Protective Garment

Abstract

The invention provides a protective garment tailored for ice hockey players to safeguard critical areas susceptible to blade injuries. This garment includes a collar, left and right sleeves with specific upper arm and forearm portions, and a torso portion. Strategically integrated portions of cut-resistant polyethylene material are present in the collar and forearm sections. Some embodiments also incorporate other fabrics, such as aramid variants, while non-cut-resistant sections may be made from blends like polyester and spandex. The collar may take various forms to provide the wearer with configurable protection.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to protective garments for sports players. More specifically, the invention pertains to a garment incorporating cut-resistant materials in the neck, wrist, and forearm regions.

BACKGROUND

Ice hockey stands as one of the most exhilarating and challenging team sports. The game, played at high velocities, sees participants swiftly skating across the ice, leveraging hockey sticks to guide a puck past the opposition's goal. A key component that makes this sport particularly challenging is the frequent physical confrontations between players, resulting in potential bodily harm, especially when considering the razor-sharp edges of the ice skates. To mitigate potential injuries, players have traditionally donned various protective equipment including hockey gloves, elbow pads, and helmets. Yet, current protective equipment offerings exhibit inherent limitations.

A significant vulnerability in the present design of hockey apparel is the unprotected gap between the hockey glove and elbow pad, leaving players' wrists and lower arms exposed. This region of the arm becomes an easy target for inadvertent blade cuts during the rough and tumble of the game. Current protective strategies for the neck area also fall short. While neck guards exist as an option, they are often made of thick, cumbersome materials, limiting a player's mobility and becoming yet another discrete piece of equipment to wear, manage, and maintain.

The prior art solutions have recognized these evident vulnerabilities and have made attempts to address them.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,418,262B2 describes a protective undergarment worn for ice skating sports comprising a torso portion having a front, a back and a neck opening, said torso portion comprising a jersey fabric, and first and second sleeves which extend from and are joined to or integral with said torso portion, each sleeve including a flexible, high performance fabric, resistant to cutting; wherein at least a part of said front and back of said torso portion between opposed sides thereof comprises said jersey fabric without any flexible high performance fabric resistance to cutting. The shirt has special protective cover stitched, surged or fused on the lower sleeves, underarm parts and armpits to prevent against gashes, cuts and other injuries caused by skate blades. However, it does not have any protection for the wearer's neck, which could be argued to be the most important part to protect.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,701A discloses A hockey shirt with a lower trunk opening, a neck opening and a neck guard associated with the neck opening. The neck guard includes a neck surrounding band of fabric, and a releasable attachment for changing the diameter of the neck guard to suit the needs of the wearer. In one embodiment the shirt includes sleeves, with cuff assemblies. The cuff assemblies include a slash guard retaining pocket and an elasticizing means, which in the preferred embodiment is the sleeve cuff itself. However, the neck guard and wrist guards are formed of rigid material secured to the hockey shirt, rather than being a cut resistant material integrated with the non-cut resistant parts of the shirt. This increases manufacturing complexity and cost.

Neither of these prior art solutions contemplate the inclusion of portions of cut-resistant polyethylene material in an underarm our garment on both the neck and sleeve forearm portions to guard a wearer from both neck and arm cuts whilst also maintaining maximum mobility.

It is within this context that the present invention is provided.

SUMMARY

The present invention seeks to address these challenges and provide players with an optimal blend of protection and agility by embedding strategically placed portions of cut-resistant polyethylene material, particularly ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, into the design of a protective garment, the invention thus aims to provide comprehensive protection to the neck, wrist, and forearm regions without impeding the player's mobility.

The present invention pertains to a protective garment specifically designed for ice hockey players, offering protection to critical areas prone to blade injuries. This garment comprises a collar, left and right sleeves with distinct upper arm and forearm portions, and a torso portion extending between the sleeves and adjacent to the collar the collar and forearm portions being formed of a cut-resistant material, notably polyethylene, providing enhanced protection against potential cuts.

In some embodiments, the collar is a turtle-neck style collar formed of cut-resistant material.

In some embodiments, the collar has an opening with a Velcro or zipper closing mechanism.

