Protective Guard Apparatus

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus that protects body parts of an athlete. More specifically, the present invention relates to wearable apparatuses that protect the shin, medial side of the ankle, medial side of the foot, and/or the elbow of a batter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Protective guards are used by athletes in various situations. Soccer players use shin guards; catchers use helmets, chest protectors, and leg guards; football players use helmets and shoulder pads; etc. Baseball batters typically wear leg guards and arm guards while they bat. The leg guard of a batter protects the medial side of the lead leg and foot (leg and foot closest to the pitcher when in a batter's stance) of a batter from balls hit directly off of the bat of the batter. The exit speed of the ball (speed at which the ball comes off of the bat) can reach speeds over 100 mph. When a ball is hit directly at an unprotected lead leg and foot of the batter, the ball can inflict serious damage to the leg and foot of the batter, including broken bones. Thus, many batters use leg guards on their lead legs and feet to protect the legs and feet from balls hit directly at the lead leg and foot.

In addition, the arm guard of a batter protects the lead arm (arm that is closest to the pitcher when in a batter's stance) from balls thrown by the pitcher. The arm guard protects the backside and/or the side of the upper arm (bicep and tricep area of the arm) and/or the elbow of the lead arm. The lead arm, especially the lead elbow, may protrude from the batter when the batter is in a batter's stance. Furthermore, pitchers are capable of throwing baseballs over 100 mph, and oftentimes, these pitches hit the batter in the lead arm. Thus, batters use arm guards on their lead arms to protect the lead arm from pitches that are thrown so closely to the batter that they impact the lead arm.

While these leg guards and arm guards exist and are currently used by batters, the currently available leg and arm guards are bulky, heavy, and are not shaped to the specific human anatomy that they are designed to protect. Bulky and heavy arm guards make it more difficult for the batter to move the body parts protected by the guards. The cumbersome size of the leg and arm guards may restrict the freedom of movement, while the weight may restrict the speed at which the batter can make the necessary movements. Furthermore, because the leg and arm guards may not be anatomically shaped to the specific part of the human anatomy that they are designed to protect, the leg and arm guards may either prevent specific movements by the batter, or may shift their position on the body of the batter when movements are made. Thus, while proper protection may be accomplished by currently available leg and arm guards, the currently available leg and arm guards restrict movement of the batter and impact the batter's performance on the baseball field. In addition, because of the large amounts of material required to manufacture the bulky designs of current leg and arm guards, manufacturing the current leg and arm guards is costly.

Therefore, what is needed is a protective guard that can be worn by athletes where the protective guard provides proper protection of body parts, but the protective guards do not limit the freedom of movement of the athlete while being worn. Moreover, what is needed is a protective guard that is inexpensive to manufacture and reduces the amount of materials used for manufacture, while still providing proper protection. In addition, what is needed is a protective guard that is anatomically shaped to the area of the body that it is designed to protect to enable more freedom of movement while still providing the protection needed by the athlete. What is also needed is a protective guard that is comfortable to wear.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A protective guard for a body part of a person includes a base, a first shell, and a second shell. The base of the protective guard may have an interior surface and an exterior surface and may be constructed from a synthetic material that is soft and flexible. Moreover, the base of the guard includes a first (e.g., upper) region, a second (e.g., lower) region, and a middle region. The middle region may comprise a groove that enables the first and second regions to move with respect to one another. The first shell, disposed on the outer surface of the first region, may be anatomically shaped to a first body part of a user (e.g., a shin or an upper portion of the arm). The first shell may have at least two areas, the first area having a first durometer value and the second area having a second durometer value. The first durometer value may be less than the second durometer value, which enables the first area to flex more than the second area. The second shell, disposed on the outer surface of the second region of the base, may be anatomically shaped to a second body part of a user that is disposed proximate to the first body part (e.g., an ankle or an elbow). The second shell may have a third durometer value that is greater than the first durometer value. The shaping of the first and second shells enables the protective guard to more closely fit the contours of the user's body parts to provide adequate protection without limiting the freedom of movement of the user. In addition, the groove between the first and second regions further prevents the guard from limiting the freedom of movement of the user by enabling the first and second shells to move with respect to one another when the first and second body parts move with respect to one another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a leg guard for a batter, where the leg guard is worn around portions of the leg and the foot of a user.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of another embodiment of the leg guard for a batter.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the embodiment of the leg guard illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4A illustrates the front view of the embodiment of the leg guard illustrated in FIG. 3 with a region of the shell of the shin portion being outlined.

FIG. 4B illustrates the side view of the embodiment of the leg guard illustrated in FIG. 2 with a region of the shell of the shin portion being outlined.

FIG. 4C illustrates the front view of the embodiment of the leg guard illustrated in FIG. 3 with a region of the shell of the shin portion being outlined.

FIG. 4D illustrates the side view of the embodiment of the leg guard illustrated in FIG. 2 with a region of the shell of the shin portion being outlined.

FIG. 5 illustrates a rear view of the embodiment of the leg guard illustrated in FIG. 2 with the toe portion removed from the leg guard.

FIG. 6A illustrates a rear view of a 3D model of a leg and a comparison of the fit of the embodiment of the leg guard illustrated in FIG. 1 and the fit of a prior art version of a leg guard on the model of the leg.

FIG. 6B illustrates a side view the 3D model of the leg illustrated in FIG. 6A and a comparison of the fit of the embodiment of the leg guard illustrated in FIG. 1 and the fit of a prior art version of a leg guard on the model of the leg.

FIG. 7A illustrates a top view of an embodiment of the toe portion of an embodiment of the leg guard illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7B illustrates a bottom view of the toe portion illustrated in FIG. 7A.

FIG. 7C illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the toe portion illustrated in FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8A illustrates a side view of an embodiment of an arm guard being worn on the arm of a batter, the arm guard being oriented in a first position.

FIG. 8B illustrates a side view the embodiment of the arm guard illustrated in FIG. 8A, the arm guard being oriented on the arm of a batter in a second position.

