Abstract:
A flexible material includes a plurality of separate resilient elements joined to a flexible, resiliently stretchable substrate. Such a material is suitable for providing protective war for human and animal bodies. Preferably, the elements includes a foam material such as a closed cell polyethylene foam and the substrate includes a knitted fabric. In an advantageous embodiment, a second flexible substrate is bonded over the elements to sandwich them between the two layers of substrate.

Description:
RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a flexible material suitable, primarily, for use as a flexible protective material to protect for human and animal bodies. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Protective material and protective wear is currently used by persons to protect themselves from knocks, abrasions and other injury. Protective wear is used during sport, rugby for example and equestrian sports and other activities where a person runs a risk of injury, for example building and other trades. 
     Conventional protective wear may form an integral part of an item of clothing, for example a shoulder pad, or be provided separately, for example a shin pad. 
     One existing arrangement comprises a moulded foam article shaped to fit a particular part of the body. There are, however, a number of problems with this arrangement. The article must be produced in different sizes to fit different people. Provision of different sizes can be expensive or inconvenient. Also, closely fitting articles can restrict movement of the wearer, especially when worn on or near joints. 
     In DE 43 41 722 is disclosed a cushioning material for the treatment of lymphostatic fibroses in which a plurality of foam elements with an enlarged base are disposed side-by-side with their bases touching on a foundation layer to which they are affixed. The troughs defined between the side walls of the elements enable the material to be flexed to form a pressure bandage. However, the foram elements of the bandage touch one another at their base, which restricts the stretchability of the material as a whole and is also designed to be worn with the elements in contact with the skin, which would restrict movement. 
     A moulded foam article can only correctly fit a joint when in one position. When the joint moves, the article will no longer fit correctly. This may reduce the protection it affords. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,768 is disclosed a fabric coated with a surface deformed foam which is manufactured either by grooving or slashing a sheet of foam to a portion of its depth and then laminating it to the fabric or by laminating a foam sheet to a fabric and then grooving or slashing the form layer. However, neither of these methods enables the foam to be cut to define a plurality of spaced, separate elements, which is preferred if the fabric is to be used in protective wear for ,sports persons when considerable freedom of movement by the wearer is required in addition to comfort. 
     Another existing arrangement comprises a quilted material including lengths of foam sewn into pockets formed between two layers of fabric. Such materials are time consuming to produce. Also, such materials can generally only easily be flexed in a direction perpendicular to that of the strips of foam. Flexing the material in a direction along the length of the strips involves flexing the strips themselves which, depending on the type of foam used, can be difficult. A similar type of garment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,082 which describes an athletic garment in which strategically placed rib-shaped gel, air or foam padding is contained in envelopes that are individually affixed to an elasticized fabric shell. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least reduce, the problems associated with the manufacture of conventional protective material and with protective wear made therefrom. 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a flexible material comprising the steps of providing a sheet of a resilient material; cutting the sheet into a plurality of spaced, separate elements using a cutter which is pressed into the sheet to cut therethrough; making one side of the spaced elements to stand proud of the surface of a jig provided to hold the elements in place; and bonding a flexible, resiliently stretchable substrate to one side of the separate elements by heating the substrate either to active an adhesive applied between said one side of the separate elements and the substrate or to weld the elements to the substrate. 
     The separate elements are preferably bonded to the substrate with a hot melt adhesive, although they can be welded thereto using heat to fuse the elements to the substrate. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a flexible material comprising a layer of separate resilient elements joined to a flexible, resiliently stretchable substrate and manufactured according to the method of the first aspect of the present invention. 
     Such a flexible material can confirm more easily to the body of the wearer than conventional materials, as it is flexible in all three dimensions. It is therefore more comfortable to wear and can accommodate movement better than conventional materials. When used as a protective material or to form protective wear a single size, or a reduced number of sizes, can fit many different sized bodies. 
     As the elements are separate and spaced apart; this facilitates flexing of the substrate to form a curved surface and enables the material to flex in all directions without “locking up” or preventing movement in a particular direction. This is a particular advantage the flexible material of the present invention has over prior art arrangements which tend not to exhibit universal flexibility. 
     The elements preferably comprise a resilient foam material, for example a closed cell polyethylene, and could comprise a number of different types of foam or other materials to give desired properties, for example layers of foam of different densities. 
     The elements may be substantially identical, alternatively they can be of different size and shape, for example to fit comfortably part of a wearer&#39;s body, or some other article. 
     The elements preferably take the form of blocks. They can be of regular or irregular shape, for example hexagonal or octagonal in cross-section. The elements are preferably evenly distributed on the substrate with a density of between 100 and 8000 elements/m 2 , more preferably between 250 and 8000 elements/m 2 , and still more preferably between 4000 and 6000 elements/m 2 . In one embodiment, the elements comprise cubes of side 12 mm spaced apart by 2 mm. This gives a density of about 5000 cubes/m 2 . This allows the material to flex easily along all directions, an improvement over known quilted protective materials. Also, one type of material can be cut to many different sizes, for example to form protective wear of different sizes, without significantly affecting its ability to flex. This is in contrast to known quilted protective materials wherein due to the size of the foam strips, the size of each strip must be changed to form an article of different size without reducing flexibility. 
