PROTECTIVE KNEE PAD

Abstract

The invention relates to a protective knee pad (1) for workmen, the protective knee pad comprising a knee support (100) and a protective member (200), said knee support comprising a front portion (10) and a rear portion (20), wherein the knee support is adapted to be wrapped around a user's knee and the protective member comprises a plurality of interconnected overlapping plates (40).

Claims

1. A protective knee pad for workmen, the protective knee pad comprising a knee support and a protective member, said knee support comprising a front portion and a rear portion which is detachably securable to the front portion, wherein the knee support is strapless and adapted to be wrapped around a user's knee and the protective member comprises a plurality of interconnected overlapping plates.

2. A protective knee pad according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the front portion and an inner surface of the rear portion comprise fastening means for detachably securing the rear portion to the front portion.

3. A protective knee pad according to claim 2, wherein the protective member is detachably secured to the front portion of the knee support.

4. A protective knee pad according to claim 3, wherein the plates are aligned along a single backing member or along two more backing members.

5. (canceled)

6. A protective knee pad according to claim 4, wherein the front portion and an exposed surface of the or each backing member comprises fastening means for detachably securing the protective member to the front portion.

7. A protective knee pad according to claim 1, wherein the protective knee pad comprises a cover for the protective member.

8. A protective knee pad according to claim 7, wherein the cover is detachably secured to the front portion of the knee support.

9. A protective knee pad according to claim 8, wherein the front portion and the cover comprise fastening means for detachably securing the cover to the front portion.

10. A protective knee pad according to claim 7, wherein the cover comprises a water-resistant or waterproof material.

11. A protective knee pad according to claim 10, wherein the water-resistant or waterproof material is provided in the form of a continuous web or sheet.

12. A protective knee pad according to claim 11, wherein the continuous web or sheet is attached to an inner surface of the cover.

13. (canceled)

14. A protective knee pad according to claim 2, wherein the fastening means extends across or covers a major portion of the front portion.

15. A protective knee pad according to claim 14, wherein the fastening means comprises hook and loop fastening means.

16. (canceled)

17. A protective knee pad according to claim 1, wherein the front portion comprises a cushion member.

18. (canceled)

19. A protective knee pad according to claim 1, wherein the rear portion of the knee support is elasticated.

20. A protective knee pad according to claim 1, wherein the rear portion of the knee support comprises an aperture.

21. A protective knee pad according to claim 1, wherein the rear portion of the knee support comprises one or more tabs.

22. (canceled)

23. A protective knee pad according to claim 1, wherein the knee support comprises a gripping band, and, wherein the gripping band extends across an upper region and/or a lower region of the knee support.

24. (canceled)

25. A kit comprising a strapless knee support adapted to be wrapped around a user's knee and a protective member detachably secured to the knee support.

26. A kit according to claim 25, wherein the kit comprises a cover for the protective member.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] In order that the invention may be more clearly understood one or more embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a front view of the protective knee pad in which the protective member is attached to the knee support.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a front view of a knee support in accordance with the present invention.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the knee support shown in FIG. 2.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a front view of the protective member in accordance with the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows a rear view of the protective member shown in FIG. 4.

[0049] FIG. 6 shows a front view of a cover in accordance with the present invention.

[0050] FIG. 7 shows a rear view of the cover shown in FIG. 6.

[0051] A protective knee pad 1 in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The protective knee pad 1 comprises a knee support 100 and a protective member 200.

[0052] As best shown in FIG. 3 the knee support 100 comprises a front portion 10 and a rear portion 20 which is joined to the front portion 10 at a fold line 30. A loop closure fabric such as velvet is permanently secured to the outer surface of the front portion 10. The velvet may comprise natural fibres and/or synthetic fibres. In this embodiment the loop closure fabric comprises polyester. The loop closure fabric covers most of, if not all of the outer surface of the front portion 10 to provide a large surface on to which the protective member 200 and the rear portion 20 can be attached.

[0053] A fabric layer is stitched to the inner surface of the front portion 10 around its periphery to define a cavity that is adapted to receive a cushion member 11. The cushion member 11 in this embodiment comprises an outer foam layer and an inner foam layer which faces a user's knee in use. The outer foam layer comprises nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) foam while the inner foam layer comprises styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) foam. The thickness of the outer and inner foam layers is 1.2 cm and 0.5 cm respectively. In some embodiments the cavity is adapted to house multiple cushion members 11 in a corresponding number of discrete pockets. The thickness of the cushion members is varied so that thicker cushion members 11 are positioned over areas of the knee that are known to experience the greatest impact.

[0054] The rear portion 20 is elasticated and is formed from a stretch-mesh material comprising a mixture of elastic and polyester. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 an aperture 21 is provided in a central region of the rear portion and is positioned to face the rear of a user's knee in use. The aperture 21 helps reduce crimping of the rear portion 20 thereby improving comfort while the protective knee pad 1 is being worn by an individual.

