GB2500675A

GB2500675A - First aid footwear package

Info

Publication number: GB2500675A
Application number: GB1205584.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gary Crawford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-03-29
Filing date: 2012-03-29
Publication date: 2013-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 2032-03-29
Also published as: GB201205584D0; GB2500675B

Abstract

A package to be secured under the lacing (3, figure 3) of a boot comprises a knife storage portion adapted so that when fastened by the lacing of the boot, the knife storage portion can be accessed without obstruction from the laces. A preferably hooked knife 6 is secured in said knife storage portion and can be used to cut the laces if the boot needs to be removed quickly in the event of an injury. The package may comprise an elongate strip of fabric 1 folded about a medial portion to envelop the knife. Opposing ends of the strip may have a handle, preferably formed of cord or shock cord loops 13, to facilitate use of the package as a sling. The loops may be provided with separable fasteners to attach the loops to the strip and to separate the loops from the strip to facilitate their use as a tourniquet.

Description

A FIRST AID FOOTWEAR PACKAGE

Technical field

[001] The present invention is concerned with the provision of a package for first aid particularly an extreme environment footwear accessory to assist in first aid for lower limb, particularly foot injuries in the field.

Background art

[002] Injuries to the lower limbs, especially the foot are more common in extreme environments caused commonly by severe terrain, however a particularly common cause of lower limb injuries in recent years has been the improvised explosive device (lED). For obvious reasons military personnel are most commonly the victims of this type of injury. Prompt treatment of the injury requires the speedy removal of the footwear which is usually a boot. The speed at which the footwear should be removed, the condition of the victim and other circumstances make conventional unthreading of the boot laces too slow or uncomfortable. It is therefore the common practice to cut the boot lace.

Although the victim is likely to be carrying cutting implements, such as a pen knife, multi tool or military issue knife these are difficult to access quickly and in any event not well adapted to cutting boot laces.

[003] When the footwear has been removed and the injury assessed it is commonly desirable to apply a tourniquet if severe bleeding is evident. In other cases a common first aid treatment is to raise the leg.

[004] The present invention aims to provide a package which alleviates at least some of the technical problems discussed above.

Statement of invention

[005] Accordingly the present invention provides: a package adapted to be secured by a footwear fastening and having; a knife storage portion arranged to be accessed without obstruction from the fastening, a knife sheathed in said package whereby the fastening of said boot can be cut.

[006] Commonly the boot fastenings will be laces and the package is conveniently adapted to be secured under the fastenings. The knife storage portion may be provided by a portion of the package which is adapted to extend above the uppermost lace when secured to the boot. A convenient way to achieve this is to provide the package as an elongate strip of fabric a lower portion of which is received under the laces and is sized to be sited over the tongue of a boot. A portion of the strip is adapted to be secured extending above the uppermost lace of the boot. The materials and construction preferably provide a package which is flexible and elastic to conform to the shape of the boot without adversely impacting the comfort of the boot.

[007] Preferably the package is formed by folding an elongate strip of material about a medial fold to enclose the knife in the knife part. The opposing inner surfaces of the strip may be provided, at least partially, with complementary hook and loop fastening means to seal the opposing ends of the strip together. The opposing ends of the strip may be provided with handle parts, which may conveniently be formed from cord, shock cord or fabric. This allows the package to form a sling with handles to support and elevate a limb.

[008] The package may be provided with means to tourniquet a limb. The tourniquet may conveniently be provided by cord or shock cord which is normally removably fastened to the ends of the fabric strip.

[009] Preferably the knife has a hooked blade and is fastened to the strip by a press stud or other fastening means to allow for removal of the knife for use.

[010] Preferably the package conceals the knife under a flap. The flap may normally be secured closed by hook and loop fastening means.

[011] The invention may also include a boot wherein a package as previously described is incorporate in the tongue of the boot.

Brief description of the drawing

[012] An emergency footwear package embodying the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings, in which: Figure 1A is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the package in a closed condition; Figure 1 B is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the package in an opened condition; Figure 10 is a perspective view of a tourniquet part of the first embodiment; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a package according to the invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the package of the first embodiment secured to a combat boot; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the combat boot of figure 3 showing the use of the package to sever the boot laces; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the package in use as a sling to elevate a foot.

Figure 6A is a side elevation of a third embodiment of the invention; Figure 6B is a plan view of a third embodiment of the invention; and Figure 60 is a perspective view of the third embodiment.

Detailed description of the drawings

[013] Figures 1A and 1 B show a package formed from a strip of flexible webbing fabric 1, which is sized to fit unobtrusively under the laces 2, above the tongue 3 and uppers 4 of most military issue combat boots or similar civilian footwear.

To this end the package is. between 40mm and 80mm wide and between 200mm and 600 mm long. Preferably the package is between 50 and 60 mm wide and between 300mm and 500mm long to fit. In some varients of the package it may be provided with a sacrificial edge which can be trimmed by the end user to fit well between the uppers and tongue of a boot.

[014] A knife parts is formed in one end of the package to receive a knife 6 having a hooked blade 7 and a handle 8. The handle 8 is provided with separable fastening means which allow it to be separably fastened to an inside surface of the package. Fastening means may include hook and loop fabric fastening means or snap fasteners. In this example a strip of hook fabric 9 is secured to the inside of one end of the webbing strip while a complementary strip loop fabric is secured to the opposing obscured surface of the other end of the strip 1, so that when folded about a medial fold line 10 the hook and loop fabrics cooperate to secure the opposing ends of the strip 1 together.

