A PROTECTIVE GARMENT

Abstract: The invention provides a protective jacket to prevent injury to the torso of a wearer. The jacket (1) comprises a rear panel (2) and front panels (3) closed by a zip fastener (15). The front and rear panels (3) and (2) are formed of inner and outer sheets of material (24) and (25) which are stitched together along seams (27) to form a plurality of pockets (29 to 35). The pockets (29 to 33,35) accommodate pads (36 to 40) of impact absorbing material, namely closed cell expanded polyethelene material. The pocket (34) accommodates a spine protective member (43) laminated from a polycarbonate member (44) and an impact absorbing member (45). A crotch member (18) is releasably secured to the front panels (3). Shoulder pads (47) also comprising impact absorbing material are releasably secured to the front and rear panels (3) and (2).

Description: The present invention relates to a protective garment for protecting the torso, the garment being of the type comprising a rear panel formed by a sheet of material, and impact absorbing material being provided in at least portion of the rear panel, an elongated spine protective member being provided in the rear panel to co-incide, in use, with at least portion of the spine of the wearer for protection thereof. A major hazard of horseriding, motorcyling and the like is caused by the fact that it is relatively easy for a rider to fall from a horse or a motorbike. In fact, in practice, particularly in horseriding, riders, jockeys and the like are prone to a considerably large number of falls, both when riding in races, equestrian events, or indeed in practising or training. In many cases, these falls can lead to serious injury, for example, they can lead to serious spine injuries, rib injuries, shoulder injuries, and indeed, such falls can lead to injuries to any part of the body. However, it has been found in practice that the most serious injuries are to the torso. Indeed, such accidents are not restricted to horseriding and motorcyling, they can occur in many sports, such as, for example, mountain climbing, hill climbing, cycling, baseball, cricket, American football and the like. Unfortunately, suitable protective clothing is not available to avoid or prevent such injuries to the torso. Attempts have been made to provide such protective clothing or protective garments, however, all have heretofore been unsuccessful in adequately protecting the torso. Examples of such protective garments are described in German Patent Specifications Nos. 3,401,111, 3,319,053 and 3,409,323. German Patent Specification No. 3,401,111 discloses a protective garment comprising a vertical limb mounted in the rear of the garment to coincide with the spine of the wearer. The vertical limb comprises a plurality of pad elements which are hingedly connected for accommodating movement of the back of a wearer. Shoulder pads extend laterally from the topmost pad element for protecting the wearer's shoulder. German Patent Specification No. 3,319,053 discloses a protective garment which comprises a spinal support mounted in the rear of the garment to co-incide with the spine of the wearer. The spinal support comprises a spring steel strip extending the length of the support. A plurality of support members made of a very hard light polyamide plastics material are secured to the spring steel strip. In general, the number of support members corresponds approximately to the number of vertebrae in the spine. Spring steel wires extend through the support members to prevent shearing of the support members from the spring steel strip in the case of sudden impact. German Patent Specification No. 3,409,323 discloses a protective garment for protecting an ice hockey player. The garment is of "overall-type" construction and comprises a plurality of protective pads for protecting vulnerable parts of the body, for example, the sternum, neck, shoulder and collarbone, elbow, thigh, knee, shins and the spine. There is therefore a need for a protective garment to provide protection to the torso. The present invention is directed towards providing a protective garment which provides relatively good protection to the torso. The invention overcomes the problems of known garments by virtue of the fact that the garment comprises a rear panel formed by a sheet of material, and impact absorbing material being provided in at least portion of the rear panel, an elongated spine protective member being provided in the rear panel to co-incide, in use, with at least portion of the spine of the wearer for protection thereof, wherein the spine protective member comprises an elongated reinforcing member laminated to an elongated member of impact absorbing material, the reinforcing member being of polycarbonate material. The advantages of the invention are many. In particular by virtue of the fact that a spine protective member is provided in the rear panel, the spine of the wearer is protected in the event of a fall. Additionally, the spine protective member, in use, substantially assumes the contour of the spine of the wearer to facilitate ease of movement of the wearer. Furthermore, the use of impact absorbing material laminated to the reinforcing member further assists in absorbing impacts in the event of a fall, thereby reducing the amount to which the body is subjected to in any such impacts. Furthermore, by virtue of the fact that impact absorbing material is provided in the rear panel, bruising of the wearer is avoided, as also is breakages and fractures of bones in the event of a fall. In one embodiment of the invention, the spine protective member extends from a position adjacent a neck portion of the rear panel to the bottom of the rear