Arm protector or other body part protector

Abstract

A protector for protecting an arm or other body part of a wearer, such as a sports player playing lacrosse, hockey, baseball, or another sport. The protector comprises: a base for engaging the wearer's arm or other body part; and a pad member fastened to the base and comprising protective padding. The pad member may be fastened to the base by a narrow fastening zone. This may allow the protector to better fit on the wearer's arm or other body part, reduce resistance to movement of the wearer's arm or other body part, and/or increase breathability or ventilation of the wearer's arm or other body part and the protector itself.

Claims

1. An arm protector for protecting an arm of a wearer, the arm protector comprising: a sleeve for extending around and engaging the wearer's arm, the sleeve being oriented along a longitudinal axis; a pad member extending transverse to the longitudinal axis and having a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end opposite the first longitudinal end, the pad member comprising protective padding and providing greater impact protection than the sleeve, the pad member having a length measured transverse to the longitudinal axis from the first longitudinal end to the second longitudinal end, the pad member being fastened to an area of the sleeve by a fastening zone intermediate the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end, the area spanning less than the length of the pad member; and a strap extending from the first longitudinal end of the pad member and configured to extend over the sleeve and detachably engage a connecting element on the pad member with the pad member remaining fastened to the sleeve in the fastening zone, at least one of the first and the second longitudinal ends of the pad member being free to move relative to the sleeve with the strap being detached from the connecting element.

2. The arm protector of claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises a stretchable material.

3. The arm protector of claim 2, wherein the stretchable material is a stretchable fabric.

4. The arm protector of claim 3, wherein the stretchable fabric is a spandex fabric.

5. The arm protector of claim 1, wherein a material of the sleeve is fabric and a material of the protective padding is shock absorbing foam.

6. The arm protector of claim 1, wherein the fastening zone comprises stitching.

7. The arm protector of claim 1, wherein the fastening zone includes a plurality of fasteners fastening the pad member to the sleeve.

8. The arm protector of claim 1, wherein: the pad member is a first pad member; and the arm protector comprises a second pad member fastened to the sleeve and comprising protective padding, the second pad member being fastened to the sleeve by a fastening zone which spans less than the length of the second pad member.

9. The arm protector of claim 8, wherein the first pad member is an upper pad member for positioning above an elbow of the wearer's arm and the second pad member is a lower pad member for positioning below the elbow of the wearer's arm.

10. The arm protector of claim 9, comprising a third pad member for positioning over the elbow of the wearer's arm.

11. The arm protector of claim 10, wherein the third pad member is fastened to the sleeve by a fastening zone which spans substantially all of a length of the third pad member.

12. The arm protector of claim 1, wherein the arm protector is a lacrosse arm pad.

13. The arm protector of claim 1, wherein the pad member comprises a first lateral portion extending between the first longitudinal end of the pad member and the fastening zone, and a second lateral portion extending between the second longitudinal end of the pad member and the fastening zone.

14. The arm protector of claim 13, wherein each of the lateral portions of the pad member is free of fastening to the sleeve and wherein each of the lateral portions can move relative to the sleeve.

15. The arm protector of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and the second lateral portion of the pad member comprises a stretchable fastener configured to elastically stretch to allow the lateral portion of the pad member to move relative to the sleeve.

16. The arm protector of claim 1, wherein the pad member is a first pad member; the arm protector comprises a second pad member separate from the first pad member, fastened to the sleeve, and comprising protective padding; the second pad member provides greater impact protection than the sleeve; the second pad member is fastened to the sleeve by a second fastening zone.

17. The arm protector of claim 16, wherein the fastening zone of the second pad member spans at least a majority of a length of the second pad member.

