SE1751182A1 - Bare skin surface protection cover - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to devices for bare skin surface protection. The disclosure proposes a bare skin surface protection cover (100). The bare skin surface protection cover comprises an air-permeable element (110) having an outer edge (115) and being arranged to maintain a predetermined minimum distance (di) to the bare skin surface. The bare skin surface protection cover (100) further comprises attachment means (120) arranged to engage the outer edge (115) around the bare skin surface such that the air-permeable element (110) encloses the bare skin surface.

Description

BARE SKIN SURFACE PROTECTION COVER TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to devices for protecting a bare skin surface. ln particular the disclosure relates to a bare skin surface protection cover.BACKGROUND Many domesticated animals are allowed to roam freely outside, e.g. within an enclosed area.When being outside, the animals often incur minor wounds or sores, often around joints dueto sitting or lying down on the ground. lf unattended, the minor wounds or sores may getmore and more irritated due to repeated engagement with the environment, e.g. sitting downand pressing the wound or sore into the ground repeatedly. Furthermore, dirt carrying bacteria and parasitic insects may also aggravate the healing process.

The minor wounds or sores may be covered with a plaster for protection. However, thehealing process is often greatly accelerated if the minor wounds or sores can remain exposedto fresh air. While some plasters allow for some air to pass through them, the amount of air exposure remains very restricted.

Other measures involve wrapping exposed joints in bandages, which suffer from similar problems as the plasters.

There is thus a need in the art for protection of bare skin surfaces that allow effectiveexposure to the surrounding air while at the same time providing protection from the external environment.

SUMMARY An object of the present disclosure is to provide devices which seek to mitigate, alleviate, oreliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies in the art and disadvantages singly or in any combination and to provide a bare skin surface protection cover.

The present disclosure relates to a bare skin surface protection cover. The bare skin surfaceprotection cover comprises an air-permeable element arranged to form a cage having anouter edge and being arranged to maintain a predetermined minimum distance to the protected bare skin surface. The bare skin surface protection cover further comprises 2attachment means arranged to engage the outer edge around the protected bare skin surfacesuch that the air-permeable element encloses the protected bare skin surface. The bare skinsurface protection cover thereby enables shielding the bare skin surface from insects and/orparticles while simultaneously allowing the protected bare skin surface to be fully exposed tosurrounding air. lf the protected bare skin surface comprises a minor wound or is irritated, thehealing process can be greatly improved by enabling constant exposure to surrounding air while at the same time providing protection from dirt an certain insects.

According to some aspects, the air-permeable element comprises a mesh having a set ofopenings arranged to enable air to permeate the air-permeable element. A mesh provides anair-permeable element which is easy to manufacture. A mesh further enables tailoring mechanical as well as permeability properties by varying the mesh structure.

According to some aspects, the openings have a largest dimension less than a predeterminedvalue. According to some further aspects, the largest dimension is less than two millimeter.According to some yet further aspects, the largest dimension is less than one and a halfmillimeter. According to some yet yet further aspects, the largest dimension is less than onemillimeter. By setting a predetermined upper limit to the largest dimension, the mesh can bearranged to prevent certain insects, e.g. certain flies, or dirt particles greater than the largest dimension from entering into the enclosed space.

According to some aspects, the openings are distributed across the mesh with varying density.The varying density of openings is arranged to provide a mechanical resilience to deformationof the mesh due to an external force. According to some aspects, at least two openings havedifferent shapes. The different shapes are arranged to provide a mechanical resilience todeformation of the mesh due to an external force. The mechanical resilience can thereby beadjusted to provide a predetermined stiffness that varies across the mesh, maintain a predetermined shape ofthe mesh and/or provide direction-dependent elasticity ofthe mesh.

According to some aspects, wherein the air-permeable element comprises a polymer material.Polymer materials, such as plastics or rubber, enable an air-permeable element that is softand/or elastic. Certain polymer materials may, due to their elastic properties, further be arranged to resume a predetermined shape. 3According to some aspects, the air-permeable element comprises a metallic material. Ametallic material, e.g. copper, aluminum or stainless steel, is able to provide meshes with verythin threads that are able to maintain the predetermined distance to the protected bare skinsurface. A metallic material may provide a stronger, i.e. more mechanically resilient, air- permeable element than a polymer material.

