Protection device for the neck, process of making the same, garment comprising said protection device

Abstract

A wearable protection device for a neck of a human, the wearable protection device including: an envelope having a compartment and configured to delimit a seat that accommodates the neck, and an inflatable element housed in the compartment of the envelope and configured to have a deflated condition and an inflated condition.

1 . A wearable protection device for a neck of a mammal, said protection device comprising:
 at least one envelope having a compartment and extending along a longitudinal trajectory, wherein the envelope is configured to delimit a seat configured to accommodate a neck of a user wearing the wearable protection device,   at least one inflatable element housed in the compartment and configurable between a deflated condition and an inflated condition,   wherein the envelope has an outer surface,   wherein said outer surface of the envelope, in the deflated condition of the inflatable element, has a first area less than a second area defined by the outer surface of the envelope when the inflatable element is in the inflated condition,   wherein the envelope comprises an inner cover and an outer cover of sheet material, at least partially opposed to each other, wherein a maximum distance between the inner cover and the outer cover defines a height of the envelope, and   wherein a ratio between the height of the envelope, in the inflated condition of the inflatable element, and the height of the envelope in the deflated condition of the inflatable element is at least 2.   
     
     
         2 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio between the height of the envelope in the inflated condition of the inflatable element and the height of the same envelope when the inflatable element is in the deflated condition is in a range of 3 to 10. 
     
     
         3 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein t a ratio between the second area of the outer surface of the envelope and the first area of the outer surface of the envelope is in a range of 1.2 to 7. 
     
     
         4 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the envelope has, in a section along a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal trajectory, a closed outer perimeter,
 wherein the outer perimeter of the envelope, in the deflated condition of the inflatable element, has a first length less than a second length of the closed outer perimeter of the envelope when the inflatable element is in the inflated condition, and   wherein a ratio between the second length and the first length of the outer perimeter of the envelope is in a range of 1.2 to 7.   
     
     
         5 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner cover and the outer cover are joined by a seam at least at an outer peripheral portion of the envelope. 
     
     
         6 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 5 , wherein a range of 10% to 40% of the material forming the envelope is an elastically deformable material. 
     
     
         7 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner cover of the envelope comprises:
 a first portion made of a first material, and   a second portion made of a second material,   wherein the first material of the first portion of the inner cover is different from the second material of the second portion of the same inner cover, wherein the first material of the first portion of the inner cover is substantially non-elastically deformable,   wherein the second material of the second portion of the inner cover, during a transition of the inflatable element from the deflated to the inflated condition, is elastically deformable,   wherein the outer cover of the envelope comprises:
 a first portion made of a first material, and 
 a second portion made of a second material, 
   wherein the first material of the first portion of the outer cover is different from the second material of the second portion of the same outer cover, wherein the first material of the first portion of the outer cover is substantially non-elastically deformable, and   wherein the second material of the second portion of the outer cover, during the transition of the inflatable element from the deflated to the inflated condition, is elastically deformable.   
     
     
         8 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 7 , wherein the first material of the inner cover comprises a fabric including at least one of: nylon, polyester, cotton, synthetic aramid fiber, leather, nonwoven fabric, or Kevlar,
 wherein the second material of the inner cover comprises at least one of the following materials: rubber, polyurethane, or polyurethane synthetic fibers,   wherein the first material of the outer cover comprises a fabric including at least one of: nylon, polyester, cotton, synthetic aramid fiber, leather, nonwoven fabric, or Kevlar, and   wherein the second material of the outer cover comprises at least one of: materials: rubber, polyurethane, or synthetic fibers of polyurethane.   
     
     
         9 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 7 , wherein the first portion of the inner cover has a predetermined surface extent greater than a surface extent of the second portion of the same inner cover. 
     
     
         10 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable element, in the deflated condition, defines a substantially sheet-like shape, and
 wherein the envelope is counter-shaped to the inflatable element and has, in the inflated condition and the deflated condition of the inflatable element, the substantially sheet-like shape.   
     
     
         11 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner cover and the outer cover of the envelope, in the deflated condition of the inflatable element, are substantially facing and side by side each other. 
     
