Protector

Abstract

To improve wearability of a protector using a resin hollow plate material.SOLUTION: A protector includes an impact absorption material 10 comprising one resin hollow plate material in which multiple cells are juxtaposed. The impact absorption material 10 is provided with a thin-walled hinge part 14 for bending the impact absorption material 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a protector. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a hollow resin plate having a plurality of cells arranged side by side. The hollow structure of Patent Document 1 is used as a chest protector that protects the chest of a wearer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-154947 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to efficiently utilize the shock absorbing properties of a protector such as a chest protector, it is preferable to wear the protector so that it fits closely to the user's body. The object of this invention is to improve the fit of a protector using a hollow resin plate material when worn by many users of different physiques. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The protector that solves the above problem is a protector for protecting the body of a user, and is equipped with an impact absorbing material consisting of a single hollow plate made of resin in which a number of cells are arranged side by side, and the impact absorbing material is provided with a thin-walled hinge portion for folding the impact absorbing material.

[0006] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the shock absorbing material can be easily folded at the hinge portion. This allows the shape of the shock absorbing material to be changed to suit the physique of the user, for example, by reducing the degree of folding of the shock absorbing material at the hinge portion when the mounting portion of the user is large, such as the chest, and by increasing the degree of folding of the shock absorbing material at the hinge portion when the mounting portion is small. This makes it easy to make the shock absorbing material fit various users with different physiques, and improves the adhesion when worn.

[0007] In the above protector, it is preferable that a covering material is provided that covers the periphery of the impact absorbing material including the end of the hinge portion, and a wide portion that is wider than the central portion of the hinge portion is provided at the portion where the covering material overlaps at the end of the hinge portion.

[0008] In some cases, the protector is provided with a covering material that covers the periphery of the impact absorbing material in order to protect the end portion and improve the design. If such a covering material is provided on the protector, when the hinge portion is bent, the part of the covering material located on the inside in the bending direction becomes clogged, making it difficult to bend the impact absorbing material smoothly. Therefore, in the above configuration, a wide portion is provided at the part where the covering material overlaps at the end portion of the hinge portion. By providing the wide portion, a large space can be secured for the part of the covering material located on the inside in the bending direction to enter when the hinge portion is bent. As a result, clogging of the covering material when the hinge portion is bent is suppressed, and the hinge portion can be bent more smoothly.

[0009] In the above protector, it is preferable that at least a surface of the wide portion that is on the inside in the bending direction is a flat surface. According to the above configuration, when the hinge portion is bent, a larger space can be secured for the portion of the covering material located on the inside in the bending direction to enter, thereby improving the effect of enabling the hinge portion to be bent more smoothly.

[0010] In the above protector, it is preferable that a covering material is provided that covers the periphery of the impact absorbing material including the end of the hinge portion, and a notch is provided in the portion where the covering material overlaps at the end of the hinge portion.

[0011] According to the above configuration, by providing the notch, when the hinge portion is bent, a large space can be secured for the portion of the covering material located on the inside in the bending direction to fit in. As a result, clogging of the covering material when the hinge portion is bent is suppressed, and the hinge portion can be bent more smoothly. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the protector of the present invention, it is possible to improve the fit when worn by a number of users with different physiques. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the periphery of the wide portion when the hinge portion is folded. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1(a) is an explanatory diagram of a sheet material forming process, and (b) and (c) are explanatory diagrams of a folding process. [Figure 8] 1A is a partial perspective view of the core layer, FIG. 1B is a β-β line cross-sectional view of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is a γ-γ line cross-sectional view of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a partial front view of a protector according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, a specific embodiment of a protector according to the present invention will be described. The protector of this embodiment is a protector for protecting the body of a user, and is used as protective gear for sports or protective gear for workers, such as a chest guard, a body protector, a foot guard, a shin guard, a knee guard, etc. In this embodiment, a protector applied as a chest guard will be described as an example.

[0015] 1 to 3, the protector includes an impact absorbing material 10 made of a single hollow plate material. The impact absorbing material 10 is manufactured by performing bending and compression processes on a single flat hollow plate material.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 6, the hollow plate material 10a includes a core layer 20 in which a plurality of cells S are arranged side by side, and a skin layer 30 bonded to both the upper and lower surfaces of the core layer 20. The core layer 20 includes a side wall portion 23 that divides the plurality of cells S, an upper wall portion 21 that is bonded to the upper edge of the side wall portion 23 to close the upper end of the cell S, and a lower wall portion 22 that is bonded to the lower edge of the side wall portion 23 to close the lower end of the cell S. The plurality of cells S are divided by the side wall portion 23, and are configured in a hexagonal column shape extending in the thickness direction of the hollow plate material 10a. The core layer 20 includes the upper wall portion 21 and the lower wall portion 22, and is hollow, containing the plurality of cells S. The skin layer 30 bonded to the upper surface of the core layer 20 is bonded to the upper wall portion 21 of the core layer 20 via an adhesive layer (not shown). The skin layer 30 bonded to the lower surface of the core layer 20 is bonded to the lower wall portion 22 of the core layer 20 via an adhesive layer (not shown).

