Protective equipment for protecting a portion of a user's body (such as a leg guard for protecting part of a user's leg) may include a cap configured to cover a first portion of a user's body and a cap-extension element connected to an end of the cap and configured to cover at least another portion of the user's body. The cap-extension element is removable from the cap and connectable to the cap via an attachment mechanism. The attachment mechanism may include a tab element on the cap-extension element that connects to a socket element on the cap. The protective equipment may include a cap liner attached to the cap, a cap-extension liner attached to the cap-extension element, and the attachment mechanism may include liner-attachment elements on the liners.

The present invention provides a protective pad for the limbs of a person that is operable to connect to the clothing of the person to prevent slippage of the knee pad as the wearer moves. In some embodiments, the pad may be operable to be used for the elbows of the body. The protective pads include connector straps integrated into the side edges of the pads that are operable to wrap around the wearer's leg and connect to connectors on the opposite side edge of the knee pad. The protective pads may additionally have at least one anti-slip retention strap for connecting directly to the pants of the wearer.

A clothing article having a support member is provided. The clothing article includes an outer shell, a portion of the outer shell being dimensioned to fit loosely on a body of a wearer. A support structure has a support member supporting the body of the wearer when positioned thereon, and fits snugly on the body of the wearer, At least one tether portion extends between the support member and at least one connection region that is secured to the outer shell. At least a part of the at least one tether portion is dimensioned to enable the outer shell to move substantially freely relative to the support member when the clothing article is worn by the wearer.

A body limb protection system includes an outer layer, an inner layer, and a force dampening and defusing structure. The outer layer includes a first material composition and has an exterior surface that includes a substantially planer area. The inner layer includes a second material composition and has a shape corresponding to a body limb portion. The force dampening and defusing structure is positioned between the inner layer and the outer layer. The force dampening and defusing structure has a shape corresponding to a difference between the shapes of the inner and outer layers. The force dampening and defusing structure includes a plurality of components arranged to reduce pressure on the body limb portion when a force is applied to the substantially planer area.

A piezoelectric substrate attachment structure including a press section pressed by contact, a piezoelectric substrate provided adjacent to the press section, and a base section provided adjacent to the piezoelectric substrate on an opposite side from the press section. The following relationship Equation (a) is satisfied:
da/E′a<db/E′b  (a) wherein da is a thickness of the press section in a direction of adjacency to the piezoelectric substrate, E′a is a storage modulus of the press section from dynamic viscoelastic analysis, db is a thickness of the base section in the adjacency direction, and E′b is a storage modulus of the base section from dynamic viscoelastic analysis.

The present disclosure seeks to reduce the effects of rotational and linear acceleration experienced by the body of a user in response to an impact force. Modular disengaging systems of the present disclosure are generally suitable for coupling to protective equipment to provide a disengaging motion between various layers such that the effects of the impact force to the body of the user are reduced. Generally described, the modular disengaging systems of the present disclosure include layers configured to facilitate relative lateral motion therebetween upon an impact force.

An athletic shoe with a legging sleeve connected thereto. The athletic shoe may take any of a variety of high-performance shoes known in the art, such as tennis shoes, basketball shoes, and the like. The legging sleeve component is integrally connected as part of the shoe and is extensible over the calf, knees and thigh of the wearer and operative to form a compressive fit thereabout. Integrated as part of such legging sleeve may include pockets, channels and pouches for receiving brace structures, support devices, protective coverings and a variety of other implements to facilitate movement, support and promote proper form when playing sports. Such device may further include integration with sensors so as to monitor physical activity, or measurement of a variety of other physiological parameters for use in a variety of applications.

A brace for a part of a body includes a first conductive fiber associated with a first polarity, and a second conductive fiber associated with a second polarity different from the first polarity. The second fiber is woven together with the first fiber and insulated from the first fiber. The brace also includes a selectively electrically activated cross-linking agent between the first and second fibers. The agent is constructed to cross-link in a first active mode when the first and second fibers are electrified and is constructed to not cross-link in a second inactive mode when the first and second fibers are not electrified. The brace surrounds a body part, such as a knee or neck. The agent can include an ER fluid and/or EAP. A brace system includes a selectively electrically activated brace for the part of the body.

The invention concerns cushioning compositions comprising (a) at least one of urethane polymer and silicone polymeric putty; and (b) hydraulic silicone crumb; said hydraulic silicone crumb being mixed with component (a). The invention also concerns devices and methods using such compositions. Protective devices have been used to protect the hoofs of animals. Shoes have been used to protect the hoofs from damage while the animal is walking or running.

A decompression floating protective patellar knee joint pad for preventing contact between the patella and an external surface may include a fabric sleeve sized to surround a user's knee region, extending from the user's lower leg to the user's thigh; a stabilizing platform with a central opening mimicking a shape of the patellar region of the user attached to the fabric sleeve; a cushioning material attached to a posterior surface of the stabilizing; and a patellar cap attached to the stabilizing platform and covering the central opening, wherein the patellar cap is protracted away from the user, creating a void configured to prevent the patella from having contact with the external surface.