GB2597474A

GB2597474A - Protective article

Info

Publication number: GB2597474A
Application number: GB2011339.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Irwin Ronan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-07-22
Filing date: 2020-07-22
Publication date: 2022-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2040-07-22
Also published as: GB2597474B; GB202011339D0

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a protective article 100 comprising a comprising a flexible membrane 120 having an adhesive layer located on a side allowing the protective article 100 to be removably attached to a surface. The protective article 100 also comprises a plurality of padded protrusions 110 located on the opposite side of the membrane to the adhesive layer. The padded protrusions 110 are spaced apart on the membrane and dimensioned in a complementary fashion such as to facilitate free movement of the protective article 100. The padded protrusions 110 may be dimensioned to form a hexagon, and two or more protrusions may be configured in a tessellated arrangement. The article may be formed of a pressure-sensitive, elastomeric polymer. The article may be reusable. The article may comprise tear/cut lines to allow the user to choose the size and shape of the protective article.

Description

Protective Article

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a wearable pressure sensitive adhesive device or pad that can be applied to a region of a person's skin or alternatively a surface that the person may come in contact with, to provide protection and stability for that region. In particular the pressure sensitive adhesive pad is suitable for protecting the area of application on a person's body during sport or physical activity.

io Background of the Invention

Many athletes experience sports-related injuries due the nature of the contact sport they are involved in such as GAA and Rugby. Such athletes experience lasting symptoms of injury that require support or strapping to stabilise the injured or strained joint or to pad the bruised area or as a preventative measure to protect the areas of vulnerability.

Existing padding products on the market such as rugby shoulder pads are fitted internally to a vest that is worn by the player. These vests have a tendency to move independent to the user and do not give adequate support to the shoulders where an impact is not directly in line with the padding. What is more, the need for a vest adds an additional layer of clothing which can raise the temperature of the user causing discomfort. Due to the nature of the design, the padded vests may also feel cumbersome to wear.

It is therefore desirable to provide a protective article which overcomes at least some of these challenges.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a protective article comprising: a flexible membrane having an adhesive layer located on a side of the membrane proximal to a surface on which the protective article is to be positioned to facilitate removable attachment of the protective article to the surface; and a plurality of padded protrusions located on the opposite side of the membrane to the adhesive layer, wherein the padded protrusions are spaced apart on the membrane and dimensioned in a complementary fashion in relation to one another such as to facilitate free movement of the protective article under stress, strain, or other movements.

Advantageously, each of the padded protrusions is dimensioned to form a hexagon.

Optionally, two or more of the padded protrusions are configured in a tessellated arrangement.

Preferably the membrane and the padded protrusions are formed from a polymer.

Optionally the polymer is a pressure-sensitive polymer.

Advantageously the polymer comprises an elastomer.

Optionally the polymer comprises polyurethane foam.

Advantageously the polymer comprises an anti-microbial polymer.

Advantageously the adhesive layer comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

Optionally the pressure-sensitive adhesive comprises a silicone adhesive or an acrylic-based adhesive.

Preferably the adhesive layer comprises a medical grade adhesive.

Optionally the adhesive layer comprises a single-use adhesive layer. The single-use layer may be replaceable on the protective article.

Preferably the protective article is configured to be reusable.

Optionally, the protective article further comprises a connecting means disposed between 5 the membrane and the adhesive layer and configured for facilitating connection of the protective article to at least one additional protective article of any previous claim.

Optionally the polymer of the membrane is configured with different densities at different points on the protective article.

Optionally the polymer of the padded protrusions is configured with different densities at different points on the protective article.

Advantageously the polymer comprises density markers at predefined points thereon to 15 facilitate reading of the density of the polymer at said predefined points.

Advantageously the protective articles comprises tear/cut lines integrally formed on the membrane and/or the padded protrusions to facilitate tearing or cutting of the membrane.

Preferably the membrane material is suitable for cutting or tearing.