According to some aspects, the air-permeable element is arranged to resume a predeterminedshape upon removal of an external force having caused a deformation of the air-permeableelement. The air-permeable element thereby reestablishes the predetermined minimumdistance to the protected bare skin surface, which is very advantageous in cases where e.g., ananimal wearing the bare skin surface protection cover has applied pressure to the bare skin surface protection cover by sitting or lying on it.

According to some aspects, the bare skin surface protection cover further comprises a frameelement arranged to span the air-permeable element into a predetermined shape arranged toenclose the protected bare skin surface when the outer edge is engaged around the protectedbare skin surface. The frame enables the use of air-permeable elements not able to maintain apredetermined shape, in particular the predetermined minimum distance to the protected bare skin surface, by themselves.

According to some aspects, the attachment means further comprises an adhesive arranged toadhere the outer edge around the protected bare skin surface. According to some aspects, theattachment means further comprises a removable cover arranged to cover the adhesive. Theadhesive enables the bare skin surface protection cover to be applied analogous to a plaster,with the air-permeable element covering the protected bare skin surface of interest, such as awound. The removable cover protects the adhesive from drying, attracting unwanted particlesor accidentally becoming attached prior to intended use of the bare skin surface protectioncover. The removable cover thereby extends the due date of the adhesive, and hence the bareskin surface protection cover, as well as improves portability by preventing unwanted attachment of the bare skin surface protection cover prior to intended use.

According to some aspects, the attachment means comprises an elastic band arranged toreceive a body part of a user and fixate the ba re skin surface protection cover to the received body part. An elastic band is often ideal for protecting a bare skin surface at or in close 4proximity to a joint. The elastic band allows the joint to move freely while keeping the bareskin surface protection cover in its intended place. An elastic band provides a means ofattachment that is easy to adjust to different types of joints and joints of different sizes. An elastic band can be attached rapidly with little or no training.

According to some aspects, the air-permeable element is arranged to form a cage having arounded shape. A rounded shape, such as a dome or an elongated dome, typically provides abetter fit around joints than an air-permeable element having a shape with edges. ln case theair-permeable element is also elastic, elastic deformation of the rounded shape due tomovement of a joint at which the bare skin surface protection cover is arranged typicallyfollows the natural movement of the joint better than an air-permeable element having a shape with edges.

According to some aspects, the air-permeable element is arranged to form a cage having atrapezoidal prism or truncated pyramid shape. The bare skin surface protection cover thereby achieves a flat profile suitable for covering bare skin on relatively flat surfaces.

According to some aspects, the air-permeable element comprises a coating. The coating maybe arranged to protect the air-permeable element from wear and tear. The coating may alsobe arranged to provide disinfectant properties. For instance, the coating may comprisetitanium dioxide which can act as a disinfectant and provide protection from ultra-violet radiation, e.g. from the sun.

The present disclosure also relates to use of the disclosed bare skin surface protection coverfor protecting a bare skin surface of an animal having a wound, sore or irritated surface within the protected bare skin surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of the exampleembodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference charactersrefer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the example embodiments.

Figure l a illustrates an exploded view of a bare skin surface protection cover; b illustrates the bare skin surface protection cover of Fig. la; Figure 2 illustrates a bare skin surface protection cover; Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of a bare skin surface protection cover; Figure 4 a illustrates a folded ba re skin surface protection cover; b illustrates an unfolded bare skin surface protection cover; Figure 5 a illustrates a bare skin surface protection cover; and b illustrates a stretched bare skin surface protection cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Aspects of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference tothe accompanying drawings. The devices and method disclosed herein can, however, berealized in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the aspects set forth herein. Like numbers in the drawings refer to like elements throughout.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects of thedisclosure only, and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular forms"a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Figures la and lb illustrate an exploded perspective view and a perspective view of a bare skinsurface protection cover, respectively. The bare skin surface protection cover lOO comprisesan air-permeable element llO arranged to form a cage having an outer edge ll5. The air- permeable element llO is arranged to maintain a predetermined minimum distance dl to the 6protected bare skin surface. By being air-permeable and keeping a minimum distance to theprotected bare skin surface, the protected bare skin surface is allowed to breathe, i.e.maintain contact with the surrounding air, but at the same time be protected by the coverfrom e.g. dirt and various insects, depending on the exact arrangement of the air-permeableelement 110. The bare skin surface protection cover 100 thereby allows minor wounds, rashesand irritated areas of the protected bare skin surface to be exposed to the surrounding air,which often helps the problem areas to heal more quickly, while at the same time preventingunwanted elements that can make matters worse, such as insects and dirt, to reach theproblem areas. The bare skin surface protection cover may be arranged to withstand apredetermined pressure, thereby preventing the air-permeable element to come in contactwith the protected bare skin surface and any minor wound, sore or irritated area present. lnparticular, pressure ulcers can be significantly reduced and/or mitigated by using the bare skinsurface protection cover to protect the bare skin surface having or being at risk of developinga pressure ulcer. The bare skin surface protection cover may also prevent an animal from licking a wound.

According to some aspects, the air-permeable element 110 comprises a sheet comprising theset of openings. According to some further aspects, the sheet comprising the set of openingscomprises a perforated polymer material, wherein the perforations match the set of openings.According to some aspects, the set of openings are distributed across the air-permeableelement with varying density and/or comprise at least two openings having a different shapewith respect to each other. By varying the density distribution and/or comprising at least twoopenings having a different shape with respect to each other, the mechanical properties oftheair-permeable element 110 can be provided. For instance, the set of openings may have thesame shape, but be distributed with an uneven spacing, thereby causing a varying density, asillustrated in inset 130f. The set of openings may have different shapes, illustrated in inset 130e as a set of holes having different diameters.

According to some preferred aspects, the air-permeable element 110 comprises a mesh 130a-fhaving a set of openings arranged to enable air to permeate the air-permeable element. I\/|eshis herein to be understood as an aggregate comprising a set of connected or linked elementsforming the set of openings, rather than e.g. the common and narrower definition of a barrier of connected strands; the latter, illustrated in e.g. insets 130a-c, being included in the former. 7For instance, a mesh could thus comprise a set of rings or ovals linked together to form themesh, as illustrated in insets 130d-f. The openings can have any suitable shape and/ordimensions. ln addition to being easy and inexpensive to manufacture, a mesh provides greatflexibility in tailoring the air-permeable element 110 to have a set of desired properties, as will be illustrated further below.

According to some aspects, the openings have a largest dimension less than a predeterminedvalue. By defining a largest dimension, the mesh can be tailored to filter out objects, such asinsects and dirt, over a certain size. According to some further aspects, the largest dimensionin less than ten millimeter. According to some further aspects, the largest dimension in lessthan five millimeter. According to some further aspects, the largest dimension in less than twomillimeter. According to some further aspects, the largest dimension in less than one and ahalf millimeter. According to some further aspects, the largest dimension in less than one millimeter. ln addition to preventing unwanted objects from entering into the protected space betweenthe protected bare skin surface and the air-permeable element, the mesh can be arrangedfurther to provide a wide range of desirable mechanical properties, as illustrated further below.

According to some aspects, at least two openings have different shapes. The different shapesare arranged to provide a mechanical resilience to deformation ofthe mesh due to an externalforce. According to some aspects, the openings are distributed across the mesh with varyingdensity, the varying density of openings being arranged to provide a mechanical resilience todeformation of the mesh due to an external force. An example of varying the density of similaropenings is illustrated in inset 130f. Examples of different shapes are illustrated in e.g. insets130c and 130e. ln inset 130c, a set of non-parallel strands of the mesh is illustrated, whichcauses the mesh openings to assume trapezoid shapes of different sizes and proportions. lninset 130e, a set of circular elements having different diameters are linked together forming amesh. As the openings get smaller along a dimension, the mechanical stiffness typicallyincreases based on the corresponding increase of material making up the mesh, such as anincrease in mesh strands. The differences in shape thus typically also correspond to a variation in density of openings. ln other words, the aspects of varying the shape of the openings and 8varying the density of openings can be combined to achieve synergetic effects. ln somepreferred aspects, a leading diameter of the openings decrease with increasing proximity to the outer edge 115 of the air-permeable element 110.

