Protective appliance

Abstract

An appliance for protection against impact and strain injury, comprising an plurality of interconnected rigid or semi-rigid plates aligned in overlapping relationship on a central common ligament. The ligament is removably attachable to a garment by strips of hook and loop fastener attached along or the end regions of the ligament. When worn about a part of the body, the appliance permits limited relative movement between the plates thus providing impact resistance whilst maximizing flexural movement of the body part to which the appliances is attached. The plates may be stitched to or threaded upon the ligament which may itself comprise a strip of hook and loop fastener.

1 . An appliance for protection against impact and strain injury including a plurality of mutually overlapping interconnected plates of an impact-resistant material attached to or adapted to be attached to an article to be worn about a part of the body such as to permit limited relative movement between the plates; characterised in that at least some of the plates are aligned and movable along a common backing member; and in that means are provided for removably mounting the appliance on an article to be worn.  
   
   
       2 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the backing member is a ligament extending centrally along the appliance.  
   
   
       3 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the backing member is comprised by two or more ligaments extending along the appliance in spaced disposition.  
   
   
       4 . (canceled)  
   
   
       5 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein at least two of the interconnected plates are mounted in fixed relative disposition along the backing member.  
   
   
       6 . (canceled)  
   
   
       7 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the backing member forms, or includes, a fastener thus to be removably attachable to a part of the garment.  
   
   
       8 . An appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the fastener is a hook and loop fastener.  
   
   
       9 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , contained within a sleeve removably or permanently attached to a garment.  
   
   
       10 . An appliance according to  claim 5 , wherein said at least two of the interconnected plates are attached by stitching to the backing member.  
   
   
       11 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plates have loops and are threadedly mounted on the backing member.  
   
   
       12 . An appliance according to  claim 8 , wherein a strip of the hook and loop fastener extends along and is attached to the backing member.  
   
   
       13 . An appliance according to  claim 12 , wherein the strip of hook and loop fastener has a self-adhesive backing for attachment to the backing member.  
   
   
       14 . An appliance according to  claim 9 , wherein the sleeve is open-ended to receive the appliance, the open end or ends being closable by a strip of hook and loop fastener.  
   
   
       15 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein several strips of such appliance are removably attached to the back of a glove.  
   
   
       16 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein several strips of such appliance are attached to a sock thus selectively to provide a shin guard, ankle guard or a guard at the rear to protect the Achilles tendon region.  
   
   
       17 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the or at least some of the interconnected plates are formed such as to consist individually of an outer shell and an inner core having, relative to the outer shell, more highly impact-resistant properties.  
   
   
       18 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the backing member is formed at least one strip of hook and loop fastener with the interconnected plates threadedly engaged thereon in mutually overlapping relationship.  
   
   
       19 . An appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the backing member extends centrally along the row of interconnected plates, and further fastening means are provided removably to fasten outer side regions of at least some of said plates to a garment thus to prevent said side regions from lifting in use.