Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to protective equipment, particularly but
not
exclusively for use in sports.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Athletes participating in certain sports wherein impact is common, such
as
hockey, lacrosse, and football, wear protective equipment in order to reduce
the chance that
they will be injured during the course of play. In ice hockey for example, a
player typically
wears several different protective garments, such as an upper-body protector,
elbow guards,
and shin guards. Each one of these protective garments incorporates one or
more articles of
protective equipment. For example, upper body protectors typically incorporate
chest
protectors, back protectors and shoulder caps. Shin guards typically
incorporate both shin
protectors and knee caps. Elbow protectors typically incorporate elbow caps.
[0003] A design common to such conventional commercial protective equipment is
a
polymeric energy absorbent core covered by a rigid non-deformable polymeric
outer shell.
[0004] Protective equipment of this design provides players with good
protection
from impact injuries. Nonetheless, manufacturers of such equipment regularly
consider new
protective equipment designs that might provide improve protection.
SUMMARY
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide protective
equipment with a
design that may provide good protection to certain players and/or in certain
instances, in a
sport such as ice hockey.
[0006] Thus, in one aspect, as embodied and broadly described herein, the
present
invention provides a user wearable article of protective equipment for
protecting a portion of
a body of the user. The article of protective equipment generally conforms to
the portion of
the body of the user to be protected when worn by the user. The article of
protective
equipment comprises an energy absorbent core. The core has a body-facing side
and an
opposing non-body-facing side. The core comprises a polymeric foam. The
article of
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protective equipment also comprises an outer shell generally covering the non-
body-facing
side of the core. The outer shell is deformable during the use of the article
of protective
equipment by the user.
[0007] Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed
that
protective equipment of the present design may provide better protection than
current
protective equipment of conventional designs for certain players of certain
sports, particularly
professional athletes such as professional ice hockey players. In particular
it may be possible
that because of the rigidity/non-deformability of the shells of protective
equipment of
conventional design, the force of an impact sustained by a player wearing such
protective
equipment is spread out across a much larger player body contact area than the
actual area of
the impact. This is because the shell does not substantially deform under such
an impact and
therefore the shell distributes the force of the impact across the shell's
area of contact with
the underlying core, which then distributes the force to the body of the
player. Thus the
player sustaining the impact effectively feels a smaller force over a larger
area of their body
(as compared with the same force over the smaller actual area of impact). For
some, if not
most, players, conventional protective equipment of this design provides them
with good
protection. However, for players at a very high or professional level of
skill, the
aforementioned force distribution effect may cause the player to believe that
the player has
sustained an impact of less force than they have, making them believe that
they can sustain
impacts of even greater force (be they with the boards or other players).
Depending on the
circumstances, this may not be desirable.
[0008] It is believed that by protective equipment of the present design being
deformable (e.g. that flexes or distorts) in normal use when the player
sustains an impact, that
this will reduce the aforementioned phenomenon related to force distribution
and will cause
the player to effectively "feel" more of the force of the hit in the area in
which they sustained
the impact. This may allow the player to more accurately judge the force of
the impacts they
sustain, allowing them to more accurately control their actions and the
effects of those actions
during game play. In some embodiments, protective equipment of the present
design will
also reduce the aforementioned phenomenon by having an outer shell and an
inner core that
locally deform in the area that the player sustains an impact.
[0009] Non-limiting examples of polymeric foams of which the core may include
are
expanded polymer foams such as expanded polypropylene and expanded
polyethylene. In
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some embodiments, the core is formed of expanded polymer foam that can
repeatedly deform
without breaking and/or permanently deforming.
[0010] In some embodiments, the core consists essentially of the polymeric
foam. In
the present context, this should be understood to mean that all of the
material energy
absorbing elements of the core are polymeric foam (whether a single foam or
mixtures of
multiple foams) and that the core contains no non-polymeric foam element that
would
materially affect the energy absorbent and force transmission of the core. In
some
embodiments, the core consists essentially of molded expanded polypropylene or
expanded
polyethylene.
[0011] As was noted above, the outer shell includes an elastomer, preferably
elastomeric foam. In some embodiments, the elastomer is a polymer with a
sufficient
viscoelasticity such that, under normal use of the article of protective
equipment into which
the outer shell is incorporated, the outer shell will deform in the area of
the shell which
sustains and impact and will transmit a greater amount of the force of the
impact to the area
of the component of the protective equipment directly underneath the outer
shell (at, or near,
the point of impact) than would an outer shell made of a conventional rigid
polymeric
material (at least for some parts of the outer shell). Specific examples of
elastomers suitable
for use in the present invention are ethylene vinyl acetate foam and
polyethylene foam.
[0012] In some embodiments, the outer shell consists essentially of an
elastomer. In
the present context, this should be understood to mean that all of the impact-
sustaining
elements of the outer shell are elastomeric (whether a single elastomer or
mixtures of
multiple elastomers) and that the outer shell contains no non-elastomeric
element that would
materially affect the flexing and force transmission of the outer shell. In
some
embodiments, the outer shell consists essentially of molded ethylene vinyl
acetate foam or
polyethylene foam.
[0013] In some embodiments, the article of protective equipment is generally
free of
non-deformable elements.
[0014] In some embodiments, the article of protective equipment is generally
free of
non-foam polymeric materials.
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[0015] In some embodiments, the article of protective equipment is generally
free of
non-deformable polymeric materials.
[0016] In some embodiments, the article of protective equipment consists
essentially
of foam materials.
[0017] In some embodiments, the article of protective equipment consists
essentially
of expanded foam and elastomeric materials.
[0018] In some embodiments, the article of protective equipment consists of
only one
or more foams; stitching and/or adhesive; and, optionally, one or more fabrics
and/or soft,
flexible trims.
[0019] In some embodiments each of the elements of the article of protective
equipment imparting structure to the article of protective equipment is
deformable when the
article of protective equipment is in use by the user.
[0020] In some embodiments, structural elements of polymeric materials of the
article
of protective equipment consist essentially of deformable polymeric materials.
[0021] In some embodiments, the protective equipment does not contain any
structural elements having a durometer higher than about 70 (Shore A). For
example, in
some embodiments, all of the protective elements (e.g., shell(s), covering(s),
and inner
core(s)) have a durometer no higher than 70, 60, 50, 40, or no higher than 30
(Shore A). In
certain embodiments, all of the protective elements have a durometer of about
30 to about 60
measured on the Shore A scale. For example, in certain specific embodiments,
all of the
protective elements have a durometer of about 35 to about 55 (Shore A).
[0022] In some embodiments, the article of protective equipment consists
essentially
of non-water-absorbent materials. By consisting essentially of non-water-
absorbent
materials, the protective equipment will not absorb water nor the sweat of the
wearer, rending
the protective equipment more conformable for longer periods of time, at least
to some
wearers.
[0023] In some embodiments, the core includes at least one reinforcement rib
on the
body-facing side thereof. Where included, such reinforcement ribs may be used
for
reinforcing the overall structure of the article of protective equipment, if
such is required or
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desired. (The conventional rigid outer shell typically serves some structural
function in
conventional protective equipment articles. The absence of such a conventional
rigid shell in
embodiments of the present invention may mean that additional reinforcement
may be
required in some embodiments.) In some embodiments where at least one
reinforcement rib
is present, the at least one reinforcement rib may shaped to distribute a
force of an impact
around a joint of the user to be protected. Depending on the actual
configuration of the
equipment and particularly the reinforcement rib, it may be that it is the
surface of the
reinforcement rib that will actually contact the body of the wearer when the
protective
equipment sustains an impact. In such cases, the reinforcement rib may be
structured so that
the joint itself is not directly contacted by the surface the reinforcement
rib during an impact.
In some of such embodiments, the at least one reinforcement rib includes a
circular portion
encircling the joint. In some of such embodiments, the article of protective
equipment further
comprises a pad within the circular portion of the at least one reinforcement
rib. The pad
may be present to improve the comfort of the user and/or to provide additional
protection to
the user. Where present, the pad may be constructed of any suitable material
serving its
purpose. Examples include foams, gel packs, air packs, elastic materials, etc.
[0024] In some embodiments, the article of protective equipment further
comprises an
inner liner generally covering the body-facing side of the core. In some of
such
embodiments, the inner liner consists essentially of a deformable polymeric
foam such as
ethylene vinyl acetate or polyethylene foam. In some of such embodiments the
inner liner
consists essentially of ethylene vinyl acetate or polyethylene foam. In some
of such
embodiments, where present, the inner liner and the outer shell are directly
secured together,
encapsulating the core (i.e., the core is not directly secured to either the
inner liner or the
outer shell.) In other embodiments, the core is secured to the inner liner,
the outer shell, or
both. For example, the core can be secured to the inner liner, the outer
shell, or both using an
adhesive or stitching.
[0025] In some embodiments, the core is directly adjacent to the outer shell.
In other
embodiments, one or more deformable materials such as, for example, an
additional foam
layer may be positioned intermediate the core and outer shell.