FIG. 9A illustrates a front view of an embodiment of an elbow guard for a batter.

FIG. 9B illustrates a side view of the embodiment of the elbow guard illustrated in FIG. 9B.

FIG. 10A illustrates the front view of the embodiment of the arm guard illustrated in FIG. 9A with a region of the shell of the arm portion being outlined.

FIG. 10B illustrates the side view of the embodiment of the arm guard illustrated in FIG. 9B with a region of the shell of the arm portion being outlined.

Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements throughout this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the article of protective gear for sports is in the form of a leg guard 10 configured to be positioned on the leg of a user 800 such that it is oriented below the knee. By way of specific example, the leg guard is utilized in the sport of baseball, providing protection to a batter while at the plate. The leg guard 10 includes a unitary construction having an upper shin portion 100 and a lower ankle portion 200 separated from the shin portion via a flexible bridge 400 (also called a flex portion). The leg guard 10 may further include an instep or toe portion or cover 300 adapted to cover the instep of the foot.

The leg guard 10 includes a base layer 130 configured to contact the wearer and a shell layer 140 coupled to the base layer. The shell 140 layer may be affixed to the base 130 via any conventional means, such as, but not limited to, glue, rivets, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, clips, flanges, ties, etc. The base layer 130 defines an inner, user-facing surface 134 and an outer surface 132 opposite the inner surface. The base layer 130 is a resilient compressible material such as foam (e.g., ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam) that enables the base layer 130 to flex and conform to the leg 820, and more specifically, the shin 822, of a user 800. The base layer 130, which possesses a generally uniform, predetermined thickness, spans the leg guard, extending from the shin portion to the ankle portion.

The shell layer 140 is a resilient, generally non-compressible, generally rigid material effective to provide protection against ball strikes. The shell layer 140 includes a layer of interconnected strands and a resin (e.g., a cured resin or polymer) coating the layer. In an embodiment, the layer of strands is embedded within the resin, being completely surrounded/encased thereby to form shell having a continuous, unibody construction. The term “strand” includes one or more filaments organized into a fiber and/or an ordered assemblage of textile fibers having a high ratio of length to diameter and normally used as a unit (e.g., slivers, roving, single yarns, plies yarns, cords, braids, ropes, etc.). In an embodiment, a strand is a yarn, i.e., a continuous strand of textile fibers, filaments, or material in a form suitable for knitting, weaving, or otherwise intertwining to form a textile fabric. A yarn may include a number of fibers twisted together (spun yarn), a number of filaments laid together without twist (a zero-twist yarn), a number of filaments laid together with a degree of twist, and a single filament with or without twist (a monofilament).

The strand is interconnected to form a textile structure. In an embodiment, the strands are interlaced via weaving. In weaving, two strands of material are interlaced to cross each other at right angles to produce a woven textile or fabric. Warp yarns run lengthwise in the textile/fabric and filling or weft yarns run from side to side in the textile/fabric.

The strands may be formed of any material suitable for its described purpose. In an embodiment, the strands are hard yarns. Hard yarns include natural and/or synthetic spun staple yarns, natural and/or synthetic continuous filament yarns, and/or combinations thereof. By way of specific example, natural fibers include cellulosic fibers (e.g., cotton, bamboo) and protein fibers (e.g., wool, silk, and soybean). Synthetic fibers include polyester fibers (poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(trimethylene terephthalate) fiber), polycaprolactam fiber, poly(hexamethylene adipamide) fibers, acrylic fibers, acetate fibers, rayon fibers, nylon fibers and combinations thereof.

The strand is preferably formed of a high tensile strength material. Specifically the strand is a fiber possessing a tensile strength of at least 1000 MPa and preferably at least 3000 MPa. By way of example, strands are ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers (e.g., DYNEEMA, available from Royal DSM, Netherlands). Other high tensile strength fibers include carbon fibers, glass fibers (fiberglass), aramid fibers (e.g., para-aramid fibers and meta-aramid fibers such as KEVLAR, available from DuPont or TWARON, available from Tejin Aramid) and liquid crystal polymer fibers (VECTRAN, available from Celanese Acetate, LLC or ZYLON, available from Toyobo Corporation).

The resin a thermosetting or thermoplastic polymer. A thermosetting resin, while initially flowable, is cured/hardened via crosslinking. By way of example, epoxy, polyester, polyurethane, nylon, or combinations thereof may be utilized as the resin. In an embodiment, a single polymer selectively modified to alter one or more of its properties may be utilized. By way of example, the polymer may possess varying degrees of hardness to selectively alter the flexibility of the shell. Accordingly, the polymers are selected to create flexure regions within the shell 130 and, accordingly, the leg guard.

In an embodiment, a plurality of flexure regions may be organized in bands (e.g., generally vertical bands) along the shell 140 (discussed in greater detail below). Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the shell 140 (and thus the guard) includes a first band 144 formed of a resin possessing a first durometer value and a second band 146 formed of a resin possessing a second durometer value. The term “durometer value,” as used herein, refers to any standard or other suitable durometer measurement (e.g., a Shore A durometer hardness value) that provides an indication of hardness, where the lower the durometer value indicates a softer material and the higher the durometer value indicates a harder material. In general, harder materials have more wear resistance, but they are also less flexible. Conversely, softer materials possess less wear resistance, but are more flexible.

The organization of the regions 144, 146 may be selected depending on the desired flexure and protection properties desired. In the illustrated embodiment, the durometer value of the resin within the first region 144 is higher than the durometer value of the resin within the second region 146. Preferably, the difference between the durometer value of the regions 144, 146 is at least 10 Shore D and preferably at least 20 Shore D. By way of example, the durometer value of the first region resin is approximately 60-90 Shore D (e.g., approximately 75-80 Shore D), while the durometer value of the second region resin is approximately 25-50 Shore D (e.g., approximately 35-40 Shore D).

