PROTECTIVE COVERS AND RELATED METHODS FOR ENtangling PROJECTILES.

Abstract

A hook assembly (18) is provided for use with an entanglement projectile (12). The hook assembly includes at least one hook (19) comprising an apex portion (22) and a sharp point (20) extending distally from the apex portion. A protective cover (26) is positioned adjacent to the apex portion of the at least one hook. The protective cover includes at least one substantially flat surface (28). The protective cover is positioned relative to the at least one hook such that the sharp point of the at least one hook extends distally from the protective cover and is therefore exposed while the protective cover is worn adjacent to the apex portion of the at least one hook.

Description

PROTECTIVE COVERS AND RELATED METHODS FOR ENTANGLING PROJECTILES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of invention The present invention relates in general to protective devices for minimizing or eliminating unintentional injuries to the target subjects of non-lethal remote stopping weapons. Related technique It has been recognized for some time that police and military personnel can benefit from the use of weapons and devices other than firearms to deal with certain hostile situations. To address this need, the present inventor developed a commercially successful product known as Bolawrap. This device, and others developed by the present applicant, have enabled law enforcement personnel to deal with potentially dangerous situations without resorting to the use of a firearm and without engaging in hand-to-hand combat. This type of launching system generally uses a projectile that includes a string and a pair of pellets carried at the ends of the string. - A projectile is launched toward a subject, and once the string makes contact, the pellets surround the subject, enveloping them. This results in the subject's movements being sufficiently restricted to allow authorities to approach safely. While these systems have enjoyed phenomenal success, the present inventor has continued to develop technology to further improve the safety of such devices. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention, a hook assembly is provided for use with an entanglement projectile. The hook assembly may include at least one hook comprising a vertex portion and a sharp point extending distally from the vertex portion. A protective cover may be carried adjacent to the vertex portion of the at least one hook, the protective cover including at least one substantially flat surface. The protective cover may be positioned with respect to the at least one hook such that the sharp point of the at least one hook extends distally from the protective cover and thus remains exposed while the protective cover is carried adjacent to the vertex portion of the at least one hook. According to another aspect of the technology, a hook assembly is provided for use with an entanglement projectile. The hook assembly may include at least one hook comprising an apex portion and a sharp point extending distally from the apex portion. The apex portion of the at least one hook may bear a protective cover, the protective cover including at least one substantially continuous contact surface. The protective cover may be positioned relative to the at least one hook such that the sharp point of the at least one hook extends distally from the protective cover and thus remains exposed while the upper portion of the at least one hook bears the protective cover. A shot may be attached to a string with the at least one hook attached to the shot. According to another aspect, a method is provided for applying a protective cover to a hook assembly. The hook assembly may include a plurality of hooks, each of the plurality of hooks having a vertex portion and a sharp point extending distally from the vertex portion. The method may include placing a protective cover with respect to the vertex portions of the plurality of hooks. The protective cover may include at least one substantially continuous surface. The protective cover may be positioned with respect to at least one hook such that the sharp point of the at least one hook extends distally from the protective cover and thus remains exposed while the protective cover is carried by the plurality of hooks. The protective cover may be fixed in position relative to the plurality of hooks. The additional features and advantages of the invention will become evident from the detailed description that follows, taken together with the accompanying figures, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The following figures illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention. Similar reference numbers refer to similar parts in different views or embodiments of the present invention shown in the figures. FIG. 1 is a top, bottom, front or rear view of a generic entanglement projectile extended substantially along its entire length according to an embodiment of the invention; - 5 FIG. 2A is a side view of a generic pellet and a portion of a projectile attachment from FIG. 1; FIG. 2B is an end view of the shot in fig. 2A; FIG. 3A is a top view of a subject toward whom an entanglement projectile was launched, shown immediately before the entanglement projectile makes contact with the subject; FIG. 3B is a top view of the subject and projectile in FIG. 3A, shown shortly after the entanglement projectile makes contact with the subject; FIG. 4 is a front view of a part of a subject according to an embodiment of the invention, shown immediately before an entanglement projectile makes contact with the subject's legs; FIG. 5 is a front view of a portion of an entanglement projectile according to another embodiment of the invention; FIG. 6A is a perspective view of an assembly of pellets and staples according to another embodiment of the invention; FIG. 6B is an