JP2003533304A - Armor - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: Protective equipment for protecting against damage due to impact and pressure, comprising a plurality of interconnected parts arranged in a partially overlapping manner on a central common ligament (16). Rigid or semi-rigid plate (15). The ligament is removably attached to the garment by hook and loop fastener strips (18) attached along or at both ends thereof. When worn on a part of the body, the armor allows limited relative movement between the plates, providing impact resistance and maximizing the bending movement of the body part to which it is attached. The plate (15) can itself be sewn or threaded to a ligament (16) with a strip of hook and loop fasteners.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a protective device for protecting against damage due to impact and pressure, and more particularly to a protective device for protecting against damage to a sports person.

[0002]

[Prior art]

In certain sports, such as football, athletes may have bruise in the lower inferior swelling, swelling of the more flexible muscle tissue inside the sac, bruises in the ankles, abrasions on the back of the calves and feet, and swelling or bruises in the Achilles tendon. Including vulnerable to lower limbs. Many of these injuries occur not only as a result of collisions, but also as a result of stress on muscles and tendons.

In general, conventional damage prevention means include elastic sleeves suitable for use on joints or sensitive areas of the body, and devices known as paddle pads, ie, for football, for example. There is a piece of rigid shield worn under socks. While the existing design of padding is somewhat effective, it can only provide a limited level of protection against many types of damage mentioned above. One weakness of standard padding is that the pad tends to slip around the lower leg of the sock as a result of impact from the top or from the side, thus obtaining sufficient impact resistance. You cannot do it.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

The present invention relates to the provision of a protective device that closely conforms to the shape of a body part and, while maintaining its position during use, provides sufficient impact resistance. A further purpose of the device is to ensure that the impact force is distributed throughout the armor to minimize local bruising.

[0005] While providing adequate protection, the wearer does not impair body movements, and
Full freedom of movement must be maintained to ensure that no muscle damage due to unnatural movement or inhibition occurs.

[0006] Patent specification GB2328859 describes a flexible web or sleeve adapted to be worn on a part of the body and which closely conforms to the shape of that part and a limited relative distance between said plates. A plurality of interconnected plates of impact resistant material attached or adapted to be attached to the web or sleeve to allow movement is described. It is also stated that the plate is either attached directly to the web or sleeve or is threaded onto the central elastic strip when attaching the strip to the web or sleeve. The plates can move individually and independently with respect to each other and with respect to the elastic strips. In another embodiment described in patent specification GB 2 328 859, the plates are not connected together on a common strip, but are interconnected individually and by direct stitching to the web or sleeve.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved armor of the general type which is versatile, interchangeable with other devices or transferable from garment to garment.

According to the invention, the armor is an impact resistant material attached or adapted to be attached to an article worn about a part of the body to allow limited relative movement between the plates. A protective device for protection against shock and pressure damage comprising a plurality of flexible interconnecting plates, the plates being arranged along a common backing member, the protective device being on an article to be worn. Is provided so as to be detachably attached.

[0009]   The backing member may be a ligament extending centrally along the armor.

The interconnection plates may be attached to the backing member so as to partially overlap each other.

At least two of the interconnection plates may be in a relatively fixed arrangement along the backing member.

[0012]   The backing member may be elastic.

The backing member may form or have a fastener that can be removably attached to a portion of the garment.

The backing member may form or comprise a portion of a strip of hook and loop fasteners and may be removably attachable to a portion of a garment.

The armor may be encased in a sleeve that is removably or permanently attached to the garment.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described as an example with reference to the accompanying drawings. The conventional armor shown in FIG. 1 for wearing on the lower limb comprises an internal elastic sock 10 made from elastic neoprene, such as an elastic joint protector, which covers the entire lower limb from below the knee to near the ankle. Prepare The sock 10 is formed to fit the natural contours of the leg, embraces the muscle and tendon structure and provides a non-slip base around which the rest of the armor is formed. The material of the sock 10 provides good grip to help keep it in place while at the same time allowing total freedom of movement of the lower limb and providing a stirrup piece 11 that passes under the foot. You can

The outer protective layer is provided in the form of “stretchable armour”. Also,
The outer protective layer is composed of a plurality of panels 12. Each panel 12 is a stack of vertical columns (c) made of impact resistant material such as high density polyethylene that are joined together.
It has a plurality of plates 13 forming an olumn) and is movable with respect to the elastic central inner strip. The degree of stiffness and overall potential elasticity are selected to provide the required impact resistance and dispersion characteristics while retaining full freedom of movement for the wearer.

