JP7317834B2 - Improved protective clothing with airbags - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to protective clothing with inflatable bladders or airbags, the user of which can protect his or her safety when performing hazardous activities such as bicycling, skiing, or horseback riding. It can be worn around the waist or legs.

Protective clothing with inflatable bladders or airbags, which are used for protection, for example when riding a motorcycle or skiing, are known. In particular, protective vests have been improved with at least one airbag in front and another airbag in the rear to protect the user's chest.

While it is true that the majority of serious motorcycle accidents result in injuries to the upper body, these represent only a minority of motorcycle accidents in which drivers are injured. . In fact, 80% of motorcycle accidents inflict injuries to the lower part of the body, in other words to the legs, for example by causing fractures or dislocations.

It has been proposed that protective pants fitted with an airbag can be worn by the user's overstreet pants. For example, the known US Pat. can be worn.

However, pants have not been well received by users due to the difficulty and time required to put them on.

In addition, they are a set of clothing, usually an alternative to street clothing, in which the rider wears a protective suit between the two legs of locomotion while performing other actions. is forced to do so, which is its main drawback.

US Pat. No. 5,300,000 discloses protective gear formed from inflatable protective strips, which can be worn over a user's street clothing. Given the numerous protective strips in place, the time required for the wearer to don this piece of equipment is likely to be as long as the aforementioned pants, certainly discouraging its use. .

In addition, the airbags of all the aforementioned devices can ensure that they cover a large area of the user's body for maximum protection. However, in the event of unintentional triggering of the airbag inflation, these can impede the user's mobility and, in fact, potentially cause an accident.

WO 2000/11979 Pamphlet GB 2 352 162 U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,992

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is aimed, at least in part, at overcoming the shortcomings of the prior art.

In particular, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide protective clothing that is simple and quick to put on and provides improved protection for the user.

While aesthetic, the garment can be quickly and easily donned and taken off over a street outfit, preserving the original outfit suitable for everyday activities. , can only be worn while performing so-called "dangerous" activities.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a protective garment with an airbag adapted to protect the user without potentially causing an accident in the event of unintended airbag inflation. That is.

In this aspect, the invention relates to a protective garment, which comprises:
- a belt adapted to be placed around the user's waist;
- two leggings, each legging having an upper portion intended to be wrapped around the user's thigh and a lower portion intended to be wrapped around the user's calf; leggings comprising: a middle portion connecting the upper portion and the lower portion;
- a plurality of safety airbags;
- a trigger device adapted to trigger inflation of the airbag;
with
the midsection of each legging comprises a notch adapted to lie over the front of the user's knee when the legging is placed around the user's leg;
The top and bottom of each legging each have at least one airbag positioned adjacent the notch in the midsection.

Advantageously but optionally, the protective garment according to the invention further comprises at least one of the following features.
- Each airbag may be adapted to have a thickness of between 3 cm and 6 cm when inflated.
- the lower portion of each legging has additional air positioned opposite the first airbag with respect to the first airbag when the legging is in place around the user's leg; I can carry a bag.
- the top of each legging is a predetermined distance from the first airbag so that, when the legging is in place around the user's leg, it is above the outside of the user's thigh; An additional airbag may be provided positioned at the position of
- An additional airbag at the top of each legging can be adapted to have a thickness between 3cm and 8cm when inflated.
- The bottom and top of each legging may be provided with a closure device selected from the group consisting of multiple rows of hook-and-loop fastener strips and snap-fasteners.
- The trigger device comprises a cartridge of compressed air and an airbag supply circuit connecting the airbag to the cartridge, the control unit being adapted to control the opening of the cartridge of compressed air.
- The trigger device may comprise at least one of a velocity or acceleration sensor, or may comprise an interface for connecting the electronic trigger circuit to the trigger device of another protective garment.
- The protective garment may comprise a notch adapted to come over the user's crotch when the protective garment is in place on the user.

The invention also relates to the use of protective clothing as described above when riding a motorcycle, skiing, parachuting or riding a horse.