[0017] The core layer 20, the skin layer 30, and the adhesive layer are made of a thermoplastic resin. The thermoplastic resin constituting the core layer 20 and the skin layer 30 is a conventionally known one, and the material is not particularly limited. For example, polypropylene resin, polyamide resin, polyethylene resin, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin, acrylic resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, etc. are included. The thermoplastic resin constituting the core layer 20 and the skin layer 30 is preferably made of the same material. In this embodiment, both are made of polypropylene resin. The above-mentioned thermoplastic resin may contain additives such as elastomer and butadiene.

[0018] The thermoplastic resin constituting the adhesive layer that bonds the core layer 20 and the skin layer 30 is also a conventionally known one, and its material is not particularly limited. Examples include olefin-based, polyester-based, and urethane-based resins. The adhesive layer is preferably a resin with a lower melting point than the thermoplastic resins constituting the core layer 20 and the skin layer 30. In this embodiment, the adhesive layer is made of a modified polyolefin-based resin (modified resin) such as modified polyethylene or modified polypropylene, which is provided with adhesiveness by introducing a functional group into polyolefin.

[0019] The thickness of the hollow plate material 10a is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 to 30 mm. The thickness of each of the upper wall portion 21, the lower wall portion 22, and the side wall portion 23 that constitute the core layer 20 is preferably 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm.

[0020] The thickness of the skin layer 30 is preferably 0.2 to 1.0 mm. When the thicknesses of the core layer 20 and the skin layer 30 are within this range, the formability during bending can be improved. In addition, it is preferable that the thicknesses of the walls of the core layer 20 and the skin layer 30 are approximately the same thickness, or that the core layer 20 is thinner. The thicknesses of the walls of the core layer 20 and the skin layer 30 are the thicknesses of the resin sheet material 100 forming the core layer 20 and the sheet constituting the skin layer 30, respectively, which will be described later.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, the impact absorbing material 10 has a generally polygonal shape with a wide upper side, with the upper side 11 as the upper base and the lower side 12 as the lower base, when viewed from the front, and the center side in the direction along the upper side 11 or the lower side 12 is curved so as to protrude toward the front side (the front side of the paper in Fig. 2). In addition, the corners of the polygonal shape when viewed from the front in the impact absorbing material 10 are rounded and configured into a curved shape. In the following description, the front side of the paper in Fig. 2 is the front side of the protector, and the surface located on the back side of the paper is the back side of the protector.

[0022] 2 and 3, a thin peripheral portion 13 is formed on both the front and back sides of the periphery of the impact absorbing material 10 all around. The peripheral portion 13 is a thin portion of a hollow structure formed by partially compressing the hollow plate material 10a constituting the impact absorbing material 10. The thickness of the peripheral portion 13 is thinner than the general portion of the impact absorbing material 10, i.e., the portion excluding the peripheral portion 13 and a hinge portion 14 described later, for example, by 0.1 to 0.7 mm.

[0023] 1 to 3, the impact absorbing material 10 is provided with two hinge portions 14 that extend linearly from the upper side 11 to the lower side 12. The two hinge portions 14 are disposed at an angle with respect to a vertical line L1 so that the distance between them gradually narrows from the upper side 11 to the lower side 12.

[0024] The hinge portion 14 is a thin-walled portion formed by partially compressing the hollow plate material 10a that constitutes the impact absorbing material 10. The thickness of the hinge portion 14 is set to a thickness that allows the impact absorbing material 10 to bend at the hinge portion 14. The thickness of the hinge portion 14 is, for example, 0.2 to 0.7 mm, and preferably 0.4 to 0.6 mm.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, the first surface 14a, which is the surface on the front side of the hinge portion 14, is a flat surface that is recessed in the thickness direction on the front surface of the impact absorbing material 10. The second surface 14b, which is the surface on the back side of the hinge portion 14, is a flat surface that is recessed in the thickness direction on the back surface of the impact absorbing material 10. In the thickness direction of the impact absorbing material 10, the hinge portion 14 is located closer to the front surface of the impact absorbing material 10. In other words, the second surface 14b of the hinge portion 14 is recessed more than the first surface 14a. This allows the impact absorbing material 10 to be easily bent toward the back surface at the hinge portion 14.

[0026] 2 and 4, both ends of the hinge portion 14, i.e., the portion of the hinge portion 14 overlapping with the peripheral portion 13 of the impact absorbing material 10, are provided with wide portions 15 that are wider than the central portion of the hinge portion 14. The width H1 of the central portion of the hinge portion 14 shown in Fig. 3 is, for example, 0.2 to 2.0 mm, and preferably 0.4 to 0.6 mm. The width H2 of the wide portions 15 shown in Fig. 4 is, for example, 1.1 to 1.5 times the width H1 of the central portion of the hinge portion 14.

[0027] 1 to 3, the shock absorbing material 10 is divided into three regions A, B, and C arranged in the left-right direction of the paper by two hinge parts 14. Each of the regions A, B, and C of the shock absorbing material 10 has a curved shape such that the center side in the direction along the upper side 11 or the lower side 12 protrudes toward the surface side. In addition, the curved shapes of the regions A, B, and C are configured to have a substantially constant curvature along the vertical line L1.

[0028] 1 to 3, a covering material 16 having a U-shaped cross section is attached to the entire periphery of the peripheral portion 13 of the impact absorbing material 10. When the covering material 16 is attached to the peripheral portion 13, the surface of the general part of the impact absorbing material 10 and the surface of the covering material 16 are substantially flush with each other.

[0029] The covering material 16 is provided for the purpose of protecting the edges of the impact absorbing material 10 and improving the design. As the covering material 16, for example, a cloth material such as a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, or a mesh fabric, or a sheet-like material such as leather, rubber, or resin can be used.

[0030] The fabric material may be made of either natural or synthetic fibers. Examples of natural fibers include cotton, hemp, linen, silk, and cashmere. Examples of synthetic fibers include nylon, polyester, polyacrylonitrile, and vinylon. The leather may be made of either natural or synthetic leather.

[0031] There is no particular limitation on the method of attaching the covering material 16 to the peripheral portion 13 of the impact absorbing material 10. For example, the covering material 16 may be sewn using thread, the covering material 16 may be adhered using an adhesive, or the covering material 16 may be welded. In the drawings, as an example, the covering material 16 is shown sewn to the peripheral portion 13 using thread.

[0032] Next, a method for manufacturing the protector will be described. The manufacturing method of the protector includes a plate manufacturing process for manufacturing the impact absorbing material 10 composed of a hollow plate material 10a, and a covering process for attaching a covering material 16 to the peripheral portion 13 of the impact absorbing material 10 obtained in the plate manufacturing process.

[0033] (Plate manufacturing process) The plate manufacturing process includes a sheet material forming step, a folding step, a joining step, a shaping step, and a cutting step.

[0034] [Sheet material forming process] As shown in FIG. 7(a), in the sheet material forming process, a resin sheet material 100 is formed by hot-molding a sheet made of a thermoplastic resin into a predetermined shape. In the resin sheet material 100, a band-shaped planar region 110 and a bulging region 120 are alternately arranged in the width direction (X direction) of the resin sheet material 100. In the bulging region 120, a first bulging portion 121 having a cross section of a downward groove shape composed of an upper surface and a pair of side surfaces is formed over the entire extension direction (Y direction) of the bulging region 120. Note that the angle between the upper surface and the side surface of the first bulging portion 121 is preferably 90 degrees, and as a result, the cross section of the first bulging portion 121 is a downward U-shape. In addition, the width of the first bulging portion 121 (the length of the short side of the upper surface) is set to be equal to the width of the planar region 110 and twice the length of the bulging height of the first bulging portion 121 (the length of the short side of the side surface).

[0035] In addition, in the bulging region 120, a plurality of second bulging portions 122, each of which has a cross-sectional shape that is a trapezoid obtained by bisecting a regular hexagon at its longest diagonal, are formed so as to be perpendicular to the first bulging portion 121. The bulging height of the second bulging portion 122 is set to be equal to the bulging height of the first bulging portion 121. In addition, the interval between adjacent second bulging portions 122 is equal to the width of the upper surface of the second bulging portion 122.

[0036] The first bulge 121 and the second bulge 122 are formed by partially bulging the sheet upwards by utilizing the plasticity of the sheet. The resin sheet material 100 can be molded from a single sheet by a known molding method such as vacuum molding or compression molding.

[0037] [Folding process] As shown in FIG. 7(b) and FIG. 7(c), in the folding process, the resin sheet material 100 configured as described above is folded along the boundary lines P and Q to form the core layer 20. Specifically, the resin sheet material 100 is valley-folded at the boundary line P between the flat area 110 and the bulging area 120, and mountain-folded at the boundary line Q between the top surface and side surface of the first bulging portion 121 to compress in the X direction. Then, the top surface and side surface of the first bulging portion 121 are folded over, and the end surface of the second bulging portion 122 and the flat area 110 are folded over, thereby forming one rectangular column-shaped partition body 130 extending in the Y direction for one bulging area 120. The partition bodies 130 are continuously formed in the X direction to form the core layer 20. The thickness of the resin sheet material 100 forming the core layer 20 is formed to be approximately the same as or thinner than the thickness of the skin layer 30.

