Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02542188 2006-04-06
LACE-UP PROTECTIVE ELBOW PAD
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to protective equipment, more
particularly
to protective pads such as are used in contact sports. In particular, the
present invention
relates specifically to an elbow pad which may be used for a variety of
contact or semi-
contact sports such as ice hockey, inline-skate hockey, lacrosse or with any
other activity
which requires the elbows of a player to be protected, such as motocross.
BACKGROUND ART
In contact sports such as hockey or lacrosse and in potentially dangerous
sporting
activities such motocross, skateboarding, etc., players usually wear
protective pads to
reduce the risk of injury. Such pads often include knee and elbow pads, for
example. As
arm injuries are common in many of such activities, elbow pads are
particularly
frequently worn for a variety of different sports and activities.
Typical elbow pads generally include a protective portion, such as a rigid
outer
shell or a padded region, which is held in place on the elbow and/or arm of
the wearer by
retaining means such as several straps. These straps are commonly made of an
extendible
elastic material and are engaged to at least one side of the protective
portion by a
removable fastener, which may include a hook-and-loop type fastener (such as
one made
of VelcroTm ) for example. Some elbow pads have fixed straps which are not
detachable
from either side of the padded or protective portion (i.e. they are
permanently fastened
thereto), however as they are made of an elastic-type material the straps are
thus
extendible in order to permit the pad to be installed in place on the wearer's
elbow.
However, such known pads having elastic straps and/or hook-and-loop type
fastener
systems, while being relatively easy to put on, can nonetheless become
displaced out of
their intended position on the elbow of the wearer (i.e. they have a tendency
to move
around slightly) and can even become dislodged by an impact or by vigorous
movements
of the wearer.
Other protective pad designs have also been known to employ buckles in which
non-extendible straps are engaged in order to retain the pad in place.on the
wearer,
-1-
CA 02542188 2006-04-06
however these types of attachments are relatively long to put on and fix in
place and
additionally are not the most secure in that once such straps have loosened no
additional
elastic and/or other retaining means retain the pad in place.
Improvement is therefore sought for a protective elbow pad which is quick and
easily to put on, and yet which remains securely fixed in place until such
time as the pad
is to be removed.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide an improved
protective
elbow pad.
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a
protective
elbow pad comprising: an outer protective portion configured to cover at least
the elbow
joint of a wearer, the protective portion having first and second longitudinal
side edges,
and a top proximal edge extending between said first and second side edges; an
inner
retention portion adapted to overly and cover an inner region of the wearer's
arm distally
of the elbow joint, the inner retention portion being engaged to said first
side edge of the
outer protective portion and connected with said second side edge thereof by a
fastening
system; and the fastening system including at least one lace extending between
the inner
retention portion and the outer protective portion, wherein when tightened the
lace draws
the inner retention portion towards the outer protective portion thereby
fastening the
elbow pad in position on the elbow joint of the wearer, the elbow pad being
removable
from the wearer's arm upon loosening of the lace.
Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an elbow pad
adapted for covering and protecting at least an elbow joint of a wearer when
installed in
place on the wearer's arm, the elbow pad comprising: an outer protective
portion and an
inner retention portion engaged together along at least one pair of adjacent
side edges
thereof, the outer protective portion being configured to cover at least the
elbow joint of
the wearer and circumferentially extending around an outer portion of the
wearer's arm,
and the inner retention portion circumferentially extending around an inner
portion of the
wearer's arm; and a means for fastening the elbow pad to the wearer's arm, the
means
connecting the outer protective portion and the inner retention portion
together and
-2-
CA 02542188 2006-04-06
including at least one laced attachment extending therebetween, the laced
attachment
having a lace being tightenable to fasten the elbow pad to the wearer's arm,
and
loosenable to permit removal of the elbow pad from the wearer's arm.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of
illustration a particular embodiment of the present invention and in which:
Fig. 1 is a side view of a protective elbow pad according to a particular
embodiment of the present invention, shown on the arm of a wearer;
Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the elbow pad of Fig. 1;
io Fig. 3 is a side perspective view of the elbow pad of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of a portion of the elbow pad of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the elbow pad of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 6 is a rear view of the elbow pad of Fig. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS
Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, a protective pad 10 such as one worn on the arm of
a
wearer to protect his or her elbow is shown. The elbow pad 10 of the present
invention
may be used for any one of a variety of contact and/or semi-contact sports
such as ice
hockey, inline-skate hockey, lacrosse, or alternately for use during any other
activity
which may require the elbows of a player to be protected, such as motocross,
paintball,
etc. The elbow pad 10 generally comprises a main elbow protecting portion 12
and an
upper arm protecting portion 14 which are pivotally linked together by at
least a pair of
outer straps 15 extending between an upper end 13 of the main elbow protecting
portion
12 and the lower end 16 of the upper arm protecting portion 14. The upper arm
protecting portion 14 provides a second outer protective portion for the
wearer's arm (the
first outer protective portion being the main elbow protecting portion 12),
generally
covering and protecting the outer surface of the wearer's forearm 11 above the
elbow
joint. The upper arm protecting portion 14 is fastenable in place on the upper
arm 11 (i.e.
