis, two vertices of successive pyramid trunks forming part of the face in direct contact with the curved surface.

The spacing e 'is the distance between the edges, facing each other, of two vertices 12 of successive pyramid trunks 4 forming part of face 3 opposite face 3 in direct contact with the curved surface.

Figures 4 and 6 show the difference in spacing.

In FIG. 4, the edges, facing each other, of the vertices 12 of two successive pyramid truncates 4 and belonging to the face 3 in direct contact with the curved surface, do not touch each other, while they touch each other. in Figure 6. The spacing e of Figure 4 is greater than the spacing e of Figure 6. The spacing e 'of Figure 4 is smaller than the spacing e' of Figure 6. The spacing e successive pairs of pyramid trunks 4 may have a different numerical value within the same plate 1. It is the same for the spacing e '.

The numerical value of the height h of the pads 4 may be variable at a single face 3 of the plate 1, or even at the two faces 3 of the plate 1.

FIGS. 8 to 11 show another embodiment of protection plate 1, according to the invention, comprising pads 4 in the form of pyramid trunks of different heights on both sides 3 of said plate 1. Some truncated pyramids 4 have a height h, while the others have a height h 'of numerical value lower than that of h. One or more columns Cy, chosen from the group of C1 to C4, as well as one or more rows Rx, chosen from the group of R1 to R10, may comprise pyramid truncks 4 of height h '.

In FIGS. 8 to 11, the pyramid trunks 4 of the columns C4 and the rows R3 and R4 have a height h '.

The point of intersection of the columns Cy and Rx rows comprises one or more pyramid trunks 4 of lower height h 'at which the articulation of the user's member 6 will bear when the user 6 of the plate 1 is in working position.

The height differences of the pads 4 may be of the order of 5 mm.

The height of the pads 4 conditions the comfort of a protective plate 1 by creating a cushioning effect of the joint, plus said height is important.

The height must obviously not be too important for practical reasons, but it must nevertheless be sufficient to ensure a sufficient margin of overload both in static mode and in dynamic mode in order to preserve, in the latter case, the effectiveness of the pads 4 during the knees of the user 6.

The protection plate 1 may be made of a material chosen from ethylene vinyl acetate, silicones, polyurethanes and others. Other polymers may be employed as long as they have a sufficiently low compression hysteresis.

They must also have low heat hysteresis. The plate 1 must indeed not lose its properties of flexibility and comfort to heat. This question is important for a welder, for example, working in a tank, his knees 7 resting on the hot metal of said tank or in the case of hot washing of the plate 1.

The invention has the advantages of offering a protection plate 1 - reversibility; symmetry according to a plane P1 from which simplification in manufacture and use; Flexibility in flexion allowing the plate 1 to conform to the shape of the articulation with the minimum of stress on the limb comprising said articulation; - Increasing the contact area between the joint and the plate 1 to limit the pressure on the joint in the work situation.

Claims (16)

1. Protective plate (1) of flexible material, intended to protect a part of the human body, comprising a flexible membrane (2) having on one of its two faces (3) flexible pads (4) molded of a single piece with said membrane (2), the pads (4) being separated from each other by gaps (5), characterized in that the other face (3) of the flexible membrane (2) also comprises pads ( 4) flexible molded in one piece with the membrane (2). 2. Protection plate (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the pads (4) are delimited by grooves (5a, 5b) substantially parallel to the sides (2a, 2b, 2c) of the plate (1). generally rectangular shape. 3. Protection plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least some pads (4) have a truncated pyramid shape. 4. Protection plate (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the vertices (12) of the truncated pyramid (4) are substantially rounded. 5. Protection plate (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the half-angle (a) at the top (12) of the truncated pyramid (4) is between substantially 1 and 10. 6. Protection plate (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the height (h) of the pads (4) is between substantially 0.5 and 2 cm. 7. Protection plate (1) according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the pads (4) are truncated pyramid with a square base whose length of the sides is between substantially 0.5 and 1, 5 cm. 8. Protection plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pads (4) have different heights (h, h ') at at least one of the two faces (3). ) of the plate (1). 9. Protective plate (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the pads (4) of the central portion (1b) of at least one of the faces (3) of the plate (1) have a height (h ') less than that (h) of the other bearings (4). 10. Protection plate (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the pads (4) of a zone offset from the central zone of at least one of the faces (3) of the plate (1) have a height (h ') lower than that (h) of the other pads (4). 11. Protection plate (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises pads (4) of lesser height (h ') at at least one row (Rx) and / or at the level of at least one column (Cy) of at least one of the faces (3) of said plate (1). Protective plate (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the point of intersection of at least one column (Cy) and a row (Rx) is located in the central zone of the upper part (1a). at least one of the faces (3) of said plate (1). 13. Protection plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made of a synthetic foam material selected from ethylene vinyl acetate, silicones and polyurethanes. 14. Use of a protection plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims for protecting joints, such as knee (7) or elbow (8), from limbs of a user (6). 15.Use of a protective plate (1) according to one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that the pads (4) of lower height (h ') are applied vis-à-vis the joint of the user (6) to be protected. 16. Use according to one of the preceding claims of a protection plate (1), characterized in that said plate (1) is applied on the part of the body to be protected and held in place by fastening means.