HAND PROTECTION SYSTEM

Abstract: A hand protection system for use by individuals involved in de-mining operations to locate and identify buried anti-personnel mines is designed to provide a degree of protection to the hands of the operativ while still enabling the hands to perform necessary operations such as manipulating a probe rod, clearing soil by use of the fingers, etc. In one form the hand protector is a trough-shaped shield which tapers to a rounded forward end and is adapted to fit over the back of the hand of the user, the shield being open on its underside so that the user's fingers can be manipulated. In another form the hand protecting shield is of conical shape having a hole through its narrow end through which a probe can be extended and manipulated by a hand received within the protector. The protector includes laminated layers of aramid fibers together with other tough blast resistant materials such as polycarbonate.

Description: HAND PROTECTION SYSTEM This invention relates to a new or improved hand protection system for use by operatives involved in de-mining operations where they are required to locate, identify and remove anti-personnel mines which may be planted in a ground surface. Military personnel who are involved in de-mining operations are normally provided with comprehensive protection gear including leggings, abdomen and chest protectors and helmets formed of ballistic and blast resistant materials. Such protective clothing is available from a number of sources, and is illustrated in for example United States Patent DES 403,487, DES 397,519, DES 417,756, DES 403,487 as well as U.S. 5,966,747, U.S. 5,946,719 and U.S. 5,328,447 all assigned to the assignee of the subject application. The equipment described and shown in the above referred to patents provides protection against the effects of exploding anti-personnel mines, but is not inexpensive. On the other hand as a result of various conflicts and insurrections, vast numbers of anti-personnel mines have been planted in many countries, particularly countries of the third world where they provide a continuing menace to the lives and safety of both inhabitants and livestock. Although International agreements have been signed in recent years by many countries forswearing the use of land mines, this does not resolve the problem posed by the millions of land mines that have been widely deployed in many countries and that remain in place. In terms of the total damage inflicted, anti-personnel mines pose the most serious problem, both because of their vast numbers, and because of the fact that they are easily triggered by an adult, child or domestic animal, often with devastating consequences resulting in death or maiming or loss of limbs. Mine clearance or de-mining is a dangerous occupation even when performed by well trained and well equipped operatives. However the danger 5 becomes extreme when the work is carried out by untrained or ill equipped individuals. Nevertheless in many third world countries the imperative of performing mine clearance to regain use of mined land can sometimes override safety concerns, so that de-mining operations will frequently be carried out by operatives who do not have adequate protective gear. Q Once the approximate location of an anti-personnel buried in the ground has been identified and marked, it then becomes necessary for an operative to go to the marked location, crouch down, and using careful movements of hands and of probing tools uncover the mine so that it can be identified and either removed or safely exploded. The operations required in this are delicate and it is all too easy for a mine 5 to be inadvertently detonated. In such circumstances, the fingers and hands of the operative doing the work are most likely to suffer damage since they are closest to the detonating mine. It is an object of the invention to provide a hand protective system that is designed to provide improved protection to the fingers and hands and preferably also o the wrist and lower arms of de-mining personnel without unduly hampering the necessary hand manipulations that are required during de-mining. The invention accordingly provides a hand protection system for use by an operative in locating and/or identifying anti-personnel mines planted in a ground surface, said system comprising: a rigid protecting shield configured to receive a hand of the operative and at least part of the associated wrist and forearm, said shield comprising a stiff reinforced shell formed of multiple overlapped layers of densely packed fibers of a material that provides a high level of fragmentation resistance, said multiple overlapping layers being laminated together with a molded form of stiff high density plastics material that exhibits strong anti-shatter properties said form of polycarbonate material being positioned outwardly of the fibre layers with respect to the hand to be protected and having a thickness of at least about 2.3 mm, said shield being elongated and of a lateral peripheral extent sufficient to enclose at least the back and side regions of the hand and wrist of the operative. The combined fragmentation resistance provided by the stiff reinforced shell (i.e. the multiple overlap layers of densely packed fibers together with the form of stiff high density plastics material) should be no less than a V50 value of 300 