exploded perspective view of the shot and clamp assembly of fig. 6A; FIG. 7 is a view of the top end of the assembly in FIG. 6A; FIG. 8 is a view of the top end of the assembly in fig. 7, with a protective cover removed to allow viewing of the individual hooks; FIG. 9 is a view of the lower end of the assembly in fig. 6A; FIG. 10 is a side view of the assembly in fig. 6A; FIG. 11 is a side view of a protective cover for the assembly of fig. 6A; FIG. 12 is a side view of a hook assembly with a protective cover according to another embodiment of the invention; FIG. 13 is a top view of the assembly in fig. 12; FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the assembly in fig. 12; FIG. 15 is a bottom perspective view of the protective cover of fig. 12; FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly in Fig. 12, taken along section 16-16 of Fig. 13; FIG. 17 is a side view of a hook assembly with a protective cover according to another embodiment of the invention; - 7 FIG. 18 is a top view of the assembly in fig. 17; FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a hook assembly with a protective cover according to another embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly of fig. 19. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures, and specific language will be used in this document to describe them. However, it is understood that this is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Further alterations and modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and further applications of the principles of the inventions as illustrated herein, which would occur to a person skilled in the relevant art and in possession of this description, will be considered within the scope of the present invention. Definitions As used herein, the singular forms *un* and *el* may include reference to the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to *un gancho* may include one or more of those hooks, if the context so dictates. As used in this document, the term "substantially" refers to the full or near-full extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, element, or result. As an arbitrary example, an object that is substantially closed is an item that is completely or nearly completely closed. The exact degree of deviation from absolute completeness allowed may depend in some cases on the specific context. However, generally speaking, the nearness to completion will be such that it has the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were achieved. The use of "substantially" is equally applicable when used with a negative connotation to refer to the total or near-total absence of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, element, or result.As another arbitrary example, a composition that is substantially free of an ingredient or element may still contain the element as long as there is no measurable effect as a result. As used here, the term approximately is used to provide flexibility to a numerical interval endpoint by providing that a given value may be a little above or a little below the endpoint. ctni / υιλι Relative directional terms may sometimes be used herein to describe and claim various components of the present invention. Such terms include, but are not limited to, upward, downward, horizontal, vertical, etc. In general, these terms are not intended to be limiting but are used to describe and claim more clearly the various features of the invention. Where terms must be limited, it is intended that they be restricted to the usage commonly known and understood by those skilled in the art in the context of this description. When specific reference is made herein to terms such as vertical, upward, or downward, it generally refers to a shot or hook assembly being held in the orientation shown, for example, in Figs. 5, 12, and 17. In this case, the bottom, base, or head of the shot and / or hook assembly is positioned at the lowest elevation, with the hooks, points, or tail of the assembly oriented at a higher elevation. Thus, in this case, the base of the assembly is generally lower vertically than the sharpened portions of the individual hooks. As used herein, a plurality of articles, structural elements, compositional elements and / or materials may be presented in a common list by - 10. Convenience. However, these lists must be constructed as if each member of the list were individually identified as a unique and independent member. Therefore, no individual member of such a list should be constructed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list based solely on its presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. Numerical data may be expressed or presented here in an interval format. It should be understood that the interval format is used simply for convenience and brevity and should therefore be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values ​​explicitly listed as the interval limits, but also all individual numerical values ​​or sub-intervals contained within that interval as if each numerical value and sub-interval were explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical interval of approximately 1 to approximately 5 should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly listed values ​​from approximately 1 to approximately 5, but also individual values ​​and sub-intervals within the stated interval. Thus, this numerical interval includes individual values ​​such as 2, 3, and 4, and sub-intervals such as 1 to 3, 2 to 4, 3 to 5, etc., as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 individually. cjni / uιλι - 11 This same principle applies to intervals that indicate a single numerical value as a minimum or maximum. Furthermore, this interpretation should be applied regardless of the width of the interval or the characteristics being described. Invention Current technology is broadly