Each panel 12 of stretchable armor and elastic strip is sewn to the inner sock 10 at opposite ends, as shown at 14.

The plates 13 of each panel partially overlap and fit snugly to some extent, but the size and shape of the entire length of the panels gradually changes to match the shape of the limbs. Thus, for example, the front panel 12 has a plate that is wider toward the top of the ankle and gradually decreases downward toward the ankle.
These panels 12 leave some space only if it is necessary to ensure complete freedom of movement and may be stacked if it is appropriate to provide a complete shield around the lower extremities. Good.

Due to the superimposed shape of the plate 13, any impact force is distributed over the connecting panel 12 and over a large surface area with the effect of minimizing local bruising.

The overall armor, because it fits snugly into the shape of the legs, can be conveniently worn and hidden by, for example, under football socks.

Similar armor is suitable for use on any part of the body, but in particular these parts are suitable for use on parts that are prone to impact damage.

Referring to FIG. 2, according to a first embodiment of the invention, the panel 12 is removable on the sock 10 or on any article to be worn on the part of the body to be protected. It is configured to be attached to. Thus, the plates 15 are arranged in an overlapping manner and attached to each other, for example by sewing to an elastic backing or ligament 16. In this embodiment, stitching is indicated at 17, whereby the relative movement of the plate 15 is provided only by the elastic nature of the ligament 16 itself.

Accordingly, the armor is constructed independently of the article to which it is attached, and thus can be applied to articles in any selected position. Tapes 18 of hook and loop fasteners sold under the registered trademark VELCRO are permanently attached to both ends of the ligament 16. Thereby, the armor can be easily attached to and removed from the garment.

FIG. 2 shows that the plate 15 may be used, for example, to protect body parts from impact damage.
Shows the armor that protects the shoulders so that they follow the shoulder and upper arm lines.

Furthermore, the armor shown in FIG. 2 can be placed directly over the legs in the area of the armor to act as armor protector. It can also be provided in any other area of the body to be protected.

The elasticity of the ligament 16 holds the plate 15 in the proper relative orientation,
The flexibility and elasticity of the ligament 16 itself causes the armor to bend, allowing relative movement between them.

Instead of the VELCRO® fastener tape 18, an adhesive tape,
By using a press stud or the like, both ends of the ligament 16 can be detachably attached to clothes. With the structure in which the protective device can be removed, the protective device can be replaced with one having different characteristics of rigidity or elasticity. It can also be replaced when it is worn out or damaged.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a portion of the garment in which the armor is to be used, such as an elastic knee support sleeve 19. VELCRO (registered trademark) strip 20
Can be permanently attached to the sleeve 19. The ligament 16 includes
As shown, a plurality of VELCRO (registered trademark) tabs 21 may be provided at intervals.

With reference to FIG. 4, in this example, the V fixed to the sleeve 19 is permanently attached.
VELCRO (registered trademark) that can be attached to the strip 24 of ELCRO (registered trademark)
The armor is completely contained within the mesh pouch 22 which is sealed by the strip 23. In this case, the user does not need to wear extra clothes on the outside of the pouch 22. Therefore, it differs from the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 where it may be necessary or desirable to wear other socks on the outside of the armor.

Referring to FIG. 5, an example of attaching multiple strips of protective equipment to the back of the glove 25 to protect the wearer's hand against fracture damage is shown.

Referring to FIG. 6, in this example, flexible socks 26 are provided with multiple lengths of armor, for example, knee protection 27, ankle protection 28 and protection for the Achilles tendon region. A protective means 29 provided at the rear is attached.

Referring to FIG. 7, which illustrates an alternative arrangement, this includes a plurality of armor similar to that described in FIG. 4 so that it can be selectively introduced at the request of the user. It is shown attached to the sock 26 by inserting it into the mesh pocket 27.

FIG. 8 shows a front view of the unitard, which is a flexible body garment 28. In this case, further, a plurality of mesh pockets 29 are provided on the shoulder, chest, ribs and waist to selectively accommodate one or more armor.

[0035]   FIG. 9 is a rear view of the body garment and shows the armor 30 of the elbow.

Referring to FIG. 10, each plate 15 is composed of an outer shell 31 and a core 32 of a higher impact resistance material, and is formed to improve impact absorption and dispersion by the structure of such armor. Protective gear is shown. This configuration can be applied to any of the armor described and shown herein. It is also possible to replace some or all of the plates with a construction made of a single material.

Referring again to FIG. 11, the armor 30 of FIG. 9 is shown again with removal from the mesh pocket 34.

Similarly shown in FIG. 12 is the housing within the waist armor 35 and mesh pouch 36.

FIG. 13 illustrates that the armor 37 can be easily removed from the mesh pouch 38 using the VELCRO® fastener strips 23, 24, as described in relation to FIG. ing.

Referring to FIG. 14, there is shown a complete lower extremity armor comprising a plurality of armor pieces at two locations on the calf, one on the anterior knee and one on the upper heel. It comprises a flexible sock 45 to which 46 is attached.

The protective equipment 46 is detachably attached to the sock 45 as described above. Furthermore, a pair of armor 47 can be permanently attached to both sides of the ankle area.

Referring to FIG. 15, yet another embodiment is shown in which the removable armor has an array of partially overlapping rigid plates 48 as in the previous embodiments. It consists of In this case, the plurality of plates 48 are individually threaded as shown at 49 to a single flexible tape or ligament 50. The two end plates are preferably sewn to ligament 50, as shown at 51, or otherwise permanently attached. A VELCRO strip 52 may be applied over the entire ligament 50 and may have a self-adhesive backing 53 to adhere to the ligament 50 and each plate 48. . If desired, the strip 52 is designated 54 on the outermost end plate 48.
It can also be sewn as shown in. Accordingly, the armor is self-contained or attachable to a sock 45 having a corresponding strip 55 of VELCRO®, preferably as shown at 55 in FIG. ,
It may be sewn onto a sock 45 with such a strip or any other sleeve or garment.

Accordingly, the armor 46 can be removed from the sock 45 for washing and for replacement if it becomes damaged. The ability to remove the armor 46 allows the wearer to select the desired impact resistance characteristics. To this end, armor with varying levels of rigidity can be utilized.

Referring to FIG. 16, an alternative arrangement is shown in which the ligament 5
0 is directly replaced by VELCRO (registered trademark) strip 56, and the strip 56 is
Can be attached to any or all of the plates 48 by stitching and / or gluing. Anyway, the surface properties of VELCRO® strips are:
Sufficient to hold the plate 48 securely in a fixed relative arrangement along the strip, but in some cases the two end plates are attached to the strip for added safety. May be sewn on.

Optionally, a press stud or even a VELCRO® fixture 57 may be added to the end play 48 to provide additional safety measures to prevent the side edges of the plate from rising during use. May be disposed on both sides to engage socks or clothes. As such, additional fixtures may be provided on any or all of the plates 48.

Referring to FIG. 17, the plate 15 is attached by a thread to a pair of ligaments 60 (elastic or velcro strips) which are arranged in parallel and spaced apart along the armor. Can be sewn again. This allows the ligament to
Helps prevent the individual plates from twisting or rotating, yet still provide adequate relative movement between them. The two ligaments also help prevent the side areas of the plate from lifting and keep the plate assembly in proper alignment and degree of overlap. Alternatively, a single wide ligament can be provided.

The armor may be available in a number of different thicknesses or hardness and strength grades. For example, a user with a recent injury may use thicker and heavier grades of armor first and then reduce the thickness and weight of that armor while the injury heals. .

In this way, by removing the protective equipment from the specific clothes and replacing it when necessary, it becomes possible to use those having different protective characteristics,
It also allows the armor to be removed from the garment for washing both the garment and the armor.

On the other hand, the protective gear is typically used by people participating in sports activities, but can also be used by law enforcement personnel. Alternatively, it may be used for medical and surgical applications, for example where the limbs need to be immobile or simply protected from contact or impact.

Although not essential, the armor is self-contained and simple to manufacture, preferably with an elastic central common ligament (or pair of parallel spaced ligaments). Different widths and lengths are available. Furthermore, the length of the individual armor can be adjusted, for example, by removing some of the plates 13
It can be reduced by cutting the ligaments to the required length.

This armor has the ability to disperse or dissipate impact energy throughout the plate assembly, thus providing the wearer with some control over impact. For example, in a sports environment, the speed and bounce direction of the ball impacting the armor can be better controlled by the player as a dissipative effect of the impact force.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a conventional armor for protection against shock and pressure damage as described in GB2328859.

