Patent Application
20110056004
The invention relates generally to pads for protecting the human anatomy from impact, as well as to methods of making padded garments and the associated pads.
Protective equipment such as shoulder pads, rib protectors, shin pads, hip pads, and thigh pads are commonly worn by participants in many types of sporting events for protection from impact resulting from contact with an object or another participant. Such protective equipment has been used by athletes in various contact sports such as football, hockey and soccer, as well as non-contact sports such as baseball, basketball, equestrian sports and the like. Protective pads such as knee and elbow pads are commonly used during activities such as skating, skateboarding, and cycling to protect against bodily injury during falls on the pavement or other hard surfaces.
Conventional protective pads typically include a relatively hard outer shell of a material such as plastic, as well as an inner layer of softer padding material. The hard outer layer is provided to receive the applied force or shock of an impact, and to distribute the force over a large area. The soft padding material, in addition to acting as a cushion for providing comfort to the wearer, usually acts to absorb and dampen the aforementioned forces in order to protect the wearer from the shock of an impact. However, despite the padding material, hard shell protective pads are often uncomfortable to wear due to their universal construction intended to accommodate different human anatomy types.
Protective equipment which incorporate various pad designs are commonly of two constructions. One type of protective equipment are garments constructed specifically for protecting selected portions of the wearer's anatomy by including strategically placed pockets constructed to receive a protective pad. Examples of such protective equipment are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,507,801; 6,145,134; 5,093,931; 6,357,054; 6,070,273; and U.S. Patent Application publication Nos. 2008/0127401 and 2009/0025126. The other type of protective equipment permanently adheres the protective pad to the garment surface at preselected locations where, depending upon the activity of the wearer, are those most likely to sustain an impact. Examples of such protective garments are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,810,559; 6,810,534; 7,100,216; and United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0039245 (assigned to the same assignee of the present invention).
Significant to the functionality of the aforementioned protective equipment is that the protective pads remain at their desired location while the wearer is participating in various activities. In contact sports, for example, it is not uncommon for the protective pads in known protective equipment to shift from their intended location. Upon such occurrence, the intended anatomy of the wearer to be protected may be exposed and left unprotected unless the pads are repositioned by the wearer. However, during various activities such as sports, the wearer may not notice shifting of the protective pad's position, or may be unable at the moment to reposition the pad. In such circumstances, this can lead to injury.
There is an unsolved need for a protective garment incorporating pads having a construction overcoming the drawbacks and limitations of the prior art. In particular, it is desirable to provide a protective garment having pads which remain stable at their intended location during the activity of the wearer, as well as being comfortable to wear and having a relatively simple construction lending itself to efficient, cost-effective and non-labor intensive manufacturing.
The invention is directed to protective pads incorporated into garments for protecting the elbows, knees, shins, shoulders and other anatomical areas of a person during a sports event or other activity. The pads are uniquely constructed as a three-dimensional body having one or more layers of synthetic or natural polymers, or other natural or synthetic materials suitable for use in a protective pad. The three-dimensional body conforms to a digitally scanned portion of the human anatomy such as the contours found around the knee or elbow of the wearer.
A three-dimensional mold for making the pad is constructed based upon three-dimensional data, i.e., X, Y, Z coordinate data obtained from scanning the relevant part of the human anatomy to be protected. The pad can be constructed from multiple layers of various materials, each layer having a specific property or characteristic, such as shock absorption, impact resistance, energy dissipation, and the like. The light weight nature of the pad may be maintained by coring out sections or quadroons of the pad which contain the other layers to provide the pad with its functional attributes.
The pad may be formed as a separate component apart from the garment to which the pad will be incorporated. In this regard, multiple pads can be manufactured and stored in inventory for later application to the final garment. In this regard, the pads can be manufactured in one location by one manufacturer and adhered to the garment in a separate process at a different location by another manufacturer. Pads can therefore be sold to a variety of garment manufacturers. The outer surface of the pads may be adorned with various graphics, logos, names, trademarks, or other indicia as may be desired by the wearer or in support of the manufacturers product.
