Limb protection device, in particular, shin guard

Abstract

A protective device, in particular a shin guard, includes one or more stacked layers that are coupled together and define a first face for contacting the body of a user and an opposite second face for facing outward, with elements engaging the protective device with an anatomical zone. At least one layer is made of a polymeric gel having an elasticity sufficient to return to the initial condition after a deformation caused by an impact, or alternatively of an expanded plastic material that is deformable and elastically compressible. The first face has a three-dimensional conformation, with the areas of contact with the user's body projecting outwards toward the user's body to a greater extent than other areas that are recessed, the recessed areas being interposed between the protruding areas and failing to come in contact with the user's body in the absence of deformations caused by an impact.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective device for an anatomical zone of a user, the protective device comprising:
 one or more layers that are stacked and coupled together, the one or more layers defining a first face to be in contact with the anatomical zone of the user and a second, opposite face to be facing outward; and   elements that engage the one or more layers against the anatomical zone,   wherein at least one of the one or more layers is made of a polymeric gel and having an elasticity sufficient to return to an initial condition after a deformation following an impact, or of an expanded plastic material that is deformable and elastically compressible,   wherein the first face has a three-dimensional conformation, and   wherein the first face has first areas projecting outward toward the anatomical zone to a greater extent than second areas that are recessed with respect to the first areas, the second areas being interposed between the first areas and failing to come into contact with the anatomical zone in absence of deformations caused by the impact.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein on the first face, at least some of the first areas protrude beyond the second areas by a predetermined amount that is larger than other first areas, whereby, when not dynamically stressed, the first face comes first into the contact with the anatomical zone only in correspondence with the at least some of the first areas. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second areas have different distributions, configurations, and/or surface extensions based on a contact area within the anatomical zone, a contact energy, and/or an impact impulse that the device must be able to absorb completely or at least partially. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising, in at least some predetermined areas of the first face, a combination of ribs oriented in mutually non-parallel or crossed directions so as to generate a combination of alveolar cells that are delimited laterally, are open on a side facing the anatomical zone, and are closed on a side opposite thereto,
 wherein the combination of alveolar cells defines alveolar areas on the first face, the ribs that define the alveolar cells optionally having heights in one or more of the alveolar areas that are different from heights in one or more different alveolar areas.   
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein the alveolar cells have different widths in different areas of the first face. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein the heights of the alveolar cells change progressively according to a predetermined distribution curve, or change in steps, and wherein, optionally, the closed sides of the alveolar cells are at different levels between so as to cause the alveolar cells to be spaced from the anatomical zone to different extents. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein at least some of the alveolar areas are surrounded at least in part by separation channels having bottoms that are in a lower position than upper edges of the ribs and/or from the closed sides of the alveolar cells, the separation channels having predetermined widths thus spacing out, by a predetermined amount, adjacent alveolar areas. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein at least some of the alveolar areas are surrounded by a perimeter rib closed on itself and having a height substantially corresponding to the height of the ribs terminating against the perimeter rib. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein the perimeter rib separates the at least some of the alveolar areas from the separation channels. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein the alveolar cells have a polygonal plan shape. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more layers is made of a material having a memory. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is configured as a shin guard and has a substantially symmetrical plan shape with respect to a longitudinal axis of the device. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the device has a trapezoidal plan shape, with edges which are curved at an upper side and at a lower side of the shin guard, side edges of the shin guard being straight. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein at two upper corner zones defined between the side edges and the upper side of the shin guard, two zones are provided having position, size and plan shape that are symmetrically identical with respect to the longitudinal axis of the device, the two zones comprising a three-dimensional conformation of a contact surface with a tibial area of a leg. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein the upper corner zones have a conformation with alveolar cells defined by ribs that delimit an open upper end and that protrude to a greater extent towards the leg at an area adjacent to corner areas of the device. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein a region is defined in a lower region of the trapezoidal shape having alveolar cells with open upper ends, the alveolar cells being delimited by ribs protruding to a greater extent toward the leg than an adjacent area. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 16 , wherein the alveolar cells in the upper corner zones and in the lower region have an identical shape, with identical plan dimensions and with identical upward projections. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 16 , wherein the upper corner zones and/or the lower region are delimited by a continuous perimeter rib that is closed on itself both toward an outside and towards adjacent zone or zones having lower extending protrusions. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 16 , wherein an intermediate zone is provided between the upper corner zones and the lower region, the intermediate zone being having a three-dimensional structure made of alveolar cells that are open at contact side towards the anatomical zone to be protected, and wherein the alveolar cells in the intermediate zone have ribs and/or bases that protrude outwardly less that the ribs and/or bases of the alveolar cells in the upper corner zones and in the intermediate region. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 19 , wherein the alveolar cells in the intermediate zone have a plan shape that is identical to the plan shape of the alveolar cells in the upper corner zones and in the lower region, and plan dimensions that are smaller than the plan dimensions of the alveolar cells in the upper corner zones and the lower region. 
     
     
         21 . The device according to  claim 19 , wherein the intermediate zone, the upper corner zones, and/or the lower region are spaced apart along adjacent edges by one or more channels extending parallel to segments of the alveolar ribs of the alveolar cells delimiting the upper corner zones, the lower region, and/or the intermediate zones. 
     
     
         22 . The device according to  claim 19 , wherein at least the upper corner zones and/or the lower region have the alveolar cells with the ribs protruding outwardly to a different extent and decreasing from an outermost perimeter edge toward an innermost edge the upper corner zones and/or the lower region in at least one direction.