PROTECTIVE SLEEVE The present invention relates to the field of accessories for assisting the sealing of parts of extended bodies or the ends of hard sleeves, principally for medical goals in situations of a cast or organ bandage, when there is a need to seal the space created between the cast and the organ inside the cast and in a situation of bandaging when there is a need to prevent the bandage from becoming wet. The danger of wetness exists at the time of bathing, immersion and so forth.

The present invention relates to an inflatable ring or an inflatable ring which can be attached to a sleeve which is used for sealing part of the human body, principally from water penetration, when it is attached and inflated around an extended body. When the hard sleeve is worn or installed and encircles part of the body, the seal prevents the penetration of water into the space between the hard sleeve and the body on which the sleeve is worn.

One of the primary causes where sealing is required is when an organ is in a cast or bandaged. Whether the organ is bandaged or cast in a regular cast, wetting of the bandage or the entry of water into the space between the cast organ must sometimes be prevented. The known methods are the wearing of a protective sleeve and tying its end tightly by means of a string or a strap. Patents were issued in the United States for other accessories such as: Patent Number 4,986,265 Protective Cover for Cast , Patent Number 4,911 ,151 Disposable Dressing Cover and Patent Number 5, 063, 919 Protective Sleeve .

For medical applications, the present invention comprises a ring to be worn on the organ in the bandaged or cast area. The ring can be used - together with an additional ring - for sealing the ends of the cast when the ring rests on the end of the cast and covers the border area of the cast when part of it is on the surface of the cast and part is on the organ and when the ring is inflated by a gas, such as air, with appropriate pressure this causes the ring to tighten around the cast

organ and around the cast itself Wearing two of these rings on the two ends of the sleeve of the cast and inflating them prevents the penetration of water, also during immersion, into the space between the cast and the encasted organ The second possibility is the use of two rings connected by a sealing sleeve and when inflated, the rings create an area, between two rings and within the sleeve, which is sealed off An additional possibility appropriate for the ends of organs, is a ring which is connected to a sleeve which can be closed on the side farthest from the ring, resembling a bag, and worn on the organ until the passage to the segment that needs to be protected and inflation the ring results therein that a segment of the organ is found within the bag sealed on one side by means of the inflatable ring When the organ is immersed in water, the inflated rings improve the buoyancy of the organ and this fact eases the burden of weight that a cast or a bandage produces

Since excess pressure is liable to cause discomfort, the invention preferably includes a release valve which releases gas from the ring when the pressure surpasses a threshold determined, until the pressure reaches a desired level

The present invention relates to a ring of flexible material capable of inflation for wearing on an extended body, for the purpose of sealing and a mouthpiece which can be closed after inflating the ring The ring can include a pressure release valve which prevents pressure in the ring from rising above a predetermined threshold Another embodiment provides a sleeve from flexible material and sealed from water with two rings at the ends which produces a sealed area between the two rings after they are inflated on the surface of the body The invention also includes a sleeve closed at the end farthest from the ring and which results in a sealed area within the sleeve, after inflation of the ring on over the surface of the extended body The invention further includes a tail intended for installation on the ends of a hard sleeve at the time it is

constructed oi produced which seals the passage created between it and the body on which it is worn, when the ring is inflated

The invention is described with reference to Figures 1 , 2, 3, and 4 These figures are solely for the purpose of description and are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention They are not according to scale

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ring,

Figure 2 illustrates a sleeve equipped with rings of figure 1 ,

Figure 3 illustrates a closed-end sleeve with one ring,

Figure 4 describes the rings with a tail first installed over the hard sleeve

Figure 1 shows a ring comprising a tube 12 which can be worn on a body part, such as an arm or a leg, which passes through the center of the ring 11 which is capable of inflation by means of a mouthpiece 14 which can be closed and which can include a pressure release valve 13 when this exceeds a set threshold

Figure 2 shows two rings 22 connected by a sleeve, 26 on the wrist 21 cast in a cast 25 or bandage the rings 22 are worn on the two ends of the to be sealed area The rings are inflated by means of mouthpiece 24 so as to seal and prevent passage to the area protected by sleeve 26 Water cannot enter this space also during immersion A pressure release valve 23 can be added to release the over-pressure in the ring when it surpasses a specific threshold The two rings can be at the end of a hard sleeve so as to seal the space between it and the body over which it is worn

Figure 3 shows a body within a sleeve 36 and one ring, the ring 32 capable of inflation and connected to the sleeve which closes the end farthest from the ring, resembling a bag The ring is worn on the organ 31 that has to be protected

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a ring 42 comprising a tail 47 installed at first on a hard sleeve such as a cast 45 when the sleeve is produced or prepared on the cast body 41. The rings 42 can be inflated when needed and thereby seal the space passages between the hard sleeve and the extended body over which the sleeve is worn