Accordingly, the shell first region 144 is harder than that of the shell second region 146. With this configuration, while providing protection, the second (softer) regions 146 of the shell 140 possess a greater degree of flexibility relative to the first (harder) region 144. That is, the resin of the second region 146, being softer, enables the sides of the shell (the leg guard) flex/move than the first region when placed under load (e.g., when straps are tightened or when forces are applied during movement). The resin of the first region 144, being harder, provides more rigidity to the first region 144 of the shell (compared to second region 146).

In another embodiment, a substantial portion of the shell 140 includes higher durometer regions 144 separated by small bands of lower durometer regions 146. Referring to FIGS. 4C and 4D, the lower durometer regions 146 form flexure zones, permitting flexure/movement between adjacent higher durometer regions 144. Stated another way, the higher 144 and lower 146 durometer regions alternate in the transverse direction (perpendicular to leg axis) of the shell 130.

With either configuration, a protective guard possessing a continuous and/or unitary construction is provided. Conventional guards require the formation of grooves in the protective layer or the separation of the protective elements into an array in order to provide flexibility within the guard. In contrast, the guards of the current invention possess a uniform protective layer operable to flex about the user without the need for grooves or gaps, providing not only a uniform and/or continuous surface of protection, but also a highly customized fit.

The formation of the shell 130 may be obtained by placing the textile layer in a mold, injecting the thermosetting polymers into the mold at the desired locations, and then curing the polymer to form a uniform, unitary, and/or continuous protective layer.

The shin portion 100 of the guard defines a top side 102, a bottom side 104, a first side 110, and a second side 120. The shell 140 further includes a lower extension 142 that extends downwardly from the shell 140 proximate to the first side 110 and the bottom 104 of the shin portion 140. When worn by a user 800, the lower extension 142 of the shell 140 extends along the front of the ankle 830 of the user 800. Furthermore, the shell 140 has an outer surface 148.

The leg guard further includes a fastening system to secure the guard to the leg of the user. The first side 110 of the shin portion 100 includes an upper opening 112 and lower opening 114 in the base 130. The upper and lower openings 112, 114 may be elongated openings that extend along a substantially vertical direction of the first side 110. An upper strap 122 is attached to the second side 120 of the shin portion 100. The upper strap 122 is constructed from an elastic material that is resilient. The elastic material of the upper strap 122 may be a durable elastic material that enables it to withstand an amount of strain. Furthermore, the end of the upper strap 122 may include a fastener 124, where the fastener 124 may be configured to attach the end of the upper strap 122 to another portion of the body of the upper strap 122. The fastener 124 may be any conventional means for fastening such as, but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, clamps, clips, latches, pins, ties, etc.

Similar to the upper strap 122, the lower strap 222 is constructed from an elastic material that is configured to be resilient. The elastic material of the lower strap 222 may be a durable elastic material that enables the lower strap 222 to withstand an amount of strain. Furthermore, the end of the lower strap 222 may include a fastener 224, where the fastener 224 may be configured to attach the end of the lower strap 222 to another portion of the body of the lower strap 222. Similar to the fastener 124 of the upper strap 122, the fastener 224 may be any conventional means for fastening such as, but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, clamps, clips, latches, pins, ties, etc.

The ankle portion 100 is anatomically shaped to contour to the shin 822 and front of the ankle 830 of the user 800. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ankle portion 100 is curved to conform to the front of the shin 822, side of the shin 822, and front region of the ankle 830 of a user 800. The shin portion 100 proximate the first side 110 possesses a concave curvature 150 (best seen in FIG. 2) that extends from the top 102 of the shin portion 100 to the bottom 104 of the shin portion 100, and includes the lower extension 142 of the shell 140. This concave curvature 150 curves along the lengthwise direction of the shin portion 100. The shin portion 100 proximate the second side 120 also contains a concave curvature 152 (best seen in FIG. 3) that extends from the top 102 of the shin portion 100 to the bottom 104 of the shin portion 100. This concave curvature 152 also curves along the lengthwise direction of the shin portion 100. Moreover, the shin portion 100 curves convexly 154 from the first side 110 to the second side 120 along a direction transverse the lengthwise direction of the shin portion 100. The curvatures 150, 152, 154 of the shin portion enables the guard 10 to wrap around the shin 822 of the leg 820 of the user 800. Moreover, the curvatures 150, 152, 154 provide an anatomical shape to the shin portion 100 that enables the shin portion 100 to rests closely against the surface of the shin 822 of the user 800, providing a closer, more comfortable fit and feel for the leg guard 10.

The ankle portion 200 extends downwardly from approximately the bottom 104 of the shin portion 100. The ankle portion 200 includes a top end 202, a bottom end 204, a first side 210, and a second side 220. Similar to the shin portion 100, the ankle portion 200 includes the base 130 and a shell 240 coupled on the base 230. The base 130 includes an outer surface 232 and an inner surface 234 (illustrated in FIG. 5).

The shell 240 includes a layer of interconnected strands coated with a resin as described above thereby defining an outer shell surface 244 The shell 240 of the ankle portion 200 may differ from the shell 140 of the shin portion 100 in that the shell 240 of the ankle portion 200 may be constructed from a resin possessing a single uniform durometer value. By way of example, the shell of the ankle portion possesses a durometer value of approximately 60-90 Shore D (e.g., approximately 75-80 Shore D).

As best illustrated in FIG. 3, the ankle portion 200 is formed with a double curvature (dome-shaped) section 242 configured to generally align with the medial malleolus bone of the ankle 830 of the user 800. Specifically, the dome-shaped curvature 242 may be centrally located on the shell 240, possessing an arcuate profile along both the vertical and horizontal axes. That is, along the vertical axis the ankle portion 100 curves outward (away from the user) from its upper end, reaching an apex and then curving downward toward the user at its lower end. Similarly, along the horizontal axis, the ankle portion curves outward (away from the user) from its forward end, reaching an apex and then curving downward toward the user at its rearward end.