[0038] As shown in Figure 7 (c), when the resin sheet material 100 is compressed, the upper wall portion 21 of the core layer 20 is formed by the upper surface and side surfaces of the first bulge portion 121, and the lower wall portion 22 of the core layer 20 is formed by the end surface of the second bulge portion 122 and the flat area 110.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 8(a), the cells S formed inside the core layer 20 by the folding process include a first cell S1 and a second cell S2 having different structures. As shown in Fig. 8(b), in the first cell S1, a two-layered upper wall portion 21 is provided on the upper part of the side wall portion 23. The layers of this two-layered upper wall portion 21 are joined to each other. In the first cell S1, a one-layered lower wall portion 22 is provided on the lower part of the side wall portion 23.

[0040] 8(b), the boundary between the side wall portion 23 and the upper wall portion 21 of the first cell S1 is, microscopically, in a state where the side wall portion 23 extends upward in a straight line and curves to connect to the upper wall portion 21. In other words, a curved portion 23e is formed between the side wall portion 23 and the upper wall portion 21.

[0041] 8(c), in the second cell S2, an upper wall portion 21 having a single layer structure is provided on the upper part of the side wall portion 23. In addition, in the second cell S2, a lower wall portion 22 having a two-layer structure is provided on the lower part of the side wall portion 23. The layers of the lower wall portion 22 having the two-layer structure are joined to each other.

[0042] 8(c), the boundary between the side wall portion 23 and the upper wall portion 21 of the first cell S1 is, microscopically, in a state where the side wall portion 23 extends upward in a straight line and curves to connect to the upper wall portion 21. In other words, a curved portion 23e is formed between the side wall portion 23 and the upper wall portion 21.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 8(c), the portion where the upper surface and side surface of the first bulge portion 121 in the upper wall portion 21 are folded to form a two-layer structure, and the portion where the end surface of the second bulge portion 122 in the lower wall portion 22 is folded to form a two-layer structure and the flat area 110 are folded to form an overlapping portion 131.

[0044] Moreover, the hexagonal columnar region formed by folding the second bulging portion 122 becomes the second cell S2, and the hexagonal columnar region formed between a pair of adjacent partitions 130 becomes the first cell S1. In this embodiment, the upper surface and side surface of the second bulging portion 122 constitute the side wall portion 23 of the second cell S2, and the side surface of the second bulging portion 122 and the flat portion located between the second bulging portions 122 in the bulging region 120 constitute the side wall portion 23 of the first cell S1. The contact portion between the upper surfaces of the second bulging portions 122 and the contact portion between the flat portions in the bulging region 120 constitute the side wall portion 23 having a two-layer structure consisting of the first side wall portion 23b and the second side wall portion 23c. When carrying out such a folding process, it is preferable to heat-treat the resin sheet material 100 to soften it.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 8(b) and FIG. 8(c), the adjacent first cells S1 and the adjacent second cells S2 are partitioned by the side wall 23 (the first side wall 23b and the second side wall 23c) having a two-layer structure. The two-layer side wall 23 has a non-bonded portion 23d that is a portion that is not heat-welded to each other in the center of the thickness direction of the core layer 20. Therefore, the internal space of each cell S of the core layer 20 communicates with the internal space of the other cell S through the non-bonded portion 23d between the first side wall 23b and the second side wall 23c. The non-bonded portion 23d is provided in the center of the thickness direction of the core layer 20, that is, in the center of the height direction of the side wall 23, and the first side wall 23b and the second side wall 23c having the two-layer structure are heat-welded to each other at the upper end and the lower end of the side wall 23.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 8(a), the first cells S1 are arranged in a row along the X direction. Similarly, the second cells S2 are arranged in a row along the X direction. The rows of the first cells S1 and the rows of the second cells S2 are alternately arranged in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction. The first cells S1 and the second cells S2 form a honeycomb structure as a whole in the core layer 20.

[0047] [Joining process] In the joining step, the skin layer 30 is joined to the upper surface 20a of the core layer 20, and the skin layer 30 is joined to the lower surface 20b of the core layer. In the joining step, a flat sheet that has not been subjected to secondary processing (press molding) is joined as the skin layer 30. It is preferable that the thickness of the sheet constituting the skin layer 30 is approximately the same as the thickness of the resin sheet material 100 that forms the core layer 20, or is thicker than the resin sheet material 100 that forms the core layer 20.

