Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Protective Sports Garment
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR
DEVELOPMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Contact sports such as hockey often entail the use of a
rigid scoring object, such as a puck or ball, which is
maneuvered around a playing area during the course of the
competition.
Typically, the object of such a competition is to
project such an object into a scoring zone, or goal, thereby
accruing points. Often such a rigid object is hurled or
projected at such a goal during an attempt to score, and is
also passed between players as part of the course of play.
Such hurling is usually accomplished through an elongated
member such as a hockey stick or baseball bat, thereby
increasing the velocity of the scoring object.
It is not uncommon for the scoring object to strike a
player during the course of play. Such a scoring object is
typically small, and therefore tends to focus its velocity
to an acute point of impact. Also, elongated members used
for such play are prone to impact players rather than the
scoring object. Further, physical contact between players
is commonplace.
It is therefore typical for players to wear protective
apparel to cushion such physical striking, particularly in
areas having high likelihood of contact or those
particularly susceptible to injury, such as the elbows,
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shoulders, and chest (heart) areas, respectively. Such
protective apparel, however, tends to restrict freedom of
movement, restricting the performance of the wearer, and
also hinders ventilation, trapping heat and perspiration.
Also, physical contact between players can dislodge
protective elements, which are often frictionally fitted
merely by resilient straps. Such dislodgement can render an
area unprotected, and therefore vulnerable to striking.
Finally, such apparel may not be continuous, having gaps
between moving elements, for example, between which a
scoring object could strike.
One particular example of prior art protective wear is
illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 5,325,537. This reference
illustrates a continuous foam layer sandwiched between
fabric layers. The fabric and foam are compressed in a grid
pattern to form a plurality of raised areas. However, the
resulting garment is fairly rigid due to the compressed foam
at the intersection of the raised areas. The weight of the
garment is partially attributable to the presence of
compressed foam at these intersections. Compressed foam at
the intersections also inhibits air flow. Ventilation holes
are provided, though they are sparsely distributed and are
only found in the compressed regions of the foam. The
garment of this reference is also discontinuous, thus
exposing the wearer to risk of injury.
It would therefore be beneficial to develop protective
apparel which guards against the focused impact point of a
projectile, does not restrict freedom of movement or
ventilation to the protected area, can be easily worn and
removed, and which cannot be dislodged through movement of
the wearer or contact with other players.
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BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A continuous protective garment provides a matrix of
cells each containing a cube-like protective element.
Continuous layers of fabric bonded along intersecting lines
provides an individual cell for each of plural protective
elements sandwiched between the fabric layers. An outer
rigid protective surface of each protective element absorbs
externally applied forces, while a middle cushioning layer
provides dispersion and buffering of such externally applied
forces. An innermost layer of a fluid-resistant material
helps prevent perspiration from being absorbed, while a
ventilation hole through the center of each protective
element provides air circulation without compromising
protective qualities. A substantially continuous array of
cells containing the protective elements provides
comprehensive surface coverage around the torso and arms of
the wearer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
Fig. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a protective
garment according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a cross-section view of individual cells
containing a respective protective element such as employed
in the garment in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows a portion of the continuous cell mesh
pattern formed by bonding the resilient fabric of the
garment in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is an embodiment of the protective garment of
Fig. 1 with protective plates attached; and
Fig. 5 is a back view of the protective garment
embodiment of Fig. 1.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A protective garment having a continuous network of
protective cells in a mesh arrangement protects all covered
areas of the wearer. Such a continuous garment 10 is shown
in Fig. 1. As the garment covers the entire upper torso,
from the base of the neck down to the waistline and
including the full length of the arms, no areas are left
unprotected. Alternatively, other embodiments may provide
for less than total coverage, in order to avoid encumbering
areas of little risk.
The garment comprises a matrix of protective cells 12
defined between layers of resilient fabric 24 such as
"LYCRA"O or "SPANDEX"O. In a preferred embodiment, a mix of
10% "LYCRA"O and 90% nylon is used. These layers 24 are
bonded to each other in a matrix pattern, thereby creating a
network of cells 12, each of which can contain a protective
element, described below, held between the opposing fabric
layers 24. A portion of such a matrix of cells is shown in
Fig. 3.