In the preferred embodiment, the pads are formed simultaneously with their adherence to the garment to be worn. In this regard, the three-dimensional mold will include a cavity which receives a layer of the garment which functions as a permanent carrier for the pad. By injecting polymer material into the mold cavity, the pad is formed as an integral component with the garment layer. Upon donning the garment, the pad will find the human anatomy component to match up with and conform itself in place with minimal weight and bulk that is found in currently known pads. In the preferred embodiment, the garment is made from stretchable fabric to add to its custom fit to the human anatomy of the wearer who have different body sizes and shapes. The garment by being stretchable, allows for multiple pads to find their correct position on the human anatomy, such as on the lower leg and knee, regardless of the user size and weight.
A method of making a garment having a protective pad, the method comprising creating coordinate data representing a portion of a human anatomy; using the coordinate data to provide a mold having a cavity bound by at least first and second surfaces, the first surface conforming to the portion of the human anatomy; positioning a portion of a garment within the cavity; and supplying a first polymer material into the cavity to form a pad, the pad having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface conforming to the portion of the human anatomy and adhering to the portion of the garment.
A method of making a garment having a protective pad, the method comprising: creating 3D data representing a portion of a human anatomy; using a mold having a cavity corresponding to the 3D data for making at least one pad having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface conforming to the portion of the human anatomy; positioning a layer of material forming a portion of a garment within the cavity, and supplying a polymer material into the cavity whereby the polymer material forms the pad having the inner surface adhered to the layer of material.
A method of making a protective pad for use with a garment, the method comprising creating 3D data representing a portion of a human anatomy; using a mold having a cavity corresponding to the 3D data for making at least one pad having an inner surface and an outer surface; and supplying a first polymer material into the cavity thereby forming the pad, the pad having the inner surface conforming to the portion of the human anatomy.
A protective pad for use with a garment, the pad comprising a body of a first polymer material, the body having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface having a profile corresponding to 3D data representing a portion of a human anatomy.
A garment having a protective pad, the garment comprising a layer of material; and a pad of a first polymer material comprising a body having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface adhered to the layer and having a profile conforming to a portion of a human anatomy.
A garment having a protective pad, the garment comprising a layer of material; and at least one pad of a first polymer material comprising a body having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein substantially the entire inner surface of the body is adhered to the layer of material, the inner surface having a three dimensional profile conforming to X, Y and Z coordinates representing a portion of a human anatomy.
The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with features, objects, and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:
In describing the preferred embodiments of the subject matter illustrated and to be described with respect to the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and needs to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. Referring to the drawings, the present invention will be described with respect to the miscellaneous embodiments, wherein like reference numerals represent like elements.
Referring to
The pad 100 can be constructed from one or more layers of various synthetic or natural polymers and/or natural occurring materials to provide the performance characteristics desired of the pad depending upon the activity of the wearer. For example, the pad 100 can be constructed from a single molded layer of synthetic polymer material having various hardnesses. Harder polymer material will provide greater protection against blunt impact from hard objects, while softer polymers will provide more shock absorption and dissipation. The pad 100 may include an inner layer of soft materials such as polymer gels which will function to dissipate impact forces to the pad, while providing a cushioning layer providing more comfort to the wearer. In addition, multilayer pads may include harder imbedded layers of polymer material or natural materials such as metal components to enhance the impact protective qualities of the pad. Regardless of the materials of construction of the pad 100, the inner surface layer of the pad will be constructed to conform to that portion of the human anatomy to be protected.
There will now be described various exemplary embodiments of a pad which is adapted to be adhered to a supporting layer such as a portion of a garment to be worn. As will be appreciated, the pad 100 can be constructed in a variety of sizes and shapes which may be dictated by functionality and aesthetics, as well as the size and shape of the various anatomical body parts. The pad of the present invention is constructed to have an inner surface layer which conforms to the anatomical body parts to be protected, thereby providing greater comfort to the wearer while enhancing the pad's ability to retain its position during activities of the wearer.
By way of example, the shell 106 can be constructed from a variety of thermoplastic polymer materials, including rigid and semi-ridged material, such as polyurethanes, polyesters, nylon, thermoplastic olefins, thermoplastic elastomers such as styrenics block co-polymers, polycarbonates, polypropylenes, ethylene polymeric materials and the like. Thermoplastic polymers are preferred as they allow the pad to be manufactured using conventional injection molding techniques. However, it is contemplated that thermoset polymers can also be used in the construction of pads in accordance with the present invention, for example, vulcanized rubber, thermoset elastomers and urethanes or polymers that need a catalyst to curve.