This makes the air-permeable element more rigid close to the outer edge, which serves as abase of the air-permeable element 110. lf the mesh is formed by an elastic material, theincreased rigidity about the outer edge helps the air-permeable element maintain and resumeits shape in response to external forces, thereby helping in maintaining or restoring thepredetermined minimal distance to the protected bare skin surface. ln addition to the effectson the mechanical properties of the air-permeable element, differences in shape anddistribution of the openings can also be arranged to prevent different types of foreign objectsfrom entering into the space enclosed by the air-permeable element from different angles. Forinstance, smaller openings close to the outer edge prevent more particles from being able toenter the enclosed space in the vicinity of the outer edge. This may be particularly beneficialwhen the bare skin surface protection cover is arranged on an animal and insects on the skinsurface of the animal tries to get to the enclosed protected region. The smaller openings may then provide a nearly insurmountable obstacle.

According to some aspects, the set of openings are arranged to provide a first mechanicalresilience to deformation ofthe mesh due to an external force along a first direction dir1 and asecond mechanical resilience to deformation of the mesh due to an external force along asecond direction dirz. lnset 130a provides an illustrative example wherein mesh strands of themesh are arranged at non-perpendicular angles with respect to each other, thereby providingdifferent mechanical resiliencies along perpendicular first and second directions. By varyingthe mechanical resiliencies along the first and second directions, the air-permeable element can be better tailored to follow movements of a joint.

According to some aspects, the air-permeable element is arranged to resume a predeterminedshape upon removal of an external force having caused a deformation of the air-permeableelement. When used, the air-permeable element may be subject to an external forceexceeding a threshold for causing a deformation of the air-permeable element. For instance auser, such as an animal, may lie down and apply pressure to the air-permeable element and thereby cause the deformation. The deformation may risk the air-permeable element to fall 9below the predetermined minimum distance dl to the protected bare skin surface. By beingarranged to resume the predetermined shape, the predetermined minimum distance dl to theprotected bare skin surface is restored as soon as the pressure causing the deformation is removed.

According to some aspects, the air-permeable element comprises a polymer material. Polymermaterials can offer good elasticity and enable manufacture of the air-permeable element is any desirable shape.

According to some aspects, a frame element arranged to span the air-permeable element intoa predetermined shape arranged to enclose the protected bare skin surface when the outeredge is engaged around the protected bare skin surface. The frame element enables the useof materials which cannot maintain a predetermined shape by themselves. For instance, theframe element may be used in combination with fabric or nylon strands to span a mesh.According to some further aspects, the frame element is flexible. The frame element therebyallows a deformation of the frame element if it is subjected to a pressure above apredetermined threshold and to resume the predetermined shape when the pressure isremoved. The frame element may comprise a polymer material arranged to provide elasticity, the elasticity providing the flexibility ofthe frame element.

According to some aspects, the air-permeable element comprises a metallic material. Ametallic material, e.g. copper, aluminum or stainless steel, is able to provide meshes with verythin threads that are able to maintain the predetermined distance to the protected bare skinsurface. A metallic material may provide a stronger, i.e. more mechanically resilient, air- permeable element than a polymer material.

The shape of the air-permeable element is preferably varied based on whether the air-permeable element is to be fitted at or about a joint, or at a position where there will benegligible influence on the air-permeable element due to movement. A rounded shape istypically better suited forjoints; the rounded shape provides a better fit and, in the case of anelastic air-permeable element, naturally follows the movement of the joint. Thus, according to some aspects, the air-permeable element is arranged to have a rounded shape.

On the other hand, if the surface on which the bare skin surface protection cover 100 is to bearranged is relatively unstable, a flat profile may be preferred. Thus, according to someaspects, the air-permeable element is arranged to have a trapezoidal prism or truncatedpyramid shape. The air-permeable element illustrated in Figs 1a and 1b is an example of anair-permeable element having a truncated pyramid shape, which has a footprint that is elongated in one direction. ln order to ensure that the air-permeable element maintains its position and encloses theprotected bare skin surface, the bare skin surface protection cover needs means to do so.Therefore, the bare skin surface protection cover 100 further comprises attachment means120 arranged to engage the outer edge 115 around the protected bare skin surface such thatthe air-permeable element 110 encloses the protected bare skin surface. According to someaspects, the attachment means 120 are arranged to offset the outer edge 115 from directcontact with skin around the protected bare skin surface. The attachment means 120 therebycontributed to enclosing the protected bare skin surface and maintaining the predetermined minimum distance.

