Freely jointed arrangement for protecting the back against bumps

• US 20040193085A1
• Filed: 01/14/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpinestars Research Srl
• Original Assignee: Alpinestars Research Srl
• Inventors: Mazzarolo, Gabriele
• Granted Patent: US 7,329,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 602/19
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0531 Spine
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/12 for the body or the legs , e.g. for the shoulders A63B71/081 takes precedence

Abstract

An arrangement for protecting the back against bumps, comprising a shield and a plurality of plates, which are linked with each other and fastened on to the shield. Each plate overlaps by an extent corresponding to approximately half of its length the adjacent plate and is kept jointed together with all other plates by a connection element which extends along the longitudinal axis of the arrangement and is provided with integral means for connecting with the various plates so as to enable each plate to rotate to a limited extent, but freely in all directions.

Claims

1. An arrangement for protecting the back against bumps, comprising:

an elongated shield adapted to extend from the lower cervical vertebrae down to the coccyx of the wearer and provided with means for fastening said shield onto the wearer'"'"'s body and

an assembly of plates that are made of mouldable and impact-resistant plastic material, positioned on an outwards oriented face of the shield and linked with each other in an overlapping relationship by an extent corresponding to approximately half of their length in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the arrangement by a connection element that extends along said longitudinal axis, said assembly being fastened onto the shield;

wherein said connection element is made of mouldable and impact-resistant plastic material and integrally comprises portions which are adapted to be in engagement with corresponding seats provided on the plates to enable said plates to rotate to a limited extent, but freely in all directions.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said connection element comprises an alternate sequence of broader portions, which are adapted to snap-fit into engagement with the corresponding seats provided on the plates, and narrower portions.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein all plates, except for the lowermost plate relative to the longitudinal axis of the arrangement, are concave on their side facing the shield so as to comprise an upper half, a lower half and a cross rib perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the arrangement and separating said upper and lower halves in correspondence of the line of deepest concavity of each plate, said lower half of said plates substantially consists of a plurality of tongues protruding in a cantilever manner from said cross rib and increasingly spaced from the upper half of an adjacent plate as the distance from said cross rib increases.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3, wherein all of the plates are provided with aeration and lightening holes on their upper halves.

5. An arrangement according to claim 3, wherein all of the plates are provided with a plurality of hooking means distributed along an edge thereof for fastening the plate assembly to an outwards oriented face of the shield.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said means for fastening the plate assembly onto the shield consist of a flexible element.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said flexible element comprises twine.

8. An arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a flat element made of soft material disposed between the plates in a position that is closer to the connection element than the shield.

9. An arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a protective envelope provided above the assembly of plates and adapted to perform as a covering.

10. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the shield is made of a transpiring, flexible and abrasion-resistant material.