EP0614686B1 - Knee-pad for sportsman - Google Patents

Abstract

Cushions cover the joint at parts of the thigh and shin at the front and sides, and are secured by parallel straps above and below the knee-joint. Three middle cushions (10-12) bear against each other along horizontal lines, an upper one covering the kneecap and a lower one (12) the shinbone and are of regular hexagonal shape. Honeycomb-type cushions (13,14) are joined to them at the sides, so as to form a triangle whose geometry in relation to the kneecap and shinbone does not essentially alter on bending the knee. The top and bottom cushion areas (4,5) can have lateral cushions (8,13) to protect the epicondylus lateralis and medialis of the os femoris and the condylus lateralis and medialis of the tibia.

Description

The invention relates to a knee protector for athletes, which has a fastening part surrounding the knee in front and on the side of the cushion part and parts of the thigh and lower leg in the region of the knee.

US Pat. No. 3,772,704 describes knee protection in accordance with the preamble of the main claim. There is an upper fastening strip with which the knee protector is fastened to the thigh. There are also several lower fastening strips with which the knee protector is fastened to the lower leg.

Knee guards of the type in question are used in particular in those sports in which the athlete can regularly be expected to come into contact with the ground, especially in indoor sports such as volleyball and handball.

In addition to the elbow, for which special, differently designed protectors are used, the knee with its various exposed areas, which will be discussed later, is particularly sensitive to injury and pain. Knee protectors of the type mentioned, as sold, for example, by the applicant under the name "pro-tection indoor knee protection", have at least cushion areas which face the patella, the two on the side of the patella on the thigh bone (Os femoris) lateral and medial epicondyle, which include the tibial tuberosity below the kneecap on the tibia and the lateral and medial condyle lying to the side of it. In a preferred manner, the fibulae of the fibula is also padded. In order to be able to keep the cushion areas in contact with the knee even when the knee is bent, the upholstery part of the above-mentioned knee protectors is divided into individual cushions. The knee is fastened by a stocking part, the individual pads being inserted into the stocking part between two textile layers.

The disadvantage of knee protectors of the type described herewith is that when the knee is bent, abrasion movements between the cushion area and the skin necessarily occur. This is due to the fact that the knee is stretched in the front in the longitudinal center line, i. H. a connecting line between fixed points on the thigh on the one hand and the shin on the other hand is extended when the knee is bent or shortened when the knee is stretched. Corresponding shortenings also take place in the hollow of the knee, i.e. H. a line connecting fixed points on the back of the thigh and on the calf shortens when the knee is bent and lengthens when the knee is extended. The elasticity of the material cannot fully compensate for this. This leads to displacements of the upholstery in relation to the areas of the leg to be protected, so that an optimal protective effect can only be achieved in certain positions of the knee. The constant relative movements can also cause the entire knee protector to slip into a position in which optimal protection is no longer possible.

Proceeding from this, the present invention is based on the object of providing a knee protector of the type mentioned at the outset, which enables improved protection for the exposed parts of the knee area regardless of the knee being bent. This is also intended to reduce the risk of the knee protector shifting and slipping during use.

These tasks are accomplished by a knee protector according to claim 1.

With the means proposed herewith on the one hand it is achieved that the knee can be bent against one another without moving the fastening parts. Furthermore, the pad area for the patella is carried along with the lower fastening strip in an anatomically correct manner in accordance with the flexion of the lower leg, so that it is protected by the individual pad provided for this purpose, both when the joint is bent and when it is stretched.

The two cushion areas are displaceable due to the elastic area. The elastic area makes it easier to bend the knee.

The two padding areas could in principle comprise large pads that match the shape of the knee. However, the division according to the invention into individual pads, which serve to protect certain exposed areas of the knee and are assigned to them, is more favorable. The relevant areas have already been mentioned above.

It is envisaged that the lower pad area includes pads to protect the lateral and medial condyles of the tibia, and further that the upper pad area includes pads to protect the epicondyle lateralis and medialis des Os femoris and that finally the lower pad area below the pad for the kneecap includes at least one additional pad to protect the tuberosity.

It is further provided that approximately three similar pads for the kneecap and tuberosity tibiae are arranged in a substantially vertical line with each other, these being formed substantially similarly in the form of regular hexagons, which are honeycomb-like with horizontal abutting lines. Furthermore, it is possible that laterally adjoining the three cushions mentioned, at least in the connection area, insert like a honeycomb with a delimitation angle of approximately 120 °. Each of the butt lines enables a relatively force-free deflection of the individual cushions against one another and thus a spatial adaptation along horizontal and two diagonal intersecting edges.

The elastic region can preferably have an approximately constant width between the two cushion regions, which is dimensioned so small that no larger unpadded zones arise and, viewed from the front, bell-bell-like above the cushion for the patella and in each case below the cushion for the lateral epicondyle and medial course. This in turn ensures in an anatomically correct manner that the two last-mentioned cushions are held essentially immovably relative to the thigh, regardless of the flexion of the knee, while all other cushions are displaced together with the movement of the lower leg.

