NL2037351B1

NL2037351B1 - Spinal Protector

Info

Publication number: NL2037351B1
Application number: NL2037351A
Authority: NL
Inventors: James Mader Terrence
Original assignee: James Mader Terrence
Priority date: 2024-03-28
Filing date: 2024-03-28
Publication date: 2025-10-06
Also published as: WO2025206950A1

Abstract

Title: Spinal Protector Abstract A spinal protector (1, 65) comprises at least two interconnected segments (2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 66, 67) extending in a length direction L for placement along a spine. Each segment comprises: - a sliding member (1 1, 68, 69) for telescopic movement in the length direction, having a rod (16, 72, 72’, 73) with at an end a broadened stopper part (32, 79), - a housing (15, 77) with on one end a slide bearing (33, 78), the sliding member (11, 68, 69) extending with the stopper part (32, 79) within the housing (15, 77), the rod (16, 72, 72’, 73) being guided along the slide bearing (33, 78) which is of smaller diameter than the stopper part (32, 7 9) and being rotatable in the housing (15, 7 7) along a longitudinal axis (14) extending in the length direction L, the housing (15, 7 7) being at another end connected toa hinge structure (10, 30, 31; 75) that is adapted for allowing pivoting of the housing (15, 77) around two mutually perpendicular axes (12, 13; 28, 29; 48, 49) that are oriented transversely to the length direction L. Fig. 1

Description

P136657NL00

Title: Spinal Protector

Technical Field

The disclosure relates to a spinal protector comprising at least two interconnected segments extending in a length direction, for placement along a spine.

The disclosure also relates to an assembly of a spinal protector and a helmet and/or a wearable construction for placing the protector along the back of a user.

Background Art

GB 2 345 435 describes a spine guard comprising a rigid head protector and several segments of strong rigid material with male/female interlocking parts that extend along the spine. The interlocking parts comprise flanges and compression spacers and are held in alignment via a central steel cable. The known spine guard protects the spine from over-compression upon impact on the head, over-extension and from radical twisting.

It is an object of the disclosure to provide a spinal protector which restricts motion in all dimensions, and which is of a relatively uncomplicated design. It is another object to provide a spinal protector that can replicate a range of movements of the spine and that limits the degree of compacting and twisting of the spine in case of an accident, preventing severe spinal injury which may involve a broken neck, broken back or other extreme damage. It is another object to provide a spinal protector that is robust and that can withstand high loads in case of an accident.

Summary

Hereto a spinal protector comprises at least two interconnected segments extending in a length direction L for placement along a spine, each segment comprising:

- an elongate sliding member having a rod, and - a housing, the sliding member extending within the housing so as to be movable in the length direction, the housing being at another end connected to - a hinge structure that is adapted for allowing pivoting of the housing around two mutually perpendicular axes that are oriented transversely to the length direction L, - the rod of the second segment being attached to the hinge structure of the first segment.

The hinge structure provides freedom of movement of the user when pivoting his back in a sideways and in a back forth direction. The telescoping interconnection of the segments allows for movement in the direction of the spine, while overextension is prevented when the stopper part of the sliding members abuts with the slide bearing. Rotation of the segments along the longitudinal axis allows for the user freely turning his upper body, shoulders, and head.

Compression of the spine is limited by the range of compression of the sliding member and broadened end part within the housing, in the length direction.

The spinal protector according to the disclosure provides a relatively simple mechanical design of interlocking, telescoping, universal joints mounted in sequence for strength, that may be supplemented with ball joint in the neck joint where a greater range of movement is needed. The protector according to the disclosure can replicate the range of movements of the spine and is robust to enable to handle the high loads in event of an accident.

The spinal protector according to the disclosure may be worn during skiing, motorcycling, hang gliding, American football, motor sports, horse riding or other sports which involve a risk of large forces acting on the spine. Other applications of the spinal protector are industrial users that are climbing onto structures for construction or maintenance purposes, to prevent damage during falling, collisions or other situations where high force accidents could result in spinal injury.

The sliding member may have a stopper part extending within the housing, the rod being rotatable within the housing around a longitudinal axis extending in the length direction L.

The sliding member may support at an end the stopper part, the housing having at one end a slide bearing along which the sliding member is guided, and which is of a smaller diameter than the stopper part.