The resilient nature of the fabric allows the garment
to conform to and fit the contours of the wearer, if such a
fit is desired. Alternatively, straps employing hook and
loop fasteners such as "VELCRO"O can be used around the
abdomen and arms to provide additional compression against
the wearer. As illustrated in Fig. 1, one embodiment of the
protective garment 10 includes a"VELCRO"O hook and loop
front closure comprising a strip of looped fabric 14 and a
complimentary, overlapping strip of hooks 16. Of course,
the fit of the protective garment may be adjusted to
accommodate the preferences of the wearer, so that more
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material may be provided to a garment worn by someone
preferring a loose fit.
The resilient fabric layers 24 of the garment 10 may be
bonded in any suitable manner, such as by heat fusing,
gluing, or stitching, as long as the points of attachment
form a network of independent cells to allow a protective
element to be contained within each cell. As shown in Fig.
2, the fabric layers 24 are bonded through stitches 18 made
with a high tensile strength plastic thread in one
embodiment.
The cells 12 need not be of identical size in width or
height, and it is in fact desirable to use smaller cells 12,
and hence smaller protective elements, at points requiring
greater mobility such as bone joints. As cells 12 are
formed about protective elements 20, a series of recessed
areas 22 are formed between adjacent cells 12 where the
resilient fabric layers are joined. The distance between
these recessed areas 22 effects the spacing between
protective elements 20. The spacing is significant because
too large a spacing may allow an object to impact a wearer
between the protective elements 20. However, too small a
spacing reduces the amount of flex permitted between cells
12, thereby reducing freedom of movement. The ideal
spacing, therefore, depends on the size of the expected
impact object and the freedom of movement desired by the
wearer. A spacing of 0.25 inches has been found to be
compatible with the needs of a high mobility game using a
moderate-sized rigid scoring object such as a hockey puck.
The size of the individual protective elements 20 also
affects freedom of movement. Since a thicker protective
element 20 spaces the joined fabric layers 24 farther apart,
angular deflection of the garment 10 must be borne by fewer
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joined areas, thereby forcing the garment 10 to be more
rigid. For this reason, it is desirable to vary the size of
the protective elements 20 in any one region of the garment
in relation to the degree to which that region will
5 normally be flexed. For instance, in areas of increased
mobility such as at the elbows and shoulders; it is
desirable to provide smaller protective elements and cells
to enhance the ability of the wearer to flex the garment 10.
Dimensional variation between protective elements may be
10 provided in terms of width and/or height. In a typical high
mobility game such as hockey, a protective element 20 having
a surface area of approximately one inch square has been
found to be optimal for most areas of coverage, while
smaller protective elements approximately 0.5 inches square
are used in such increased mobility areas. The thickness of
the protective elements is approximately 0.75 inch in one
embodiment for all sized elements. Alternatively, the
thickness of the protective elements varies with the length
and width dimension of the respective element, or according
to the body part over which the garment is disposed. The
actual protective element 20 size may be varied to suit the
particular activity, and may include a range of sizes
depending upon the nature of the activity, the size of the
wearer, the wearer's preferences in terms of fit, and cost.
Each of the cells 12 in the protective garment 10, in a
preferred embodiment, contains a protective element 20, as
shown in Fig. 2. The protective element 20 has three layers
in the illustrated embodiment, though alternative
embodiments may employ more or less layers. The outermost
layer 30, being furthest from the wearer, is formed of a
rigid polymer material such as polyethylene, typically 100
gauge high molecular weight plastic, in the preferred
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embodiment. This layer absorbs impact from objects and
disperses the force to a middle layer 32. The middle layer
32 is comprised of cushioning resilient material such as LD
80 closed cell foam. Closed cell foam is preferred because
of its resistance to fluid absorption. This resilient layer
32 disperses the force of impact across the body surface
area, thereby avoiding an acute impact point.
The innermost layer 34, nearest the wearer, is of a
moisture resistant material such as "COOLMAX" . This layer
provides additional resistance to moisture by dispersing
moisture away from the middle foam layer and to the fabric
layers 24 between cells 12 where the mesh network promotes
air circulation and evaporation. The protective element
layers 30, 32, 34 are all similarly sized in length and
width and preferably have a generally square projection with
rounded corners. The rounded corners help avoid acute edges
which could jab the wearer or tend to snag the resilient
fabric layers 24.
