Patent US5034998A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5034998A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Protective device for reducing injury from falls
Assignee: HPI HEALTH PROTECTION Inc A CORP OF NY
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Filing: 1990-06-12
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Granted: 1991-07-30
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Expires: 2010-06-12
Abstract
Abstract A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls comprises a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers and releasable fasteners such as VELCRO strips at spaced apart locations on the sheet for enabling securing of the sheet to a person's hips. The releasable fasteners on the sheet may function to releasably fasten the sheet to a garment such as a coat or robe. The fluid filled bubbles of the sheet material are designed to maximize protection in the areas where enhanced impacts are expected to occur during falls.
Inventors
- 👤 Rodger E. Kolsky
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 18:58
CPC Classifications
A; A41; A41D; A41D13/00; A41D13/05; A41D13/0506; A41D13/015; A41D13/0155; A41D13/0156; A41D13/055; A41D13/0556; A41D13/0568; A63; A63B; A63B71/00; A63B71/08; A63B71/081; A63B2071/083; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S2/00; Y10S2/908; Y10S2/91; Y10S2/912; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24008; Y10T428/24017; Y10T428/24628; Y10T428/24661
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
70 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a person's hips, said attachment means including exactly one tensile belt-type strip, said strip being disposed along one edge of said sheet, said attachment means further including releasable fasteners at spaced apart locations along said strip.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
70 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a person's hips, said attachment means including exactly one tensile belt-type strip, said strip being disposed along one edge of said sheet, said attachment means further including releasable fasteners at spaced apart locations along said strip.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The device set forth in claim 1 wherein said releasable fasteners include hook and loop type fastener strips.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The device set forth in claim 1 wherein said sheet is an annular sector and assumes a frustoconical shape upon fastening of said releasable fasteners to one another.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The device set forth in claim 1 wherein said sheet is substantially rectangular.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The device set forth in claim 1 wherein said chambers have rupturable walls.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The device set forth in claim 1 wherein said sheet has a plurality of layers, each of said layers comprising a web of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device set forth in claim 6 wherein fluid filled chambers of a first of said layers are laterally staggered with respect to fluid filled chambers of another of said layers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The device set forth in claim 1 wherein said chambers have different sizes in accordance with the expected magnitudes of forces experienced by different areas of said sheet in a fall of the person.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The device set forth in claim 1 wherein said chambers are filled with gas at different pressures in accordance with the expected magnitudes of forces experienced by different areas of said sheet in a fall of the person.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The device set forth in claim 1 wherein said chambers are filled with air.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
12 words
The device set forth in claim 1 wherein said chambers are discrete.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The device set forth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said chambers communicate with one another via channels.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The device set forth in claim 1 wherein said belt-type strip constitutes an edge portion of said sheet.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
58 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers, said sheet being in the form of an annular sector; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet to a person so that said sheet assumes a frustoconical shape around the person's hips.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
58 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers, said sheet being in the form of an annular sector; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet to a person so that said sheet assumes a frustoconical shape around the person's hips.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
67 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; and attachment means on said sheet for temporarily securing said sheet to a garment at a predetermined region of said garment so that said sheet is disposed around a corresponding part of a person upon donning of said garment by such person.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
67 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; and attachment means on said sheet for temporarily securing said sheet to a garment at a predetermined region of said garment so that said sheet is disposed around a corresponding part of a person upon donning of said garment by such person.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
The device as set forth in claim 15 wherein said attachment means includes a fastener element on an inside surface of said garment so that said sheet is attached in the manner of a liner to said garment at the hip region thereof.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
40 words
A protective assembly for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; and a garment provided with a pocket on an inside surface for receiving said sheet.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
40 words
A protective assembly for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; and a garment provided with a pocket on an inside surface for receiving said sheet.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
63 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a person's hips; and an extension of flexible polymeric material connected to said sheet and provided with an array of fluid filled chambers for covering the back of the person.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
63 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a person's hips; and an extension of flexible polymeric material connected to said sheet and provided with an array of fluid filled chambers for covering the back of the person.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
79 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a person's hips; and an extension of flexible polymeric material connected to said sheet and provided with an array of fluid filled chambers for covering a portion of a leg of the person, further comprising additional attachment means for securing said extension around the person's leg.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
79 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a person's hips; and an extension of flexible polymeric material connected to said sheet and provided with an array of fluid filled chambers for covering a portion of a leg of the person, further comprising additional attachment means for securing said extension around the person's leg.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
59 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymer material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers, said chambers having walls of different strengths, whereby said chambers rupture upon application of different magnitudes of force; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a predetermined part of a person's anatomy.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
59 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymer material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers, said chambers having walls of different strengths, whereby said chambers rupture upon application of different magnitudes of force; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a predetermined part of a person's anatomy.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
53 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of rupturable fluid filled chambers; means for indicating that any one of said chambers has ruptured; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a predetermined part of a person's anatomy.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
53 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of rupturable fluid filled chambers; means for indicating that any one of said chambers has ruptured; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a predetermined part of a person's anatomy.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
22 words
The device set forth in claim 20 wherein said means for indicating includes a tint applied to the fluid filling said chambers.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
67 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a predetermined part of a person's anatomy, said chambers having different sizes in accordance with the expected magnitudes of forces experienced by different areas of said sheet in a fall of the person.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
67 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a predetermined part of a person's anatomy, said chambers having different sizes in accordance with the expected magnitudes of forces experienced by different areas of said sheet in a fall of the person.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
71 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a predetermined part of a person's anatomy, said chambers being filled with gas at different pressures in accordance with the expected magnitudes of forces experienced by different areas of said sheet in a fall of the person.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
71 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a predetermined part of a person's anatomy, said chambers being filled with gas at different pressures in accordance with the expected magnitudes of forces experienced by different areas of said sheet in a fall of the person.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
52 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers, a plurality of said chambers communicating with one another via channels; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a predetermined part of a person's anatomy.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
52 words
A protective device for reducing incidence of injury from falls, comprising: a sheet of flexible polymeric material provided with an array of fluid filled chambers, a plurality of said chambers communicating with one another via channels; and attachment means for temporarily securing said sheet around a predetermined part of a person's anatomy.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-07-29 | 1995-01-28 | 1995-07-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-07-29 | 1999-01-28 | 1999-07-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-07-29 | 2003-01-28 | 2003-07-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |