US20150113717A1

US20150113717A1 - Protective Athletic Garment

Info

Publication number: US20150113717A1
Application number: US14/067,709
Authority: US
Inventors: Miguel Giron
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-10-30
Filing date: 2013-10-30
Publication date: 2015-04-30

Abstract

A protective athletic garment that provides cushioning effect to areas of wearer's body and shock absorbing capability, while keeping resistance to impact and collision during activities. The garment comprises an article of clothing which covers a portion of a wearer's body and a protective element attached into areas susceptible to injury. The protective element is preferably formed of a base layer of polyurethane shock absorbent foam and a top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil including flex zones and raised elements to provide high abrasion resistance and low friction sliding ability during falls. The protective element comprises ventilation holes and a plurality of grooves to stitch the protective element to the garment to create any style of garment. The protective element can be used for different portions of the wearer's body by varying the shape and/or size of the protective element to accommodate a variety of human body portions.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This embodiment relates to protective garments, and more particularly to a garment to protect athletes, constructed with at least one protective element integrated into areas susceptible to injury.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

With the increasing popularity of sports such as skateboarding, roller-blading, scooter riding, skiing, snowboarding, sledding and ice skating, the incidences of musculoskeletal injury and fracture have spiked. Some attempts have been made to construct various forms of pads for the protection of parts of the body which include foam pad, gel-filled pad and inflatable cushion filled with fluid. These pads are relatively bulky and cumbersome and are inflexible and are not shaped to bend to the contour of the athlete's body, as such these pads did not lend ease of movement of the athlete.
Various protective gears are devised to guard or protect areas such as elbow, knee, shoulder and waist of the athlete's body more susceptible to injury. These protective gears can be worn by athletes or sport enthusiasts during the high-risk sports. Protective gear currently available consists mainly of sets of pads, such as knee pad, elbow pad, shoulder pad or wrist pad which are attached outside of the garment with Velcro straps. Various solutions have not entirely solved the current problems, including these pads are time consuming put on, uncomfortable, and often slide off at the onset of activity.
Certain pads are attached inside the garment or sometimes within the pockets through adhesive or stitching. Such pads attached with adhesive can be accidently dislodged and easily distorted and removed. Such pads stitched inside the garment provide a bulky and clumsy look and does not provide a natural athletic look. In addition, these garments stitched with pads are not lightweight, aerated and washable.
Some pads attached with the garments are commonly made of exposed hard plastic and metal rivets, which can actually cause injury to others during collisions. Some garments include removable pads which ought to be washed separately and perhaps less frequently. Some garments with protective pads do not used as daily wear and readily convertible into different styles of garments.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need for an economical, a simple, a washable, and a reusable athletic garment integrated with protective elements into areas more susceptible to injury. Such a needed tool would include two layers of semi-rigid light weight protective elements which could be attached to any garment to protect the parts of the athlete during athletic activity. Such protective elements would include a thick base layer that is adaptable to provide shock absorption. Moreover, the protective elements would include a thin top layer that is adaptable to provide abrasion resistance and allow low friction sliding ability during falls. Further, the present embodiment would include ventilation holes to improve aeration during activity, flex zones to improve flexibility to bend to the contour of the athlete's body during activity and raised elements to provide slip resistant grip to prevent the wearer from slipping/sliding from a ground surface during falls. Furthermore, the protective element would be stitched to the garment to create any style of garment. The present embodiment accomplishes these objectives.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present embodiment is a protective athletic garment that provides cushioning effect to areas of the wearer's body and shock absorbing capability, while keeping resistance to impact and collision during activities. The protective athletic garment comprises an article of clothing which covers a portion of a wearer's body and at least one protective element attached into areas susceptible to injury. The at least one protective element is tightened and supported with the areas of the protective athletic garment using at least one securing means. The at least one securing means is selected from a group consisting of spring clips, Velcro straps, low-tack adhesive tapes, elastic bands or straps. Preferably, the protective element is flexible so that they can conform to the shape of the areas and bend when the wearer moves.
