KR20160021750A - Hip protective undergarments - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an undergarment having an integral, self-orienting, comfortable heap protective pad.

Description

{HIP PROTECTIVE UNDERGARMENTS}

Cross-reference to relevant cases

Priority under 35 USC §119 (e) is hereby claimed, commonly owned and co-pending, and filed on March 16, 2013, for application 61 / 802,598, .

Technical field

The present disclosure relates to underwear comprising integral hip protractors, methods of making same, and methods of using same.

Elbows, knees, shoulders, ankles, hips and other joints are particularly susceptible to damage from impact and still challenge the protection of the individual without limiting the range of motion and movement. Hip fractures are often serious falls that result in long-term functional impairment, nursing home admission, and increased mortality. Some reported statistics show that older people are the main cause of hip fractures and most hip fractures occur in elderly people over 65 years of age. There are several reports that up to 20% of people suffering from a hip fracture die within 12 months of a hip fracture. For survivors, the loss of function and independence is serious and can not be walked up to 40% or require help for more than a year.

CDC reported that in 2007, 281,000 hospital admissions were due to hip fractures among people aged 65 years and older, and more than 90% of hip fractures were caused by falls, most frequently to the lateral side of the hip. However, women account for three-quarters of all hip fractures. In 1991, the Medicare cost for a hip fracture was estimated at $ 2.9 billion.

In both men and women, hip fracture rates increase exponentially with age. Older people aged 85 years or older will be 10 to 15 times more likely to suffer hip fractures than older people aged 60 to 65. Osteoporosis, a disease that causes holes in the bones, increases the risk of hip fractures in the elderly. The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that more than 10 million elderly people over the age of 50 in the United States have osteoporosis and another 3.4 million are at risk for the disease.

A large percentage of drop deaths are due to complications following hip fracture. One of the five hip patients died within one year of their injury. Treatment typically involves surgery and usually about one week of hospitalization, often followed by a nursing home and extensive rehabilitation. At least one of the four adults who lived independently before the hip fracture remains in the nursing home for at least one year after the hip injury.

As a result, various types of heap protectors have been commercialized in an attempt to minimize the number, severity, and weakness of hip fractures. However, such impact protection may be heavy, non-breathable or limited, or may not precisely target the hips or may simply not be met.

One type of hip protector is a padding belt worn over the wearer's clothing and the padding belt is bulky and eye-catching. Another type of hip protector is an undergarment having pockets for receiving removable heap baffles. Although this type of heap protector is less noticeable than the outer belt, these protectors can add an unseen volume to the hip section. Although each of the foregoing is efficient, compliance is often low because they are noticeable and / or inconvenient. As a result, their efficiency is reduced since they are less compliant.

There is a need for improved heap protection.

The present disclosure relates to an underpants for heap protection in one embodiment, including a foam fitting portion and a heap pad disposed on the foam fitting portion. When the underpants are worn on the user, including the center, the heap pad is positioned so that the center of the heap pad is adjacent to the upper trochanter area of the user's heap.

In one embodiment, the heap pad may include an integrated locator device that allows the user to identify the location of the center of the heap pad relative to the top electronic region of the user's heap.

In one embodiment, the heap pad may include a removable impact sensor configured to measure the force of the impact.

In one embodiment, the heap pad may comprise an energy absorbing foam material, such as an energy absorbing polyurethane foam.

In one embodiment, the heap pad may include a central region of uniform thickness extending radially from the center of the heap pad. The central area of uniform thickness may extend radially from the center of the heap pad by about 1 cm to about 10 cm. The central region may comprise a thickness ranging from about 1 mm to about 30 mm.

In some embodiments, the heap pad may have an impact resistance of up to about 10,000 N (newtons).

Another embodiment is directed to a heap protective garment comprising a heap pad disposed on the garment, wherein the heap includes a center portion such that when the garment is deployed to a user, the center portion of the heap pad contacts the upper trochaner region. The heap pad may include a polyurethane foam having a density of about 20 pcf and a thickness of about 15 mm to absorb a force of about 7,000 N.

Another aspect of the disclosure is a heap pad including a center portion, the center portion of the heap pad being disposed adjacent the upper electronic region of the user ' s heap when the garment is deployed to a user. The heap pad may include a polyurethane foam having a density of about 20 pcf and a thickness of about 15 mm to absorb a force of about 7,000 N. The above-described heap pads can be placed in a pocket in the heap to provide impact resistance to the heap.

The foregoing and other features and advantages will be apparent from the following more particular description of illustrative embodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the different views Will be. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating principles of the disclosure.

Figure 1 is a partial view of a wearer wearing an exemplary padded underwear according to the present disclosure in a standing position,
Figure 2 is a front view of the user of Figure 1 showing the placement of a pad spaced away from the undergarment and a pad on the undergarment for the user's hip joint,
Figure 3 is a front view of the user of Figure 1 showing a pad disposed on the undergarment in a protected position for the user's electronic,
Figure 4 shows the user of Figure 1 in a sitting position, showing the relative orientation of the pad to the moving counterpart,
5 is a plan view of a part of the pad type underwear shown in Fig. 1,
Figure 6 is a schematic side view of a portion of the hip pad and body portion shown in Figure 5 through line 4-4,
Figure 7 is a schematic side view of the hip pad shown in Figure 5 without body parts,
Figure 8 is a schematic side view of another embodiment of the hip pad and body portion shown in Figure 6,
Figure 9 is a schematic side view of the heap protector pad shown in Figure 6 without body parts.

This disclosure relates to garments, particularly undergarments, that include improved self-orienting and conformable hip pads. The garments are lightweight, soft, flexible and breathable, resulting in improved compliance by users. The integral pads are designed to provide sufficient impact resistance to prevent fractures of the hip. In some embodiments, the pads can withstand forces in the range of about 7,000 N (newtons). As such, it provides sufficient impact resistance to reduce hip fracture by both factors, due to the fact that these garments are designed to withstand the dropping force (otherwise they can lead to hip fracture) and due to increased compliance.

1 shows a partial view of a wearer wearing a heap protective underwear 10 according to the present disclosure. The undergarment 10 includes a padded hip protector portion 30 (hereinafter "pad 30 ") attached to the body portion 20 at the hip portion, adjacent the body portion 20 and a greater trochanter of the femur bone, Quot;).

The undergarment 10 is form-fitted rather than loose. The term " form-fitted "or" form-fitting "means herein that the garment is tightly conformed to the contours of the body covered or is retained in the skin by elastic tension . Thus, the undergarment 10 is selected to minimize the amount of lateral movement, longitudinal movement and torsion of the undergarment relative to the user ' s body in order to closely match the wearer ' s body and in use. Suitable materials for the body portion include knitted, woven and nonwoven fibers, leather, vinyl or any other suitable material. A variety of natural and / or synthetic materials may be used for the body part and include, but are not limited to, knit, woven and nonwoven fabrics, leather, vinyl or elastane or any other suitable material including its equivalent. These materials provide strength as well as smooth lines when tightly pulled. Other suitable materials include functional materials having waterproof and / or absorbent features, such as the type disclosed in U.S. Publication No. 2010/0249736, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The garments may also be made of wicking fibers designed to transfer moisture from the skin layer.

5 to 9 show an exemplary heap pad 30 according to the present disclosure in more detail. The pad 30 has a shape, size and configuration adapted to the contours of the outer heap section, including the central oval features and the "wings " extending from the left and right sides of the ellipse. It is to be understood that the pad may include any shape, size, thickness, or configuration, such as is desirable for preventing or minimizing hip fractures. The heap pad includes cushioning areas of various shapes, sizes, configurations, and thicknesses. For ease of discussion, the terms "cushioning area" and "medallion" will be used interchangeably throughout the description. As will be described below, various materials may be used for medallions. The medallions are spaced by the channels of various depths and configurations, which form the perimeter of the medallions. The upper surface of the medallions may include grooves of varying depths and configurations, which in part form contours of the medallions. In some examples, a circumferential flange spaced from the perimeter of the pad is provided.

6 and 7, the pad 30 includes a cushioning layer 15 disposed between the optional outer layer 16 and the inner layer 17, which together define a front surface 10 ), A rear surface 12, and a perimeter 14, respectively. Suitable materials for the cushioning layer 15 and the optional outer and inner layers 16,17 are disclosed in co-pending U.S. Patent Application No. 2012/0084896 and U.S. Publication No. 2013/0061377, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, The entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Pad 30 includes one or more channels 38 that form spaced medallion zones 50, 60a, 60b and wing medallions 70a, 70b. As shown, the channels 38 have a width ("W ₁ ") formed by the spacing between adjacent medallions, a depth formed by the spacing between the upper surface of the medallions and the upper surface of the pad 30 Quot; D ₁ ") and a thickness (" T ₁ ") formed by the combined thicknesses of the inner and outer layers 16,17 and the cushioning material 15 disposed between the layers. For ease of discussion, the "channels" will be hereinafter referred to as hinges throughout the description, and are not intended to limit the fact that the grooves also function as hinge coupling elements.