proximally of the elbow joint) of the wearer by an integrated strap 18, which
is in the
embodiment depicted permanently fixed at one end thereof to one side of the
upper arm
-3-
CA 02542188 2006-04-06
protecting portion 14 and has an opposed end which is detachably fastenable to
the other
side of the upper arm protecting portion 14 by a fastener system 20. The
fastener system
20 may be a hook-and-loop type attachment system wherein each of the strap 18
and a
portion of the upper arm protecting portion 14 has one of the hook and the
loop portion.
The upper arm protecting portion 14 is hingedly engaged with the main elbow
protecting
portion 12, which is itself attached to the forearm 9 of the wearer's arm
(i.e. distally of the
elbow joint) as will be described in further detail below, such that the
wearer is free to
bend his or her arm at the elbow joint thereof whilst the main elbow
protecting portion 12
and the upper arm protecting portion 14 protect at least the outer surfaces
of.the wearer's
arm proximate the elbow joint. While the upper arm protecting portion 14 is
provided in
the embodiment depicted, the protective elbow pad 10 may alternately comprise
only the
main elbow protective portion 12.
The main elbow protecting portion 12 of the elbow pad 10 includes a shock
absorbing outer protective portion 20 which is configured to cover at least
the elbow joint
of the wearer's arm. In the present embodiment, the outer protective portion
20 includes
an ulna protective portion 24 which extends distally away from the elbow joint
protecting
portion 22 thereof. The outer protective portion 20 of the elbow pad may
included
padding and/or a rigid or semi-rigid shell, whether disposed on the outermost
surface of
the pad or internally within the body of the outer protective portion 20, such
as to protect
the wearer's elbow and surrounding regions from impacts. The protective shell
and
padding of the elbow pad may be provided, varied and arranged as required and
as will be
understood by one skilled in the art, depending on the intended use of the
elbow pad 10.
The main elbow protecting portion 12 of the elbow pad 10 further includes an
inner retention portion 26, which is adapted to overly and cover a portion of
an inner
region of the wearer's forearm 9 distally of the elbow joint. The inner
retention portion
26 is engaged to a first side edge 28 (see Figs. 2 and 6) of the outer
protective portion 20
by a first engagement means 30 and to an opposed second side edge 29 of the
outer
protective portion 20 by a second engagement means 32, the second engagement
means
32 providing a fastening system or means for fastening at least the main elbow
protecting
portion 12 of the elbow pad 10 to the wearer's arm. Thus, the fastening system
of the
-4-
CA 02542188 2006-04-06
engagement means 32, which will be described further below, ensures that the
elbow pad
is retained securely in place on the wearer's arm.
Referring now to Figs. 2 to 4, the engagement means 32 of the elbow pad's main
elbow protecting portion 12 comprises a lace-up fastening system 34 having at
least one
5 lace 36 that extends between the second side edge 29 of the outer protective
portion 20
and the adjacent side edge 31 of the inner retention portion 26 extending
substantially
parallel thereto. The lace 36 is laced back and forth between the outer
protective portion
and the inner retention portion 26, being fed through sets of corresponding
lace loops
38 disposed on each of the portions of the main elbow protecting portion 12
opposite to
10 each other. Thus, when the lace 36 is pulled tight, the two adjacent edges
29,31 of the
outer protective portion 20 and the inner retention portion 26 are drawn
towards each
other such as to enclose the main elbow protecting portion 12 more tightly
around the
wearer's arm, thereby securely fastening the elbow pad in place thereon. In
the present
embodiment, the outer protective portion 20 and the inner retention portion 26
envelope
15 or wrap around a majority of the wearer's forearm. Thus, the main elbow
protective
portion 12 acts as a sleeve which is sized such that it can be slid onto the
wearer's arm
over the hand, and is fixed in place thereon by tightening the lace-up
fastening system 34
of the elbow pad. In the depicted embodiment, at least one elastic member 40
also
extends between the adjacent side edges 29,31 of the outer protective portion
20 and the
20 inner retention portion 26, such as to bias the two portions of the main
protective portion
12 of the elbow pad 10 towards each other. Thus, even before the lace 36 of
the lace-up
fastening system 34 is tightened, the main protective portion 12 stays in a
given position
on the arm of the wearer. Thus, the elbow pad 10 can be located in a desired
position by
the wearer, and will stay substantially in place such that tightening the
fastening system
34 is not made more difficult by unwanted sliding and/or other displacement of
the elbow
pad until the secure laced fastening system 34 can be tightened. The lace-up
fastening
system 34 thus provides a more secure means for fastening the elbow pad 10 in
place on
the elbow of a wearer, and helps retain the elbow pad in place even during
contact and/or
other physical sports.