[0048] The bonding step is performed by forming an adhesive layer between the core layer 20 and the skin layer 30, and then heating the core layer 20 and the skin layer 30 to a predetermined temperature. The heating temperature is set to a temperature several degrees Celsius to several tens of degrees Celsius higher than the melting point of the adhesive layer in the skin layer 30. Specifically, the heating temperature is set to a temperature several degrees Celsius higher than the melting point of the modified polyolefin adhesive (modified resin) constituting the adhesive layer. This heating temperature is set sufficiently lower than the molding temperature for softening the polyamide resin constituting the skin layer 30. In addition, the heating time for heat welding to the skin layer 30 is set to several seconds to several tens of seconds so that the same part of the skin layer 30 is not heated for an excessively long time. Therefore, the skin layer 30 does not reach a high temperature at which it is softened and melted, and only the adhesive layer can be softened and melted without strictly controlling the heating temperature.

[0049] The skin layer 30 is aligned with the core layer 20, temporarily joined by applying a predetermined pressure, and then cooled, to obtain a flat hollow plate 10a in which the skin layer 30 is heat-welded to the core layer 20.

[0050] [Molding process] In the molding process, the flat hollow plate 10a is press molded into a predetermined shape. The press molding is performed by placing a pair of dies on both the front and back sides of the hollow plate 10a and sandwiching the hollow plate 10a between the pair of dies from above and below. The temperature of the dies is set to a temperature at which the thermoplastic resin constituting the core layer 20 and the skin layer 30 can be softened and bent into a predetermined shape.

[0051] In the press molding, the hollow plate material 10a is subjected to bending and compression to form a thin peripheral portion 13 and a hinge portion 14, and also to form curved regions A, B, and C. Note that a cutting allowance that will be cut in a cutting process is formed on the outer periphery side of the peripheral portion 13 of the hollow plate material 10a after the press molding. The thickness of the cutting allowance is configured to be thinner than the thickness of the peripheral portion 13.

[0052] The peripheral portion 13 and the hinge portion 14 of the hollow plate material 10a are compressed by a pair of dies so that they are thinner than the other portions. Therefore, the peripheral portion 13 and the hinge portion 14 have a higher density than the other portions by the amount of the thinner thickness. The high density of the peripheral portion 13 makes it possible to stably pass a needle through the peripheral portion 13 when sewing the covering material 16 with thread in the covering process described below. Therefore, the covering material 16 can be efficiently sewn to the shock absorbing material 10. In addition, when the hollow plate material 10a is curved to have a three-dimensional structure by bending and compressing, the skin layer 30 is stretched and thinned, so that the resistance when passing a needle through the peripheral portion 13 is reduced.

[0053] [Cutting process] In the cutting process, a cutting tool with an annular cutting blade is used. The outer shape of the cutting blade is configured to be approximately the same as the outer shape of the impact absorbing material 10. The cutting tool is pressed from above against the cutting margin of the hollow plate material 10a after the bending process, and the cutting tool is pressed downward to cut the hollow plate material 10a along the cutting margin. The part cut out by the cutting blade becomes the impact absorbing material 10. Since the cutting margin is provided on the hollow plate material 10a to be subjected to the cutting process, the hollow plate material 10a can be easily cut. In the cutting process, instead of using a cutting tool with a cutting blade, a laser, a water jet, or an ultrasonic cutter may be used, or the hollow plate material 10a may be cut by pressing and punching with a metal mold. In addition, the cutting process may be a process of cutting out the impact absorbing material 10 simultaneously with the molding process.

[0054] (Coating process) In the covering step, a covering material 16 is attached to the peripheral edge portion 13 of the impact absorbing material 10 cut out in the cutting step. Here, as an example, a method of attaching the covering material 16 by sewing will be specifically described.

[0055] Both ends in the width direction of the strip-shaped covering material 16 are placed on the peripheral portion 13 of the impact absorbing material 10. In this state, the covering material 16 is sewn to the peripheral portion 13 using a needle with a thread passing through the needle hole. By sewing while passing the needle through the peripheral portion 13 in the thickness direction, the covering materials 16 placed on both the front and back sides of the peripheral portion 13 are sewn simultaneously. By attaching the covering material 16 to the thin peripheral portion 13, it is possible to reduce the height at which the covering material 16 protrudes from the front and back sides of the impact absorbing material 10 in the thickness direction of the impact absorbing material 10. By attaching the covering material 16 to the peripheral portion 13 of the impact absorbing material 10, the protector of this embodiment is obtained.

[0056] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. The impact absorbing material 10 of the protector is provided with two hinge parts 14 that extend linearly from the upper side 11 to the lower side 12, and the impact absorbing material 10 can be easily folded to the back side at each hinge part 14. This allows the shape of the impact absorbing material 10 to be changed to suit the physique of the user, such as by reducing the degree of folding of the hinge parts 14 when the mounting part of the user, such as the chest, is large, and by increasing the degree of folding of the hinge parts 14 when the mounting part is small. This makes it easy to make the impact absorbing material 10 fit various users with different physiques, improving adhesion when worn.