According to some aspects, the attachment means further comprises an adhesive arranged toadhere the outer edge around the protected bare skin surface. According to some aspects, theattachment means further comprises a removable cover arranged to cover the adhesive. Theattachment means thereby functions similar to the way a plaster is applied. An adhesivesurface is pressed against parts of the skin where the bare skin surface protection cover isattached to the user, but instead of covering the bare skin surface to be protected (as in the case of a plaster), the protected bare skin surface is enclosed by the air-permeable element. lf the bare skin surface protection cover is to protect a joint, it is preferable if the attachmentmeans is arranged to fit a range ofjoint sizes and arranged to naturally follow the movementof the joint. Therefore, according to some aspects, the attachment means comprises an elasticband arranged to receive a body part of a user and fixate the bare skin surface protection cover to the received body pa rt.

According to some aspects, the air-permeable element comprises a coating. The coating maybe arranged to protect the air-permeable element from wear and tear. The coating may also be arranged to provide disinfectant properties. For instance, the coating may comprise 11titanium dioxide which can act as a disinfectant and provide protection from ultra-violetradiation, e.g. from the sun. According to some further aspects, the coating comprisesnanoparticles arranged to provide disinfectant properties and/or protection from ultra-violet radiation.

Figure 2 i||ustrates a bare skin surface protection cover 200 according to the presentdisclosure. The bare skin surface protection cover 200 comprises an air-permeable element210 arranged to form a cage having an outer edge 215 and being arranged to maintain apredetermined minimum distance dz to the protected bare skin surface. The air-permeableelement 210 comprises a mesh having a set of openings arranged to enable air to permeatethe air-permeable element. The bare skin surface protection cover 200 further comprisesattachment means 220 arranged to engage the outer edge 215 around the protected bare skinsurface such that the air-permeable element 210 encloses the protected bare skin surface.The bare skin surface protection cover 200 will be illustrated with features particularly suitablefor use at or about a joint, but the bare skin surface protection cover may comprise any of the technical features disclosed above and below.

The bare skin surface protection cover 200 is particularly suitable for use at or about a joint. Asdescribed in relation to Figs. 1a and 1b, for a bare skin surface protection cover to be adaptedto be arranged at a joint, the air-permeable element and the attachment means have a set ofpreferred aspects. Therefore, the air-permeable element is arranged to have a rounded shape.Furthermore, the attachment means 220 comprises an elastic band arranged to receive a body part of a user and fixate the bare skin surface protection cover to the received body part.

The elastic band is illustrated here as a single elastic band arranged to be wrapped around thereceived body part and thereby engage the outer edge 215 around the protected bare skinsurface such that the air-permeable element 210 encloses the protected bare skin surface.The elastic band is further arranged to allow air to flow freely to the enclosed protected bare skin surface, e.g. by having a hole matching the outer edge 215. |nstead of a single elastic band it is possible to use two or more elastic bands, which can be joined by a locking mechanism 260, e.g. matching buttons and wholes. According to yet 12another aspect, the attachment means comprises a pair of non-elastic bands with an elastic band in the middle.

According to a preferred aspect, the air-permeable element 210 is arranged to resume itsrounded shape upon removal of an external force having caused a deformation of the air-permeable element. The user may thereby apply pressure on the joint, e.g. a horse goingdown on its knees with the bare skin surface protection cover 200 being arranged at a kneejoint, and have the air-permeable element 210 resume the rounded shape of the formed cagewhen the pressure is removed. To facilitate resuming the rounded shape, the air-permeableelement 210 preferably comprises an elastic material. According to some aspects, the air- permeable element comprises a polymer material.