In some embodiments, the garment further comprises an adjustable neck piece which is detachable from the collar and configured to be positioned over a portion of the collar.

In some embodiments, the polyethylene employed is of ultra-high molecular weight. This particular material offers superior resistance to cuts while not compromising on the flexibility essential for the player's movement.

In some embodiments, additional cut-resistant materials may be integrated with the garment to support the polyethylene portions. For example, aramid fabrics such as Nomex® and Kevlar® and Twaron® may be incorporated.

In some embodiments, the torso portion and upper arm portions are constructed from a non-cut-resistant material, offering greater flexibility and comfort. The cuffs may also be constructed from this material, if the garment includes cuffs.

In some embodiments, the non-cut-resistant fabric may comprise one or more of spandex, polyester, synthetic, microfiber, nylon, and/or polypropylene fabrics.

In some embodiments, the non-cut-resistant fabric is a blend of multiple different materials. In some such embodiments the non-cut-resistant fabric comprises about 85% polyester and about 15% spandex. For example, the non-cut-resistant fabric may comprise 80-90% polyester and 10-20% spandex.

In some embodiments, the chosen fabric for the non-cut-resistant sections is either a single material or a blend of materials. For instance, the fabric may comprise a blend of 80-90% polyester and 10-20% spandex, allowing for elasticity, breathability, and comfort for the wearer.

In some embodiments, the collar and the yoke of the torso portion encompass a placket extending through them. This placket is designed to facilitate the donning and removal of the protective garment. By transitioning between an open and closed position, the placket aids in adjusting the collar to fit securely against the user's neck.

In some embodiments, the placket is equipped with hook and loop fasteners that assist in transitioning between its closed and open positions. Such fasteners offer a reliable yet easily adjustable mechanism to secure the placket in place. Other standard mechanisms such as buttons, zippers, studs, buckles, snap fasteners, and eyelets may also be used.

In some embodiments, the upper arm portions of the sleeves incorporate high friction gripping elements on their outer surfaces. These elements, which may comprise silicon dots, ensure that any additional sports equipment worn over the garment, such as elbow pads, remains securely positioned.

In some embodiments, the protective garment sleeves include cuffs. These cuffs add an extra layer of protection and fitment. To further enhance the comfort and positioning of the forearm portions on the wearer's wrists and/or forearms, the cuffs on the left and right sleeves may form thumbholes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the protective garment according to one embodiment, showcasing the collar, sleeves, and torso portion.

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of the protective garment, emphasizing the placket in a closed position.

FIG. 3 depicts a rear view of the protective garment with the placket in an open position, detailing the mechanism of the hook and loop fasteners.

FIG. 4 is a front view of another embodiment of the protective garment having an alternative turtleneck collar design.

FIG. 5 is a front view of an embodiment of the protective garment having configurable neck protector element for additional protection of the collar area.

FIG. 6 is a front view of another embodiment of the protective garment having a zipper integrated into the collar for comfort and ease of wear.

Common reference numerals are used throughout the figures and the detailed description to indicate like elements. One skilled in the art will readily recognize that the above figures are examples and that other architectures, modes of operation, orders of operation, and elements/functions can be provided and implemented without departing from the characteristics and features of the invention, as set forth in the claims.

Detailed Description and Preferred Embodiment

The following is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles of the invention. The embodiments are provided to illustrate aspects of the invention, but the invention is not limited to any embodiment. The scope of the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalent; it is limited only by the claims.

Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the invention is not unnecessarily obscured.

Definitions

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.

The terms “first,” “second,” and the like are used herein to describe various features or elements, but these features or elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one feature or element from another feature or element. Thus, a first feature or element discussed below could be termed a second feature or element, and similarly, a second feature or element discussed below could be termed a first feature or element without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The following detailed description provides a specific example implementation of a protective garment according to the present disclosure, as illustrated through accompanying figures. This garment, devised with an optimal blend of safety and flexibility in mind, integrates both cut-resistant and non-cut-resistant materials to offer wearers unparalleled protection without compromising mobility.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a protective garment 102 according to one embodiment. The protective garment 102 includes a collar 104, a left sleeve 106, a right sleeve 114, and a torso portion 122. The collar 104 is adjacent to the torso portion 122 and may be joined, for example, by stitches. The left sleeve 106 and the right sleeve 114 are both connected to the torso portion 122, with the torso portion 122 extending between the left and right sleeves 106, 114. The torso portion 122 also includes a yoke 124 that extends from the collar 104 to about the bottom of where the left sleeve 106 and the right sleeve 114 connect to the torso portion 122.