[0057] 1 to 3, a covering material 16 that covers the peripheral portion 13 is attached to the peripheral portion 13 of the impact absorbing material 10. Here, if the covering material 16 is simply attached, when the hinge portion 14 is folded, the portion of the covering material 16 located on the inside in the bending direction will be clogged, and it is considered that it will be difficult to fold the hinge portion 14 smoothly. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a wide portion 15 that is wider than the central portion of the hinge portion 14 is provided in the portion of the hinge portion 14 that overlaps with the covering material 16, thereby ensuring a large space D between the second surface 14b of the hinge portion 14 and the covering material 16. Also, in order to ensure a larger space D, the second surface 14b, which is the surface on the inside in the bending direction of the wide portion 15, is made flat.

[0058] 5, in the case of the protector of this embodiment, because the space D is secured large, when the hinge portion 14 is folded, the portion of the covering material 16 located on the inside in the bending direction tends to enter the space D. As a result of the covering material 16 entering the space D, clogging of the covering material 16 on the inside in the bending direction is suppressed, and the hinge portion 14 can be folded more smoothly.

[0059] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) The protector includes an impact absorbing material 10 consisting of a single hollow resin plate 10a in which a plurality of cells S are arranged side by side. The impact absorbing material 10 is provided with a thin hinge portion 14 for bending the impact absorbing material 10.

[0060] According to the above configuration, the shape of the impact absorbing material 10 can be changed to suit the physique of the user by bending the protector at the hinge portion 14. Therefore, the impact absorbing material 10 can be easily adapted to fit various users with different physiques, improving adhesion when worn. In addition, the impact absorbing material 10, which constitutes the majority of the protector, is made of hollow plate material 10a, so it is lightweight and capable of absorbing impact.

[0061] (2) The protector is provided with a covering material 16 that covers the peripheral portion 13 of the impact absorbing material 10. At the portion where the covering material 16 overlaps the end portion of the hinge portion 14, a wide portion 15 that is wider than the central portion of the hinge portion 14 is provided.

[0062] According to the above configuration, when the hinge portion 14 is bent, a large space can be secured for the covering material 16 located on the inside in the bending direction to enter. As a result, clogging of the covering material 16 when the hinge portion 14 is bent is suppressed, and the hinge portion 14 can be bent more smoothly.

[0063] (3) The second surface 14b, which is the surface on the inside in the bending direction of the wide portion 15, is a flat surface. According to the above configuration, when the hinge portion 14 is bent, a larger space can be secured for the covering material 16 located on the inner side in the bending direction to enter. As a result, the hinge portion 14 can be bent more smoothly.

[0064] (4) The impact absorbing material 10 has a curved shape that protrudes toward the front side where an object collides, and has a hinge portion 14 that allows the impact absorbing material 10 to bend in the direction in which the impact absorbing material 10 is curved. According to the above configuration, when an object collides with the curved portion of the impact absorbing material 10, the object slides along the front surface of the impact absorbing material 10 along the curved shape of the impact absorbing material 10, thereby diverting part of the impact force acting on the impact absorbing material 10. Note that depending on the shape and impact angle of the object colliding with the impact absorbing material 10, the effect of diverting part of the impact force acting on the impact absorbing material 10 may be obtained even if the object does not slide along the surface of the impact absorbing material 10.

[0065] Moreover, by bending the impact absorbing material 10 at the hinge portion 14 in the direction opposite to the curvature direction, the entire curved impact absorbing material 10 can be spread out so as to be closer to horizontal. This increases the loading rate during transportation and reduces the space required for storage. The height of the impact absorbing material 10 when spread out so as to be closer to horizontal is, for example, about 1 / 5 to 3 / 5 times the height of the basic state in which the material is curved at a substantially constant curvature.

[0066] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs. The hinge portion 14 may be provided with continuous holes such as perforations.

[0067] The formation range of the wide portion 15 at the end of the hinge portion 14 may be changed. For example, in the above embodiment, the entire range of the hinge portion 14 that overlaps with the covering material 16 located on the inside in the bending direction is the wide portion 15, but the above range of the hinge portion 14 may include a mixture of wide portion 15 and non-wide portion 15. Also, the wide portion 15 may be provided at only one of the two ends of the hinge portion 14.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the entire second surface 14b of the hinge portion 14 is a flat surface, but only a portion of the second surface 14b of the hinge portion 14 where the wide portion 15 is located may be a flat surface. Also, the second surface 14b of the hinge portion 14 does not have to be a flat surface. The same applies to the first surface 14a of the hinge portion 14.

[0069] For example, in a cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the hinge portion 14 extends, the entire width direction may be convex toward the front surface, i.e., the hinge portion 14 may be arc-shaped, concave toward the second surface 14b. In this case, both the first surface 14a and the second surface 14b may be curved surfaces. In addition, in a cross section perpendicular to the direction in which the hinge portion 14 extends, the hinge portion 14 may be arc-shaped, with both ends in the width direction being linear and the central portion in the width direction being convex toward the front surface. In this case, both the first surface 14a and the second surface 14b have a shape in which a flat portion, a curved surface portion, and a flat portion are arranged in this order from one end side to the other end side in the width direction.

