JOINT PROTECTION DEVICE AND METHOD
The invention is directed to a joint protection device that has a frame of an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material has a flash point above 500 degrees Celsius. A solid face is attached to the frame. The solid face has a first side and a second side and has a high gas permeability for an elastomer. A hardness adjustable structure is attached to the second side of the solid face. The hardness adjustable structure does not support microbiological growth. In one case, the elastomer is a silicone rubber, which meets the flame resistant or flame retardant clothing (FRC) requirements. This also makes the device flexible so that it is more comfortable to wear.
None
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCHNot Applicable
THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENTNot Applicable
REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGNot Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA number of joint protection devices have been developed. For instance, those used for sports generally have a hard outer shell with a pad attached to the hard outer shell by a fabric sheath or covering. The device is attached to a person by elastic straps or by placing the device in a pocket of a garment. The pad is commonly made of foam, formed from a carbon polymer. A variation has been to eliminate the hard outer shell and replace it with a durable cloth cover. An elastic band is generally used to attach to the device to the user.
Workers that are required to be on their knee or elbows have adopted some of these joint protection devices with mixed results. For instance, placing hard shell knee protection devices over a workers pants is uncomfortable to walk in and the hard shell tends to rock from side to side in use. Similar problems have been found for elbow protection devices.
One solution has been to place foam pads in specially designed pockets in the knee of pants. There have been a number of problems with this design, including the foam pads have to be removed to wash the pants and the workers knees tend to roll off the edge of the foam pads. In addition, none of these solutions meet the new OHSA requirement for flame resistant or flame retardant clothing (FRC). Carbon based polymers are highly flammable.
Thus there exists a need for a joint protection device that is comfortable to wear all day and meets the flame retardant/flame resistant requirements.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTIONA joint protection device that overcomes these and other problems has a frame of an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material has a flash point above 500 degrees Celsius. A solid face is attached to the frame. The solid face has a first side and a second side and has a high gas permeability for an elastomer. A hardness adjustable structure is attached to the second side of the solid face. The hardness adjustable structure does not support microbiological growth. In one embodiment, the elastomer is a silicone rubber, which meets the FRC requirements. This also makes the device flexible so that it is more comfortable to wear.
The invention is directed to a joint protection device that has a frame of an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material has a flash point above 500 degrees Celsius. A solid face is attached to the frame. The solid face has a first side and a second side and has a high gas permeability for an elastomer. A hardness adjustable structure is attached to the second side of the solid face. The hardness adjustable structure does not support microbiological growth. In one embodiment, the elastomer is a silicone rubber, which meets the FRC requirements. This also makes the device flexible so that it is more comfortable to wear.
In general, the joint protection device 10 is made of a single material. The preferred material is a nonorganic polymer such as silicone rubber. Most of the prior art devices are made of organic polymers. Silicone rubber offers good resistance to extreme temperatures, being able to operate normally from −55° C. to +300° C. Silicone rubber has a flash point of +750° C. At the extreme temperatures, the tensile strength, elongation, tear strength and compression set can be far superior to conventional rubbers. Organic rubber has a carbon to carbon backbone which can leave them susceptible to ozone, UV, heat and other ageing factors that silicone rubber can withstand well. This makes it one of the elastomers of choice in many extreme environments. Silicone rubber has a high gas permeability compared to organic elastomers, which allows it to breath. It is water resistant, is a good electrical insulator, and has low toxicity but does not support microbiological growth. This makes it a much better material than organic polymer foams used in most prior art joint protection pads. The silicone rubber of the present device may be solid or it may be foamed. Foaming the silicone rubber can allow for different hardness of the device. For instance, fewer bubbles will produce a harder device, while more bubbles and open cell foams will produce a lower hardness. The hardness of the device can also be adjusted by the formulation of the silicone rubber or some combination of these methods.
Thus there has been described a joint protection device that has a frame of an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material has a flash point above 500 degrees Celsius. A solid face is attached to the frame. The solid face has a first side and a second side and has a high gas permeability for an elastomer. A hardness adjustable structure is attached to the second side of the solid face. The hardness adjustable structure does not support microbiological growth. In one embodiment, the elastomer is a silicone rubber, which meets the FRC requirements. This also makes the device flexible so that it is more comfortable to wear.
While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alterations, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A joint protection device, comprising:
- a frame of an elastomeric material that has a flash point above 500 degrees Celsius;
- a solid face attached to the frame having a first side and a second side, the solid face having a high gas permeability for an elastomer;
- a hardness adjustable structure attached to the second side of the solid face, wherein the hardness adjustable structure does not support microbiological growth.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the hardness adjustable structure is made of the elastomeric material and has a plurality of voids.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein a depth of the hardness adjustable structure varies.
4. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of voids are a hexagonal close packed structure.
5. The device of claim 2, wherein the voids are not perpendicular to the solid face.
6. The device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of voids are cylindrical.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the hardness adjustable structure is made of the elastomeric material and has a plurality of channels.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material is a silicone rubber.
9. A method of making hardness adjustable joint protection device, comprising the steps of:
- selecting an elastomeric material with a high chemical resistance;
- selecting a joint on the human body to protect;
- creating a shape that covers the joint; and
- defining a plurality of voids in the shape to create a predefined hardness.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of creating a shape includes the step of determining a likely pressure to be experienced by the joint.
11. The method of claim 10, further including the step of determining the predefined hardness based on the likely pressure to be experience by the joint.
12. The method of claim 9, further selecting a slope of the plurality of voids to match a direction of travel when the joint impacts an object.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein the shape is contoured to a shape of the joint.
14. A joint protection device, comprising:
- an elastomeric structure having a shape designed to protect a joint, wherein the elastomeric material does not support microbiological growth;
- a plurality of voids in the elastomeric structure; and
- the shape having a thickness that varies across its length.
15. The device of claim 14, wherein at least some of the plurality of voids are not perpendicular to a surface of the elastomeric structure.
16. The device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of voids are not of uniform shape.
17. The device of claim 14, wherein the voids are uniformly placed over at least a portion of the elastomeric structure.
18. The device of claim 14, wherein the elastomeric material is a silicone rubber.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 12, 2010
Publication Date: May 24, 2018
Inventors: Dale T. Pelletier (Colorado Springs, CO), Daniel R. Matuszak (Colorado Springs, CO)
Application Number: 12/945,311