The width (W ₁ ) of the hinges may vary as desired or as needed, and may be in the narrow range of from about 1 mil to about 1000 mil, or more. The hinges 38 may be linear or curved, and the depth of the hinges between the medallions may be the same or different and may vary along the hinges. Both curved and linear hinges may be used in combination with the pads as shown in this embodiment, and may include combinations of curved and linear hinged regions. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the hinges function as locators to ensure that the pads are properly aligned with the intersection of the X and Y axes of the user ' s hip joints and / do.

An optional perimeter flange 40 (hereinafter "flange") may be formed on the top surface 10 to retain medallions in spaced relation from the perimeter of the pad. In this embodiment, the optional perimeter flange 40 has a width ("W ₂ ") formed by the spacing between the peripheries 14 of the pad 30 about the outermost medallions. The width W ₂ of the peripheral flange 40 may vary as desired. As will be described in more detail below, the circumferential flange 40 is thinner than the medallions, which allows the pad to be wrapped around the flange area using various techniques such as stitching, gluing, Lt; / RTI > When integrated with the body portion, the pad may be stitched, glued, or otherwise attached to the outside of the sleeve fabric, or may be stitched or attached to the inner surface of the sleeve and exposed through a corresponding opening in the sleeve .

In some embodiments, the center medallion 50 may include a central region "R" extending radially from the center point P, having a substantially uniform thickness, May decrease radially from R toward the periphery of the pad 30. Alternatively, the upper surface of the medallion may include a surface that is generally formed by a thickness that decreases toward the periphery of the medallion, or radially toward the periphery of the pad.

Optionally, one or more grooves 42 may be formed in the upper surface of the medallions. The grooves 42 increase the flexibility of the pad and cause the grooves 42 and the pads 42 to be displaced when the thickness of the cushioning layer 15 in the grooves 42 is reduced, The flexibility of the display device 100 increases. The width, depth, orientation, and position of the grooves 42 in the medallion's upper surfaces will vary according to a number of factors including, but not limited to, the desired orientation and magnitude of flexibility.

As with the hinge 38, the grooves 42 may be curved grooves or linear grooves that are parallel and / or disposed along intersecting axes. Grooves that are both curved and linear can be used in combination, and the grooves can include regions that are both curved and linear.

As shown in Fig. 1, the heap pad 30 includes a center point P disposed at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical axes X and Y. As shown in Fig. Similarly, the greater trochanter of the user corresponds to P 'at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical axes (X' and Y ') on the user. As shown, the pad 30 is attached to the body portion 20 such that, in use, the position P of the medallion medallion 50 corresponds to P ', corresponding to the counterpart of the user. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, as in the case where the user is in a sitting position, the center of the heap pad 30 is held in the same position with respect to the electrons during the movement.

The pad 30 is attached to the body portion 20 by sealing the peripheral flange 40 to the body portion 20 so that the center of the hip pad corresponds to the counterweight of the thigh. In use, the combination of flexible hinges 38 and grooves 42 allows the pad 30 to conform to the user's body, particularly the hip region, thereby maintaining the pad 30 very close to the user ' s body And maximizes the shock-absorbing ability of the pad 30 when the user falls.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate another embodiment of an exemplary cushioning pad 30 'in accordance with the present disclosure. The pad 30'may be designed such that the thickness of the cushioning layer 15 disposed between the upper and lower layers 16,17 in the hinges 38,50 is maximized during the manufacturing process to provide greater impact resistance. And a structure similar to the pad 30.

Size, shape, structure, and dimensions of pads, medallions, medallion appearances, hinges, grooves, and flanges; And the thickness, density, and type of material are used to maximize the impact resistance to the force that would cause the hip fracture from falling, which is presumed to be within the range of 7,000 N, in order to obtain the desired functional properties for the hip pad Can be changed as desired to prevent or minimize hip fractures. All previous features, either alone or in combination, are designed to facilitate the flexibility of the pad either inwardly or outwardly to conform to the user's body during movement. However, in each of the previous embodiments, and in any pad according to the present invention, it is to be understood that all previous dimensions may vary depending on the desired characteristics and design of the pad. For example, the pads are designed to provide various features, such as but not limited to cushioning, vibration dampening, and / or shock absorption, and the like. The characteristics of the pad can be varied by changing the thickness and / or material type of the cushioning layer 15 within the medallions so that the gap between medallions (i.e., the width of the hinges) can be changed and / To change the outline of the body. For example, using a gel for the cushioning layer 15 provides a pad with cushioning and vibration dampening characteristics; Using a foam reduces the weight of the pad; Using a rate dependent or shock absorbing foam increases the shock absorption of the pad. Generally, increasing the thickness of the cushioning layer 15 within the medallions generally increases previous features; And using a combination of materials for the cushioning layer 15 may provide a combination of features.