The protective element comprises an inner surface adaptable to mount over the garment and an outer surface adaptable to contact with a surface during falls or collisions. The protective element is preferably formed of a base layer of polyurethane foam and a top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil. The top layer preferably is bendable, so that it can be curved to conform to the contour of the areas, and also dense or hard enough to deflect at least a portion of the impact. The top layer includes a plurality of flex zones that defined as horizontal grooves or depressions and is adaptable to provide flexibility during athletic activities. The top layer provides high abrasion resistance and low friction sliding ability during falls. The base layer preferably is a relatively compressible medium such as dense foam, which is shock absorbent. The base layer of polyurethane foam is thicker than the top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil. Thus, the protective element is lightweight and washable.
The protective element comprises a plurality of holes extended through the thick base layer of polyurethane foam and the thin top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil. The plurality of holes is adaptable to provide ventilation and aeration during athletic activity. The protective element further comprises a plurality of grooves positioned along an outer edge thereof. The plurality of grooves is utilized to stitch the protective element to the garment to create any style of garment.
The outer surface comprises a plurality of raised elements on the top layer which is adaptable to provide slip resistant grip to prevent the wearer from slipping/sliding from a ground surface during falls. The plurality of raised elements creates friction between the at least one protective element and the wearer's body to provide grip and thereby provide increased protection.
The protective element can be used for different portions of the wearer's body by varying the shape and/or size of the protective element to accommodate a variety of human body portions. The article of clothing including apparels but not limited to a long sleeve shirt, a short sleeve shirt, a sleeveless shirt, a pair of shorts and a pair of pants.
The present embodiment provides an economical, a simple, a washable, and a reusable athletic garment integrated with protective elements into areas more susceptible to injury. Such a needed tool would include two layers of semi-rigid light weight protective elements which could be attached to any garment to protect the parts of the athlete during activity. Such protective elements would include a thick base layer that is adaptable to provide shock absorption. Moreover, the protective elements would include a thin top layer that is adaptable to provide abrasion resistance and allow low friction sliding ability during falls. Further, the present embodiment would include ventilation holes to improve aeration during activity and flex zones to improve flexibility to bend to the contour of the athlete's body during athletic activity. Furthermore, the protective element would be stitched to the garment to create any style of garment. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a long pants attached with at least one protective element on a knee area in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the at least one protective element shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the at least one protective element shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the at least one protective element shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view to illustrate a base layer and a top layer of the at least one protective element shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of a long sleeve shirts attached with at least one protective element on an elbow area in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 a top plan view of the at least one protective element shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of the at least one protective element shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the at least one protective element shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross sectional view to illustrate a base layer and a top layer of the at least one protective element shown in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following describes example embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. This invention, however, may be embodied in many different ways, and the description provided herein should not be construed as limiting in any way. Among other things, the following invention may be embodied as methods or devices. As such, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. The following detailed descriptions should not be taken in a limiting sense.
In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one. In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive “or,” such that “A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise indicated. Furthermore, all publications, patents, and patent documents referred to in this document are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, as though individually incorporated by reference. In the event of inconsistent usages between this document and those documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated reference(s) should be considered supplementary to that of this document; for irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document controls.