A resilient material may be provided in the housing near the slide bearing for abutting with the stopper part when it is near the slide bearing.

By damping the contact of the stopper part with the sliding member, the impact of extension of the segments in the length direction is taken up.

The housing can have a cylindrical shape, the hinge structure comprising a universal Joint.

The universal joint provides a sturdy hinge member that can withstand large forces upon impact.

The universal joint may comprise a first member having at least one flange defining a sway axis extending transversely to the length direction, and a pivot body that is connected to the at least one flange to be pivotable about the sway axis, side abutment members being situated near the pivot body on each side of the sway axis for contacting the pivot body and limiting the rotation of the pivot body around the sway axis.

The side abutment members limit the sideways extension of the segments and may be formed of metal or of a resilient material, such as plastics or rubber.

The first member of the universal joint may comprise two spaced apart flanges, the pivot body being supported between the flanges.

The spaced flanges of the first member firmly support the pivot body.

The second member of the universal joint may a flange that is connected to the pivot body to be pivotable about a surge axis that 1s perpendicular to the sway axis, abutment members being situated on each side of the surge axis for contacting the second member and limiting the rotation of the second member around the surge axis.

The second member may be of similar shape as the first member and comprise abutment members to limit the backward and forward movement of the joint about surge axis.

The abutment members form stoppers that limit movement of the spine of the user in all three dimensions while the sliding members and the stopper parts limit extension and compression.

The second member may comprise two spaced apart flanges, the pivot body (47) being situated between the flanges and pivotally connected to the flanges.

The pivot body is mounted between two pairs flanges and forms a reliable joint.

The abutment members of the first segment may have a different distance to the pivot body than the abutment members of the second segment.

By varying the dimensions of the abutment members, the movement of the segments may be varied so that the flexibility of the spinal protector is adjusted.

In an embodiment, the abutment members of a lower segment are placed nearer to the pivot body than the abutment members of an upper segment. Hereby the protector 1s made stiffer for the lower parts of the back where the movement of the spine is smaller than for parts that are situated higher up the spinal column.

In an embodiment, the housing is of spherical shape, the hinge structure comprising a spherical socket member that rotatably engages with the housing, the rod of the second segment being connected to the socket member.

The spherical joint defines a high range of movements for each segment in all directions, whereas its resistance to impacts 1s smaller.

The hinge structure can be connected to a transverse plate having at an outward side attachment brackets on each side of the sliding member, that are connected to a strap for attaching the segments to the body of a user.

The plates form a protection for the back of the wearer against impact, and provide integration with a garment, for instance via straps. By integrating the spinal protector into a wearable construction, such as a vest, it can be easily placed on the body and removed when needed. The stiffness of the protector is 5 determined by the play provided in the garment, for instance by extendable pleats or by the use of elastic material. By adjusting the length of the straps, the dimension of the protector in the length direction may be tailored to the height of the user.

The spinal protector may comprise a ball joint or universal joint that is on one end connected to a helmet and that is on another end connected to a helmet connector device, that is releasably coupled to an upper segment.

The helmet may be taken off while the protector stays on the body of the wearer by releasing the helmet connector device. Via the ball joint or universal joint, the helmet can follow the natural movements of the head of the wearer relative to the spine. The connector device may comprise a toggle latch type release mechanism.

The spinal protector according to the disclosure may comprise at least three segments, preferably at least four more preferably about five. The large number of segments closely follow the shape and movements of the body of the wearer.

The segments can be individually adjustable by varying the length of the rod, the damping, the position, and stiffness of the abutment members.

An assembly of a spinal protector and a wearable construction comprises straps and/or attachment members connected to the segments and comprising a closure member for releasably attaching the straps or attachment members to the body of a wearer.

A helmet according to the disclosure comprises at a rear surface a releasable connector that is adapted for attaching to a spinal protector. When connected to the spinal protector, the head, neck and back of the wearer are securely protected against impacts and over extension in frontal, rearward and sideways directions.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Some embodiments of a spinal protector will, by way of non-limiting example, be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a spinal protector according to the disclosure,

Fig. 2 shows a detail of a segment of the spinal protector of figure 1,

Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view through a segment of the spinal protector of figure 1,

Fig. 4 shows a three-dimensional view of a universal joint,

Fig. 5 shows two segments of a spinal protector interconnected via the universal joint of figure 4,

