Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE: PROTECTIVE HOCKEY SOCK
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention pertains generally to a protective sock for
skaters, and more particularly to a protective sock for protecting
a back of a lower leg of an ice hockey player from a penetrating
or an abrading injury.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Shin guards used by ice hockey players serve as the
primary protective equipment for protecting a player's lower leg
from injury.
However, traditional shin guards only cover the
front and sides of the leg leaving the calf exposed and vulnerable
to lacerations from skate blades and hockey stick blades. The
Achilles heel and the back of the knee are especially vulnerable
to injury despite the protection afforded by the shin guards. A
laceration to these areas may cause permanent and debilitating
injuries to leg muscles, blood vessels, nerves, ligaments, and
tendons. Such injuries often endanger the player's ability to
play hockey again, especially on a professional level thereby
depriving the player from a livelihood.
[0003] Consequently, there is a need for a protective article of
clothing that provides additional protection to the back of the
lower legs of an ice hockey player that are not protected by
existing protective hockey equipment. The
present invention
discloses a protective barrier element integratable into a
traditional hockey sock that covers the exposed calf and Achilles
heel, shielding the area from skate blade lacerations.
While
protecting the back of the lower leg, the protective article of
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clothing still allows the player to maintain uninhibited mobility
when worn. Additionally, the protective article of clothing works
in conjunction with existing shin pads allowing the entire lower
leg to be protected from skate and hockey stick blade injuries.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The following presents a simplified summary in order to
provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed
invention. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is
not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the
scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a
simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that
is presented later.
[0005] The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one
aspect thereof, comprises a protective article of clothing that
covers the lower leg of an ice hockey player from a knee to a
heel. The protective article of clothing comprises a sock element
that fits over and encapsulates a shin guard, and a protective
barrier element highly resistant to penetrating injuries that is
integrated into a back of the sock element. Additionally, the
protective article of clothing may further comprise a variety of
designs that match hockey team colors and logos.
[0006] Furthermore, the protective article of clothing maintains
flexibility so that the ice hockey player's mobility remains
unimpeded while still functioning as protective equipment. While
still permitting the shin guard to protect a front of the lower
leg, the protective barrier element provides flexible protection
from lacerations to a previously unprotected back of the lower
leg. Specifically, the protective barrier element substantially
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covers an Achilles tendon, a calf muscle, and a back of the knee,
together with the adjacent blood vessels.
[0007] To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends,
certain illustrative aspects are described herein in connection
with the following description and the annexed drawings. These
aspects are indicative of the various ways in which the
principles disclosed herein can be practiced and all aspects and
equivalents thereof are intended to be within the scope of the
claimed subject matter.
Other advantages and novel features will
become apparent from the following detailed description when
considered in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a protective
article of clothing for protecting a lower leg of an ice hockey
player in accordance with the disclosed invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates a side perspective view of the
protective article of clothing in accordance with the disclosed
invention.
[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates a rear perspective view of the
protective article of clothing in accordance with the disclosed
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] Reference is now made to the drawings, wherein like
reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout.
In the following description, for purposes of explanation,
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numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a
thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that
the novel embodiments can be practiced without these specific
details. The
intention is to cover all modifications,
equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope
of the claimed subject matter.
[0012] Referring initially to the drawings, PIGS. 1- 3
illustrate a protective article of clothing 100 for covering the
lower leg of an ice skater.
Traditional ice hockey socks
typically fit over a lower leg and a shin guard designed to
protect a front of the lower leg. The
traditional ice hockey
socks are generally tight fitting flexible garments that extend
from a heel to above a knee with a foot remaining un-encapsulated.
While the shin guard is held in place by the ice hockey sock, a
back of the lower leg remains unprotected, as the sock is
typically manufactured from a stretchable, but easily penetrated
material such as cotton, nylon, rib-knit fabric, polyester, and
the like, as is well known in the art.