The dome-shaped curvature 242 of the shell 240 enables the ankle portion 200 of the leg guard 10 to wrap around the medial malleolus bone of the ankle 830 of the user 800. Moreover, the dome-shaped curvature 242 enables the ankle portion 200 to rest closely against the surface of the medial side of the ankle 830 and the medial malleolus bone of the ankle 830 of the user 800 to provide a more comfortable leg guard 10. In addition, the dome-shaped curvature 242 of the shell 240 provides a greater strength to the shell 240 than if the shell 240 were a more planar structure.

The shin portion 100 of the guard 10 and the ankle portion 200 of the guard 10 are coupled to each other by a resilient bridge or hinge 400 (also called a flex groove). The flex groove 400 is positioned between the bottom 104 of the shin portion 100 and the top 202 of the ankle portion 200. In an example embodiment, the flex groove 400 is formed via exposing the base 130 such that no shell material is disposed thereon, thereby providing a demarcation between shin portion 100 and the ankle portion 200 and also some degree of flexure or movement of each of the shin portion 100 and ankle portion 200 in relation to each other. As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the flex groove 400 includes a first portion 410 and a second portion 420. The first portion 410 includes a first end 412 and a second end 414. The second portion 420 includes a first end 422 and a second end 424. The first end 412 of the first portion 410 of the flex groove 400 is disposed proximate to the bottom 104 of the shin portion 100 and the first side 210 of the ankle portion 200. The second end 424 of the second portion 420 of the flex groove 400 is disposed proximate to the second side 120 of the shin portion 100 and the second side 220 of the ankle portion 200. Moreover, the second end 414 of the first portion 410 of the flex groove 400 is coupled to the first end 422 of the second portion 420 of the flex groove 400. As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the first portion 410 intersects the second portion 420 at an angle greater than 90 degrees. The coupling of the second end 414 of the first portion 410 with the first end 422 of the second portion 420 at an angle creates a bend or curve 430 in the flex groove 400. As illustrated, the bend 430 in the flex groove 400 may be at an angle greater than 90 degrees. In other embodiments of the guard 10, the flex groove 400 may have a bend 430 that is equivalent to, or less than, 90 degrees. In even other embodiments of the guard 10, the flex groove 400 may be one straight groove that does not include a bend 430.

The flex groove 400 enables the shin portion 100 of the guard 10 to move with respect to the ankle portion 200 of the guard 10, and vice versa. When the guard 10 is worn by a user 800, the flex groove 400 is positioned along the medial side of the ankle joint 830 of the user 800. Thus, as the foot 810 of the user 800 moves side to side (medial to lateral) with respect to the leg 820 of the user 800, the flex groove 400 bends, enabling the shin portion 100 and ankle portion 200 to move with respect to one another. The flex groove 400 thus provides the user 800 with greater freedom of movement of the foot 810 and leg 820 than if the user 800 was wearing a leg guard without a flex hinge. Moreover, in some embodiments, the shell 140 of the shin portion 100 and the shell 240 of the ankle portion 200 may be combined to form a single shell covering both portions 100, 200. In this embodiment, the region of the singular shell disposed at the location of the flex groove 400 may be constructed with the soft resin, similar to that of the first region 144 of the shell 140 of the shin portion 100, to enable that region of the singular shell to flex similar to that of the flex groove 400 while providing more protection than the flex groove 400.

In use, when the guard 10 is to be worn by a user 800, the straps 122, 222 are configured to wrap around the back of the leg 820 of the user 800 and connect to the first side 110 of the shin portion. As best illustrated in FIG. 5, the upper strap 122 is configured to be threaded through the upper opening 112 on the first side 110 of the shin portion 100, while the lower strap 222 is configured to be threaded through the lower opening 114 of the first side 110 of the shin portion 100. Both straps 122, 222 are configured to be threaded through the openings 112, 114 and folded back against each other so that the fasteners 124, 224 are coupled to the straps 122, 222. Thus, the upper strap 122 is threaded through the upper opening 112 and folded back against itself so that the fastener 124 on the end of the upper strap 122 attaches the end of the upper strap 122 to itself. Similarly, the lower strap 222 is threaded through the lower opening 114 and folded back against itself so that the fastener 224 on the end of the lower strap 222 attaches the end of the lower strap 222 to itself. The elastic and resilient nature of the straps 122, 222, when threaded through the openings 112, 114, firmly secures the guard 10 to the shin 822 and ankle 830 of the user 800. The tightness of the straps 122, 222 can be adjusted by how far the ends of the straps 122, 222 are threaded through the openings 112, 114.

Turning to FIGS. 6A and 6B, illustrated is a rear view of a foot 810 and leg 820 of a user 800 and a side view of a foot 810 and leg 820 of a user 800, respectively. Both FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate an embodiment of a leg guard 10, as herein described, where the leg guard 10 is shaped to anatomically conform to the leg 820 and ankle 830 of a user 800. Moreover, FIGS. 6A and 6B also illustrate another leg guard 10′ (e.g., a conventional leg guard) that is not shaped to anatomically conform to the leg 820 and the ankle 830 of a user 800. As illustrated in FIG. 6A, the un-conforming leg guard 10′ does not sit closely against the surface of the side of the leg 820 and the ankle 830. Conversely, the conforming leg guard 10, as described herein, contains a curvature 152, in the shin portion 100 that enables the leg guard 10 to rest closely against the surface of the leg 820 and the ankle 830. Moreover, the curvature 152 of the shin portion 100 enables the conforming leg guard 10 to follow the contours of the leg 820 as the leg narrows and as it approaches the ankle 830. As further illustrated in FIG. 6A, the conforming leg guard 10 is shaped to create a gap 832 proximate to the ankle 830 of the user 800. This gap 832 may accommodate for the user 800 wearing a shoe or cleat on the foot 810 that wears the leg guard 10. Because the conforming leg guard 10 accounts for a shoe or cleat being worn on the foot 810, the gap 832 proximate to the ankle 830 enables the conforming leg guard 10 to be more comfortable for a user 800 to wear.