Turning now to the drawings in general and to FIG. 1 in particular, there is shown therein a protective athletic garment made in accordance with the present invention and designated generally by the reference numeral 10. In the embodiment illustrated, the protective athletic garment 10 is long pants, however the protective athletic garment 10 could take the form of a pair of shorts or any other item of apparel that include a portion that covers lower body portion. Generally, the protective athletic garment comprises an article of clothing which covers a portion of a wearer's body. The protective athletic garment may be formed of any washable or durable fabric material, or elastic material.
Referring to FIG. 1, the protective athletic garment 10 comprises at least one protective element 12 attached on a knee area 14. In this example, the at least one protective element 12 is tightened and supported with the knee area 14 of the protective athletic garment 10 using at least one securing means 16. The at least one securing means 16 is selected from a group consisting of spring clips, Velcro straps, low-tack adhesive tapes, elastic bands or straps. Preferably, the at least one protective element 12 are flexible so that they can conform to the shape of the knee area 14 and bend when the wearer moves. More preferably, the at least one protective element 12 provides cushioning effect to areas of the wearer's body and shock absorbing capability, while keeping resistance to impact and collision during athletic activities.
FIGS. 2-5 illustrate a structure of the at least one protective element 12 shown in FIG. 1 in detail. Referring to FIG. 2, the at least one protective element 12 comprises an inner surface 18 and an outer surface 20. The inner surface 18 is adaptable to mount over the garment 10 and the outer surface 20 is adaptable to contact with a surface during falls or collisions. The at least one protective element 12 is preferably formed of a base layer of polyurethane foam 22 and a top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil 24 as shown in FIG. 5. The top layer 24 preferably is bendable, so that it can be curved to conform to the contour of the knee area 14, and also dense or hard enough to deflect at least a portion of the impact. More preferably, the top layer 24 includes a plurality of flex zones 26. The plurality of flex zones 26 is adaptable to provide flexibility during athletic activities. The plurality of flex zones 26 is defined as horizontal grooves or depressions to resistant to buckling or folding, and capable of deflecting the impact forces. The top layer 24 may be made of non-elastic, flexible, or plastic material thereby the top layer 24 is lightweight, flexible and washable. The top layer 24 provides high abrasion resistance and low friction sliding ability during falls.
The base layer 22 preferably is a relatively compressible medium such as dense foam, which is shock absorbent and also washable. The base layer of polyurethane foam 22 is thicker than the top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil 24.
As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the outer surface 20 comprises a plurality of raised elements 34 on the top layer 24 which is adaptable to provide slip resistant grip to prevent the wearer from slipping/sliding from a ground surface during falls. The plurality of raised elements 34 are intended to create friction between the at least one protective element 12 and the wearer's body to provide grip and thereby provide increased protection.
The plurality of raised elements 34 have a textured surface, such as a rubber layer for example, to facilitate traction between the at least one protective element 12 and the ground surface. The plurality of raised elements 34 may be made in a variety of shapes, such as substantially rectangular (as shown in FIG. 3), square, round, oval or any other shape. The plurality of raised elements 34 is shown located about the top layer 24 of the at least one protective element 12; one skilled in the art would envision a variety of other positions and configurations for these raised elements 34. Preferably, the plurality of raised elements 34 may be made of any suitable no-slip materials that have a variety of different surface textures and can take on a variety of different configurations.
The at least one protective element 12 comprises a plurality of grooves 28 positioned along an outer edge 30 thereof. The plurality of grooves 28 is utilized to stitch the at least one protective element 12 to the garment 10 to create any style of garment. The at least one protective element 12 further comprises a plurality of holes 32 extended through the thick base layer of polyurethane foam 22 and the thin top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil 24. The plurality of holes 32 is adaptable to provide ventilation and aeration during athletic activity.