[0026] In some embodiments the article of protective equipment is part of a
protective
garment. In some of such embodiments the garment is an upper-body protector
and the
article of protective equipment is a shoulder cap. In some of such embodiments
the garment
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is an elbow protector and the article of protective equipment is an elbow cap.
In some of
such embodiments the garment is a shin guard and the article of protective
equipment is a
knee cap.
[0027] It should be understood that although generally described herein in
terms of
protective equipment for ice hockey, embodiments of protective equipment of
the present
invention can be used sports such as ice hockey, lacrosse, field hockey,
football, baseball,
softball, skateboarding, volleyball, skiing, snowboarding, BMX, inline
skating, martial arts
and other sports requiring shoulder, elbow, and/or knee protection. Also the
embodiments of
protective equipment of the present invention can have application in
occupational safety
e.g., construction, police, fire, etc.
[0028] Embodiments of the present invention each have at least one of the
above-
mentioned objects and/or aspects, but do not necessarily have all of them. It
should be
understood that some aspects of the present invention that have resulted from
attempting to
attain the above-mentioned objects may not satisfy these objects and/or may
satisfy other
objects not specifically recited herein.
[0029] Additional and/or alternative features, aspects, and advantages of
embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following
description,
the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] For a better understanding of the present invention, as well as other
aspects
and further features thereof, reference is made to the following description
which is to be
used in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where:
[0031] Figure 1 is front right side perspective view of a protective garment
(being an
upper-body protector) having articles of protective equipment (being shoulder
caps) being
embodiments of the present invention.
[0032] Figure 2 is a front right side perspective view of the right shoulder
cap of the
upper-body protector shown in Figure 1.
[0033] Figure 3 is a front right side exploded view of the right shoulder cap
shown in
Figure 2, showing the individual elements of which the shoulder cap is
comprised.
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[0034] Figure 4 is a left rear exploded view of the energy absorbent core and
the pad
of the right shoulder cap shown in Figure 2.
[0035] Figure 5 is a cross-section of the right shoulder cap shown in Figure
2, taken
along the line 5-5 shown in Figure 2.
[0036] Figure 6 is a front right side perspective view of a protective garment
(being a
right elbow protector) having a article of protective equipment (being an
elbow cap) being
another embodiment of the present invention.
[0037] Figure 7 is a front elevation view of a protective garment (being a
right shin
guard) having a article of protective equipment (being a knee cap) being
another embodiment
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS
[0038] Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown an upper-body protector 100
suitable for
use by an appropriately sized athlete. The upper-body protector 100 includes
two shoulder
caps, a right shoulder cap 102 and a left shoulder cap 104. The shoulder caps
102 and 104
are attached to the main body 106 of the upper-body protector 100 so as to be
capable of
movement during game play with the movement of the arms of the player while
still
protecting the shoulders of the player. This attachment, as well as the
remainder of the
upper-body protector 100 are conventional and will not be described in further
detail
hereinbelow. A suitable example of such a conventional upper-body protector is
the U+
PROTM upper body protector commercialized by CCM Hockey of Montreal, Canada.
It
should be understand that the shoulder caps 102 and 104 being incorporated
into a protective
garment as well as their means and method of attachment to the garment and
their placement
in the garment are merely exemplary and may vary from embodiment to
embodiment. In
some, embodiments, articles of protective equipment are individual articles
and are not
incorporated into protective garments at all.
[0039] Referring to Fig. 2, there is shown the right shoulder cap 102 of the
upper-
body protector 100 of Fig. 1. The right shoulder cap 102 is shaped and
dimensioned to
provide protection to the right glenohumeral joint (colloquially the right
"shoulder" joint) of
the user of the upper body protector 100 from impacts when the upper body
protector 100 is
being correctly worn by an appropriately sized user. The shape of the right
shoulder cap 102
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is merely exemplary, other embodiments of the invention may have other shapes
depending on,
for example, design choice, the area of the body to be protected, the other
elements of the
protective garment, etc.
[0040] Referring to Fig. 3, the right shoulder cap 102 of the upper-body
protector is a
composite structure comprised of an energy absorbent core 108, an outer shell
110, an inner liner
112, a pad 114 and a brand decal 116. (Other embodiments may have different
components.)
[0041] The energy absorbent core 108 is a unitary structure made of molded
expanded
polypropylene, which is a polymeric foam. The energy absorbent core 108 has a
body-facing
side 118 (seen in Fig. 4) and a non-body-facing side (120). Referring to Fig.
4, the body-facing
side 118 has a reinforcing rib 122 extending from the surface thereof. The
reinforcing rib 122
has a circular section 124 with two extending wing sections 126, 128. The
circular section 124
is sized and dimensioned size that the force of an impact will tend to be
distributed around the
right shoulder joint (as opposed to on the right shoulder joint). (The shape
and location of the
reinforcing rib 122 is merely exemplary, and will vary in other embodiments.)