[0055] A strip of hook closure fabric 22, e.g. nylon, is permanently secured along the side edge of the rear portion by stitching. However, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments the strip 22 may be replaced by a plurality of hook closure fabric strips (not shown) that are spaced apart and extend along the side edge of the rear portion 20. This arrangement enables the rear portion 20 to be detachably secured to the front portion 10 comprising the loop fabric material. The knee support 100 additionally comprises two closure tabs 23 that are secured between the inner surface of the rear portion 20 and the strip 22 of hook closure fabric. The tabs 23 are formed from a plastics material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The tabs 23 in this embodiment have a generally semi-circular profile. The tabs 23 facilitate wrapping and un-wrapping of the knee support 100 around a user's knee.

[0056] As best shown in FIG. 3, two gripping bands 24 extend between the side edge of the front portion 10 and the strip 22 of hook closure fabric provided on the inner surface of the rear portion 20. The gripping bands 24 are formed from a non-slip material to prevent or at least reduce movement of the knee support 100 when being worn by an individual. In particular, the gripping bands 24 comprise a mixture of elastic and polyester.

[0057] The protective member 200 of the present invention comprises a plurality of interconnected overlapping plates 40 that are adapted to conform to the shape of an individual's knee. Each plate 40 is elongated and has a generally v-shaped profile. The protective member 200 comprises interconnected overlapping plates 40 of varying widths. In particular, FIG. 4 shows that the protective member 200 comprises thirteen plates 40 and that six plates 40 are provided above and below a central plate having the greatest width dimension. It can also be seen that the plate 40 width reduces incrementally from the central plate towards the outermost plates of the protective member 200.

[0058] Each plate 40 comprises a central ridge 41 and two pairs of slots 42 (one pair either side of the ridge) that are adapted to threadably receive respective backing members 43. Each backing member 43 may be elasticated so as to allow the backing members 43 and the interconnected overlapping plates 40 to flex as an individual wearing the protective knee pad 1 moves from a standing position to a kneeling position and vice-versa. To secure the plates 40, each end of the backing member 43 is threaded through the slots 42 in the outermost plates 40, is folded back on itself and then stitched to the main body of the backing member 43. Each backing member 43 may be formed from or provided with a hook fabric material for detachable engagement with the loop fabric material covering the outer surface of the front portion 10. This arrangement means that the protective member 200 can be substituted for another protective member 200 easily and quickly when desired. The hook fabric material in this embodiment is stitched to the free surface of the backing member 43, although it will be appreciated that alternative attachment means could be used to secure the hook fabric to the backing member 43, e.g. a layer of double-sided adhesive tape.

[0059] In this embodiment the plates 40 are formed from high density polyethylene (HDPE), which enables the protective member 200 to resist a force of at least 250 N according to European Standard EN14404:2004+A1:2010. It should be noted however, that it is not the material choice alone that enables the protective member 200 to resist forces of at least 250 N, it is a combination of the material choice and the way in which the plates 40 are arranged, i.e. the overlapping plate 40 configuration, which ensures that impacts in the knee region are distributed throughout the protective member 200 over a large surface area.

[0060] In another embodiment, the plates 40 of the protective member 200 are formed from a non-slip material such as thermal plastic rubber or thermoplastic polyurethane in which case the protective member 200 is particularly suited for workmen such as roofers. In other embodiments the plates 40 are formed from or provided with a coating that is resistant to oil or certain chemicals which would otherwise degrade the plates 40 under normal circumstances. Accordingly, such protective members 200 are particularly suitable for use by individuals who work in the oil and chemical industries. Similarly, in another embodiment the plates 40 are formed from or coated with a flame-resistant material in which case the protective member 200 could be used by fireman for example.

[0061] In this embodiment of the invention there is provided a cover 50 for the protective member 200. The cover is formed from nylon and has a substantially octagonal cross-section. The inner surface of the cover 50 is provided with a water-resistant or waterproof material, e.g. a Cordura® fabric. The inner surface of the cover is also provided with strips 51 of hook fabric along some or all of its edges for detachably engaging the loop fabric covering the front portion 10. In contrast, the outer surface of the cover 50 is provided with two spaced apart strips 52 located above and below one of the cover's longitudinal edges. The strips 52 comprise a loop fabric material and extend inwardly from an angled edge of the cover 50. This arrangement enables the cover 50 to be detachably secured to the front portion 10 and the rear portion 20 to be detachably secured to the cover 50 when present.

[0062] The knee support 100 is adapted to be wrapped around an Individual's knee, meaning the that the knee support 100 can be readily adjusted to conform to a variety of leg sizes and/or to accommodate an individual wearing a pair of workman's trousers. Accordingly, the protective knee pad 1 of the present invention offers improved comfort over conventional knee pads having elasticated sleeve knee supports or knee supports comprising straps which bite into the legs and restrict blood flow.

[0063] The knee support 100 and a protective member 200 may be provided separately but, in this embodiment, they form part of a kit. It will be appreciated that the kit may additionally comprise the cover 50 for the protective member and/or one or more additional protective members 200. The interchangeability of the protective members 200 means that the protective knee pad 100 can be used by a variety of workmen in a variety of environments.

[0064] The one or more embodiments are described above by way of example only. Many variations are possible.