18. The arm protector of claim 1, wherein each of the first and the second longitudinal ends of the pad member is free to move relative to the sleeve with the strap being detached from the connecting element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) A detailed description of embodiments of the invention is provided below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a front view of an example of a protector for protecting a body part of a wearer in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a back view of the protector;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a front view of the protector in which straps of the protector are in an open position;

(5) FIG. 4A shows a front view of a pad member of the protector;

(6) FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the pad member;

(7) FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a base of the protector in an unfolded state;

(8) FIG. 6 shows longitudinal ends of the pad member moved in contact with one another;

(9) FIG. 7 shows a plan view of another pad member of the protector fastened to the base in an unfolded state;

(10) FIGS. 8A and 8B show variants of fastening of the pad member to the base;

(11) FIG. 9A shows a variant of the protector wherein a detachable fastener fastens the pad member to the base; and

(12) FIG. 9B shows another variant of the protector wherein a stretchable fastener fastens the pad member to the base.

(13) It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments of the invention and are an aid for understanding. They are not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(14) FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of a protector 10 wearable on a body part of a wearer for protecting the wearer's body part in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the protector 10 is a limb protector for protecting a limb of the wearer. More specifically, in this embodiment, the protector 10 is an arm protector for protecting an arm of the wearer. In this example, the arm protector 10 is an athletic protector wearable by the wearer who is engaging in a sport. More particularly, in this example, the arm protector 10 is a lacrosse arm protector and the wearer is a lacrosse player playing lacrosse.

(15) The arm protector 10 is configured to protect the player's arm (i.e., provide protection to at least part of the player's arm). In this embodiment, the arm protector 10 provides protection to an upper arm (e.g., bicep) region, a lower (e.g., forearm) region, and an elbow region of the player's arm. In this example, the arm protector 10 may be referred to as an “arm guard” or “arm pad”.

(16) In this embodiment, the arm protector 10 comprises a base 12 for engaging the player's arm and a plurality of pad members 14.sub.1-14.sub.3 fastened to the base 12. The arm protector 10 also comprises a plurality of straps 20.sub.1, 20.sub.2 extending from respective ones of the pad members 14.sub.1, 14.sub.3. As further discussed later, the arm protector 10 may be configured to provide a better fit on the player's arm, less resistance to bending of the player's arm, and/or improved breathability or ventilation of the player's arm and the arm protector 10 itself.

(17) The base 12 engages the player's arm when the arm protector 10 is worn. In this embodiment, the base 12 comprises a sleeve 22 mountable about the player's arm.

(18) In this embodiment, the sleeve 22 is configured to fit the player's arm snuggly. More particularly, in this embodiment, the sleeve 22 has a generally cylindrical shape which is implemented by stitching or otherwise affixing (e.g., by an adhesive, ultrasonic welding, etc.) opposite end portions of the sleeve 22 to one another. An unfolded view of the sleeve 22 is shown in FIG. 5. Also, in this embodiment, the sleeve 22 comprises a stretchable material in order to fit the player's arm snuggly. For instance, the sleeve 22 may stretch and close back onto the player's arm when the player's arm is inserted in it (e.g., providing a slight “compression fit”). In this embodiment, the stretchable material of the sleeve 22 is a stretchable fabric (e.g., a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, or any other suitable fabric). In this case, the stretchable fabric of the sleeve 22 is a spandex fabric. In other embodiments, the stretchable fabric of the sleeve 22 may comprise a polyester and spandex blend, nylon, or any other suitable material. In some cases, the sleeve 22 may have a hydrophobic property in order to repel moisture (e.g., sweat) away from the player's arm.

(19) The base 12 may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments. For example, in other embodiments, the base 12 may comprise a plurality of sleeves similar to the sleeve 22, such as an upper sleeve and a lower sleeve, which are interconnected. As another example, in other embodiments, the base 12 may comprise a structure that engages the player's arm without wrapping about the player's arm when the arm protector 10 is worn (e.g., a liner contacting the player's arm only on one, two, or three sides of the player's arm, but not wrapping around the player's arm).