[0042] Within the circular section 124 of the reinforcing rib 122 is a pad
114. The pad
114 is provided for adding comfort to the wearer of the upper-body protector
100. The pad 114
is a unitary structure made of an open-cell polymeric foam and is sized and
dimensioned to be
snugly retained with the circular section 124 via a friction fit between its
exterior circumference
and the circular section 124 of the reinforcing rib 122. (The construction of
the pad 114 is
merely exemplary and will vary in other embodiments.)
[0043] Referring again to Fig. 2, the non-body facing side 120 of the energy
absorbent
core 108 is covered by outer shell 110. Outer shell 110 is sized and
dimensioned so that the
inner surface 132 (not shown in this view) fits snugly against the non-body-
facing side 120 of the
energy absorbent core 108 (this is best seen in Fig. 5). The outer surface 134
of the outer shell
110 is complimentary to inner surface 134 to provide a relatively smooth
external shell to the
shoulder cap 102. The outer shell 110 is a unitary structure made of molded
ethylene vinyl
acetate, an elastomer that is deformable under ordinary conditions of intended
use of the
shoulder cap 102.
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[0044] Referring to Fig. 3, an inner liner 112 covers the body-facing side 118
of the
absorbent core 108. The inner liner 112 is a unitary structure made of cross-
linked
polyethylene foam. Referring to Fig. 5, due to the construction of the
shoulder cap 102 and
the presence of the reinforcing rib 122, the inner liner 112 does not abut nor
intimately
conform to the body-facing side 118 of the absorbent core 108. Rather the
inner liner 112
forms a generally smooth curved surface (see Fig. 5) of the interior of the
shoulder cap 102.
The inner liner 112 abuts the reinforcing rib 122 and the pad 130.
[0045] To form the right shoulder cap 102, each of the individual components
(the
absorbent core 108, the outer shell 110, the inner liner 112, and the pad 114)
are separately
manufactured (by conventional methods appropriate for the material of which
the
component(s) are constructed) and brought together in the appropriate
alignment. As can
been in Fig. 5, once the components have been aligned an appropriately sized
and
dimensioned piece of trim 136 is placed around the exterior edge and the trim,
the outer shell
110 and the inner liner 112 are stitched together via stitching 138. The
stitching 138 does not
pass through the absorbent core 108; the absorbent core 108 is merely
encapsulated by the
outer shell 110 and the inner liner having been stitched together. (It should
be understood that
the stitching 138 is merely exemplary. In other embodiments the stitching may
be varied
and/or other methods of securing the various components of the shoulder cap
102 together
may be employed.)
[0046] Once assembled the right shoulder cap 102 is used in the fabrication of
the
upper-body protector 100 in a conventional manner.
[0047] In this embodiment the left shoulder cap 104 is a mirror image of the
right
shoulder cap 102. In other embodiments the left shoulder cap need not be a
mirror image of
the right shoulder cap.
[0048] Referring to Fig. 6, there is shown a right elbow protector 200
suitable for use
by an appropriately sized athlete. The elbow protector 200 has an elbow cap
202. The
construction and manufacture of the elbow cap 202 are similar to that of the
shoulder cap 102
and will not be described in further detail with obvious exception that the
elbow cap 202 is
sized and dimensioned to protect the elbow of the user (as opposed to the
shoulder). In all
other aspects the right elbow protector 200 is conventional and will not be
described in
further detail. (A suitable example of such a conventional elbow protector is
the U+ PROTM
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elbow protector commercialized by CCM Hockey.) A left elbow protector could
be, but not
necessarily would be, a mirror image of the right elbow protector 200.
[0049] Referring to Fig. 7, there is shown a right shin guard 300 suitable for
use by an
appropriately sized athlete. The shin guard 300 has a knee cap 302. The
construction and
manufacture of the knee cap 302 are similar to that of the shoulder cap 102
and will not be
described in further detail with obvious exception that the knee cap 302 is
sized and
dimensioned to protect the knee of the user (as opposed to the shoulder). In
all other aspects
the right shin guard 300 is conventional and will not be described in further
detail. (A
suitable example of such a conventional shin guard is the U+ PROTM shin guard
commercialized by CCM Hockey.) A left shin guard could be, but not necessarily
would be, a
mirror image of the right shin guard 300.
[0050] Modifications and improvements to the above-described embodiments of
the
present invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art. The
foregoing description
is intended to be exemplary rather than limiting. The scope of the present
invention is
therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.
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