Fig. 6 shows a top segment, connected to a helmet, having a toggle latch type release mechanism,

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of a spinal protector having spherical joints,

Fig. 8 shows an enlarged detail of the spinal protector of figure 7,

Figs. 9a and 9b show an alternative embodiment of a sliding member and a spherical hinging assembly according to the invention,

Fig. 10 shows a rear view of a spinal protector that is connected to the body of a wearer via flexible straps,

Fig. 11 shows a frontal view of the spinal protector of fig. 10,

Fig. 12 shows a rear view of a spinal protector that is connected to the body of a wearer via rigid straps, and

Fig. 13 shows a frontal view of the spinal protector of fig. 12.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows a spinal protector 1 that is made up of several interconnected segments 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. During use, the protector 1 1s worn at the back of a wearer and extends along the spine in the length direction L. Each segment 2-6 comprises a hinging assembly 10 and a sliding member 11. The hinging assembly can pivot sideways about a sway axis 12 and in a frontal and rearward direction about a surge axis 13.

The sliding member 11 comprises a housing 15 and a sliding rod 16 that is mounted in the housing 15 to be movable in the length direction L and rotatable 10 about a longitudinal axis 14.

A backplate 20 is connected to each hinging assembly 10 and has four strap sockets 21, 22, 23, 24 for connection to 2 vertical straps that interconnect the segments 2-6 in the length direction L over the entire length of the spinal protector 1. The straps prevent the sliding rods 16 from extending to their maximal length, while providing flexibility to rotate about the axes 12, 13 and 14.

Alternatively, the strap sockets may be connected to horizontal straps, as shown in figure 10.

The upper segment 2 of the spinal protector 1 1s connected via an upper hinging assembly 25 to a helmet locking mechanism 26 that is fixed to the surface of a helmet 27. Alternatively, the surface 27 may be a matching surface that is provided on the upper segment 2, which matching surface is attached to the helmet using double sided tape or an adhesive.

Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of the segment 3 with the hinging assembly 10.

The hinging assembly 10 comprises an upper hinging member 30 and a lower hinging member 31 that form a universal joint. The upper hinging member 30 can pivot about axis 28 and the lower hinging member 31 can pivot about axis 29. The angle through which the lower hinging member 31 can pivot about the axis 29 is limited by raised abutment members 52, 53.

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the segments 2 and 3, from which it is clear that the sliding rod 16 comprises at its lower end a stopper part 32 that can slide within the housing 15 in proximity to the inner walls 36, 37. A slide bearing 33 of a plastics material such as Polyamide (Nylon) is placed in the housing 15 to allow a free sliding movement of the rod 16 in the length direction L and rotation about the axis 14. The bore of the slide bearing 33 is smaller than the width of the stopper part 32 such that the bearing forms an abutment member preventing a full extension of the rod 16 when the stopper part 32 contacts the lower abutment surface 38 of the slide bearing 33.

At an upper side, the rod 16 comprises a screw 35 for adjustable connection to the bearing part 39 of the adjacent segment 2. By releasing the screw 35 and changing the length of the rod 16, the distance between the adjacent segments 2, 3 can be adjusted to match the specific wearer.

The abutment members 52, 53 limit the pivot angle of the upper member 30 about the axis 29 in a forward and rearward direction.

Figure 4 shows a universal joint 40 with an upper member 42 and a lower member 43. The lower member 43 comprises two spaced apart flanges 44, 45 that support a central pivot part 47 that is rotatable about axis 48. The flanges 44, 45 may be connected to the central pivot part 47 via a stub axle or rod on the pivot part or by an axle extending through the pivot part 47, which axle may be bolted into place. The upper member 42 of the universal joint comprises two flanges 50, 51 that are connected to the central pivot part 47 in a similar manner as the flanges 44, 45 of the lower member 43, so that the upper member 42 can rotate about perpendicular axis 49. The universal joint 40 forms a sturdy and reliable connection that provides freedom of movement of the user in a sideways and back and forward direction while being able to withstand large impact forces in the longitudinal direction L.

Figure 5 shows two segments 3, 4 with cylindrical housings 15, 57 that are interconnected via a universal hinging assembly 10 having an upper hinging member 30 and a lower hinging member 31. Raised abutment members 55, 56 are provided on the lower hinging member 31 to form a stopper, limiting the rotational movement of the upper hinging member 30 relative to the lower hinging member 31 about the axis 28. The abutment members 55, 56 may be formed of metal or of a resilient material such as plastics or rubber material, or a combination thereof.

