Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Protective Undergarment for Ice Hockey
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of
sports equipment, and more particularly to hockey equipment
of the sort worn by a player to provide comfort and
protection during the rough and tumble play of the game of
hockey.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Ice hockey is one of the most popular team sports
played in Canada and the USA. It is a fast-paced game that
combines players of many sizes together on the rink with
high skating speed and fast, furious action.
Hockey is known as a hard-hitting, collision
sport. Players risk injury from high-impact collisions with
each other, the rigid boards that mark the boundary of the
playing surface, and the goal posts. Impact with a skate
blade, long sticks, and pucks traveling more than 100 MPH
also add to the risk.
Lacerations (cuts) to the head, scalp and face
have been reduced by 'the use of helmets and face shields but
sadly, more serious cuts still continue to cause physical
trauma to players at all levels in minor and major league
hockey, including ringette, recreational and pick-up hockey
games and practices.
While newer protective equipment is lighter,
stronger and offers more protection, it has also been
modified to make hockey movement easier. In particular,
hockey gloves are now shorter and expose players to more
wrist and arms injuries than before. Likewise, there is no
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equipment to protect the underarms, sides of torso and
armpits from serious cuts.
What is required is not only protection for the
body parts susceptible to injury from skate blades, but
protection that is lightweight, inexpensive and doesn't
impede range of motion, particularly wrist and shoulder
movement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is
provided a protective undergarment worn for ice skating
sports comprising a torso portion having a neck opening,
first and second arm sleeves extending from said torso
portion, at least a portion of each sleeve comprising a
plurality of layers of material, including a first, lower
layer of flexible fabric material and a second layer of
material over and joined to said first layer, said second
layer comprising a high performance, flexible fabric,
resistant to cutting by skate blades.
Advantageously, this arrangement provides an
undergarment for ice hockey and other ice skating sports
which provides arm protection from skate blade lacerations
while providing comfort to the wearer by reducing chaffing,
itching and other discomforts that might arise if the entire
undergarment were made from high performance material.
Furthermore, the invention provides a product which does not
add to the list of clothing or equipment worn today by
players, but replaces an existing item of apparel.
Also according to the present invention, there is
provided a protective undergarment worn for ice skating
sports comprising a torso portion having a neck opening,
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first and second arm sleeves extending from said torso
portion and including an upper arm portion for covering the
upper arms of a wearer, each upper arm portion having an
underside portion, and wherein each underside portion
comprises a high performance, flexible fabric, resistant to
cutting by skate blades.
According to the present invention, there is
further provided a protective undergarment worn for ice
skating sports comprising a torso portion having a front, a
back and sides between the front and back, and a neck
opening, first and second arm sleeves extending from said
torso portion and a high performance flexible fabric,
resistant to cutting by skate blades, extending from an
underside of each sleeve to a respective side to provide
underarm protection.
According to the present invention, there is
further provided a protective undergarment worn for ice
skating sports comprising a torso portion having a neck
opening, first and second arm sleeves extending from said
torso portion, each sleeve including a lower arm portion for
covering a lower arm of a wearer and wherein said lower arm
portion comprises a high performance, flexible fabric
resistant to cutting by skate blades.
According to the present invention, there is
further provided a protective undergarment worn for ice
skating sports comprising a torso portion having a front, a
back and a neck opening, said torso portion comprising a
jersey fabric, and a flexible, high performance fabric,
resistant to cutting by skate blades, forming first and
second sleeves which are joined to said torso portion.
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According to the present invention, there is
further provided a protective undergarment worn for ice
skating sports, comprising a torso portion having a neck
opening, first and second arm sleeves extending from said
torso portion, each sleeve being formed of a jersey fabric
and a high performance, flexible fabric, resistant to
cutting by skate blades and joined to said jersey fabric to
thereby form an integral sleeve therewith.
Embodiments of the invention provide a simple and
easy method for protecting arm and torso parts not covered
by existing hockey equipment protection.
Embodiments of the invention provide a product
that is easily maintained and laundered as it will be worn
often and close to the skin.
Embodiments of the invention provide a product
that improves the comfort of the wearer, such as by reducing
chaffing, itching and other discomforts that might arise if
the entire shirt were to be fabricated with the protective
covering only.
Embodiments of the invention provide a product
that does not inhibit range of motion, thereby maintaining a
player's effectiveness.
Embodiments of the invention provide a product
that can be mass produced.
Embodiments of the invention provide a product
that is affordable.
Embodiments of the invention provide a product
that can accommodate players of all sizes.