Referring to FIG. 6, in one embodiment illustrated, a protective athletic garment 40 is long sleeve shirts, however the protective athletic garment 40 could take the form of a short sleeve shirts or any other item of apparel that include a portion that covers upper body portion. In this embodiment, at least one protective element 42 is shown as attached with the protective athletic garment 40 on an elbow area 44. The at least one protective element 42 is tightened and supported with the elbow area 44 of the protective athletic garment 40 using at least one securing means 16. The at least one securing means 16 is selected from a group consisting of spring clips, Velcro straps, low-tack adhesive tapes, elastic bands or straps.
Referring to FIGS. 7-10, a structure of at least one protective element 42 shown in FIG. 6 is described in detail. Referring to FIG. 7, the at least one protective element 42 comprises an inner surface 48 and an outer surface 50. The inner surface 48 is adaptable to mount over the garment 40 and the outer surface 50 is adaptable to contact with a surface during falls or collisions. The at least one protective element 42 is preferably formed of a base layer of polyurethane foam 52 and a top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil 54 as shown in FIG. 10.
Similarly, the top layer 54 preferably is bendable, so that it can be curved to conform to the contour of the elbow area 44, and also dense or hard enough to deflect at least a portion of the impact. The top layer 54 includes a plurality of flex zones 56 that defined as horizontal grooves or depressions and is adaptable to provide flexibility during athletic activities. The plurality of flex zones 56 are resistant to buckling or folding, and capable of deflecting the impact forces. The top layer 54 provides high abrasion resistance and low friction sliding ability during falls. The base layer 52 preferably is relatively thick dense foam, which is shock absorbent. Thus, the at least one protective element 42 is lightweight, flexible and washable.
The at least one protective element 42 comprises a plurality of holes 62 extended through the thick base layer of polyurethane foam 52 and the thin top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil 54. The plurality of holes 62 is adaptable to provide ventilation and aeration during athletic activity. The at least one protective element 42 further comprises a plurality of grooves 58 positioned along an outer edge 60 thereof. The plurality of grooves 58 is utilized to stitch the at least one protective element 42 to the garment 40 to create any style of garment.
As shown in FIGS. 7-9, the outer surface 50 comprises a plurality of raised elements 64 on the top layer 54 which is adaptable to provide slip resistant grip to prevent the wearer from slipping/sliding from a ground surface during falls. The plurality of raised elements 64 creates friction between the at least one protective element 42 and the wearer's body to provide grip and thereby provide increased protection.
The protective element 12 can be used for different portions of the wearer's body by varying the shape and/or size of the protective element 12 to accommodate a variety of human body portions. For instance, the location, shape and size of the plurality of flex zones 26 and the plurality of holes 32 can be customized to accommodate the different human body portions. For example, the protective element 12 can be made in different sizes, such as small, medium, and large. In some embodiments, a length and a width of the protective element 12 can be customized according to the wearer's body portions. In addition, the plurality of holes 32 and the plurality of flex zones 26 may be any sizes or shapes or depths or placements, not limited to those described in the figures.
The article of clothing including apparels but not limited to a long sleeve shirt, a short sleeve shirt, a sleeveless shirt, a pair of shorts and a pair of pants. The protective element is integrated to any area of a garment including but not limited to: elbows, knees, wrists, shoulders, hips, buttocks, ankles, feet, neck and torso. The protective athletic garment is used with various sports including but not limited to skateboarding, scooter riding, roller skating, roller balding, skiing, sledding, snowboarding, baseball, football, hockey, soccer, ice skating, basketball and playground playing.
In a preferred embodiment, and contingent upon various embodiments, the protective element constructed in accordance with the methods of the present invention by injection of liquefied polyurethane into machined steel molds containing heat molded thermoplastic polyurethane foil. After approximately 12 minutes of hardening time, the protective element is finished by hand. The constructed protective element may be attached or stitched into the garment through the plurality of grooves along the outer edge of the protective element to create any style garment.
The base layer of protective element may be made of any suitable semi-rigid materials that provide shock absorption. The top layer of protective element may be made of hard plastic or carbon fiber material. The embodiments relate to a padding structure designed to construct of one layer or more than two layers in different thicknesses. The layers may be made of any number of different materials that impart lightweight portability and deployment.
While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the garment can be attached with any type of protective element that may be provided with any feature to improve protection and may be customized according to user preferences, for example, size, shape and material. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A protective athletic garment comprising:

an article of clothing adapted to cover a portion of a wearer's body; and

at least one protective element being formed of a base layer of polyurethane foam and a top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil, the at least one protective element having an inner surface being adapted to mount over the garment, an outer surface having a plurality of raised elements, a plurality of flex zones disposed on the top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil, a plurality of holes being extended through the base layer of polyurethane foam and the top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil and a plurality of grooves being positioned along an outer edge thereof;

whereby the at least one protective element is adaptable to provide flexibility and cushioning effect to the areas of the wearer's body, while keeping resistance to impact and collision.

2. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 wherein the plurality of flex zones is defined as horizontal grooves that adaptable to provide flexibility during athletic activity.

3. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 wherein the plurality of holes is adaptable to provide ventilation and aeration during athletic activity.

4. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 wherein the plurality of grooves is utilized to stitch the at least one protective element to the garment to create any style of garment.

5. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 wherein the plurality of raised elements is adaptable to provide slip resistant grip to prevent a wearer from slipping/sliding from a ground surface during falls.

6. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 wherein the base layer of polyurethane foam provides shock absorption and the top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil provides abrasion resistance and low friction sliding ability during falls.

7. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 wherein the at least one protective element further comprises at least one securing means for tightening the at least one protective element to areas of the wearer's body and loosening for comfort during leisure time.

8. The protective athletic garment of claim 6 wherein the at least one securing means is selected from a group consisting of spring clips, Velcro straps, low-tack adhesive tapes, elastic bands or straps.

9. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 wherein the at least one protective element is washable and light weight.

10. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 wherein the article of clothing includes apparels but not limited to a long sleeve shirt, a short sleeve shirt, a sleeveless shirt, a pair of shorts and a pair of pants.

11. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 wherein the at least one protective element is integrated to any area of a garment including but not limited to: elbows, knees, wrists, shoulders, hips, buttocks, ankles, feet, neck and torso.

12. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 is used with various sports including but not limited to skateboarding, scooter riding, roller skating, roller balding, skiing, sledding, snowboarding, baseball, football, hockey, soccer, ice skating, basketball and playground playing.

13. A protective athletic garment comprising:

an article of clothing adapted to cover a portion of a wearer's body; and

at least one protective element having an inner surface being adapted to be mounted over the article of clothing and an outer surface having a plurality of raised elements, the at least one protective element comprising:

a thick base layer of polyurethane foam being adaptable to provide shock absorption;

a thin top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil having a plurality of flex zones, the thin top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil being adaptable to provide abrasion resistance and low friction sliding ability during falls;

a plurality of holes extended through the thick base layer of polyurethane foam and the thin top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil; and

a plurality of grooves positioned along an outer edge of the at least one protective element, the plurality of grooves being utilized to stitch the at least one protective element to the garment;

14. The protective athletic garment of claim 13 wherein the plurality of flex zones is defined as horizontal grooves and adaptable to provide flexibility during athletic activity.

15. The protective athletic garment of claim 13 wherein the plurality of holes is adaptable to provide ventilation and aeration during athletic activity.

16. The protective athletic garment of claim 13 wherein the plurality of raised elements is adaptable to provide slip resistant grip to prevent a wearer from slipping/sliding from a ground surface during falls.

17. A method for constructing and attaching at least one protective element to a garment, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a thick base layer of polyurethane foam;

(b) providing a thin top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil having a plurality of flex zones and a plurality of raised elements;

(c) adhering a thick base layer of polyurethane foam with a thin top layer of thermoplastic polyurethane foil to create the at least one protective element;

(d) providing a plurality of holes on the at least one protective element for ventilation and aeration;

(e) providing the garment; and

(f) attaching the at least one protective element to the garment in areas susceptible to injury;

whereby the at least one protective element is adaptable for providing flexibility and cushioning effect to the areas of wearer's body, while keeping resistance to impact and collision.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein step (f) further comprises: stitching the at least one protective element to the garment using a plurality of grooves positioned along an outer edge of the at least one protective element.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

(g) tightening the at least one protective element to the garment using at least one securing means.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the at least one securing means is selected from a group consisting of spring clips, Velcro straps, low-tack adhesive tapes, elastic bands or straps.