Advantageously the protective article comprises tear/cut lines printed on the membrane as a visual aid for a user in cutting or tearing the protective article. The tear/cut lines 410 may be integrally formed cuttings or other grooves/indentations on the membrane 120 which in addition to providing a visual aid may be easier to tear/cut than other parts of the membrane 120.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a plan view of an exemplary protective article, consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure; Figures 2A-C provide a plurality of views of an exemplary protective article 100 in situ on a human shoulder, consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 3 provides a plan view of an exemplary protective article, consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure; and Figure 4 provides a plan view of an exemplary protective article, consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

The present teaching will now be described with reference to an exemplary protective article. It will be understood that the exemplary protective article is provided to assist in an understanding of the present teaching and are not to be construed as limiting in any fashion. Furthermore, elements or components that are described with reference to any one Figure may be interchanged with those of other Figures or other equivalent elements without departing from the spirit of the present teaching.

The protective article of the present disclosure removes the need of a vest or other item of clothing in which to locate padding, instead applying the protection directly to the skin. The design of the present disclosure allows the protective article to conform to the shape of the shoulder or other body part and to move with the shoulder without impeding movement. In addition, the protective article is relatively simple and cost-effective to manufacture, at the same time providing a lightweight alternative to existing options on the market.

Referring now to Figure 1 there is illustrated a plan view of a protective article 100 comprising a plurality of padded protrusions 110 located on a flexible membrane 120. The flexible membrane 120 has an adhesive layer (not visible) located on a side of the membrane 120 proximal to a surface on which the protective article 100 is to be positioned. The surface is best presented in Figures 2A-C. Preferably the padded protrusions 110 are spaced apart on the membrane 120 and dimensioned in a complementary fashion in relation to one another such as to facilitate free movement of the protective article 100 under strain. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the padded protrusions 110 comprise a plurality of hexagons. The hexagons used may be individually spaced apart, as illustrated in Figure 1. In addition or alternatively, the hexagons used may be tessellated (best presented in Figures 2A-C and 3). It will be understood that hexagons are provided by way of example. It is envisaged by the inventor that a number of other shapes are feasible alternatives. In addition, the protective article 100 may be dimensioned to any shape as desired. For example, and as presented in Figures 2A-C, the protective article 100 may be dimensioned to be suitable for location on a human shoulder 210. The protective article 100 may also be dimensioned to be suitable for location on another part of the human or animal body, such as but not limited to a lower or upper back, part or all of a rib cage, a head, a knee, a calf, a neck, a chest, and the like. The protective article 100 may also be shaped based on identification of the profile of damaged tissue.

In general, the padded protrusions 110 and the membrane 120 may be formed from the same polymer or different polymers. Preferably, the polymer is elastomeric such that it returns to its "rest" form after an impact. In some embodiments, the polymer may comprise a pressure-sensitive polymer such that it stiffens on impact. In the exemplary embodiment, the polymer is a foam material such as but not limited to polyurethane foam. The padded protrusions 110 may be integrally formed on the membrane 120, or the polymer from which the padded protrusions are to be formed may be located on the membrane and the padded protrusions formed subsequently by machining. Alternatively, the padded protrusions may be machined separately and positioned on the membrane 120 subsequent to machining. The padded protrusions 110 may protrude from the surface of the membrane 120 such as to define a second plane above the membrane 120. Alternatively, the padded protrusions 110 may protrude from depressions in the membrane 120. In embodiments where the padded protrusions 110 protrude from depressions in the membrane 120, they may extend above the surface of the membrane or may be flush with it. For example, to form the padded protrusions 110 as protruding from "depressions" in the membrane 120, the shape of the padded protrusions may be machined in to the membrane leaving behind the padded protrusions "in" the membrane.

In certain embodiments, the polymer may be configured with different densities at different points on the protective article. For example, a foam may be configured with a density gradient with the greatest density at the centre of the protective article. In such embodiments, the polymer of the membrane 120 and/or the polymer of the padded protrusions 110 may be configured with different densities at different points. Where the polymer is configured with different densities at different points, it may be useful to include markers on the protective article indicating the density of the polymer at that point. For example the markers may be in SI units, or may be on a predefined numerical scale. For example, a density scale of 1-10 may be used where 1 indicates least dense and 10 indicates most dense. For example, the markers may be located on the padded protrusions 110 and/or on the membrane 120. The padded protrusions 110 and the membrane 120 may be configured with the same density profile or different density profiles as desired. Where the padded protrusions 110 comprise a different density profile to the membrane 120, it may be preferable to locate the polymer from which the padded protrusions are to be formed on the membrane and to form the padded protrusions by machining subsequently. Another option may be to machine the padded protrusions separately and position them on the membrane subsequent to machining.