In a production-technically favorable embodiment, it is provided that the upper pad area and the lower pad area each consist of a thinner base layer and pads placed thereon, which preferably differ from one another only by the shape, ie. H. both parts are made of a uniform, same material, in particular a foam material. To increase the flexibility and flexibility already mentioned, the base layer between the pad for the patella and the pad for the lateral and medial condyles can each have an incision starting from the outer edge.

The entire upholstery part can be constructed in such a way that the two upholstery areas are sewn with an interposed elastic area on the respective boundary edges. However, it is also possible to sew the cushion areas onto a carrier material at least along their boundary edges, the carrier material simultaneously forming the elastic region. Instead of sewing on, gluing can also take place. For visual reasons and to increase the ability of the knee protector to slide on the hall floor, the padded areas can be covered with fabric or preferably laminated. This can easily be represented at the same time as a corresponding shaping process. It is also possible to flock the cushion areas only after the molding process.

The fastening strips, which advantageously also consist of textile material, can be produced in one piece with the textile carrier material mentioned. However, it may also be cheaper for manufacturing reasons to sew them onto the upholstery part.

The two strips can be in one piece and start from one edge of the upholstery part and are brought up to the other edge of the upholstery part and fastened there. It is also possible to design the fastening strips in two parts in the form of shorter tabs, which are then connected approximately in the middle. The lower fastening strip is advantageously fastened at both ends and closed in a ring shape with the cushion part, while only the upper fastening strip can be opened and closed. Velcro fasteners are to be provided as a suitable and practical type of fastener for the fastening strips.

Fig. 1

zeigt einen erfindungsgemäßen Knieschützer für ein rechtes Knie in perspektivischer Ansicht;

Fig. 2

zeigt einen erfindungsgemäßen Knieschützer nach Fig. 1 in Vorderansicht;

Fig. 3

zeigt einen erfindungsgemäßen Knieschützer nach Fig. 1 in Seitenansicht;

Fig. 4

zeigt die Knochen im Bereich des Knies als Einzelheiten in Seitenansicht und Frontansicht;

Fig. 5

zeigt einen erfindungsgemäßen Knieschützer nach Fig. 1 in Seitenansicht bei gestrecktem Knie, wobei dieses mit seinen Knochenteilen mit dünnen Linien dargestellt ist;

Fig. 6

zeigt einen erfindungsgemäßen Knieschützer nach Fig. 1 in Seitenansicht bei gebeugtem Knie, wobei dieses mit seinen Knochenteilen mit dünnen Linien dargestellt ist.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1

shows a knee protector according to the invention for a right knee in a perspective view;

Fig. 2

shows a knee protector according to the invention of Figure 1 in front view.

Fig. 3

shows a knee protector according to the invention of Figure 1 in side view.

Fig. 4

shows the bones in the area of the knee as details in side view and front view;

Fig. 5

shows a knee protector according to the invention of Figure 1 in side view with the knee straight, this is shown with its bone parts with thin lines.

Fig. 6

shows a knee protector according to the invention of FIG. 1 in side view with the bent Knee, this is shown with its bone parts with thin lines.

A knee protector for a left knee would be mirrored symmetrically in a frontal view on a vertical median plane. However, knee pads for both knees can also be standardized using a symmetrical design.

FIG. 1 shows a knee protector with a cushion part 1 and fastening strips 2, 3 adjoining it. The cushion part 1 encloses the front parts of a knee, while the fastening strips are provided for laying around the thigh or lower leg immediately above or below the hollow of the knee. The cushion part 1 is composed of an upper cushion area 4 and a lower cushion area 5, between which an elastic area 6 is provided. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the elastic region consists of a carrier layer 16 for the cushion regions 4 and 5 and at the same time forms the fastening strips 2 and 3 in one piece. The cushion area 4 consists of a thinner base layer 7 and pads placed thereon, of which one of the pads 8 is placed and recognizable for the medial epicondyle. The pad area 5 consists of a thinner base layer 9, which carries a plurality of pads, of which the pad 10 for protecting the patella, pads 11 and 12 for protecting the tibial tuberosity and pads 13, 14 for protecting the condyle are shown and recognizable in particular medialis. The pads 10, 11 and 12 are regularly hexagonal and abut with horizontal edges while maintaining a certain distance. The cushions 13 and 13 close laterally at angles of approximately 120 ° in the connection area 14 on. An incision 15 in the material of the thinner base layer is provided between the pads 10 and 13 to increase the flexibility of the pad part. The pads are glued or sewn onto the carrier material 16, which also forms the elastic region 6.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, which are described jointly below, corresponding details as in FIG. 1 are given the same numbers. This will not be discussed in more detail. In FIG. 2, compared to FIG. 1, the free end of the fastening strip 2 can also be seen, which can be fixed to the carrier material 16, in particular by means of a Velcro fastener. Furthermore, it can be seen that an approximately symmetrical cushion 17 for the lateral epicondyle is formed on the upper cushion region 4 opposite the cushion 8. It can also be seen that two individual pads 20, 18 are provided opposite the elongate pad 13 for the medial condyle, 18, while an approximately similar pad 19 for the caput fibulae is arranged symmetrically opposite the pad 14.