The protective garment according to the present invention has a construction that allows it to be donned easily and quickly by the user by wrapping the top and bottom of each legging around the thigh and calf, respectively. In particular, the garment does not require the legs to be put on or shoes to be removed.

Due to the shape of the leggings and the placement of the airbag, optimum protection is guaranteed for the user. In fact, protection for the knees is provided by airbags, one on each side of each legging notch. When the airbag is inflated, the knee rests at the bottom of the recess formed by the airbag, ensuring its protection. However, the absence of knee airbags makes it possible to avoid a reduction in knee mobility in the event of an unintended trigger for inflation of the airbag, thus preventing the formation of stiffness that can lead to accidents. It is possible to avoid.

Other airbags are advantageously placed in the areas most affected during an accident, namely the rear of the calf and the areas located on the rear and lateral sides of the thigh.

When inflated, the thickness of this last airbag is adapted so as not to at least partially prevent leg bending.

The user's crotch is not protected as this area is rarely affected during a motorcycle accident. On the one hand, this lack of protection allows the motorcycle rider to maintain control in the event of unintentional triggering of the airbag.

Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description. The description should be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are merely illustrative and non-limiting.

1 schematically illustrates an example of a protective garment according to an embodiment of the invention worn by a user; FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a protective garment according to one embodiment of the invention in an unfolded configuration; FIG. Fig. 3 schematically illustrates protection for a user's knee with an inflated airbag; 1 schematically illustrates some embodiments of a device for triggering inflation of an airbag; FIG. 1 schematically illustrates some embodiments of a device for triggering inflation of an airbag; FIG. 1 schematically illustrates some embodiments of a device for triggering inflation of an airbag; FIG.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a protective suit 1 is shown, which is suitable for use, for example, when using a two-wheeled vehicle, especially a motorcycle, and when riding, skiing, or other board, blade, or roller sports, or It can also be used to protect the user when parachuting.

This protective garment 1 is in the form of pants, more particularly overpants, in other words it is preferably worn over the user's pants.

The protective garment 1 comprises a belt 10 adapted to encircle the waist of the user U and two leggings 20 connected to the belt 10 . Each legging particularly comprises an upper portion 21 adapted to encircle the user's legs and adapted to be wrapped around the user's thighs, and a lower portion 22 adapted to be wrapped around the calves of the user. .

As seen in FIG. 2, the top and bottom of each legging 20 is thus generally in the shape of a strip that is wrapped around the leg and closed with closures located at opposite ends of the strip. It is closed using device 29 .

This makes the garment easier to place on the user than if the garment had to be worn over the legs.

Likewise, the belt 10 is suitably adapted so that it can be closed around the waist of the user and is therefore in the form of a strip which is also provided with a closure device 29 at its opposite end. is.

Belts and leggings are preferably formed from textile materials having high abrasion resistance, such as those of Targal, Dalcon, Mylar (e.g. 600 Diner Polyester, Diner fabric yarn weighing 9 grams per meter). polyester fiber fabrics sold under the name, or made of polyimide fibers sold under the trade names Nylon or Tenax, the fabrics being suitably coated with a coating that imparts water resistance, such as silicone. .

For example, most motorcycle riders are required to wear rain pants, and the addition of waterproof fabric that can be taken out in wet weather and attached to clothing using hook-and-loop strips on visible areas exposed to rain. Special attention is paid to waterproof fabrics with the possibility of having strips of . The garment 1 can therefore also replace rain pants while still providing additional protection in terms of safety.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper portion 21 and lower portion 22 of each legging are connected together by a middle portion 23 generally in the form of a strip. This intermediate portion 23 includes a notch 24 that the leg covers in front of the user's knee when the leggings 20 are in place on the user's leg. The strip 23 is thus placed behind the knee joint.

In addition, each legging 20 is integrally connected to the belt 10 by a strip 25, which is designed such that the protective garment 1 is provided with a notch 26 that fits over the crotch of the user. there is

The protective garment 1 was adapted to provide a plurality of airbags 30, known as inflatable bladders, and to trigger the inflation of the airbags under predetermined circumstances (Figs. 3, 4a and 4a). It further comprises an airbag trigger system 40 (shown in FIG. 4b).