Referring to
The outer and inner layers 118, 120 can be constructed from different material compositions, such as having different hardnesses thereby having different shock absorbing and shock dissipating properties. By way of example, the outer layer 118 can be constructed from a relatively hard polymer, while the inner layer 120 can be constructed from a softer gel-like polymer material, such as those having twenty Shore A value or below, more preferably in the range of 3-5 Shore A. By constructing the inner layer 120 from a gel-like material, the pad 114 will provide a cushioning layer which will enhance the wearer's comfort, while providing for shock absorption and dissipation of impact to the pad. Suitable gel-like materials include thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic olefins and thermoplastic urethanes.
By constructing the inner and outer layers 118, 120 from different materials, the pad 114 can be tailored to specific activities of the wearer to provide the maximum protection against injury to the wearer's anatomy. This design flexibility and constructing the pad pursuant to the invention enhances its utility by being adaptable to the wearer's needs.
Referring to
Each of the layers may be constructed from different materials in the manner as previously described. By way of example, the middle layer 134 can be constructed from a relatively harder polymer composition to maximize protection from blunt impact to the pad by hard objects such as baseball bats, baseballs and the like. The outer layer 130 can be constructed from a softer polymer composition which will facilitate absorption and dissipation of the force of the impact. Further, the inner layer 132 can be constructed from a gel-like polymer material which provides a cushioning effect for the pad thereby enhancing wearer comfort, as well as facilitating dissipation of impact forces on the pad.
The pads pursuant to the invention as thus far described can be constructed from one or more layers of polymer or other natural or synthetic materials, which when combined, provide the requisite impact and shock absorbing properties necessitated by the wearer's activity. In addition, the pad can possess enhanced comfort and shock dissipation properties by incorporating an inner layer from gel-like material. In each case, the inner surface of the pad is constructed to conform to the anatomical body part to be protected. Such construction enhances wearer comfort of the pad, as well as enhancing the pad's ability to remain in its desired position during activity of the wearer.
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The protrusions may be in the form of segmented bodies arranged in a random or predetermined pattern or array. The protrusions may be of any desired size and shape such as regular and irregular shaped spheres, elongated rod-like members, polygonal shape bodies, ribs, cylindrical bodies, semi-circular bodies, and the like. In addition, dimples may be incorporated into the pad with other structures such as the protrusions if desired.
The protrusions 150 can be adapted to provide the pad with a specific performance characteristic such as shock absorption, shock dissipation, abrasion resistance, etc. In addition, the protrusions can be arranged to provide the pad to have different areas or fields of performance as may be dictated by the activity of the wearer. For example, the protrusions 150 can be strategically placed to provide the pad with regions of greater stiffness and mass for greater protection of certain anatomical body parts, as well as for decorative purposes.
The pads as thus far described have been defined by a shell forming a cavity region for capturing anatomical body parts such as knees, elbows, and the like which lend themselves to pads having deep cavity regions. The pads of the invention are also suitable for protecting anatomical body parts where deep cavity regions are not necessitated. For example, one frequent anatomical body part which is protected is the shin during sports activities such as soccer. In those instances, a pad with shallow cavity regions to conform to the wearer's shin is desired.
Referring to
The pad 154 has an outer surface 164 which can be constructed as a generally smooth planar member, or may include a plurality of protrusions 166. The protrusions may be of similar construction and purpose as the protrusions 150 describe with respect to the pad illustrated in
It is also contemplated that the pads as thus far described are not required to be of solid construction. For example, as shown in
Referring now to
It is not a requirement of the present invention that the pads be custom fit to a particular wearer. In this regard, it is contemplated that typical anatomical body parts such as elbows, knees, shins, shoulders and the like are anatomically similar between male and female anatomies. These anatomical body parts are contemplated to differ in size based upon the height of the wearers. On this basis, it is possible to develop pads in different size ranges such as extra small, small, medium, large and extra large which will conform to the mass of intended wearer. Thus, extra small pads will conform to anatomical body parts of small children, while extra large pads will conform to the anatomical body parts of large adults. One can employ human models from young children to large adults as representative models of the appropriate size and shape of the desired anatomical body parts when designing the pads of the invention. It is therefore not necessary that the pads be custom fit to the wearer, although custom fitting is within the scope of the invention.