To further facilitate movement of the joint, the set of openings of the mesh are arranged toprovide a first mechanical resilience to deformation of the mesh due to an external forcealong a first direction and a second mechanical resilience to deformation of the mesh due toan external force along a second direction, e.g. as described in relation to inset 130a abovewherein mesh strands of the mesh are arranged at non-perpendicular angles with respect toeach other. According to some aspects, at least two openings have different shapes, thedifferent shapes being arranged to provide a mechanical resilience to deformation of the mesh due to an external force. ln a preferred aspect, the openings have a largest dimension less than a predetermined value.According to some further aspects, the largest dimension is less than two millimeter.According to some yet further aspects, the largest dimension is less than one and a halfmillimeter. According to some yet yet further aspects, the largest dimension is less than one millimeter.

According to some aspects, the air-permeable element comprises a coating. The coating maybe arranged to protect the air-permeable element from wear and tear. The coating may alsobe arranged to provide disinfectant properties. For instance, the coating may comprisetitanium dioxide which can act as a disinfectant and provide protection from ultra-violet radiation, e.g. from the sun. 13Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of a bare skin surface protection cover 300. Figure 3 aimsat illustrating how the use of a frame 370 can enable the use of meshes which would not beable to maintain a shape that keeps the desired minimum predetermined distance to theprotected bare skin surface by itself. The bare skin surface protection cover 300 will beillustrated with features particularly suitable for enabling the use of a wide range of meshes,but the bare skin surface protection cover may comprise any of the technical features disclosed above and below.

The bare skin surface protection cover 300 comprises an air-permeable element 310 arrangedto form a cage having an outer edge 315 and being arranged to maintain a predeterminedminimum distance to the protected bare skin surface. The air-permeable element 310comprises a mesh having a set of openings arranged to enable air to permeate the air- permeable element.

The bare skin surface protection cover 300 also comprises attachment means (not shown)arranged to engage the outer edge 315 around the protected bare skin surface such that the air-permeable element 310 encloses the protected bare skin surface. lf the mesh is too loose to maintain a complex shape such as a rounded shape or truncatedpyramid shape, as discussed above and below, the minimum predetermined distance may beobtained by arranging the attachment means to provide the predetermined distance, e.g. bearranging the air-permeable element to enclose the protected bare skin surface with the helpof the attachment means. Another solution, illustrated here, is to use a frame 370 to span themesh in a desired shape. Thus, the bare skin surface protection cover 300 comprises a frameelement 370 arranged to span the air-permeable element 310 into a predetermined shapearranged to enclose the protected bare skin surface when the outer edge 315 is engagedaround the protected bare skin surface. The frame element 370 may comprise frame components 370a-c arranged to define features of the predetermined shape.

According to some preferred aspects, the frame element 370 comprises an elastic material.According to some further aspects, the frame element 370 comprises a polymer material. Bymaking the frame element in an elastic material, such as a polymer material, the risk ofcausing undue pressure, e.g. indirectly due to an external force acting on the frame element, or irritation on skin adjacent to the protected bare skin surface is reduced. 14 Figures 4 and 5 illustrate examples where the bare skin surface protection cover is arranged ina compact form prior to use, e.g. by being folded as illustrated in Fig. 4 or drawn together byan elastic mechanism as illustrated in Fig. 5. The bare skin surface protection covers will beillustrated with features particularly suitable for arranged in a compact form prior to use, butthe bare skin surface protection covers may comprise any of the technical features disclosed above and below.

Figure 4a illustrates a folded bare skin surface protection cover and Figure 4b illustrates an unfolded bare skin surface protection cover.

The bare skin surface protection cover 400 comprises an air-permeable element 410 arrangedto form a cage having an outer edge 415 and being arranged to maintain a predeterminedminimum distance to the protected bare skin surface. The bare skin surface protection cover400 further comprises attachment means 420 arranged to engage the outer edge 415 aroundthe protected bare skin surface such that the air-permeable element 410 encloses theprotected bare skin surface. The bare skin surface protection cover is also arranged to befolded about folding joint 480. The folding joint may be an elastic joint arranged to join twohalves of the attachment means by bridging a cut through the attachment means 420.According to an aspect, the folding joint comprises a pivotal joint arranged to unfold frame components 470a, 470b of a frame element. ln a preferred aspect, the attachment means comprises an adhesive arranged to adhere theouter edge around the protected bare skin surface. According to a further aspect, the attachment means further comprises a removable cover arranged to cover the adhesive.

