Wearable spinal protective apparatus

• US 20100122404A1
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heidi Marie Bowlus, James Brian Szender, Larry Richard Bowlus
• Original Assignee: Heidi Marie Bowlus, James Brian Szender, Larry Richard Bowlus
• Inventors: Bowlus, Larry Richard, Bowlus, Heidi Marie, Szender, James Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,074,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 2/467
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/0531 Spine
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/0473 Neck restraints
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/1208 for the breast and the abdomen, e.g. breast plates
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/1291 for the neck

Abstract

A wearable spinal protective apparatus is presented which will protect all parts of the human spinal column from cervical to lumbosacral vertebrae during high velocity activities. The apparatus is worn by user to cover the entire backside from neck and shoulders down, to be secured around the hips. This apparatus has many sections each uniquely designed to work together to reduce all forms of spinal injury. Protection provided by this apparatus is most valuable during high velocity activities. Because of its unique sectional design this apparatus can be tailored to match any size individual and any level of protection desired. The design of this apparatus goes well beyond the prior art of simple hard shell and padding.

Claims

1. A wearable spinal protective apparatus for protecting the entire spine from cervical to lumbosacral vertebrae comprising:

a rigid shoulder roll to anchor top of apparatus to the body, a rigid shoulder roll with padding on the interior surface where in said shoulder roll is constructed from a rigid material, roughly a half pipe covering the shoulders closely surrounding the neck with a light bulb shape opening cut out to accommodate the neck of the wearer. The shoulder roll structure will serve to anchor the top of this wearable safety apparatus and support a flared collar with spoon shaped protrusions to limit movement of a helmet,

a flared collar to limit movement of a helmet where in said collar is constructed from a rigid material, roughly shaped in a semi-circle collar with three spoon-like flared protrusions. The largest protrusion is positioned directly behind the helmeted head, the remaining spoon-like protrusions are positioned on ether side of the helmet in line with the ears, these features will prevent hyperextension injuries like whiplash. The collar will be firmly affixed to the shoulder roll structure and an anti-compression neck collar ring that prevents cervical spine compression,

a anti-compression neck ring where in said anti-compression neck ring is constructed from a rigid or semi rigid material roughly shaped like curved semi circle, it will be positioned and affixed to the base of the inside of the collar and where it will rest on and is affixed to the shoulder roll neck opening, it will be sized to match the bottom opening of a standard full coverage helmet, thus restricting the helmet from being pushed downward beyond the surface level of the shoulder roll neck opening preventing cervical spine compression,

a padded hip belt assembly where in said hip belt assembly consists of two parts, a wide belt of any strong garment material and a mechanical method to connect to side of slide extender holster. This belt will anchor the bottom of the wearable spinal safety apparatus and a shirt garment will hold and orient this apparatus tight to the body where in said shirt garment should be well padded and made of a durable stretchy cloth material with a wide heavy duty zipper in front;

a ‘

Z’

-shingle flexible beam,

a load tension strap supporting the beam,

a lateral lumbar joint that allows natural side to side motion,

a slide extender and holster to accommodate spinal elongation.

2. A structure according to claim 1, a ‘

Z’

-shingle flexible beam;

wherein said ‘

Z’

-shingle flexible beam has a unique design configuration and represents an advance in the art, and is the present object of this invention. The ‘

Z’

-shingle is a structure fashioned like a flattened letter Z viewed from it side angle and is made of a rigid material, it is molded or carved or laminated to form a single rectangular piece so that two levels are apparent, the bottom level extends in one direction and the top level extends in the opposite direction, when the shingles are abutted against each other the top rectangular level of one will cover the bottom rectangular level of the next, this contiguous arrangement will continue until a desired beam length is reached. The individual ‘

Z’

-shingles are then affixed or bound together on the bottom or interior surface. This continuous connecting together will allow the ‘

Z’

-shingles to bend or flex in close and permanent relationship to each other forming a contiguous curve of rigid material. This connecting together can be accomplished in many ways. If a pushing force is applied to the exterior or outside surface of the ‘

Z’

-shingles it will be placed in a mechanical bind due to the bottom surface connecting arrangement, thus preventing movement, this will form a unbending solid beam, this action forms a rigid beam structure that will cover the spine of the wearer of this wearable spinal protection apparatus.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, a load tension strap:

a load tension strap is designed to support the ‘

Z’

-shingle flexible beam, it is a structure comprised of a high strength strapping material, in two sections, anchored at both ends by an anchorage bar that is affixed to top shoulder roll structure and the bottom belt assembly slide unit, also joining the two separate strapping sections near it center is placed over the lumbar lateral hinge is a metal ring allowing movement and this load tension strap represents a advance in the art, and is a present object of this invention.

4. A structure according to claim 1, a lateral lumbar joint and is a present object of this invention and represents a advance in the art, wherein said lateral lumbar joint is constructed from two layers of a rigid material, a rectangular piece with an isosceles triangle on one side with a semi circle cut out of the vertex. Two such triangular pieces will be oriented vertex to vertex forming a hole;

in the hole left by the cut outs will be fitted a round flat puck. A similar second layer will be placed on top of this bottom layer except the puck will be of smaller dimensions, through the center of each puck will be drilled a hole through which a bolt will hold them together as well as be the hinge bolt for the hinged metal plates that support the lateral lumbar joint.

5. A structure according to claim 1, a slide extender and holster to allow elongation of the wearable spinal safety apparatus that will accommodate the spine bending and curving forward and represents a advance in the art and is a present object of this invention, wherein said sliding extender is constructed of two parts the first is the slider made of rigid rectangular material with a slide slot cutout down the center line in the center from top to bottom ending near the top edge, the slot is about 4 inches in length and 0.25 inch wide, the second part is the holster constructed from a rigid rectangular metal plate material. The slide will travel inside the holster snugly and a bolt hole will be cut in the center line of the metal plate over the top of the slide slot. In this hole will be a bolt which will fasten the two structures together making them inseparable but allowing it to slide in and out, along the side of the metal plates of the holster will be bolt holes to connect each side to each half of the hip belt.