As illustrated in FIG. 6B, the non-conforming leg guard 10′ does not sit as closely against the surface of the shin 822 of the leg 820 as the conforming leg guard 10. The conforming leg guard 10, as described herein, contains a curvature 150 in the shin portion 100 that enables the leg guard 10 to rest closely against the surface of the shin 822 of the leg 820. Moreover, the curvature 150 of the shin portion 100 enables the conforming leg guard 10 to follow the contours of the shin 822 of the leg 820 as the leg 820 tapers towards the ankle 830.

The leg guard 10 described herein is constructed by first scanning and mapping multiple data points along the feet 810 and legs 820 of a plurality of athletes. These data points may be a representation of the shape of each foot and leg of each athlete. The data points for each foot and leg of each athlete are then averaged to create an average shape of an athlete's foot 810 and leg 820. The leg 820, ankle 830, and foot 810 illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B may be a representation of the average athlete's leg 820, ankle 830 and foot 810. The leg guard 10 described herein can be mapped to closely contour to the average athlete's leg 820, ankle 830, and foot 810 to create a better fitting and more comfortable leg guard 10 that still provides protection.

strated, The instep cover or toe portion 300 includes a top end 302, a bottom end 304, a first side 310, and a second side 320. The toe portion 300 further includes a top surface 360 and a bottom surface 370. Extending from the second side 320 of the toe portion 300 proximate to the bottom 304 of the toe portion 300 is an instep extension 330. As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 7C, the instep extension 330 of the toe portion 300 extends over the metatarsal bones, phalangeal bones, and the metatarsophalangeal articulations of the medial side of the toe region 814 of the foot 810 of the user 800.

The toe portion 300 may be constructed from an outer material, which may be constructed from a soft flexible material, such as an EVA foam. The outer material may be co-molded to or around an inner material. The inner material, which may be constructed from a rigid material, such as polyethylene (PE), may provide the structural rigidity of the toe portion 300. The inner material may also providing impact protection for the top 816 of the foot 810 and the toes 814. The inner material may be completely encased by the outer material.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the toe portion 300 includes a top surface 360 and a bottom surface 370. The bottom surface 370 may includes a plurality of fasteners 372, 374. The first fastener 372 may be disposed on the bottom surface 370 proximate to the top 302 of the toe portion 300, while the second fastener 374 may be disposed on the bottom surface 370 at a more central location of the toe portion 300. However, as illustrated in FIG. 7B, the second fastener 374 may extend from the first side 310 to the second side 320 of the toe portion 300. The fasteners 372, 374 may be any conventional means for fastening such as, but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, clamps, clips, latches, pins, ties, etc.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 7A, and 7C, the toe portion 300 may additionally include a connector strap 340 and a stirrup strap 350. As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connector strap 340 connects the toe portion 300 to the shin portion 100 of the leg guard 10. In another embodiment, the toe portion 300 may be connected to the ankle portion 200 of the leg guard 10 or to both the shin portion 100 and the ankle portion 200 of the leg guard 10. Illustrated in FIG. 7A, is one end of the connector strap 340. While only one end is illustrated, both ends of the connector strap 340 may be equipped with fasteners 342 that enable the connector strap 340 to be removably coupled to both the toe portion 300 and the shin portion 100 of the leg guard 10. The fasteners 342 may be any conventional means for fastening such as, but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, clamps, clips, latch, pins, ties, etc. Moreover, the fasteners 342 are configured to mate with the first fastener 372 on the bottom surface 370 of the toe portion 300. While not illustrated, the inner surface 134 of the base 130 of the shin portion 100 may also include a fastener. The fastener 342 on one end of the connector strap 340 may mate with the fastener on the inner surface 134 of the base 130 of the shin portion 100 to removably couple the connector strap 340 to the shin portion 100. Because the fasteners 342 are configured to enable the connector strap 340 to be removably coupled to both the toe portion 300 and the shin portion 100, when the connector strap 340 is removed from the shin portion 100, the toe portion 300 is disconnected from the remainder of the leg guard 10. Thus, the leg guard 10 may be worn by a user without the toe portion 300, leaving the top 816 of the foot 800 and the toe region 814 exposed.

The embodiment of the stirrup strap 350 illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 7A differs from the embodiment of the stirrup strap 350 illustrated in FIG. 7C. The stirrup strap 350 in both embodiments is sized and configured to form a loop that connects with the bottom surface 370 of the toe portion 300. The stirrup strap 350 is configured to be looped around the bottom of the foot 810 of the user 800, to secure the toe portion 300 to the top 816 of the foot 810 of the user 800. While not illustrated, the stirrup strap 350 illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 7A, may include fasteners one the ends of the stirrup strap 350, similar to that of the connector strap 340. The fasteners may be any conventional means for fastening such as, but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, clamps, clips, latches, pins, ties, etc. Moreover, both fasteners of the stirrup strap 350 may be configured to removably couple to the second fastener 374 disposed on the bottom surface 370 of the toe portion 300 at a central region of the bottom surface 370 of the toe portion 300. Thus, the stirrup 350, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 7A, may form the stirrup loop beneath the toe portion 300 to receive a foot 810, but the stirrup strap 350 does not extend over the top surface 360 of the toe portion 300.