[015] A first part of a snap lock buckle 11 is secured to one outer surface of the strip 1 at an upper end. The complementary part of the buckle 12 allows a length of shock cord 13 to be secured to the strip which can serve as a handle when the strip is used as a sling. By providing the loop of shock cord 13 with cam locks or similar devices for controlling its length it can readily serve as a tourniquet when separate from the strip 1. Means to prevent the cord 13 flapping during walking is provided. In this embodiment the means to prevent flapping is provided by a pouch 14 secured to the front of the strip'.

[016] Figure 2 shows a second embodiment generally similar to the first embodiment but instead of a separable tourniquet, shock cord 15 is stitched to the ends of the strip 1 to form handles useful when the package serves as a sling. A ribbon of fabric 16 forms a pocket to secure the shock cord handles.

[017] Either package may contain other useful material such as medical information 17 relating to the victim or general guidance.

[018] Figure 3 shows the package of the first embodiment secured under the laces of a combat boot so as to leave the knife part 5 extending above the top lace of the boot. The forward facing upper portion of the strip foims a flap 18. The flap 18 may be defined by a crease 19. The bottom of the package extends out from the under the lowermost lace.

[019] Figure 4 illustrates the use of the knife 6 extracted from the package to cut the laces on the boot of a victim.

[020] After cutting the laces 3 the boot is removed and the package used to form a sling whereby the victim's foot can readily be elevated.

[021] The third embodiment illustrated in figures 6A to 60 is fabricated from an elongate flexible plastics strip 1 folded about lateral fold 10. Towards the ends the strip is weakly bonded together along bond lines 19 which form a pocket 21 containing the knife 6. The knife 6 is therefore hermetically sealed into the package and protected from the environment until needed for use. The ends of the strip 1 are bonded at 24 above the pocket.

[022] A tear cut 22 is formed in the panel above the pocket 21. This can be gripped by a user so that a flap provided by a side panel 23 of the pocket 2lcan be torn along pre-formed lines of weakness adjacent the bond lines 19 to allow removal of the knife 6. This also allows the strip ito be opened into a closed loop as shown of figure 6C which can then serve as a foot sling as described in previous embodiments.

[023] The knife 6 is provided with a hooked blade 7 and a handle 8. In this case the blade presents only a single hook oriented longitudinally to allow the width of the package to be minimised. To allow the knife 6 to conform to the boot in use the handle 8 is made flexible as shown in figure 60. Conveniently the handle 8 includes an elongate cut out 20 to be engaged by a user's fingers and provide purchase when drawing the knife 8.

[024] Conveniently this embodiment can be made economically via simple plastics forming techniques. Careful selection of the plastics material will allow this embodiment to be both durable, flexible and compact and can readily be printed with any colour or pattern or information desired.

Claims

Claims 1. A package to be secured under the lacing of a boot and having; a knife storage portion adapted so that when fastened by the lacing of the boot the knife storage portion is disposed for access without obstruction from the laces, and a knife secured in said knife storage portion whereby the fastening of said boot can be cut.
2. A package according to claim 1 formed from an elongate strip of fabric folded about a medial portion to envelop the knife.
3. A package according to claim 2 wherein at least a part of each opposing surface of the strip is provided with complementary fabric hook and loop fastening to secure the opposing sides of the strip together.
4. A package according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the opposing ends of the strip have handle means to facilitate the use of the package as a sling.
5. A package according to claim 3 wherein the handle parts are formed of cord or shock cord loops.
6. A package according to claim 4 wherein the loops are provided with separable fastening means to attach the loops to the strip and to separate the loops from the strip to facilitate their use as a tourniquet.
7. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the knife has a hooked blade to facilitate cutting boot laces.
8. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the fabric strip forms a flap where it overlies the knife part, said flap being secured by means which can manually be torn open to access the knife for use.
9. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the knife is contained in an hermetically sealed pocket.
10. A package according to claim 8 wherein the strip is formed of plastics material folded and bonded together along bond lines to form the pocket.
11. A package according to claim 8 or 9 wherein the strip is bonded together at the end remote from the fold to form an endless loop useful as a sling.
12. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the knife is provided with a flexible handle so that the package can readily conform to the shape of a boot.
13. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the knife handle includes a cut out to facilitate handling.
14. A package according to claim 1 and as herein described with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings.AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED AS FOLLOWS1. A package lobe secured by the fastening of a boot and having; a knife storage portion adapted so that when the package is fastened by the fastening of the boot the knife storage portion is disposed for access without obstruction from the fastening, and a knife secured in said knife storage portion adapted for cutting the fastening of said boot.2. A package according to claim 1 formed from an elongate strip of fabric folded about a medial portion to envelop the knife.3. A package according 10 claim 2 wherein at least a pad of each opposing surface of the strip is provided with complementary fabric hook and loop C\i fastening to secure the opposing sides of the strip together.4. A package according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the opposing ends of the O strip have handle means to facilitate the use of the package as a sling.C') 5. A package according to claim 3 wherein the handle parts are formed of cord or shock cord loops.6. A package according to claim 5 wherein the loops are provided with separable fastening means to attach the loops to the strip and to separate the loops from the strip to facilitate their use as a tourniquet.7. A package according lo any one of the preceding claims wherein Ihe knife has a hooked blade to facilitate cutting the boot fastening.8. A package according 10 any one of claims 2 to 7 wherein Ihe fabric strip forms a flap where it overlies the knife part, said flap being secured by means which can manually be torn open to access the knife for use.9. A package according 10 any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein Ihe knife is contained in a hermetically sealed pocket.10. A package according to claim 8 wherein the strip is formed of plastics material folded and bonded together along bond lines to form the pocket.11. A package according to any one of claims 2 to 10 wherein the strip is bonded together at the end remote from the fold to form an endless loop useful as a sling.12. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the knife is provided with a flexible handle so that the package can readily conform to the shape of a boot.13. A package according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the knife has a handle including a cut out to facilitate handling.14. A package according to claim 1 and as herein described with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings. (1 r