IL122574A - Disposable sleeve particularly useful for protection of the arm against the sun's radiation - Google Patents

Abstract

A disposable protective sleeve particularly useful for the protection of the arm (4) against the sun's radiation, comprising a flexible opaque paper sheet (1) that is rolled to form a tubelike sheath or a ready made flexible opaque tubelike sheath and said sleeve is tightened or fastened in at least one place to the arm. 3145 ה' בכסלו התשס" ג - November 10, 2002

Description

nmj? ¾3D3 smm rmi ? TO W ¾rs in rmn Vr™ A DISPOSABLE PROTECTIVE SLEEVE PARTICULARLY USEFUL FOR PROTECTION OF THE ARM AGAINST THE SUN'S RADIATION Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to a disposable protective sleeve especially useful for protection of the arm against the sun's radiation. More specifically, the present invention relates to a disposable sleeve that is facilely donned on the arm for the purpose of protecting it from the sun's ultra violet (UV) radiation.

Background of the Invention Prolonged sunlight exposure results in increasing incidence of skin carcinogenesis, pigmentation, anomalies and precancerous lesions such as actinic keratosis, melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers, as well as accelerated skin aging.

These damaging effects of the sun's radiation are eminently the result of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

People, who, in the course of their day, are exposed to direct sunlight for many hours, for job related or other reasons, are at risk of exposing their body tissues to the harmful UV radiation of the sun.

People spending many hours in the sun, such as gardeners, construction workers, outdoor athletes, vacationers on the beach, hikers etc., take precautions against the sun radiation by screening their body from the sun. The most commonly used screening methods are using sunscreening lotions or simply by covering the body tissues by means of a hat, sunglasses, long sleeves, long trousers etc.

The sunscreen containing lotions are expensive and may create a greasy, uncomfortable feeling for some users. Also wearing masking clothes for protection from the sun is not an adequate solution since it requires taking along extra clothing articles, which may be cumbersome, and also because wearing long sleeves, hats and so on, in the sun, is hot and sweaty. Furthermore, there are occasions where only one arm, or one side of the body, should be protected from the sun, such as a person working in a partly shady place or a person driving a car where only half of his body is exposed to the sun. There are no disposable clothing articles designed for such cases. U.S patent 4967419 relates to an arm protector to prevent the wearer from contacting dangerous articles, and is not designed for protection against the sun's radiation. U.S. 5628062 describes an arm and hand UV protection sleeve for driving. U.S. 299562 describes an arm protector. However, neither U.S. 5628062 nor U.S. 299562 relate to protectors that are disposable.

The present invention offers an inexpensive and convenient sunscreening sleeve for the arm. The present invention relates to a disposable, airy, inexpensive and compactly packed sleeve which may be worn on one or two arms, for protection from the sun's radiation.

Summary of the invention The present invention relates to a disposable protective sleeve particularly useful for the protection of the arm against the sun's radiation, comprising a flexible opaque paper sheet, preferably made of tissue paper, that is rolled to form a tubelike sheathe or a ready made flexible opaque tubelike sheathe. The sleeve is tightened or fastened in at least one place to the arm.

In the present invention the term "arm" means either one or both arms and relates to the upper arm or to the forearm or to both.

The sheet that is rolled to form a tubelike sheathe contains means for fastening one edge of the sheet to the other, such as a sticky strip, at one edge, that sticks on to the other edge when coming into contact with it, or hooks, snaps or buckles on one edge which latch onto the same means on the other edge. Fastening one edge of the sheet to the other may also serve to fasten the sleeve to the arm.

Preferably, the sleeve is fastened in more than one place to the arm so that it is secured against wind or arm movement. The fastening means may be an elastic end, or ends, of the sleeve that is tighter around the wearer's arm, an elastic looped cord attached to any end of the sleeve, through which the arm is placed, or means for bringing together and clasping two points on the border of the sleeve's end, such as are cuffs, safety pins, snaps or buckles.

The present invention further relates to a package containing more than one sleeve unit. The package may be a box or bag or a container with a small opening in which the sleeve units are compactly interlaced or impermanently connected so that pulling one unit through the small opening and freeing it, causes the next unit to be accessibly positioned next to the opening. The package may further be a container sealed to retain moisture and the disposable sleeve may be of moisture retaining material which may further contain perfume or insect repellent, providing extra protection and a pleasant refreshing feeling to the wearer.