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In one embodiment, the undergarment comprises an
undershirt for use by hockey players, the undershirt
comprising: a torso portion with a lower trunk opening; a
pair of sleeves attached to the torso portion; a sleeve cuff
assembly on each of said sleeves; a head opening; and a
protective covering cover stitched on the jersey.
The protective covering is made of an aramid fibre
material, for example 1000 Kevlar to guard against cuts and
gashes between the hockey gloves and the elbow pads and
shoulder pads; on the underside of the arms, in the armpit
and on the sides of the torso.
In one embodiment, this protective covering is
cover stitched on a plain jersey made of 50o polyester and
50o cotton. It can also be made of tubular 1000 cotton and
other similar materials without affecting the integrity of
the safety features. In one embodiment, the protective
covering is 1000 Kevlar, a fibre invented by Dupont more
than 25 years ago. Kevlar is five times stronger than an
equal weight of steel, has exceptional stretch resistance
and is inherently flame resistant. This fibre is used
extensively in Personal Body Armour, specialized gear for
Correctional Officers and has many other uses in workplace
safety. As well as providing protection against
lacerations, it is light in weight, provides an extended-
wear life and can be laundered.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Examples of embodiments of the present invention
will now be described with reference to the drawings, in
which Figure lA shows a front view of an undershirt
according to an embodiment of the present invention,
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Figure 1B shows a back view of the undershirt
shown in Figure lA, and
Figure 1C shows an enlarged view of a coverstitch
used in embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Referring to Figures 1A and 1B, an undershirt 1
according to an embodiment of the present invention
comprises a torso portion 3, having a front 5, a back 7, and
two side portions 9, 11, and right and left arm sleeves 13,
15 extending from the torso portion 3. The torso portion
further includes a neck opening 17, which may include a cuff
19, and a lower trunk opening 21.
The torso portion comprises a fabric, for example
a combination of 50o polyester and 50% cotton. In other
embodiments, the torso portion may be made of tubular 1000
cotton or other similar materials without affecting the
integrity of the safety features.
The sleeves 13, 15 each comprises a first layer of
fabric 23, 25 which may comprise for example a combination
of 50o polyester and 50o cotton, tubular 1000 cotton or
other similar materials. The sleeves 13, 15 further include
a second layer of material comprising a high performance,
flexible fabric, which is resistant to cutting by skate
blades and which overlays the first layer of fabric 13, 15
in the regions of an underside portion 27, 29 of the upper
arm of the sleeve, the lower arm portion 31, 33 and a
portion 28, 30 of the undergarment which extends from the
upper arm to the side portions 9, 11 of the torso portion 3.
In the particular embodiment shown in Figures 1A
and 1B, the second layer, which may comprise 1000 Kevlar,
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covers the lower arms, front and back, the upper underarms,
the armpits and the sides of the torso down to where the
ribcage ends. However, in this embodiment, the protective
layer does not cover a portion of the back of the upper arm
of the sleeve proximate in the elbow region 32 and the upper
edge 34. Regions of the sleeves which include high
performance flexible cut resistant fabric are shown in the
figures by cross hatching. The protective layer may be
joined to the jersey fabric by for example cover stitching
as shown in Figure 1C. Figure 1C shows an enlarged view of
a cover stitch in which reference numeral 18 indicates
jersey fabric, for example 50o polyester and 50o cotton, and
indicates high performance, flexible cut resistant
fabric.
15 The undershirt may be manufactured in standard
Canadian sizes for children and adults or could be custom
made.
In this embodiment, the sleeves include a wrist
cuff assembly 37, 39 comprising a rib fabric (eg. a knitted
20 rib fabric or Spandex'rM) to ensure a secure and comfortable
fit for all wrist sizes. Likewise, the neck opening or cuff
19 may comprise a rib fabric (eg. a knitted rib fabric or
SpandexTM) designed to fit various neck sizes and to be
comfortable.
A particularly advantageous feature of embodiments
of the present invention is the combination of an undershirt
with a protective covering.
It can now be appreciated that the most preferred
form of an embodiment of the present invention is to combine
protection and undershirt into one product, providing
essentially built-in 'protection. Instead of providing
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Kevlar undershirt protection as well as a regular hockey
undershirt, two dressing room steps are reduced to a single
one. All that is needed is to pull the undershirt on over
the head and arms. When removing the undershirt it is just
as easy. Further, the whole undershirt can be easily put
into the wash, meaning that the sweat accumulated is
eliminated. In this way this equipment can be kept clean
and fragrant.
Various modifications and alterations are possible
to the form of the invention, without departing from the
scope of the broad claims as attached hereto. In
particular, while reference has been made to a particular
jersey material or rib fabric, it is possible to alter those
fabrics without compromising the protective nature of the
undershirt or its value to hockey players.
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