Figure 6 shows a release mechanism 60 for detaching the upper hinging assembly 25 and the helmet 27 from the upper segment 2. The release mechanism 60 comprises a toggle latch with a pull latch 61 engaging with a hook 63. The latch 61 provides a secure connection that can be rapidly released from the back protector, when taking off the helmet 27.

The neck hinging assembly 25 in this embodiment is formed by a ball joint allowing for head rotation of the wearer. The part 27 can be formed by a surface of the helmet or can be a complementary surface that can be attached to the surface of a helmet by means of an adhesive or by a double-sided tape.

Figure 7 shows an embodiment of a spinal protector 65 in which the hinging members of the segments 66, 67 comprise a spherical bearing 68, 69. The spherical bearings 68, 69 are attached to backplates 70, 71 and comprise a telescoping stem 72, 73 for allowing relative movement of the segments in the length direction L.

Figure 8 shows the spherical bearing 68, 68’ having an outer socket 75 that is attached to a stem 72. The socket 75 accommodates a hollow ball 77 and is attached to the back plate 70 via a screw connection 76. A vertical stem 72, 72’ 1s attached to the top part of each socket 75, 75’ and is guided through a slide bearing 78 of the ball 77 to allow a telescoping motion in the length direction L.

A broadened head part 79 at the end of the stem 72’ is of larger dimensions than the slide bearing 78 and interconnects the adjacent segments. Near the slide bearing 78, the back plate 70 has been cut away in widened shape to a form a tapering passage 80 for allowing pivoting movement of the ball 77 and stem 72’around axes 12 and 13.

Figs 9a and 9b show an embodiment comprising a segment 85 having elongate housing 86 in which a rod 87 can telescopically move in the length direction L.

As can be seen in figure 9b, the lower part of the rod 87 is attached to a ball bearing 88 that is mounted in a spherical casing 89. A pin 90 extending in a radial direction from the ball bearing 88 and a slit 91in the casing 89 prevent full rotation of the rod 87 about its longitudinal axis 93. A pin 92 on the perimeter of the rod 87 engages with a stopping surface on the inside of the housing 86 an prevents the rod 87 from leaving the housing 86 in the direction of the longitudinal direction L. A flange 93 is connected to a lower end of the rod 87, and abuts against stopper 94 to limit the deflection of the rod 87 about two axes that are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L.

Fig. 10 shows a rear view of a spinal protector having four segments 95, 96, 97, 98 that are connected to the back of a wearer via straps 100, 101, 102 and 103.

The back plate 99 of each segment is attached to a flexible plate 105, 106, 107, 108. The flexible plates 104-108 are interlocking and can flex and slide over each other. The top flexible plate 104 is of smaller size and is connected via the ball joint 110 to a quick release coupling 111 that releasably attaches to helmet 112.

The lower flexible plate 108 extends down over the wearer’s lower back.

Fig. 11 shows a frontal view of the straps 100-103 and vertical straps 115, 116 connecting the segments 95-98. The straps can be attached by the wearer via buckles 117, 118 that may be formed by quick side release snap buckles.

Fig 12 shows an embodiment of a rigid construction for attaching the spinal protector to the back of a user, with an upper shoulder section 120, a chest section 121, and a lower waist section 122. The sections form hoops around the wearer and may be formed of rigid plastic material. The shoulder section 120 is connected to ball joint 129 and to connector 130 of helmet 131. The rigid sections 120, 121 and 122 are provided with hinge members 125, 126, 127 that allow displacement of the sections into an open position when putting the protector on and when taking it off.

Fig. 12 shows a frontal view of the rigid attachment structure of fig. 11, with quick release buckles 130 and 131 for connecting the shoulder, chest, and waist section parts.

Claims

Conclusions

1. A spinal protector (1, 65) comprising at least two interconnected segments (2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 66, 67) extending in the longitudinal direction L for placement along a spinal column, each segment comprising: - an elongate sliding element (11, 68, 69) having a rod (16, 72, 72', 73), and - a housing (15, 77), the sliding element (11, 68, 69) extending within the housing (15, 77) so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction, the housing (15, 77) being connected at another end to - a hinge structure (10, 30, 31; 75) adapted to rotate the housing (15, 77) about two mutually perpendicular axes (12, 13; 28, 29; 48, 49) which are oriented transversely to the length direction L, whereby - the rod of the second segment is attached to the hinge structure of the first segment.

A spinal protector according to claim 1, wherein the sliding element has a stopper part (32, 79) extending within the housing (15, 77), and wherein the rod (16, 72, 72', 73) is rotatable within the housing (15, 77) about a longitudinal axis (14) extending in the longitudinal direction L.

3. A spine protector according to claim 2, wherein the elongated sliding element carries the stopper part at one end and the housing has a slide bearing (33, 78) at one end along which the sliding element is guided, which has a smaller diameter than the stopper part (32, 79).

4. A swirl protector (1, 65) according to claim 3, wherein a resilient material is provided in the housing (15, 77) near the slide bearing (33, 78) to abut against the stopper part (32, 79) when it is near the slide bearing (33, 78).

5. A spinal protector (1) according to claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the housing (15) is cylindrical in shape and the hinge structure (30, 31) comprises a universal hinge (40).

A spinal protector (1) according to claim 5, wherein the universal hinge (40) comprises a first member (31, 43) having at least one flange (44, 45) defining a pivot axis (28, 48) transverse to the longitudinal direction, and a hinge body (47) connected to the at least one flange (44, 45) for rotation about the pivot axis (28, 48) and lateral abutments (55, 56) located on either side of the pivot axis (28, 48) proximate the pivot body (47) for contacting the pivot body (47) and limiting rotation of the pivot body about the pivot axis (28, 48).

A spinal protector (1) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first member (31, 43) comprises two spaced apart flanges (44, 45), the pivoting body (47) being supported between the flanges (44, 45).

A spinal protector (1) according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the universal hinge (40) comprises a second member (30, 42) having a flange (50, 51) connected to the pivot body (47) for rotation about a swing axis (29, 49) perpendicular to the pivot axis (28, 48), abutment elements (52, 53) being provided on either side of the swing axis (29, 49) for contacting the second member (30, 42) and limiting rotation of the second member about the swing axis (29, 49).

A spinal protector (1) according to claim 8, wherein the second member (30, 42) comprises two spaced apart flanges (50, 51), the pivoting body (47) being located between the flanges (50, 51) and being hingedly connected to the flanges (50, 51).

A spinal protector (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the abutment elements (52, 53, 55, 56) of a first segment have a different distance from the pivot body (47) and/or from the second member (30, 42) than the abutment elements of a second segment.

A spinal protector according to claim 10, wherein the abutment elements (52, 53, 55, 56) of a lower segment are positioned closer to the pivot body (47) and/or the second member (30, 42) than the abutment elements (52, 53, 55, 56) of an upper segment.

A spinal protector (1) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing (77) is spherical, the hinge structure comprises a spherical receiving member (75) pivotally engaged with the housing (77), the rod (72, 72', 78) of the second segment being connected to the receiving member (75).

A spinal protector (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the hinge structure (10, 30, 31; 75) is connected to a transverse plate (20; 70, 71) having on an outer side mounting brackets (21, 22, 23, 24) on each side of the sliding element (11, 68, 69) connected to a strap for securing the segments (2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 66, 67) to a user's body.

A spinal protector (1) according to any preceding claim comprising a ball joint or universal joint (25) connected at one end to a helmet (112) and at another end to a helmet connecting device (60, 111) releasably connected to an upper segment (2, 104).

A spinal protector (1) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the helmet connecting device (60, 111) includes a tension release mechanism (61, 62, 63) for releasing the helmet connecting device from the upper segment (2, 104).

A spinal protector (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protector comprises at least three segments (2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 66, 67; 104, 105, 106, 107, 108), preferably at least four, most preferably five.

An assembly comprising a spinal protector (1) according to any one of the preceding claims and a helmet (112) connected to the spinal protector (1).

An assembly of a spinal protector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 17 and a wearable structure comprising straps (115, 116, 101, 102, 103) and/or fastening elements (120) connected to the segments and provided with a closure element (117, 118, 130) for releasably securing the straps or fastening elements to a wearer's body.

Assembly according to claim 17, wherein the helmet (112) comprises a detachable connecting piece (130) at a rear for attachment to a spinal protector (1) according to any of claims 1 to 16.