Conversely, the toe portion 300 and the stirrup strap 350 illustrated in FIG. 7C are configured so that the stirrup strap 350 still forms a loop beneath the toe portion 300 to receive a foot 810, but the stirrup strap 350 extends over the top surface 360 of the toe portion 300. The stirrup strap 350 of FIG. 7C may include fasteners on the ends of the stirrup strap 350, similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 7A, where the fasteners may also be any conventional means for fastening such as, but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, clamps, clips, latches, pins, ties, etc. The fasteners of the stirrup strap 350 may be configured to removably couple the ends of the stirrup strap 350 with the fastener 374 on the bottom surface 370 of the toe portion 300. In the embodiment of the stirrup strap 350 illustrated in FIG. 7C, the stirrup strap 350 may have one end with a fastener removably coupled to the second fastener 374 of the toe portion 300 as the stirrup strap 350 is then wrapped around a foot 810 and the top surface 360 of the toe portion. The fastener on the other end of the stirrup strap 350 may then be removably secured to the body of stirrup strap 350, similar to that of the upper strap 122 and lower strap 222 of the shin and ankle portions 100, 200, respectively. In another embodiment, the second fastener 374 of the toe portion 300 may be disposed on the top surface 360 of the toe portion 300. In this embodiment, the fastener on one end of the stirrup strap 350 may be removably coupled to the second fastener 374, while the stirrup strap 350 is then wrapped around the foot 810 of a user 800 and the toe portion 300.

The connector strap 340 and the stirrup strap 350 may be constructed from elastic materials that enable the straps 340, 350 to stretch. The elastic material of the straps 340, 350 may be a durable elastic material that enables the straps 340, 350 to withstand an amount of strain.

Turning to FIGS. 8A and 8B, illustrated is a side view of an arm 840 of a user 800, with an arm guard 20 being worn in a first orientation A on the arm 840 and in a second orientation B on the arm 840. As illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the arm guard 20 includes an upper portion 500 and a lower portion 600. The arm guard 20 is worn on the upper arm 842, just above the elbow 846 and the forearm 844 of the arm 840. In both orientations A and B, the upper portion 500 of the arm guard 20 covers a portion of the upper arm 842, while the lower portion 600 of the arm guard 20 extends below the upper arm 842 to cover a portion of the elbow 846. In the first orientation A, illustrated in FIG. 8A, the lower portion 600 is covering the backside of the elbow 846. However, in the second orientation B, illustrated in FIG. 8B, the lower portion 600 is covering one side (e.g., a lateral side) of the elbow 846. Depending on the stance of the batter, the elbow 846 of the batter may be hit by a ball thrown from a pitcher. In some batter stances, the backside of the elbow 846 may be more pronounced, while in another stance, the lateral side of the elbow 846 may be more pronounced. Thus, the arm guard 20 may be worn in a first orientation A or a second orientation B. The arm guard 20 may be symmetrical in shape along its lengthwise axis, enabling the same arm guard 20 to be worn on both the left elbow and the right elbow.

Turning to FIGS. 9A and 9B, illustrated is a front view and a side view of the arm guard 20. As previously stated, the guard 20 includes an upper portion 500, and a lower portion 600. The arm guard 20 further includes a flex groove 700. The upper portion 500 includes a top side 502, a bottom side 504, a first side 510, and a second side 520. The upper portion 500 further includes a base 530 that includes an outer surface 532 and an inner surface 534 (not illustrated). Similar to the base 130 the shin and ankle portions 100, 200 of the leg guard 10, the base 530 of the arm guard 20 may be constructed from a synthetic material, such as an EVA foam material, that enables the base 530 to flex and conform to the upper arm 842 of a user 800.

Moreover, coupled to the first side 510 and the second side 520 of the upper portion 500 is a strap 522. The upper strap 522 may be constructed from an elastic material that is resilient, where the elastic material may be a durable elastic material that enables the strap 522 to withstand an amount of strain. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the strap 522 is permanently coupled to both the first side 510 and the second side 520. Thus, as the arm guard 20 is slid over the arm 840 of the user 800 with the arm 840 of the user inserted between the strap 522 and the base 530 of the guard 20, the strap 522 expands to accommodate the larger diameters of the arm 840, and more specifically the upper arm 842. The resilient nature of the strap 522 retains the arm guard 20 against the upper arm 842.

In another embodiment, the strap 522 may be coupled to only one side, either the first side 510 or the second side 520, while the opposite side 510, 520 may include an opening, similar to that of the shin portion 100 of the leg guard 10. Furthermore, in this other embodiment, the end of the strap 522 that is not coupled to one of the sides 510, 520 may include a fastener, where the fastener may be configured to attach the end of the strap 522 to another portion of the body of the strap 522. The fastener may be any conventional means for fastening such as, but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, clamps, clips, latches, pins, ties, etc. Thus, in this other embodiment, the strap 522 may be threaded through the opening and folded back against itself so that the fastener on the free end of the strap 522 attaches the end of the strap 522 to itself. The elastic and resilient nature of the strap 522, when threaded through the opening firmly secures the arm guard 20 to the upper arm 842 of the user 800. The tightness of the strap 522 can be adjusted by how far the end of the strap 522 is threaded through the opening.

The upper portion 500 of the arm guard 20 further includes a shell 540 that is affixed to the outer surface 532 of the base 530 of the upper portion 500. The shell 540 may be affixed to the base 530 via any conventional means, such as, but not limited to, glue, rivets, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, clips, flanges, ties, etc. The shell 540 is anatomically shaped to contour to the upper arm 842 of the user 800. Furthermore, the shell 540 has an outer surface 548. In some embodiments, the outer surface 548 displays the carbon fiber weave of the shell 540. In other embodiments, the shell 540 may be covered by an outer cover.

As illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the shell 540 is curved to conform around the upper arm 842 of a user 800. The shell 540 contains a convex curvature 550 that curves from the first side 510 of the upper portion 500 to the second side 520 of the upper portion 500 along a direction of the upper portion 500 that is transverse to the lengthwise direction of the upper portion 500. The curvature 550 of the shell 540 enables the upper portion 500 to wrap around the upper arm 842 of the user 800. Moreover, the curvature 550 provides an anatomical shape to the upper portion 500 that enables the upper portion 500 to rest securely against the surface of the upper arm 842 of the user 800 to provide a closer and more comfortable fit and feel of the arm guard 20 when worn by a user 800.