panel to, in use, coincide with the coccyx of the spine. The advantage of this feature of the invention is that the spine protective member offers protection to essentially the entire length of the spine. In another embodiment of the invention, an elongated central pocket is provided in the rear panel extending from a position adjacent the neck portion of the rear panel to the bottom of the rear panel to accommodate the spine protective member, and a plurality of elongated rear pockets extend in the rear panel on each side of the central pocket to accommodate the impact absorbing material, some of the rear pockets adjacent the central pocket extending substantially the length of the rear panel, the said rear pockets being divided intermediate their length to form an upper rear pocket and a lower rear pocket and defining therebetween a waist of the garment. The advantage of this feature of the invention is that it provides a relatively secure mounting for the spine protective member and the impact absorbing pads, and thereby further facilitates protection of the spine and ease of movement of the wearer. A further advantage of this feature of the invention is that it permits a jacket to be provided at relatively low cost and relatively efficiently. In a further embodiment of the invention, the garment comprises a front panel, the front panel comprising a plurality of pockets to accommodate impact absorbing material. The advantage of this feature of the invention is that as well as protecting the back of the wearer, the wearer's chest and ribcage are also protected. Advantageously, each panel comprises an inner and an outer sheet of material secured together to form the pockets therebetween. The advantage of this feature of the invention is that it provides a garment which can be readily easily manufactured and also provided at relatively low cost. Preferably, the impact absorbing material is closed cell expanded polyethelene. The advantage of this feature of the invention is that a garment of relatively high impact absorbing characteristics is provided, while at the same time, the garment is of relatively light weight. In another embodiment of the invention, a crotch member extends from the rear panel to the front panel, the crotch member being releasably connected by releasable fastening means to one or other panel. The advantage of this feature of the invention is that it assists in securing the garment to the wearer, and also facilitates in maintaining the spine protective member in place and substantially adjacent the spine of the wearer. This further facilitates protection of the spine and also ease of movement of the wearer. Advantageously, the garment is in the form of a sleeveless jacket having a rear panel and a pair of front panels releasably joined together by releasable fastening means and the front and rear panels are joined along a seam on each side thereof, each seam extending from beneath an arm opening to the waist of the garment. The advantage of this feature of the invention is that the garment provides considerable protection to the torso of the body while at the same time provides for ease of movement of the wearer. The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a protective garment according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of the garment of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a rear view of the garment of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a side view of the garment of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a sectional view of portion of the garment of Fig. 1 on the line V-V of Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is a sectional view of portion of the garment of Fig. 1 on the line VI-VI of Fig. 3, Fig. 7 is a partly cut-away perspective view of the garment of Fig. 1, Fig. 8 is a partly cut-away perspective view of the garment of Fig. 1, Fig. 9 is a partly cut-away perspective view of the garment of Fig. 1, Fig. 10 is a perspective view of another detail of the garment of Fig. 1, and Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the detail of Fig. 10. Referring to the drawings, there is provided a protective garment according to the invention, in this case the garment is in the form of a sleeveless jacket indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The jacket 1 comprises a rear panel 2 and a pair of front panels 3. Openings 7 accommodate the arms of the wearer. The front panels 3 are joined to the rear panels 2 by seams 8 which extend below the arm opening 7 to the waist 9 of the jacket. Seams 6 join the top portion of the front panel 3 to the rear panel 2. Vents 16 are formed between lower portions 10 and 11 of the front and rear panels 3 and 2 respectively. Releasable fastening means provided by stud fasteners 12 on a pair of flaps 14 extending from the lower portions 11 of the rear panel 2 secure the lower portions 10 and 11 together. A releasable fastening means, in this case a zip fastener 15 joins the two front panels 3 together. A crotch member 18 extending from the lower portion 11 of the rear panel 2 is releasably connected to the lower portions 10 of the front panels 3 by stud fasteners 19. Two pairs of corresponding stud fasteners 20 on the front panels 3 engage the fasteners 19 to provide adjustment of the crotch member 18. When it is desired to use the jacket without the crotch member extending beneath the wearers crotch, the crotch member 18 may be secured to the rear panel 2, as illustrated in Fig. 9 by strips of hooks and eyes 21 and 22 on the crotch member 18 and rear panel 2 respectively. Such strips of hooks and eyes are sold under the Trade Mark VELCRO. The front and rear panels 2 and 3 are constructed of