Patent Application
20200101366
This application claims benefit under 35 USC 119 to Canada National Application No. 3,018,929 filed on Sep. 27, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The present invention relates generally to the field of apparel of existing art and more specifically relates to apparel, including side impact torso protector, body cover, and guard or protector.
Many individuals play sports. High impact-sports such as football, basketball, soccer, hockey and rugby can cause significant injuries to the body. Sports injuries result from acute trauma associated with athletic activities, which can affect bones or soft tissue and ligaments, muscles and tendons. Both children and adults are susceptible to significant injuries. When participating in a high-impact sport the equipment provided may not adequately protect or cushion the body from external force. Further, sudden external force may cause the equipment to shift, or fail completely, resulting in tissue, bone or organ damage. Additionally, serious injury to the body could prevent the athlete from participating in future sports-related activities. A suitable solution is desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,150,048 to Robert F. Buckman relates to a method and apparatus for body impact protection. The described method and apparatus for body impact protection includes active protective garments which are inconspicuously worn by an individual and which activate upon certain conditions being met. Activation causes inflation of regions of the active protective garment to provide padding and impact cushioning for the wearer. The invention is an active protective garment such as pair of shorts or pants, a jacket, a vest, underwear, and the like. The garments comprise multiple layers of material that constrain pockets or regions that are inflatable by a source of compressed gas or foam. The garments also comprise sensors to detect ballistic parameters such as acceleration, distance, relative acceleration, and rotation. The sensor information is used to determine whether activation is required. Detection and activation are accomplished in a very short time period in order to offer maximal protection for the individual wearing the garment. The system comprises a computer or logic controller that monitors the sensor data in real time and coordinates the information from all sensors. The system calculates velocity, distance, and rotational velocity. A rule-based system is used to detect a complex fall in progress and discriminate said fall in progress from the events of everyday life. The pockets or inflatable regions of the garment provide one-time use protection for the individual against falls and other impacts that may cause bone fracture or organ damage.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known apparel art, the present disclosure provides a novel airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment to disperse force outwardly from a point of impact.
A airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system is disclosed herein comprising: an airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment assembly including: an airbag pad having a front-surface; a back-surface; and an inner-volume air compression pocket. The airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system comprises in integral functional combination an airbag pad, being defined by a front-surface and a back-surface. The airbag pad wherein defined by a front-surface and a back-surface contains an inner volume air compression pocket of the airbag pad suitable for use in injury prevention. The airbag is reusable through multiple activities and after impact.
A method of manufacture for the airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system is also disclosed herein; the method comprising the steps of: providing the airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment assembly as described herein; donning the airbag pad for use in a sporting competition (or practice); adjusting as needing during the course of the event; and removing when the event has ended.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, an airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparel, including side impact torso protector, body cover, and guard or protector and more particularly to an airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment containing an inner volume air compression pocket for use in injury prevention.
Generally, the airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment is characterized as clothing or equipment with integrated airbags to absorb external forces such as balls, pucks, or player hits or the like. The safety system is comprised of high pressure air captured within the fabric for the sole use of absorbing external shock, as to protect the body, legs or head. The air pockets are permanently filled and sealed during manufacture, and are at around 90% capacity to provide a deflection effect (as opposed to absorption) while still having some flexibility for movement. The exterior layer is somewhat plasticized, to be harder than just fabric, with the degree depending on the body part covered and the sport (football/hockey would be harder, soccer/rugby softer, for example).
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in
Referring now to
The airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system 100 comprises an airbag pad 110 that is sufficiently flexible to contour to match that of a helmet 130. The airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system 100 comprises a flexible airbag pad 110 that is able to contour to match that of sports clothing 132. Additionally, the airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system 100 comprises a flexible airbag pad 110 able to contour to match that of equipment 134. The inner-volume air compression pocket 116 of the airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system 100 envelopes and contains high pressure air 136. The high pressure air 136 of the airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system 100 is able to absorb in-coming shock and disperse force. Additionally, the high pressure air 136 is able to disperse the force outwardly from a point of impact such that it is dissipated rather than injury being caused.
According to one embodiment, the airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system 100 may be arranged as a set or as a kit. In particular, the airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system 100 may further include a set of instructions. The instructions may detail functional relationships in relation to the structure of the airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system 100 such that the airbag pad for sports clothing and equipment system 100 can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred manner. Various shaped air bags may be included for different body appendages and for different pieces of equipment.
Referring now to
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,018,929 | Sep 2018 | CA | national |