m/s, as determined using the 17 grain (1.1 gram) fragment simulator in accordance with the NATO STANAG 2920 Test Specification, or equivalent MIL-STD-662. For practical purposes the maximum V50 value used would not exceed about 600 m/s, and while a minimum value that in some circumstances might suffice would be 250 m/s, applicant believes that for added safety, 300 m/s should be regarded as the minimum acceptable resistance. The "strong anti-shatter properties" required of the form are necessary so that it can withstand the blast loading produced by typical blast anti-personnel mines containing an equivalent explosive content to that of 200 grams C4 or that of a PMN mine designated at a distance ranging from 16-22 cm. To provide adequate protection it is essential that the shield must keep its shape and must not shatter, although some damage can be sustained by it. Emphasis should be placed on providing protection under the more adverse condition of short distances and larger mines. The PMN mine, or the explosive content of 200 grams C4 is assumed to be the largest variety of blast type anti-personnel mines likely to be encountered, and by providing adequate protection at short distances from such explosions, applicant's product ensures that the explosion of smaller mines at greater distances presents little challenge. The shield must be extremely strong without being unduly heavy, and preferably comprises up to eight overlapped layers of densely woven Kevlar™ (aramid fibers) laminated together on at least the inner side but possibly both sides of the polycarbonate form. The Kevlar layers may be laminated together with or without the use of a resin binder. However when these layers lie against the concave inner surface of the polycarbonate form, some type of retention means is required to retain them in contact. In place of Kevlar, one can use other high density fibre layers that provide high ballistic performance and thus are effective in a blast situation to prevent penetration of the overlapped layers by blast fragments such as those typically produced by an exploding land mine. One suitable material is formed of densely packed fibres of a unidirectional polyethylene material and produced in layers each of which is sandwiched between two thin plastic films. Multiple overlapping layers of such material are used in much the same way as layers of aramid fibre, and are commercially available, being sold under the trade names SPECTRA™ and DYNEEMA™. The preferred material for the rigid form that is included in the shield is polycarbonate, which may be formed by suitable means such as injection moulding or heat forming. This layer should have a thickness of at least about 2.3 mm to provide adequate protection against the blast loading. Other high density plastic materials exhibiting strong anti-shatter properties could be used to provide the form. The requirement is that the material of the form should be stiff yet resistant to shattering and fragmenting, and capable of providing great structural resistance to blast loadings, so that even although it may be locally penetrated by fragments, non-penetrated areas of the shield do not loose their structural integrity. The shield has a length sufficient to cover the fingers and hand of the operative, and may also include a cuff which extends over the wrist and part of the forearm. The cuff region, being more remote from the probable detonation site, need not be as strong as the hand-covering portion, and may for example omit the stiff polycarbonate form. The shell preferably has outer and inner layers of waterproof and abrasion resistant material to avoid absorption of liquid, e.g. from sweat or rain, which would add undesired weight. For comfort the inner side of the shield may include a cotton material that contacts the skin of the operatives hand. In one version the shield is trough-shaped having a transversely arched profile with a front part that is tapered towards a rounded nose, the shield being open on its underside and to the rear but being otherwise substantially unperforated. Preferably there is a transverse handle spanning between the sides of the shield and spaced from the front end such that when the handle is positioned between the thumb and index finger of the operative, the tips of the fingers cannot be extended substantially beyond the rounded front end of the shield. A transverse elasticized band may be positioned in a cuff portion of the shield to maintain it against the back of the hand and wrist of the operative. In a second version, the shield is cone-shaped tapering to a narrow front end having an aperture through which a rod-like probe can be inserted to extend forwardly for use in probing the ground. The operative grips the probe within the cone and the cone provides protection to the gripping hand. The narrow end of the cone can include a rubber grommet having a hole through it for tightly engaging with the probe. The grommet may be adjustable from a position where it tightly grips the probe to a position where it releases the probe for longitudinal movement or extraction. Preferably there is a cuff that extends rearwardly of the shield to provide protection to the wrist and forearm of the operative, the cuff being of strong protective material, but preferably being flexible. The cuff can be of tubular form, or can be semi-tubular, being open