related to components used in non-lethal weapon systems, sometimes referred to as entrapment or restraint systems, which can be effectively used to impede the movement or detain aggressive or fleeing subjects. Devices based on this technology can be used advantageously to temporarily impede a subject's ability to walk, run, or use their arms in situations where law enforcement, security, or military personnel wish to detain a subject but do not wish to use lethal or harmful force or engage in close-quarters combat. The technology provides a means by which a subject's arms or legs can be temporarily bound or restrained to the extent that it becomes difficult for the subject to continue moving normally. Although the present technology can target any part of a subject's body, the following ctni / uli - The 12th exhibit will focus primarily on the use of technology to temporarily bind or bandage a subject's legs. It should be understood, however, that the technology is not limited to this application. In some cases, multiple parts of the subject's body, such as the arms and legs, can be targeted. As shown in general in Figures 1 through 5, the present technology provides an entanglement projectile 12 that can be deployed toward a subject's legs to cause the projectile to envelop the subject's legs. The projectile includes at least one flexible tether 16 and at least two pellets 14 (sometimes referred to as anchors), joined together by the tether. When a subject is confronted with the entanglement projectile, the subject is temporarily partially or totally incapacitated and, therefore, their ability to flee or attack is restricted. The entanglement projectiles of the present technology are launched toward a subject (100 in Figures 3A through 4) by means of a launcher. In addition to the launchers discussed herein, numerous examples of suitable launchers are provided, as examples, in the aforementioned principal case, U.S. Patent Application No.of Series 15 / 081, 440 presented on March 25, 2016, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. These launchers may include energy sources such as ctni gas / uli. - 13 compressed, explosives / fuels, mechanical springs, electrical and / or magnetic systems, etc. In general terms, a launcher for use with these entanglement projectiles will launch the projectile toward a subject at a relatively high velocity. Typically, the projectile can be deployed toward a subject from a distance of approximately 1.8 to 9.1 meters (6 feet to approximately 30 feet), and it will strike the subject in approximately 0.0075 to 0.0375 seconds (traveling at approximately 243.8 m / s (800 ft / s)). After being deployed from the launcher, the entanglement projectile will wrap around the subject's legs two, three, or more times, rendering the subject temporarily unable to move effectively. Because the entanglement projectile can be launched from a distance, law enforcement personnel can maintain a safe distance from a subject while simultaneously being able to effectively and safely restrain, disable, or temporarily impede the subject. The operation of the entanglement projectile is generally shown in FIG. 4: after being launched by a launcher, the projectile 12 travels toward a subject 100. As the projectile travels toward the subject, the pellets 14 move away from each other, causing the string 16 to be pulled substantially between the two. Once the ctni / uli - 14 projectile makes contact with the subject (in the example shown in figure 4, the subject's legs are hooked), the pellets and the rope envelop the subject and thus entangle and / or temporarily incapacitate him. In the present technology, a variety of different combinations of shot and tethers can be used. In the examples shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the projectile 12 is shown with two generic shot or tethers 14 connected by a single tether 16. While more than two shot can be used, the examples shown here include only two. In some embodiments, the invention is limited to two, and only two, shot connected by a single tether. In one aspect, the invention consists of two shot and a single tether. In another aspect, the invention essentially consists of two shot and a single tether. It has been found that limiting the number of shot to two results in a more effective deployment system: the risk of entanglement of the tether 16 is reduced, and the shot separates from each other much more cleanly and quickly after being deployed from the launcher. This results in a more consistent trajectory after deployment.This arrangement can also allow, with the appropriate launcher configuration, for projectiles to be directed more accurately towards a target. FIG. 1 illustrates projectile 12 extended throughout - 15. Its length (Lp). In one modality, the total length of the tether is much greater than the size of the pellets (Lp). The total length can be on the order of 2.14 meters (seven feet) or more. The pellets can have a length (Lp) on the order of 2.54 cm (one inch), and a diameter (Dp) on the order of 0.95 cm (3 / 8 inch). While different modalities of the technology may vary, it is generally desirable to keep the pellets relatively small to limit the overall size requirements of the projectile casing that houses the pellets before deployment and to reduce the impact if a pellet strikes the subject. In this way, the technology can be provided in a lightweight, portable device. Figure 5 illustrates a portion of an exemplary entanglement projectile 12a according to one embodiment of the invention. In this example, the pellet 14a is provided, which includes several features that aid in entangling a subject more accurately and effectively. For example, a hook or hook assembly 18 can be attached to a stem 15 of the pellet and secured to the stem in a variety of suitable ways. The hook assembly may include one or more individual hook