As an alternative embodiment to the single fabric
layers 24 illustrated in Fig. 2 and described above, one or
both of the illustrated layers is comprised of plural fabric
layers. For instance, an inner fabric layer closest to the
skin of a wearer may provide a soft, comfortable feel, while
an adjacent layer may be more suited towards wicking
moisture away from the inner layer and towards the outer
surface of the garment.
Each protective element 20 in a preferred embodiment
also has a bore 36 through the center to facilitate air
circulation without sacrificing protective area. The
diameter of this bore 36 is selected to avoid sacrificing
the protective integrity of the respective protective
element. The fabric layers 24 are continuous over each bore
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36, though one or more of the fabric layers can be provided with an open
weave suited for enhanced air flow through the bores 36. Alternatively, one
or both fabric layers 24 may be provided with an orifice which is
substantially aligned with the bore 36 in each or selected protective
elements, thus enhancing the ability of the garment to conduct heat and
water vapor away from the wearer.
In an alternative embodiment, such as a protective garment 10 for
casual or youth sports participants, the protective elements are made solely
of a cushioning foam 32, or a combination of closed cell foam 32 with either
the rigid polymer layer 30 and/or moisture resistant layers 34. Factors
affecting the choice of materials include fabrication cost, expected velocity
of the scoring object and other potential impacting members, and weight.
As shown in Fig. 4, portions of the garment 10 may have additional,
outer rigid plates 40 of polyethylene, "KEVLAR" , or other suitable rigid
material for increased coverage in areas of potential high impact. Factors
such as manufacturing cost and rigidity will affect the choice of materials
for the plates. Such plates 40 may be secured in an area on top of the
protective element 20 matrix, or may be secured to the resilient fabric 24
as an alternative to a matrix of protective elements 20.
As shown in Fig. 4, a rigid plate 40 may be positioned over a selected
area of protective elements 20, such as the chest or abdomen, to increase
protection at locations of little movement. A further application of the
plates
40 is shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 shows a"KEVLAR" spinal protector 42 of a
resilient composition, thereby allowing the wearer to bend over while still
affording the critical spinal area additional protection.
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Areas requiring high mobility, such as under the arms
and inside the elbows, may have a resilient gusset plate
(not shown) affixed to the fabric layer in place of
protective elements. Alternatively, such a plate could be
affixed over a mesh of protective elements if additional
protection is desired. Such a gusset plate allows shoulders
and elbows to bend fully while still affording a degree of
protection. Alternatively, the external gusset plates may
be replaced with cells accommodating rectangular protective
elements, or protective elements of any other suitable
shape.
One embodiment of a shoulder plate 44, such as shown in
Fig. 4, is affixed with a fabric hinge (not shown) close to
the neck. The hinge allows the rigid plate 44 to protect
the shoulder yet pivot upwards about the fabric hinge to
accommodate upwards arm movement. Thus, such a hinge allows
secure attachment of the plate 44 to the garment 10 yet
allows freedom of movement by not pinning or riveting the
shoulder plate at multiple points.
Alternative embodiments of protective plates may be
more suited to riveting or other permanent affixation.
These alternative embodiments, some of which are shown in
Fig. 4, include chest plates, elbow plates, and various arm
plates.
In order to enhance comfort and provide a more secure
fit, the garment may be provided with an elastic collar 50,
waist band 54, and cuffs 52. These elastic portions may be
padded to enhance the degree of protection afforded to
wearer. Moisture handling fabric such as "COOLMAX" may be
used at these locations.
Variations in the described embodiments include the
adaptation of the disclosed array of protective elements to
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padding for other body parts including the lower body and
legs. Further, the disclosed material may also find
applications in providing protection for various non-human
objects. For instance, suitable protective equipment may be
fashioned from the disclosed material for animals or
inanimate objects requiring protection from impact forces.
Additionally, various fabrics may be employed for the upper
and lower fabric layers, including any light-weight
synthetic material having sufficient wet-strength to
withstand the shear forces to which the garment will be
subjected during use.
Having described preferred embodiments of the present
invention it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill
in the art that other embodiments and variations of the
presently disclosed embodiment incorporating these concepts
may be implemented without departing from the inventive
concepts herein disclosed. Accordingly, the invention
should not be viewed as limited to the described embodiments
but rather should be limited solely by the scope and spirit
of the appended claims.
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