[Fig. 2]   1 shows a protector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 3]   7 shows a means of attaching protective equipment to clothing.

[Figure 4]   7 illustrates another means of attaching protective equipment to clothing.

[Figure 5]   An example of protective equipment when used for gloves is shown.

[Figure 6]   An example of protective equipment for use as a means for protecting the lower limbs will be shown.

[Figure 7]   Another example of protective equipment for use as a protection means for the lower leg is shown.

[Figure 8]   It is a front view which shows an example of the protective equipment for use in a unitard.

[Figure 9]   FIG. 9 is a rear view of the example shown in FIG. 8.

[Figure 10]   An example of protective equipment when used as a shoulder protection means is shown.

FIG. 11   An example of protective equipment when used as a protection means of an elbow is shown.

[Fig. 12]   An example of protective equipment when used as a waist protection means is shown.

[Fig. 13]   Shows how one part of the armor is removed from another part.

FIG. 14 is a rear view of the lower limb protection means including a plurality of protectors according to the present invention, with one protector removed.

FIG. 15   It is a rear view of the protective equipment which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 16   FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 15 of the protective equipment according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17   FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 15 according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Procedure for Amendment] Submission for translation of Article 34 Amendment of Patent Cooperation Treaty

[Submission date] June 24, 2002 (2002.6.24)

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Full text

[Correction method] Change

[Contents of correction]

[Title of Invention] Protective equipment

[Claims]

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a protective device for protecting against damage due to impact and pressure, and more particularly to a protective device for protecting against damage to a sports person.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In certain sports, such as football, athletes often use bruises in the lower part of the knee, swelling of the more flexible muscle tissue inside the deer, bruises in the ankles, scars on the back of the calves and feet, and Achilles tendons. Susceptible to lower limbs, including swelling or bruising. Many of these injuries occur not only as a result of collisions, but also as a result of muscle and tendon loading.

In general, conventional damage prevention means include elastic sleeves suitable for use on joints or sensitive areas of the body, and devices known as paddle pads, ie, for football, for example. There is a piece of rigid shield worn under socks. While the existing design of padding is somewhat effective, it can only provide a limited level of protection against many types of damage mentioned above. One weakness of standard padding is that the pad tends to slip around the lower leg of the sock as a result of impact from the top or from the side, thus obtaining sufficient impact resistance. You cannot do it.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a protective device that fits closely to the shape of a body part and provides sufficient impact resistance while maintaining its position during use. A further purpose of the device is to ensure that the impact force is distributed throughout the armor to minimize local bruising.

[0005] While providing adequate protection, the wearer does not impair body movements, and
Full freedom of movement must be maintained to ensure that no muscle damage due to unnatural movement or inhibition occurs.

[0006] Patent specification GB2328859 describes a flexible web or sleeve adapted to be worn on a part of the body and which closely conforms to the shape of that part and a limited relative distance between said plates. A plurality of interconnected plates of impact resistant material attached or adapted to be attached to the web or sleeve to allow movement is described. It is also stated that the plate is either attached directly to the web or sleeve or is threaded onto the central elastic strip when attaching the strip to the web or sleeve. The plates can move individually and independently with respect to each other and with respect to the elastic strips. In another embodiment described in patent specification GB 2 328 859, the plates are not connected together on a common strip, but are interconnected individually and by direct stitching to the web or sleeve.

[0007]

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved armor of the general type which is versatile, interchangeable with other devices or transferable from garment to garment. is there.

According to the invention, the armor is an impact resistant material attached or adapted to be attached to an article worn about a part of the body to allow limited relative movement between the plates. A protector for protection against shock and pressure damage comprising a plurality of mutually overlapping interconnecting plates, at least some of which are arranged and move along a common backing member. It is possible and is characterized in that means are provided for releasably mounting said protective equipment on the article to be worn.

[0009]   The backing member may be a ligament extending centrally along the armor.

At least two of the interconnection plates are in a relatively fixed arrangement along the backing member.

[0011]   The backing member may be elastic.

The backing member may form or have a fastener that can be removably attached to a portion of the garment.

The backing member may form or comprise a portion of a strip of hook and loop fasteners so that it can be removably attached to a portion of a garment.