components 19. In the examples shown, multiple individual hook components are provided, with four being the most commonly employed arrangement. It should be understood, without - 16 However, the present technology may be employed with hook assemblies having from one to several individual hook components. For the sake of simplicity in this document, the end of the shot to which the hook assembly is attached shall be called the shot tail end, and the opposite end 17 shall be considered the shot head end. The hook assembly 18 shown has been shown to improve the projectile's ability to successfully ensnare a subject. The individual hook components do not engage the subject directly, but rather snag portions of the subject's clothing after the shot and string have wrapped around them. This limits the projectile's tendency to unwrap when the subject struggles against the ensnare. As is inherent in the present design, the shot and / or hook assemblies are not intended to be fired directly at a subject. They must, by design, travel past the subject to enable successful ensnarement. If the shot comes into direct contact with a user, the ensnare will not be successful. Therefore, it is never the case that the shot is intentionally aimed directly at the subject. While this design works very well when the projectile is deployed as designed, there is a slight risk that something could go wrong during deployment. - 17 Projectile. For example, an external portion may suddenly enter the line of fire as the launcher deploys the projectile toward a subject, or the launcher's operator may be adversely affected by an external force. In this case, the pellet may come into direct contact with the subject. If this occurs, there is a risk that the upper portions of the hook assembly may penetrate a subject's skin and cause injury. As shown, for example, in FIG. 5, while these upper or vertex portions 20 (shown in greater detail below) of the individual hook components are not sharpened, as that term is generally used, they present a surface area small enough that the force of the pellet as it travels from the launcher can cause these upper portions to become embedded in a subject or an unintended target. The present technology addresses this potential problem by providing a protective cover or cap that better distributes the impact force resulting from inadvertent contact of a hook assembly with a subject. This is achieved without interfering in any way with the normal operation of the hook assembly. Exemplary embodiments of this aspect of the technology are shown in Figs. 6I-18. As seen more clearly in Figs. 6A - 18 and 6B, in one aspect, a hook assembly 18 can be provided which includes one or more individual hook components 19 carried by a shot 12a which may include a head portion 17. The one or more individual hooks may include an apex portion 22 and a sharp point 20 which extends distally from the apex portion. The vertex portions 22 of the plurality of individual hooks 19 can collectively define a vertex portion contact profile, defined as the portions of the hooks that first contact a plane, for example, plane 24 in FIG. 5. As a person skilled in the art will readily appreciate, the smaller the collective cross-section of the vertex portions, the more readily the qancho assembly will penetrate a subject's skin if the vertex portion contact profile impacts the subject at high speed. The vertex portion contact profile may also include a curvature. If the vertex portions of the individual hooks were less curved than in the example shown, the hooks would be less likely to penetrate a subject's skin upon contact. If the hooks had a more pronounced curvature, the vertex portions would be more likely to penetrate a subject's skin.By increasing the surface area of ​​this profile. - 19 By reducing the contact of the assembly as a whole, or by decreasing the curvature of this contact profile, the hook assembly is less likely to penetrate a subject's skin and, therefore, less likely to cause significant injury to the subject. One way in which the present technology achieves this is by providing a protective cover or cap 26, shown in Figs. 6I, 6B, 7, 9, 10, and 11 (note that the protective cover is omitted from Fig. 8 to more clearly illustrate the vertex portions of the hooks). The protective cover may be carried adjacent to (usually over) the vertex portions of one or more hooks and may include at least one substantially continuous or flat surface 28. By increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the surface 28, or both, or by decreasing the curvature of the surface, relative to the vertex portions of the individual hooks, the tendency of the hook assembly to penetrate a subject's skin is considerably reduced. In the examples shown, the substantially continuous surface 28 includes a generally flat plane. However, it should be understood that a slightly curved plane may also be provided.The surface may be a substantially continuous unit of material, or it may include openings, through holes, and various geometric features, such as fingers, webbing, etc. - 20 The protective cover 26 or cap can be positioned relative to one or more hooks 19 such that the sharp points 20 of the hooks extend distally from the protective cover. In this way, the sharp points are exposed to operate normally while the protective cover is carried by the apex portion of at least one hook. Therefore, even with the protective cover in place, the sharp points will serve to hook a subject's clothing to help, as designed, to keep the projectile wrapped around the subject. The protective cover 26 can be carried by the hooks 19, the shot 12a, and / or the hook assembly 18, etc., in various ways. For example, the protective cover can be attached or coupled to the shot or hooks using a variety of permanent or detachable joining mechanisms. As best seen in Fig. 6B, each