The cushioning material 15 may comprise a foam material such as a low density foam material. Examples of suitable low density foams include polyesters and polyether polyurethane foams. Various types of shock absorbing materials tend to temporarily cure for impact because they are soft and absorb energy of impact (rather than deliver energy to the body, for example), and then they return to their initial state Cushioning materials, especially energy absorbing materials. One suitable rate-dependent foam is available from Rogers Corporation under the trade names Microsporon® and Polon XRD®, microcellular polyurethane foams. Preferred densities for such foams may range from about 5 to about 35 pcf (pounds per cubic foot), more specifically from about 10 to about 30 pcf, and still more specifically from about 15 to about 25 pcf. The preferred thickness for such foams may range from about 3 mm to about 20 mm, more specifically from about 6 mm to 17 mm, and still more specifically from about 10 mm to about 15 mm.

The terms "first "," second ", and the like in the specification are not used to indicate any order or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. But indicates the presence of at least one of the named items. Similarly, it should be noted that the terms "bottom" and "top" are used herein for ease of description, unless otherwise stated, but are not limited to just one position or spatial orientation. In addition, the modifier "about" used in connection with a quantity includes the stated value and has the meaning set forth in the specification (e.g., including the degree of error associated with the measurement of a particular quantity). Unless defined otherwise, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

While this disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the teachings without departing from the essential scope thereof. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the optimum mode contemplated for carrying out the present disclosure, but is intended to cover all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims .

Claims (22)

As hip protective underwear,
A form-fitted body portion and
A hip pad disposed in the body portion,
Wherein the heap pad includes a center such that when the user wears the undergarment the center of the heap pad is positioned adjacent an upper trochanter zone of the user's heap,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
The heap pad includes an integrated locator device that allows a user to modify the center position of the heap pad relative to the upper electronic zone of the user ' s heap.
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the heap pad comprises a removable impact sensor configured to measure an impact force.
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein at least a portion of the body portion comprises an absorbent material.
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the heap pad comprises an energy absorbing foam material.
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the energy absorbing foamed material is a polyurethane foam,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the polyurethane foam has a density of about 10 pcf (pound per cubic foot) to about 30 pcf,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the polyurethane foam has a density of about 15 pcf to about 25 pcf,
Heap protection underwear.
Wherein the polyurethane foam has a density of from about 10 pcf to about 30 pcf,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Said heap pad having a central region of uniform thickness extending radially from a center portion of said heap pad,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
The heap pad having a central region of uniform thickness extending radially from the center of the heap pad by about 1 cm to about 10 cm,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
The heap pad having a central region of uniform thickness extending radially from the center of the heap pad by about 3 cm to about 8 cm,
Heap protection underwear.
The heap pad having a central region of uniform thickness extending radially from the center of the heap pad by about 5 cm,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the central zone of uniform thickness has a thickness ranging from about 1 mm to about 30 mm,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the central zone of uniform thickness has a thickness ranging from about 5 mm to about 25 mm,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the central zone of uniform thickness has a thickness ranging from about 10 mm to about 20 mm,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
The center zone of uniform thickness has a thickness of about 15 mm,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the heap pad has an impact resistance of less than about 10,000 N (newtons)
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the heap pad has an impact resistance of about 7,000 N or less,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the heap pad has an impact resistance of about 5,000 N or less,
Heap protection underwear.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the heap pad has an impact resistance of about 3,000 N or less,
Heap protection underwear.
As hip protective underwear,
Wherein the heap pad includes a center and wherein a center portion of the heap pad is located in an upper trochanter area of the user's heap when the undergarment is disposed to a user ≪ / RTI &
Said heap pad comprising a polyurethane foam capable of absorbing a force of about 7,000 (N), having a density of about 20 pcf, a thickness of about 15 mm,
Heap protection underwear.

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