two sheets of material, namely an inner sheet 24 and an outer sheet 25. The inner sheet 24 is of a relatively light woven nylon material, for example, a lining material. The outer sheet 25 is of a rip stop nylon. The inner and outer sheets 24 and 25 are joined together along a plurality of seams 27 which form a plurality of pockets, namely front pockets 29, upper rear pockets 30, lower rear pockets 31, side rear pockets 35, top pockets 32, shoulder pockets 33 and a central pocket 34. The pockets 29 to 33 accommodate pads 36 to 40 respectively of impact absorbing material, in this case closed cell expanded polyethelene material to prevent injury to the body of the wearer. The pockets 35 also accommodate pads 37. It has been found that closed cell expanded polyethelene material is of sufficient resilience to absorb most impacts to which the body is subjected to as a result of falling. In fact, it has been found that the use of closed cell expanded polyethelene material avoids virtually all bruising of the body, and in most cases also prevents bone fractures and breakages. The closed cell expanded polyethelene material is sufficiently lightweight to provide a relatively lightweight jacket. This needless to say accommodates ease of movement of the wearer when wearing the jacket and furthermore, avoids the wearer becoming fatigued as a result of wearing the jacket, which has been a problem of jackets known heretofore. The central pocket 34 extends from adjacent a neck portion 41 to the bottom of the lower portion 11 and accommodates a spine protective member 43. The spine protective member 43 is a composite member formed from an elongated reinforcing member 44, which is laminated to an elongated member 45 of impact absorbing material. In this case the reinforcing member 44 is of polycarbonate material and the impact absorbing member 45 is of closed cell polyethelene material similar to the pads 36 to 40. The overall width of the spine protective member 43 is approximately 4 centimetres. The thickness of the member 43 is approximately 1 centimetre. The thickness of the polycarbonate reinforcing member 44 is approximately 0.1 centimetres. It has been found that by forming the reinforcing member 44 from a strip of polycarbonate material of 0.1 centimetres in thickness by 4 centimetres in width, the spine protective member is sufficiently rigid to protect the spine in use, while at the same time providing a sufficient degree of flexibility to permit the spine protective member 43 to substantially assume the shape of the contour of the wearer's spine. This has the great advantage that it facilitates ease of movement of the wearer when wearing the jacket, while at the same time, offering substantial protection to the spine in the event of a fall or the like. Indeed, polycarbonate material is also sufficiently resistant to impact and shock that it does not fracture or break easily, thereby offering substantial protection to the spine. The upper rear pockets 30 and lower rear pockets 31 on each side of the central pocket are spaced apart from each other and between them define the waist 9 of the jacket 1. Both the upper rear pockets 30 and lower rear pockets 31 accommodate the elongated pads 37 and 38 of closed cell expanded polyethelene material to protect the corresponding areas of the back of the wearer. The front pockets 29 and pads 36 are formed in the front panels 3 and are substantially rectangular shape. The top pockets 32 and pads 39 are provided in the front panel 3 and essentially provide protection for the upper portion of the torso, essentially from the breastbone upwardly. The shoulder pocket 33 and pad 40 extends from one arm opening 7 to the other opening 7 across the neck portion 41, and protects the shoulders and portion of the shoulder blades. Shoulder pads 47 to protect the outer portion of the shoulders of the wearer are releasably connected to the front and rear panels 3 and 2 by strips of hooks and eye material 48 and 49 respectively, namely VELCRO material on the pads 47 and front and rear panels 3 and 2. The shoulder pads 47 are formed from an inner and outer sheet of material 50 and 51 similar to the inner and outer sheets 24 and 25, and the sheets 50 and 51 form one single pocket to house pads 52 of impact absorbent material, namely closed cell expanded polyethelene material. Straps 53 extending from one edge to the other of the shoulder pads 47 extend, in use, under the arm of the wearer to retain the shoulder pads 47 in position. A button 54 and a plurality of button holes 55 are provided on the straps 53 to facilitate adjusting of the length of the strap 53. In use, the wearer puts on the jacket in conventional manner. Where it is desired to use the crotch member 18, the crotch member 18 is secured by the stud fasteners 15 to the studs 20 in the front panels 3. If it is desired not to use the crotch member 18 it is secured to the back panel 2 by the strips of hooks and eyes 21 and 22. The zip fastener 15 is closed and if desired, the vents 16 are closed by the flaps 14 and fasteners 12. If it is desired to wear the jacket 1 without the shoulder pads 47, these are merely detached by releasing the strips of hooks and eyes 48 and 49. The invention has many advantages. By virtue of the fact that the pads 36 to 40 of impact absorbing material are of closed cell expanded polyethelene material a jacket which provides considerable protection against injury as a result of a fall is provided, while at the same time the jacket is of relatively light weight. This is because the closed cell expanded polyethelene material is a relatively lightweight material, while at the same time having relatively high impact absorbing characteristics and is also