of the plurality of hooks 19 can include a shank portion 21 that can extend distally from the apex portion 22. The shank portion of the hooks can be received within a hollow section of a shank portion 15 of the shot. In some embodiments, the plurality of shank portions can collectively define a receiving chamber, and a shank portion of the protective cover can be received within - 21 the receiving chamber formed by the stem portions. For example, in the modality illustrated in FIG. 8, the shank portions 21 of the hooks 19 and the hollow section of the shank portion 15 of the shot can collectively define a series of receiving chambers 23 within which the shanks 30 (FIG. 11) of the protective cover can be received. The shanks can be removably held within the receiving chamber by a friction fit, or they can be permanently attached by adhesives, welding, etc. As shown in Fig. 11, the protective cover 26 can include two or more shanks 30, having similar or different lengths, cross-sectional areas, etc. The protective cover can also include slots or grooves 38 (FIG. 11) to prevent relative movement between the protective cover and the hooks. Figures 12 to 16 illustrate one embodiment of the technology in which a protective cover 26b is secured over the vertex portions 22b of the hooks 19b by means of a series of receiving slots 32 formed in the protective cover. Each receiving slot can accommodate a vertex portion (22b in Figure 16) of one of the plurality of hooks. One or more retaining clips 34 (Figure 15) can be associated with the receiving slots. The retaining clips can be operated to removably secure the portion of - 22 vertex within the receiving groove. In this way, the protective cover 26b can be snapped onto the vertex portions of the hooks to provide a protective surface on top. The openings 36 (FIG. 13) can be formed through the protective cover to provide visual or physical access to the vertex portions of the hooks once the protective cover is in position. In the example shown in Figs. 17 and 18, a hook assembly 12c is shown in which a protective cover 26c is mated with one or more hooks 19c. The protective cover may include a substantially flat surface 28c. In this example, the hooks 19c may extend distally away from the protective cover in the same manner as explained in previous embodiments. However, in this example, the hooks 19c do not include tang portions or curved top vertex portions. Instead, the hooks may be mated with the protective cover to provide a uniform assembly. The protective cover and hooks may be formed as a continuous solid piece, or the hooks may be securely welded, bonded, etc., to the protective cover. The diameter of the protective cover may vary, and in some embodiments (Figs. 17 and 18, for example) it is equal to or greater than the outside diameter of the hook assembly 18, or it may have - 23 a smaller diameter, as shown in Figs. 6A to 16. Figures 19 and 20 illustrate another embodiment of the technology in which the hook assembly 12d includes a protective cover 26d. The protective cover may include a plurality of protrusions 40 extending from a substantially flat surface 28d. The protrusions may define one or more receiving grooves 32d within which the hooks 19 can be received. This configuration can advantageously reduce any tendency the protective cover and hook assembly may have to rotate relative to each other. The extended length of the receiving grooves can also be more securely coupled to the hooks to eliminate or reduce the need for adhesive or other bonding mechanism between the hooks and the protective cover. The protective covers of this technology can be formed from a variety of materials, including but not limited to polymers, metals, composites, etc. When the covers are formed from a lightweight material such as a polymer, the ballistic properties of the shot assembly are not significantly affected. In cases where the protective cover is detachably attached to the hook assembly, an operator or manufacturer can easily adapt existing gripping assemblies to incorporate the protective covers. - 24 security features of the current technology. In addition to the structure outlined above, the present technology also provides a method for providing a protective cover for a hook assembly. The hook assembly may include a plurality of hooks, each of the plurality of hooks having a vertex portion and a sharp point extending distally from the vertex portion. The method may include placing a protective cover over the vertex portions of the plurality of hooks. The protective cover may include at least one substantially continuous surface. The method may include placing the protective cover relative to at least one hook such that the sharp point of the at least one hook extends distally from the protective cover and thus remains exposed while the protective cover is carried by the plurality of hooks.The method may include fixing the protective cover in position relative to the plurality of hooks. Securing the protective cover in position may include detachably attaching the protective cover in position with respect to the vertex parts of the plurality of hooks. Each of the plurality of hooks may include a shank portion, which extends distally from the - 25 vertex portion, defining the stem portions collectively as a receiving chamber. The protective cover may include a stem portion. Fixing the protective cover in position may include placing the 5 stem portion of the protective cover within the receiving chamber formed by the stem portions. It should be understood that the aforementioned arrangements are illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, whereas the present invention has been shown in the figures and described above in relation to exemplary embodiments of the invention. It will be evident to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth in the examples.

