Wearable and customizable protective apparatus

Abstract

Wearable and customizable protective apparatus (100), which includes: first (1) & second (2) protective assemblies each comprising respectively a first / second inflatable element (5), a first / second inflation device (3) in fluid communication with the first / second inflatable element, and a first / second control unit (6) capable of controlling an inflation of the first / second inflatable element; one or more sensors for detecting parameters indicating an impact and / or a fall, connected to said first & second protective assembly; wherein said first & second inflatable element technologies are different, wherein said first & second inflation devices are different in terms of operating mode and / or inflation gas, wherein said first & second control units are configured with different activation logics to activate an inflation of the respective inflatable element, and wherein said first & second protection assemblies are respectively arranged in a first / second zone to protect a first / second body region of the user which are different, such that said first & second protection assemblies have a different configuration from each other.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the sector of providing protection by means of an airbag, so as to protect a user from impacts due to falling or sliding, when travelling on a means of transport, such as a vehicle, preferably a two-wheeled vehicle, or any other means of transport, such as a horse or other animal, sports equipment, such as a pair of skis or a bobsleigh, or similar means of transport, or a user when performing any activity also without transport means.

[0002] In this sector it is known to use protection devices including an inflatable element, namely airbag, which are inflated, in the case of impact, by an inflation device in fluid communication with the airbag itself. Generally, this inflation device consists of a fluid source, such as a cylindrical compressed-gas canister, which is fixed to the back portion of a protection device or a garment or arranged inside a back protector. The positioning of an inflation device in the back zone of a user makes the protection device comprising the inflation device safer, preventing the gas canister from being able to interfere, in the event of a fall, with the vital organs which are situated in the front or side part of the user.

[0003] More precisely, the known inflation devices comprise a support structure which is formed by plates or other rigid mechanical components generally arranged in the region of the user's spinal column. This support structure is designed to support the gas generator(s) and is generally connected to a protection garment comprising an inflatable element.

[0004] The present disclosure is based on a recognition by the inventor of the present disclosure that the personal protection devices such as those made available hitherto by the prior art, while being advantageous from many points of view, have not always proved to be sufficient to ensure a satisfactory degree of safety and at the same time comfort during use by a user. More specifically, the protection devices have been hitherto designed and arranged on protective garments in a specific manner in order to optimize the protection, in particular by employing a specific technology for the inflatable element, so as to protect in the best possible manner the user in the event of falls and attempting to take into account the freedom of movement of the user and the comfort during use in general. In order to obtain specific protection, the gas generator, together with a configuration of the control unit, are also chosen so as to obtain a given inflation at given pressures.

[0005] The specific design of the entire personal protection device may, however, on some occasions, be to the detriment of, i.e. limiting, the adaptability or possibility of customizing the protection device to the specific requirements of a user.

[0006] The starting point of the present disclosure is therefore the technical problem of providing a wearable protective apparatus which is able to satisfy all the aforementioned requirements with reference to the prior art and / or achieve further advantages, in particular in terms of the possibility of improved adaptability and customization of the protective apparatus to the requirements of the user.

[0007] This is obtained by means of a wearable and customizable protective apparatus comprising a plurality of protection assemblies, a garment which includes said protective apparatus, and a method for customizing a protective apparatus, in accordance with the respective independent claims. Secondary characteristics of the subject of the present disclosure are defined in the corresponding dependent claims.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, at least two of the protection assemblies included in the proposed apparatus have structural and / or functional differences which are different from each other and can be customized depending on the zone of the apparatus where they are located and therefore depending on the body region of the user which they are intended to protect.

[0009] Each protection assembly included in the proposed apparatus comprises an inflatable element configured to assume a deflated condition and an inflated condition suitable for protecting the user in the event of falls and / or impacts of various types. Inflation may be performed by means of an inflation device which comprises for example a gas generator, for example a container with compressed gas which is released into the airbag in the event of a knock or impact.

[0010] Once inflated, the inflatable element must normally remain with a predetermined form suitable for protecting the body portion of the user to be protected.