The airbag 30 is judiciously positioned to provide protection for the user's knees. Accordingly, the upper portion 21 and lower portion 22 of each legging are each provided with an airbag 30 positioned adjacent to the notch 24, with two airbags 30 thus positioned, one on each side of the notch.

Referring to FIG. 3, these airbags are sized such that when inflated, they are at least 3 cm thick. As a result, the knee is placed in a recess formed by the inflated airbag that is at least 3 cm deep, the depth being equal to the thickness of the airbag plus the thickness of the leggings of the protective clothing. Yes. This recess keeps the knee away from the impact surface.

In addition, the thickness of the inflated airbag is preferably less than 8 cm and is an unintentional trigger due to loss of control of the vehicle (e.g. side impact trigger of a side airbag, which subsequently causes the driver to is successful in regaining control of the vehicle).

However, in the event of an unintentional trigger for inflation of the airbag 30, knee joint mobility is maintained due to the lack of a knee airbag, which may be an accidental injury after an accidental inflation. reduce the risk of

Additionally, each legging preferably includes two other airbags.

One airbag 30 is positioned in the lower portion 22 of each legging 20 and is positioned to cover and thus protect the rear of the user's calves when the user wears protective clothing. To achieve this result, it is understood that the distance between the two airbags 30 in the legging lower portion 22 is dependent on the size of the user and thus on the size of the garment. In rules known per se, it is possible to propose protective clothing with several standardized sizes for people of various sizes.

Another airbag 30 is arranged in the upper portion 21 of each legging 20 to cover and thus protect the area located on the lateral side of the thigh. More specifically, the airbag preferably covers an area located in the circumferential quarter of the thigh formed between the user's right and rear sides. This airbag is therefore offset outwardly with respect to the rear of the thigh, thereby providing optimum protection for the motorcycle rider. In fact, this area is the first to be affected in the event of an accident, not the back of the thigh.

Advantageously but additionally, the airbag 30 is shaped to have a thickness of between 3 cm and 8 cm when inflated. In practice, the thickness must exceed the minimum thickness to ensure that the thighs are protected, but it is not possible for the user to bend his or her legs for this airbag deployment. Do not exceed the maximum thickness of difficulty.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4a-4c, the airbag trigger system 40 comprises a cartridge 41 of compressed air, which is advantageously placed in a pocket of the belt, this position being used The cartridge is accessible by a third party, but preferably can be closed to prevent viewing of the cartridge.

The trigger system 40 further comprises an airbag supply circuit 42 connecting a cartridge 41 to each airbag.

Additionally, the trigger system 40 comprises a control unit 43 adapted to control the opening of the cartridge of compressed air for inflating the airbag. This control unit advantageously comprises a computer (not shown) such as a processor, microprocessor or microcontroller.

With reference to Figures 4a to 4c, several possibilities can be envisaged for triggering the inflation of the airbag. According to a first possibility illustrated in Fig. 4a, the trigger system further comprises one or more sensors 44, which may include one or more speed sensors and one or more accelerometers.

The control unit 43 is consequently connected to the sensor and commands the inflation of the airbag in the event of deceleration greater than a predetermined threshold, possibly in combination with an initial velocity prior to deceleration greater than another threshold. are adapted to As a variant, for example when protective clothing is worn by the rider of the two-wheeler and travels, the vehicle is equipped with a speed sensor, to which the control unit is advantageously connected by means of a wireless connection of the Bluetooth® type. can be connected. The control unit can then trigger the inflation of the airbag when the difference between the speed of the vehicle and the speed of the suit exceeds a predetermined threshold.

In the variant shown in FIG. 4b, if the protective clothing is used while being worn by the rider of the motorcycle, the protective clothing may be provided with a cable 45 for connection to the vehicle, which cable: It can be connected to a control unit. If the terminal is destroyed or the voltage exceeds a given threshold, the control unit can trigger the inflation of the airbag.

According to yet another variant, shown in FIG. 4c, the protective garment 1 can be used with a protective vest that is itself equipped with an airbag and trigger system. In this case, the control unit 43 is advantageously connected by means of a connection interface 46, preferably by wire, to the trigger system of the vest, from which it receives instructions for triggering the inflation of the airbag.