Detailed description of the invention The present invention relates to a disposable sleeve that is facilely donned on the arm for the purpose of protecting it from the sun's radiation, especially from the damaging effects of the ultra violet (UV) radiation on the tissues of the body. In the present invention the term "arm" means either one or both arms and relates to the upper arm or to the forearm or to both.

The sleeve of the present invention is comprised of a flexible opaque sheet, preferably made of paper material, that is either a tubelike sheathe or that its ends may be fastened together creating a tubelike sheathe. The said sleeve contains at least one means for fastening it to the arm. Preferably there are two means for fastening the sleeve to the arm in two places, so as to secure the sleeve against wind or against the movement of the arm.

The sleeve of the present invention can be made of any material which is disposable, flexible, light and has sunscreening properties, namely that it is not transparent.

The sleeve of the present invention may be a single sheet whose length is that of an average person's arm, onto which the arm is placed and which is wrapped around the length of the arm and its ends are fastened to each other, forming a tubelike sheathe around the arm. The ends of this sheet may be fastened to each other utilizing any common method such as: any form of latching means such as hooks, snaps, buckles etc., on one end, latching onto latching means on the other end or a sticky tape that runs along one edge of the sheet which sticks to the other edge when coming into contact with it. The sticky edge may be protected, for example, by a covering paper which is removed prior to use.

The means for fastening one edge of the sheet to each other may also be used as means for fastening the sleeve to the wearer's arm. The sheet may be rolled so that one edge of the sheet is brought in contact with the other, at any distance that is required to either tighten the sleeve around the arm, as a means for fastening it to the arm, or, if there are other means for attaching to the arm, rolling the sheet to form a looser fitting sleeve, according to the wearer's requirements. The sleeve of the present invention may further be a ready made tubelike sheathe with means for fastening the tubelike sheathe to the arm at one or two ends.

The means for fastening the sleeve, either the sheet rolled by the wearer or the ready made tubelike sheathe, to the arm, may be any means for tightening the sleeves' ends around the wearers arm. Such means may be a portion of the sleeves' end which is smaller or more tightly fitting, that is made of an elastic material so that it tightens around the wearer's arm. Another means may be an elastic looped cord, smaller in diameter than the tube formed by the sleeve itself, attached to or threaded through any end of the sleeve. When the wearer's arm is placed through it, the loop tightens around the arm. Further means for fastening the sleeve to the arm may be means for bringing together and clasping two points on the border of the sleeve's end, such as cuffs, safety pins, hooks, snaps etc. The sleeve of the present invention is adaptable according to the wearer's arm dimensions, since it is made of flexible material and contains fastening means, that enable changes in the circumference of the sleeve opening according to the arm's diameter.

The flexibility and lightness of die sleeve's material allow for convenient prolonged use and for free movement of the arm.

The sleeve can be packed as several single units in any simple container, such as a bag, box etc. Preferably, the sleeve of the present invention is packed in a container with a small opening, such as the marketed tissue boxes and plastic "wet wipes" containers. In this container the sleeves may be compactly packed as separate units interlaced so mat pulling one unit through the small opening and freeing it, causes the next unit to be accessibly positioned next to the opening for being pulled out and freed. The sleeves in the container may also be connected impermanently so that one sleeve unit can be pulled out through the small opening , pulling after it the next unit. The sleeves are easily detached from each other, freeing one unit while positioning the next unit by the container's opening accessible to the user.

Any of these containers may be sealed so as to retain moisture allowing for the use of sleeves saturated with any desirable composition, such as perfume, or insect repellents, adding a pleasant feeling and extra protection to the protective function of the sleeve.

The sleeve of the present invention is disposable, making it's use very convenient since it doesn't have to be laundered or otherwise cared for. The disposable material is cheap and light so that many units of the sleeve can be compactly packed and easily and conveniently used.

Any material with sunscreening properties, namely opaque materials can be used for the purpose of screening the arm from the sun's radiation. Preferably the sleeve is made of tissue paper.

The sleeve of the present invention is especially useful for the protection of the arms of drivers who are exposed, on one side of their body, to direct sun light, while driving. A person driving a long distance, for many hours, such as a professional truck driver, taxi driver or a person commuting long distances daily, may be exposed, only on one side of his body, to direct sunlight, without having the possibility of protecting the exposed side since using an opaque screen will obsruct his side sight and is not possible during driving. This exposure endagers the driver and causes a suntan (or sunburn) on only one arm. As a protection to the exposed arm, the disposable sleeve of the present invention, made of an airy opaque tissue paper, is donned on the arm. The sleeve is fastent to the arm so mat it will not be effected by wind and so that the arm may be freely moved without shifting the sleeve. The sleeve may be further made of a moisture retaining material so that when it is worn it gives the driver a pleasant cool and refreshing feeling.