[0070] The hinge portion 14 may have a curved shape in a cross section parallel to the extension direction of the hinge portion 14. For example, the hinge portion 14 may extend linearly in the plan view shown in Fig. 2 and have a curved shape that conforms to the three-dimensional shape of the impact absorbing material 10 in a cross section taken along the linear line.

[0071] As shown in Fig. 9, instead of the wide portion 15, a notch 17 cut from the edge side of the impact absorbing material 10 may be provided at the end of the hinge portion 14. In this case, as in the case where the wide portion 15 is provided, a large space D can be secured for the part of the covering material 16 located on the inside in the bending direction to enter when the hinge portion 14 is folded, and the hinge portion 14 can be folded more smoothly. The formation position and formation range of the notch 17 are the same as those of the wide portion 15. For example, the notch 17 may be wider than the hinge portion 14.

[0072] The hinge portion 14 may not have the wide portion 15. In this case, the width of the hinge portion 14 may be constant, or the width of the end portion may be narrower than that of the center portion. Also, the hinge portion 14 may not have the notch 17.

[0073] The width H1 of the center of the hinge portion 14 may be constant or may vary depending on the location. For example, the hinge portion 14 is formed so that the upper width H1 is wider than the lower width H1 at the center of the hinge portion 14 with respect to the vertical line L1. In this case, the wide portion 15 is formed so that it is wider than the upper and lower ends of the center, i.e., the portions connected to the wide portion 15 at the center.

[0074] The number of hinge portions 14 provided on the impact absorbing material 10 is not particularly limited, and may be one, or three or more. When multiple hinge portions 14 are provided, the direction in which each hinge portion 14 extends is not particularly limited, and some or all of the hinge portions 14 may extend in different directions, all may extend in the same direction, or may intersect. For example, the multiple hinge portions 14 may be arranged in parallel, or the multiple hinge portions 14 may be arranged to intersect in a grid or cross shape.

[0075] The thin hinge portion 14 is not limited to a configuration in which the hollow plate material 10a is partially compressed. For example, the hinge portion 14 may be formed by partially cutting out the hollow plate material 10a along the line where the hinge portion 14 is formed. As a specific example, a part of the hollow plate material 10a is cut out along the line where the hinge portion 14 is formed so as to leave the skin layer 30 on one side of the hollow plate material 10a, and the remaining skin layer 30 is used as the hinge portion 14.

[0076] The width of the peripheral edge 13 of the impact absorbing material 10 can be changed as desired. The peripheral portion 13 of the impact absorbing material 10 may be the same thickness as the general portion of the impact absorbing material 10, or may be formed to be thicker than the general portion. Also, the thickness of the peripheral portion 13 may vary depending on the portion in the circumferential direction.

[0077] The core layer 20 and the skin layer 30 of the hollow plate material 10a may be transparent or colored. When the impact absorbing material 10 is subjected to an impact strong enough to crush the side wall portion 23, the core layer 20 of the impact absorbing material 10 turns white due to the buckling of the side wall portion 23. On the other hand, the skin layer 30 does not turn white because it only extends in the planar direction. Therefore, when the skin layer 30 is colored in a color that makes the core layer 20 invisible through the skin layer 30, for example, a dark color such as black, dark gray, or dark navy blue, the skin layer 30 can make the whitening of the core layer 20 less noticeable, which is preferable in terms of design.

[0078] The skin layer 30 of the hollow plate material 10a is not limited to being composed of one layer. The skin layer 30 may be composed of a laminate of two or more layers. The skin layer 30 is not limited to being bonded to both the front and back surfaces of the core layer 20. The skin layer 30 may be bonded to only one of the front and back surfaces of the core layer 20. The hollow plate material 10a does not have to have a skin layer 30.

[0079] The core layer 20 and the skin layer 30 of the hollow plate material 10a do not have to be bonded together via an adhesive layer. The core layer 20 and the skin layer 30 may be bonded together directly without using an adhesive layer.

[0080] The core layer 20 of the hollow plate material 10a is not limited to a form formed by folding one sheet made of thermoplastic resin. The core layer 20 may be formed by using a plurality of sheets.

[0081] The core layer 20 of the hollow plate material 10a is not limited to an embodiment having an upper wall portion 21, a lower wall portion 22, and a side wall portion 23. As long as a plurality of cells S are arranged side by side, the core layer does not need to have at least one of the upper wall portion 21 and the lower wall portion 22.

[0082] Another layer may be provided on the skin layer 30 of the hollow plate material 10a. Examples of the another layer include a synthetic resin fiber sheet such as a polypropylene fiber sheet, and a laminate sheet. Also, the skin layer 30 may be omitted and another layer may be provided on the core layer 20. In this case, by covering the peripheral portion 13 of the impact absorbing material 10 with the covering material 16 so as to include the edge of the another layer, it is possible to prevent the layer from turning over.