Referring to
The system 174 is operative for surface scanning approximately a four inch by four inch area. Accordingly, in order to scan the entire surface area of the anatomical body part of interest, either the system is moved about the body part to affect a complete scan, or where the scanning system is held stationary, the person is rotated in front of the laser to affect complete scan coverage. In either event, the scanning process creates blocks of 3D data representative of each of the separate scans. In order to effectively provide a three-dimensional representation of the object, the data is processed with software, such as SLIM 3D software by 3D-Shape of Germany. The SLIM software merges and aligns scans together based on common feature recognition between scans, and then registers the scans globally as one 3D model. As long as there is an overlap and common features among two scans, the software can automatically align the data. If not enough crossover or common features between the scans, markers are used in software to align and merge the scans. The software also smoothes, fills holes, and refines the scans to give a clear image of the model. The resulting 3D digital model is easily exported into popular 3D software formats and edited and manipulated using third party application software, such as CAD software.
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The three-dimensional CAD data of the pad 104 is used for creating a mold 182 as shown in
During the molding process, the molded pad 102 is adhered to a supporting layer 102 which forms a portion of the garment to be worn. In the preferred embodiment, the supporting layer can be a woven or non-woven resilient material having elastic properties from synthetic polymer materials such as elastane, however, other polymer materials such as polyesters, nylon, and the like which have stretchable Or non-stretchable characteristics may be used. Other examples include natural fabrics such as cotton and wool; and combinations of synthetic and natural materials. In addition, it is contemplated that natural materials such as cotton can be used for the supporting fabric layer 102. As the pad 102 adheres to the supporting layer during the molding process, it is preferred that the supporting layer be a synthetic polymer of the thermoplastic type.
When the mold 182 is open, the supporting layer 102 is positioned overlying and in contact with the inner surface 186 of the core side 184 of the mold. The supporting layer, in the preferred embodiment, will be that portion of the garment to which the pad 104 is to be adhered. However, it is contemplated that the supporting layer can be a separate material which is subsequently adhered to the garment by any conventional means such as stitching, gluing, thermal bonding or the like. Once the supporting layer has been positioned within the mold 182, the mold is closed as indicated by the dashed lines in
Upon separation of the mold halves, the inner surface 110 of the pad 104 is integrally and coextensively bonded to the surface of the supporting layer 102. The one step molding process produces the finished pad, while at the same time, adhering the pad to the supporting layer. The completed pad 104 is illustrated in
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The supporting layer 102 is placed within the mold in contact with the inner surface 204 of the core side 196. A pre-formed inner layer 144 is placed within the mold over the supporting layer 102 underlying the cavity 200. The inner layer 144 can be constructed from a variety of materials. For example, the inner layer 144 can be formed from a gel-like polymer material which provides a soft cushioning layer to the resulting pad, as well as providing a shock absorbing and dissipating layer. It is contemplated that the gel composition will enable the inner layer 144 to conform to the inner surface 204 of the core side 196 when positioned over the supporting layer. It is not a requirement that an inner layer 144 of a gel-like material generally be preformed to conform to the shape of the inner surface 204.
The inner layer 144 can thus comprise any number of materials such as soft gels, harder thermoplastic or thermo-set polymer materials, non-polymeric materials and the like. It is only generally required that the material composition of the inner layer having a melting temperature high enough so as not to melt and loose its shape during the injection molding process. In the case where the inner layer 144 is a hard or rigid polymer or non-polymeric material, it is generally preferred that the inner layer be pre-molded into a layer having a shape conforming to the inner surface 204, i.e., conforming to the three-dimensional coordinate data representative of the anatomical body part.
After the mold 194 has been closed, the polymer material is injected into the cavity 200 forming the shell 148 which encapsulates the inner layer 144 except for the side overlying the supporting layer 102. It is contemplated that the inner layer 144 as a result of the heat applied during the molding process will result in the inner layer adhering also to the support layer 102. However, it is not a requirement of the invention that there be adhesion, as the remaining area of the shell 148 surrounding the inner layer 144 adheres to the supporting layer. The resulting pad 146 adhered to the supporting layer 102 is illustrated in
It is contemplated that the pads of the invention can be fabricated separately from the supporting layer. The pads can be separately produced and inventoried for later adherence to a supporting layer such as a garment. In this regard, the pad can be subsequently adhered to the garment using any suitable techniques such as adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, stitching and the like. Examples of adhereing a pad to a garment are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0039245, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Referring to
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Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
