Apparel – Guard or protector – Hand or arm
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-03
2001-06-05
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Guard or protector
Hand or arm
C002S002500, C089S036020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240558
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
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.
2. Description of the Prior Art
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 blast resistant materials. Such protective clothing is available from a number of sources, and is illustrated in for example U.S. Pat. No. DES 403,487, U.S. Pat. No. DES 397,519, U.S. Pat. No. DES 417,756, U.S. Pat. No. DES 403,487 as well as U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,747, U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,719 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,447 all assigned to the assignee of the subject application, and the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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 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.
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 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.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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 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 hand 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 woven aramid fibers laminated together with a molded form of stiff polycarbonate material, 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 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 one or both sides of the polycarbonate form.
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, 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 an open rear end and a front part that is tapered towards a rounded nose, the shield being open on its underside and to the rear but being otherwise 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.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2497749 (1950-02-01), Wagner
patent: 3746356 (1973-07-01), Shipstad
patent: 3874686 (1975-04-01), Shipstad et al.
patent: 3945045 (1976-03-01), Rhee
patent: 4302851 (1981-12-01), Adair
patent: 4309487 (1982-01-01), Holmes
patent: 4361912 (1982-12-01), Arthur
patent: 5326606 (1994-07-01), Labock
patent: 5635288 (1997-06-01), Park
patent: 5740551 (1998-04-01), Walker
patent: 6021523 (2000-02-01), Vero
patent: 6119575 (2000-09-01), Dragione et al.
James Raymond C.
Kalaam Shaik M.
Lavallee Bradley C.
Makris Aristidis
Myles Justin E.
Calvert John J.
Med-Eng Systems Inc.
Patel Tejash
Rockey Milnamow & Katz Ltd.
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