     
         12 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the envelope, in the deflated condition of the inflatable element, defines a substantially sheet-like shape, and
 wherein the envelope is counter-shaped to the inflatable element, wherein the envelope and the inflatable element have, in both the inflated condition and the deflated condition of the inflatable element, has the substantially sheet-like shape.   
     
     
         13 . A wearable protection device for a neck of a human, said protection device comprising:
 at least one envelope having a compartment and extending along a longitudinal trajectory, wherein the envelope is configured to delimit a seat which is configured to allow a user's neck to be accommodated,   at least one inflatable element housed in the compartment of the envelope and configurable between a deflated and an inflated condition,   wherein the envelope has an outer surface, wherein said outer surface of the envelope, in the deflated condition of the inflatable element, has a first area less than a second area defined by the same outer surface of the envelope when the inflatable element is in the inflated condition,   wherein the envelope comprises an inner cover and an outer cover of sheet material, at least partially opposed to each other,   wherein the inner cover of the envelope comprises:   a first portion made of a first material, and   a second portion made of a second material,   wherein the first material of the first portion of the inner cover is different from the second material of the second portion of the same inner cover, wherein the first material of the first portion of the inner cover is a substantially non-elastically deformable,   wherein the second material of the second portion of the inner cover, during the transition of the inflatable element from the deflated to the inflated condition, is an elastically deformable,   wherein the outer cover of the envelope comprises:
 a first portion made of a first material, and 
 a second portion made of a second material, 
   wherein the first material of the first portion of the outer cover is different from the second material of the second portion of the same outer cover, wherein the first material of the first portion of the outer cover is a substantially non-elastically deformable, and   wherein the second material of the second portion of the outer cover, during the transition of the inflatable element from the deflated to the inflated condition, is elastically deformable.   
     
     
         14 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 13 , wherein the first portion of the inner cover has a predetermined surface extent greater than a surface extent of the second portion of the same inner cover. 
     
     
         15 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 13 , wherein the envelope, in the deflated condition of the inflatable element, defines a substantially sheet-like shape, and
 wherein the envelope is countershaped to the inflatable element, wherein the envelope and the inflatable element have, in both the inflated condition and the deflated condition of the inflatable element, the substantially sheet-like shape.   
     
     
         16 . A wearable protection device for a neck of a human, said protection device comprising:
 at least one envelope having a compartment and extending along a longitudinal trajectory, wherein the envelope is configured to delimit a seat which is configured to allow a user's neck to be accommodated,   at least one inflatable element housed in the compartment of the envelope and configurable between a deflated and an inflated condition,   wherein the envelope includes an outer surface, wherein said outer surface of the envelope, in the deflated condition of the inflatable element, has a first area less than a second area defined by the outer surface of the envelope when the inflatable element is in the inflated condition,   wherein the envelope comprises an inner cover and an outer cover of sheet material, at least partially opposed to each other, and   wherein the inflatable element is fixed to at least one of the inner and outer covers at a peripheral portions joined together of said inner and outer covers.   
     
     
         17 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 16 , wherein the inflatable element is sewn to at least one of the inner cover or the outer cover, at seams joining said covers, placed at the outer peripheral portion of the envelope. 
     
     
         18 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 16 , wherein at least 70% of a surface extent of each of the inner cover and the outer cover, in the deflated condition and in the inflated condition of the inflatable element, are in direct contact with the inflatable element. 
     
     
         19 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 16 , wherein the inflatable element has an inner peripheral portion and an outer peripheral portion, wherein at least one section of the outer peripheral portion or the inner peripheral portion is sewn to the envelope. 
     
     
         20 . The wearable protection device according to  claim 16 , wherein the envelope has, in section along a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal trajectory, a closed outer perimeter,
 wherein the outer perimeter of the envelope, in the deflated condition of the inflatable element, has a first length less than a second length of the outer perimeter of the envelope when the inflatable element is in the inflated condition, and   wherein the ratio between the value of the second length to the value and the first length of the outer perimeter of the envelope is in a range of 1.2 to 7.