To resist inflation of the airbag, the closure device 29 of the leggings (and possibly belts) advantageously accommodates small changes in the length of the strip of fabric forming these leggings without opening them. Is possible. In this regard, each closure device preferably comprises hook-and-loop fasteners at the ends of each strip, which face each other.

Alternatively, each closure device may comprise several rows of snap fasteners, some of which may disengage upon inflation.

Finally, it will be appreciated that even when the airbag is inflated, the user's crotch notch 26 does not interfere with the user in the event of unintentional triggering of inflation, especially when driving his or her motorcycle. can.

Therefore, the construction of the protective garment in combination with the placement of the airbag provides optimum protection for the user, including in the event of unexpected triggering of airbag inflation.

In an advantageous variant of the invention, the notch is extended by minimizing a portion of the protective clothing to also allow the user of the scooter to wear this protective clothing while minimizing the bulk resulting therefrom. It is possible to

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 protective clothing 10 belt 20 leggings 21 upper portion 22 lower portion 23 middle portion 24 notch 29 closure device 30 airbag 40 Airbag trigger system 41 Cartridge 42 Supply circuit 43 Control unit 44 Sensor 45 Cable U User

Claims (11)

A protective garment (1) comprising:
- a belt (10) adapted to be placed around the waist of the user (U);
- two leggings (20), each legging is intended to be wrapped around the user's thigh and the upper part (21) intended to be wrapped around the user's calf. leggings (20), comprising: a lower portion (22) that is flattened; and an intermediate portion (23) that connects the upper portion (21) and the lower portion (22);
- a plurality of safety airbags (30), including a plurality of first airbags (30) and a plurality of second airbags (30);
- a trigger device (40) adapted to trigger inflation of the airbag;
with
said intermediate portion (23) of each legging being free of airbags over the front of said user's knees when said leggings are placed around said user's legs;
Said upper portion (21) of each legging (20) comprises at least one of said plurality of first airbags (30) and said lower portion (22) of each legging (20) comprises at least said one of a plurality of second airbags (30), wherein the first and second airbags of the leggings are arranged when the leggings are positioned around the legs of the user; 2, a protective garment (1) positioned adjacent to the user's knee in the vertical direction . Protective garment (1) according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate part of each legging has a strip shape with a width smaller than the width of the upper part and the lower part. Protective garment (1) according to claim 1, wherein each airbag (30) is adapted to have a thickness of at least 3 cm when inflated. The lower portion (22) of each legging (20) is circumferentially positioned against the leg of the user when the legging is in place around the leg of the user. Protective garment (1) according to claim 1, comprising an additional airbag (30) arranged on the opposite side. The upper portion (21) of each legging (20) is such that it rests on the outside of the user's thigh when the legging is in place around the user's leg. 2. Protective garment (1) according to claim 1, comprising an additional airbag (30) arranged at a predetermined distance from said first airbag. 6. According to claim 5, wherein said additional airbag (30) in said upper part ( 21 ) of each legging (20) is adapted to have a thickness of between 3 cm and 8 cm when inflated. Protective clothing (1). 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said lower portion (22) and said upper portion (21) of each legging (20) are provided with a closure device (29) selected from the group consisting of hook-and-loop strips and rows of snap fasteners. Protective clothing as described (1). Said trigger device (40) comprises a cartridge (41) of compressed air, an airbag (30) supply circuit (42) connecting said airbag to said cartridge (41) and an opening of said cartridge (41) of compressed air. Protective garment (1) according to claim 1, comprising a control unit (43) adapted to control the Said trigger device (40) comprises at least one of a velocity or acceleration sensor (44) or comprises an interface (46) for connecting said control unit to another protective garment trigger device. Protective garment (1) according to claim 8, wherein the protective garment (1) comprises: Protective garment (1) according to claim 1, wherein said belt and said leggings are connected by a strip (25), said strip (25) having a width smaller than the width of said belt and said leggings. 11. Use of protective clothing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 for use when riding a motorcycle, skiing, parachuting or riding.

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