[0011] More particularly, the apparatus according to the present disclosure is a wearable and customizable protective apparatus, which includes: a first protection assembly comprising a first inflatable element having a respective first inflatable element technology, a first inflation device in fluid communication with the first inflatable element, and a first control unit able to control inflation of the first inflatable element; a second protection assembly comprising a second inflatable element having a respective second inflatable element technology, a first inflation device in fluid communication with the second inflatable element, and a second control unit able to control inflation of the second inflatable element; one or more sensors for detecting parameters indicating an impact and / or fall, connected to said first protection assembly and said second protection assembly; wherein according to a characteristic aspect of the present disclosure said first protection assembly and second protection assembly have respective operating configurations different from each other. Said operating configurations are different from each other in terms of at least one or more of the following options: the first inflatable element technology of said first protection assembly is different from the second inflatable element technology and / or the first inflation device is different from the second inflation device in terms of the operating mode and / or the nature of the inflation gas, and / or the first control unit of said first protection assembly is different from the second control unit in terms of different activation logics for activating inflation of the respective inflatable element.

[0012] The expression "nature" of the inflation gas is understood as meaning the intrinsic properties or characteristics of the inflation gas, namely whether it be an inflation gas or different inflation fluid.

[0013] Moreover, said first protection assembly is arranged in a first zone so as to protect a first body region of the user and said second protection assembly is arranged in a second zone so as to protect a second body region, wherein the first body region is a body region different from the second body region, such that the first protection assembly and the second protection assembly have said configurations which are different from each other depending on the respective body region.

[0014] Basically, each inflatable assembly may be distinguished from the other inflatable assembly both in terms of the inflatable element technology or structure or in terms of the inflation device and / or the configuration of the control unit. In this way it is possible to customize the protection provided by the same wearable protective apparatus depending on the body region to be protected.

[0015] The apparatus is therefore advantageously to be understood as being a sole or single protective apparatus which is intended to protect a single person, but which may be modified and adapted depending on the body region to be protected. Owing to the fact that said sole or single protective apparatus has at least the first protection assembly and the second protection assembly which is different from the first protection assembly, it may be said that said sole or single protective apparatus is modular, and each protection assembly is a module of said sole or single modular protective apparatus.

[0016] As regards the technology of the inflatable element, it may be stated that each inflatable element is characterized by its own inflatable element technology. In the context of the present description "inflatable element technology" is understood as meaning the structural and / or functional configuration of the inflatable element, for example in terms of the internal physical / chemical structure in combination with the functions performed by this structure when it is in an inflated or rest / deflated condition.

[0017] In this connection, reference is made to what is already known about the inflatable elements which are used for the protection of a user, commonly known as airbags, able to be inflated in the event of knocks or impacts so as to protect a respective portion, or region, of the user's body.

[0018] An inflatable element of the known type which can be used in the proposed apparatus includes, for example, a prefabricated body made by means of a knitting operation. Said knitted body is a closed structure, or at least tubular structure, defining an internal chamber which is occupied at least partially by a plurality of joining threads which connect together opposite portions of the knitted body. The knitted body is then covered with impermeabilizing sheets so as to ensure a suitable sealing effect.

[0019] Still in keeping with the present description, a protection device comprising an inflatable element which comprises a first layer and a second layer, defining an internal chamber of the inflatable element, and an intermediate layer, may be used. More particularly, the first layer and the second layer have respectively a first and second inner surface which face the internal chamber and along which the intermediate layer is fixed in first connection regions and second connection regions, respectively.

[0020] Further inflatable element technologies which may be used in one or more of the protection assemblies included in the apparatus according to the present disclosure are those described, by way of a non-limiting example, in: EP3291697B1, EP 2373189 A1, EP 2373190 A1, EP3291697A1, EP 3432744 A1.

[0021] According to the present disclosure, the apparatus may include protection assemblies which have inflatable elements which use inflatable element technologies which are different from each other, but made in accordance with that already known in the prior art.

[0022] The inflatable element includes, or is operationally associated with, an inflation device, which in turn comprises a container and a respective gas generator for inflating the inflatable element. The container for the gas generator may be for example a container which is designed to be placed on the back or the side of a user, namely a zone of the body of a user of the apparatus.

[0023] The proposed apparatus may comprise a single inflation device shared by, or rather operationally associated with, all the protection assemblies included in the apparatus. According to a preferred aspect of the apparatus, as an alternative several inflation devices may be provided, each associated with at least one of the protection assemblies present. Such a configuration may therefore have, included in the apparatus, at least two or more inflation devices which are different from each other, but made in accordance with that already known in the prior art.