     The substrate is resiliently stretchable or elastic and preferably comprises a fabric, although a resiliently stretchable film or sheet could be used. This enables the material to adopt a greater range of configurations. Suitable fabrics include knitted nylon and polyester fabrics and more particularly those materials comprising elastane. 
     A second layer of a flexible substrate material is preferably bonded over the elements so that they are sandwiched between two layers. In this case, as the first substrate layer is resiliently stretchable or elastic, this helps to prevent puckering of one side of the material when it is flexed. Advantageously, both substrate layers are resiliently stretchable. However, in cases where only a single stretchable substrate layer is provided and the material is to be used in a curved configuration the material is preferably arranged so that the stretchable layer lies on the outside surface of the curve. 
     The material may be comprised in clothing or other wear. It is particularly suitable for incorporation into protective clothing and wear, for example shoulder pads, knee pads, shin pads, arm bands, head-guards, vests and gauntlets for both humans and animals. It will be appreciated that in these garments the blocks are provided where required and omitted from certain areas of the garment. For example, in a headguard no blocks need be positioned in the ear-flaps of the guard. 
     The material could also be comprised in furniture or upholstery and can be particularly useful when used with wheelchairs and hospital beds. Spaced part elements can help to reduce the incidence of bed sores. As the material is resilient, it comprises a cushioning medium, for,; example for saddles. Where the material comprises a foam layer, this provides it with good thermally insulating properties and it can be usefully incorporated into, or used to form wet suits. A foam layer can also render the material buoyant in water, in which case it can be usefully used in or to form buoyancy vests, life jackets and swimming aids. When used as a swimming aid, for example, the material can be incorporated in swimming costumes as an aid to the buoyancy of the wearer. It is possible in this case to arrange for the foam blocks to be progressively removable from the costume as the confidence and skill or the trainee swimmer increases. 
     The material may also be used for packaging and cladding. 
     As indicated above, the elements may not be distributed all over the surface of the substrate. In particular, there may be a border of substrate having no element thereon. The border may include a fastening means, for example VELCRO(™) to enable it to be affixed to itself or to another article, say a garment. 
     In one embodiment, the elements could comprise a series of spaced-apart strips. Such a material would have different properties when flexed in different directions. 
     Preferably, at least said one side of the elements are coated with the hot-melt adhesive prior to being cut into the separate elements. Alternatively or in addition, the side of the substrate adjacent said one side of the elements is coated with the hot-melt adhesive. A sheet of hot-melt film may also be interposed between said one side of the elements and the substrate to provide said adhesive layer. 
     Advantageously, the resilient sheet is cut into a plurality of separate elements using a cutter which acts as the jig after cutting through the resilient material to hold the elements in place while the substrate layer is applied thereto. Preferably, the cutter is adapted so that said one side of each, now cut, element are made to stand proud of the surface of the cutter grid. The sheet material may spring back slightly after cutting to accomplish this. Alternatively, means, such as ejectors, are provided to achieve this effect. 
     In one embodiment of the method, a sheet of a resilient material is provided and at least one side of the sheet is coated with a hot melt adhesive. The sheet is placed, adhesive side up, over a cutter grid arranged to cut the sheet into a plurality of elements, for example squares. The sheet is pressed down onto the cutter to cut through the sheet. Excess material from between the elements is then removed. A resiliently stretchable substrate is placed over the, now cut, sheet and heated to activate the adhesive to join the elements to the substrate. The substrate is then lifted away from the cutter, taking the elements with it. 
     It will be appreciated that in this embodiment, the cutter grid acts as a jig, holding the elements in placed while the substrate layer is applied. If the flexible material is to be cut into large pieces, in particular large irregularly shaped pieces, then these pieces may be assembled into a specially constructed jig to hold them into place before application of the substrate. Conveniently, as before the sheet of resilient material from which the elements are cut has an adhesive layer applied to one or both surfaces prior to the cutting process. 
     Alternatively, the sheet of resilient material is cut into strips in a first direction using a plurality of rolling cutters and then cut in a second direction at an angle to the first direction to the separate elements. Preferably, the rolling cutters are moved sideways after each cut to cut narrow strips of material in both directions to space the elements apart, the narrow strips of material being removed to leave the separate elements spaced apart from one another. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Embodiments of the various aspects of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of part piece of flexible material according to the invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a protective arm band formed from the type of material of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of a cutter grid. 