Figures 2A-C provide a plurality of views of the protective article 100 in situ on a human shoulder 210. The protective article 100 is attached to the shoulder 210 using the adhesive layer. Whilst the surface 210 is depicted in Figures 2A-C as comprising human skin, the surface may comprise either of human or animal skin.

In general, the adhesive layer may be any layer which on a first side provides sufficient adhesion to attach to the membrane 120 and on a second side provides sufficient adhesion to attach to the surface 210 on which the protective article 100 is to be located. As the protective article 100 may be located on human or animal skin, the second side of the adhesive layer preferably comprises a medical grade adhesive. For example, the adhesive may comprise a medical grade adhesive which is silicon-based or acrylic-based. In some embodiments, the adhesive layer may comprise a pressure-sensitive adhesive, such as a silicone-based pressure sensitive adhesive or an acrylic-based pressure sensitive adhesive.

For example, the side of the adhesive layer in abutment with the membrane 120 may comprise a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

In embodiments relating to contact with biological tissue (i.e. skin), it is preferable that the 5 polymer(s) used have anti-microbial properties. Accordingly, the membrane 120 and padding shapes 110 may be formed from an anti-microbial polymer such as but not limited to anti-microbial polyurethane foam The adhesive layer may alternatively comprise a single-use adhesive layer. For example, the adhesive layer may comprise a single-use, double-sided adhesive sheet such as but not limited to double-sided sticky tape. Where the adhesive layer is single-use, it may be replaced on the protective article by another adhesive layer such that the protective article can be used again. In such embodiments, the protective article may be provided to a consumer as the membrane and padded protrusions and one or more single-use adhesive layers which the consumer can apply themselves.

The surface 210 may alternatively comprise any inanimate surface. For example the surface 210 may comprise a wall, or certain exercise or training equipment such as a rugby tackle shield.

In the exemplary embodiment, the protective article 100 is removably attachable to the surface 210. For example, the strength of the adhesive used may be selected such that the protective article 100 may be removed subsequent to sticking the protective article 100. Preferably, the protective article 100 is configured to be reusable. In the present disclosure the term "reusable" means washable, and/or being suitable for sticking to the surface 210 more than once. For example, the adhesive may be selected such that it does not lose its sticking quality after one or several uses. To make the protective article 100 suitable for washing, appropriate materials may be selected which are water resistant and/or hydrophobic. Additionally, it may be necessary to select an adhesive that does not substantially lose its stickiness after washing. In alternative embodiments the protective article 100 may be a single-use item.

A significant challenge in the art is that existing protective articles are typically integrally located on or in articles of clothing. For example, padding located within the fabric of a shirt. In such configurations, the padding does not move with the skin when impacted on or when the user moves their body, reducing its overall effectiveness in protecting its user from injury. Thus a first technical advantage of the present disclosure is that the protective article 100 is located directly on the skin using an adhesive so that it will move with the skin when subjected to impact/stress or movements of the user. Locating the protective article 100 directly on the skin therefore prevents slipping of the protective article 100 and enhances the protection provided as an impact will be more directly in line with the padding. In addition, the padded protrusions 110 being spaced apart and dimensioned in a complimentary fashion in relation to one another facilitates free movement of the protective article under stress/strain resulting from an impact, or other movements such as contortion of the human body (which may result from an impact or from general activity of the user in motion). In one regard this dimensioning and spacing of the padded protrusions 110 means impacts are in direct alignment with padding throughout impact, optimising the amount of protection provided to the user. In another regard, this dimensioning and spacing of the padded protrusions 110 minimises the likelihood of the flexible membrane 120 contorting under impact/stress/movements in such a way as to cause partial or total detachment of the article 100 from the surface on which it is located. In addition, this dimensioning and spacing of the padded protrusions 110 substantially frees up the movement of the user themselves. Moreover, and as noted above, the need in the art for a vest or other clothing in which to locate padding raises the temperature of the user causing discomfort and, due to the nature of the design, a padded vest also feel cumbersome to wear. The protective article 100 of the present disclosure is a lightweight solution to these issues, requiring no vest or other article of clothing to work.