The lace 36 of the lace-up fastening system 34 provides excellent fastening of
the
elbow pad in place on the wearer's arm. While the lace-up fastening system 34
may
-5-
CA 02542188 2006-04-06
simply be pulled tight and tied by hand, such as by making a shoe-lace type
bow or knot
in the lace 36 for example, the elbow pad 10 may include, in accordance with
one
embodiment, a lace-fastening device which can help retain a good tautness on
the lace 34
when tightened, while nevertheless allowing quick and easy installation (i.e.
tightening)
and removal (i.e. loosing). Thus, the fastening device 42 of the lace-up
fastening system
34 of the present embodiment makes it much faster and simpler for the wearer
to tighten
and/or loosen the lace 36 of the fastening system 34. The lace fastening
device 42, which
in the embodiment depicted is a quick-release toggle, is engaged with the lace
36 and can
be disposed in one of a closed position, in which it is clamped on the lace 36
such as to
retain the lace in position (i.e. and with a selected amount of tension or
tautness therein),
and an open position, in which the lace is disengaged and free to slide or
otherwise move
relative to the lace fastening device 42 such as to permit the lace to be
loosened or
tightened. In one embodiment, the lace fastening device 42 is biased in the
closed
position. Thus, when the lace fastening device 42 is a quick-release toggle
which is
normally biased in the closed position, the toggle locks the lace 36 in
position with
whatever amount of tautness is in the lace. Typically, this will be when the
elbow pad 10
is installed in place on the arm of the wearer, and the lace 36 is pulled
tight such as to
fasten the elbow pad thereon. When the lace is to be loosened, such as when
the wearer
wishes to remove the elbow pad, the toggle 42 is actuated, such as by
depressing the
sprung button thereon for example, in order to dispose it in the open position
thereby
allowing the lace to be loosened sufficiently for the elbow pad to be slid off
the wearer's
arm. The lace fastening device 42 is, in the present embodiment, fixed in
place on one of
the outer protective portion 20 and the inner retention portion 26, such as by
a dedicated
pocket 44 within which it is contained. In the embodiment depicted, the toggle
of the lace
fastening device 42 is disposed on the outer protective portion, 20. The
pocket 44 for the
lace fastening device 42, for example, may be simply a loop of material fixed
to the outer
surface of the pad within which the toggle is snuggly fit and having an
opening through
which the lace 36 may pass. Thus, when the lace fastening device is actuated
and
disposed in the open position and the free end 46 of the lace 36 is pulled,
the lace 36 of
the fastening system 34 becomes tight in order to securely fasten the elbow
pad to the
wearer's arm, while the lace fastening device 42 remains fixed in position on
the pad. As
-6-
CA 02542188 2006-04-06
it can be undesirable to have an extending length of lace when the elbow pad
10 is in use
on the wearer's arm, the free end 46 of the lace 36 may include, such as in
the present
embodiment, a fastener 48 which may be removably engaged with a portion of the
elbow
pad, such as the strip 50 on the outer protective portion 20.(see Fig. 3). In
the present
embodiment, the fastener 48 is one half of a hook-and-loop type attachment
system, the
strip 50 on the outer protective portion 20 of the elbow pad 10 being the
mating opposite
half thereof.
Although the lace-up fastening system 34 is shown as being disposed on only
one
side of the engagement between the outer protective portion 20 and the inner
retention
portion 26, it is to be understood that the second engagement means 32
including a lace-
up fastening system 34 may be provided on one or both sides of the connection
between
the two portions of the elbow pad's main elbow protection portion 12. As best
seen in
Fig. 6, in the embodiment depicted, the inner protective portion 26 is merely
hindedly
engaged with the side edge 28 of the outer protective portion 20 by the first
engagement
means 30, which in this embodiment includes a relatively non-stretchable
material strip
27. However, the first engagement means 30 may alternately also comprise a
stretchable
material strip and/or another lace-up fastening system as on the opposite side
of the elbow
pad.
The embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be exemplary.
Those skilled in the art will therefore appreciate that the foregoing
description is
illustrative only, and that various alternate configurations and modifications
can be
devised without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Accordingly, the
present invention is intended to embrace all such alternate configurations,
modifications
and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.
-7-