FIG. 4 shows the bones meeting in the area of the knee in a front view and in a side view, the exposed injury and pain-sensitive areas being shown in the drawing. The Os femoris C _f (thigh bone) can be seen in detail, the epicondylus lateralis E ₁ and the epicondylus medialis E _{m formed on it} . The tibia T (shin bone) and the fibula F (fibula) are also recognizable; on the former the lateral condyle C ₁ and the condyle medial C _m as well as the tuberosity tibiae T _{t are} marked. The caput fibulae F _{c is} specially marked on the fibula. The patella R (kneecap) lies at a distance from the lower end of the femur.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a knee protector in the view according to FIG. 3, however in FIG. 5 in an extended position and in FIG. 6 in a bent position. Here, the contour of the knee area K and parts of the aforementioned bones are drawn in the assigned position with thin lines. It can be seen here that the geometry of a triangle, which is composed of a point on the pad 10 and points on the pads 13 and 14, is only insignificantly opposed when the joint is bent, which is associated with an expansion of the elastic region 6 the bone parts of the patella R and tibia T changed and that the same applies to a point on the pad 8 opposite the os femoris C _f . In contrast, the courses of the upper edge 22 change significantly compared to the lower edge 23 of the knee protector, which are essentially formed by the fastening strips 2, 3.

Claims (13)

1. Knee protector for sportsmen, having a padded portion covering the knee at the front and side, and further having attachment means surrounding parts of the thigh and of the lower leg in the region of the knee, said attachment means comprising two attachment strips (2,3) which are connected at two different heights to the padded portion (1) and extend roughly parallel, and which are annularly closed or closable on the one hand above, and on the other hand below, the knee joint, around the thigh or the lower leg, with the padded portion (1), and wherein the padded portion (1) forms central pads (10,11,12) lying one beneath the other with horizontal lines of abutment, of which an upper one (10) is allocated to the kneecap (R) and a lower one (12) to the shinbone (T), characterised by an expandable resilient area (6) between the binding of the upper attachment strip (2) and the binding of the lower attachment strip (3), which connects two less expandable padded areas, the pads (10,11,12)being substantially similarly formed as regular hexagons, and honeycomb-like lateral pads (13,14) connected to with the three pads (10,11,12), there being respectively associated with the pads (10) allocated to the kneecap and the lateral pads (13,14) notional points which encompass a triangle, the geometry of which changes only slightly relative to the kneecap (R) and the shinbone (T) when the knee is bent.
2. Knee protector according to claim 1, characterised in that the lower padded area (5) comprises lateral pads (13,18,20) for protecting the condylis lateralis and medialis of the tibia.
3. Knee protector according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the upper padded area (4) comprises lateral pads (8,17) for protecting the epicondylus lateralis and medialis of the femur.
4. Knee protector according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that there are inserted at the three pads (10,11,12), laterally-connecting pads (13,14,19,20) at least in the area of connection, in a honeycomb configuration, with delimiting angles of approximately 120°.
5. Knee protector according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the upper padded area (4) and the lower padded area (5) respectively comprise a thin base layer (7;9) with pads (8,17;10,11,12,13,14,18,19,20) set thereon.
6. Knee protector according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the base layer (7;9) and the pads (8,17;10,11,12,13,14,18,19,20) are respectively integrally connected, and in particular consist of a foam material.
7. Knee protector according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the base layer (7;9) is self-supporting, and the resilient area connects therewith at the edges.
8. Knee protector according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the base layer (7;9) is applied to, especially stitched to, a carrier material (16), especially a textile material, which at the same time forms the resilient area (6).
9. Knee protector according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the base layer (9) has, between the pad (10) for the patella and the pads (13,20) for the condylis lateralis and medialis, a respective incision (15, 21) proceeding outwards from the outer edge, in order to increase mobility.
10. Knee protector according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the attachment strips (2,3) are attached, especially stitched, to the padded areas (4,5).
11. Knee protector according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the attachment strips (2,3) are constructed integrally with the carrier material (16).
12. Knee protector according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that hook-and-pile closures are attached to the free ends at least of the upper attachment strip (2).
13. Knee protector according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that the resilient area (6) between the padded areas (4,5) is of approximately constant width and, seen from the front, extends in the form of a bell curve above the pad ((10) for the patella (kneecap) and respectively below the pads (8,17) for the epicondylis lateralis and medialis of the femur.

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