[0024] For example, the first protection assembly comprises the first inflation device with a respective first gas generator in fluid communication with the first inflatable element for the inflation of the first inflatable element; and the second protection assembly comprises the second inflation device with a respective second gas generator in fluid communication with the second inflatable element for the inflation of the second inflatable element, wherein the first gas generator and the second gas generator are gas generators which are different from each other in terms of the inflation gas and / or the activation or operating technology of the gas generator.

[0025] This condition is useful, for example, when depending on the body region or the function of the protection device, different inflation pressures or different inflation times are required.

[0026] Preferably, each protection assembly can be activated by means of electronic control means, which include at least one control unit or command unit in communication with one or more sensors for detecting parameters indicating impacts and / or falls. Said sensors may be included in the protective apparatus itself. A single control unit may be provided for all the protection assemblies, or the first control unit may be provided for the first protection assembly and the second control unit may be provided for the second protection assembly.

[0027] Preferably, for example, the first control unit and the second control unit, is / are configured to activate the first protection assembly and the second protection assembly using activation modes which are independent of each other, depending on the parameters detected by the one or more sensors.

[0028] Even more preferably, the first control unit is programmed to perform activation of the first inflation device depending on first threshold values of the parameters detected by the sensors, and the second control unit is programmed to perform activation of the second inflation device depending on second threshold values of the parameters detected by the sensors, wherein the first and second threshold values are different from each other and are predefined depending on the respective zone and the respective body region.

[0029] In one embodiment, for example the first control unit comprises first one or more sensors for detecting parameters indicating an impact and / or a fall, and the second control unit comprises second one or more sensors for detecting parameters indicating an impact and / or a fall, wherein the first one or more sensors and the second one or more sensors are different from each other in terms of technology.

[0030] Preferably, the first control unit and the second control unit, is / are configured to activate the first protection assembly and the second protection assembly using activation modes which are independent of each other, depending on the parameters detected by the one or more sensors.

[0031] According to a further advantageous aspect of the apparatus, each protection assembly may be configured to be removably connected to the apparatus. In this way a user may choose in a very customized manner the protection assembly which is most suitable for the needs.

[0032] In accordance with this configuration, the apparatus is therefore configured to be customized by adding or subtracting protection assemblies, in order to form a modular configuration.

[0033] In this respect, for example the first protection assembly is configured to be removably connected to the second protection assembly.

[0034] Preferably, the apparatus according to the present disclosure is configured as a garment or is part of a garment.

[0035] Furthermore, by means of the apparatus according to the present disclosure, a customization method which includes the following steps may be defined: selecting the body regions of the user to be protected from an impact or a fall; providing, for each body region, the first protection assembly and the second protection assembly, wherein each first protection assembly and second protection assembly are independently selected and / or programmed depending on the body region to be protected.

[0036] Further advantages, characteristic features and modes of use forming the subject of the present disclosure will become clear from the following detailed description of embodiments thereof, provided by way of a non-limiting example.

[0037] It is in any case clear that each embodiment forming the subject of the present disclosure may have one or more of the advantages listed above; in any case it is not required that each embodiment should have simultaneously all the advantages listed.

[0038] The following description will now make reference to the attached figures, in which: Figures 1 and 2 show respectively a front view and rear view of a preferred embodiment of the proposed apparatus.

[0039] With reference to Figure 1, a preferred embodiment of the protective apparatus is denoted by 100 and comprises a plurality of protection assemblies. Each protection assembly comprises an inflatable element configured to assume a deflated condition and an inflated condition suitable for protecting the user in the event of falls and / or impacts of various types. Inflation may be performed by means of an inflation device which comprises a gas generator, for example a container with compressed gas which is released into the airbag in the event of a knock or impact, as already described.

[0040] The present disclosure relates to a wearable protective apparatus comprising a plurality of protection assemblies with customizable characteristics. Said customization is aimed at achieving not only specialized protection for the body region of the user to be protected, but also improved comfort and freedom of movement of the user when an impact or fall condition is detected. This can be achieved according to preferred aspects of the apparatus such that the protection assemblies can be activated independently of each other so as to prevent inflation of those assemblies located in body regions of the user which are not affected by the impact / fall.