[0013] The protective article of clothing 100 comprises a sock
element 102 and a protective barrier element 116. The
sock
element 102 is typically an ice hockey sock comprising a front
portion 104 and a back portion 106. However, the sock element 102
may also comprise any other lower leg covering usable as lower leg
protection, such as but not limited to, an ice skating sock, a
sports sock, and the like. The protective barrier element 116 is
integrated into the back portion 114 of the sock element 102. The
sock element 102 generally encapsulates the lower leg of an ice
hockey player from the heel to above the knee. The sock element
102 is typically manufactured of a stretchable natural or
synthetic material suck as cotton, nylon, rib-knit fabric,
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polyester, and the like, or of any other material or combination
thereof known to one of skill in the art.
[0014] The sock element 102 further comprises an inside 108, an
outside 110, a base 112, and a top 114. The base 112 comprises
an opening for sliding the foot through and generally fits into
the boot portion of a hockey skate. While ice hockey socks
generally are designed to fit over a regular sock and do not
encapsulate a foot, an embodiment where the sock element 102
may further comprises a foot encapsulating portion (not
shown), or a stirrup strap (not shown) attached to the base 112 to
operatively engage the foot of the user adjacent to the heel or
sole area. All of these alternative embodiments are contemplated
as well.
[0015] The protective barrier element 116 for protecting an
Achilles tendon, a calf, and a back of a knee is generally a
flexible protective material that is cut and/or laceration
resistant. A particularly useful material for this purpose
is a synthetic fabric, such as Kevlar0 or Vectrane fabric;
however any other suitable durable flexible material such as,
but not limited to, plastic, high-tensile polymer,
thermoplastic polyethylene fiber, polypropylene fiber, high-
density microfiber, polyester fiber, natural rubber, butyl
rubber, nitrile rubber, and the like, may be used without
affecting the overall scope of the invention. The protective
barrier element 116 may comprise either a single layer of
material or, particularly in the case of synthetic fabrics, such
as Kevlare or Vectrane fabrics, multiple layers of material
having a stacked total thickness of approximately between 1/32
and ;1 inches.
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[0016] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the protective barrier
element comprises a top portion 118, a middle portion 120 and a
bottom portion 122. The protective barrier element 116 may be
generally rectangular in shape tapering approximately between 12
and 30 inches in height and approximately between 2 and 6 inches
in width, so as to extend from the base 112 to the top 114 of the
sock element 102. However, the shape of the protective
barrier element 116 may be ovoid, conical, or irregularly
shaped as well. For example, the protective barrier element 116
further comprises a first side 124 and a second side 126. The
first side 124 and the second side 126 may further extend
outward laterally in the middle portion 120, for better
protecting the calf area. Furthermore, the first side 124 and
the second side may extend to overlap or under lap the shin guard
affording complete circumferential protection to the lower leg.
Similarly, either the top portion 118 and/or the bottom portion
122 may be the widest point as well.
[0017] The
protective barrier element 116 is attachable to
the back portion 106 of the sock element 102. The protective
barrier element 116 is generally stitched into, or onto the back
portion 106 of the sock element 102, on either the inside 108 or
the outside 110. The protective barrier element 116 may be also
attached by adhesive, radio-frequency welding, hot glue pressing,
and the like, or by any other method as is known in the art
without affecting the overall scope of the invention.
[0018] Alternatively, the back portion 106 of the sock element
102 may have a window (not shown) formed therein. In
such
instance, the material of the protective barrier element 116 will
be formed to be of slightly larger outside dimensions than said
window, so as to provide a perimeter portion of the barrier
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element 116 positionable in overlapping relation to said perimeter
portion of the window, such that both portions are attachable to
one another by stitching, or any of the other means of attachment
disclosed in the previous paragraph, with the protective barrier
element 116 being visible through the window.
