Protective athletic garment
View Patent ↗A protective athletic garment comprising a protective cap for protecting a body part of the user. The protective cap comprises a shell for overlying the user's body part. The shell comprises a first shell member and a second shell member. The protective cap comprises a liner mounted under the shell for being disposed between the shell and the user's body part. The protective cap also comprises a link interconnecting the first shell member and the second shell member to hold the first shell member and the second shell member together. The link extends along at least part of a periphery of the first shell member and at least part of a periphery of the second shell member such that the first shell member and the second shell member are movable relative to one another in response to movement of the user's body part.
1. A protective athletic garment wearable by a user, the protective athletic garment comprising a protective cap for protecting a body part comprising an articulation of the user, the protective cap comprising:
a) a shell for overlying the user's articulation, the shell comprising a first shell member and a second shell member that are disposed to overlie the user's articulation;
b) a liner mounted under the shell for being disposed between the shell and the user's articulation; and
c) a link interconnecting the first shell member and the second shell member to hold the first shell member and the second shell member together, the link extending along at least part of a periphery of the first shell member and at least part of a periphery of the second shell member such that the first shell member and the second shell member are movable relative to one another and relative to the liner in response to movement of the user's articulation.
2. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 , wherein the second shell member is movable relative to the first shell member between an extended position and a retracted position, the first shell member and the second shell member overlapping when the second shell member is in the retracted position.
3. The protective athletic garment of claim 2 , wherein, when the second shell member is in the extended position, the first shell member and the second shell member are positioned to prevent a gap therebetween through which the user's articulation could be impacted.
4. The protective athletic garment of claim 2 , wherein the first shell member and the second shell member overlap when the second shell member is in the extended position, an overlap of the first shell member and the second shell member when the second shell member is in the retracted position being greater than an overlap of the first shell member and the second shell member when the second shell member is in the extended position.
5. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 , wherein the link comprises a strip of fabric.
6. The protective athletic garment of claim 5 , wherein the strip of fabric is a braiding.
7. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 , wherein the link extends along at least a majority of a perimeter of the shell.
8. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 , wherein the link surrounds the shell.
9. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 , wherein each of the first shell member and the second shell member comprises an inner side for facing towards the user's articulation and an outer side for facing away from the user's articulation and wherein the liner is spaced apart from the inner side of the first shell member and the inner side of the second shell member.
10. The protective athletic garment of claim 9 , wherein each of the first shell. member and the second shell member comprises a peripheral edge defined between its inner side and its outer side and wherein the link covers the inner side, the outer side and the peripheral edge of the first shell member and covers the inner side, the outer side and the peripheral edge of the second shell member.
11. The protective athletic garment of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second shell members is curved in two orthogonal directions such that its inner side is generally concave and its outer side is generally convex.
12. The protective athletic garment of claim 11 , wherein the shell has a dome shape.
13. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 , wherein the link is affixed to the shell and the liner.
14. The protective athletic garment of claim 13 , wherein the link is affixed to the shell and the liner by at least one stitching.
15. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 , wherein the shell is affixed to the liner by a stitching passing through the link.
16. The protective athletic garment of claim 15 , wherein the link and the stitching surround the shell.
17. The protective athletic garment of claim 15 , wherein the stitching is a first stitching, the link being affixed to the shell by a second stitching.
18. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 , wherein each of the first shell member and the second shell member comprises a rigid core and a fabric layer covering at least part of the rigid core.
19. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 , wherein the liner comprises a flexible core and a fabric layer covering at least part of the flexible core.
20. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 , comprising a restraint interconnecting the first shell member and the second shell member to restrain movement of the second shell member relative to the first shell member.
21. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 , wherein a perimeter of the liner is larger than a perimeter of the shell.
22. The protective athletic garment of claim 1 , wherein the articulation is located proximate a joint region of a shoulder, a knee cap or an elbow point and wherein the protective cap is a shoulder cap, knee cap or elbow cap with first and second shell members overlying the joint region of the shoulder, knee cap or elbow point.