The armor may be encased in a sleeve that is removably or permanently attached to the garment.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. The conventional armor shown in FIG. 1 for wearing on the lower limb comprises an internal elastic sock 10 made from elastic neoprene, such as an elastic joint protector, which covers the entire lower limb from below the knee to near the ankle. Prepare The sock 10 is formed to fit the natural contours of the leg, embraces the muscle and tendon structure and provides a non-slip base around which the rest of the armor is formed. The material of the sock 10 provides good grip to help keep it in place while at the same time allowing total freedom of movement of the lower limb and providing a stirrup piece 11 that passes under the foot. You can

The outer protective layer is provided in the form of “stretchable armour”. Also,
The outer protective layer is composed of a plurality of panels 12. Each panel 12 is a stack of vertical columns (c) made of impact resistant material such as high density polyethylene that are joined together.
It has a plurality of plates 13 forming an olumn) and is movable with respect to the elastic central inner strip. The degree of stiffness and overall potential elasticity are selected to provide the required impact resistance and dispersion characteristics while retaining full freedom of movement for the wearer.

Each panel 12 of stretchable armor and elastic strip is sewn to the inner sock 10 at opposite ends, as shown at 14.

The plates 13 of each panel partially overlap and fit snugly to some extent, but gradually change in size and shape over the entire length of the panel to match the shape of the limb. Thus, for example, the front panel 12 has a plate that is wider toward the top of the ankle and gradually decreases downward toward the ankle.
These panels 12 leave some space only if it is necessary to ensure complete freedom of movement and may be stacked if it is appropriate to provide a complete shield around the lower extremities. Good.

Due to the superimposed shape of the plates 13, any impact force is distributed over the connecting panel 12 and over a large surface area with the effect of minimizing local bruising.

The overall armor can be conveniently worn and hidden by, for example, the underfoot of a football sock, because it fits snugly into the shape of the leg.

Similar armor is suitable for use on any part of the body, but in particular these parts are suitable for use on parts that are prone to impact damage.

Referring to FIG. 2, the plates, shown here at 15, are arranged in an overlapping manner and attached to each other, for example, by stitching to an elastic backing or ligament 16. The stitching is indicated by 17, whereby the relative movement of the plate 15 is provided only by the elastic nature of the ligament 16 itself.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, the armor is constructed independently of the article to which it is attached, thus applying it to the article at any selected position. You can Tapes 18 of hook and loop fasteners sold under the trademark VELCRO are permanently attached to both ends of the central ligament 16. Thereby, the armor is easily attached to the garment and
Can be removed from clothing. The plate 15 includes a ligament 16 as described.
Sewn 17 is omitted as it is aligned and movable along.

FIG. 2 shows that the plate 15 is used to protect parts of the body from impact damage, for example.
Shows the armor that protects the shoulders so that they follow the shoulder and upper arm lines.

Furthermore, the armor shown in FIG. 2 can be placed directly over the legs in the area of the armor to act as armor protector. It can also be provided in any other area of the body to be protected.

The ligaments 16 may be elastic to hold the plate 15 in the proper relative orientation, but the flexibility and elasticity of the ligaments 16 themselves will bend the armor. Allows relative movement between.

Instead of the VELCRO® fastener tape 18, an adhesive tape,
By using a press stud or the like, both ends of the ligament 16 can be detachably attached to clothes. With the structure in which the protective device can be removed, the protective device can be replaced with one having different characteristics of rigidity or elasticity. It can also be replaced when it is worn out or damaged.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a portion of the garment in which the armor is intended to be used, such as an elastic knee support sleeve 19. VELCRO (registered trademark) strip 20
Can be permanently attached to the sleeve 19. The ligament 16 includes
As shown, a plurality of VELCRO (registered trademark) tabs 21 may be provided at intervals.

Referring to FIG. 4, in this example, the armor can attach VELCRO® strips 23 to VELCRO® strips 24 permanently attached to the sleeve 19. It is completely contained within the mesh bag 22 which is closed by the. In this case, the user does not need to wear extra clothes on the outside of the bag 22. Therefore, it differs from the embodiment of FIG. 3 in which the need to wear other socks on the outside of the armor must be considered.

Referring to FIG. 5, an example of attaching multiple strips of protective equipment to the back of the glove 25 to protect the wearer's hand against fracture damage is shown.

Referring to FIG. 6, in this example, a flexible sock 26 is provided with multiple lengths of armor, for example, knee protection 27, ankle protection 28 and protection for the Achilles tendon region. A protective means 29 provided at the rear is attached.

