WO2009041907A1

WO2009041907A1 - Device for protection

Info

Publication number: WO2009041907A1
Application number: PCT/SE2008/051083
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carina Jonsson
Original assignee: Carina Jonsson
Priority date: 2007-09-28
Filing date: 2008-09-26
Publication date: 2009-04-02
Also published as: EP2194803A4; SE0702179L; SE532597C2; EP2194803A1; CN101969802A

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for hipprotection pants (2) comprising protections (3) extending along an area intended to cover and protect the user's hips. The protection (3) is formed of materials having flexible standing walls (8, 9) in the form of frame works. The protection may comprise one or more than one layer (6, 7) of standing walls (8, 9), and the interior layer (6, 7) is open in the direction outward (10) from the interior (11) of the pants. The walls (8, 9) of the layers (6, 7) may be open and accordingly the different layers (6, 7) may be ventilated laterally (12) and/or straight out as seen from the interior space (10) of the pants, and different hardness as regards compression in the direction perpendicular as seen in relation to the surface extension of the protection may be present for different protection layers (6, 7). A softer protection layer (6) is suitably arranged facing inward toward (13) and situated closest to the interior space (11) of the pants, and the material of the pants (2) is air permeable.

Description

Device for protection

The present invention relates to a device for hip-protection pants comprising protections extending along an area intended to cover and protect the user' s hips and femur necks .

Hip fractures, i.e., a fracture of the femur neck, are a serious health problem among the aged, especially for women. Since we are living longer, the problems are also expected to increase in the future. Hip-protection pants are one way to decrease the risk of such hip fractures and fractured legs since they absorb or distribute the force from the fragile parts of the hip in case of falling. This is an easy way to decrease unnecessary suffering.

In order to be safe, the hip-protection pants should be worn day and night. Therefore, it is of vital importance that the pants are comfortable so that they do not cause the user other problems as well as are comfortable enough so that the user indeed wants to use them.

The hip-protection pants available on the market today are of two types :

• Hard shells that scatter the force toward the edges of the protection (of the type ice-hockey protection) . • Soft protections that absorb the impact/force into the material .

The problem of pants having hard protections arises when the user is lying on the side. Then, the edges of the protection press against the often fragile human being and cause discomfort. It may even give rise to pressure soar being difficult to treat.

The hip-protection pants having soft protections and being available to buy are manufactured from materi- als that do not allow the skin to breath. Moreover, they are manufactured from materials that insulate the heat. This may give rise to serious consequences, which also certain manufacturers inform about. See, for instance, www .posey . com/posey store/files . Furthest down, their warning can be read.

They point out, among other things, that the hip-protection pants should be changed and be washed after each incontinence episode so as to prevent the skin from deteriorating. Furthermore, the skin should be accurately checked con- tinuously. The protection contained in a closed waterproof space can be water-filled if leakage, e.g., because of holes on the tightly surrounding plastic would arise. Thereby, growth of mould and other unpleasant growth of bacteria may be the consequence . Furthermore, a permanently moist skin may give rise to a growth of bacteria with fungi and great skin problems as a consequence, and which makes continued use of the protection impossible. Without wearing protection, this means that there is a risk of hip fracture. Accordingly, it will be a choice between two bad things.

A hip protection manufacturer, TYTEX, WO

2006/069582 Al, has used a material not enclosed in plastic. This material is also tight, in order to be washable without absorbing water. In that connection, a fabric is used under the protection that is said to be cool and that should be capable of transporting away the moisture. However, said fabric helps little since the protection has to sit tight against the body in order to be in the correct position when the user of the protection falls. Still, the skin will soon be moist under the protection after a short time of use of the pants.

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is primarily to solve said problems by simple and efficiently working means so that an efficient and safe pair of protection pants are obtained that is comfortable to utilize, prevents skin problems, that is reliable and that also is allowed to be hygienic as well as attractive to the user to wear. Said object is attained by means of a device according to the present invention that essentially is characterized in that the protection is formed of at least one layer of materials having flexible standing walls in the form of frame works, that at least the layer situated closest to the interior of the pants is open in the direction outward from the interior of the pants to the outside of the pants, and that the material of the pants is air permeable.

The invention relates to hip-protection pants having soft shock-absorbing protections for the hips. Said pro- tections are manufactured from materials that do not insulate the heat from the skin and the open cell structure allows the transpiration of the skin to be ventilated away.

By using protections that consist of materials of flexible standing walls so that open cells are formed, both ventilation and shock-absorption are attained. Naturally, the material is antibacterial. The walls may be constructed as a honeycomb or another shape .

By using two or more layers having different hardness, the protection is adapted both for lighter and heav- ier persons. Today's protections do not have this exclusive feature. The layer closest to the body is the most flexible (the softest) . More rigid the further out from the body. It may have an oval, circular or another peripheral shape.

Below, the invention is described in the form of a number of preferred embodiment examples, reference being made to the appended drawings, in which

Fig. 1 shows an example of a pair of protection pants , Fig. 2 shows a side view of a pair of protection pants according to the invention,

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a protection pad, Fig. 4 shows different examples of protection pads,

Fig. 5 shows a protection pad in cross-section, and

Fig. 6 shows in enlargement a cross-section portion of a protection pad.

A device 1 for hip-protection pants 2 comprising a protection 3, which is arranged to extend along an area 4 intended to cover and protect the hips 5 and the fragile femur necks thereof of the person utilizing the hip-protection pants 2 in question, comprises an individual or a combination of soft and harder shock-absorbing layers 6, 7 of ventilating materials. More precisely, the protection 3 comprises the following part characteristics:

* the protection is formed of at least one layer 6, 7 of mate- rials having flexible standing walls 8, 9 in the form of frame works ;

* at least the layer 7 situated closest to the interior 11 of the pants is open in the direction outward 10 from the interior 11 of the pants to the outside 50 of the pants 2, and; * that the material of the pants 2, at least at the area of the respective protection 3, is air permeable.

