Patent Application
20160249692
Muscle groups expand, contract, and change form during movement in sports and other activities, including when swinging a baseball bat, for example. In contrast, existing protective gear for arms, elbows, or similar body parts tends to stay in one shape or form during use, which creates uncomfortable and constrictive pressure points when the muscles change form. For example, existing arm and elbow protection for a batter does not adapt to changes in muscle form during the action of swinging a bat.
A joint protector, such as an elbow protector, includes a first protective section attached to a second protective section by a flexible connector. The flexible connector allows the first protective section, such as a triceps section, to expand, extend, hinge, articulate, or pivot relative to the second protective section, such as an elbow section. The joint protector provides enhanced fit and freedom of movement to a user, while maintaining coverage and protection. Other features and advantages will appear hereinafter. The features described above can be used separately or together, or in various combinations of one or more of them.
In the drawings, wherein the same reference number indicates the same element throughout the views:
The present technology is directed to anatomically adaptive or anatomically expanding joint protectors for sports or other activities. Various embodiments of the technology will now be described. The following description provides specific details for a thorough understanding and enabling description of these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand, however, that the invention may be practiced without many of these details. Additionally, some well-known structures or functions may not be shown or described in detail so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the relevant description of the various embodiments. Accordingly, the technology may have other embodiments with additional elements or without several of the elements described below with reference to
The terminology used in the description presented below is intended to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific embodiments of the invention. Certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such in this detailed description section.
Where the context permits, singular or plural terms may also include the plural or singular term, respectively. Moreover, unless the word “or” is expressly limited to mean only a single item exclusive from the other items in a list of two or more items, then the use of “or” in such a list is to be interpreted as including (a) any single item in the list, (b) all of the items in the list, or (c) any combination of items in the list. Further, unless otherwise specified, terms such as “attached” or “connected” are intended to include integral connections, as well as connections between physically separate components.
Specific details of several embodiments of the present technology are described herein with reference to arms and elbows, and with reference to batting in the games of baseball or softball. In other embodiments, the technology can be used to protect parts other than arms and elbows (such as legs, knees, or shoulders), or in conjunction with other sports or activities (such as hockey, lacrosse, or football).
The present technology provides a joint protector that expands, extends, hinges, pivots, or articulates around a joint to provide an enhanced fit and freedom of movement while maintaining coverage and protection. Examples of this technology are illustrated in
In some embodiments, the triceps section 110 may include a triceps pad 115, which may be soft or rigid. Similarly, the elbow-cap section 120 may include an elbow cap pad 125, which may include a soft or rigid material. For example, the triceps pad 115 or elbow cap pad 125 may include a flexible, shock-absorbing foam.
In some embodiments, the triceps section 110 or the elbow-cap section 120 may include a covering material, such as Ariaprene™ or another synthetic rubber or cloth material. In other embodiments, other covering materials may be used, or covering materials may be omitted. The triceps section 110 may be covered with a different covering material than the elbow-cap section 120. And each of the triceps section 110 and the elbow-cap section 120 may include different covering or liner materials on the inside region (shown in
In some embodiments, the connecting section 130 may include an elastic mesh 135 positioned to provide a flexible connection between the triceps section 110 and the elbow-cap section 120, such that the triceps section 110 and the elbow-cap section 120 may move or pivot relative to each other. In other embodiments, the connecting section 130 may include other flexible or elastic materials capable of providing articulation between the triceps section 110 and the elbow-cap section 120. The connecting section 130 may be bound to the triceps section 110 or the elbow-cap section 120 using a binding 138, which may include a flexible or elastic material, and which may include stitching. Other attachments between sections of the guard 100 may also include stitching. In other embodiments, other bindings or stitching may be used on the guard 100.
In some embodiments, the guard 100 may include a loop or D-ring 145, through which the first retaining strap 140 may pass to retain the guard 100 on the user. In some embodiments, the D-ring 145 may be attached proximate to the connecting section 130. In other embodiments, the D-ring 145 may be attached to other parts or sections of the guard 100. The strap 140 may include a fastener, which may include a hook-and-loop fastening material such as Velcro®. For example, hook material 146 may be positioned on an end of the strap 140 while corresponding loop material 147 may be positioned on another portion of the strap 140. In other embodiments, the hook material and the loop material may be in different positions, or other fasteners may be used. The strap 140 may include a strap-grip portion or patch 148, which may be formed from a polyurethane material or other material suitable for grasping by a user.
As illustrated in
Turning now to
With specific reference to
Referring back to
When sized appropriately for a user, the guard 100 eliminates or substantially eliminates gaps between the arm 400 and the guard 100 to reduce impact vulnerability for a user. The flexible materials of the triceps section 110 and the elbow-cap section 120—optionally including shock-absorbing foam, covering materials, liners, and other suitable materials—allow the guard 100 to adjust to changes in the muscle groups located beneath the guard 100, thus facilitating freedom of movement and comfort while maintaining coverage and protection.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the disclosed technology have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the technology, and elements of certain embodiments may be interchanged with those of other embodiments. For example, the straps 140 or 150 may both be sleeves (such as in the description of strap 150 above), or they may both be elastic straps with fasteners (such as in the description of strap 140 above). In other embodiments, one of the straps may be omitted, or additional straps may be included. In some embodiments, the guard 100 may be configured or positioned to protect body parts other than an arm or an elbow.
Further, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of the disclosed technology have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the technology. Accordingly, the disclosure and associated technology may encompass other embodiments not expressly shown or described herein, and the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
