Wearable protection device

Abstract

A wearable protection device for protection of at least a body part of a wearer, comprising an inflatable element arranged adjacent to a body part to be protected, wherein the inflatable element is inflatable from a first, substantially uninflated condition to a second, substantially inflated condition, by application of a releasable source of a gas to the inflatable element, for at least partially filling of the inflatable element with said gas, wherein the inflatable element, when being inflated to the second condition, deploys around the body part to be protected and assumes a predetermined three-dimensional shape adapted to the body part to be protected, wherein the inflatable element comprises a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is the end where the inflatable element is arranged on the body part to be protected when in the first, substantially uninflated condition.

1 . A wearable protection device for protection of at least a body part of a wearer, comprising:
 an inflatable element arranged adjacent to a body part to be protected,   wherein the inflatable element is inflatable from a first, substantially uninflated condition to a second, substantially inflated condition, by application of a releasable source of a gas to the inflatable element, for at least partially filling of the inflatable element with said gas,   wherein the inflatable element, when being inflated to the second condition, deploys around the body part to be protected and assumes a predetermined three-dimensional shape adapted to the body part to be protected,   wherein the inflatable element comprises a proximal end and a distal end,   wherein the proximal end is the end where the inflatable element is arranged on the body part to be protected when in the first, substantially uninflated condition, wherein the distal end is the end of the inflatable element when in the second, substantially inflated condition that is distal from the proximal end, and   wherein the inflatable element comprises a retention element to prevent the inflatable element from flaring out during and/or after deployment into the second condition.   
     
     
         2 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the retention element is at least one retention element adapted to induce a first curvature to the inflatable element in a first region, and to induce a second curvature to the inflatable element in a second region, when the inflatable element is in the inflated, second condition. 
     
     
         3 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the retention element is at least one element out of the group consisting of an integral connection, an integrally woven connection, a connecting element, a seam, a weld, a rivet, a tether, a tether yarn within the inflatable element, a skirt-like element, and a substantially uninflatable skirt-like element. 
     
     
         4 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable element comprises at least two inflatable regions, and wherein the retention element is arranged towards the distal end of the inflatable element. 
     
     
         5 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 4 , wherein the inflatable element comprises an opening between two of the at least two inflatable regions, the proximal end and the distal end, in particular extending substantially parallel to the lengthwise extension of the body part. 
     
     
         6 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 4 , wherein the inflatable element comprises a V-shaped, U-shaped or slitted opening between two of the at least two inflatable regions, arranged distal from the retention element. 
     
     
         7 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the wearable protection device is arranged around the circumference of the body part to be protected and deploys along a lengthwise extension of the body part to be protected, wherein deploying comprises one of inflating the inflatable element and extending in length in the direction of the lengthwise extension of the body part to be protected. 
     
     
         8 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable element is arranged adjacent to a body part to be protected such that the body part to be protected comprises a circumference between the proximal end and the distal end that is larger than the circumference of the body part to be protected of at least one of the proximal end and the distal end. 
     
     
         9 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable element comprises a channeling element at least partly extending in a circumference direction of the inflatable element and accommodated within the inflatable element for distribution of the gas for inflating the inflatable element, wherein the channeling element in particular comprises a plurality of openings for releasing the gas from the channeling element into the interior of the inflatable element. 
     
     
         10 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 9 , wherein the channeling element is adapted to receive the gas for inflating the inflatable element and is adapted for generally guiding the gas in the circumference direction to allow even distribution of the gas across the length of the channeling element and from the channeling element into the interior of the inflatable element for substantially evenly inflating the inflatable element, in particular in the lengthwise extension direction of the body part. 
     
     
         11 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 9 , wherein the channeling element is shaped to accommodate an anatomical shape of the body part to be protected when arranged adjacent to the body part to be protected. 
     
     
         12 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 8 , wherein the wearable protection device comprises a one-piece woven fabric and wherein the channeling element is integrally formed within the one-piece woven fabric. 
     
     
         13 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one inflatable cushion element, wherein the inflatable cushion element is arranged between the body of the wearer and the wearable protection device, and wherein the inflatable cushion element is inflatable together with the inflatable element, in particular wherein the at least one inflatable cushion element is arranged adjacent to one end of the channeling element. 
     
     
         14 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the wearable protection device comprises a one-piece woven fabric with woven in tethers for providing the defined three-dimensional shape when in the substantially inflated condition, in particular wherein the defined three-dimensional shape is adapted to the body part to be protected. 
     
     
         15 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the wearable protection device comprises at least two inflatable elements arranged symmetrically to a body axis of the wearer, in particularly symmetrical with regard to the longitudinal axis of the wearer. 
     
     
         16 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the wearable protection device is a hip protection device, in particular to be worn around the waist of the wearer and protecting the body part in the event of a fall incident.