(20) The pad members 14.sub.1-14.sub.3 protect various regions of the player's arm. In this embodiment, the pad member 14.sub.1 is an upper pad member for positioning above an elbow of the player's arm to protect an upper arm (e.g., bicep) region of the player's arm, the pad member 14.sub.2 is an intermediate pad member for positioning over the elbow of the player's arm to protect an elbow region of the player's arm, and the pad member 14.sub.3 is a lower pad member for positioning below the elbow of the wearer's arm to protect a lower (e.g., forearm) region of the player's arm.

(21) Each pad member 14.sub.x of the pad members 14.sub.1-14.sub.3 provides padded protection to the wearer's arm. To that end, with additional reference to FIG. 4B, the pad member 14.sub.x comprises protective padding 30. The protective padding 30 comprises a shock-absorbing material. For example, in this embodiment, the shock-absorbing material of the protective padding 30 comprises foam. For instance, in some examples of implementation, the foam may be ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam, expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam (e.g., low-density polyethylene (LDPE) foam), vinyl nitrile (VN) foam, polyurethane foam, or any other suitable foam. In other embodiments, the shock-absorbing material of the protective padding 30 may comprise any other shock-absorbing substance other than foam (e.g., a gel).

(22) In addition to the protective padding 30, in this embodiment, the pad member 14.sub.x comprises an outer covering 32 and an inner lining 34 between which the protective padding 30 is disposed. The inner lining 34 faces towards the player's arm, while the outer covering 32 faces away from the player's arm. In this example of implementation, the inner lining 34 is operable to contact the base 12. In this case, the inner lining 34 comprises fabric. For instance, the fabric of the inner lining 34 may comprise a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, or any other suitable fabric. Also, in this example of implementation, the outer covering 32 may be exposed to more wear since it is operable to endure impacts in use. In this case, the outer covering 32 comprises flexible non-foam polymeric material. For instance, in some examples, the flexible non-foam polymeric material of the outer covering 32 may comprise polyurethane. In addition, in this embodiment, the pad member 14.sub.x comprises a band 37 extending around a periphery of the pad member 14.sub.x to retain (e.g., clamp) together the inner lining 34, the protective padding 30, and the outer covering 32. The band 37 may comprise any suitable material and may be secured to the outer covering 32, the inner lining 34, and/or the protective padding 30 in any suitable way. In this example, the band 37 is comprises a fabric (e.g., spandex, nylon or any other suitable fabric) and is clamped about and stitched to the outer covering 32, the inner lining 34, and the protective padding 30.

(23) In this embodiment, the pad member 14.sub.x is flexible such that it can bend about the player's arm when the arm protector 10 is worn. More particularly, in this example, when the player's arm is inserted into the sleeve 22 and the straps 20.sub.1, 20.sub.2 are wrapped about the player's arm, the pad member 14.sub.x bends and folds about the player's arm.

(24) As shown in FIG. 3, the pad member 14.sub.x has longitudinal ends 63.sub.1, 63.sub.2 that define a length L of the pad member 14.sub.x. In this embodiment, the pad member 14.sub.x is elongated and mounted to the base 12 such that its length L is oriented transversally to a longitudinal axis 29 of the arm protector 10.

(25) Each of the pad members 14.sub.1-14.sub.3 may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, each of the pad members 14.sub.1-14.sub.3 may comprise any other suitable material (e.g., a rigid material such that the outer covering 34 is a rigid shell) and/or may have any other suitable shape.

(26) Each pad member 14.sub.x of the pad members 14.sub.1-14.sub.3 is fastened to the base 12 by a fastening zone 40. The fastening zone 40 of the pad member 14.sub.x is that zone which encompasses every fastener fastening the pad member 14.sub.x to the base 12. Thus, one or more fasteners fasten the pad member 14x to the base 12 and the fastening zone 40 encompasses the one or more fasteners fastening the pad member 14.sub.x to the base 12, i.e., spans between extremities of the one or more fasteners fastening the pad member 14.sub.x to the base 12. As such, the fastening zone 40 may be viewed as having a dimension F spanning between extremities of the one or more fasteners fastening the pad member 14.sub.x to the base 12.