It is furthermore noted that manufacture of the exemplary protective article is substantially simplified compared with the art, since the need for an article of clothing such as a vest is removed. The protective article 100 may be manufactured according to a desired shape such as those illustrated in the appended Figures, or as a sheet intended to be cut-to-shape by a user. In either embodiment, the protective article 100 may be manufactured such that it can be reshaped by the user, by cutting or tearing. As such, the membrane 120 material may be selected to be suitable for cutting with scissors or a knife or for tearing by hand. The protective article of the present disclosure may optionally additionally comprise tear lines (best presented in Figure 4) located at certain points on the membrane 120 which would allow the user to tear/cut the protective article 100 to match the shape they desire.

Referring now to Figure 3, a plan view of a protective article 300 is provided. The protective article 300 is dimensioned with a different shape to the protective article 100 of the previous Figures. The protective article 300 may be located, for example, on the lower back of a human person. Also visible in Figure 3 is the possibility of tessellating a number of the padded protrusions 110. It will be understood that the overall shape of the protective article 300, the dimensions of the padded protrusions 110, and the tessellations of the padded protrusions 110 are provided by way of example only, and are not intended to be limiting in any way.

As noted above, the protective article 100 can be configured for being cut-to-shape by a user. Figure 4 provides one such example of a protective article 400, in this embodiment being configured with tear/cut lines 410. In some embodiments, the tear/cut lines 410 may be merely indicative, i.e. printed on the membrane 120 as a visual aid for the user in cutting the protective article 400. In other embodiments, the tear/cut lines 410 may be integrally formed cuttings or other grooves/indentations on the membrane 120 and/or the padded protrusions 110 which in addition to providing a visual aid may be easier to tear/cut than other parts of the membrane 120. Alternatively, the membrane 120 material may be selected to be suitable for cutting with scissors or a knife or for tearing by hand without the need for any weakening of the material with tear/cut lines 410. What is more, whilst the protective article 400 is depicted as having a predefined shape, the protective article may be provided as a sheet of any other predefined dimensions for cutting-to-shape by a user. For example, a user may be furnished with a 1 metre by 1 metre sheet which they can cut-toshape as desired.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment(s) described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is: 1 A protective article comprising: a flexible membrane having an adhesive layer located on a side of the membrane proximal to a surface on which the protective article is to be positioned to facilitate removable attachment of the protective article to the surface; and a plurality of padded protrusions located on the opposite side of the membrane to the adhesive layer, wherein the padded protrusions are spaced apart on the membrane and dimensioned in a complementary fashion in relation to one another such as to facilitate free movement of the protective article under stress, strain, or other movements.
2. The protective article of claim 1, wherein each of the padded protrusions is dimensioned to form a hexagon.
3. The protective article of claim 1 or 2, wherein two or more of the padded protrusions are configured in a tessellated arrangement.
4. The protective article of claims 1-3, wherein the membrane and the padded protrusions are formed from a polymer.
5. The protective article of claim 4, wherein the polymer is a pressure-sensitive polymer.
6. The protective article of claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the polymer comprises an elastomer.
7. The protective article of claims 4-6, wherein the polymer comprises polyurethane foam.
8. The protective article of claims 4-7, wherein the polymer comprises an antimicrobial polymer.
9. The protective article of claims 1-8, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive.
10. The protective article of claims 9, wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive comprises a silicone-based adhesive or an acrylic-based adhesive.
11. The protective article of claims 1-10, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a medical grade adhesive.
12. The protective article of any previous claim, wherein the protective article is configured to be reusable.
13. The protective article of any previous claim, further comprising a connecting means disposed between the membrane and the adhesive layer and configured for facilitating connection of the protective article to at least one additional protective article of any previous claim.
14. The protective article of claims 4-13, wherein the polymer of the membrane is configured with different densities at different points on the protective article.
15. The protective article of claims 4-14, wherein the polymer of the padded protrusions is configured with different densities at different points on the protective article.
16. The protective article of claim 14 or 15, wherein the polymer comprises density markers at predefined points thereon to facilitate reading of the density of the polymer at said predefined points.
17. The protective article of claims 1-16, further comprising tear/cut lines integrally formed on the membrane and/or the padded protrusions to facilitate tearing or cutting of the membrane.
18. The protective article of claims 1-16, wherein the membrane material is suitable for cutting or tearing.
19. The protective article of any previous claim, further comprising tear/cut lines printed on the membrane as a visual aid for a user in cutting or tearing the protective article.