Neck protector

Abstract

Formed by a rear shield (100), which rests on the shoulders and the upper part of the back, and two front shields (251) (252), which rest on the upper front part of the torso, one on each side of the neck. Said front shields (251) (252) are joined to the rear one (100) by means of articulation, for example hinges (301) (302), whose axes of rotation are oriented upwards, towards the rear and towards the centre, in such a way that their point of intersection (01) is located above and behind them.Both the front shields (251) (252) and the rear one (100) can be fixed to the garment via union zones, and thanks to the special orientation of the axes of the hinges (301) (302), it is possible for the neck protector (001) to be put on and taken off together with any garment.The configuration of the protector permits a rapid fastening device to be incorporated for the various elements, along with a system of adjustment to different sizes.

Description

OBJECT AND FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a device for neck protection, for anyone subject to risk of injury and in particular for motorcyclists. It concerns a system that is easily integrated into one's clothing which, used in conjunction with a helmet, reduces the risk of neck injuries.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The use of various neck protection devices is becoming more and more widespread in different sports activities, such as motorcycle racing; this is mainly due to the protection it provides for a part of the body that is fairly vulnerable.[0003]The mode of protection provided by these devices is based on restricting extreme movements of the head, which would otherwise cause damage to the neck, both forwards (flexion) and backwards (extension), as well as to the sides.[0004]These exist different types of neck protectors; on the one hand the most basic ones are those consisting of foam surrounding the neck. The documents U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0017]With the aim of complying with the stated objectives, a neck protector has been conceived consisting of a rear shield, which rests on the shoulders and the upper part of the back, and two front shields, which rest on the upper front part of the torso, one on each side of the neck. Said front shields are joined to the rear one by virtue of certain means of articulation whose axes of rotation are oriented upwards, towards the rear and towards the centre, in such a way that their point of intersection is located above and behind them. These means of articulation can be materialized in various different ways. In a first variant they can consist of two rigid hinges. In a second variant, the means of articulation can be deformable and consist of a simple flexible sheet, for example a sheet of rubber or textile belt. In this case, the axes of rotation are not fixed but instead admit a certain clearance in the space, which facilitates even more the handling of the device.

Problems solved by technology

The main drawback of these protectors is that in some cases they can fit too tightly to the neck, which means that they are usually uncomfortable, and in other cases they do not stay in the optimum position for restricting the movement of the helmet, with the consequent loss of effectiveness in the protection to provide.

The device described guarantees greater stability, though it is complicated to put on and take off owing to the fact that it has its closures on the sides; it does not easily integrate with the user's clothing and is bulky, making it difficult to transport and store.

Also, the support area on the back is not completely covered with foam and can become embedded in the spinal column, possibly causing damage to it.

The design of this device facilitates its fitting, since it opens and closes via the front, and also its transportation and storage, since the different parts it comprises are easy to take apart, but it presents serious drawbacks; among them, the fact that although it would allow conventional clothing to be worn, open in the middle, it would only be able to be joined to the collar in the area of the rear protector due to the vertical shaft, and the fact that the opening system cannot incorporate any mechanism at all for adjusting to different sizes of user.

Among the main drawbacks of this device is the fact that it cannot be used with any commercial helmet, since the helmet and collar are joined together, and the way it rests on the user's chest is deficient due, among other reasons, to the absence of a support extending down the back.

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