Referring to FIG. 7 showing an alternative arrangement, this includes a plurality of armor similar to that described in FIG. 4 so that it can be selectively introduced at the request of the user. It is shown attached to the sock 26 by inserting it into the mesh pocket 27.

FIG. 8 shows a front view of a unitary flexible body garment 28. In this case, further, a plurality of mesh pockets 29 are provided on the shoulder, chest, ribs and waist to selectively accommodate one or more armor.

[0034]   FIG. 9 is a rear view of the body garment and shows the armor 30 of the elbow.

Referring to FIG. 10, each plate 15 is composed of an outer shell 31 and a core 32 of higher impact resistance material, and is formed to improve impact absorption and dispersion by the structure of such armor. Protective gear is shown. This configuration can be applied to any of the armor described and shown herein. It is also possible to replace some or all of the plates with a construction made of a single material.

Referring again to FIG. 11, the armor 30 of FIG. 9 is shown again with removal from the mesh pocket 34.

Similarly shown in FIG. 12 is the housing within the waist armor 35 and mesh pouch 36.

FIG. 13 illustrates that the armor 37 can be easily removed from the mesh pouch 38 using the VELCRO® fastener strips 23, 24, as described in relation to FIG. ing.

Referring to FIG. 14, there is shown a complete lower extremity armor comprising a plurality of armor protections at two locations on the calf, one on the anterior knee and one on the upper heel. It comprises a flexible sock 45 to which 46 is attached.

The protective equipment 46 is detachably attached to the sock 45 as described above. Furthermore, a pair of armor 47 can be permanently attached to both sides of the ankle area.

Referring to FIG. 15, the plates 48, shown at 48, are individually threaded to a single flexible tape or ligament 50 as shown at 49. The two end plates are preferably sewn or otherwise permanently attached to the ligament 50, as shown at 51. The VELCRO strip 52 may be applied over the ligament 50 and have a self-adhesive backing 53 to adhere to the ligament 50 and each plate 48. If necessary, the strip 5
2 can also be sewn to the outermost end plate 48, as shown at 54. Accordingly, the armor is independent and is attached to the sock 45 which carries the corresponding strip 55 of VELCRO®, preferably such as shown at 55 in FIG. Sewn to a sock 45 or any other sleeve or garment that supports the strip.

Thus, the armor 46 can be removed from the sock 45 for washing and for replacement when it is damaged. The ability to remove the armor 46 allows the wearer to select the desired impact resistance characteristics. To this end, armor with varying levels of rigidity can be utilized.

Referring to FIG. 16, in another arrangement, the ligament 50 is directly replaced by a VELCRO® strip 56. The plate 48 is sewn and locked to the strip 56. Regardless, the surface characteristics of the VELCRO strip 56 securely hold the plate 48 in a fixed relative arrangement along the strip, the strip serving as an additional holding means for the two end plates. Can be sewn to the strip.

Optionally, a press stud or even a VELCRO® fixture 57 is provided with an end play 48 to provide additional safety measures to prevent the sides of the plate from floating during use. May be disposed on both sides to engage socks or clothes. As such, additional fixtures may be provided on any or all of the plates 48.

Referring to FIG. 17, the plate 15 may be attached by a string to a pair of ligaments 60 (elastic or velcro) that are spaced apart in parallel along the armor. . The armor thus helps prevent the individual plates from twisting or rotating. The plates also provide suitable relative movement between them. The two ligaments have the effect of preventing the sides of the plate from rising and maintaining the correct alignment and overlap of the plate assembly. Further, a single wide ligament can be provided.

A number of different thicknesses or hardness and strength grades may be utilized as the armor. For example, a user with a recent injury may use thicker and heavier grades of armor first and then reduce the thickness and weight of that armor while the injury heals. .

As described above, by removing the protective equipment from the specific clothes and replacing it when necessary, it is possible to use those having different protective characteristics,
It also allows the armor to be removed from the garment for washing both the garment and the armor.

On the other hand, the protective equipment is typically used by people participating in sports activities, but can also be used by law enforcement personnel. Alternatively, it may be used for medical and surgical applications, for example where the limbs need to be immobile or simply protected from contact or impact.

Although not essential, with a central, preferably elastic, common ligament (or a pair of parallel spaced ligaments), the armor is self-contained and easy to manufacture. Different widths and lengths are available. Furthermore, the length of the individual armor can be adjusted, for example, by removing some of the plates 13
It can be reduced by cutting the ligaments to the required length.