[0041] Each of the protection assemblies of the apparatus 100 is intended to protect a specific body zone of a user. In other words, each protection assembly is arranged in an area of the apparatus which during use, i.e. when the apparatus is worn by a user, is located in a body region of the user which is to be protected from injury due to an impact / fall. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the apparatus 1 includes protection assemblies arranged in such a way that, during use, they are located on the shoulders, chest, hips and back. Preferably, the protection assemblies may also be arranged so as to be located, during use, opposite the base of the spine and the neck of the user.

[0042] Each of the protection assemblies included in the apparatus 100 comprises an inflatable element 5, or airbag, in fluid connection with an inflation device 3. Each of the inflatable elements may use a different inflatable element technology, as already described.

[0043] An inflation device 3 included in the apparatus 100 includes a gas generator indicated by the reference number 4. The gas generator 4 may be in the form of a canister, for example a canister containing compressed cold gas, such as helium. The canister may be provided with a respective shut-off valve. Alternatively, the inflation fluid source may comprise gas generators of the pyrotechnic or hybrid type or other types known in the prior art.

[0044] The assembly which includes the gas generator and the container for the gas generator is called an inflation device, denoted generally by the reference number 3. The inflation device 3 is connected (by means of cables) to a command unit or control unit 6 which is able to control activation of the inflation.

[0045] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus in accordance with that described hitherto, wherein each protection assembly is connected to the same single control unit 6 included in the apparatus.

[0046] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, one or more of the protection assemblies may comprise its own control unit 6 which is not shared with the other protection assemblies.

[0047] The inflation device 3 is in fluid communication with the inflatable element 5 so as to convey, once activated, inflation fluid into the inflatable element 5 and allow inflation thereof. The inflation device 3 is, as mentioned, connected to the control unit by means of which inflation may be activated. With regard to inflation, in order to perform inflation of the inflatable element 5, in the event of a fall and / or sliding and / or a sudden impact involving a user or a vehicle being ridden / driven, the protection assembly 1 is designed to cooperate with special activation means (normally consisting of the aforementioned control unit 6 and respective sensors) which are for example operationally connected to the canister-like gas generator 4, or in various configurations according to the prior art.

[0048] According to an advantageous aspect, both in the case of an apparatus including only one control unit and in the case of an apparatus including more than one control unit, different activation modes may be envisaged for one or more of the protection assemblies.

[0049] The possible activation modes, although being an aspect of particular importance for effective operation of the device, will not be further described in greater detail since they are methods which are essentially already known to a person skilled in the art of protection of a person from sudden impacts.

[0050] The protective apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure includes two or more protection assemblies which are spatially distributed, or rather mutually positioned, in the apparatus 100 in such a way that, when the apparatus is in use, i.e. worn by the user, each protection assembly is arranged in a specific body region of the user, to be protected in the event of an impact / fall. The impact and / or fall condition is determined depending on the parameter values detected by one or more dedicated sensors, which may be included in the apparatus 100.

[0051] For example, the sensors may be suitable for measuring the acceleration as well as the speed.

[0052] The sensors are in data communication with the at least one control unit 6 which processes the values detected and depending on specific processing algorithms determines whether to activate one or more of the protection assemblies of the apparatus 100. Each of the protection assemblies 100 included in the apparatus 100 is therefore operationally associated with the control unit in data communication with the sensors. In other words, the control unit is configured to process the data associated with the values of the parameters investigated by the sensors in order to establish not only if, but in particular which protection assembly must be activated. By way of example, when one or more of the sensors detect an impact on the righthand side of the apparatus, the control unit may be configured to send a command signal exclusively to the one or more protection assemblies arranged on that side of the apparatus, while the other protection assemblies remain inactive.

[0053] In accordance with a further aspect of the wearable and customizable protective apparatus according to the present disclosure, the apparatus 100 includes a first protection assembly 1 which comprises a first inflatable element having a first inflatable element technology, and a second protection assembly 2 which comprises a second inflatable element having a second inflatable element technology.

[0054] According to the present disclosure, at least the first protection assembly 1 and the second protection assembly 2 are configured in such a way that they can be activated independently of each other, depending on the parameters detected by the sensors.

[0055] The first and second protection assemblies 1, 2 comprise and are operationally associated respectively with a control unit 6 configured to perform activation of the inflation device, for inflation of the respective inflatable elements. The control unit 6 is in turn in data communication with one or more sensors for detecting parameters indicating an impact and / or a fall, depending on which activation of the inflation device will be performed or not.

[0056] According to a first preferred aspect of the apparatus, the first and second inflatable element technologies are different from each other; therefore, the two protection assemblies 1, 2 have inflatable elements which are different from the structural and / or functional point of view.

[0057] According to a second preferred aspect of the apparatus, the first inflatable element is in fluid communication with a first inflation device and the second inflatable element is in fluid communication with a second inflation device, said first and second inflation devices being different from each other. Said second preferred aspect may be present as an alternative to or in combination with the first preferred aspect.

[0058] Moreover, in accordance with a third preferred aspect, the first inflatable element is operationally associated with a first control unit and the second inflatable element is operationally associated with a second control unit, and said first and second control units are different from each other. Said control units may be programmed with different routines for activation of the respective inflation elements, in the manner already described.

[0059] Said third preferred aspect may be present as an alternative to or in combination with the first and / or the preferred aspect mentioned above.

[0060] In particular, the control unit (or each control unit) may be programmed to perform activation of the first inflation device depending on first threshold values of the parameters detected by the sensors, and perform activation of the second inflation device depending on second threshold values of the parameters detected by the sensors, where the first and second threshold values are different from each other and are predefined depending on the respective zone of the apparatus where each of the protection assemblies is arranged.

[0061] The first and the second protection assemblies 1, 2 are respectively arranged in a first and a second zone of said apparatus 100 which are different from each other and such that, during use, the first protection assembly 1 and the second protection assembly 2 are located in different body regions of the user. Therefore, it will be evident to the person skilled in the art that the selection of the inflatable element technology, of the inflation device and / or of the control unit, i.e. of the configuration of one or more of the protection assemblies, may be customized depending on the respective zone of the apparatus 100, where the protection assembly is question is arranged.

[0062] Personal protection devices including airbags and protective garments which include said airbags are personal protection devices which are known to the person skilled in the art and therefore are not further described in the present patent application.

[0063] The proposed protection apparatus is configured to be worn by a user, in particular may be in the form of a jacket or a full suit. According to further variants forming the subject of the present disclosure, the protective apparatus may be associated with a garment such that it may be worn by a user. Such a combined arrangement may be reversible or permanent so as to form a single body. In both cases, pockets or seats may be provided, these being configured to house the components of the apparatus, in particular the protection assemblies, the one or more inflation devices and / or the one or more control units, which may be attached there in a permanent or temporary manner.

[0064] The apparatus according to the disclosure therefore allows different technical effects to be obtained for the different protection assemblies positioned in different zones or areas of the apparatus intended to protect corresponding different body regions of the user when the apparatus is in use, thanks to the aforementioned different characteristics.

[0065] These different areas of the apparatus, i.e. when the apparatus is worn by a user, are located in body regions of the user which are different and not uniform (e.g. regions which relate to different parts of the user's body, where "region" is understood as meaning for example the neck, back, chest, hip, etc.). In particular, the areas of the apparatus which house different protection assemblies are not symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis of symmetry of the apparatus, indicated by L in Figure 1. For example, the protection assemblies indicated there by the reference numbers 1 and 2 are arranged in different zones of the protective apparatus, intended to protect - during use - different and in particular non-uniform corresponding body regions of the user, which in the example shown in Figure 1 correspond respectively to the shoulder (protection assembly 1) and hip (protection assembly 2).

[0066] The configuration of the apparatus disclosed is such that the technical effects achieved by each protection assembly may be selected depending on the specific target body region of the user.

[0067] The technical effects which can be customized depending on the customization of the one or more of the protection assemblies are, for example, the mechanical strength, the elasticity and more generally the capacity to absorb knocks, which can be determined by means of the choice of a specific inflatable element technology and of the respective inflation means. For example, a protection assembly arranged in the neck region is configured to have a greater (or lesser) mechanical strength than the protection assembly arranged in the hip region, when they are both inflated, and furthermore (or alternatively) may be associated with control logics which perform activation of the respective gas generator when the sensors detect parameters indicating an impact or a fall which have values lower than those which are necessary for activation of the protection assembly arranged in the hip region.

[0068] The subject-matter of the present disclosure has been described hitherto with reference to its embodiments. It is to be understood that other embodiments relating to the same inventive idea may exist, all of these falling within the scope of protection of the claims which are attached below.

