A CUFF FOR USE WHEN WORKING WITH LIQUID MATERIAL AT A LEVEL ABOVE SHOULDER HEIGHT

Abstract: The protective cuff according to the invention for preventing, when working with liquid material at a level above one's shoulders, the liquid material from flowing down onto the person working with the material is constituted by an outwardly open, funnel-like collar (1) of a relatively large rigidity at the inner end thereof somewhat yieldingly carried by a holder (2) forming a bottom for the collar and having a radially inner, axially elongated portion (5) of a soft material and of a relatively small thickness directly enclosing the user's forearm.

Description: A Cuff for Use when Working with Liquid Material at a Level above Shoulder Height When working with liquid material at a level above one's shoulders, e g when washing or painting elevated objects or surfaces, one is often ..troubled by washing liquid or paint etc. flowing from the tool downwardly along one's hand or arm. To eliminate such inconveniences special gloves having specially shaped cuffs or cuffs provided on tools to intercept flowing liquid have been proposed in the past. However, such previously known devices exhibited various disadvantages - thus, e g, they were inefficient, uncomfortable, too specialized or too expensive. Hence, the present invention has for its purpose the provision of a device adapted to prevent, when working at a level above one's shoulders, the liquid material from flowing downwardly along one's arm via a tool or directly via one's hand, the said device not tc exhibit the disadvantages of previously known similar devices. Thus, when work of the kind indicated is being carried out, it is to effectively prevent the liquid material from flowing downwardly along one's arm at the same time that it is to be comfortable to the wearer without interfering with the work being carried out as desired. It is to be usable when carrying out many different kinds of work of the said nature and under the said conditions, and it is also to be suited for inexpensive mass production. These purposes are attainted by the protective cuff according to the claims« An exemplary embodiment of the protective cuff according to the invention is described below in more detail with reference to the attached drawing the single Figure of which schematically and in longitudinal section shows a protective cuff according to the in¬ vention. The protective cuff shown by the drawing consists of two main portions, viz. on one hand a collar 1 which, when work is being carried out with liquid material at a level above one'ε shoulders, is to intercept such material that tends to flow downwardly along one's arm from a tool or from one's hand, and, on the other hand, a holder 2 with- which collar 1 is connected and by which it is held on the user's arm. In the embodiment shown collar 1 , which preferably is made from a rather stiff if somewhat flexible plastic material, is manufactured as a separate portion anchored in holder 2 by an a anchor portion 3 integral with collar 1 and labyrinthically shaped as shown, holder 2 as shown constituting a bottom for collar 1. From anchor portion 3 collar 1 extends outwardly from a preferably circular inner end the diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the wearer's forearm while widening conically to a preferably circular distal end the diameter of which may vary with different designs depending on the nature of the work and the tool. Holder portion 2 of the embodiment shown consists of two separate elements, viz. a radially outer portion 4 in which anchor portion 3 of collar 1 is anchored and a radially inner portion 5 intended to directly enclose the user's forearm adjacent the user's wrist. Portion 5 is here shown having a slightly conical, outwardly tapering inside. Radially outer portion 4 of holder 2 is manufactured from a rigid but to some extent flexible plastic or rubber material so that it will securely but comfortably hold collar 1 in its intended position and with its intended orientation. Radially inner portion 5 of holder 2, on the other hand, is manufactured from a soft plastic or rubber material so that the user will perceive wearing the protective cuff as comfortable. In order for holder 2 to yieldingly yet firmly carry the cuff on the wearer's arm its radially inner portion 5 should both be of a relatively small radial thickness as shown by the drawing and of a relatively large axial length. Thus, holder 2 has been found to hold collar 1 firmly yet comfortably if the yielding, radially inner holder portion 5 somewhat taperingly extends outwardly for some distance from the inner end of collar 1 , preferably as far as somewhat beyond the distal end of collar 1 as shown by the Figure of the drawing, and also, while widening somewhat, for a short distance beyond the inner end of the collar, the radially outer, more rigid portion 5 of holder 2 to the same extent extending inwardly from the inner end of collar 1 so that it will offer a radially outer support for the peripherally inner portion 5 as far as to the inner end thereof. Preferably, as shown, radially outer portion 4 of holder 2 also is provided with an outwardly tapering, conical portion 6 extending ■ within collar 1 for a distance outwardly along radially inner portion 5 of the holder, so that radially inner portion 5 will have an outer support also for a portion of the length thereof outside the inner end of collar 1 , and with a portion 7 having a radially outer cylind¬ rical or slightly conical surface and a radially inner surface of the same taper as collar 1 and forming an outer support for a portion of collar 1 adjacent the inner end thereof. The shown design of radially inner, yielding portion 5 of holder 2 with an elongated section of small and decreasing thickness and extending outwardly in collar 1 also is very advantageous in that it will permit a protective glove, for instance of thin plastic material, applied to the user's hand to be pulled down over the outer end of portion 5. Obviously, the glove and the protective cuff then together very efficiently will prevent liquid tending to flow downwardly along the user's hand, i e on the glove, from contacting the user's skin or clothes. As is immediately appreciated, such liquid will harmlessly collect in the ir.ner or lower portion the collar and in so doing will be effec- tively prevented from contacting the user's skin or clothes at any point. The protective cuff according to the invention shown by the Figure of the drawing and described above may be modified and varied in many ways within the scope of the invention. Thus, the entire cuff may be manufactured as a one-piece unit of the same material provided that the portion forming collar 1 and portion 4 of holder 2 is suitably rigid with portion 5 of holder 2 being soft enough to afford the comfort aimed at. To bring this about, for instance during manufacture of the cuff holder, portion 5 may be made soft by it being made porous or from lamella-like, mutually arti¬ culated members cooperating in an accordion-like manner. Portion 5 may be manufactured according to either of these two methods also when constituted by a separate portion not integral with portion 4 of the holder or when it is not part cf a one-piece unit forming both holder portion 4 and collar 1. The protective cuff will work especially satis- factorily, whether or not it is manufactured as a one- piece unit or as two or three separate, interconnected elements, when holder portion 4 with- respect to collar 1 and holder portion 5 is of an intermediary rigidity which is such as to permit it to hold collar 1 suffi- ciently firmly yet yieldingly. The glove mentioned above may be adapted to be fixedly connected to the distal portion of holder portion 5.

