Guard for protecting one's neck, and related methods and systems

Abstract

A guard to protect the neck of a person absorbs kinetic energy from an object that, if not for the guard, would strike the person's neck. The guard includes a body that has a material that deforms when an object strikes it, a shape configured to cover the posterior region of each of the cervical vertebrae of a person's spine when the guard is worn by a person to protect their neck, and a coupler to position and hold the body over the posterior region of each of the cervical vertebrae of a person's spine. The guard's body also includes a first region positioned above a person's first cervical vertebrae, when the guard is worn by a person to protect their neck, and a second region positioned above a person's last cervical vertebrae, when the guard is worn by a person to protect their neck.

1 . A guard for absorbing kinetic energy from an object to protect the neck of a person wearing the guard, the guard comprising:
 a body that includes:
 a material that deforms when an object strikes the material; 
 a shape configured to cover the posterior region of each of the cervical vertebrae of a person's spine such that when the guard is worn by a person to protect their neck, the guard:
 is positioned away from the person's neck to form a gap between the guard and the person's neck, wherein the gap extends over most of the person's plurality of cervical vertebrae, and 
 remains positioned away from the person's neck while an object strikes the guard, such that the gap between the guard and the person's neck remains over most of the person's plurality of cervical vertebrae, 
 
 a first region positioned above a person's first cervical vertebrae, when the guard is worn by a person to protect their neck, and 
 a second region positioned above a person's last cervical vertebrae, when the guard is worn by a person to protect their neck; and 
 a coupler consisting of two straps, each attached to the first region, to hang the body to cover the posterior region of each of the cervical vertebrae of a person's spine; and 
 wherein, when the guard is worn by a person to protect their neck, only the coupler positions and holds the body to cover the posterior region of each of the cervical vertebrae of the person's spine. 
   
     
     
         2 . The guard of  claim 1  wherein the material includes acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic. 
     
     
         3 . The guard of  claim 1  wherein the material elastically deforms when an object strikes the material. 
     
     
         4 . The guard of  claim 1  wherein the material plastically deforms when an object strikes the material. 
     
     
         5 . The guard of  claim 1  wherein the second region of the body shape is configured to cover the posterior region of one or more thoracic vertebrae of a person's spine when the guard is worn by a person to protect their neck. 
     
     
         6 . The guard of  claim 1  wherein the second region has a width that is greater than the width of the remainder of the body. 
     
     
         7 . The guard of  claim 1  wherein the second region is configured to transmit kinetic energy absorbed from an object to a person's trapezius muscle, when a person wears the guard to protect their neck. 
     
     
         8 . The guard of  claim 1  wherein the body includes a longitudinal axis and the shape of the body includes a curve that extends about the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         9 . The guard of  claim 1  wherein when a person wears the guard to protect their neck, the body hangs from a helmet worn by the person. 
     
     
         10 . The guard of  claim 1  wherein the coupler releasably hangs the body. 
     
     
         11 . The guard of  claim 1  wherein the coupler includes a multitude of loops that are releasably attachable to a multitude of hooks, to releasably hand the body. 
     
     
         12 . The guard of  claim 1  further comprising a pad disposed between the body and a person's neck when the person wears the guard to protect their neck. 
     
     
         13 . The guard of  claim 1  further comprising a sleeve configured to hold the body, wherein the coupler releasably positions the sleeve such that the body is over the posterior region of each of the cervical vertebrae of a person's spine. 
     
     
         14 . A method for protecting a person's neck by absorbing kinetic energy from an object, the method comprising:
 positioning a guard over the posterior region of each of the cervical vertebrae of a person's spine, the guard comprising a body that includes:
 a shape that covers the posterior region of each of the cervical vertebrae of a person's spine such that the guard;
 is positioned away from the person's neck forming a gap that extends over most of the person's plurality of cervical vertebrae between the guard and the person's neck, and 
 remains positioned away from the person's neck when an object strikes the guard, such that the gap between the guard and the person's neck remains over most of the person's plurality of cervical vertebrae, 
 a first region that covers the person's first cervical vertebrae, 
 a second region that covers the person's last cervical vertebrae, and 
 a material that deforms when an object strikes the material; and 
 
   hanging, with a coupler consisting of two straps, the guard to cover the posterior region of each of the cervical vertebrae of a person's spine, such that only the coupler positions and holds the guard to cover the posterior region of each of the cervical vertebrae of the person's spine.   
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein holding the guard includes hanging the guard's body from a helmet worn by the person. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein positioning the guard includes positioning the body's second region over at least one of the thoracic vertebrae of the person's spine. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising deflecting an object away from the person's cervical vertebrae. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the guard's body elastically deforming to absorb kinetic energy from an object. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the guard's body plastically deforming to absorb kinetic energy from an object. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the body's second region transmitting kinetic energy from the object to the person's trapezius muscle. 
     
     
         22 .- 24 . (canceled)