(27) For example, in this embodiment, each pad member 14.sub.y of the upper and lower pad members 14.sub.1, 14.sub.3 is fastened to the base 12 by a plurality of fasteners 50.sub.1-50.sub.4. In this example, each of the fasteners 50.sub.1-50.sub.4 comprises a stitching 52. More particularly, in this example, the stitching 52 is a stitch line (i.e., a line of stitches). Each of the fasteners 50.sub.1-50.sub.4 may be any other suitable fastener in other embodiments (e.g., any other mechanical fastener such as a tack, a rivet, a button, a screw, etc., or an adhesive). The fastening zone 40 of the pad member 14.sub.y encompasses the fasteners 50.sub.1-50.sub.4, i.e., spans between extremities of the fasteners 50.sub.1-50.sub.4. The dimension F of the fastening zone 40 of the pad member 14.sub.y, which in this case is a width of the fastening zone 40, thus spans between extremities of the fasteners 50.sub.1, 50.sub.2. In this example, the fasteners 50.sub.1-50.sub.4 are arranged in a generally rectangular or “box-like” configuration. The fasteners 50.sub.1-50.sub.4 may be arranged in any other configuration in other examples. Similarly, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the intermediate pad member 14.sub.2 is fastened to the base 12 by a plurality of fasteners 50.sub.1-50.sub.4 such that the fastening zone 40 of the intermediate pad member 14.sub.y encompasses the fasteners 50.sub.1-50.sub.4, i.e., spans between extremities of the fasteners 50.sub.1-50.sub.4.

(28) Each of the pad members 14.sub.1-14.sub.3 is movable relative to the base 12. Notably, in this embodiment, each of the upper and lower pad members 14.sub.1, 14.sub.3 is allowed a significant degree of freedom of movement relative to the base 12, including movement away from the base 12. This may allow the arm protector 10 to better fit on the player's arm, reduce resistance to bending of the player's arm, and/or increase breathability or ventilation of the player's arm and the arm protector 10 itself.

(29) More particularly, in this embodiment, each pad member 14.sub.y of the upper and lower pad members 14.sub.1, 14.sub.3 includes lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 that are movable relative to the base 12. The lateral portion 66.sub.1 extends from the longitudinal end 63.sub.1 of the pad member 14.sub.y and the lateral portion 66.sub.2 extends from the longitudinal end 63.sub.2 of the pad member 14.sub.y. Each of the lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 corresponds to a substantial part of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y. For example, in some embodiments, a given one of the lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 may correspond to at least one-third of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y, in some cases at least half of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y, in some cases at least three-fifths of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y, and in some cases an even greater portion of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y. In this embodiment, each of the lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 of the pad member 14.sub.y corresponds to approximately 48% of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y, respectively.

(30) In order to be movable relative to the base 12, in this embodiment, each of the lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 of the pad member 14.sub.y is free of fastening to the base 12 (i.e., does not include any fastener fastening that lateral portion of the pad member 14.sub.y to the base 12). Each of the lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 can thus freely move relative to the base 12. For instance, in this embodiment, when the arm protector 10 is worn on the player's arm, the longitudinal ends 63.sub.1, 63.sub.2 of the pad member 14.sub.y are movable adjacent to one another, as shown in FIG. 6. More particularly, in this example, when the arm protector 10 is worn on the player's arm, the longitudinal ends 63.sub.1, 63.sub.2 of the pad member 14.sub.y are movable to contact one another.

(31) In this embodiment, the pad member 14.sub.y comprises a central portion 68 between its lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 that includes the fasteners 50.sub.1, 50.sub.2 fastening the pad member 14.sub.y to the base 12. More particularly, in this example, the central portion 68 is stitched to the sleeve 22 by the stitching 52 of each of the fasteners 50.sub.1, 50.sub.2.

