Athletic wear with replaceable inserts
View Patent ↗An energy absorbing pad having a pouch that contains tubes that may be filled with flexible materials is described. The energy absorbing pad is worn as a part of an athletic wear garment so that it protects the wearer from injury due to impacts in contact sports.
1. An energy-absorbing pad, comprising:
a pouch suitable for use with a garment, having a front side, a back side, a first side, a second side, a top side and a bottom side; and
disposed in said pouch at least one continuous fillable tube formed to be in a serpentine shape or a spiral shape, and wherein, if in said serpentine shape, said tube is in a compact serpentine shape comprising:
a first straight section being adjacent to a second straight section and joined to it by a contiguous U-shaped section at an upper end of said first and second straight sections;
said second straight section being adjacent to a third straight section and joined to it by a contiguous U-shaped section at lower end of said second and third straight sections; and
said third straight section being adjacent to a fourth straight section and joined to it by a contiguous U-shaped section at an upper end of said third and fourth straight sections;
and if in said spiral shape, said tube is in an Archimedean spiral shape having at least three complete turnings.
2. The article of claim 1 wherein the continuous fillable tube is removable from the pouch.
3. The article of claim 1 wherein the continuous fillable tube contains a gas, liquid, fluid, gel or solid, or mixtures thereof.
4. The article of claim 1 wherein the continuous fillable tube is filled to a pressure, and said pressure is controlled using a valve.
5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the continuous fillable tube is conformed into a serpentine, linear or spiral shape by the pouch.
6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the continuous fillable tube is conformed into a serpentine, linear or spiral shape by a conformer device.
7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the continuous fillable tube is made of a resilient deformable material.
8. The article of claim 1 , wherein the continuous fillable tube is made of a rigid or semi-rigid material.
9. The article of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the continuous fillable tube is between 0.0004 and ten centimeters.
10. The article of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the continuous fillable tube is between 0.04 and 2 centimeters.
11. The article of claim 1 , wherein the pouch is made of a resilient deformable material.
12. The article of claim 1 , wherein the pouch is made of a rigid or semi-rigid material.
13. The article of claim 1 , wherein the pouch is made of plastic or foam.
14. The article of claim 1 , wherein the energy absorbing pad is disposed in a garment.
15. The article of claim 14 , wherein the garment is a protective sports garment.
16. The article of claim 15 , wherein the energy absorbing pad is permanently disposed in said garment.
17. The article of claim 15 , wherein the garment has a pocket and the energy absorbing pad is removably disposed in the pocket.
18. An energy absorbing pad, comprising: A pouch having a front side, a back side, a first side, a second side, a top side and a bottom side; and disposed in said pouch a plurality of continuous fillable tubes formed to be in a serpentine shape or a spiral shape, and wherein, if in said serpentine shape, said tube is in a compact serpentine shape comprising :
a first straight section being adjacent to a second straight section and joined to it by a contiguous U-shaped section at an upper end of said first and second straight sections;
said second straight section being adjacent to a third straight section and joined to it by a contiguous U-shaped section at lower end of said second and third straight sections; and
said third straight section being adjacent to a fourth straight section and joined to it by a contiguous U-shaped section at an upper end of said third and fourth straight sections;
and if in said spiral shape, said tube is in an Archimedean spiral shape having at least three complete turnings.
19. The article of claim 18 , wherein the pouch has a plurality of tube pockets to house the plurality of continuous fillable tubes.