Protective shirt
View Patent ↗A protective shirt includes a chest portion made of garment material including a lining on a side of the chest portion that is closest to a wearer of the protective shirt. At least one layer of neoprene is securely fastened to the lining. The at least one layer of neoprene extends from a left side of the chest portion to a right side of the chest portion, and is located at an area of the chest portion nearest to a clavicle of a wearer of the protective shirt. The at least one layer of neoprene includes a plurality of spaced-apart segments of the at least one layer of neoprene. The protective shirt includes a neoprene neck pad. Embodiments of the protective shirt include cap-sleeve, short sleeve, long sleeve, sleeveless and tank top versions. In one embodiment, the garment material includes nylon and spandex.
1. A protective shirt comprising:
a shirt made of garment material, the shirt having a center portion, two sleeve portions a neck portion, an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein a section of a front portion of the shirt defines a clavicle/collarbone area; and
a continuous piece of cushioning material with a length, a width, and a depth, fastened to the inner surface and restricted to the clavicle/collarbone area, wherein a portion of the continuous piece of cushioning material overlays clavicles of a user when the shirt is being worn by the user, the continuous piece of cushioning material formed thicker in the depth extending along a direction perpendicular to the front portion of the shirt near the center portion of the shirt and thinner in the depth moving from the center portion towards the two sleeve portions of the shirt, wherein a thickness of the continuous piece of cushioning material is greater than a thickness of the garment material;
wherein the continuous piece of cushioning material symmetrically extends from a center point below a top of the shirt to a left side and a right side of the shirt, defining an arc from a distal end of a left clavicle to the distal end of a right clavicle when worn by the user, and wherein the continuous piece of cushioning material and the garment material at the clavicle/collarbone area form a clavicle/collarbone guard.
2. The protective shirt of claim 1 , wherein the cushioning material is one of synthetic rubber, neoprene and plastic.
3. The protective shirt of claim 1 , wherein the cushioning material is releasably, securely fastened to the inner surface by stitching.
4. The protective shirt of claim 1 , wherein the shirt is a tank top.
5. The protective shirt of claim 1 , wherein the shirt includes a set of cap sleeves.
6. The protective shirt of claim 1 , wherein the shirt includes a set of short sleeves.
7. The protective shirt of claim 1 , wherein the shirt includes a set of long sleeves.
8. The protective shirt of claim 1 , wherein the shirt is a sleeveless shirt.
9. The protective shirt of claim 1 , wherein the garment material is made of one of nylon and spandex, or both.
10. The protective shirt of claim 1 , wherein the continuous piece of cushioning material has an area that corresponds to the clavicle/collarbone area of a user when the shirt is being worn by the user.
11. The protective shirt of claim 10 , wherein the continuous piece of cushioning material has a shape and size that corresponds to the clavicle/collarbone area of a user when the shirt is being worn by the user.
12. The protective shirt of claim 11 , wherein the continuous piece of cushioning material has a shape and size that is limited to the clavicle/collarbone area of a user when the shirt is being worn by the user.
13. The protective shirt of claim 1 , wherein the continuous piece of cushioning material is formed of foam material, the thicker in the depth extending along the direction perpendicular to the front portion of the protective shirt towards the neck portion and thinner of the foam material moving away from the neck portion.
14. The protective shirt of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the continuous piece of cushioning material also overlays a gap between clavicles of the user when the shirt is being worn by the user.
15. A protective shirt, comprising:
a chest portion comprising garment material and including a center portion, two sleeve portions, a neck portion, and a lining on a side of the chest portion that is closest to a wearer of the protective shirt;
at least one layer of neoprene with a length, a width, and a depth, securely fastened to the lining, the at least one layer of neoprene extending from a left side of the chest portion to a right side of the chest portion and restricted to a clavicle/collarbone area of the protective shirt overlaying clavicles of the wearer of the protective shirt when worn, the at least one layer of neoprene formed thicker in the depth extending along a direction perpendicular to the front portion of the shirt near the center portion of the shirt and thinner moving from the center portion towards the two sleeve portions, the at least one layer of neoprene having a thickness greater than a thickness of the garment material; and a back portion comprising the garment material, wherein the back portion is stitched to the chest portion to form a shirt,
wherein the at least one layer of neoprene has a symmetrical shape and is securely fastened to the lining at a location such that the at least one layer of neoprene symmetrically extends from a center point to the left side of the chest portion and the right side of the chest portion, defining an arc from a distal end of a left clavicle to the distal end of a right clavicle when worn by the user.
16. The protective shirt of claim 15 , wherein the at least one layer of neoprene includes a plurality of spaced-apart segments.
17. The protective shirt of claim 15 , including:
each sleeve portion comprising the garment material and including the lining on a side of each sleeve portion that is closest to a wearer of the protective shirt; and
at least one layer of neoprene securely fastened to the lining of each sleeve portion,
wherein the two sleeve portions are stitched to the chest portion and to the back portion to form a shirt with sleeves.
18. The protective shirt of claim 15 , including a neck pad, affixed to a top of the chest portion, the neck pad made of neoprene.
19. The protective shirt of claim 15 , wherein a portion of the at least one layer of neoprene overlays a center of the clavicle/collarbone area of a wearer of the protective shirt.
20. The protective shirt of claim 15 , wherein the at least one layer of neoprene has a shape and size that corresponds to the clavicle/collarbone area of the wearer of the protective shirt.
21. The protective shirt of claim 15 , wherein the at least one layer of neoprene also extends from the left side of the chest portion to the right side of the chest portion including at an area of the protective shirt between clavicles of the wearer of the protective shirt.