The left sleeve 106 includes a left upper arm portion 108, a left forearm portion 110, and a left cuff 112. The left upper arm portion 108 is attached to and extends from the yoke 124 of the torso portion 122 to the left forearm portion 110. The left forearm portion 110 is attached to and extends from the left upper arm portion 108 to the left cuff 112. Similarly, the right sleeve 114 includes a right upper arm portion 116, a right forearm portion 118, and a right cuff 120. The right upper arm portion 116 is attached to and extends from the yoke 124 of the torso portion 122 to the right forearm portion 118. The right forearm portion 118 is attached to and extends from the right upper arm portion 116 to the right cuff 120.

The collar 104, the left forearm portion 108, and the right forearm portion 118 are each made of a cut-resistant material. For a user wearing the protective garment 102, the cut-resistant material serves to prevent or inhibit injuries to the user's wrists and forearms, as well as their neck.

The portions of cut-resistant material include at least one section formed of polyethylene, such as for example an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene is polyethylene with extremely long chains such that the molecular weight usually ranges between 3.5 and 7.5 million atomic mass units.

The polyethylene portions may be integrated with or reinforced by portions of aramid fabrics. Aramid is aromatic polyamide and contains repeating units of large phenyl rings linked together by amide groups. Examples of aramid fabrics include Nomex® and Kevlar®, made by DuPont, and Twaron®, made by Akzo Industrial Fibers.

The torso portion 122, the left upper arm portion 108, the left cuff 112, the right upper arm portion 116, and the right cuff 120 are each made of a non-cut-resistant fabric. The non-cut-resistant fabric provides a greater range of movement for users than would be provided if the entire protective garment 102 were made of the cut-resistant material. Additional benefits of the non-cut-resistant fabric include, for example, improved temperature regulation, improved circulation, and accelerated post-workout recovery.

Suitable fabrics for the non-cut-resistant fabric include, but are not limited to, spandex, polyester, synthetic, microfiber, nylon, and/or polypropylene fabrics. In some embodiments, the non-cut-resistant fabric is a blend of multiple different materials. In some such embodiments the non-cut-resistant fabric comprises about 85% polyester and about 15% spandex. For example, the non-cut-resistant fabric may comprise 80-90% polyester and 10-20% spandex.

As shown in FIG. 1, the left cuff 112 and the right cuff 120 further form thumbholes 130a, 130b. The thumbholes 130a, 130b assist in keeping the cut-resistant material of the left forearm portion 108 and the right forearm portion 118 in place on the user's wrists and/or forearms. In other embodiments, a protective garment may not form thumbholes. In some embodiments, a protective garment may form a thumbhole on only one of the left and right cuffs.

The left upper arm portion 108 and the right upper arm portion 116 further include silicon dots 132a, 132b, respectively. The silicon dots 132a, 132b are useful for keeping additional protective equipment, such as elbow pads, in place. The silicon dots 132a, 132b may be uniformly or randomly distributed. In some embodiments, the silicon dots 132a, 132b are distributed circumferentially around the left upper arm portion 108 and the right upper arm portion 116. In other embodiments, left and right upper arm portions do not include silicon dots. In some embodiments, one of the left and right upper arm portions includes silicon dots.

Referring to FIG. 2, a rear view of the protective garment 102 with a placket 126 in a closed position is shown according to one embodiment. As can be seen in the rear view of the protective garment 102, the placket 126 extends through the collar 104 and the yoke 124. The placket 126 is a closeable opening in the protective garment 102 that facilitates putting on and removing the protective garment 102. The placket 126 is also useful for adjusting the collar 104 to fit snugly against the user's neck. In other embodiments, a placket is not located on the rear of the protective garment. For example, a placket is on a side of the protective garment or on a front of the protective garment. In some embodiments, there are multiple plackets in a protective garment. It is contemplated that there are plackets on the torso portion, the left sleeve, and/or the right sleeve.

FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the protective garment 102 with the placket 126 in an open position according to one embodiment. The open position of the placket 126 is useful for removing or donning the protective garment 102 because it increases the size of the opening defined by the collar 104, permitting a user's head to extend therethrough. As shown in FIG. 3, the placket 126 further includes hook and loop fasteners 128 to assist in temporarily transitioning the placket 126 to the closed position (the closed position is shown in FIG. 2).

Instead of hook and loop fasteners, other options for fastening the placket 126 into the closed position may be used. For example, in some embodiments, the placket includes buttons and holes, a zipper, studs, buckles, snap fasteners, eyelets, or any other suitable fastening system that allows the placket to transition between the closed and open positions.

Referring to FIG. 4, a front view of another embodiment of the protective garment having an alternative turtleneck collar design 104a is shown. The turtleneck collar 104a is the only difference from the structural design of the embodiment of FIG. 1, all other elements remain unchanged.

Referring to FIG. 5, a front view of an embodiment of the protective garment having configurable neck protector element 103 for additional protection of the collar area is shown. This adjustable neck piece 103 may be configured in various shapes and sizes, and may have an internal surface with a Velcro or other attachment mechanism formed thereon, allowing users to place the neck piece 103 over areas of the collar that are comfortable for them and which they believe requires additional protection.

Referring to FIG. 6, a front view of another embodiment of the protective garment is shown having a zipper 105 integrated into the collar for comfort and ease of wear. Other opening and closing mechanism may provide a similar level of comfort and ease of wear, such as Velcro strips, etc.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

The disclosed embodiments are illustrative, not restrictive. While specific configurations of the garment have been described in a specific manner referring to the illustrated embodiments, it is understood that the present invention can be applied to a wide variety of solutions which fit within the scope and spirit of the claims. There are many alternative ways of implementing the invention.

It is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.

Claims

1. A protective sports garment, the garment comprising: a collar;a left sleeve having a left upper arm portion and a left forearm portion;a right sleeve having a right upper arm portion and a right forearm portion;a torso portion extending between said left and right sleeves and adjacent to said collar;wherein the said left and right forearm portions are formed of a cut-resistant material, one or more of the collar, left forearm, and right forearm portions comprising polyethylene as the cut-resistant material.

2. The protective garment of claim 1, wherein said polyethylene is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

3. The protective garment of claim 1, wherein one or more of the cut-resistant portions comprise or are reinforced by an aramid fabric.

4. The protective garment of any of claim 1, wherein said torso portion and said left and right upper arm portions are made from a non-cut-resistant material.

5. The protective garment of claim 1, wherein said non-cut-resistant material comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of spandex, polyester, synthetic, microfiber, nylon, and polypropylene fabrics.

6. The protective garment of claim 1, further comprising a placket extending through said collar and a yoke of said torso portion, wherein said placket facilitates donning and removal of said protective garment.

7. The protective garment of claim 6, wherein said placket includes hook and loop fasteners for transitioning between an open and closed position.

8. The protective garment of claim 6, wherein said placket further includes one or more selected from the group consisting of buttons, zippers, studs, buckles, snap fasteners, and eyelets for transitioning between the open and closed positions.

9. The protective garment of claim 1, wherein said left and right upper arm portions comprise high friction gripping elements on their outer surfaces.

10. The protective garment of claim 9, wherein said gripping elements comprise silicon dots.

11. The protective garment of claim 1, further comprising cuffs on said left and right sleeves formed of a non-cut-resistant material.

12. The protective garment of claim 11, wherein said cuffs on said left and right sleeves form thumbholes.

13. The protective garment of claim 1, wherein the collar is a turtle-neck style collar formed of cut-resistant material.

14. The protective garment of claim 1, wherein the collar has an opening with a Velcro or zipper closing mechanism.

15. The protective garment of claim 1, further comprising an adjustable neck piece which is detachable from the collar and configured to be positioned over a portion of the collar.