Patent Application
20240099399
The aspects of the disclosed embodiments provide a protective device in a form of a pneumatic screen intended for protection of a human in the case of an accident, in particular a road accident. It is specifically intended for motorcyclists, three-wheel and four-wheel motorbike users, mountain bikers and road bikers, wheeled scooter users, snow mobile users who exercise so called wheeled kiting i.e. riding a cart pulled by a special kind of a wing-kite, and other vehicles in the case of which the person riding the vehicle is not covered with a shell and during an accident the person is thrown out therefrom. The device would be applicable for person practicing equestrian or alpine skiing where a probability of hitting the ground with the body during the movement at a high speed exists. It would also find applicability in motorboat sports, in particular for protection of contestants who participate in speedboat races.
In the prior art there are known devices to protect the body or a body part of the user during accident or when life is at risk.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,252 A discloses a rapidly inflatable rescue device for skiers to protect the user in the case of occurrence of an avalanche. It is composed on multiple protection concentric balls made of elastic impermeable material, the balls being stored in a non-inflated state around the waist in a pack, by means of a releasable belt and covered by a removable elastic shield. In order to activate it, when needed, it is necessary to pull a pulled ring connected to a pressure tank and a valve. As a result a pressurized gas is released into chambers between the inner wall of the ball and the outer wall of the ball, and separation of the spherical walls is restricted due to the use of wall partitions segments with air communication openings to enable free air flow through the chambers. Immediately upon pulling of the pumping ring, the person crouches down and the ball is very rapidly and strongly expanded to open the pack, to reach an inflated spherical configuration and entirely encloses the person to provide protection and floatability in the environment of snow avalanches.
Publication WO 2016132255 A1 relates to a jacket for protection of the user's body in the case of a fall, and comprising at least one inflatable chamber, a cylinder with pressurized gas for filling an air chamber, an accelerometer for detection of a change in acceleration, a control unit connected to a gyroscope to detect inclination of the user's body.
Patent EP 3171723 B1 provides a solution in a form of a protection jacket dedicated for motorcyclists. It comprises at least one inflatable chamber, an inflating device, an acceleration sensor, a control unit to send a signal to the inflating device in the case when a collision situation is detected, and a transmitting unit.
It is the aim of the aspects of the disclosed embodiments to provide a protective device suitable to be worn by the user, to protect each body part of the user at each side at the time of an accident, via detection of an event and inflating of the device.
Protective device, suitable to be worn by the user, comprises:
Preferably, the envelopes are connected to the fixing element permanently.
Preferably, the measuring device is suitable to register the horizontal speed, vertical speed and time periods in which speed changes occur.
Preferably, the protective device comprises at least one set of measuring sensors in a form of a built-in accelerometer assembly, and the set of sensors preferably comprises GPS and/or GSM.
Preferably, the fixing element has a form of a harness embodied as belts connected to each other.
Preferably, the packs arranged in a belt around the hips comprise from one to fifty envelopes that upon inflation protect hips, body and head of a human, while the packs positioned in the remaining part of the fixing element comprise from one to fifty envelopes that upon inflation protect hips and legs of a human.
Preferably, envelopes filled with gas to enclose the user comprise belts that press adjacent envelopes.
Preferably, one volume is defined by the envelopes and the sleeves.
A method of operation of the device comprises the steps of:
Preferably, the method comprises the step of:
With the use of the device of the disclosed embodiments it is possible to provide effective protection for the user during any kind of accident. The entire body of the user is protected, at each side, regardless of the kind and place of the accident.
The aspects of the disclosed embodiments will be presented in more detail in a preferable embodiment and with reference to the enclosed drawings where:
A device according to a preferable embodiment is presented in detail in
The valve is suitable to fill the envelopes 2 with gas automatically at the time when the measuring device exceeds threshold values of the displacement parameters of the user.
The envelopes 2, upon inflation, enclose the user so that they protect the entire user's body. It should be understood that inflated envelopes 2 define a volume that is capable to protect the user against hitting a flat or not pronouncedly protruding element of the environment or other vehicles.
Preferably, envelopes 2 are connected to the fixing element in a permanent manner and as a result the envelopes 2 are permanently fixed with the fixing element 1, and so prevent the envelopes 2 from detachment during an abrupt change in speed. This provides a safe and durable protection regardless of abrupt changes in speed and fall caused by e.g. throwing out from a motorcycle.
Protective device comprises at least one set of measuring sensors in a form of a built-in accelerometer assembly, and the set of sensors preferably comprises GPS and/or GSM.
Release of gas from the cylinder is effected upon receipt of a signal from the set of measuring sensors about abrupt changes in acceleration of the protected human. Upon activation of the system, the shields filled with gas are enclosed by belts so that they are pressed against each other and against the human body to define a compact structure.
The measuring device is suitable to register the horizontal speed, vertical speed and time periods during which changes in speed occur. When anyone of these parameters exceeds threshold values, the device is automatically activated and the envelopes 2 are filled with gas to define a shield for the user's body as shown in
The fixing element 1 preferably is made in a form of a harness embodied as belts connected to each other. Nevertheless, this element may have any other form known to a person skilled in the art with a knowledge on how additional equipment should be mounted on the user. The fixing element 1 may have a form of e.g. a vest, suspenders, etc.
The packs 4 arranged in a belt around the hips comprise from one to fifty envelopes 2 that upon inflation protect hips, body and head of a human, and the packs 4 arranged in the remaining part of the fixing element 1 comprise from one to fifty envelopes 2 that upon inflation protect hips and legs of a human.
The envelopes 2 and sleeves 3 define one volume and this causes that the gas released from the valve of the cylinder into one envelope 2 concurrently fills all the envelopes 2 and passes via the sleeves 3 to the adjacent envelopes 2.
The method of operation of the device is shown in
a. detecting, by a set of measuring sensors, an abrupt change in anyone of acceleration parameters,
Preferably, following step c. a step d. is performed consisting on establishing the position of the location where the event has occurred and transmitting information with coordinates to an emergency centre.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22461610.2 | Sep 2022 | EP | regional |
| 22215715.8 | Dec 2022 | EP | regional |