Turning to FIGS. 10A and 10B, the shell 540 of the upper portion 500 includes a central region 544 and two ends region 546. The two end regions 546 are outlined with dashed lines/boxes in FIGS. 10A and 10B. The end regions 546 of the shell 540 are disposed proximate to the first side 510 and the second side 520 of the upper portion 500, while the central region 544 of the shell 540 is disposed centrally on the shell 540 (between the two end regions 546). The shell 540 of the upper portion 500 is constructed from a composite material, such as a sheet of interwoven carbon fibers that are infused or fused together with a suitable resin to give the carbon fiber sheet rigidity. The end regions 546 of the shell 540 are constructed with a first resin, while the central region 544 of the shell 140 is constructed with a second resin. The first resin, when combined with the carbon fiber sheet at the end regions 546, provides the end regions 546 with a first durometer value, while the second resin, when combined with the carbon fiber sheet at the central region 544, provides the central region 544 with a second durometer value. The first durometer value may be less than the second durometer value. Thus, end regions 546 of the shell 540 are softer than the central region 544 of the shell 540. Furthermore, the end regions 546 of the shell 540 have a greater degree of flexibility than that of the central region 544 of the shell 540. The first resin may be a softer resin that enables the end regions 546 of the shell 540 to flex more under pressure than the central region 544. The second resin may be a harder resin that provides more rigidity to the central region 544 when compared with the end regions 546. However, both the end regions 546 and the central region 544 of the shell 540 contain a higher durometer value than that of the base 530 of the upper portion 530.

The softer, more flexible end regions 546 of the shell 540 enable the arm guard 20 to fit more comfortably on a user 800, especially during movement of the user's arms 840. The end regions 546 are required to flex so the freedom of movement of the arm 840 is not limited. Moreover, the central region 544, because it is constructed with the harder resin, provides better protection from the impact of objects (i.e., baseballs) in comparison to the end regions 546 constructed with the softer resin. When the arm guard 120 is worn properly, the central region 544 is positioned over the portion of the upper arm 842 that is more likely to be impacted by a thrown ball.

Continuing with FIGS. 9A and 9B, the arm guard 20 includes a lower portion 600 extending downwardly from approximately the bottom 504 of the upper portion 500. The lower portion 600 includes a top end 602, a bottom end 604, a first side 610, and a second side 620. Similar to the upper portion 500, the lower portion 600 includes a base 630 and a shell 640 affixed on the base 630. The base includes an outer surface 632 and an inner surface 634 (not illustrated). The base 630 may be constructed from a synthetic material, such as an EVA foam material, that enables the base 630 to flex and conform to the elbow 846 of a user 800.

As previously stated, the lower portion 600 of the arm guard 20 further includes a shell 640 that is affixed to the outer surface 632 of the base 630 of the lower portion 600. The shell 640 may be affixed to the base 630 via any conventional means, such as, but not limited to, glue, rivets, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, clips, flanges, ties, etc. The shell 640 is shaped to anatomically contour around the elbow 846 of the user 800. The shell 640 may be constructed from a composite material, such as a sheet of interwoven carbon fibers that are infused or fused together with a suitable resin to give the carbon fiber sheet rigidity. Furthermore, the shell 640 may have an outer surface 644 that, similar to the shell 540 on the upper portion 500, may display the carbon fiber weave of the shell 640. In other embodiments, the shell 640 may be covered by an outer cover. However, the shell 640 of the lower portion 600 may differ from the shell 640 of the upper portion 500 in that the shell 640 of the lower portion 600 may be constructed from a single resin, giving the shell 640 a uniform durometer value. The durometer value of the shell 640 is greater than the durometer value of the base 630 and also greater than the durometer value of the central region 544 of the upper portion 500, and the durometer value of the shell 640 may be equal to or different than the durometer value of the central region 544 of the shell 540 of the upper portion 500.

As best illustrated in FIG. 9B, the shell 640 includes a dome-like convex curvature 642 that is curved to anatomically conform around the elbow 846 of the user 800. The dome-like curvature 642 of the shell 640 enables the lower portion 600 to wrap around the elbow 846 of the user 800. Moreover, the dome-like curvature 642 further enables the lower portion 600 to rests closely against the surface of the elbow 846 of the user 800 to provide a more comfortable to wear arm guard 20. Furthermore, by wrapping around a portion of the elbow 846, the lower portion 600 provides greater protection to the elbow 846 of the user 800. Moreover, the dome-like curvature 642 of the shell 640 provides a greater strength to the shell 640 than if the shell 640 were a more planar structure.

As illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the upper portion 500 of the guard 20 and the lower portion 600 of the guard 20 are coupled to each other by a flex groove 700. The flex groove 700 is coupled to the bottom 504 of the upper portion 500 and the top 602 of the lower portion 600. Similar to the base 530 of the upper portion 500 and the base 630 of the lower portion 600, the flex groove 700 may be constructed from a synthetic material, such as an EVA foam material, that enables the flex groove 700 to flex and bend. In an example embodiment, the base 530 and base 630 are formed from a single unit or portion of material (e.g., EVA foam material), and the flex groove 700 is further formed within the same material (e.g., as a cut-out, etched or other reduced material thickness portion forming a groove along one or both of the inner and outer surface portions of each base 530, 630) to provide a demarcation between the upper portion 500/base 530 and the lower portion 600/base 630 and also some degree of flexure or movement of each of the upper and lower portions 500, 600 in relation to each other. As best illustrated in FIG. 9A, the flex groove 700 includes a first portion 710, a second portion 720, and a middle portion 730. The first portion 710 extends from a position proximate both the first side 510 of the upper portion 500 and the first side 610 of the lower portion 600 to the middle portion 730 of the flex groove 700. The second portion 720 extends from a position proximate both the second side 520 of the upper portion 500 and the second side 620 of the lower portion 600 to the middle portion 730 of the flex groove 700. As illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the first portion 710 and the second portion 720 are both connected to the middle portion 730 at an angle greater than 90 degrees. The connection of the first portion 710 with the middle portion 730 at an angle creates a bend or curve 740 in the flex groove 700. Similarly, the connection of the second portion 720 with the middle portion 730 at an angle creates a bend or curve 750 in the flex groove 700. As illustrated, the bends 740, 750 in the flex groove 700 are at angles greater than 90 degrees. In other embodiments of the guard 20, the flex groove 700 may have only a single bend, similar to that of the flex groove 400 of the leg guard 10. Moreover, other embodiments of the arm guard 20 may have bends 740, 750 that are equivalent to, or less than, 90 degrees. In even other embodiments of the guard 20, the flex groove 700 may be one straight groove, and may not include any bends 740, 750.