(32) As the lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 of the pad member 14.sub.y which are free of fastening to the base 12 to move freely relative to the base 12 correspond to substantial parts of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y, in this embodiment, the fastening zone 40 of the pad member 14.sub.y is “narrow”. That is, the fastening zone 40 of the pad member 14y is of small extent compared to the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y. In other words, the dimension F of the fastening zone 40 of the pad member 14.sub.y is considerably less than the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y. For example, in some embodiments, the fastening zone 40 of the pad member 14.sub.y may span less than half of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y, in some cases no more than one-third of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y, in some cases no more than one-quarter of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y, in some cases no more than one-fifth of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y, in some cases no more than one-tenth of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y, in some cases no more than one-twentieth of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y, and in some cases an even smaller portion of the length L of the pad member 14.sub.y.

(33) The pad member 14.sub.y being movable relative to the base 12 may provide certain benefits. For example, the pad member 14.sub.y may allow a greater mobility of the player's arm. More specifically, the player's arm may be less constrained since its positioning is not limited by the lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 of the pad member 14.sub.y which can move as the player's arm moves, thereby allowing the arm protector 10 to present less resistance to bending of the player's arm. In addition, an improved breathability or ventilation of the player's arm and the arm protector 10 itself may be achieved since the lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 of the pad member 14.sub.y do not have to be constantly pressed against the base 12. For example, when the player is not playing (e.g., on sidelines or between quarters, halves or periods), the straps 20.sub.1, 20.sub.2 can be detached such that the lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 of the pad member 14.sub.y can move away from the base 12, thus allowing more air circulation around the base 12 and, therefore, the player's arm. Also, when the base 12 is moist from the player's sweat, ventilation may be more easily achieved since the lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 of the pad member 14.sub.y are not permanently in contact with the base 12. For instance, once the player removes the arm protector 10, the base 12 may be more open to ventilation, allowing an increased surface area of the base 12 to be exposed to air.

(34) In this embodiment, the intermediate pad member 14.sub.2 is mounted to the base 12 differently than the upper and lower pad members 14.sub.1, 14.sub.3. More particularly, in this embodiment, the intermediate pad member 14.sub.2 is fastened to the base 12 adjacent to its longitudinal ends 63.sub.1, 63.sub.2 by the fasteners 50.sub.1, 50.sub.2 and adjacent to its top and bottom regions by the fasteners 50.sub.3, 50.sub.4. In contrast to the upper and lower pad members 14.sub.1, 14.sub.3, the fastening zone 40 of the intermediate pad member 14.sub.2 is not narrow but is rather large, spanning most, in this case, substantially an entirety of the length L of the intermediate pad member 14.sub.2. Thus, in this embodiment, the dimension F of the fastening zone 40 of the intermediate pad member 14.sub.2 corresponds to substantially all of the length L of the intermediate pad member 14.sub.2. As such, the fastening zone 40 of the intermediate pad member 14.sub.2 is considerably larger than the fastening zone 40 of the upper and lower pad members 14.sub.1, 14.sub.3.

(35) The straps 20.sub.1, 20.sub.2 help to further secure the arm protector 10 to the player's arm. More particularly, in this embodiment, the straps 20.sub.1, 20.sub.2 allow the upper and lower pad members 14.sub.1, 14.sub.3 to be retained in a bent configuration folded upon the base 12. In order to achieve this, in this example, the arm protector 10 comprises connectors 21.sub.1 and 21.sub.2 to respectively connect a free end portion of a strap 20.sub.y to a pad member 14.sub.y of the upper and lower pad members 14.sub.1, 14.sub.3. Each connector 21.sub.y comprises a connecting element 70.sub.1 on the strap 20.sub.y and a connecting element 70.sub.2 on the pad member 14.sub.y that are engageable with one another to interconnect the free end portion of the strap 20.sub.y to the pad member 14.sub.y. In this embodiment, each of the connectors 21.sub.1, 21.sub.2 comprises a hook-and-loop connector, with respective ones of its connecting elements 70.sub.1, 70.sub.2 being hook elements and loop elements. In other embodiments, the connectors 21.sub.1, 21.sub.2 may comprise snap buttons or any other suitable type of connector.