[0019] Furthermore, the protective barrier element 116 may be
used as an insert so that it is removably locatable within the
sock element 102, such as in between layers of the sock material,
or within a pocket (not shown) in the back portion 106 of the sock
element 102. Such a pocket may be on either the inside 108 or
the outside 110 of the sock element 102. The entrance to said
pocket may be left open, or covered by a flap. The flap may be
fastenable in a closed position by any suitable fastening
means, including a zipper, or hook and loop fastening material.
The hook and loop material may be Velcro hook and loop
fastening material.
[0020] Alternatively, a patch member (not shown) may be
arranged in substantially complete overlying relation to the
barrier element 116 so as to releasably attach the barrier
element 116 to either the inside 108 or the outside 110 of the
back portion 106 of the sock element 102. In such alternative
embodiment, the patch member removably holds the barrier
element 116 in place against the back portion 106 when attached
thereto, but is detachable from the back portion 106 to release
the barrier element 116 when, for example, it is desirable to
dissociate the barrier element 116 from the sock member 102 for
laundering of the latter. Buttons, snap fasteners, zippers, or
hook and loop fastening material, including Velcro hook and
loop fastening material, are examples of suitable releasable
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fastening means for selectively attaching the patch to the back
portion 106 of the sock member 102.
[0021] Alternatively, the protective barrier element 116 may
further comprise a flexible, highly durable, cut-resistant
coating or film applied, or otherwise adhered, to either the
inside 108 or the outside 110 of the back portion 106 of a prior
art ice hockey sock. Application of such a coating or film
may be, by way of non-limiting example, pattern dipping,
spraying, or 3D printing of the coating or film material onto
the back portion 106 of the sock element 102.
Suitable
materials that may be applied in this manner include, without
limitation, rubberized compounds, butyl rubber compounds, nitrile
rubber compounds, all diluted by suitable organic solvents, which
solvents evaporate after application, leaving a cut-resistant
coating or film deposited and adhered onto the back portion 106.
[0022] In all embodiments described above, where there is, in
use, a layer of material interposed between the barrier element
116 and the leg of a user of the sock element 102, it is
preferable, but not essential, that such material be water proof,
or at least water resistant.
This is to prevent, or at least
mitigate against, the deleterious effects of water migration,
typically in the form of perspiration emanating from the user,
into the material of the barrier element 116.
This is
particularly desirable where the material forming the barrier
element 116 is a ballistic fabric such as Kevlare, as the
accumulation of moisture therein is not only known to
increase the fabric's weight and discomfort to a user, but
may also decrease the resistance of such fabrics to
puncturing and/or cutting. In embodiments where no layer of
material is interposed between the barrier element 116 and the leg
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of a user, it may be sufficient to treat the actual material that
makes up the barrier element 116, particularly where it is a
fabric material, by applying a water resistant spray or coating to
the surface of the barrier element 116 directed towards the user
to prevent an unacceptable degree of moisture accumulation
therein.
[0023] Other variations are within the spirit of the present
invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various
modifications and alternative constructions, a certain
illustrated embodiment thereof is shown in the drawings and has
been described above in detail. It should be understood, however,
that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific
form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to
cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and
equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention,
as defined in the appended claims.
[0024] The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar
referents in the context of describing the invention (especially
in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to
cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise
indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms
"comprising", "having", "including," and "containing" are to be
construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not
limited to,") unless otherwise noted. The term "connected" is to
be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or
joined together, even if there is something intervening.
Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to
serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each
separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise
indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the
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specification as if it were individually recited herein. All
methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order
unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly
contradicted by context. The
use of any and all examples, or
exemplary language (e.g., "such as", "for example") provided
herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of
the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the
invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the
specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed
element as essential to the practice of the invention.
[0025] Preferred embodiments of this invention are described
herein, variations of those preferred embodiments may become
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the
foregoing description. The inventor expects skilled artisans to employ
such variations as appropriate, and the inventor intends for the
invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described
herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and
equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended
hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of
the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is
encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or
otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
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