Claims

1. A hook assembly for use with an entanglement projectile, the hook assembly comprising: at least one hook including an apex portion and a sharp point extending distally from the apex portion; and a protective cover, positioned adjacent to the apex portion of the at least one hook, the protective cover including at least one substantially flat surface; the protective cover positioned relative to the at least one hook such that the sharp point of the at least one hook extends distally from the protective cover and therefore remains exposed while the protective cover is carried adjacent to the apex portion of the at least one hook.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the protective cover can be joined, coupled or integrally formed with at least one hook.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 and claim 2, characterized in that the protective cover is integrally formed and can be removably attached to at least one hook.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a plurality of hooks, each of the plurality of hooks having a vertex portion, the plurality of vertex portions collectively bearing the protective cover.

5. The assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that each of the plurality of qanchos includes a stem portion extending distally from the apex portion, the stem portions collectively defining at least one receiving chamber, and wherein the protective cover includes a stem portion, the stem portion of the protective cover being housed within at least one receiving chamber formed by the stem portions.

6. The assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the protective cover includes a plurality of receiving slots formed therein, each receiving slot being operable to receive therein a vertex portion of one of the plurality of hooks.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that the receiving slots include one or more retaining clips associated therewith, the retaining clips being able to operate to removably secure the vertex portion within the receiving slot.

8. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one hook has a cross-sectional area at the vertex portion, and wherein the substantially flat section of the protective cover includes a cross-sectional area greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the vertex portion of the at least one hook.

9. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one hook has a hook curvature, and wherein the substantially flat section of the protective cover includes a cover curvature that differs from the hook curvature.

10. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the substantially flat section of the protective cover is a uniform plane.

11. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises an anchor coupled to a strap, and at least one hook coupled to the anchor.

12. A method for providing a protective cover to a hook assembly comprising a plurality of hooks, each of which has a vertex portion and a sharp point extending distally from the vertex portion, characterized in that it comprises: obtaining a protective cover, the protective cover comprising at least one substantially continuous surface; positioning the protective cover relative to the vertex portions of the plurality of hooks such that the sharp points of the plurality of hooks extend distally from the protective cover and thereby remain exposed while the protective cover is carried by the plurality of hooks; and fixing the protective cover in position relative to the plurality of hooks.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that fixing the protective cover in its position comprises detachably fixing the protective cover in its position with respect to the vertex portions of the plurality of hooks.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the plurality of hooks collectively have a cross-sectional area at the vertex portion, and wherein the substantially continuous surface of the protective cover includes a cross-sectional area greater than the collective cross-sectional area of ​​the vertex portions of the hooks.

15. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the substantially continuous surface of the protective cover includes a uniform, substantially flat surface.

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