A container, as described above, canying a number of disposable sleeves may be part of the permanent luggage in the car, and the driver will always have a protective sleeve available to him.

The sleeve of the present invention may also be very useful for campers or hikers, either as a sunscreen or as a protection from mosquito and other insect bites or both. A package containing disposable sleeves can be part of the standard camping or hiking equipment.

The said invention will be further illustrated by the following figures. These figures do not intend to limit the scope of the invention but to demonstrate and clarify it only.

Brief Description of the Figures Figure 1 is an isometric view of the sheet that is rolled up around the wearer's arm to form a tubelike sheathe.

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the ready made tubelike sheath.

Figure 3a is an overview of a container holding several disposable sheets that are rolled up around the arm to form the sleeves.

Figure 3b is an overview of a container holding several disposable ready made sleeves.

Figure 4 shows the arm of a driver donned in a disposable sleeve.

Detailed Description of the Figures Figure 1 and la show an isometric view of a sheet of paper (1) whose length (2) is the same as the length of an average person's arm. The sheet has a sticky strip (3) along one of its edges, so that when it is rolled up around the wearer's arm (4) it comes in contact with the opposite edge (3a) forming a tubelike sheathe around the wearer's arm.

Figure 2 and 2a show an isometric view of a ready made tubelike sheath (la) that has elastic looped cords threaded through both ends of the sleeve(5a and 5b), so that when the wearer's arm (4) is placed through the loop it tightens around the arm.

Figure 3 shows an isometric view of a container holding sheets to be rolled up around the wearer's arm (Figure 3a) or ready made tubelike sheathes (figure 3b). The container (6) has a small opening (7) through which the sleeves in the container (la or lb) may be pulled out of the container, one at a time. The sleeves in the container are interlaced or connected to each other impermanently (8) so that pulling one sleeve and freeing it from the container accessibly positions the next sleeve for further use. The sleeves can be easily detached from each other, freeing one sleeve from all the rest of the sleeves in the container.

Figure 4 shows a driver (9) whose one arm (4) is exposed to direct sun light , who is wearing the sleeve (12) of the present invention for protection against the sun's rays (10).

Claims (12)

8 122574/2 Claims

1. ) A disposable protective sleeve particularly useful for the protection of the arm against the sun's radiation, comprising a flexible opaque paper sheet that is rolled to form a tubelike sheathe or a ready made flexible opaque tubelike sheathe and said sleeve is tightened or fastened in at least one place to the arm.

2. ) A disposable sleeve according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve is made of tissue paper.

3. ) A disposable sleeve according to claim 1 wherein the sheet that is rolled to form a tubelike sheathe contains means for fastening one edge of the sheet to the other.

4. ) A disposable sleeve according to claim 3 wherein the means for fastening one edge of the sheet to the other are a sticky strip at one edge that sticks on to the other edge when coming into contact with it, or hooks, snaps and buckles on one edge which latch onto the same means on the other edge.

5. ) A disposable sleeve according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve contains one or more means for fastening the sleeve to the arm.

6. ) A disposable sleeve according to any one of claims 3 - 5 wherein fastening one edge of the sheet to the other also fastens the sleeve to the arm.

7. ) A disposable sleeve according to claim 5 wherein the fastening means are an elastic end, or ends, of the sleeve that is tighter around the wearer's arm, an elastic looped cord attached to any end of the sleeve, through which the arm is placed, or means for bringing together and clasping two points on the border of the sleeves end. 9 122574/2

8. ) A disposable sleeve according to claim 7 wherein the means for bringing together and clasping two points on the border of the sleeves end, are cuffs, safety pins, snaps or buckles.

9. ) A disposable sleeve according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the sleeve is of moisture retaining material.

10. ) A disposable sleeve according to claim 9 wherein the moisture retaining material further contains perfume.

11. ) A package containing more than one sleeve unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the package is a box or bag or a container with a small opening in which the sleeve units are compactly interlaced or impermanently connected so that pulling one unit through the small opening and freeing it, causes the next unit to be accessibly positioned next to the opening.

12. ) A package according to claim 11 wherein the package is a container sealed to retain moisture. Dr. MEIR NOAM ADVOCATE & PATENT ATTORNEY P.O.B. 34335, Jerusalem TEL. (972) 2-6518880