Apparel – Guard or protector – Hand or arm
Patent
1997-11-18
2000-12-05
Neas, Michael A.
Apparel
Guard or protector
Hand or arm
2160, 21611, A41D 1900
Patent
active
061548820
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
The invention relates to a protection device intended for reduction of the risk and the effect of hand and arm injuries, for example during sporting activities. The protection device is intended to influence the behaviour of the user to make him clench the hand when falling, but during normal use nevertheless allow the hand and its fingers a great freedom of movement to grip articles such as ski poles, snowboards, skateboards and similar equipment.
BACKGROUND
When performing different kinds of sports, for example snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, cycling, motorcycling, etc., it is not unusual that the practiser is subjected to accidents resulting in fractures of the bones in the forearm or in the hand. The reason for this is often that the practiser, for example during a fall, as a reflex opens his hand and perhaps stretches his fingers out to break his fall with the flat of the hand. The hand and/or the fingers will thereby form relatively long lever arms and are easily broken by heavy impacts. Even if the hand is clenched on the fall and the person strikes the ground with the hand clenched, injuries can arise resulting in joint and skeletal injuries in the hand or the fingers. The reason is that the cavity which is formed within the hand when it is clenched allows the fingers, on external pressure, to be displaced further in against the centre of the clenched hand.
PRIOR ART
It is usual nowadays that gloves intended for use in the exercise of winter sports are lined for better heat insulation. However, gloves are also sometimes provided with stuffing at the outer side of the hand and/or the fingers with the aim of dampening impacts and minimising the risk of injury. Such gloves are, on the other hand, often stiff and cumbersome and even cause the user to keep the hand open if a near accident happens, which accordingly can give rise to serious consequences. There are even examples of gloves where strips of a stiff material are inserted in the glove to stabilise the wrist. In unfortunate circumstances, these strips can increase the injuries instead of reducing them.
THE OBJECT OF THE INVENTION AND ITS MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES
The object of the present invention is to show a protection device preferably for use in or together with a glove and which reduces the risk and the consequence of an injury, for example by a fall, by changing the behaviour of the user. The protection device shall be so formed that when being used it also allows good mobility of the hand so that the intended sport or activity can be performed without any hindrance.
Further objects are, by the shape of the protection device and the glove, to cause the muscles of the forearm to contract in an advantageous way when the person falls, to obtain optimal superposing of actin and myosin fibrils thereby increasing the strength of the skeleton and that the hand automatically resumes its unbent normal position (such as is shown in FIG. 14). The strength of the bone tissue of the forearm and the hand can in this way be increased up to 10 times. The risk of injuries to the forearm, the wrist, the small bones of the hand or the fingers is hereby reduced substantially.
A further object of the invention is, by the protection device and the construction of the glove, to bring about an extension of the forearm to reduce the consequences of the injuries to the lower part of the back when the person falls backward. By influencing/teaching the user to clench the hand, i.e. to make a "clenching reflex", the arm will in practice be extended by 5-10 cm (most often about 7 cm) compared with if it is open and dorsally inflected (see FIG. 21) and the arm/hand reaches the ground earlier than what is the case with an open hand. Further, a clenched hand will decrease the risk that fingers are forced down into and become stuck in hard snow. This is today a common cause of injuries.
Another object is to distribute the forces that hit the hand locally to the other parts of the hand.
According to the invention, the objects are obtained in that
REFERENCES:
patent: 4011596 (1977-03-01), Chang
patent: 4400831 (1983-08-01), Rietz
patent: 5353440 (1994-10-01), Meldeau
patent: 5870773 (1999-02-01), Smith
patent: 5930835 (1999-08-01), Silvestri
Derwent's Abstract, No. 88-329217/46, week 8846, Abstract of SU, 1395346 (Phys Culture Inst), May 15, 1988.
LandOfFree
Protection device preferably for use in a glove does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Protection device preferably for use in a glove, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Protection device preferably for use in a glove will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-948854