on its upper side. The invention will further be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the hand protection system of the invention in a preferred embodiment as used by a mine clearance operative; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing use of a slightly modified embodiment of the hand protection system; Figure 3 is a side elevation to an enlarged scale and partly in longitudinal section showing one embodiment of a hand shield as used in the protection system; Figure 4 is a perspective view partially fragmented showing the underside of the shield of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a further embodiment of hand shield of the protection system of the present invention; Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the opposite side of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 5 drawn to an enlarged scale; and Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing a modified version. As shown in Figure 1 , the likely location of a buried mine is marked by a cross 2 on the ground, as a result of a preliminary sweep conducted by a mine detector (not shown). At this stage a mine clearance operative 4 has to investigate the site of the suspected mine and identify and/or uncover it. This is dangerous and delicate work since the operative must crouch down or kneel adjacent the site marked by the cross 2, and gently probe the area with a rod 6 or the like to precisely locate the anti-personnel mine. The operative of course will wear protective clothing, particularly on the front of the legs, groin and chest, and a helmet 10, and these measures provide adequate protection to the associated body parts in the event that an anti-personnel mine is detonated. However of necessity the hands of the operative must be close to the suspected mine location, and accordingly are particularly vulnerable to injury in the event of a mine being inadvertently detonated in the mine clearing operation. It is therefore highly desirable to provide enhanced protection to these vulnerable parts. However on the other hand the protection provided must not unduly hamper the hands of the operative in performing the necessary duties such as manipulating the probe rod 6, and sometimes employing the fingers to clear soil and debris from around the suspected mine. The hand protection system of the present invention therefore involves two hand protecting shields 12, 14 worn on opposite hands of the operative. As shown in Figure 1 the shield 12 is worn on the right hand and the shield 14 on the left hand, but depending upon the handiness of the operative, these positions could be reversed. As better shown in Figures 3 and 4, the shield 12 comprises a convex shell which is open at its underside and at its rear end (Figure 4) and which tapers to a rounded front end 18. The shield has a hand-covering front portion 20 which tapers towards the front end and a rearwardly extending cuff portion which is part-cylindrically curved, the lower edges 24, 26 of the front and rear portions respectively being coplanar. A rod-like handle 28 is mounted at its ends at opposite sides of the front portion 20, and spans between these sides. An elasticized band 30 spans across the lower edges of the cuff portion 22. The structure of the hand protecting shield 12 is shown in the sectioned portion of Figure 3 and comprises a molded shell of tough plastic material such as Lexan™ polycarbonate of a thickness of approximately .093 inch (2.36 mm). On the inner side of the shell 32 are a series of layers of tightly woven aramid fibers. As shown in Figure 3 there are eight layers of Kevlar™. The polycarbonate and fabric layers provide the desired level of fragmentation resistance, this structure being covered on the inside by a cotton layer 36 and on both the inside and the outside by a layer 38 of rubberized material, or a protective material, such as heavy duty nylon. The cotton layer 36 comes into contact with the skin of the operative and therefore must provide a degree of comfort, but otherwise the structure of the shield is impermeable to moisture. Absorption of moisture by the shield, (prevented by the rubber layer 38), would be undesirable since it would add to its weight and could adversely affect its performance and possibly compromise the protection that the shield provides. The cuff portion 22 being at the rear end of the shield does not require the same degree of strength and toughness and therefore does not include the polycarbonate shell, but does however include multiple layers (not shown) of woven aramid fibers. As will be clear from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, in use the shield 12 is placed over the back of the hand and is retained in position by the elasticized band 30 against the underside of the wrist or forearm of the operative. The handle 28 is positioned adjacent the open underside of the shield, and is designed to be engaged in the cleft between the thumb and index finger of the operative. When worn as described, the open underside of the shield 12 enables the operative to use his fingers either to help guide the rod 6 as shown in Figure 1 or to clear debris and soil from around the suspected mine location. The handle 28 is positioned such that when engaged as described above, it prevents extension of the fingers of the operative's hand substantially beyond the front