Claims: Claims . 1. A protective cuff for preventing, when work is being carried out with a liquid material at a level above the user's shoulders, such liquid material from flowing downwardly or. the arrr. of the person working with the material, characterized by a funnel-like, in the intended position of attachment on the user's fore¬ arm outwardly open collar (1) associated with a holder (2) adapted to firmly yet somewhat yieldingly hold the collar to the arm and at the same time form a bottom therefor at the inner end thereof and comprising a radially inner, axially elongated soft portion (5) directly enclosing the user's arm. 2. The protective cuff of claim 1, characterized in that the holder (2) has a radially outer portion (4) which is yielding but not as soft as the radially inner portion (5) of the holder and which encloses the inner end of the collar (1) and constitutes support for both the axially inner portion of the radially outer face of the collar and the radially outer face of an axially inner section cf the scft portion (5) of the holder which extends from the inner termination of the holder and outwardly i to the collar for at least some distance. 3. The protective cuff of claim 2, characterized in that the collar (1) is conical and widens axially outwardly from the inner end thereof, and that the radially outer face cf the holder (2) is cylindrical or sliσhtly conical and widens axially outwardly, it being bifurcated at the outer end thereof and has an axially and radially outer section (7) the inner face of which has the same taper as the collar and is directly in contact with the latter, and an axially outer, radially inner section (6) the outer face of which is conical and tapers axially outwardly and axially extends outwardly along at least a portion of the axial length of the radially inner, soft holder portion (5) . 4. The protective cuff of claim 2 or 3, charac- terized in that the radially inner soft portion (5) of the holder (2) has a small radial thickness rela¬ tive to the radially outer portion (4) of the holder. 5. The protective cuff of any preceding claim, characterized in that the radially inner portion (5) of the holder (2) extends from the inner end of the holder and to an outer termination a short distance exteriorly of the outer end of the collar (1) . 6. The protective cuff of any preceding claim, " characterized in that the radially inner portion (5) of the holder (2) is slightly conical and tapers from the inner end thereof axially outwardly at least as far as to the level of the axially outer termination of the radially outer portion (4) of the holder or preferably monotonously to the axially outer termina- tion thereof, and is adapted to permit having slipped thereon a protective glove or has a protective glove fixedly attached to the outer end thereof. 7. The protective cuff of any preceding claim, characterized in that the radially inner face of the holder (2) is slightly conical and tapers monotonously outwardly from the inner end thereof to the outer end thereof. 8. The protective cuff of any preceding claim, characterized in that the collar (1) is of a relatively large stiffness yet somewhat yielding. 9. The protective cuff of any preceding claim, characterized in that it consists of three separately manufactured and mutually fixedly connected portions , viz. the collar (1) , the radially outer portion (4) of the holder (2) , and the radially inner portion (5) of the holder. 10. The protective cuff of any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that it consists of two separately manufactured portions, viz. the collar (1) and the holder (2) , the radially inner portion (5) of the holder being porous or consisting of a number of lamellae interconnected in an accordion-like manner.

Inventors: HALLDORSDOTTIR HILDUR, HALLDORSDOTTIR, HILDUR
Applicants: HALLDORSDOTTIR HILDUR, HALLDORSDOTTIR, HILDUR
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A41D13
IPC codes: A41D13, A41D27