WATERPROOF COVERINGS

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to protective covers for an animal body. More particularly, it relates to waterproof articles for covering various parts of a body, more specifically, a human body, such as shoulders, throat, feet, stomach and legs. BACKGROUND ART

When the skin of an animal body is ruptured, either by an accident, such as by a cut on broken glass, or as a consequence of a surgical operation on some internal organ, it is often a requirement that the resultant wound and its attendant bandaging be kept dry. While it is a relatively simple matter to keep an animal, such as a cat or a dog, away from water until the wound has healed, it is inconvenient if it is a person who wishes to take a shower or a bath. It is comparatively easy to keep such parts of the body as fingers and toes away from water, but it is difficult, and often impossible, to keep dry a shoulder, leg, stomach or the like, and still allow the person to have a comfortable shower or bath.

In an attempt to overcome this problem, plastic bags, such as those used as bread wrappers or for containing garbage, have been cut and the resultant pieces of plastic have been placed over the wound/bandaging and retained in position with adhesive tape. Disadvantages of this prior method include the time it takes to prepare each covering and the fact that it often requires assistance from

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another person in order to affix the covering when the wound is positioned in an inaccessible or hard-to-reach location, for example, in the middle of the back. The latter problem of requiring at least one other person to assist with the application of the covering is of particular significance when the patient is in a hospital or nursing home. It can require at least two nurses on occasions to affix coverings. This is inefficient and takes the nurses away from more important tasks.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above problems and to provide ready-made waterproof coverings for various parts of an -animal body. It is a further object of the present invention to provide ready-made waterproof coverings for the various parts of the human body which can be affixed and removed easily by the wearer.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a waterproof covering comprising: a) a thin, flexible, lightweight waterproof material shaped to conform to that part of the body to be covered; and b) means for attaching said material to the body in such a manner so as to prevent entry of water to the said part of the body.

Conveniently, the waterproof material is manufactured from any one of a number of suitable, commercially available plastics such as polyethylene.

The means ^' for attaching the waterproof material to the body is preferably the application of an adhesive to the edge regions on that side of the waterproof material which will be adjacent to the skin of the body. Suitable adhesives can be selected from any one of the appropriate, readily available pressure-sensitive adhesives, with or without a masking release sheet covering the adhesive to prevent inadvertent adhesion of the covering before use.

Alternatively, the adhesive-coated regions could be replaced by elasticised bands which extend around the appropriate regions of the body to retain the covering against the skin.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 illustrates the use of a covering, constructed in accordance with the present invention, to keep a breast or shoulder dry; Figure 2 shows how a covering, constructed in accordance with the present invention, may be applied to the neck of a human;

Figure 3 illustrates the use of a cover, constructed according to the present invention, for a leg and foot;

Figure 4 depicts the use of a stomach cover made according to the present invention; and

Figure 5 illustrates the use of a cover suitable for the protection of a hand and arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

In the covering illustrated in Figure 1, the thin, flexible, lightweight waterproof material 1 extends down both the front and rear of, for example, the left shoulder and chest to completely cover, in particular, the shoulder 2. A thin band or strip at the edge of the material 1, in an upper region 3 near the neck 4, is coated on the inside thereof with an adhesive to retain the upper region 3 against the skin of the body and to prevent water from reaching the shoulder 2. Similarly, a band or strip of material 5, around the user's chest 6, is also coated on the inside thereof with an adhesive to retain the lower region of the material 1 against the skin of the body. To prevent water from reaching the shoulder from the side 7, the inside of the edge of the material 1, along the band or strip 8, is coated with an adhesive, to ensure that the band on strip 8 is retained against the skin of the body. A similar band or strip of material (not illustrated) is also provided to retain the material 1 against the back of the body. The material 1 partly extends to form a short sleeve 9. A coating of adhesive along the band or strip 10 of sleeve 9 is provided to secure the sleeve 9 to the arm 11. The neck covering depicted in Figure 2 comprises an essentially cylindrically shaped, thin, flexible, lightweight waterproof material ' 12 of sufficient dimensions to comfortably encircle and cover the neck

13. Bands or strips 14 and 15, at the top and the bottom of the material 12 respectively, are coated with an adhesive to secure the covering against the skin and prevent water from contacting the neck. 5 Figure 3 illustrates a combined covering 28 for a leg and foot which comprises an essentially cylindrically shaped, thin, flexible, lightweight waterproof material 16, closed at the foot end 17 and open at the other end 18. A strip or band 19 of the 10 flexible material, at the end 18, is coated with an adhesive to secure the covering to the skin at the top of the leg.

The stomach covering 29 illustrated in Figure 4 comprises an essentially rectangular shaped, thin, 15 flexible, lightweight waterproof material 20. Bands or strips 21 and 22, at top and bottom of the material 20 respectively, coated with an adliesive, secure the covering to the skin of the body. Each band or strip 23, adjacent to the body, is also 20 coated with an adhesive which allows the covering to be retained against the skin of the body.

Figure 5 depicts a combined covering 30 for a hand and arm which comprises a thin, flexible, lightweight waterproof material 24, shaped at one end 25 25 similar to a conventional glove (or alternatively, a mitten). A band or strip 26, at the other end 27, coated with an adhesive, secures the covering to the skin near the top of the forearm.

It will, of course, be appreciated that the 0 embodiments illustrated above are given by way of exemplification of the invention only, and that modifications to the covering described above are possible without departing from the present inventive concept.