This armor has the ability to disperse or dissipate impact energy throughout the plate assembly, thus providing the wearer with some control over the impact of impact. For example, in a sports environment, the speed and bounce direction of the ball impacting the armor can be better controlled by the player as a dissipative effect of the impact force.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a conventional armor for protection against shock, pressure damage as described in GB2328859.

[Fig. 2]   It is an enlarged view of the part of the protective equipment in FIG.

[Figure 3]   1 shows a protective device according to the present invention and a means for attaching the protective device to clothes.

[Figure 4]   7 illustrates another means of attaching protective equipment to clothing.

[Figure 5]   An example of protective equipment when used for gloves is shown.

[Figure 6]   An example of protective equipment when used as a means for protecting the lower leg is shown.

[Figure 7]   Another example of the protective equipment when used as a protection means for the lower leg is shown.

[Figure 8]   It is a front view which shows the other example in the protection tool at the time of using it as a unit.

[Figure 9]   FIG. 9 is a rear view of the example shown in FIG. 8.

[Figure 10]   An example of protective equipment when used as a shoulder protection means is shown.

FIG. 11   An example of protective equipment when used as a protection means for the elbow is shown.

[Fig. 12]   An example of protective equipment when used as a waist protection means is shown.

[Fig. 13]   Figure 7 shows a part of the protective equipment removed from the other part.

FIG. 14 is a rear view of the leg protection means for combining a plurality of protective devices according to the present invention, with one protective device removed.

FIG. 15   It is a rear view of the protective equipment which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 16   FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 15 of the protective equipment according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17   FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 15 according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (31) Priority claim number 0021583.0 (32) Priority date September 1, 2000 (September 2000) (33) Priority claim country United Kingdom (GB) (81) Designated countries EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, I T, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE, TR), OA (BF , BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, G M, KE, LS, MW, MZ, SD, SL, SZ, TZ , UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AE, AG, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, B Z, CA, CH, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE , DK, DM, DZ, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, I S, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK , LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MZ, NO, NZ, PL, P T, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL , TJ, TM, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW

Claims (19)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of interconnecting plates of impact resistant material adapted to be attached or adapted to be attached to an article to be worn about a body part to allow limited relative movement between the plates. A protector for protection against impact and pressure damage, the plates being arranged along a common backing member, providing means for releasably mounting the protector on an article to be worn. Protective equipment characterized by being provided. 2. The armor according to claim 1, wherein the back member is a ligament extending centrally along the armor. 3. The protective device of claim 1, wherein the backing member comprises two or more ligaments extending along the protective device in a spaced apart arrangement. 4. The armor according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the interconnection plates are attached to the back member so as to partially overlap each other. 5. At least two of the interconnection plates are mounted in a relatively fixed arrangement along the backing member, according to any one of the preceding claims. Protective equipment. 6. Protective equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the backing member is elastic. 7. Protective equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the backing member forms or comprises a fastener which can be removably attached to a part of the garment. 8. The armor according to claim 7, wherein the fastener is a hook and loop fastener. 9. Protective equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is contained in a sleeve which is removably or permanently attached to the garment. 10. The armor of claim 5, wherein at least two of the interconnect plates are attached to the back member by sewing. 11. Protective equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least some of the plates have loops and are threadedly attached to the backing member. 12. The armor according to claim 8, wherein the hook and loop fastener pieces extend along and are attached to the back member. 13. The armor according to claim 12, wherein the hook and loop fastener pieces have a self-adhesive backing material for attachment to the backing member. 14. The sleeve has an open end for receiving the protective device, and the open end or both ends thereof can be closed by a strip of hook and loop fasteners. 9. Protective equipment according to item 9. 15. Protective equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plurality of strips are removably attached to the back of the glove. 16. A plurality of strips of such armor are optionally attached to a sock for knee protection, ankle protection or posterior protection for protection of the Achilles tendon area. The protective equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 14. 17. At least some of the interconnect plates are formed to each comprise an outer shell and an inner core having a relatively higher impact resistance characteristic relative to the outer shell. Protective equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that 18. The backing member is formed from at least one strip of hook and loop fasteners having the interconnecting plates sewn and engaged so that they partially overlap each other. The protective equipment according to claim 1. 19. The backing member extends centrally along a row of interconnecting plates,
Furthermore, fixing means are provided for releasably fixing at least some outer regions of the plate to the garment to prevent the outer regions of the plate from rising during use. The listed protective equipment.