Patent Publication Number: US-6209145-B1

Title: Body protection

Description:
DESCRIPTION 
     The invention relates to body protection, more particularly but not exclusively the protection of the torso and tibs of individuals. 
     In some competitive sports such as kart racing where there is little or no suspension in a vehicle being driven there is need for the drivers of the karts to have protection for their torso—particularly their ribs which come into contact with the seats of the vehicles being driven. 
     There are forms of torso or rib protector already known which generally comprise jackets or belts of textile fabric material including pockets into which relatively stiff panels, usually fibre reinforced plastics, are placed. The panels are meant to protect the ribs of a wearer of the jacket or belt. 
     The arrangements for protecting ribs known to me are uncomfortable to wear and do not provide, I believe, adequate protection of the ribs for those wearing them. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement which alleviates and/or overcomes the difficulties found with the known forms of rib protector. 
     In one aspect the invention provides a device for protecting the body of an individual from impacts, the device comprising a first layer of material which acts to shield the body of an individual wearing the device to which is bonded a second layer of material which acts to cushion the body of the individual, the outer margin of the second layer extending beyond the outer margin of the first layer. 
     The outer margin of the second layer preferably extends between 5 and 20 mm beyond the outer margin of the first layer, desirably extends 15 mm beyond the outer margin of the first layer 
     A third layer may be attached to the second layer and be generally coincident therewith. 
     The first layer may be a plastics material, for example polypropylene. 
     The second layer is preferably of a foamed plastics material, for example cross-linked polyethylene foam. 
     The third layer preferably comprises a textile fabric material, terry towelling. 
     With advantage the layers are adhesively bonded together. 
     The device preferably includes means for holding it in position wrapped about the torso of an individual. 
     The means for holding the device around the body of any individual preferably comprises a strip of textile fabric comprising of or supporting hook-and-eye for co-operation with a patch of hook-and-eye material, the strip of fabric material and the patch of hook-and-eye material being adhesively bonded to the surface of said first layer and at opposite ends of said layer. 
    
    
     A device for protecting the torso of an individual and embodying the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a face view of the device, 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view drawn on the line II—II of FIG. 1, and 
     FIG. 3 shows at A and B front and rear views of an individual wearing the device. 
    
    
     The protective device shown in the Figures comprises three layers. 
     Layer  10  has generally the form shown in FIG.  1  and comprises a layer of polypropylene co-polymer desirably between 0.85 and 1.5 mm in thickness—preferably 1.2 mm thick. 
     The material of layer  10  has a specific gravity of 0.91 g/cc and a Rockwell hardness of 70. 
     To the layer  10  is adhesively bonded to a second layer  12  of cross-linked polyethylene foam of between 5 and 10 mm in thickness and having a density of between 50-70 kg/M 3 . It is to be noted that the outer margin of the second layer  12  extends beyond that of the first layer  10  by approximately 15 mm. 
     The second layer  12  has adhesively bonded to it a third layer  14  of a textile fabric, for example terry towelling. 
     One end  20  of the layer  10  has bonded to it a flap of material  22  which comprises or supports an area of hook-and-eye material  24  for co-operating with a patch of hook-and-eye material  26  bonded to the surface adjacent the other end  28  of the layer after the device has been wrapped around the torso of a wearer. 
     It will be appreciated that after the device has been wrapped around the back of an individual with the ends  20 ;  28  passing beneath the armpits of the wearer the material patches  24  and  26  can be engaged to hold the protective device about the torso of the wearer. 
     As noted the outer margin  32  of the second layer  12  extends beyond the margin  34  of the first layer  10  by approximately 15 mm. It will be appreciated that the layer  12  is a relatively soft foam plastics material and the overlapping margin  34  acts to prevent the relatively stiffer layer  10  cutting into the torso of a wearer. 
     It is believed the device now proposed is lighter and more comfortable to wear and performs better protection that the devices presently known to me.