In that connection, a number of layers having a thickness T of 3-30 mm, but preferably of 3-15 mm, may be utilized as protection layers 6, 7, and said protection layers 6, 7 have honeycomb cross-section, or another hollow configuration.

Preferably, said protection layers 6, 7 consist of an elastic thermoplastic material or of another environmental-friendly and health- friendly material, and the protec- tion 3 has, in order to avoid pressure injury or another injury of the body, a rounded lateral circumference edge 14.

Between the different layers 6, 7, a thin plastic foil 15 may be attached by agglutination or welding by melting, and transversely through said foil, a plurality of openings 16 may be arranged, so that said layers become open straight through. Said cells 17 of the layers are open entirely through as seen in the directions 10 and 13, but the circumference edges are fused with each other as is shown as an example in Fig. 5.

Ventilation laterally 12 of said layers 6, 7 is provided thanks to the fact that most of said open walls 9 have through holes 18, 19 extending in the transverse direction 12 from a cell 17 to an adjacent cell 17 and laterally outward into the free air.

Different circumference shapes of the protection may be found. A suggested design is that the protection 3, at the area intended to end up exactly over the femur (the greater trochanter) of the person 19 utilizing the hip-protec- tion pants 2, has a cavity 20 having suitable shape, at least on the inwardly turned portion thereof.

The protection 3 may also, as is shown in the drawings in Fig. 4, have a cavity 20 adapted to surround the upper part of the femur and that extends entirely through the protection and the entire thickness thereof, ring-shapedly entirely or partly closed.

Receipt of the protection 3 in the pants 2, or rather the protections 3 since naturally, there are two protections on each pair of pants 2; a protection on each side A, B is arranged to be effected in a hollow reception space 21 on the respective sides A, B of the pants right opposite the femur

(the greater trochanter) . Said pants 2 are formed of a textile material that is comfortable to wear closest to the body, pref- erably cotton or another similar material; also synthetic fibre may be preferred. The material 51, 52 of the pants 2 is air permeable .

A pocket or another suitable protection recep- tion space 21 has a sealed opening for insertion and removal of said protection 3, and said space 21 may be oval, circular or quadrangular. The pocket 21 may suitably have a sealable flap 23, for instance, including Velcro^® tape, or be sealed in another manner. Hence, the device 1 comprises at least one layer 7, and this layer, which is arranged closest to the interior 11 of the pants 2, is ventilated so that the desired effect is attained. The ventilation may, in that connection, comprise only open walls 8, 9 from both the interior 11 of the pants 2 to the outside 50 thereof and/or ventilation laterally through through-going holes 18, 19 in the walls from cell 17 to cell 17 and then outward into the free air 50. In that connection, said interior layer 7 is open in the direction outward from the interior 11 of the pants 2. In that connection, an entirely sealed shock-absorbing closed layer may be arranged outside said interior ventilating layer 7.

The device 1 also involves that loose separate layers having equal or different properties as regards damping and/or ventilation capacity can be put into the intended pants as required, i.e., among other things, according to the weight and size of the person.

The function and the nature should have been clear from what has been shown above and in the drawings, but the invention is naturally not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are feasible, particularly as for the nature of the different parts, or by using an equivalent technique, without departing from the protection area of the invention, such as it is defined in the claims. With air, it should naturally be understood that it is about to ventilate away moisture from the user's body to the outside of the pants.

Claims

1. Device (1) for hip-protection pants (2) comprising protections (3) extending along an area intended to cover and protect the user' s hips and femur necks, characterized in that the protection is formed of at least one layer (6, 7) of materials having flexible standing walls (8, 9) in the form of frame works, that at least the layer (7) situated clos- est to the interior (11) of the pants is open in the direction outward (10) from the interior (11) of the pants to the outside (50) of the pants (2), and that the material (51, 52) of the pants (2) is air permeable.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the protection (3) is formed of more than one layer (6, 7) of standing walls (8, 9) , and that all of said layers are open in the direction outward (10) from the interior (11) of the pants .

3. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the walls (8, 9) in at least the layer (7) situated closest to the interior (11) of the pants is ventilated laterally (12) , as seen from the interior space (11) of the pants.

4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that different hardness as regards compression in the direction perpendicular as seen in relation to the surface extension of the protection is present for different protection layers (6, 7), and that a softer protection layer (6) is arranged facing inward toward (13) and situated closest to the interior space (11) of the pants.

5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that layers (6, 7) having a thickness (T) of 3-30 mm, but preferably 3-15 mm, are utilized as protec- tion layers (6, 7) .

6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that protection layers (6, 7) have a honeycomb cross-section, or another hollow shape.

7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the protection (3) consists of plastic material, and that the circumference side edge (14) of the protection (3) is rounded.

8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that most of said open walls (9) have through holes (18, 19) extending from one cell (17) to an adjacent cell (17) and out (50) from the protection (3) at the cir- cumference side edge (14) thereof.

9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the protection (3) at the area intended to end up exactly over the femur (the greater tro- chanter) has a cavity (20), at least on one of the layers, but preferably that the protection (3) has a cavity (20) that extends entirely through the protection (3) .

10. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the protection (3) is arranged to be received in a space (21) on the respective sides (A, B) of the pants (2) , and which pants (2) are formed of textile, preferably cotton or the like, that the protection reception space (21) has an opening (22) for said protection (3) , and that the space (21) is oval, circular or quadrangular.