Figure 5a illustrates a bare skin surface protection cover 500 drawn together by an elastic mechanism and Figure 5b illustrates a stretched bare skin surface protection cover.

The bare skin surface protection cover 500 comprises an air-permeable element 510 arrangedto form a cage having an outer edge 515 and is arranged to maintain a predeterminedminimum distance to the protected bare skin surface. The bare skin surface protection cover 500 also comprises attachment means 520 arranged to engage the outer edge 515 around the protected bare skin surface such that the air-permeable element 510 encloses the protected bare skin surface.

The attachment means comprises an elastic material arranged to maintain a maximumseparation between opposing points of the outer edge. ln other words, the elastic materialkeeps the opening that is to enclose the bare skin surface in a contracted state, thereby reducing the total volume of the bare skin surface protection cover prior to use.

Upon use, external forces may be applied to expand the opening defining the outer edge inorder to arrange the attachment means 520 such that the outer edge 515 engages around theprotected bare skin surface such that the air-permeable element 510 encloses the protected bare skin surface.

According to some preferred aspects, the attachment means further comprises an adhesivearranged to adhere the outer edge around the protected bare skin surface. The adhesive isarranged to maintain the expanded opening when the outer edge is engaged around theprotected bare skin surface. ln other words, the adhesive has a predetermined adhesivestrength. The attachment means may further comprise a removable cover arranged to coverthe adhesive. According to some aspects, the attachment means is arranged in a fold such thatthe attachment means sandwiches the adhesive prior to use, thereby eliminating the need to cover the ad hesive.

The technical features of the illustrated examples may be combined freely unless stated otherwise.

Claims (5)

1. 6CLAll\/IS 1. A bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500), the bare skin surface protection cover comprising - an air-permeable element (110, 210, 310 ,410, 510) arranged to form a cage havingan outer edge (115, 215, 315, 415, 515) and being arranged to maintain apredetermined minimum distance (dl, dz) to the bare skin surface, and - attachment means (120, 220, 420, 520) arranged to engage the outer edge (115,215, 315, 415, 515) around the protected bare skin surface such that the air- permeable element (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) encloses the bare skin surface. The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to c|aim 1,wherein the air-permeable element (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) comprises a mesh (130a-f) having a set of openings arranged to enable air to permeate the air-permeable element. The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to c|aim 2, wherein the openings have a largest dimension less than a predetermined value. The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to c|aim 2 or3, wherein the openings are distributed across the mesh with varying density, thevarying density of openings being arranged to provide a mechanical resilience to deformation ofthe mesh due to an external force. The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to any ofclaims 2-4, wherein the set of openings comprises openings having at least twodifferent shapes, the different shapes being arranged to provide a mechanical resilience to deformation of the mesh due to an external force. The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to any ofthe preceding claims, wherein the air-permeable element comprises a polymer material. 10. 11. 12. 13 17 The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to any ofthe preceding claims, wherein the air-permeable element comprises a metallic material. The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to any ofthe preceding claims, wherein the air-permeable element is arranged to resume apredetermined shape upon removal of an external force having caused a deformation of the air-permeable element. The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to any ofthe preceding claims, further comprising a frame element arranged to span the air-permeable element into a predetermined shape arranged to enclose the protectedbare skin surface when the outer edge is engaged around the protected bare skin surface. The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to any ofthe preceding claims, wherein the attachment means further comprises an adhesive arranged to adhere the outer edge around the bare skin surface. The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to claim 10,wherein the attachment means further comprises a removable cover arranged to cover the adhesive. The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to any ofthe preceding claims, wherein the attachment means comprises an elastic bandarranged to receive a body part of a user and fixate the bare skin surface protection cover to the received body part. .The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the air-permeable element is arranged to form a cage having a rounded shape. 18 14. The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to any ofclaims 1-13, wherein the air-permeable element is arranged to form a cage having a trapezoidal prism or truncated pyramid shape. 15. The bare skin surface protection cover (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the air-permeable element comprises a coating.