end 18 of the shield, thus limiting the potential injury to the fingers in the event of a mine detonation. The second hand protecting shield is shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 and comprises a conical structure having an open rear end 40 and tapering to a front end 43. At the front end there is an opening filled by a screwthreaded rubber plug 44 which has a conically shaped rear end 46 (Fig. 7) that sits against the inner side of the shield, the plug having a forwardly projecting threaded part 48 which is engaged by a threaded plastic cap 50. An axial hole (not shown) extends through the rubber plug 44 providing a passage for a thin metal probe rod 6 which extends forwardly of the shield 14 and which has within the interior of the shield a cylindrical handle 52. The rear end 46 of the rubber plug is split into wedge-shaped sections by axially extending slits 49 so that when the threaded plastic cap 50 is tightened into engagement with the threaded part 48, the sections of the rear end 46 are cammed through interaction with the tapered inner surface of the shield to press radially into tight engagement with the rod 6 thus gripping it securely in a selected position of adjustment. To remove or to reposition the rod it is merely necessary to slacken off the threaded plastic cap 50 whereupon the pressure on the rod is relieved and it can be moved as desired. The structure of the conical portion of the shield 14 can be essentially identical to that of the front portion 20 of the shield 12 namely including a conical Lexan™ shell 54 (Fig. 7) on the inner side of which are up to eight overlapping laminated layers of Kevlar™ woven fibers, there being a rubber covering layer 60 on both sides and an interior cotton layer 58, the structure being altogether impervious to moisture. Beyond the polycarbonate shell 54 there is a rearwardly extending tubular section 62. In the embodiment of Figure 8 the shield 14 has a simplified arrangement for mounting the rod 6 at its forward end. This arrangement comprises a rubber plug 64 through which the rod 6 extends, the plug having a rounded head 66 outside the shield and a conically tapered body 68 inside the shield. A further modification of the shield 14 is shown in Figure 2. Here the shield has an extended semi-tubular cuff 70 which provides a measure of protection to the wrist and forearm of the operative. The rod 6 shown in Figure 2 is mounted in a pistol grip handle 72 which in some circumstances the operative might find more comfortable to use over extended periods. Various modifications can be made in the structure as described above. For example the shells can be of other materials that exhibit similar properties to polycarbonate, and can be made in various ways such as thermoform molding or injection molding. A preferred thickness for the material of the shell is at least about 2.3 mm. Commercially available Lexan™ sheet of a thickness of .093 inch (2.362 mm) has been found suitable. Increasing the thickness of the shell will obviously increase its strength and the protection it affords. However increased thickness brings the disadvantages of increases in weight and in cost. The selected Lexan™ thickness of about 2.3 mm (.10 inch) is believed to represent the best compromise of the protection/weight/cost factors. Instead of Lexan™, the polycarbonate sheet could be of Macrolon™ 3103, particularly where the shells are to be formed by injection molding. While the presently preferred material continuance of the protective shields in accordance with the invention are polycarbonate and aramid fibers as discussed above, the alternative materials can be substituted provided that they desired level of protection from blast loading and fragmentation is provided. Specifically, the shield should be able to withstand the blast loading produced by an anti-personnel mine containing an explosive content equivalent to that of 200 grams C4, or that of a PMN mine detonated at a distance of as little as 16 cm. The fragmentation resistance of the shield may be achieved by materials other than the preferred materials discussed above, but in any event should be no less than a V50 value of 300 m/s, as determined using the 17 grain (1.1 gram) fragment simulator in accordance with the NATO STANAG 2920 Test Specification or equivalent MIL-STD- 662. The configuration of the shield could be modified to include other materials. For example foam materials such as polyethylene foam (LD45 with a grade of 2.8 pcf) and a thickness of 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) could be interposed between the polycarbonate shell and the Kevlar™ layers. The rubberized layers could be replaced by heavy duty nylon such as the ballistic nylon sold under the Trade mark CORDURA. It should be understood that while for clarity certain features of the invention are described in the context of separate embodiments, these features may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Furthermore, various features of the invention which for brevity are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination in other embodiments. Moreover, although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it will be recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently it is intended that the claims appended hereto be interpreted to cover all such modifications and equivalents.