     FIGS. 4 to  6  are vertical cross-sectional views of apparatus used in the manufacture of material as shown in FIG. 1 at various stages respectively throughout the manufacturing process. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view through another embodiment of a flexible material according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a flexible material comprises a plurality of cubes  1  of a resilient closed-cell polyethylene foam, of side approximately 12 mm and with corners of radius approximately 2.5 mm, joined with a hot melt adhesive to a fabric substrate  2 . The cubes  1  are evenly arranged, each cube being spaced from adjacent cubes by approximately 2 mm. The fabric  2  is a resiliently stretchable knitted fabric, preferably one comprising polyester or elastane fibers. 
     A margin of fabric  2  is provided around the periphery of the cubes  1 . Along the edges of the fabric at opposite ends respectively there are strips  3  of VELCRO(™), only one of which is shown. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, a protective armband  4  is shown being worn on part of an arm  5 . The armband  4  is formed from a generally rectangular piece of material of the type shown in FIG. 1 but which in this case comprises a fabric substrate  6  bonded to both sides thereof with a plurality of foam cubes  7  sandwiched therebetween. Margins are provided at opposite ends respectively of the substrate  6  and a strip of VELCRO(™)  8  is fastened on this margin to enable opposite ends of the material to be fastened in an overlaying relationship to form a tube. By varying the degree of overlap of the ends, the tube can be closely fitted around arms of different sizes. The provision of a substrate layer  6  on both sides of the cubes  7  prevents the latter from separating too much as the material is curved around to form a tube. Rather, the substrate  6  on the outside of the armband is forced to stretch and the edges of the cubes  7  at the inner side of the armband are compressed. The provision of a substrate layer on both sides of the material therefore enables the material to continue to provide good protection, even when tightly flexed. 
     FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a cutter used for manufacturing the material of FIG.  1 . The cutter comprises blades defining a plurality of squares of 12 mm side with corners of radius 2.5 mm. 
     FIGS. 4 to  6  are vertical cross-sectional views of apparatus at various stages respectively throughout the manufacture of the flexible material shown in FIG.  1 . Referring to these figures, one side of a 12 mm thick layer of closed cell polyethylene foam  10  is coated with a hot melt adhesive  11 . The foam  10  is then placed onto a cutter  12 , of the type shown in FIG. 3, and pressed down with a press  13  so that the cutter  12  cuts through the foam  10  to form a plurality of separate cubes. The press is then removed, whereupon owing to its resilient nature, the foam will tend to spring back slightly so that the exposed surface of each cube stands proud to lie above the surface of the cutter. Excess material from between the elements is then removed. 
     Next, as shown in FIG. 5, a layer of fabric is placed over the foam and cutter  12  and a heated platen  15  is brought into contact with the fabric  14 . Heat is conducted through the fabric  14  to the foam and activates the adhesive, bonding the fabric  14  to the foam  10 . In this arrangement, the cutter grid acts as a jig, holding the foam cubes in position whilst the fabric substrate  14  is applied thereto. 
     Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the fabric can be lifted away from the cutter taking the foam cubes  10  with it. 
     In an alternative method, ejectors are disposed in the cutter grid to eject the elements, leaving any waste material behind in the cutters. 
     If the foam  10  is to be cut into large pieces, in particular large irregularly shaped pieces such as may be suitable for use in an equestrian jacket, then these pieces may be assembled into a specially constructed jig to hold them into place before application of the fabric substrate  14 . As described above, the sheet of resilient foam from which the elements are cut will have hot-melt adhesive applied to one or both surfaces prior to the cutting process. 
     In a further variation, the sheet of resilient material is cut into strips in a first direction using a plurality of rolling cutters. The sheet is cut in a second direction perpendicular to the first to form cubes. The cutters are then moved sideways to cut narrow strips of foam in both directions to space the cubes apart, the narrow strips of foam being stripped away to leave the cubes. 
     FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of flexible material similar to that shown in FIG. 1, but with a layer of fabric  16  bonded to each of opposite sides of tho elements  17 . This embodiment may be produced in a similar way to that shown in FIG. 1 except that opposite sides of the foam layer are coated with adhesive and, after the foam cubes bonded to a first layer of fabric have been removed from the cutter, a second layer of fabric is placed over the exposed surface of the elements and pressed with a heated platen to effect a bond. 
     In other variations to the above methods, the hot-melt adhesive may be applied to the surface the substrate rather or in addition to the sides of the flexible material. Alternatively or in addition, a hot-melt film can be interposed between the elements and the substrate. 
     Also, heated nip-rollers can be used in place of a heated platen to bond the elements to the substrate, particularly when substrate is bonded to both sides of the elements, which are thereby sandwiched therebetween. This facilitates passage of the material between the rollers prior to activation of the adhesive. 
     Flexible materials according to the invention are more convenient to produce and more flexible and versatile that known protective materials. They may also be used in a variety of applications including protective wear and clothing.