The flex groove 700 enables the forearm 844 to pivot with respect to the upper arm 842 about the elbow 846 without the arm guard 20 limiting the freedom of movement of the forearm 844 or upper arm 842. This freedom of movement is particularly helpful during the swinging of a bat by a batter. As a batter stands in a batter's stance, the elbow 846 is typically bent. As the batter swings the bat, the forearm 844 pivots about the elbow 846 with respect to the upper arm 842 to straighten the arm 840. The flex groove 700 enables movement of the upper portion 500 of the guard 20 with respect to the lower portion 600 of the guard 20, and vice versa. When the arm guard 20 is worn by a user 800, the flex groove 700 is positioned proximate to the elbow 846, which serves as the pivot point between the forearm 844 and the upper arm 842. Thus, the flex groove 700 enables more freedom of motion between the upper portion 500 and the lower portion 600 as the batter pivots the forearm 844 with respect to the upper arm 842 about the elbow 846. In some embodiments, the shell 540 of the upper portion 500 and the shell 640 of the lower portion 600 may be combined to form one shell portion covering both portions 500, 600. In this embodiment, the region of the singular shell disposed at the location of the flex groove 700 may be constructed with the soft resin, similar to that of the end regions 546 of the shell 540 of the upper portion 500, to enable that region of the singular shell to flex similar to that of the flex groove 700.

While not illustrated, the inner surfaces 534, 634 of the bases 530, 630 of the upper portion 500 and the lower portion 600 may be soft to the touch, or may include a cushion disposed on the inner surfaces 534, 634 to better protect the covered portions of the arm 840 of the user 800. A cushion disposed on the inner surfaces 534, 634 may also enable the guard 20 to be more comfortable for a user 800 to wear. Furthermore, the inner surface 534 of the base 530 of the upper portion 500 is shaped and contoured to mimic the shape and contour of the shell 540. The inner surface 634 of the base 630 of the lower portion 600 is also shaped and contoured to mimic the shape and contour of the shell 640.

Similar to the leg guard 10, the arm guard 20 described herein may be constructed by first scanning and mapping multiple data points along the arm 840 of a plurality of athletes. These data points may be a representation of the shape of the upper arm 840, the forearm 844, and the elbow 846 of each athlete. The data points for each arm 840 of each athlete are then averaged to create an average shape of an athlete's upper arm 842, forearm 844, and elbow 846. A model of the arm guard 20 described herein may then be mapped to closely contour to the average athlete's upper arm 842, forearm 844, and elbow 846 to create a better fitting and more comfortable arm guard 20.

Once a body part has been mapped for a plurality of athletes and an average body part created from the data of each athletes body part, a mold can be made that mimics the shape of the averaged body part. Then the sheet or sheets of interwoven fibers (composite sheet) can be placed over the mold so that the sheets conform to the shape of the mold. Once the composite sheets are laid over the mold, resin may be applied or infused to the composite sheets. The application of the resin may be completed while the composite sheets are pressed or held against the mold via a press or other similar machine. In some instances, the resin applied to the composite sheets may be a plate or sheet of resin that requires heat and/or pressure to be infused with the composite sheets. Thus, the plates of resin and the composite sheets may be placed in a heat press that infuses the resin with the fibers of the composite sheets. Once the infusion is complete, the composite material, the combination of the composite sheet and resin, may be cured.

The process may differ slightly for the shells 140, 540 that contain a region or regions that are more flexible than another region of the shell 140, 540. Thus, as previously explained, multiple resins are infused with woven composite sheets, where the more flexible resins may be infused at regions of the mold and of the woven composite sheet that are to configured to take on more flexible properties. In the event that plates of resin are heated and/or pressed with the woven composite sheet, the resin plates having softer and more flexible properties are placed on the mold where the flexible properties are desired for the shell 140, 540, while resin plates having the harder or less flexible properties are placed on the mold where the properties of greater strength are desired for the shell 140, 150.

The shells 140, 240, 540, 640 may be constructed from a single sheet of interwoven carbon fibers that are infused with one or more types of resin to create a fiber-reinforced composite material. In other embodiments, other types of fibers may be used instead of the carbon fibers to create the interwoven sheets of composite material used in the shells 140, 240, 540, 640, such as, but not limited to, fiberglass, metallic fibers, polymer fibers, silicon fibers, or any other type of synthetic or natural fibers. Moreover, more than one sheet of interwoven fibers may be laid on top of each other to create multiple layers that will be infused with resin.

The description and methods of the leg guard 10 and the arm guard 20 as described herein may be applied to any other type of protective gear used in other sports or other situations, such as, but not limited to catcher's leg guards, catcher's chest protector, soccer shin guards, baseball helmets, football helmets, football pads, hockey pads, hockey helmets, wrist guards, bullet proof vests, etc.

It is to be understood that terms such as “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “height,” “length,” “width,” “upper,” “lower,” “interior,” “exterior,” “inner,” “outer” and the like as may be used herein, merely describe points or portions of reference and do not limit the present invention to any particular orientation or configuration. Further, the term “exemplary” is used herein to describe an example or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as exemplary is not to be construed as a preferred or advantageous embodiment, but rather as one example or illustration of a possible embodiment of the invention.

Although the disclosed inventions are illustrated and described herein as embodied in one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the inventions and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. In addition, various features from one of the embodiments may be incorporated into another of the embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.

Protective Guard Apparatus

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CPC

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Description

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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional Applications (1)