(36) The arm protector 10 may be configured in various other ways in other embodiments.

(37) For example, in other embodiments, the fastening zone 40 of each pad member 14.sub.y of the upper and lower pad members 14.sub.1, 14.sub.3 may include any number of fasteners fastening the pad member 14.sub.4 to the base 12 arranged in any suitable configuration. For instance, in some embodiments, the fastening zone 40 of the pad member 14.sub.y may include a single (i.e., only one) fastener, such as a single stitching, which may be, for example, a straight-line stitching 150 as shown in FIG. 8A, a zigzag stitching 250 as shown in FIG. 8B, or any other stitching.

(38) As another example, in other embodiments, instead of being free of fastening to the base 12, a lateral portion 66.sub.i of the lateral portions 66.sub.1, 66.sub.2 of each pad member 14.sub.y of the upper and lower pad members 14.sub.1, 14.sub.3 may comprise a fastener that fastens the lateral portion 66.sub.i to the base 12 but allows the lateral portion 66.sub.i to move relative to the base 12. For example, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 9A, the lateral portion 66.sub.i of the pad member 14.sub.y may comprise a detachable fastener 70 that detachably fastens the lateral portion 66.sub.i to the base 12, i.e., that is operable to selectively fasten the lateral portion 66.sub.i to the base 12 and unfasten the lateral portion 66.sub.i from the base 12. For instance, the detachable fastener 70 may include a button, clip, etc. As another example, as shown in FIG. 9B, the lateral portion 66.sub.i of the pad member 14.sub.y may comprise a stretchable fastener 72 that can elastically stretch to allow the lateral portion 66.sub.i of the pad member 14.sub.y to move relative to the base 12. For instance, the stretchable fastener 72 may comprise an elastic band, strap, etc.

(39) Although in this embodiment the protector 10 is an arm protector for protecting a wearer's arm, in other embodiments, a protector constructed using principles described herein in respect of the protector 10 may be another type of protector to protect another limb or other body part of a wearer. For example, in other embodiments, a leg protector (e.g., sometimes referred to as a leg pad or a shin guard) for protecting a wearer's leg may be constructed using principles described herein in respect of the protector 10.

(40) While in this embodiment the protector 10 is for a player playing lacrosse, in other embodiments, a protector constructed using principles described herein in respect of the protector 10 may be another type of protector for a player playing another type of sport, such as another type of contact sport (sometimes referred to as “full-contact sport” or “collision sport”) in which there are significant impact forces on the player due to player-to-player and/or player-to-object contact. For example, in other embodiments, a protector constructed using principles described herein in respect of the protector 10 may be a hockey protector (e.g., a hockey elbow pad or a hockey leg pad) for a hockey player. As another example, in other embodiments, a protector constructed using principles described herein may be a baseball or softball protector (e.g., a batter's elbow pad or catcher's leg guard) for a baseball or softball player. As yet another example, in other embodiments, a protector constructed using principles described herein may be a soccer protector (e.g., a soccer leg guard) for a soccer player.

(41) Any feature of any embodiment discussed herein may be combined with any feature of any other embodiment discussed herein in some examples of implementation.

(42) Certain additional elements that may be needed for operation of certain embodiments have not been described or illustrated as they are assumed to be within the purview of those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, certain embodiments may be free of, may lack and/or may function without any element that is not specifically disclosed herein.

(43) Although various embodiments and examples have been presented, this was for the purpose of describing, but not limiting, the invention. Various modifications and enhancements will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and are within the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.