[0083] The shape of the cells S of the hollow plate material 10a is not limited to a hexagonal prism. It may be a polygonal shape such as a square prism or an octagonal prism, or a cylindrical shape. Cells S of different shapes may be mixed. The cells S do not have to be adjacent to each other, and there may be a gap (space) between the cells S.

[0084] The hollow plate 10a having a plurality of cells S arranged in parallel therein is not limited to the embodiment of the present invention. For example, it may be a hollow plate made of corrugated plastic having a plurality of cells S in a harmonica shape, or a hollow plate having a plurality of cells S formed by sandwiching a sheet having cylindrical or conical protrusions from above and below. It may also be a hollow plate having a plurality of cells S in a honeycomb shape.

[0085] The shape of the impact absorbing material 10 can be selected as appropriate. For example, in the above embodiment, the impact absorbing material 10 has a shape curved along the vertical line L1, but it may have a shape curved along a horizontal line intersecting the vertical line L1, or may have a substantially hemispherical shape curved along both the vertical line L1 and the horizontal line. It may also have a flat plate shape, or a shape having a flat plate portion and a curved portion.

[0086] The covering material 16 is not limited to being sewn around the entire periphery of the periphery 13 of the impact absorbing material 10. It may be sewn partially around the periphery 13 of the impact absorbing material 10. Also, the covering material 16 may be omitted. In this case, instead of providing the peripheral portion 13, it is preferable to perform terminal processing to round the end face of the impact absorbing material 10. Examples of the method of terminal processing include processing to bend the upper wall portion 21 and the lower wall portion 22 at the peripheral portion of the impact absorbing material 10 so that their tips face each other and round the end face of the impact absorbing material 10 into a semicircular cross section, and processing to bend one of the upper wall portion 21 and the lower wall portion 22 at the peripheral portion of the impact absorbing material 10 to the other side and round the end face of the impact absorbing material 10 into a quarter-circular cross section.

[0087] One covering material 16 may be attached to each of the front and back surfaces of the impact absorbing material 10. In this case, each covering material 16 may be the same or different. In the forming process, the method of press-forming the flat hollow plate material 10a into a predetermined shape is not limited to the method of this embodiment. For example, the flat hollow plate material 10a may be softened by heating it with a heater or the like, and then molded by sandwiching the hollow plate material 10a from above and below with unheated dies. At this time, vacuum holes may be provided in the die to perform vacuum forming.

[0088] The shape and thickness of the impact absorbing material 10 are not particularly limited. For example, the thickness of the impact absorbing material 10 may be gradually reduced from the center toward the periphery, so that the impact absorbing material 10 is curved so that the center protrudes toward the surface. Impact absorbing material 10 of this shape can be formed, for example, by deforming the impact absorbing material 10 so that the periphery is stretched more than the center when the impact absorbing material 10 is heated and deformed into a desired curved shape.

[0089] The impact absorbing material 10 thus formed has one or more of the following configurations. The thickness of the core layer 20 gradually decreases from the center toward the periphery. The thickness of the skin layer 30 gradually decreases from the center toward the periphery. The area of ​​the upper wall portion 21 of each cell S gradually increases from the center toward the periphery. The area of ​​the upper wall portion 21 is larger than the area of ​​the lower wall portion 22. The side wall portions 23 of the cells S of the core layer 20 are formed perpendicular to the surface of the impact absorbing material 10 that constitutes the surface of the protector.

[0090] Next, technical ideas that can be understood from the above embodiment and modified examples will be described below. (i) The protector is a hollow plate material having a core layer in which a plurality of the cells, each having a polygonal or cylindrical shape, are arranged side by side, and skin layers are arranged on both the upper and lower surfaces of the core layer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 10...Shock absorbing material 13...Periphery 14…Hinge section 15…Wide section 16…Coating material 17…Notch

Claims

1. A protector for protecting a user's body, The shock absorbing material is made of a single hollow resin plate having a plurality of cells arranged side by side, A protector characterized in that the impact absorbing material is provided with a thin hinge portion for bending the impact absorbing material.

2. a covering material that covers a periphery of the impact absorbing material including an end of the hinge portion; 2. The protector according to claim 1, wherein a wide portion that is wider than a central portion of the hinge portion is provided at an end portion of the hinge portion where the covering material overlaps.

3. The protector according to claim 2 , wherein at least a surface of the wide portion that is on an inner side in the bending direction is a flat surface.

4. a covering material that covers a periphery of the impact absorbing material including an end of the hinge portion; The protector according to claim 1 , wherein a notch is provided in a portion where the covering material overlaps at the end of the hinge portion.

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