of relatively high impact strength. Furthermore, by virtue of the fact that the panels are arranged as illustrated, considerable amount of freedom of movement is provided to the wearer. Furthermore, by virtue of the face that the jacket is provided with a plurality of pockets, this further facilitates ease of movement when wearing the jacket. Indeed, it has been found that by having the upper and lower rear pockets spaced apart and defining the waist of the jacket further contributes to freedom of movement of the wearer. Although the spine protective member extends substantially the length of the jacket, leaving the waist portions 9 free of rear pockets considerably facilitates ease of movement of the wearer. A particular advantage of the invention is achieved by virtue of the fact that a spine protective member is provided. This offers considerable protection to the wearers spine in the event of a fall. As can be seen, the spine protective member extends through the rear panel from the neck portion to the bottom of the lower panel 11. The lower portion, in general, when in use coincides with the coccyx of the spine. Accordingly, protection is offered over substantially the length of the spine. By virtue of the fact that the spine protective member is provided by a composite laminated member further advantages are achieved in that the closed cell expanded polyethelene members acts to absorb any impacts as a result of a fall, while a member of polycarbonate material prevents distortion of the spine as a result of impact. In the normal course of events, it is envisaged that the jacket will be provided with the polycarbonate member 44 on the outer side, while the impact absorbing member 45 will be on the inner side, substantially adjacent the spine, in use, although these positions may be reversed. Indeed, the use of polycarbonate material as the reinforcing member provides a further considerable advantage in that the polycarbonate material while being of relatively high strength is also a relatively lightweight material and therefore facilitates in providing a relatively lightweight jacket. It will be appreciated that while the protective garment in this particular embodiment of the invention has been described as being of jacket construction, it could be of any other construction or shape. For example, in certain cases, it is envisaged that it may be provided in the form of a type of jumper, whereby it would be pulled over the head, in use. In such a case, it is envisaged that the protective garment would be provided with a single front and a single rear panel. It is also envisaged that in certain cases the protective garment may be provided as a waistcoat or a waist jumper, in which case, it will be provided without the lower portions 10 and 11 of the front and rear panels. Needless to say, it will be appreciated that where lower portions are provided on the front and rear panels, side vents need not be provided. It will, of course, be appreciated that if desired the garment may be provided with sleeves which may or may not be provided with impact absorbing material. It will of course be appreciated that if desired, shoulder pads may be dispensed with without departing from the scope of the invention, and where shoulder pads are provided, they may be secured permanently, or secured by any other releasable means. Further, it is envisaged that fastening means other than zip fasteners could be used for securing the front panel. Furthermore, fastening means besides stud fasteners and VELCRO could be provided. It will also of course be appreciated that the front and rear panels could be formed in any other shape and construction and joined by seams in any other suitable locations. In certain cases, the front panel or panels may be dispensed with, or where provided may be provided without impact absorbing material. It will of course be appreciated that if desired, the crotch member may be dispensed with, without departing from the scope of the invention. In certain cases, it is envisaged that the crotch member may be provided permanently secured to the front and rear members. Needless to say, where the crotch member is provided any other suitable form of releasable means may be provided besides stud fasteners for securing the crotch member. It will be appreciated that while the impact absorbing material has been described as being closed cell expanded polyethelene material, any other suitable impact absorbing material could be used. However, it is preferable that whatever impact absorbing material is used, it should be a lightweight material. It will also be appreciated that a spine protective member with any other impact absorbing material may be used. In fact, the spine protective member may be laminated from a number of layers of material, for example, a layer of reinforcing material sandwiched between a pair of layers of impact absorbing material. It is envisaged in certain cases that the lower rear pockets 31 in the lower portion of the rear panel may be dispensed with without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, it will be appreciated that front pockets of shape and/or size other than those described could be used without departing from the scope of the invention, as indeed could other pockets 32 be provided. Indeed, in certain cases it is envisaged that the pockets 32 could be provided by a plurality of individual pockets, and in certain cases, it is envisaged that the front pockets, instead of being provided by a plurality of small pockets, could be provided by one large pocket. Indeed, in certain cases, each front panel 3 could be provided comprising one single pocket only which would incorporate the top pocket 9 of each front