Claims

1. Wearable and customizable protective apparatus (100), which includes: - a first protection assembly (1) comprising a first inflatable element (5) having a first inflatable element technology (5), a first inflation device (3) in fluid communication with the first inflatable element (5), and a first control unit (6) able to control inflation of the first inflatable element (5); - a second protection assembly (2) comprising a second inflatable element (5) having a second inflatable element technology, a second inflation device (3) in fluid communication with the second inflatable element, and a second control unit (6) able to control inflation of the second inflatable element, - one or more sensors for detecting parameters indicating an impact and / or a fall, connected to said first protection assembly (1) and to said second protection assembly (2); wherein said apparatus (100) is characterized in that said first protection assembly (1) and said second protection assembly (2) have respective operating configurations different from each other, wherein said operating configurations are different from each other in terms of at least one of the or more of the following options: - the first inflatable element technology (5) of said first protection assembly (1) is different from said second inflatable element technology (5), and / or - the first inflation device (3) is different from said second inflation device in terms of the operating mode and / or the nature of the inflation gas, and / or - the first control unit (6) of said first protection assembly (1) and the second control unit (6) of said second protection assembly (2) are configured with different activation logics for activating inflation of the respective inflatable element, and wherein said first protection assembly (1) is arranged in a first zone to protect a first body region of the user and said second protection assembly (2) is arranged in a second zone to protect a second body region, wherein the first body region is a body region different from the first body region, such that said first protection assembly (1) and second protection assembly (2) have configurations different from each other depending on the respective zone for the respective body region.

2. Apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus (100) is a single apparatus and / or is intended for a single user.

3. Apparatus (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said first zone and second zone are zones that include at least the shoulder, chest, back, sides and / or hip regions of a user.

4. Apparatus (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said apparatus (100) is a modular assembly and said first protection assembly (1) and said second protection assembly (2) are modules of said apparatus.

5. Apparatus (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first protection assembly (1) comprises said first inflation device (3) with a respective first gas generator in fluid communication with said first inflatable element (5) for the inflation of said first inflatable element (5); and said second protection assembly (2) comprises said second inflation device (3) with a respective second gas generator in fluid communication with said second inflatable element (5) for the inflation of said second inflatable element (5), wherein said first gas generator and said second gas generator are gas generators different from each other in terms of the nature of the inflation gas and / or the activation technology of the gas generator.

6. Apparatus (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said first control unit (6) and said second control unit (6), is / are configured to activate said first protection assembly (1) and second protection assembly (2) according to activation modes which are independent of each other, depending on the parameters detected by the one or more sensors.

7. Apparatus (100) according to the preceding claim, wherein: said first protection assembly (1) includes a first control unit (6) which comprises means for data communication with the sensors, and said second protection assembly (2) comprises a second control unit (6) which includes means for data communication with the sensors, wherein said first control unit (6) is programmed to control the activation of said first inflation device (3) depending on first threshold values of the parameters detected by the sensors, and said second control unit (6) is programmed to control the activation of said second inflation device (3) depending on second threshold values of the parameters detected by the sensors, wherein said first and second threshold values are different from each other and are predetermined depending on the respective protection zone of the respective body region.

8. Apparatus (100) according to the preceding claim, wherein said first control unit (6) comprises first one or more sensors for the detection of parameters indicating an impact and / or a fall, and said second control unit (6) comprises second one or more sensors for the detection of parameters indicating an impact and / or a fall, wherein said first one or more sensors and second one or more sensors are different from each other in terms of detection technology, said first control unit (6) and said second control unit (6), is / are configured to activate said first protection assembly (1) and second protection assembly (2) using activation modes which are independent of each other, depending on the parameters detected by the one or more sensors.

9. Apparatus (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said first protection assembly (1) is configured to be removably connected with, or disconnected from, said second protection assembly (2).

10. Apparatus (100) according to one of the preceding claims, which is configured as a garment.

11. Garment including an apparatus (100) according to one of claims 1 to 10.

12. Method of customizing an apparatus (100) according to one of claims 1 to 10, which includes the following steps: - selecting the body regions of the user to be protected from an impact and / or a fall, - providing, for each body region, said first protection assembly (1) and said second protection assembly (2) wherein each first protection assembly (1) and said second protection assembly (2) are independently selected and / or programmed depending on the body region to be protected.

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