23. The protective athletic garment of claim 2 , wherein a portion of a peripheral edge of the first shell member overlaps a portion of a peripheral edge of the second shell member when the second shell member is in the extended or retracted position, the overlapping peripheral edge portions being free of the link.
24. A protective athletic garment wearable by a user, the protective athletic garment comprising a protective cap for protecting a body part comprising an articulation of the user, the protective cap comprising:
a) a shell for overlying the user's articulation, the shell comprising a first shell member and a second shell member, wherein each of the first shell member and the second shell member comprises an inner side for facing towards the user's articulation, an outer side opposite the inner side and for facing away from the user's articulation, and a peripheral edge defined between the inner side and the outer side;
b) a liner mounted under the shell for being disposed between the shell and the user's articulation; and
c) a band interconnecting the first shell member and the second shell member to hold the first shell member and the second shell member together, the band extending along at least part of a periphery of the first shell member and at least part of a periphery of the second shell member such that the first shell member and the second shell member are movable relative to one another in response to movement of the user's articulation, and wherein the band covers the inner side, the outer side and the peripheral edge of the first shell member and covers the inner side, the outer side and the peripheral edge of the second shell member.
25. The protective athletic garment of claim 24 , wherein the second shell member is movable relative to the first shell member between an extended position and a retracted position, the first shell member and the second shell member overlapping when the second shell member is in the retracted position.
26. The protective athletic garment of claim 25 , wherein, when the second shell member is in the extended position, the first shell member and the second shell member are positioned to prevent a gap therebetween through which the user's articulation could be impacted.
27. The protective athletic garment of claim 25 , wherein the first shell member and the second shell member overlap when the second shell member is in the extended position, an overlap of the first shell member and the second shell member when the second shell member is in the retracted position being greater than an overlap of the first shell member and the second shell member when the second shell member is in the extended position.
28. The protective athletic garment of claim 24 , wherein the hand extends along at least a majority of a perimeter of the shell.
29. The protective athletic garment of claim 24 , wherein the band surrounds the shell.
30. The protective athletic garment of claim 24 , wherein the liner is spaced apart from at least part of the inner side of the first shell member and at least part of the inner side of the second shell member.
31. The protective athletic garment of claim 24 , wherein the articulation is located proximate a joint region of a shoulder, a knee cap or an elbow point and wherein the protective cap is a shoulder cap, knee cap or elbow cap with first and second shell members overlying the joint region of the shoulder, knee cap or elbow point.
32. The protective athletic garment of claim 25 , wherein a portion of a peripheral edge of the first shell member overlaps a portion of a peripheral edge of the second shell member when the second shell member is in the extended or retracted position, the overlapping peripheral edge portions being free of the link.
33. The protective athletic garment of claim 24 , wherein the first shell member and the second shell member are movable relative to the liner in response to movement of the user's articulation.
34. Athletic shoulder pads wearable by a user, the athletic shoulder pads comprising:
a) a front portion for covering at least part of a front side of a thorax of the user;
b) a back portion for covering at least part of a back side of the thorax of the user;
c) left and right shoulder arch portions for respectively arching over left and right shoulders of the user and interconnecting the front portion. and said back portion;
e) left and right shoulder caps mounted above the left and right shoulder arch. portions for respectively protecting the left and right shoulders of the player, each of the left and right shoulder caps comprising:
i. a shell for overlying a respective one of the left and right shoulders of the user, the shell comprising a first shell member and a second shell member that are disposed to overlie the respective one of the left and right shoulders of the user;
ii. a liner mounted under the shell for being disposed between the shell and the respective one of the left and right shoulders of the user; and
iii. a link interconnecting the first shell member and the second shell member to hold the first shell member and the second shell member together, the link extending along at least part of a periphery of the first shell member and at least part of a periphery of the second shell member such that the first shell member and the second shell member are movable relative to one another in response to movement of the respective one of the left and right shoulders of the user.