panel and the front pockets 29. It will, of course, be appreciated that a shoulder pocket of any other shape and construction could be provided. In certain cases, it is envisaged that the shoulder pocket may extend further down the back, and in other cases, it is envisaged that it may be provided by two pockets which would be intersected by the central pocket 34. Further, any other shape, size or construction of rear pockets 30 and 31 could be provided. In certain cases, it is envisaged that the central pocket may be provided by a number of separate pockets. While the pockets have been described as being formed by stitching the inner and outer sheets of material together, they could be formed by any other suitable means. For example, in certain cases, the materials of the inner and outer sheets may be suitable for heat welding, and in which case, the pockets could be formed by heat welding the inner and outer sheets together. In other cases, it is envisaged that the pockets may be totally sealed, while in other cases it is envisaged that portion of the pockets may be left open to enable the insertion or withdrawal of the pads therefrom. Indeed, it will be appreciated that the pockets could be formed by any other means besides being formed by an inner and outer sheet joined together. For example, in certain cases it is envisaged that each panel may be provided by a single sheet of material and pockets could be stitched or secured in any other suitable way onto each single sheet. It is also envisaged that the impact absorbing material and/or the spine protective member could be secured to the respective panels by means other than pockets without departing from the scope of the invention. It is also envisaged that inner and outer sheets besides sheets of nylon material could be used without departing from the scope of the invention. It is also envisaged, in certain cases, that the spine protective member may be pre-shaped to substantially the shape of the curvature of the spine. It will be appreciated that spine protective members of other widths and thicknesses besides those described may be provided. However, it is envisaged that in most cases it would not exceed 20 centimetres in width. Furthermore, although the upper and lower rear pockets have been described as being spaced apart to define a waist, where the upper and lower rear pockets are formed separately it is not necessary that they should be spaced apart they may abut each other at the waist. It is also envisaged that a single rear pocket may be provided on each side of the central pocket.

Claims: A protective garment (1) for protecting the torso, the garment (1) comprising a rear panel (2) formed by a sheet of material (24,25) and impact absorbing material (36 to 40) being provided in at least portion (30,31) of the rear panel (2), an elongated spine protective member (43) being provided in the rear panel (2 ) to co-incide, in use, with at least portion of the spine of the wearer for protection thereof, characterised in that, the spine protective member (43) comprises an elongated reinforcing member (44) laminated to an elongated member (45) of impact absorbing material, the reinforcing member (44) being of polycarbonate material (44). A protective garment as claimed in Claim 1 characterised in that the spine protective member (43) extends from a position adjacent a neck portion (41) of the rear panel (2) to the bottom of the rear panel (2) to, in use, coincide with the coccyx of the spine. A protective garment as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 characterised in that an elongated central pocket (34) is provided in the rear panel (2) extending from a position adjacent the neck portion (41) of the rear panel to the bottom of the rear panel (2) to accommodate the spine protective member (43), and a plurality of elongated rear pockets (30,31,35) extend in the rear panel (2) on each side of the central pocket to accommodate the impact absorbing material (37,38), some of the rear pockets (30,31) adjacent the central pocket (34) extending substantially the length of the rear panel (2), the said rear pockets (30,31) being divided intermediate their length to form an upper rear pocket (30) and a lower rear pocket (31) and defining therebetween a waist (9) of the garment (1). A protective garment as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the garment (1) comprises a front panel (3), the front panel (3) comprising a plurality of pockets (29,32) to accommodate impact absorbing material (36,39). A protective garment as claimed in Claim 4 characterised in that each panel (2,3) comprises an inner (24) and an outer sheet (25) of material secured together (27) to form the pockets (29 to 35) therebetween. A protective garment as claimed in Claim 4 or 5 characterised in that a crotch member (18) extends from the rear panel (2) to the front panel (3), the crotch member (18) being releasably connected by releasable fastening means (19,20) to one or other panel (3). A protective garment as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the impact absorbing material (36 to 40,45) is closed cell expanded polyethylene. A protective garment as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the garment (1) is in the form of a sleeveless jacket having a rear panel (2) and a pair of front panels (3) releasably joined together by releasable fastening means (15) and the front (3) and rear panels (2) are joined along a seam (8) on each side thereof, each seam (8) extending from beneath an arm opening (7) to the waist (9) of the garment (1).

Inventors: COX, MARY SARAH
Applicants: COX, MARY SARAH
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A41D13
IPC codes: A41D13, A63B71