A leg-protecting apparatus is arranged in close contact with a body surface of a wearer to cover a thigh, a knee, and a calf of the wearer, including a biomechanically protecting strap (A) arranged to correspond with structural locations and paths of tendons and ligaments of the knee and muscles proximal thereto during an exercise process. The strap comprises a cruciate ligament protecting strap (A-1), a patellar tendon protecting strap (A-2), a thigh muscle group protecting strap (A-3), and a calf muscle group protecting strap (A-4). Elastic moduli of the cruciate ligament protecting strap (A-1) and the patellar tendon protecting strap (A-2) has a step-change upon a change in a fabric tensile ratio caused by the knee bending of the wearer, wherein the step-change occurs after an initial low tensile modulus stage, during a tensile sudden-change stage, and before a high tensile modulus stage transitioning between the stages as knee angle decreases.

A method of forming a plate for an article of footwear is disclosed. The method includes applying a first strand portion to a base layer including positioning adjacent segments of the first strand portion to form a first layer on the base layer. The adjacent segments of the first strand portion having a greater density across a width of the plate between a medial side and a lateral side at a midfoot region of the plate than at a forefoot region of the plate and at a heel region of the plate. The method also includes applying at least one of heat and pressure to the first strand portion and to the base layer to conform the first strand portion and the base layer to a predetermined shape.

A plate for an article of footwear includes a substrate, a first strand portion attached to the substrate via first stitching, and a second strand portion disposed on the first layer. The first strand portion includes first segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a first layer on the substrate. The second strand portion includes second segments that each extend between two different locations along the substrate to form a second layer on the first layer.

A method for forming a plate includes attaching a first strand portion to a flexible substrate to form a first layer on the substrate and positioning a second strand portion on the first layer to form a second layer on the first layer in a plurality of discrete regions on the substrate. The method also includes positioning a plurality of traction elements into corresponding cavities formed into a first mold surface and positioning the substrate on the first mold surface to change a shape of the substrate. At least one of heat and pressure is applied to the first strand portion, the second strand portion, the substrate, and the traction elements to conform the substrate to the shape of the first mold surface and form the traction elements into the substrate at each of the discrete regions. The method also includes incorporating the substrate into an article of footwear.

An externally worn protective thigh pad which protects the inner and frontal thigh muscles from baseball or softball impacts. The protective thigh pad is designed specifically for the player who begins play by squatting behind a batter and spreading their legs. This is usually referred to as the catcher, but this could also be the umpire. The protective thigh pad provides a level of ballistic protection equal to the rest of the catchers gear. The protective thigh pad can be easily put on and removed for batting and base running. The protective thigh pad is comfortable enough to wear through nine innings of play. The protective thigh pad protects an area of the thigh from the inner thigh to the outer thigh and from the patella to the pubis. The protective thigh pad is circumferentially attached to the thigh then suspended from the waist keeping the pad in place.

The invention is to a protective pad for protection from impact and a protective garment using the same. The protective pad includes a foam part and a plate part. The foam part includes a plurality of channels, a plurality of cutout portions, and a plate accommodating section for receiving the plate part. The channels are formed in a first surface of the foam part and the plate accommodating section is formed in a second surface opposite to the first surface. The cutout portions of the foam part are through-holes formed in the foam part from the first surface to the second surface. The plate part is arranged on the plate accommodating section of the foam part, and the plate part includes a plurality of cutout portions that are substantially aligned with the cutout portions of the foam part.

An apparatus for use with a protective cup is disclosed. The apparatus includes a plurality of support members which may position the protective cup in a preferred position relative to a user's body, and secure the protective cup in the preferred position. The plurality of support members may connect to the protective cup or a protective support configured to receive the protective cup. The apparatus may be configured to protect the user's groin region, such as the user's crotch area, pubic bone and genitals. The apparatus may also be configured to protect the user's buttocks or legs, such as the user's hips, thighs, shins or knees.

An article of apparel includes a padding system that dynamically changes configuration in response to an impending impact. The padding system may change from a state that has a high flexibility and offers low protection from impact to a state that has a low flexibility and offers increase protection from impact. The system may use a filament to constrict a plurality of padding elements together in order to increase the overall stiffness of the pad. The filament may be tightened and loosened by a spool. The spool may receive a signal regarding the impending impact from a sensor that is a part of the article of apparel, or a sensor that is separate from it.

Hockey goalkeeper leg pads wearable on legs of a hockey goalkeeper to protect the legs, in which the hockey goalkeeper leg pads may be configured to enhance performance, comfort and/or other aspects of goalkeeping of the hockey goalkeeper, including when the hockey goalkeeper leg pads drop onto a playing surface (e.g., ice) to lie substantially horizontally on the playing surface with their front facing play (e.g., as in a butterfly position or otherwise).

The protective structure comprises a at least in one direction curved support rib structure of a material or a material composition that is suited for injection molding, which support rib structure is formed of an outer frame and of inner frames fitted into the interior space of the outer frame and being fixed to each other and/or to the outer frame. The material thickness of the support rib structure varies in a direction perpendicular to a surface formed by the support rib structure so that the material thickness is greater at the middle of the support rib structure compared to the material thickness at the edges of the support rib structure.