Claims: CLAIMS: 1. A hand protection system for use by an operative in locating and/or identifying anti-personnel mines planted in a ground surface, said system comprising: a rigid protecting shield configured to receive a hand of the operative and at least part of the associated wrist and forearm, said shield comprising a stiff reinforced shell formed of multiple overlapped layers of densely packed fibers of a material that provides a high level of fragmentation resistance, said multiple overlapping layers being laminated together with a molded form of stiff high density plastics material that exhibits strong anti-shatter properties said form of polycarbonate material being positioned outwardly of the fibre layers with respect to the hand to be protected and having a thickness of at least about 2.3 mm, said shield being elongated and of a lateral peripheral extent sufficient to enclose at least the back and side regions of the hand and wrist of the operative. 2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said densely packed fibres are of a material selected from aramid and unidirectional polyethylene fibres. 3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the high density plastics material of said form comprises polycarbonate. 4. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said form is of polycarbonate material fabricated by injection moulding. 5. A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 4, wherein said overlapped layers are of aramid fibres and are laminated together with said form without the use of a resin binder. 6. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the shield has outer and inner layers of abrasion resistant material. 7. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said abrasion resistant material is a rubberized fabric. 8. A system as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein said inner layer incorporates a cotton material for contact with the skin of the operative. 9. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein said shield is trough-shaped having a transversely arched profile and having a front part that is slightly tapered towards a rounded nose, the shield having an open underside and rear end but being otherwise unperforated. 10. A system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the shield has a transverse handle attached thereto just above the open underside thereof and spaced from the front end at a location such as to be received between the thumb and index finger of the hand of the operative in a location such that the operative's fingers cannot be extended substantially beyond the rounded front end of the shield. 11. A system as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10 wherein said shield includes a transverse elasticized band in a cuff portion thereof, said band being positioned to maintain said shield against the back of the hand and wrist of the operative. 12. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein said shield is cone-shaped, tapering to a narrow front end, said front end including an aperture through which a rod-like probe can be inserted for engagement by the hand of the operator within the shield, the probe extending forwardly of the narrow end of the shield to a tip for probing exploration in the ground surface under control of the hand of the operative. 13. A system as claimed in claim 12 including a grommet at the narrow front end of the shield, said grommet defining an aperture for tightly engaging with the 5 probe. 14. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said grommet is adjustable to engage tightly onto the probe or to selectively release the probe for movement therein. 15. A system as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14 wherein a cuff is connected to the large rear end of the shield to extend rearwardly thereof to provide l o protection to the wrist and forearm of the operative. 16. A system as claimed in claim 15 wherein said cuff is fabricated from strong protective but flexible material. 17. A system as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16 wherein said cuff is of tubular form. 15 18. A system as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16 wherein said cuff is of approximately semi-tubular form.

Inventors: JAMES RAYMOND C, KALAAM SHAIK M, MAKRIS ARISTIDIS, MYLES JUSTIN E, NERENBERG JEFF G, ROZON DAVID P, SMITH MARK, VOISINE PIERRE, JAMES, RAYMOND, C., KALAAM, SHAIK, M., MAKRIS, ARISTIDIS, MYLES, JUSTIN, E., NERENBERG, JEFF, G., ROZON, DAVID, P., SMITH, MARK, VOISINE, PIERRE
Applicants: JAMES RAYMOND C, KALAAM SHAIK M, MAKRIS ARISTIDIS, MED ENG SYSTEMS INC, MYLES JUSTIN E, NERENBERG JEFF G, ROZON DAVID P, SMITH MARK, VOISINE PIERRE, JAMES, RAYMOND, C., KALAAM, SHAIK, M., MAKRIS, ARISTIDIS, MED-ENG SYSTEMS INC., MYLES, JUSTIN, E., NERENBERG, JEFF, G., ROZON, DAVID, P., SMITH, MARK, VOISINE, PIERRE
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A41D
IPC codes: A41D13, F41H1